Chapter 28

Chapter 28

After four trips back and forth, they finally cleaned up the house. Shen Juanjuan took off his shoes and coat and climbed onto the bed, laying out the quilt they had found at the supermarket under Chu Ya's instructions.

"So soft, so soft..." He rolled around on the bed hugging the quilt.

The tin shack no longer looked like a garbage heap, but Chu Ya was exhausted by then, with throbbing pain from his broken bones. He took some medicine, closed the door, and got into bed. Shen Juanjuan came over to help, carefully moving his feet.

"Does it hurt?" Shen Juanjuan asked as he moved them.

"No."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"I'm being very gentle. Does it hurt?"

"No."

They finally lay down, but Shen Juanjuan couldn't sleep, tossing and turning and talking incessantly.

"This bed feels strange. It's weird sleeping on it."

"How is it strange?"

"It's too soft. I'm afraid I'll fall off the bed while sleeping."

"Don't worry; feel under the mattress. The bed frame is solid."

"Oh, you're right. Shen Miaomiao, when you close the door, it gets really dark in here, but I'm not scared at all."

"Mm." Chu Ya had one hand under his head, staring at the ceiling in the darkness.

"The quilt is so warm. Feel my hands; they're hot."

"Mm."

...

Shen Juanjuan gradually stopped tossing and turning, his voice becoming increasingly muddled. Chu Ya lay still, listening to him murmur softly: "Shen Miaomiao, I'll take good care of you... don't run away, don't hide in holes..."

Finally, the tin shack fell silent, with only the sound of Shen Juanjuan's long, even breaths. Chu Ya thought of his parents in the darkness, the calm he had maintained throughout the day finally dissipating, replaced by a surge of sorrow that brought silent tears.

What are you sad about? They're fine; do you believe what Gu Lin said?

You can't cry. Your mother said you're sensitive and would cry when your paintings didn't turn out well. You can't cry anymore; you have to be strong, like your father, who could handle anything.

Chu Ya repeated these words to himself until he finally stopped crying and calmed down. The anti-inflammatory medication he had taken might have had a sedative effect, and he gradually drifted into a daze.

He felt himself running, leaping and bounding, with cold wind whistling past his ears. When he opened his eyes, he saw not the tin shack but a vast wilderness.

Although it was pitch-black night, he could see clearly. As he lowered his head slightly, he saw the endless expanse of barren land and the powerful black-furred forelegs running beneath him.

A surge of anger welled up inside him, and he wanted nothing more than to tear something apart. The cold wind penetrated his thick fur, but he felt no chill; instead, it fanned the flames of his rage, burning hotter and threatening to consume his body and destroy the wilderness.

He ran on, seeing cranes and hoists ahead. He stopped, panting heavily, and slowly approached one of the tin shacks in the darkness.

Hiding in the shadow of the tin shack, he saw two workers whispering as they walked toward him. As they drew closer, a sudden, intense, and insane urge arose in his mind:

To bite them, kill them all, drain their blood, tear their flesh, make them scream in agony as they struggled...

Chu Ya imagined the hot blood flowing through his throat, every cell screaming with excitement, urging him to pounce, to bare his sharp fangs, and rip their throats open.

But he was also acutely aware that this wasn't his own thought; he must be dreaming. Watching himself uncontrollably crouch, ready to pounce, his only thought was to wake up, to escape this nightmare.

"The mine produced five tons today, not bad. We should finish the task tomorrow."

"Hopefully, it won't be as cold tomorrow. My hands were freezing today, almost knocked over the fuel barrel."

"You need to be careful; if you knock over the barrel, everyone's work will be for nothing."

The man suddenly paused. "Hey, did you see a black shadow near that shack? I thought it was a rock, but now it's gone."

"Didn't notice. Maybe you're seeing things."

"Probably just seeing things."

Chu Ya fought against the violent urges within him and finally managed to break free. He felt himself dissipate and return to another space.

The word 'return' came to mind because he found himself floating once again in the broken world filled with black tornadoes and shattered rocks, where he saw the black beast.

This strange space didn't frighten him; instead, it evoked a sense of surprise and sadness at returning to a place that had changed.

