Chapter 21: Xue Yu: Oh, My Ill-Fated Second Child
Xue Yu’s chest throbbed with a burning pain. She first wiped away the baby’s saliva with a tissue, then went to the bathroom to find ice cubes, wrapping them in a towel to apply to the area.
She returned to the sofa and sat down.
Zhou Siyan held the baby with one hand and the bottle with the other, feeding her. Seeing her still pained expression, he asked, “Does it still hurt a lot?”
Xue Yu pouted and nodded.
Zhou Siyan: “Let me take a look. Did the skin break?”
Of course, Xue Yu didn’t let him look.
Her sense of shame was strong enough to shatter the heavens.
The main reason was that she and Zhou Siyan had been too wild in the past. The bed in their dorm had collapsed twice because of them.
Zhou Siyan’s nails were always neatly trimmed, and he paid great attention to oral hygiene, always carrying a bottle of mouthwash.
Xue Yu even suspected that because the White Tower was such a food desert, Zhou Siyan had nothing to eat and just loved to “eat” her.
The wilder they were in the past, the more awkward it was now that they were parents.
It was like an old pro suddenly washing his hands of his past and deciding to become a monk and renounce worldly desires.
But when he arrived at the temple, he found that the young, cold abbot, dressed in plain robes and holding prayer beads, was a former playmate with whom he had been utterly shameless.
It was too humiliating.
To clear her mind of those indecent images, Xue Yu took out the Beginner’s Guide to Spirit Body Control that Zhou Siyan had given her.
Controlling a spirit body to enhance one’s physique was a process similar to breaking through one’s limits to force an evolution.
Xue Yu studied it for a while but couldn’t find any information about the seahorse spirit body in the book.
She could only try the training methods for water-type spirit bodies first.
The main function of a water-type spirit body was to allow its master to evolve the ability to breathe underwater.
This ability required constant training, from holding one’s breath for one minute, to two minutes, and finally achieving complete freedom of breathing underwater.
“Keep an eye on the baby. I’m going to the bathroom to practice holding my breath.”
Xue Yu said to Zhou Siyan and went to the bathroom with Blueberry.
Zhou Siyan sat on the sofa, holding the baby. After Xue Yu entered the bathroom, he lowered his head and kissed the baby, murmuring to himself, “Mommy is a hardworking good baby too.”
He actually knew that the main ability of Xue Yu’s spirit body was reproduction.
Instead of training to hold her breath underwater, it would be better to find a few more men to have babies for her.
Xue Yu went to the bathroom, filled the sink with water, and plunged her head in.
One minute, two minutes… she was surprised to find that she could hold her breath for two and a half minutes.
She gritted her teeth and trained a few more times, the longest time reaching eight minutes.
Her head was spinning, so she had to take a break for now.
When she returned to the bedroom, the baby was already asleep.
Zhou Siyan had placed the baby in the middle of the bed, covered with a small cotton blanket.
The two of them lay on either side of the baby. Neither of them dared to sleep deeply that night.
The warm lamp was kept on, and they would get up to check on the baby every so often.
In the latter half of the night, the baby woke up hungry, crying loudly while hugging her little seahorse.
Xue Yu got up and held the baby in her arms to comfort her.
Zhou Siyan got out of bed to mix the formula. Before leaving the bedroom, he specifically reminded Xue Yu, “Don’t try to feed the baby yourself again. Her bite is strong. Be careful not to get hurt again.”
“How would I dare? It hurt so much.”
Xue Yu’s face turned red. Once bitten, twice shy.
She hadn’t even dared to take off her bra to sleep tonight, afraid that the baby would instinctively nuzzle into her chest looking for breast milk while she was asleep.
Xue Yu made funny faces to amuse the baby.
It was strange. The baby had grown in Zhou Siyan’s belly, but she was particularly attached to her, with an innate dependence and affection.
When they slept, both she and Zhou Siyan lay on either side of the baby, but the baby would always unconsciously move closer to her side, her small, pink face pressed against her arm.
Zhou Siyan returned with the mixed formula.
