Ye Lan loosened her grip on Mu Xi, the sharpness in her eyes gathering once more.
Although that little “rat” from moments ago had been dealt with, the commotion was significant.
She knew of Luoyuan’s methods; since she had sent people, this would not be the only attempt to test them.
Their exact location was compromised; they could not stay any longer.
“We have to go.” Ye Lan stood up, her tone regaining its usual decisiveness.
“Luoyuan’s people have a keen sense of smell; more trouble will be coming for us soon.”
She walked to the driver’s seat and picked up the communicator and said, “Prepare to depart, stay close to me.”
“Received, Captain.” A concise response came from the communicator; it was the voice of the Escort Team, calm and reliable.
The low roar of the engine breaking the silence within the vehicle.
Ye Lan skillfully operated the steering wheel, and the massive off-road RV pulled away smoothly, its treads crushing the sand and leaving deep tracks behind.
Immediately following, two pitch-black streamlined armored vehicles shadowed them like loyal guards, moving to the left and right behind the RV, the heavy machine gun barrels on their roofs pointed silently into the distance.
Mu Xi had already returned to the sofa.
She picked up the strawberry-filled cookies she hadn’t finished earlier and opened a pack of dried mangoes, eating them in small bites.
The sweet flavor and fruity acidity intertwined on her taste buds, giving her a sense of concrete, solid satisfaction.
That strange thought popped up again.
‘It seems like… I should be a man?’
There was a rough outline and a strong feeling that ‘this is how it should be.’
The fragments of memory were blurred, like looking at scenery through frosted glass, seeing only the general shapes.
She looked down at her slender wrists, feeling this petite body, and felt the thought was ridiculously absurd.
‘How did I turn into a little girl like this?’
She shook her head, trying to shake off these ill-timed thoughts.
‘Perhaps it is another form of interference from the chip? Or just an illusion?’
She touched her cheek; the texture was delicate and soft.
‘Well, I will not think about it anymore.’
Ye Lan glanced in the rearview mirror, noticing her slightly furrowed brows and dazed expression, and asked, “What is wrong? Are you uncomfortable?”
Mu Xi’s mouth was stuffed with a cookie, her cheeks bulging as she mumbled, “I was wondering if the little cake really tastes like strawberries.”
“It does not.” Mu Xi shook her head immediately, stuffing more dried mango into her mouth.
Ye Lan helplessly curled the corner of her mouth.
‘The little one’s train of thought was always so eccentric. Regardless, it was better than letting her mind wander.’
Ye Lan’s voice came through the cockpit with a hint of teasing: “If you behave well, I will give you everything to eat. Not just strawberry flavor, but also chocolate and vanilla.”
“Hmm.” Mu Xi nodded forcefully, her eyes brightening a little more.
Food was indeed the best comfort.
She leaned back into the soft sofa cushion, watching the barren landscape fly by outside the window.
Yellow sand, rocks, and the occasional ruin of abandoned buildings appeared especially bleak under the dim light.
But all of this was isolated behind heavy armor and reinforced glass.
The temperature inside the car was pleasant, the air fresh, with only the sweet scent of food and the occasional commands from Ye Lan.
‘How wonderful,’ Mu Xi thought.
She patted her slightly bulging little tummy and let out a satisfied burp.
What it was like in the past did not seem so important anymore; as long as Ye Lan was by her side, with food and drink, she felt quite at peace.
Perhaps Ye Lan’s aura and this stable environment were the best inhibitors themselves.
The chip seemed to have gone completely silent as well, no longer sending those commands that made her crave blood.
The RV drove steadily across the endless desert, the tracks crushing the gravel with a monotonous rustling sound.
Inside the carriage, time seemed to stretch out.
Mu Xi curled up on the sofa, having finished the dried mango, and opened a small bag of nuts.
She counted the bizarre rocks passing by outside the window, forgetting the count once she reached 100, and starting all over again.
She shook her legs, which were clad in white silk stockings, her toes unconsciously drawing circles in the air.
Occasionally, she would lift them to look at the delicate patterns on the stockings in the light.
