Zhou Jiao's breath hitched, her face turning slightly pale.
She now felt sure that her suspicions were true. The way Jiang Lian had treated her—before and after being parasitized—was the clearest proof.
And her strange physical reactions had only started after his supposed "cleansing."
Had the mutated parasite removed from him by the Special Ops team just been a decoy? A ruse to make them believe the source of contamination had been eliminated?
Zhou Jiao didn't dare think further. She didn't have time.
The corpse was momentarily tangled in the taser's electrified barbs, but it wouldn't last. She had to get out. Now.
The question was—should she take Jiang Lian with her?
If he hadn't been parasitized, leaving him behind would be tantamount to murder.
That would go against her moral code.
Zhou Jiao pressed her lips together, torn.
Meanwhile, the body wasn't moving, but the snake-like creature inside its skull let out an increasingly cold, manic hum, sending chills down her spine.
It was clear—if she didn't decide now, she'd lose the chance forever.
To hell with it. Innocent until proven guilty.
She shoved aside all speculation and hit the button to open the decontamination chamber.
With a soft beep, the airlock hissed open.
What startled her was—Jiang Lian was standing right behind the door, gold-rimmed glasses flashing faintly.
He looked as though he'd been standing there the whole time, waiting for her to open it.
Whether it was psychological or not, the moment their eyes met, a chilling jolt stabbed up the back of her neck.
Her heartbeat quickened. Breathing grew shallow. Throat constricted.
Her palms were slick with cold sweat.
She felt like prey caught in a predator's gaze—every hair on her body standing upright, limbs frozen.
In that moment, only one thought flashed through her mind:
What was I thinking, mistaking this feeling for attraction?
In the darkness, the corpse behind her seemed to have broken free from the taser's darts, stumbling toward them. The sound of mucus dripping and grotesque limbs dragging echoed through the blackened lab, sparking horrifying images in her mind.
She wanted to run.
But she couldn't.
Her legs were stiff. Numb. Paralyzed.
And yet—there was something exhilarating about it.
Zhou Jiao suspected she had a streak of madness in her.
Her life had grown too quiet. Too numb.
Years ago, dissecting mutated corpses could stir fear in her. But the effect of fear, like all stimuli, diminished over time. Now, corpses just looked like chilled meat.
But Jiang Lian—he was different. Wrapped in layers of mystery, he gave her a sensation she'd never felt before.
Suddenly, she realized she could move again.
A rush of thoughts flooded her mind, each tinged with dread.
She trusted her instincts and slammed the door shut.
Turning her face up to Jiang Lian, she said crisply, "Stay in there. Don't come out."
Then—she turned and ran.
Of course she ran!
Every fiber of her being screamed danger. If she still believed Jiang Lian was normal, her brain must be broken.
She liked danger, yes. But not enough to die for it.
She didn't know what had parasitized Jiang Lian.
But anything capable of mimicking a human so perfectly couldn't be an ordinary mutant.
From what she knew, most high-grade mutants lacked human-level intelligence.
Which meant—Jiang Lian might be something completely new.
An X-type mutation.
Goosebumps erupted across her arms as she sprinted full speed in the direction Xie Yueze had gone.
The corridor ahead was pitch black.
She couldn't see a thing.
The sheer unknown stirred a primal fear in her gut, imagination running wild.
She felt countless unseen eyes watching her from the darkness.
Luckily, she knew the lab well enough to navigate blind.
Had this been unfamiliar ground, the terror alone might have killed her.
And then—just maybe—it wasn't her imagination.
Mid-sprint, she suddenly felt a breath.
Cold, faint, yet undeniable—brushing against the back of her neck.
Her scalp went numb.
I need to find Xie Yueze—fast.
Not because she thought he could save them.
But because, like any animal under threat—her instinct was to find another of her kind.
The second that thought crossed her mind, a hand clamped around her wrist—ice-cold to the touch.
Zhou Jiao jolted, barely swallowing a scream.
Her survival instincts kicked in.
"…Xie Yueze?"
The figure paused. "…It's me."
She exhaled in relief. "Finally found you."
Xie Yueze seemed to be studying her in the dark, but said nothing.
He was standing very close. Too close. His breath brushed her face—sharp, cold, like needles.
Wait.
Cold breath?
Zhou Jiao's heart skipped. Her chest tightened.
Without a word, she slipped one hand behind her back.
Palm flipped, and a scalpel appeared between her fingers.
Gripping the blade tightly, she asked quietly, "Why aren't you saying anything, Xie Yueze?"
With each word, her muscles drew tighter, like a bowstring stretched to its limit.
If anything he said next felt off, she would stab without hesitation.
But his response was unexpected.