After feeding the baby and lulling her back to sleep, the two of them lay down again.
The next day, they planned to go out and buy more baby supplies.
They could only stay in the South Continent for seven days, and it was already the fourth day. They had to hurry.
Moreover, Zhou Siyan had only taken a month’s leave from the White Tower’s Security Division.
It had taken them ten days to drive from the White Tower to the South Continent. Now, after having the baby, it would take another ten days to go back. Time was really tight.
Xue Yu had a lot to consider.
After bringing the baby back to the White Tower, how would they raise her? Where would they hide her?
How would they solve the subsequent problems of formula and diapers?
She asked Zhou Siyan.
Zhou Siyan seemed to have already made plans:
“I’ll keep the baby with me. My office is very soundproof, and outsiders can’t enter without my permission. I can take care of the baby while I work. It should be fine.”
Xue Yu: “Then I’ll continue to mine after I go back.”
Zhou Siyan: “No one in the White Tower has ever awakened a seahorse spirit body. Most people don’t know that the source of a seahorse’s power is reproduction.”
“You stay in the mining district for a few days first. I’ll find a way to issue a certificate for you later, proving that your spirit body is just an ordinary water-type spirit body, and then I’ll transfer you to the Manster Building.”
Xue Yu nodded. “Okay, thank you for your hard work.”
She had to consider the worst-case scenario and asked, “What if one day we can’t hide the baby anymore?”
Zhou Siyan gazed at the baby in his arms for a moment. “If that day really comes, I will leave the White Tower with the baby.”
They arrived at the mother and baby section of the supermarket.
Besides toys and clothes, Zhou Siyan bought the most formula and diapers. These two items needed to be stockpiled in large quantities.
Their plan was that the security check at the Manster Building where Zhou Siyan worked was strict, so he couldn’t bring in all the formula at once.
But the security check at Xue Yu’s dorm in the mining district was practically non-existent.
They could hide the extra formula and diapers in her dorm first, and then she could secretly bring them to Zhou Siyan at the Manster Building in batches later.
After moving two large suitcases of formula and diapers back to the dorm, Xue Yu didn’t feel tired at all. She thought it must be the spiritual power at work.
On the sixth day in the South Continent, the two decided to leave.
The night before they left, Zhou Siyan received another anonymous text message: Director Zhou, you don’t want your pregnancy to be discovered, do you?
The number was the same as last time.
Zhou Siyan hadn’t replied the last time he received this message.
This time, he thought for a long time and replied with a: ?
The other party quickly replied: You’re in the South Continent, right? Don’t worry, I just want you to help me pick up a package. If you help me bring the package back, I’ll help you keep your secret.
Before Zhou Siyan could reply, the other party sent another message: Don’t worry, the package doesn’t contain any lethal weapons, just some small trinkets.
Zhou Siyan edited a message and replied: Okay.
He didn’t tell Xue Yu about this.
The next morning, he went to pick up the package at the address sent in the anonymous text message.
The package was very secure, with several layers of protective shells tightly wrapped around it. Even an X-ray scan couldn’t see what was inside.
Moreover, Zhou Siyan recognized that this type of protective shell used a high-level security device from the White Tower. If it was forcibly opened, the protective shell would instantly release high temperatures and automatically incinerate the contents.
Zhou Siyan summoned Heimei and had it identify the contents of the package by smell.
Heimei’s sense of smell was very strong. It could sniff out explosives, various potions, and living creatures.
Heimei told Zhou Siyan that the package did not contain any living creatures or dangerous items, but seemed to be some kind of sweet-tasting food.
However, it couldn’t identify what specific food it was.
Zhou Siyan decided to take this package back. He would use it to lure out the person behind it and see who knew about his pregnancy.
Then, he would use the package as bait and silently get rid of the other party.
The weather in the South Continent was getting hotter and hotter. The sun had just risen, but it was already like a fiery umbrella in the sky, blazing hot.
Xue Yu was already sweating after just moving the luggage downstairs.
Fortunately, they didn’t have to walk to the checkpoint this time. Guan Xun would drive them to the checkpoint exit.