“Ye Lan, how much longer until we reach Stone City?” she asked suddenly, her voice sounding a bit disgruntled.
“About two more days,” Ye Lan’s voice came from the cockpit without her turning back.
“Oh.” Mu Xi responded, falling silent again as her fingers picked at the leather edge of the sofa armrest.
The sky dimmed little by little, the dim light turning into deep indigo before being completely swallowed by darkness.
The lights in the vehicle brightened automatically, dispelling the sense of claustrophobia.
Ye Lan parked the RV on a relatively flat patch of sand, surrounded by several massive rocks acting as a natural barrier.
“I am going down to arrange the perimeter, I will be back soon.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and picked up the communicator.
“Hmm.” Mu Xi watched her open the door; the night wind, carrying the scent of sand, rushed in for a second before being cut off when the door closed.
Only the low standby hum of the engine and the soft sound of the air circulation system remained in the cabin.
Mu Xi hugged her knees, resting her chin on them, waiting quietly.
Not long after, the door opened again. Ye Lan returned, bringing the chill of the outside with her.
Mu Xi immediately slid off the sofa and scurried over like a little cat, reaching out to hug Ye Lan’s waist, pressing her cheek against her cold tactical gear.
Ye Lan took off her wind goggles and rubbed her temples.
“Ye Lan…”
“Hmm?” Ye Lan lowered her head, her hand naturally resting on her soft silver hair, stroking it gently.
Mu Xi looked up, her delicate face expressionless, yet something seemed to be surging in the depths of her eyes.
She said in a tone that was almost a statement: “I want to do it.”
Ye Lan’s hand stroking her hair paused, then she chuckled, reaching out to pinch her cheek.
“Not now, Little Xi.”
Mu Xi tilted her head slightly, puzzlement evident in her eyes.
In her hazy cognition, Ye Lan never seemed to refuse her intimacy.
“From today on,” Ye Lan looked into her eyes, her tone calm but beyond question, “we are going to abstain.”
“Abstain?” Mu Xi repeated the unfamiliar word.
“Why? We have time…”
She did not understand.
If they could seek comfort, why did they have to endure?
“Endurance is not for suppression,” Ye Lan’s voice was low, carrying a strange guiding force, “it is for accumulation. When the time comes, you will understand.”
She bent down, her forehead pressing against Mu Xi’s, and her nose brushed against the girl’s petite nose.
“Be a good girl, listen to me, hmm?”
The warm breath brushed across her cheeks.
Ye Lan’s gaze was deep, as if it could draw a person in.
Mu Xi looked at her, ultimately nodding, “Fine, I will listen to you. If you say abstain, then we will abstain.”
Anyway, Ye Lan always had her reasons.
Ye Lan smiled with satisfaction and straightened up by saying, “Alright, go to the bedroom to sleep, I will stand guard outside.”
Mu Xi lay alone on the large, soft bed in the bedroom.
She pulled the blanket up to her chin and closed her eyes.
Outside the door, Ye Lan was right there.
She did not know how much time had passed before she slipped into a bizarre dream.
She seemed to be sitting in front of a massive black piano, her fingers dancing across the keys.
But the clothes she was wearing… were so meager they barely covered her.
Below the stage was a sea of people, countless eyes staring at her, their expressions varied—some greedy, some scrutinizing, some mocking, some indifferent.
Those gazes stung her exposed skin like needles, leaving her with nowhere to hide.
She wanted to stop, but her fingers would not listen; the music became more urgent and more chaotic…
“Ah!” Mu Xi opened her eyes abruptly and sat up on the bed, her heart pounding as if it were going to burst out of her chest.
Cold sweat soaked her bangs.
The interior of the RV was dead silent, save for the soft sound of the air conditioning system.
The bedroom door was tightly shut; Ye Lan should still be guarding on the sofa in the living room outside.
In the darkness, she could vaguely feel the sense of security brought by Ye Lan’s steady breathing, but the shame and fear of being watched and scrutinized from the dream still gripped her tightly, making her entire body go cold.
This dream… it was too real.