She heard a rustle—then a click.
A burst of orange light flared to life.
Xie Yueze had lit a cigarette lighter.
Zhou Jiao stared into his face. It really was him.
But she didn't lower her blade.
Instead, she pressed on, "Were you the one following me just now?"
Her voice was cold. Aggressive.
But Xie Yueze didn't seem angry. He nodded slowly. "Yes."
"Why?"
He paused, then said, "I needed to know if you're still Zhou Jiao."
"…What?"
"High-level mutants can parasitize living hosts. I don't believe it would only target corpses."
Her expression twisted. "It didn't."
"…What do you mean?"
Zhou Jiao laid out her theory. "Jiang Lian was parasitized too. I think it happened before the corpse incident. Honestly, I suspect he's the source. The corpse was parasitized because of him."
Silence.
Xie Yueze flicked the lighter again, leaned in, and suddenly grabbed her chin.
He tilted her face toward the light.
"You didn't go to him for help… because you knew he was compromised?"
Zhou Jiao frowned. "What?"
The flickering flame cast ghostly shadows across Xie Yueze's features, twisting his face into something eerie.
He stared at her, unblinking. "When the elevator opened, your lips were pressed together. He held your chin—like I'm doing now—and breathed you in. You were so close. So intimate. Why go to me, a stranger, instead of him?"
Zhou Jiao found his phrasing incredibly bizarre. Her brow creased. "I didn't go to anyone for help."
"You did."
Xie Yueze's voice grew colder. "You ran to me first. That means something. Do you like me? Admire me? Or do you just want… to press your lips against mine?"
Zhou Jiao nearly slapped him.
But she forced herself to stay calm—and realized something was very wrong.
First—Xie Yueze would never ask such offensive questions.
Second—he wouldn't describe a kiss as "pressing lips together" or "breathing in your scent." Even if the latter was more… viscerally embarrassing, it was also awkward and unnatural.
Only something with no concept of kissing—a mutant—would say that.
Finally, the fire gave it away.
He was asking questions about her, yet the expression on his face was cold, twisted, inhuman.
By the time he reached his last question, she saw his Adam's apple bob—like he was savoring the memory.
The only person who'd look at her that way…
Was Jiang Lian.
It was him.
She couldn't help but laugh.
Reaching out, she gently held his hand—the one holding the lighter—and let her thumb glide over his finger resting on the ignition wheel.
Her voice dropped, soft and flirtatious: "Yeah… I want to press my lips against yours."
A strange spasm flickered across "Xie Yueze's" face. He blinked, eyes following her thumb.
"Why?" he asked.
Zhou Jiao wondered the same thing—why did he care so much about who she kissed?
Who she kissed was none of his damn business.
When she didn't answer fast enough, his expression grew stiff.
He tightened his grip on her jaw. "Answer me."
The flame of the lighter flickered. Firelight and shadow danced across his features.
He looked like a freshly assembled skeleton—one trembling too hard might make the whole structure collapse.
Zhou Jiao knew she should feel fear.
Because she knew absolutely nothing about the "Xie Yueze" in front of her—
What he was.
Where he came from.
Whether he harbored goodwill or ill intent.
Would he kill her?
Could she resist him?
But when her gaze met those inorganic, ice-cold eyes…
What she felt wasn't fear—
It was excitement.
Her life was too quiet.
So quiet it had become dull.
Her biggest daily worries were what to wear to work, what to eat for takeout, how good the discounts were during shopping festivals, and how to hit the perfect promo threshold.
She never told anyone: the first time she sliced open a mutant with a scalpel, she was trembling not with fear—but with thrill.
But that thrill vanished fast.
Dissecting mutants had become as mundane as ordering takeout.
For a long time, Zhou Jiao thought she'd never feel that excitement again.
She tried seeing doctors, but the meds wore off too soon.
Someone like her—
Should've been like Jiang Lian from the past:
Standing at the boundary between darkness and dawn,
With no concept of good or evil, only hunger for stimuli,
A high-risk target monitored by the Bureau.
But she was lucky. She had parents with a strong sense of right and wrong.
They had anchored her, even with their lives,
Imploring her to be a good person.
So she remained emotionally detached, unable to clearly distinguish right from wrong.
Excitement and danger were as tempting to her as raw meat to a predator.
But because of that anchor, she willingly shackled herself—
Never touching anything that might disappoint her parents.
Except for this thing before her.
He wasn't human.
He had no feelings.
No morals.
He existed outside humanity's laws and notions of good and evil.
But he could speak human language.
Yet his behavior was nothing like a human's.
He was a monster, through and through.
He could hurt her.
But she could hurt him back—
With no fear of legal or moral consequence.
