Chapter 27: I’ll Come Back When the Baby Misses You
Xue Yu and Wei Zhuangsu ran back. In the blink of an eye, the black off-road vehicle quickly sank into the sand and soon disappeared.
Xue Yu was frantic. It’s over. How could my husband and child disappear in the short time I was gone?
The sand on the ground was flowing. Wei Zhuangsu squatted down and stuck his fingers into the sand. “It’s quicksand.”
Just as Xue Yu was about to dig in the sand with Wei Zhuangsu, Blueberry flew over and told her that Xue Xiaohai was not here, but in another place.
Anxious to save the child, Xue Yu said to Wei Zhuangsu, “Captain, Director Zhou is not here. I’m going to find him. You go ahead and save your teammates!”
“Alright, you go.”
Wei Zhuangsu had no time for Xue Yu. In his eyes, Xue Yu was a complete good-for-nothing. He didn’t expect her to be of any help; it would be good enough if she didn’t cause trouble.
Blueberry flew ahead, and Xue Yu ran behind it.
Half an hour later, she heard a series of roars similar to those of baboons.
Xue Yu looked over and saw a group of upright-running, hairy baboons tossing a baby back and forth. The baby was wearing a sky-blue outfit—it was Xue Xiaohai.
The baboons were tossing Xue Xiaohai in the air for fun. Xue Xiaohai was crying her heart out, her cries heart-wrenching.
Xue Yu was so scared she could barely breathe. She rushed over, kicked one of the baboons away, and jumped up to catch Xue Xiaohai.
The baby had cried so much she had thrown up milk. Her face was flushed, and her two hands were flailing.
Xue Yu held the baby tightly. “Xiaohai, don’t cry. Mommy is here. It’s okay.”
Seeing Xue Yu arrive, the baboons all climbed onto a nearby dead tree and kept roaring.
Just as Xue Yu was about to run back with the baby, she ran into Zhou Siyan.
Zhou Siyan’s face and head were covered in sand. He ran to Xue Yu. “Are you okay?”
Xue Yu said, “Captain Wei and I turned around, and you guys were gone. Blueberry told me the baby was over here, so I came.”
Zhou Siyan took the baby from her arms. “It was this group of baboons that made the quicksand. They also snatched the baby.”
His eyes were red. He hugged Xue Yu, holding her and the child together. “Thank goodness for you. If something had happened to Xiaohai, I really don’t know what I would have done.”
The two prepared to head back.
Xue Yu said, “Xue Xiaohai was tossed around by those baboons just now. She cried so much she even threw up milk. Let’s check if she’s okay first.”
Zhou Siyan quickly checked the baby, wiped the milk stains from her mouth, and then checked for any external injuries.
Xue Yu continued, “They were tossing the baby around like a toy. It scared me to death.”
Zhou Siyan first checked the baby, then looked at the baboons in the tree, his eyes glinting like cold knives. He handed the baby to Xue Yu. “I’ll go deal with them.”
Seeing Zhou Siyan’s dangerous expression, Xue Yu subconsciously felt like she was back in the days when they were dating at the military academy. The young and impetuous Zhou Siyan would always seek revenge, his expression exactly the same as now.
He rushed towards the group of baboons, his speed faster than a black panther’s. His strong fingers grabbed a baboon’s head and twisted it off like a watermelon.
The baboons were in chaos. Only then did Xue Yu notice that these baboons didn’t seem to be normal baboons.
Their size was similar to that of an adult man in the White Tower, and they could walk upright.
Mo Li arrived at this moment and stood next to Xue Yu.
Xue Yu anxiously asked him, “Mo Li, are you okay?”
Mo Li: “I’m fine.”
Xue Yu held the baby with one hand and pulled him back with the other. “Zhou Siyan has gone crazy. Stay away, in case it affects the baby.”
“Affects the baby?” Mo Li didn’t quite understand.
Xue Yu pulled him back further. “I mean, don’t let it scare the baby in your belly.”
