Chapter 175: Another Self (6)

Chapter 175: Another Self (Six)

The mechanical mother grabbed Zhu Ning’s arm; to a child, an adult’s figure loomed as tall as a mountain. Zhu Ning could clearly sense her anger. She walked at a rapid pace, almost dragging Zhu Ning along.

"Why don’t you listen?"

The mechanical mother shouted angrily, "I work so hard, why don’t you listen!"

"Why do you always make me angry!"

Zhu Ning, an adult who had lived two lifetimes, felt particularly annoyed being scolded like a child, but she did not argue back. Instead, a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

She felt a bit guilty, as if she had really done something wrong.

The poorer and more unfortunate one was, the clearer it was that the Red House had no money. The pressure on the mechanical mother must have been immense.

The mechanical mother looked down at her from a height, her half-drooping face and gloomy eyes making her appear sinister.

What would happen next? Was she going to hit her?

The mechanical mother opened her mouth, about to say something, perhaps to insult her?

Zhu Ning lifted her face to meet her gaze. The expected slap did not come, nor did the insults. The mechanical mother pushed open a door. "Go in and reflect."

With a bang, Zhu Ning was locked in the isolation room.

Zhu Ning stood silently by the door for a moment, feeling very strange. Just now, she had actually felt a connection with the mechanical mother.

This place was too bizarre.

Because she couldn’t use violence to level the place, Zhu Ning had to uncover the truth. In this process, she was constantly being assimilated by the Red House.

From God's Eye, the mechanical mother hadn’t gone far. She stopped five meters away from the isolation room, where there was a table. Her body was very stiff, like a doll.

The mechanical mother stood there for a long time, and Zhu Ning could clearly sense her emotions. She seemed... a bit sad?

The mechanical mother sat down, took out a needle and thread from her tattered apron, and under the dim light, began to sew her own arm.

Her movements were extremely meticulous, each stitch passing through the synthetic skin without any sign of pain, as if it were a mother sewing a garment rather than mending skin.

Zhu Ning didn’t know if it hurt, but the scene seemed oddly harmonious.

The mechanical mother blocked the door, and even with a universal key and invisibility, it would be difficult for Zhu Ning to slip out under her watchful eye. She couldn’t pass through walls either, and Xu Meng’s skills would have been more suitable here.

Thinking of Xu Meng, Zhu Ning wondered if she had woken up yet. She decided to search the isolation room.

It had to be said that this orphanage was truly dilapidated. The facilities in the Red House were all old, lacking any sense of technology. The clothes they wore were also very worn, but many children had game consoles.

In this world, electronic products were cheaper. Zhu Ning guessed that some companies might have donated them.

They sent large quantities of cheap electronics but never provided the clothes and food that were truly needed.

The isolation room was smaller than the regular rooms, very cramped. Since there was no toilet, a wooden bucket was placed in the corner, emitting a foul odor.

In the center of the room was a small table, possibly used for punishment, made lower than normal tables. Sitting on it for a long time would cause numbness in the limbs.

On the table were paper, pens, and books. Those who were isolated would come here to do their homework. Zhu Ning picked up a notebook, revealing the tabletop, which had scratches.

Many people liked to write or carve on desks when they were young, such as carving the word "early." Now, the table was covered with chaotic carvings. Zhu Ning took a while to decipher them.

She... is... bad...

The person who carved these words seemed to have gone mad, clearly in a very poor mental state.

Bad?

What was bad? Who was she? The mechanical mother?

Zhu Ning recalled the limited interactions she had had with the mechanical mother. She was visibly deteriorating, with the synthetic skin on her arm about to fall off.

The puzzle in the B-level contaminated area wouldn’t be too difficult. Zhu Ning felt that finding a few more clues would help her piece everything together quickly.

Find the source of contamination and get out as soon as possible.

Zhu Ning was flipping through a notebook on the table, a "Confession Book" where everyone who entered had to write a self-criticism.

The "Confession Book" had been there for years, the paper thin and brittle, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch. A layer of dust covered the pages.

The children’s handwriting was varied, and Zhu Ning glanced through them casually. The self-criticisms all had a central theme: wasting food, fighting with other children, or making loud noises.

Zhu Ning had been brought to the isolation room earlier for making loud noises.

Her movements slowed as she came across a self-criticism she had written herself.

It was her handwriting again.

The theme of the self-criticism was about not running around after lights out, written with great emotion. Zhu Ning had been mischievous in her previous life, often writing self-criticisms, and she could write one in less than twenty minutes.