This time, he saw clearly that the beast was a massive black wolf.

The black wolf stood on a floating rock, its fur billowing in the wind, its emerald green eyes filled with malice and ferocity.

Chu Ya gazed calmly at it from a distance.

The black wolf impatiently scratched at the rock beneath its paws, eager to break through the hurricane barrier. When a bright gap appeared beside it, it let out a joyful growl and leaped into it...

Chu Ya felt the softness of the bed beneath him and heard Shen Juanjuan's breathing. He exhaled slowly.

He had seen the mine and the black wolf standing in the tornado; it was all just a dream.

No!

Suddenly, he sensed a heavy murderous intent.

This murderous intent was so clear and close, coming from the empty space beside the bed, targeting Shen Juanjuan who was sound asleep.

In the next second, the youth on the bed suddenly opened his eyes. There was no trace of sleepiness in them, only sharp and cold determination. Without any delay, he sat up and fiercely punched towards the darkness beside him.

Chu Ya was not thinking about anything else right now; this punch was delivered with full force. A dull thud echoed as his fist struck a solid object.

Bang!

Meanwhile, his other hand reached under the pillow, pulling out a hidden dagger and thrusting it straight into the darkness ahead.

All of this happened in an instant, taking no more than two seconds, but his dagger missed its mark; that thing was no longer there.

Chu Ya remained seated on the bed without moving, neither defending nor searching. He had a strange yet strong feeling that he had just seen the Black Wolf, which was now no longer in the room.

Although he did not know where this feeling came from, he was very certain.

Shen Juanjuan was not awakened by the commotion; he merely turned over, mumbling something, and fell back into deep sleep.

Chu Ya recalled what had just happened.

Why did he always see that Black Wolf in that strange space?

Previously, on the streets of Mixin Town, he had chased Shen Juanjuan like a wild beast, thinking it was a hallucination caused by his Sentinel's heightened senses. But tonight, something similar happened again.

—Could it be that he really possessed a wild beast, attempting to attack Shen Juanjuan and the miners?

Could it be that Black Wolf? Could his mental power have invaded the mind of a wild beast?

But why did it suddenly disappear?

... Its behavior was like that of a quantum beast.

A thought suddenly popped into Chu Ya's mind: his quantum beast was also a wolf. Could it be—

No, no, no, that's impossible.

He instantly dismissed this absurd notion.

Although his mental domain was damaged, he had seen his quantum beast—it was a completely silver wolf.

He had studied Sentinel-Guide knowledge at military school and knew that even if a Sentinel or Guide's mental domain was damaged, the appearance of their quantum beasts would not change.

But... they were both wolves; does changing color count as a change in appearance?

Chu Ya lay down again, trying to enter his mental domain once more, but all it brought was a sharp pain in his head, leaving him helpless.

Light seeped through the hole in the wall, faintly revealing the outline of the tin roof. Chu Ya was unsure of what was happening, but he knew he would figure it out eventually.

Regardless, he needed to stay patient and calm.

There were many pressing issues to resolve, so he put aside the matter of the Black Wolf for now. What he needed most urgently was a wheelchair, electricity, and hot water. Yes, he needed to find a way to get hot water...

"Smack, smack..."

Hearing the sound, Chu Ya turned his head and saw Shen Juanjuan sucking his fingers. He gently removed the finger from his mouth.

The weather was getting colder; he needed to find clothes for changing and make some padded clothing...

"Smack, smack..."

Shen Juanjuan started sucking his fingers again. After removing his hand, Chu Ya tucked it under the blanket and firmly tucked in the edges.

He watched Shen Juanjuan for a moment, seeing his hand wriggling but unable to escape the blanket, before finally exhaling in relief.

Time to sleep; there's a lot to do tomorrow.

The next morning, before the aircraft arrived with new garbage, Shen Juanjuan tied his tie, picked up a small bag filled with treasures, and said goodbye to Chu Ya, heading to the orphanage for breakfast.

"Shen Miaomiao, I'll be back soon. Don't wander off."

He gave earnest instructions and was about to step out when Chu Ya called him back, putting on the hat he had forgotten and tying the earflaps under his chin.

As Chu Ya tied the knot, Shen Juanjuan stared at him, standing still even after it was done.