There were a total of twelve baboons. Zhou Siyan twisted off the heads of eleven of them, letting one escape.
He shook his two blood-stained hands and walked over, saying:
“They are humans, Hou Shengwen’s adopted sons. I let one go. I’ll chase after it later and see where their lair is.”
“We have to wipe them all out. Otherwise, they might go to the White Tower and report Xue Xiaohai’s existence to the higher-ups.”
Xue Yu remembered now, about this Hou Shengwen. This person had once been on the headlines of the White Tower’s news.
Everyone in the White Tower was sterilized, including Hou Shengwen, of course.
Hou Shengwen was considered a high-level manager in the White Tower. Although he was sterilized, he still wanted to be a father, so he adopted many sons.
He led his adopted sons in various evolution experiments.
Unfortunately, the experiments went wrong. The evolution was not successful. Instead, they regressed, showing signs of atavism.
He and his adopted sons gradually evolved towards primates, growing hair all over their bodies, and their faces also mutated towards that of an ape.
In the end, the White Tower planned to eliminate him and his adopted sons.
Hou Shengwen fled the White Tower with his adopted sons and became a mountain king in the contaminated zones outside, robbing various safe zones.
“Do you need my help?” Xue Yu asked.
She was just asking. Logically, if one parent went to deal with the aftermath, the other had to stay and look after the child.
But Zhou Siyan nodded. “Okay, you come with me. Mo Li will stay here and take care of the child.”
Mo Li took Xue Xiaohai from Xue Yu’s hands, his gaze harmonious and reliable. “Okay, I’ll wait for you here.”
Seeing Mo Li and Zhou Siyan getting along so harmoniously, Xue Yu felt a little strange. It was too amicable, too natural. They were almost like a family.
***
Xue Yu and Zhou Siyan set off together, running across the desert.
Heimei could smell the baboon-men and led them to a huge stone house.
The stone house was made of huge granite blocks, with a solid exterior and walls over five meters high.
The two walked over, falling back into the tacit understanding they had when they were dating.
Zhou Siyan consciously took a step back and let Xue Yu open the door.
Xue Yu raised her hand and knocked on the stone door. “Hello, the Yaga Safe Zone is giving out benefits! Come and open the door.”
A heavy and impatient breathing sound gradually came from inside, followed by footsteps and a sharp, hoarse question: “Coming! What’s with all the knocking!”
Hou Shengwen came out to open the door. His atavism was severe. He had grown into an old baboon. He looked at the two of them with his cloudy eyes. “What benefits?”
Xue Yu smiled honestly. “A piece of advice for you.”
Hou Shengwen: “What advice?”
Xue Yu: “Don’t open the door for strangers.”
With that, she stepped aside, and Zhou Siyan, who was behind her, rushed forward and grabbed Hou Shengwen’s neck.
Hou Shengwen grabbed his wrist. “So it’s Director Zhou. I just heard from my son that you’re with a baby. Hahaha, you and I are kindred spirits. We both like to be fathers.”
Zhou Siyan’s grip tightened. “Your good sons almost killed my daughter. How should we settle this score?”
Hou Shengwen was almost out of breath. “I have so many sons, I can’t even count them on one hand. How would I know who did it?”
“Twelve. I’ve already killed eleven of them. There’s one left. I’ll kill him later.”
Zhou Siyan’s fingers tightened, crushing his throat. Hou Shengwen was too old and was no match for him.
After killing Hou Shengwen, Zhou Siyan entered the stone house and found Hou Shengwen’s last adopted son hiding in a corner. He twisted off his head in a few moves.
Xue Yu was used to it. During field training, when they encountered Abominations and mutated beasts in the wild, Zhou Siyan always had this no-survivors approach.
She searched the stone house for useful supplies.
Zhou Siyan walked around with a dagger. He split the potted plants in the house in half and even crushed an ant that was crawling on the wall.
The stone house was dirty and messy, with no useful supplies.