The journey was rushed.
Guan Xun drove very fast. Zhou Siyan was afraid the baby would get carsick, so he held her in his arms the whole time.
At the checkpoint, Zhou Siyan handed the baby to Xue Yu and went to the storage area to get their off-road vehicle.
Guan Xun helped move their things—two suitcases and three large woven bags, all filled with the baby’s things.
Before parting, Guan Xun advised Zhou Siyan earnestly:
“I know there’s an orphanage in the Wadak Safe Zone in the east that accepts children from all over. If you ever come to your senses, just contact me. I’ll help you send the child to the orphanage there.”
Zhou Siyan: “I’ve always been very clear-headed.”
Guan Xun then looked at Xue Yu and shook his head. “Try to be more promising in the future. Set a good example for the child.”
Xue Yu just smiled. Was this environment a matter of her being promising or not? If hard work was useful, would she still be mining?
After Guan Xun left, the two of them also got back into the off-road vehicle.
Xue Yu was still driving, and Zhou Siyan sat in the passenger seat, holding the baby.
Leaving the South Continent, Xue Yu’s heart grew heavier. She felt an old-before-her-time weariness.
She was very worried about whether the child would be discovered after they returned to the White Tower.
In contrast, Zhou Siyan in the passenger seat was very relaxed. He was constantly teasing the baby, taking out all the toys they had bought and piling them in front of the windshield.
The baby’s grip was very strong. She would grab the toys and throw them everywhere, sometimes at Xue Yu, sometimes at Zhou Siyan.
Blueberry was very mischievous. It would hold the little seahorse in its mouth and play with the baby, occasionally snatching her toys.
The baby would cry when her toys were snatched, and Zhou Siyan would have to comfort her. After a few words of comfort, the baby would laugh again.
Driving the car, Xue Yu listened to the father and daughter’s voices and unconsciously started humming a song: “Where has the time gone? I’ve grown old before I could even enjoy my youth. A lifetime of raising children, my mind is full of their cries and laughter…”
Zhou Siyan couldn’t listen anymore.
He turned his head to look at her. “Xue Yu, what are you trying to imply?”
Xue Yu was stunned. Only then did she realize that the more she sang, the more tragic she sounded. She quickly said, “Nothing, I was just singing nonsense.”
Zhou Siyan: “Don’t make the baby cry with your singing.”
In the afternoon, as they were about to enter the contaminated zone, Zhou Siyan pointed to a group of people walking outside the window. “Is that your ex-boyfriend?”
Xue Yu looked over. The group of walkers were all patients who had come to the South Continent for medical treatment.
They were all old, sick, and disabled, walking with difficulty. Under the scorching sun, they looked like melting snowmen struggling to survive.
At the very end of the group, a thin figure walked alone and desolate.
Mo Li was still wearing his full sniper camouflage uniform, with two long sniper rifles on his back and a helmet on his head. He was no longer wearing camouflage paint on his face, but the lower half of his face was still covered with a brown mask.
Before Xue Yu could speak, Zhou Siyan said, “Call him over. Let him ride with us.”
“Thank you, Zhou Siyan.”
Xue Yu was very moved. She couldn’t come up with any praise at the moment, so she just gave him a thumbs up. “You’re truly a good role model for the child! A good father!”
With that, she stopped the car, pushed open the door, and ran out.
She ran towards the group of walkers and caught up with Mo Li. “Mo Li, ride with us. I’ll take you back to the White Tower.”
Mo Li turned his head, first looking at Xue Yu for a moment, then at the off-road vehicle behind her. His voice was hoarse from dehydration. “Does Zhou Siyan agree?”
Xue Yu nodded vigorously. “He agrees. Let’s get in the car.”
An old woman in front heard them and turned to look at Mo Li. “Young man, are you leaving?”
Mo Li nodded.
The old woman tremblingly reached out and took the worn canvas bag from Mo Li’s hand. “Young man, give me my bag. Thank you for helping me carry it all this way.”
Mo Li handed the bag back to her but still didn’t say anything.