If the similarity in handwriting was just a coincidence, the similarity in thought was much stranger. Handwriting could be imitated, but thoughts were hard to mimic.

Moreover, Zhu Ning’s self-criticisms had a distinct style from her era, starting with "I write this self-criticism with a heart full of guilt and regret..."

Here it was again, another trace of Zhu Ning’s life.

Zhu Ning felt increasingly uncomfortable staying here. The sense of déjà vu was too strong. She decided to finish searching the isolation room and leave immediately.

The room was small, offering no hiding places. It didn’t take long to search thoroughly, leaving only one spot left.

A window.

The small window faced the door, situated unusually high, about three meters from the ground, presumably for ventilation.

What lay outside this window?

Zhu Ning’s God’s Eye had its limitations, sometimes working and sometimes not. She hadn’t used it much before, and this was her first time entering the contaminated area with this ability.

Now she realized that within the contaminated area, you could only see what you already knew existed.

In other words, she could only see things she was aware of, not anything unknown.

To Zhu Ning, the world beyond the window was a chaotic blur.

Ordinary people locked in solitary confinement might have thought about "escaping," wondering if they could use this as an exit.

Zhu Ning, at her current height, couldn’t even reach the window sill, and she was reluctant to use her gravity defiance skill.

The mechanical mother was right outside the door, and she didn’t dare make any loud noises. Carefully, she pushed the small desk over.

The height of one desk wasn’t enough.

Zhu Ning then stacked a chair on top, finally managing to reach the edge of the window by standing on the highest point.

Being so small, her movements were severely restricted. She had to tiptoe, causing the desk and chair to creak and sway precariously, like a tightrope walker.

Tiptoeing, Zhu Ning peered out, catching a glimpse of the corner of the window, but the weak light flashed, and she still couldn’t see clearly.

What was out there?

Curiosity is a human trait. The more she couldn’t see, the more curious she became.

Athletically gifted, she made a dangerous move for an eight-year-old: gripping the window frame with both hands, finding a foothold, and pushing herself up like a rock climber, then giving a slight jump with her feet.

Her view suddenly widened. In that moment of jumping, she could see everything outside, as if time had slowed down.

Bang!

The chair under Zhu Ning wobbled and fell straight off the desk.

Zhu Ning grabbed the window ledge with her hands, her feet dangling in mid-air, hanging from the window.

Her heart raced, nearly falling. She had seen herself, another version of herself, outside the window.

When did she get there?

Outside the window was a ventilation duct, likely installed to prevent children from escaping. The duct was extremely narrow, even for a child. The fake Zhu Ning’s bones were twisted, crammed inside the duct, her neck contorted and resting on her knees.

What are you doing? Observing her? Ready to replace her at any moment?

"Zhu Ning?" The mechanical mother’s voice came from outside the door.

Zhu Ning’s actions had attracted the mechanical mother’s attention. Knowing Zhu Ning would cause trouble, she had already grasped the doorknob. "What are you doing now?"

Feeling like a child who had been caught, Zhu Ning feared the adult’s reaction and quickly said, "I accidentally tripped the chair."

Zhu Ning’s heart pounded as she stared through the door at the mechanical mother, who listened for a moment, then walked away when she heard no further noise.

The window ledge was narrow, only two fingers wide. Throughout this process, Zhu Ning supported her entire body weight with her fingertips.

Once the mechanical mother left, Zhu Ning let out a sigh of relief but didn’t dare relax completely, only the chair had fallen.

She paused, then released her grip and lightly jumped onto the desk, landing silently. Then she hopped down to the floor.

Zhu Ning’s heart raced. She looked up at the window, seeing a dark shadow even though she couldn’t make out the details. The fake Zhu Ning was there, and they stared at each other in silence.

She really wanted to ask.

"What are you planning to do?"

At the very least, she wanted to ask that question, to understand even if it meant death, but she closed her mouth immediately, a strong intuition preventing her from speaking.

Try to kill her again.

The ventilation duct was made of metal. Zhu Ning immediately activated her Metal Manipulation. A child in the duct was like a hamster trapped in a can, easily crushed from the outside.

Zhu Ning exerted her strength, but in response, another force countered hers, causing the metal duct to tremble under the dual manipulation.

No, Zhu Ning stopped using her ability. Even if she pushed to her limits, she couldn’t defeat the other.

Their energies were identical.

Zhu Ning had never felt so defeated. All her abilities were useless; her attacks felt like punches into cotton.

What does the fake Zhu Ning want?

She didn’t even speak. Say something.

Suppressing her questions without asking was driving her mad. Why follow her all the time?