Xue Yu looked around and found a stack of the White Tower’s New Dollars. She didn’t take anything else. It was too dirty. The pots and pans were all covered in grime. She didn’t even want to touch them.
She packed the money and went outside to wait for Zhou Siyan.
Zhou Siyan was still searching inside, smashing everything.
Xue Yu waited for a long time and shouted, “Why don’t you just dig up all the earthworms and slice them vertically?”
Zhou Siyan finally came out and walked to Xue Yu. “They know about Xue Xiaohai’s existence. Not a single one can be left alive.”
Xue Yu: “But you don’t have to crush the ants.”
Zhou Siyan: “Why not? After having a child, you have to be cautious about everything.”
The two walked back. Xue Yu thought for a while and said, “We should be back in the White Tower in about three days. What if, and I’m just saying what if, after we get back to the White Tower, someone discovers Xue Xiaohai’s existence one day?”
Zhou Siyan uttered one word without a doubt: “Kill.”
He walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped and looked at Xue Yu. “Do you think Mo Li is really trustworthy?”
Xue Yu secretly swallowed. “What do you mean?”
Zhou Siyan: “We have to prepare for the worst. What if Mo Li reports us?”
Xue Yu’s eyes widened. “You’re not thinking of killing Mo Li, are you?”
Zhou Siyan took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the remaining blood from his hands. “If he really betrays us, for the sake of the child, I have no choice.”
Xue Yu touched his arm and comforted him, “How could that be? Mo Li is also pregnant. And Mo Li is not that kind of person. I know him.”
Zhou Siyan smiled faintly. “Just a one-night stand, and you know him so well?”
Xue Yu was embarrassed. “Don’t talk about that. It’s embarrassing.”
Zhou Siyan lowered his head to look at her, his thoughts unknown. After a moment, he said, “Your sexual ability is getting stronger and stronger. It took me a year to get pregnant with you. With Mo Li, he got hit in just one night.”
Xue Yu felt that something was wrong. “What are you trying to say?”
Zhou Siyan pretended to be deep in thought. “I’m worried that if your ability continues to develop like this, will there come a day when a man gets pregnant just by kissing you? And if it continues to strengthen, maybe even holding hands can get someone pregnant.”
Xue Yu was so angry she wanted to hit him. She grabbed his left hand and slapped his palm hard. “Alright, we’ve held hands. Be careful you don’t get pregnant with a second child.”
She then grabbed his right hand. “We’ve held this hand too. Congratulations on having twins.”
Zhou Siyan held her hand and didn’t let go. The two of them looked at each other. Suddenly, Zhou Siyan’s whole body trembled violently, and he bent over abruptly.
Xue Yu anxiously supported him. “Zhou Siyan, what’s wrong?”
Zhou Siyan’s face was pained. He said honestly, “I’ve been very sensitive lately. As soon as you touch me, I have a reaction.”
Xue Yu showed a look of contempt. “Even if you have a reaction, you don’t have to tremble like that.”
Zhou Siyan supported himself on her shoulder and slowly straightened up.
“All members of the extreme sexual conservatives have a chip implanted in their bodies. If there is a reaction and it is not stopped in time, this chip will automatically release an electric current as punishment.”
Xue Yu’s eyes widened. She asked curiously, “Then what happens if you have relations with someone?”
Zhou Siyan: “You will be electrocuted throughout the entire process.”
Xue Yu’s eyes grew wider and wider. “You get electrocuted while you’re doing it?”
Zhou Siyan nodded with a slight smile. “Yes.”
Xue Yu’s expression gradually became strange. “Then if you really did it, wouldn’t you be in ecstasy?”
Zhou Siyan: “Huh?”
Xue Yu: “When we were together before, you always liked to ask me to slap you. I thought you liked that.”
The thought of this made Zhou Siyan angry.
He had wanted to add some fun, some excitement. But Xue Yu didn’t understand what fun was at all. When she slapped him, she really wanted to slap him to death.
