Chapter 71

The spring sunlight felt exceptionally comfortable, and a gentle breeze stirred, causing tender green buds to sprout on the branches.

The sanatorium was located in a remote area, surrounded by barren land or dense forests.

Not to mention humans, not even a stray zombie could be seen.

Lin Qianhuan suppressed all the questions swirling in her mind, her gaze touching the azure sky as she took a deep breath.

“The weather’s nice, feels perfect for a picnic.

How about some barbecue?”

He Lu’s eyes lit up; she had only seen such things on TV and had no chance to eat them after escaping from the sanatorium.

“Yes, yes! I really want to eat barbecue!”

Lin Qianhuan smiled and took out a grill from her space, placing barbecue-specific charcoal inside and lighting it, then began preparing the ingredients.

Jiang Xing efficiently assisted on the side, and He Lu wasn’t idle either, obediently helping to fan the charcoal fire in the grill.

The grass underfoot was endlessly verdant, and as the breeze blew, all worries seemed to disappear.

Smoke rose lazily from the grill, the charcoal burned red-hot, and the aroma of the lamb skewers made people drool.

“Jiang Xing, how did all ten of you get caught and put into the sanatorium?”

Lin Qianhuan held a fan in her hand, the sleeves of her hoodie rolled high, revealing her slender and fair forearms.

Jiang Xing’s hand, which was skewering beef, paused slightly, his eyes lowered and lips pursed slightly.

“I don’t know about the others, but I was sent in.”

Lin Qianhuan frowned in disbelief, “You couldn’t have been even ten years old back then, right? Why would they send you to a sanatorium?”

Jiang Xing grabbed the marinated beef cubes in his hand and tried to skewer them onto the iron skewer, but he couldn’t manage it.

His thoughts were in turmoil, and he calmed his breathing.

“Because I was superfluous. My existence would affect that man’s career.

Rather than sending me to a sanatorium, he actually wanted to kill me, but he didn’t have the guts.”

Lin Qianhuan’s hand fanning the fire paused slightly, and after a moment of silence, she said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up your sad memories.”

Jiang Xing raised his eyes to look at her, his amber pupils shining as if illuminated by the sun, reflecting only her figure inside.

“I know, and I don’t think there’s anything about this that makes me sad.”

As a child, when he was sent to the sanatorium, he only felt anger.

The anger was gradually smoothed out by the endless imprisonment, turning into boundless fear.

Then, the underground laboratory was built.

As a test subject, he no longer had the strength to hate, and his emotions no longer fluctuated at all.

His soul and body were bound by drugs and a cold operating table, dragged into the abyss of pain and plunged into oblivion.

Jiang Xing’s eyes were cold yet numb, concealing murderous intent: “I will take the lives of all those who have hurt me, one by one.

Doctors, nurses, and that man.

None of them will escape.”

Lin Qianhuan felt that whatever she said now would be too pale.

She raised her hand and gently patted his shoulder, helping him brush off the charcoal ash on his coat.

He Lu sensed that the atmosphere between the two was not right, approached with some confusion, and placed the woven garland in her hand on Lin Qianhuan’s head.

“What’s wrong?”

Lin Qianhuan raised her hand to straighten the garland, smiling as she replied, “Nothing, the garland is very pretty.”

He Lu was a little embarrassed by her praise, her cheeks flushed slightly, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“5 taught me this. He once wove a flower crown for me too.”

“5? Test subject 5?”

“Yeah.”

“You two were very close?”

He Lu nodded upon hearing this, “He’s a very nice person, he would save food and water for me to eat.

When I couldn’t sleep, he would tell me stories.”

“Listening to you, the relationship between you two should be very good, why didn’t you leave the sanatorium together?”

Lin Qianhuan was puzzled, after all, these test subjects had no homes. Logically speaking, they should travel with acquaintances.

Of course, ignoring Jiang Xing, this lonely, pitiful child.

He Lu pouted, “I was knocked unconscious by the explosion. When I woke up, there was no one in the sanatorium.

He left me behind, he doesn’t want me anymore.”

“I didn’t.”

“What, he obviously…”

He Lu’s words suddenly stopped, and she turned her head in disbelief, only to meet a pair of narrow phoenix eyes.

Lin Qianhuan also saw the man, listening to what he said, and looking at He Lu’s reaction, she naturally knew the man’s identity.

So, he is Number 5.

She carefully sized up this person. He was wearing a torn hospital gown, covered in dust, obviously having traveled a long distance.

His appearance was handsome and refined, the kind that seemed easy to get along with, yet he carried a strange sense of distance.

He Lu met his gaze, retreated a few steps with some resistance, and hid behind Lin Qianhuan, refusing to say a word.

“I really didn’t leave you behind, and I don’t not want you.”

Number 5 helplessly reached out to He Lu, “I woke up earlier than you, settled you down, and then went to familiarize myself with the surrounding environment and search for food.

But when I returned to the sanatorium, you were gone.

I’ve been looking for you.”

His tone was coaxing, his voice gentle and affectionate, unusually amorous.

“Be good, Little 9, come to me.”

Number 5 glanced at Lin Qianhuan with ill-intent, his eyes full of hostility.

Jiang Xing walked over with a handful of uncooked beef skewers, blocking Number 5’s view of Lin Qianhuan.

“If you don’t want me to dig out your eyes, you better not look at her like that.”

Number 5 turned his attention to Jiang Xing, sizing him up and sneering.

“It’s only been less than a month, and you’ve become like this?

I thought that with your strength, you wouldn’t be reduced to working for others.”

Jiang Xing’s voice was cold, “That’s none of your business.”

“Little 9 is mine.

Number 0, when it comes to her, even you can’t stop me.”

Number 5 frowned, “Little 9 is the purest. What did you and this woman say to deceive her?

What have you done to her!”

Seeing that He Lu refused to show her face all along, Number 5’s emotions began to climb continuously, and he was about to act.

Lin Qianhuan frowned and knocked on the little girl’s head behind her: “Your love debt, you solve it yourself.

Don’t drag me and Jiang Xing into it, I don’t want to become a part of your play.”

He Lu bit her lip and reluctantly came to Number 5, pushing him hard.

But her strength was nothing more than a tickle in the man’s eyes, having no impact at all.

Lin Qianhuan rolled her eyes, grabbed Jiang Xing’s sleeve and led him back to the grill.

“While they’re talking about love, let’s just eat and watch the show.

The lamb is going to burn if we don’t eat it.”

She grabbed some cumin and sprinkled it on the lamb skewers, taking a satisfied bite.

“Fragrant, so tender.”

Jiang Xing silently pushed the meat skewers towards her and picked up a skewer to eat as well.

The grill side was peaceful and quiet, but the atmosphere on He Lu and Number 5’s side couldn’t be said to be too great.