Xue Yu looked at the old woman’s wrinkled face, feeling helpless. The car was packed with things, and with the baby, there was no room.
Besides, there were so many sick and disabled people here. She couldn’t help them all.
As Mo Li and Xue Yu walked back, his tone was slow:
“You don’t have to blame yourself. That old woman is a nomad. She doesn’t belong to any safe zone. She’s been wandering all over. Even if you gave her a ride, she wouldn’t know where to go.”
Xue Yu nodded. “Sigh, everyone is so pitiful.”
The two returned to the car. Mo Li took off his two sniper rifles and sat in the back seat.
Xue Yu continued to sit in the driver’s seat.
After the car started, a turtle toy that had been on the back seat fell. Mo Li picked it up and stared at it for a long time.
Zhou Siyan looked at him through the rearview mirror. “Mo Li, did you have the surgery?”
Mo Li didn’t reply.
Zhou Siyan continued to ask, “Did you really get rid of the child?”
Mo Li was still silent.
Xue Yu and Zhou Siyan both took his silence as a confirmation.
Xue Yu felt an indescribable emotion in her heart. She was very sad and guilty—guilty that she hadn’t been able to accompany Mo Li for the surgery, and sad for the loss of a life.
Before Xue Xiaohai was born, she hadn’t had much feeling for the child.
She had even been afraid, afraid that the child would be a monster, a terrifying parasite.
But after seeing Xue Xiaohai, her mindset had undergone a complete transformation.
She could no longer jokingly blurt out “half-breed.” She subconsciously called the child “baby” and accepted the role of a mother.
She was a mother now, and knowing that Mo Li had had an abortion made her even sadder.
She also understood Mo Li’s choice. Mo Li didn’t have the power that Zhou Siyan had in the White Tower.
Mo Li had always been a lone wolf, fighting in the wind and rain. Getting rid of the child was the best choice for him.
Xue Yu’s heart was heavy, but she still put on a cheerful face. Holding the steering wheel, she said:
“It’s good that it’s gone. Just one Xue Xiaohai is already making me terrified. If there were another one, how would I live?”
“By the way, you also need to have a postpartum period after a miscarriage. The chicken I bought yesterday is still in the small fridge in the trunk. I’ll make you guys chicken soup later to help you recover!”
After driving for another two hours, they stopped by the roadside.
Xue Yu got out of the car to make dinner. She used coal to start a fire, took the chicken she had bought yesterday from the small fridge, and put it in the clay pot to make chicken soup.
It was very hot outside, so Zhou Siyan stayed in the car with the baby.
Mo Li got out of the car and helped Xue Yu cook.
He took off his helmet and mask. This was the first time Xue Yu had truly seen Mo Li’s face.
His hair was cut very short, his features were excellent, with a high-bridged nose and clean, sharp facial lines, giving him a raw, handsome look.
His lips were pale and a little chapped from dehydration, making him look pitiful.
Xue Yu squatted on the ground, stirring the chicken soup in the pot with a spoon. She glanced at the car, then leaned closer to Mo Li and whispered, “Did you really get rid of the child?”
Mo Li still played deaf and dumb.
Xue Yu ladled a bowl of chicken soup for him. “You’re much more rational than Zhou Siyan. Sigh, Zhou Siyan wanted to have the baby like the sky wants to rain. I couldn’t stop him.”
Mo Li, who was usually a man of few words, finally spoke. “So, do you want the child or not?”
Xue Yu: “I’m fine either way. Anyway, if you guys get rid of the child, I will definitely make you chicken soup to help you recover. If you have it, I will grit my teeth and raise it.”
“The child is in your bodies. I respect your decisions.”
She quickly ate some noodles with chicken soup herself. After she was full, she went back to the car and said to Zhou Siyan:
“Zhou Siyan, I’m done eating. Give me Xue Xiaohai. You go eat. I left a big pot of chicken soup for you.”
Zhou Siyan handed the baby to her. “I just fed her. Don’t shake her, or she might spit up.”
“I know, I know.”
