Chapter 137: Free Wildflower

But she still regretted it.

It wasn’t because of her daughter’s hysterical screams or desperate pleas. It was because of the black snake that had coiled around her neck at midnight.

The black snake had slipped into her room without a sound and wrapped itself tightly around her neck. The hatred in its eyes was unmistakable, yet it never struck...

Later, she began to realize something was wrong. From bits and pieces of the Beastmen’s conversations, she learned that they didn’t belong on Blue Star.

’But how could they not belong on Blue Star...?’

’They must have evolved from animals.’

’Otherwise... what would all her years of hard work have been for?’

’How could she continue her subsequent research?’

’And what about her glory? Her fame and fortune... could she hold onto them?’

She admitted she was being despicable, but for the sake of everything she had, she had no choice but to feign ignorance and continue contributing to the so-called "Beastman research" with her husband.

But in the end, her resolve wavered.

It was because of the change in her daughter, and because of the Beastmen’s revenge.

It was the last time she and her husband went to the lab. As they were about to drive home, they opened the car door... and countless snakes poured out from inside. The terrifying image was still vivid in her mind.

She was suddenly afraid. She decided she and her husband would withdraw from the project.

Withdraw from this project... a project that should never have existed.

But on the way home, she received a sudden call that her daughter was missing... and immediately after, their home was seized.

She knew the one who had reported them was Wen Qian. She knew it even before her husband did.

But she didn’t hate her. Because not long after they were incarcerated, the others who had remained on the outside died one after another in various accidents.

And so, their so-called prison sentence had actually turned out to be a blessing.

Gradually, she came to realize that the organization that had invited them to do the research wasn’t an official government body. It was even... quite possibly not human.

"They shouldn’t be trapped on Blue Star. I have to help them get back." Wen Qian clenched her fists, her eyes red-rimmed with anxiety.

"Help them?" Her adoptive mother stared at her. When Wen Qian nodded, her voice grew heavy. "Are you sure they want to go back?"

’After what happened, she wanted nothing more than for those Beastmen to return home.’

’But as the truth came to light, was this really what they wanted?’

"I’ve never lied to you," Wen Qian said solemnly.

The woman fell silent for a moment, her expression finally softening. She gazed quietly at Wen Qian, then said in a low voice after a long pause, "Do you remember the painting you gave me...? I’ve kept it in the old house all this time."

Wen Qian didn’t understand why her adoptive mother would bring up the painting, but she quickly put two and two together. She looked up and thanked her adoptive mother sincerely.

But her adoptive mother, as if struck by a premonition, suddenly blurted out, "Qianqian, will Mom ever see you again?"

Wen Qian instinctively started to nod, but she froze mid-motion.

The woman caught her momentary hesitation and gave a faint smile. "It’s okay if we don’t. I just hope you don’t end up like your mom. Qianqian, you’re righteous and brave, a wildflower born to be free... A beautiful wildflower like you shouldn’t be planted in a greenhouse."

Her eyes suddenly began to burn. In the final second before the call ended, Wen Qian heard the woman whisper, "I’m sorry."

...

By now, Li Jiu had fallen fast asleep in his chair. He only groggily opened his eyes when he heard footsteps.

"Let’s go."

Stopping in front of the pair, Wen Qian reached out and ruffled the Little Fox’s soft hair.

The man lifted his head, his long, narrow eyes naturally crinkling into a squint, which couldn’t help but remind Wen Qian of spring sunshine.

Comfortable and warm.

As he stood up, his height advantage allowed him to completely overshadow Wen Qian. He lowered his gaze to her slightly reddened eyes and, for some reason, suddenly felt the urge to ruffle her hair in return...

Her once-neat hair was a complete mess in the next instant.

Wen Qian broke free of his hand to mess up his hair in return, but the man bolted out the door like a rabbit, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

A man and a woman chased each other down the street, with Li Jiu trotting along behind them.

The Little Fox eventually slowed down on purpose to let Wen Qian catch up, then wrapped an arm around her waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Qi Ke!!"

Wen Qian laughed in exasperation. After a few ineffective smacks, she simply opened her mouth and bit his neck.

He froze instantly. A second later, the Little Fox’s ears nearly popped out.

"Scared now, are we?" Wen Qian sneered. "It’s not too late to put me down."

Wen Qian waited for a long time, but the Little Fox didn’t move. Just as she was about to speak again, a crisp male voice reached her ears. "Qianqian, you just bit my neck..."

"So what?" Wen Qian said, biting him again. "If you put me down now, I’ll stop. Otherwise..."

"Do you know what biting someone’s neck means in the Beast World?"

Wen Qian instinctively wanted to say she didn’t know, but she suddenly recalled what Shen Mqing had said, and her expression changed in an instant.

’I’m doomed... Why do I suddenly feel so guilty?’

Wen Qian wanted to play dead, but the Little Fox quickly set her down, cupped her face in his hands, and repeated, "You bit my neck."

Her head was buzzing. Wen Qian resisted the urge to call him out on his old-fashioned beliefs and forced a smile.

She avoided his question, instead saying in an appeasing tone, "I know where the fragment is. We need to go get it right away..."

"Are you trying to change the subject?"

"Of course not! I’m just really in a hurry!"

The Little Fox let Wen Qian drag him for a little way, his lips pressed together. Though he was reluctant, he didn’t say anything more.

’She already bit me, anyway,’ he thought. ’There’s no way she’s getting away this time.’

Li Jiu couldn’t get a word in edgewise, and for a moment, he didn’t know whether to cover his eyes or his ears.

’Seriously, is this something a little bird like him should be seeing?!’

It was an old residential building with few pedestrians in sight. Even the security guard at the complex entrance was a retired old man.

The three of them had no trouble getting in. Relying on her memory, Wen Qian stopped in front of Building Two.

"It’s either Unit Four or Unit Five, and either the third floor or the fourth..." Wen Qian glanced at them, a bit embarrassed.

"You can’t even remember your own home?" Confusion flashed in the Little Fox’s eyes.

"I didn’t live here for very long..."

This was her adoptive mother’s family home. Her adoptive grandmother had Alzheimer’s and couldn’t remember people clearly, often mistaking Wen Qian for her own daughter as a child. So, Wen Qian had stayed and kept her company for a while.

After her grandmother passed away, she never came back.

The complex was even more deserted than she remembered. The building’s entryway was plastered with small flyers that had never been fully cleaned off.

The Little Fox had long legs and moved quickly. By the time Wen Qian reached the second floor, he was already on his way down from the fourth.

The spare house key was always kept in the electrical box by the door. The Little Fox couldn’t find it, so he pulled Wen Qian back downstairs.

Wen Qian had been the one to discover that hidden corner in the electrical box. Her adoptive mother had praised her over and over for being so clever back then.