Xue Yu chased after him. “Zhou Siyan, what’s wrong with you now? Are you angry?”
Zhou Siyan walked straight ahead, ignoring her.
Xue Yu ran to grab his hand. “What are you doing? You’re a father now. Why are you still so angry?”
Zhou Siyan looked straight ahead. “Don’t hold my hand. I’m afraid of getting pregnant.”
“I’m going to hold it.” Xue Yu’s steps were light. It had been a long time since she had felt so relaxed.
“I’ll give you ten or eight babies and see if you can still laugh,” Zhou Siyan didn’t shake off her hand. A smile hung at the corner of his eye, giving him the illusion of being back in the days of their passionate love.
***
The two returned to their original spot and found Mo Li by a puddle.
Mo Li was naked, squatting by the puddle and washing clothes. He was washing Xue Xiaohai’s pants and his own short-sleeved shirt.
Beside him, the tentacles of the blue-ringed octopus were woven into a net, and Xue Xiaohai was lying in the tentacle net. She was wrapped in the jacket Mo Li had been wearing earlier.
Xue Yu ran over. “Mo Li, why are you washing clothes?”
Mo Li turned to look at them, his expression calm, still rubbing the clothes in his hands. “The baby just had a bowel movement and got it on my clothes too.”
It was too hot today, so Zhou Siyan was afraid the baby would get a heat rash and didn’t put a diaper on her.
Zhou Siyan had thought that Mo Li would only protect the baby from harm. He hadn’t expected Mo Li to be willing to wash such dirty pants for the baby.
To be honest, if it were him, if it were someone else’s child, he would never be able to do this. He was a germaphobe.
Mo Li continued to rub the baby’s pants. He was shirtless, and his strong, broad back was covered in a large tattoo—a terrifying octopus tattoo. It wasn’t really a tattoo, but a color that grew from under his skin.
Zhou Siyan took off his own jacket, took Mo Li’s clothes, re-wrapped the baby in his own jacket, and handed Mo Li’s jacket back to him. “Thank you.”
Mo Li handed the washed baby pants to Xue Yu, put on his wet short-sleeved shirt, and then took the jacket from Zhou Siyan and draped it over his shoulder.
Xue Yu said worriedly, “Aren’t you uncomfortable wearing wet clothes?”
Mo Li: “This is a quick-drying shirt. It will be dry in a few minutes.”
The three of them walked back, with Zhou Siyan holding the baby.
Xue Yu carried Xue Xiaohai’s wet pants. She found a stick, hung the wet pants on it, and carried it on her shoulder. From a distance, it looked like she was carrying a flag. Xue Xiaohai’s blue pants fluttered in the wind, swaying back and forth, looking very funny.
As they were about to return to the off-road vehicle, Xue Yu ran ahead to check if the Public Security Brigade was still there.
The quicksand was not a difficult problem for the Public Security Brigade. Wei Zhuangsu had already rescued all his teammates and had even pulled out the off-road vehicle, pushing it to the hard ground nearby.
Zhou Siyan handed Xue Xiaohai to Xue Yu. “You and Mo Li wait here with the baby. I’ll go see Wei Zhuangsu and his team off, then come back to pick you up.”
“Okay.”
Xue Yu held the baby and hid behind a bush with Mo Li.
Zhou Siyan ran to the side of the off-road vehicle and thanked Wei Zhuangsu gracefully:
“Captain Wei, thank you for your hard work. The matter is cleared up. The quicksand was caused by the nearby baboons. I just went out to deal with them.”
Wei Zhuangsu nodded and wiped his sweat. “That’s good. It’s really chaotic out here. I don’t know how Wantang can survive in a place like this.”
Zhou Siyan: “She won’t be able to stay in the contaminated zone for long. If you search carefully, you should be able to catch her soon.”
Wei Zhuangsu asked, “Where’s Xue Yu? Didn’t she come with you?”
Zhou Siyan: “She just went with me to chase the baboons. She got a little injured. I came back to get the car and was about to go pick her up.”
