–Ouch, this little brat.-
Feng Juguan, whose hand was bitten, shook his hand, then tossed the person aside, turned around and walked back.
The woman crossed one leg over the other, her clean white toes stained with sand and mud, dangling as she looked down at the teenager on the ground.
–Husband, how could you bite Mr. Feng’s hand?-
–Get lost, old hag, who’s your husband?-
–You, don’t you like me? I like you too. If we get married, you’ll be my husband.-
–Marry your big head! I warn you, don’t joke like that. I don’t even know your name.-
Hong Haocheng tried to get up and run out, but somehow, every time he attempted to stand, his hands slipped and he fell back to the ground.
–Just call me baby.-
–I’ll ‘baby’ your head, you evil woman!-
Sensing something was wrong, Hong Haocheng gave up resisting and lay on the ground, looking up diagonally. From this angle, he could only see the small feet swinging before his eyes.
He gritted his teeth. This evil, crazy woman must want a handsome, muscular man with a fit body, which is why she makes him exercise every day. She absolutely has other sinister plans in the future, constantly making him learn all sorts of things to satisfy her perverted desires.
The woman leaned down and carefully examined Hong Haocheng.
–Can you see the trajectory lines behind them?-
Hong Haocheng immediately raised his head, then shifted his gaze.
–I don’t know what you’re talking about.-
–Heh, still lying, aren’t you?-
–Let me up, you’d better take me home.-
She grabbed the thick Hermes language translation manual and tossed it to the ground.
–Memorize this in three days, and I’ll consider letting you go home.-
–Impossible!-
–Hehe, you saw right through me. You have at least tens of thousands of kilometers of flight traces, right? Give it a try—just treat them like map routes to memorize. As for understanding, you’ll get the hang of it later. If you memorize it all, I’ll grant you a little wish, like a movie date or something.-
Hong Haocheng paused for a moment before catching on.
–I meant I ‘can’t memorize it,’ you wicked woman! You really are fooling me—you never planned to let me go!-
Hong Haocheng locked his gaze on the woman’s smiling face. He pushed himself up, his chest lifting off the ground, feeling like he could actually stand this time.
After rising successfully, the young man dusted off his clothes, silently looked at the woman for a few seconds, and said:
–You said to memorize them like map routes… does that mean as long as I have enough trajectory lines, I can memorize every book in the world—even line drawings and patterns?-
–Wow, hubby’s so ambitious, setting such a huge goal right away! Go ahead and try. Something brilliant is bound to emerge, you’ll see.-
Hong Haocheng replied with a contemptuous snort.
But since I now know one function of the lines, it’s worth giving it a try myself. If I really can become someone with a photographic memory, that would be an amazing thing. I’ll start with this book. Once I’ve learned more skills, I’ll always find a chance to escape.
–Fine, I’ll listen to you. Just remember it and let me go. If you don’t keep your promise, I’ll end up like Xiang Yu.-
The woman beamed happily:
–Ah, you’ll have to study hard then. According to the data, the conversion speed might be a bit slow at first, but it’ll get faster once you’re familiar with it.-
–Hmph, you… forget it, I can’t be bothered with you.- Hong Haocheng took the manual and walked toward the table. Suddenly, his foot slipped and he tumbled headfirst into the woman’s arms.
The woman giggled and wrapped her arms around the neck of the man who was flusteredly trying to get up but failing completely.
–You only know how to bully me.-
–Pfft! You jerk, let me go!-
–What are you saying? Look at your hands, groping all over.-
–Ahhh!- After a few seconds of struggling, the boy simply gave up. –Who the hell are you people? Don’t think you can use some honey trap to make me submit!-
The woman let out an –Ah- and said:
–They’re all ordinary people now. Because what we have to do spans countless years. This isn’t something that can be finished in a day or two, or in one dynasty or two. It’s destined to transcend any official organization’s mandate.-
Hong Haocheng was taken aback: –Then who funds you? And you even have a submarine.-
–Of course, using love to generate electricity. Just kidding. Since last year, four or five countries have been supporting us.-
–Lying… you must be lying.-
She leaned down, pressing her lips close to the man’s ear and whispered softly:
–There is a place that only my family can go. I want you to find it, so you need to work hard to learn how to use your abilities, okay?-
……
On the wasteland, a childish cry rose weakly. Beneath the collapsed rocks in front of the little girl lay two old corpses.
–Dad… Mom…-
She dug at the cold, hard stones with her bare hands, as a faint, unsteady footstep approached.
–They’re dead.-
The girl turned her head and saw an old uncle with strange hair. Using his crippled right hand, he supported a weak woman tied to his back with cloth strips.
–Liar! I want my mom and dad!- she shouted hoarsely, but the man grabbed her with his left hand and, without a word, pulled her small body forward.
–Not far now, right?-
A few hours later, the strained voice of a woman suddenly came from beside his ear.
Huang Xu turned his head and glanced at the pale face of the woman on his shoulder.
He had been in the Lost Frequency Land for a while now. Ever since the Defender was smashed to pieces in just a few punches by the being Yang Zicang had summoned, he no longer dared to show himself in the outside world. Luckily, he had found a small crossing entrance and hid there for some time, only to end up here at the end of the month.
Two days ago, when the cave collapsed, this woman used her body heat to warm his frostbitten broken limb. In this godforsaken place, it’s so hard to find someone to lean on each other.
–We should reach Rose Creek by afternoon. Can you hold on, Xiaoqing?-
–Mm…-
The woman suddenly coughed.
Hearing that feeble cough, Huang Xu’s heart suddenly tightened with panic.
–Faster—we need to go even faster.-
He grabbed the little girl with his left hand and sprinted. After a long while, a faint mass of shadow emerged ahead. Seeing that vast expanse of collapsed buildings, immense joy surged in Huang Xu’s heart.
–We made it, Qing’er. I… Xiaoqing?-
Huang Xu froze in shock…
–We’re here…-
The little girl watched him, trembling as he laid the motionless woman on the ground.
The man punched the ground in regret:
–If only during the earthquake… you and I had both escaped the cave… If only before you got hurt, I had given you a few more decades of Chronos…-
The little girl, who had been walking all afternoon, wiped away her tear stains and suddenly sobbed:
–Mom said the sisters of Rose Creek can weave cloth—warm, beautiful floral cloth… And there’s a Rose Queen there, all-powerful… who can protect people’s souls… If we beg her, can she bring Mom, Dad, and my sisters back to life?-
Huang Xu looked at her.
The girl who had been crouching stood up, her eyes wide with urgency as she cried out, –Mom and Dad gave me so many years—if we find the big sister at Rose Creek, could we beg her to bring Mom’s soul back?-
Tears slid down her stubborn little face.
Seeing Huang Xu silent, the girl suddenly spun around, ran a few steps away, and fiercely yanked at the withered grass blades on the ground.
–What are you doing?-
–Yingying wants to become someone like the Rose Queen too! Yingying wants to weave beautiful floral cloth too…- She tore at the withered grass with all her might. –As long as I weave the best cloth, I can definitely bring Dad back to life, and Mom…-
Huang Xu strode over, seized her little hand, and angrily kicked the pile of withered grass apart with both feet.
–That’s impossible!-
He roared in fury, then dragged the little girl’s hand toward the collapsed broken wall on the horizon. Amid the man’s rage, Yingying’s small hand still clung stubbornly to a few grass stems, her lips pressed tight in defiance as she was pulled along.
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