Xia Miao asked him, "Are you coming to my room to sleep again tonight?"
Bai Chi nodded. "Yes."
Not only was he going to sleep in her room, but he also planned to hold her while they slept.
Xia Miao said, "Then you have to wash up properly first."
Bai Chi didn’t understand why she emphasized this, but he was obedient and didn’t question it, simply replying, "Okay."
Just then, a commotion broke out nearby.
No. 05 had been shoved to the ground, and a woman was screaming at her furiously.
"Because I trusted you, so many of us went on that dangerous mission last night, and in the end, I was the only one who made it back alive! And you? You slipped away early—you just wanted us to die so those man-eating flowers would be full, giving you a chance to steal the key!"
The woman, No. 11, was covered in wounds, her condition dire. It was clear she had barely escaped with her life.
No. 05 scrambled to her feet, snarling, "Don’t spout nonsense! When did I ever want you dead? I warned everyone there were risks involved. They were just unlucky—how is that my fault? Did I not say it was dangerous?"
"Oh, you said it was dangerous, but you never mentioned the room was filled with so many man-eating flowers!"
As it turned out, the previous night, No. 05 had used her silver tongue and deceptively friendly demeanor to convince several people to join her on a risky venture, claiming she knew a way to escape.
Of course, she had omitted the part about the man-eating flowers—otherwise, who would have dared to follow her?
No. 05 deliberately stayed at the back, letting the others enter the room first.
Sure enough, the man-eating flowers stirred to life.
She had assumed that while the flowers were busy feeding, she could sneak in and steal the key to the main gate. But she had underestimated the situation.
In mere moments, the flowers had multiplied rapidly, nearly filling the entire room. There was no gap for her to slip through—instead, getting too close would only make her their next prey.
Terrified that the flowers might spill out and attack her, No. 05 fled, ignoring the desperate cries for help as she slammed the door shut behind her.
After realizing that none of her usual tricks to infiltrate the administrative office would work, No. 05 had no choice but to turn to Xia Miao for information.
She had assumed all the others were dead, allowing her to maintain her harmless facade. But to her shock, No. 11 had survived.
No. 11 glared at No. 05, who was still stubbornly denying everything, and felt the urge to stab her right then and there. "You used us as cannon fodder while you escaped unscathed—how dare you act innocent now!"
The onlookers murmured among themselves. No. 05 had been suspected of similar schemes before, and now that someone was openly accusing her, her guilt seemed undeniable.
The patrolling guards noticed the disturbance but made no move to intervene. They didn’t mind if the patients fought among themselves—even bloodshed only added to the entertainment. As long as no one died, they wouldn’t interfere.
No. 11 truly wanted to kill No. 05. Fueled by adrenaline, she lunged forward despite her injuries, shoving No. 05 to the ground again before straddling her and viciously yanking her hair while slapping her repeatedly.
No one stepped in to stop it. In a place like this, self-preservation was the wisest course of action.
Xia Miao remarked, "That’s brutal."
Bai Chi had already finished half of his egg. He stared at Xia Miao, his gaze flickering uncertainly, as if deep in thought about something important.
Xia Miao asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Bai Chi lowered his head, avoiding her eyes. His long lashes trembled slightly, casting faint shadows. "Does Miao Miao… want to leave too?"
Xia Miao said, "Of course."
Bai Chi pressed his lips together and stayed silent for a long time.
"But if I leave, I’m taking you with me."
Bai Chi looked up again, startled.
Xia Miao shifted closer to him, gradually leaning into his space until her body was pressed against his. Half-hidden in the shadows of the tall grass, she was shielded from the rough blades that might have scratched her skin—because his body enveloped hers.
"I could never leave you behind."
Bai Chi’s face flushed pink. He grabbed a handful of his own hair and covered his face, leaving only his bright, beautiful eyes fixed on her. There was a lively spark in his gaze—excitement, shyness, but most of all, unmistakable happiness.
He had completely revealed one undeniable truth: he was far too easy to please. That wasn’t good—if anything happened in the future, he’d undoubtedly be the one completely at her mercy.
Night fell as expected, and those who wanted to survive had no choice but to act again.
No. 05 stepped out of her room, her face swollen and bruised.
She didn’t want to risk going out alone, but after the day’s events, there were bound to be plenty of people who wanted her dead. If she didn’t find a way to escape soon, she’d either die at the hands of monsters or those who despised her.
Stealing the key was no longer an option, but she had another plan—one far more dangerous, a gamble where winning meant survival and losing meant being torn apart beyond recognition.
Her fingers brushed against a small glass vial hidden in her pocket. It felt icy to the touch, as if the coldness of its contents seeped into her bones.
Since Xia Miao had told him to wash up properly, Bai Chi had taken extra time to scrub himself clean from head to toe. Only when he was sure he smelled nice did he eagerly crawl along his usual path, scaling the ceiling until he reached Xia Miao’s room.
But after clinging to the ceiling for a while, he still didn’t see her. His eyes blinked rapidly as he slowly lowered himself upside-down, peering at the bed.
It was empty.
Panic flickered in his eyes as he scanned the room, his voice soft and searching, like a lost soul calling out. "Miao Miao… Miao Miao… Miao Miao…"
Suddenly, a figure leaped out from the shadows and pounced on him. "Got you!"
With a thud, the dangling boy was knocked onto the bed. Before Bai Chi could react, the girl had already climbed on top of him, her occasional brushes against his sensitive waist making him squirm and burst into light, breathless laughter.
"Miao Miao… haha… Miao Miao…"
His eyes curved into crescents, his expression vivid and alive, no longer like a blank sheet of paper but now painted with colors—bright and youthful, just as a boy his age should be.