Wei Zhuangsu didn’t ask any more questions. After a few words with Zhou Siyan, he led the Public Security Brigade in another direction.
After they were far away, Zhou Siyan drove the off-road vehicle back to pick up Xue Yu and Mo Li.
He approached the bush, stopped the car, and walked in. From a distance, he heard a faint singing voice.
“What a beautiful jasmine flower… fragrant and white, praised by all, let me pick you…”
He walked over and snorted coldly. “I just left, and you’re singing again?”
Xue Yu stood up with the baby, her face flushed. “I was singing to Xue Xiaohai.”
Zhou Siyan looked at Mo Li with cold eyes, his thin lips slightly parted. “Is that so, Mo Li?”
Mo Li clearly wouldn’t respond to his sarcastic tone and stood up to walk out.
The three of them got back into the car. Xue Yu went to drive, and Zhou Siyan sat in the back, taking out new pants and a diaper to change the baby.
They drove without stopping.
By nightfall, they had finally reached the buffer zone between the White Tower Safe Zone and the contaminated zone. They would be back in the White Tower in two days.
After a simple dinner, Mo Li suddenly took out the bag he had been keeping in the trunk and also took his two long sniper rifles out of the car.
Xue Yu realized something and asked, “Mo Li, what are you doing?”
Mo Li put on the bag and slung the two sniper rifles over his left and right shoulders. “I have to go.”
Xue Yu: “Where are you going?”
“I’ve accepted a new mission,” he said simply, without revealing too much.
Xue Yu looked at his belly. “You’re pregnant. Why are you still taking on missions? It’s too dangerous!”
She pulled Mo Li aside. “Mo Li, come back to my dorm in the mining district with me. The dorms in the mining district are loosely managed. No one will care about you. You can rest in my dorm, and I’ll go mining during the day and come back to accompany you at night.”
She anxiously opened her windbreaker, revealing the bulging inner pocket.
“I just found some money in Hou Shengwen’s lair. I’ll give it all to you to have the baby. I’ll also work hard to earn money when I get back to the White Tower. Don’t take on any more missions.”
Mo Li took her hand and pressed it against his own abdomen. “When the baby misses you, I will come back to find you.”
For some reason, Xue Yu’s eyes grew hot. He wasn’t showing, and the baby wasn’t fully formed yet, but Xue Yu could feel the life inside. “Mo Li, are you really leaving?”
Mo Li was very determined. “I have my own things to do. I promise you, when the baby misses you, I will come back to find you.”
He squeezed her palm, his voice very low, only the two of them could hear. “Xue Yu, I really like the jasmine flower you sang.”
With that, he turned and left with his bag and sniper rifles.
Xue Yu knew she couldn’t stop him. She waved from behind. “Mo Li, you have to come back! Safe travels. I will always be thinking of you and the child.”
After Mo Li was completely gone, Zhou Siyan got out of the car with the baby. “Don’t worry. I often went on missions when I was pregnant with Xue Xiaohai. It’s no problem.”
“Strong dad,” Xue Yu praised him.
Back in the car, Xue Yu was making the bed. Zhou Siyan held the baby with one hand and tapped on the screen of the Cloud Sound Box with the other, as if replying to work messages.
Xue Yu glanced over and saw that Zhou Siyan’s chat nickname was actually [Xue Xiaohai’s Dad].
She reminded him, “Don’t be so blatant. What if someone finds out?”
Zhou Siyan was unconcerned. “No one will find out.”
In the White Tower, although there were no children, terms like “daddy” and “mommy” were not uncommon.
Many people treated their spirit bodies as children and pets, and chat nicknames often included “so-and-so’s mommy” or “so-and-so’s daddy,” where “so-and-so” was usually the name of the spirit body.
Someone asked Zhou Siyan curiously, “Director Zhou, did Heimei get a new name? Is it called Xue Xiaohai?”
Zhou Siyan didn’t reply and didn’t change his nickname.