Jiang Hua stiffened.

  "N-No…"

  "Then go away. Your irritating face is bothering me."

  She bit down on her lip. She tried to speak a few times but seeing him already ignoring her made her halt.

  "……That…" her chest heaved just getting one word out of her lips.

  Jiang Zhen's expression was more bloodthirsty now. She took several steps back in fear.

  "Get out. I don't want to see your face! Just get out!"

  She trembled as tears pooled in her eyes.

  "I think it's high time I throw you out," he sneered. "My Lihua is already here and once she gives birth and I to her baby…you understand, right? There would be nobody to stop me from claiming her. Seriously, I should have kicked you out years ago. What was I thinking when I married you?"

  Her chest felt heavy and breathless. She had so many questions to ask him, but she couldn't let out a single one. In the end, she silently stepped out of the room before Jiang Zhen exploded even more.

  She went into Ruru's room and saw him soundly sleeping on his bed as he snuggled with his teddy bear. She sat beside him and softly smiled. Without her knowing, tears silently slid down her cheeks.

  Ruru heard the soft sniffling and gasping, and he woke up rubbing his eyes. He frowned seeing his mother's crying face. Jiang Hua noticed him awake and quickly wiped her face.

  "You are awake?"

  He said nothing.

  She smiled and patted his head, but he turned to the other side. She pursed her lips. "What's wrong, Ruru? Why did you turn to that side? Let me brush your hair-"

  He showed his resistance by shifting farther from her and hugging his teddy bear harder. Her gaze dimmed.

  "……Ruru, don't you like your Mama?"

  He didn't respond.

  "Did I do something to hurt you?" She anxiously asked. "Tell me. I will apologize."

  Ruru curled into a ball even more. He mumbled without turning back. "……like…Hua…"

  "Huh?" She leaned closer to him. "I didn't hear you."

  Ruru's balloon-like cheeks pouted. "Not like Lihua…"

  She froze.

  I am not like Lihua…?

  She wryly laughed.

  So even you want to be with Lihua…


  Her eyes shone with tears, but she didn't cry. She had seen how Ruru clung onto Lihua's side more than her. In the park too, he sat beside Lihua and Qingqing while she was left alone at the side. Though Lihua tried to make Ruru bond with his mother, he never listened to her and stubbornly clung onto Lihua only.

  "Neither my husband wants me nor my son…" she whispered. "Guess I am really a failure."

  Ruru's ears perked up hearing her words, but he made no attempt to console her.

  Jiang Hua thought about sleeping with Ruru tonight, but she realized it would be for the best if she slept somewhere else. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

  "I am sorry for disappointing you, Ruru. I am sorry I am not like Lihua."

  —


  Li Dong's base.

  Li Dong merrily hummed a tone. Jia narrowed her eyes.

  Why is he so happy?

  "Haha, you must be wondering why I am so happy, right? It's because…" his evil eyes twinkled with a sinister light. "Today I finally get to taste the sweetness of experimenting on my most favorite subject! Subject 026! Lu Bojing, hahaha!"

  Jia didn't respond.

  "Tsk. I have been busy these days all because of that bastard Jiang Zhen who picked Mingshen instead of me! I was so frustrated! And then that guard suddenly died," he sighed. "I still don't know what he is planning," he narrowed his eyes. "But he definitely wants to cut me off like you said. Che. I knew he was a snake. Slowly creeping behind us and biting with his poison when you are the least defensive. But anyway. If he can play tricks on me, then so can I. But today, my focus will be my Lu Bojing! Ah, how I waited so long for this day…Go bring him to me."

  Jia opened the door where Lu Bojing and Yi Zexi were locked up. His gaze shone in happiness. "Hello."

  Jia breathed in. "He wants you to come with me."

  Lu Bojing stiffened. Yi Zexi frowned. "For what?"

  She glanced at her. "For experiments."

  She widened her eyes. "What? What experiments? L-Lu Bojing is not some rat he could be researched on!"

  Lu Bojing trembled and his eyes lost focus. He immediately hugged himself and tears rimmed out as flashes of those dark memories invaded his mind.

  Jia quickly bent on her knees and held his shoulder. "Bojing, look at me."

  He was biting his lip and crying endlessly as he clutched his head. Yi Zexi had never seen him so panicked before. He cried a lot, but today was something different in his behavior.

  He was pure terrified.

  Yi Zexi didn't hesitate to say, "Don't take Lu Bojing! Take me with you!"

  Jia raised her brow. "You?"

  She nodded furiously. "Yes! I am really strong, okay? Don't get fooled by my thin body. I have a very strong resistance to pain. No matter how much he wants to shock me with currents or test his drugs on me, I will prevail! Lu Bojing has saved me, and now it's my turn to save him. Clearly, I have more tolerance than him. So take me."

  Jia was impressed with her attitude.

  How old is she? Sixteen? Seventeen? That's some guts she has.

  "I admire your willingness to help him and your confidence to take on Li Dong's experiments, but there won't be any need."

  She blinked.

  Why not?

  "Unfortunately, I have to take Lu Bojing with me. Li Dong won't listen otherwise. They seem to have a strange relationship between them. That's why he is more obsessed with him. He has already waited long enough. We cannot test his patience anymore than this. But…there is something I can do which will help Lu Bojing go through the experiments without any suffering."