(1)
The pure white room was as hollow as an unpainted world.
In the center of the room stood a white bed, with many tubes connecting to the girl lying on it. Beside her, a yellow-white machine emitted a steady “tick-tock” sound.
There was nothing else. It was as if even a single speck of dust wasn’t allowed inside.
Time seemed to lose meaning here. There wasn’t even a window, so there was no way to tell whether the sky outside was day or night.
In this long, cyclical silence, the girl on the bed let out a faint tremor from her throat.
Suddenly, a more urgent “beep-beep” sound rang through the room.
She opened her eyes and saw a nurse in a sterile suit standing beside her. Although the thick face shield hid the nurse’s expression, her voice carried a hint of warmth: “You’re awake? How do you feel?”
An Jing didn’t answer immediately. She let her still blurry gaze fall on the nurse’s chest, where a white nametag read the name: Jiang Yujing.
It was that familiar nurse.
So it was her again, taking care of her this time.
An Jing forced the corners of her mouth into a faint smile: “I feel… okay.”
“Do you feel any discomfort? Dizzy? Eye pain? Aches in your limbs?”
“Just… I feel really tired.”
“Do you want to sleep a little longer?”
“No… it’s that kind of tired… from sleeping for a long time.”
“After you wake up, we’ll need to observe you for another hour. If nothing unusual happens, you can be transferred to a convalescent ward.”
“Ah… thank you.”
“It’s just doing what I should do.” Jiang Yujing leaned in a little and gently pressed her gloved hand on An Jing’s forehead. “You’re the one who worked hard.”
“Me? I… I’m fine…”
“We gave you a painkiller earlier. Otherwise, even while you were unconscious, your body was still twitching involuntarily. So does it really not hurt now? The painkiller should have worn off by now.”
“Uh… it should be fine…” An Jing gave a tired smile. “Just tired.”
“You can’t eat anything tonight, only IV fluids. After nine tomorrow morning, you can have something easy to digest. Anything you’d like?”
“Do I have much of a choice?”
“You can at least pick from soy milk, tofu pudding, or plain congee!”
“Uh… then… soy milk? Sweet.”
“It has to be sweet. Who in the world would like salty soy milk!”
“Well… there are people like that…” An Jing coughed dryly, then suddenly turned serious, “Thank you… I feel much more relaxed.”
“Waking up in a room like this must be really uncomfortable. But there’s no helping it, sterile rooms are like this.”
“Yeah… I understand.”
“Such a good kid. It makes me feel sorry for you.” Jiang Yujing smiled and lightly tapped her forehead. “Alright, just hold on for an hour, and I’ll push you out.”
“Uh… can I watch TV?”
“Pfft, of course not.”
“But there’s a screen…”
“You still can’t watch TV.”
“Oh…”
“If you’re really bored, I can chat with you. But you’re tired, so it’s better to talk less and rest more. Or I can just talk to you.”
“Yeah…” An Jing tilted her head slightly. “Sister Jiang, did you ever fall in love when you were in university?”
“Cough cough!!”
(2)
Leaving the pure white space, the colors of the world in front of her became rich again.
Dr. Ye from the research institute was waiting for her outside the door. Although he had already observed her from all angles through the monitors, seeing her come out safe and sound still made him breathe a sigh of relief.
“Director Ye…”
“Don’t get up. Hehe, usually you can just call me Grandpa.” Dr. Ye said with a kind smile. “You might feel a little thirsty tonight, but you can’t drink water. If you’re really thirsty, just take a tiny sip.”
“Why does this sound like the precautions after my dad had hemorrhoid surgery…”
“Haha, little one, haven’t you noticed you still have a catheter in?”
“Eek?!”
“You really worked hard this time. Without you, a lot of people would have died… and we might not have caught that professional assassin.”
“What’s the big deal.” An Jing gave a proud little smile. “With great power comes great responsibility.”
“If everyone thought like you, the world would be a lot more peaceful.” Dr. Ye shook his head with a helpless smile. He turned slightly to look at Jiang Yujing. “Yujing, send her back to her room. Has that girl woken up yet?”
“Yes, she has.”
An Jing blinked in mild confusion. She figured the other person Dr. Ye mentioned must be that girl named Taiyin. She looked even younger than An Jing. Her only ability was to amplify others’ abilities. Earlier, her consumption might have been even greater than An Jing’s…
“Sigh. Superpowers are a responsibility and a curse. For children… this power might be too heavy…” Dr. Ye put his hands behind his back, watching An Jing being wheeled away by Jiang Yujing, and shook his head with a soft sigh.