"What's wrong? Do you not like this knot?" Chu Ya asked.

Shen Juanjuan shook his head. "No."

Chu Ya looked puzzled, and Shen Juanjuan patted his own head.

After a few seconds of staring at each other, Chu Ya turned his head and coughed lightly, then raised his hand to pat Shen Juanjuan's head. "Scram."

"You need to say it louder and with more ferocity," Shen Juanjuan was not entirely satisfied.

Chu Ya coughed again, covering his mouth with his fist. "Scram!"

"A bit more ferocious."

"...Scram!"

"Three times."

"Scram, scram, scram."

"Haha... sounds good."

When Shen Juanjuan returned to the orphanage, the cafeteria was distributing food. He peeked through the window, but Liu Sijin called him inside, saying Wang Chengcai was being confined for three days and had already taken his breakfast to the punishment room.

Shen Juanjuan walked happily into the cafeteria, asking through the window, "What's for breakfast today?"

"Sigh, bean cakes." Lin Duozhi said.

Shen Juanjuan: "Sigh..."

Other kids: "Sigh..."

Bean cakes weren't as tasty as sweet potatoes, rough and hard to swallow, but at least there was enough. After Shen Juanjuan received two bean cakes from the caretaker, he still peeked into the bucket. The caretaker then added another one: "Is that enough? Even if you can't finish them, stuff them down anyway; no wasting food."

Shen Juanjuan grinned and held up two fingers: "I can finish them. Can I have one more?"

"That's two, not one," Lin Duozhi pressed one finger down.

"Three won't be enough; how big is your stomach? No way." The caretaker waved him away and then asked Lin Duozhi, "What about you? How many do you want?"

Lin Duozhi usually could only eat two but also said, "I can eat three."

The other children from Dormitory 16 also chimed in excitedly.

"I want three."

"Me too, three."

The children usually got only two, but this time they each received three and joined Shen Juanjuan in the corner of the dining hall.

"Has your brother died yet?"

"No, he's alive."

"Then is his illness better? Can he fight Wang Zhusheng's brother now?"

"Not yet, his leg isn't healed."

Wang Xiaoxi and Yu Datou, who had been on lookout, approached with alert expressions: "Hurry up and trade, someone's coming."

Shen Juanjuan opened his bag and took out several colorful wrappers: "These colorful papers for one bean cake, who wants to trade?"

Chen Hongliang: "I'll trade."

Chen Hongliang took the colorful wrappers and gave Shen Juanjuan an extra bean cake. Shen Juanjuan put the bean cake away and then pulled out a ballpoint pen, which was colorful even though it had no ink.

"This for one bean cake, who wants to trade?"

Tang Yuanyuan immediately grabbed the pen: "I'll trade."

Chen Hongliang, holding his colorful paper, suddenly looked confused: "But we never traded before, Shen Juanjuan always gave us treasures."

"But you can't finish three bean cakes," Tang Yuanyuan said.

Chen Hongliang scratched his head: "Okay, okay, it was meant for him anyway."

When Shen Juanjuan left the dining hall, his bag contained a few more bean cakes. He handed the remaining items to the children surrounding him: "These are all for you."

Tang Yuanyuan quickly took them, and Chen Hongliang tried to grab some, but Tang Yuanyuan clutched the bag tightly: "Let's wait until we get back to the dormitory to look and divide them. Don't look now, or we'll be caught."

"Oh, okay, okay."

The weather was nice today, not as cold. The infants from the second floor were brought downstairs by the caretakers, each wearing a bib and sitting in small chairs or strollers at one corner of the playground.

As Shen Juanjuan and the others passed by, they greeted the infants: "Little babies, are you playing?"

"Uh-uh-ah..." The infants responded with babbling sounds.

The welfare home's gate was open, and a military jeep was parked outside. Shen Juanjuan and the others stopped to watch a caretaker get out of the car, carrying a small bundle.

"A new baby has arrived."

"The caretaker went to pick up a new baby."

The caretaker stood by the gate, watching the military vehicle drive away before entering. The children's curiosity was piqued, and although new arrivals weren't uncommon, Shen Juanjuan and the others ran over.