How long will she exist? Is she going to follow her forever?

Even if Zhu Ning escaped the red house, the fake Zhu Ning would follow her like a ghost, indistinguishable from the real Zhu Ning to anyone else.

This was suffocating.

Zhu Ning fully understood why Xiao Yuan couldn’t hold on. How could anyone live normally with such a presence in their life?

In the story described in Xiao Yuan's garden, another self quietly exists, seeping into your life.

Her existence is a contamination, day by day polluting you, isolating you from your social circle until you break down mentally.

Zhu Ning's spirit isn't so easily broken.

She takes a deep breath, carefully sorting through the entire process. Xiao Yuan first became aware of the other self because of the fake swimming registration form, and her subsequent behavior successfully made her siblings dislike her even more.

They all agreed that the other Xiao Yuan was more likable.

Over time, the real Xiao Yuan felt like she was living in the shadow of the other self, who was always more perfect.

This is why Xiao Yuan felt inferior, afraid to confront the fake self, a process that gradually eroded her spirit.

Is the logic behind the fake Zhu Ning's actions the same?

To have the mechanical mother lock her in the isolation room, scare Zhu Ning into hoping the mechanical mother would come to punish her, thus proving the fake Zhu Ning was more qualified?

This might be the logic behind the other party's actions.

Zhu Ning no longer tries to kill the other, deciding to ignore her. She is just a contaminant; once the source of pollution is found, she will naturally disappear.

Don’t waste time on her.

Easier said than done, Zhu Ning has to find something to distract herself.

Previously, she found a "silk thread" in Xiao Yuan's room, now kept in a transparent plastic bag, still unable to identify what kind of creature it came from.

Zhu Ning remembers lying under the bed when the mechanical mother suddenly looked down.

She had already used the invisibility device when the mechanical mother looked over, so there was no way the mechanical mother could have seen her.

Did she really want to touch Zhu Ning? Was she looking at something else through Zhu Ning?

What was she looking at?

She must go back to where Xiao Yuan disappeared.

Zhu Ning sits cross-legged on the floor, with the mechanical mother outside the door, and the other self blocking the only exit, the window. Both paths are blocked.

Time ticks away, and she can hear the old clock ticking.

Click—

After an unknown amount of time, the door opens from the outside, and the mechanical mother appears at the doorway, “Go back to sleep.”

Zhu Ning instinctively looks at the window, where the other self is still present, but due to the rule of a third party being present, the mechanical mother cannot see her.

It’s dark, and the other children have already washed up. Zhu Ning missed dinner, but she doesn’t need to eat anyway.

Everyone washes up quietly, clearly sensing that the mechanical mother is in a bad mood today, none wanting to anger her.

Zhu Ning joins the line for washing up, and Li Xin, standing next to her, is wiping her face, rubbing away the bodies of ants.

While washing her hands, Zhu Ning can see the other self in the mirror’s reflection, standing behind her and Li Xin, but Li Xin can’t see her.

If you live here, it’s really hard to ignore this thing; it’s easy to be driven mad.

Zhu Ning ignores the other self, washes her hands, and returns to her room like a well-behaved child, lying down on the narrow bed again.

This is her second day in the Red House. The longer she stays, the more she feels as if she has truly lived here before.

The sleep announcement sounds, and Zhu Ning lies in bed, waiting for the mechanical mother to finish patrolling all the rooms and return to her own bedroom. The entire Red House becomes quiet.

At this moment, Zhu Ning opens her eyes, gets out of bed silently, and opens her bedroom door in the darkness.

She hesitates for a moment as she passes Li Xin’s room; Li Xin has been unusually quiet today.

Zhu Ning’s goal is to find the source of the contamination. In the end, she doesn’t wake Li Xin, moving cautiously down the corridor. There are a few dim red lights in the hallway, and bells are tied every few meters.

One must be extra careful not to make any noise, or everyone in the Red House will be awakened.

This isn’t difficult for Zhu Ning; her movements are quick, navigating through like an obstacle course.

Click—

A sudden sound echoes in the dead of night. Zhu Ning quickly hides in a small storage room at the end of the corridor, a narrow space for cleaning tools.

Her heart races, unsure of the source of the sound.

Through a narrow crack, Zhu Ning peers out, seeing the mechanical mother getting up for some reason in the middle of the night.

Her skin seems increasingly unstable, her hair very thin, wearing a nightgown, and her whole body emaciated.

She walks into the bathroom, and after a while, the sound of flushing water comes from inside, indicating she got up to use the restroom.