“Teacher, why do you think superpowers that can save the world or destroy the world always fall on children like them?”
“Maybe because saving and destroying are both things they can imagine doing in their world…”
“I don’t understand.”
“Haha, of course you don’t. Because… you’re no longer as ‘bored’ as the children are…”
(3)
When An Jing was pushed into the room, her pupils contracted sharply, and she couldn’t help sneezing.
Jiang Yujing quickly asked from behind: “Caught a cold?”
“No…” An Jing rubbed the tip of her nose sheepishly, meeting the gaze of the girl in the room. “Xiao Ying, why is it you…”
“Because I was too worried about you. But they wouldn’t let ordinary people see you, so… this was the only way.”
“Hey hey—” An Jing glanced nervously at Jiang Yujing and lowered her voice. “That’s dangerous! Didn’t they treat you like a little white mouse?”
“Ahem!” Jiang Yujing, standing behind An Jing, clearly heard her intentionally lowered voice. “What ‘little white mouse’? We are a legitimate research institution!”
“Well, they did do some research on me for a while, but it was fine. Nothing special.”
“Phew… so, do you have a superpower too now?”
“I’m not really sure…” Jiang Yujing fixed An Jing’s bed next to Zhu Ying’s bed and slowly raised the head of An Jing’s bed a little. “This way you can see the scenery outside the window. If you can’t sleep, you can look for a while. It’s still afternoon, and the sunlight is especially nice. As for the superpower thing, I do know a bit. That’s also why I put you in the same room with her.”
“Hmm…?”
“Mainly because if she gets too far away from you, her body might be harmed, just like you would be if you got too far from the meteorite fragment.” The nurse straightened up and cleared her throat loudly, trying to imitate Dr. Ye’s tone. “Simply put, you two are like a main and secondary unit.”
“What?” An Jing was stunned.
“You’ve used a landline phone before, right? Some places have several landline phones, but only one is the main unit. The others share the same number. Does that make it clear?”
“I understand that… but I don’t quite understand what it means.”
“Simply put, she can share part of your ability. But her permissions—or functions—are limited. Got it?”
“No wonder… she can read minds, but only one-way…”
“Exactly! Her ability is based on yours. If you’re too far away, or if a special metal isolates you, she loses her powers.”
“I see.” Zhu Ying slowly nodded, then smiled lightly at An Jing. “Xiao Jing, I can’t leave you now.”
“As long as you want, nothing can separate us.”
“Wow!” Jiang Yujing exclaimed dramatically. “Middle schoolers these days are really something! Phew, much bolder than we were back then.”
“A-am I…?” An Jing blushed and turned away. “I’m just telling the truth…”
“Nurse Sister, the relationship between her and me isn’t something ordinary couples can compare to.”
“Oh? How extraordinary?”
“A love that lasts until the seas dry up and the rocks crumble!”
“Wow wow, so cheesy. No, no, I can’t stay with you two kids anymore. If I keep this up, I won’t be able to sleep tonight!” Jiang Yujing quickly retreated to the door. “Press the button if you need anything. I’m off!”
The automatic door slid shut with a “whoosh,” making Zhu Ying frown. “Doors that open and close by themselves really make me feel insecure. Right, Xiao Jing? By the way, what’s this bag you have?”
“Ahh!! Don’t touch that!”
“Nutrient solution?”
“It’s dirty!”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s a… urinary bag.”
“Eww?!”
“You don’t have a tube in you…”
“I’m not as serious as Xiao Jing.”
“I don’t think I’m that serious either. They’re just being cautious…” An Jing turned her head helplessly, looking at the golden sun outside the window that seemed never to set. “It’s still early, right?”
“It’s already three in the afternoon.”
“Three? It still feels pretty bright…”
“Do you want me to push you to the window? I can move around freely now.”
“No, no…”
“Oh…”
“Yeah…” After a full three minutes of silence, An Jing couldn’t help but blush and whisper, “Um… Xiao Ying?”
“Mm?”
“Can you sit next to me?”
“Sure. And then?”
An Jing didn’t answer. She simply gently reached out and firmly gripped Zhu Ying’s small hand, then relaxed with a relieved sigh. “It feels so good to really hold your hand in reality…”
“Hehe… Xiao Jing is always Xiao Jing. No matter when, you’re so adorable.”
“What’s wrong with being adorable?”