Zhou Siyan got out of the car and squatted in front of the clay pot, eating with Mo Li.
He glanced at the car and lowered his voice. “Did you really get rid of the child?”
Mo Li nodded.
Zhou Siyan let out a barely audible sigh and didn’t ask any more questions.
“Her name is Xue Xiaohai?” Mo Li asked out of the blue.
Zhou Siyan: “Xue Xiaohai is her nickname. We haven’t picked a proper name yet. Xue Yu said she wants to think about it slowly.”
Mo Li lowered his gaze to his own abdomen. If his child were born, what name would Xue Yu give it?
After dinner, Zhou Siyan suggested they drive for another two hours and sleep after passing the desert ahead.
Xue Yu handed the baby to Zhou Siyan and said loudly, “I’m going to the wild toilet.”
Zhou Siyan: “I’ll go with you.”
Xue Yu had already run off. “I have diarrhea. I’ll just go behind that rock up ahead. Don’t come. Take care of Xue Xiaohai!”
Zhou Siyan and Mo Li waited in the car for nearly twenty minutes, but Xue Yu didn’t return.
Mo Li picked up his sniper rifle and said, “I’ll go check on her.”
Mo Li moved very quietly. His years as a sniper had made him accustomed to masking his footsteps. He silently circled the large rock ahead.
He saw Xue Yu kneeling in front of a small mound of earth, crying her eyes out, piling sand and dirt on the mound.
“Oh, my ill-fated child, may you rest in peace.”
“Mommy doesn’t know how to perform a proper ritual, so I’ll just chant a few ‘Amitabhas’. May you rest in peace. If there’s anything you want, just visit Mommy in her dreams, and Mommy will burn it for you.”
“By the way, child, if you get a chance to be reincarnated, remember not to come to this planet. Go to a place called Earth.”
“When you get to Earth, you can eat hot pot, spicy hot pot, teppanyaki, roast duck, spicy stir-fry, crayfish, barbecue, milk tea…”
As Xue Yu spoke, she made herself hungry.
She suddenly realized that she was here to build a grave and perform a ritual for her unborn second child.
She took out a tissue and wiped away her saliva, snot, and tears.
“Child, just remember Mommy’s words. Be reincarnated on Earth. This damn White Tower is no place for humans. Don’t come here.”
“Mommy and your sister Xue Xiaohai will miss you. May you rest in peace. Remember to visit Mommy in her dreams.”
Mo Li didn’t hear clearly what Xue Yu was muttering.
However, he vaguely realized that she seemed to be performing some strange ritual.
Xue Yu tore up an old book she had picked up on the road into paper money and lit it with a lighter from her pocket.
While burning the paper, she muttered, “Amitabha, so be it, so be it. Supreme Lord Laozi, I command thee with utmost urgency, may my child be reincarnated into a good life.”
“Xue Yu, what are you doing?” Mo Li walked over with his gun.
Xue Yu was so scared she almost fell. When she met Mo Li’s eyes, her face flushed with embarrassment.
In her opinion, Mo Li didn’t like the child in his belly, which was why he had gone for an abortion alone, not even letting her accompany him.
Considering Mo Li’s feelings, she had secretly come out to perform a ritual for the child.
Now that Mo Li had caught her in the act, she was instantly embarrassed, as if she had been caught doing something bad.
Mo Li walked over and looked down at Xue Yu, who was kneeling on the ground, and the small mound in front of her. “What is this?”
Xue Yu hurriedly stood up. “Well, didn’t you get rid of the child? I was thinking, it was a life after all, and my own flesh and blood, so I wanted to have a small funeral for the child, so the baby can rest in peace.”
Mo Li’s handsome face turned pale, then white, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. “I didn’t get rid of the child.”
Xue Yu was stunned. “You really didn’t?”
Mo Li: “No.”
Xue Yu stomped out the still-burning paper with her foot and kicked down the small mound. “What a mess! That didn’t count just now. I was just playing around, to mourn my dead youth!”
Xue Yu twisted her fingers together. This wasn’t a small mound; it was a castle she had dug out with her toes from sheer embarrassment