Zhu Ning hides in the storage room, holding her breath as much as possible, ready to use her invisibility skill at any moment. She is now quite experienced with this.

The mechanical mother comes out of the bathroom and seems to sense something, glancing in her direction.

No way, she can see me even now?

Does the mechanical mother have some kind of radar?

Her eye sockets are sunken, the mechanical eyes glowing red in the darkness, her steps slowing as she lingers longer in this area.

Zhu Ning activates the system, but the mechanical mother only pauses for a moment, doesn’t open the storage room door, and turns to leave.

She returned to her room, and Zhu Ning let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she felt a shadow fall over her vision, as if something was crawling.

Zhu Ning reached out casually, and an ant, already crushed under her hand.

An ant? It easily brought to mind Lixin. She slowly lifted her neck; the cramped storeroom was teeming with ants, covering everything so that the original color of the storeroom was completely obscured.

A pair of eyes suddenly appeared outside the storeroom, Lixin's face pressed up close, asking with an innocent look, "When are we going to find Xiaoyuan?"

She even lowered her voice, as if afraid to wake the mechanical mother.

When did she appear?

So the mechanical mother was watching Lixin just now?

Surrounded by ants, Zhu Ning had encountered bugs before and remained relatively calm, but she couldn't bear the sheer number of ants crawling on her.

"Didn't we agree to find Xiaoyuan?" Lixin asked.

"I was about to call you," Zhu Ning said, trying to soothe the other's emotions.

"Liar!" Lixin's face suddenly twisted, and ants poured out of her mouth. She was extremely angry, shouting, "Liar!"

Lixin's voice was shrill, awakening the entire contaminated area. It seemed they could no longer hide; the contaminated area would inevitably enter attack mode.

Zhu Ning pushed open the cabinet door, causing Lixin to stumble. The ants swarmed toward Zhu Ning like a tide.

"Liar!" Lixin roared, "You lied to me!"

The strength of one ant was negligible, but countless ants combined into a formidable force. Zhu Ning tried to run, but her right foot sank—someone had grabbed her ankle.

She had no choice but to fire backward. Her foot loosened, and the other ants continued to crawl, trying to breach the gaps in Zhu Ning's protective suit.

Seizing a moment of respite, Zhu Ning immediately sprinted through the red house.

The mechanical mother had already opened the door, and the other children were waking up, asking what was happening.

"What's going on?"

"Zhu Ning! Why didn't you listen!"

"You lied to me!"

Several voices intertwined behind Zhu Ning, like a large net thrown over her head. Even while running down the stairs, she saw another version of herself.

Her dark shadow hid in the shadows, watching Zhu Ning as if enjoying a show.

Zhu Ning didn't even glance at her. Using the rotten fish head, she accelerated to her maximum speed, leaving those behind her far behind.

She grabbed the doorknob of Xiaoyuan's room, and in her haste, stepped on the wish bottle at the door.

Zhu Ning's first move was to rush under the bed, a semi-enclosed space that was easy to be trapped in, not a typical escape choice for most people.

Listening to the footsteps outside, they were coming closer, only a hundred meters away.

Time was running out. Zhu Ning quickly searched under the bed.

It was dark under the bed, and Zhu Ning turned on her flashlight, illuminating the part where the bed met the wall.

Each room was like a small nest, surrounded by others on all sides, with another bedroom next door.

Zhu Ning knocked on the wall, and the sound was very hollow, different from a regular wall.

Was there something inside?

The footsteps grew closer, and the mechanical mother was just ten meters away.

Zhu Ning struck the wooden board with her elbow, making a loud thud, and the board dented inward.

After three strikes, there was a bang, and she felt a gust of wind.

Cold and damp air rushed in through the crack in the wall, carrying a strong musty smell, making her pause.

Under the bed, there was another hidden compartment, like a vertical shaft between two rooms.

It was pitch black, a deep abyss that seemed to swallow everything.

Creak—

She heard a strange sound, as if something hanging was gently swinging.

Zhu Ning gritted her teeth. At first, she only saw darkness, or perhaps it was like peering through a tube, giving no clear idea.

Behind the wall, a sound came, and Zhu Ning held her breath, feeling something moving in front of her.

It was a thin thread, which Zhu Ning immediately recognized as the one she found in the wardrobe.

Adjusting her angle, she looked down into the abyss.

Hanging from the thread was something, a cocoon, just the size of a child.

The white thread formed a human shape, suspended by a single thread, and there were more, filling the entire compartment with these cocoons.

She seemed to have found where the missing Xiaoyuan had gone. She was right behind her, separated only by a thin wall.