"Caretaker, is this a new baby?"

"Can we see?"

The caretaker lowered the child for them to see.

It was a baby less than half a year old, thin and small, sleeping soundly with closed eyes. After seeing the baby, the children lost interest and were about to leave when a gentle voice spoke up: "Do you like little sisters?"

"Don't like her, she's not pretty."

"A little bit, just a little bit."

"I think she looks better than that one over there, the one in the stroller who smiles so ugly."

"... Ugh, tsk-tsk."

...

The children continued chattering, and the caretaker respectfully greeted the approaching person: "Director Liu."

Director Liu was around sixty, short and plump, with a kind face. The children weren't afraid of him, but more afraid of the caretakers.

Director Liu walked up to the caretaker, touched the baby's face, and asked, "How much formula is left?"

The caretaker hesitated: "Not much. Children over three months old are given both formula and rice porridge."

"Resources will send a batch of formula soon, don't worry."

The caretaker breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "When will Cloud Peak come to select children next month?"

The dean, Liu, continued to look at the baby, but the smile in his eyes gradually faded, and a hint of concern appeared on his usually calm round face.

The manager asked, "Is it because we still haven't seen the child who was selected before?"

"Yes, I've been in contact with the previous children; some of the adults have already joined the military. But in the past year or so, I haven't seen any of the children who were selected."

The manager consoled him, "Perhaps they don't want us to see them, fearing the children might not adapt to their new environment."

"Maybe," Dean Liu responded noncommittally, then looked back at the baby, "Has her name been chosen yet?"

Before the manager could answer, someone from the left called out, "Coming, coming." An elderly, thin man holding a ledger ran over.

Shen Juanjuan recognized him as Manager Wu, the one responsible for naming the children. Whenever there were unnamed infants brought in, he would name and register them.

"Manager Wu is going to give another random name."

"Name her Doubing."

...

Manager Wu had a good temper and didn't mind the children's chatter. The manager holding the baby also refrained from scolding them, knowing that Dean Liu was present. The children, perceptive as they were, became even more unruly.

"The new baby looks so ugly; you should give her a nice name."

"She came in a big truck; let's call her Big Truck."

...

Dean Liu smiled on the side while Manager Wu asked the manager holding the baby, "Does she have a family name?"

The manager replied, "Yes, her family name is Li."

"Li... Li..." Manager Wu examined the baby through his reading glasses, "She probably hasn't even reached four jin yet. Let's call her Li Sijin."

"But I have a friend named Liu Sijin," Shen Juanjuan said.

Manager Wu responded, "Then let's call her Li Sisi."

"There's an older student named Chen Sisi."

Everyone started arguing, and finally, Dean Liu intervened, "Let me give her a name."

Everyone fell silent. Dean Liu gently touched the baby's cheek, "Let's call her Li Pingan."

"A good name."

"Dean Liu's choice is excellent."

The two managers praised it endlessly.

Satisfied with his curiosity, Shen Juanjuan decided to leave. After whispering with Lin Duozhi and a few others, he prepared to sneak away quietly.

But the sound of a car outside caught everyone's attention. They turned to see dust rising from the distant road as three military jeeps sped toward them.

"Another new child has arrived."

"What should we name this one? How about Big Truck?"

"Will this one be ugly too?"

...

Dean Liu's expression grew serious as he hurried toward the gate. The two managers stayed put, but a group of curious children followed behind.

Shen Juanjuan loved to join the excitement, thinking he'd take a quick look at the new baby before leaving, so he rushed along with the crowd.

The three vehicles stopped at the gate. The door of the lead vehicle opened, and several officers jumped out, but none carried a baby. Dean Liu stepped out of the gate, and Shen Juanjuan and the children watched from behind the fence.

"Dean Liu, we are from the Fifth Division of the Morna Army... We need his assistance in the investigation... But he's missing... Twelve years old... If you see him, please contact us..."

Dean Liu kept nodding and smiling, "Yes, I understand, yes, okay."

Shen Juanjuan wasn't interested in this conversation and didn't connect the dots. He still had Chu Ya on his mind, so he quietly said goodbye to the other children and slipped away from the gate, heading toward a hole in the fence.