In a way, he was the perfect playmate.
Risk or safety?
Zhou Jiao suppressed the thrill bubbling up inside her.
She tilted her head slightly and gave him a smile—eyes arched, sweet yet mocking.
"Of course I like you," she said.
"You're gentle, considerate, polite. You don't say weird things that offend me. Why wouldn't I like you?"
"Xie Yueze" shifted his eyes back to her face, gaze cold and slick.
Zhou Jiao raised her hand and wrapped her arm around his neck.
He stiffened.
Curious, Zhou Jiao leaned in closer.
The nearer she got, the stiffer he became.
His face seemed ready to split apart, like one more step would make him shatter into pieces.
Judging by his previous reactions, Zhou Jiao was starting to suspect—
She might've stumbled on something... interesting.
Unaware he had exposed a weakness, "Xie Yueze" said coolly, "I'm not worthy of your affection."
Zhou Jiao raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"I'm physically weak. Average intelligence. Low reproductive capacity.
If you copulate with me, at most we'd produce two offspring."
"..."
Zhou Jiao's smile vanished.
"You want me to have two kids? Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want even one."
"Xie Yueze" frowned slightly.
"Why would you think you'd be the one bearing them?
You're even more fragile. One offspring would cause irreversible damage to your body."
He paused.
Then added flatly,
"Of course I'll be the one to bear them."
Zhou Jiao: "…"
Wait—why the hell were they discussing reproduction?
"Stop talking about who's giving birth to what!" she snapped. "What the hell are you trying to say?"
"I'm not worthy of your affection," he repeated.
His gaze was intense, obsessive.
"I can't even protect you."
"Then who should I like? Who can protect me?"
"Xie Yueze" didn't respond.
Zhou Jiao thought for a moment.
She understood now.
This creature had gone through all this—parasites, corpses, pretending to be Xie Yueze—
Just to convince her not to like the real Xie Yueze.
What the hell?
If he were human, she'd assume he liked her.
But he wasn't.
So what did he want?
She mentally replayed their entire conversation, starting from his first question:
"Is it because he was parasitized, that you didn't ask him for help?"
She got it.
He wasn't jealous.
He was just angry—
Angry that she would bypass a "stronger" being like him,
To ask for help from a weaker human.
So he had been trying to discredit Xie Yueze completely—
Even down to his reproductive ability.
Zhou Jiao smiled again.
"You know why I like Xie Yueze?"
"Xie Yueze" looked down, eyes on her lips.
He didn't notice—she'd just stopped using his name for him.
"Because he's a living, breathing human."
She gripped the back of his head with one hand, the scalpel in the other.
"And you, pretending to be human, are stiff, fake, grotesque.
Normal people, when in danger, seek out their own kind—not a monster."
His eyeballs jerked backwards, too far to be human.
He tried to pull away—
But she yanked his hair and kissed him.
She licked his lips, slicked the surface.
He froze.
Swallowed.
His throat shifted against her mouth.
And in the same moment—
She stabbed.
The scalpel pierced toward his head.
But—nothing happened.
It was like stabbing into sludge.
The blade wouldn't go deeper—or come back out.
Without hesitation, Zhou Jiao pushed him back, grabbed the lighter, and stepped away.
Flick.
A spark burst into flame.
What she saw made her gasp.
The reason she couldn't stab him—
Was because the back of his head had split open.
Two purple-black tentacles had burst out and coiled around the scalpel,
Corroding it to nothing in under a second.
Terrifying speed.
This wasn't just a mutant.
It was something much worse.
"Xie Yueze" stood up, his cracked skull sealing back into place.
His face still unnaturally stiff, but his eyes… looked confused.
"You shouldn't have attacked me," he said.
Zhou Jiao ignored him.
She glanced around, searching for a way to escape.
But all around her was endless, suffocating black—
Like the middle of a vast ocean at night.
Suddenly, footsteps.
A flash of blue light.
Instinctively, like all humans—she ran toward it.
Halfway there, her gut screamed at her to stop.
Light in the dark?
That's bait—like bioluminescence to lure prey.
She froze, turned to run—
And her foot plunged into something.
She flicked the lighter—
The ground was crawling with purple-black tentacles.
Cold, scaled, like some reptilian nightmare, slithering up her legs.
Her mind reeled.
A humming, low and inhuman frequency rang in her ears.
She bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood, just to stay awake.
She couldn't understand their words—
But she felt their ecstatic madness,
A joy no human could ever experience.
A shudder coursed through her.
She didn't want to know what they were so happy about.
Her thoughts were fading fast.
Only pure survival instinct kept her struggling.
A slick tentacle lifted her chin, forcing her to look forward.
Jiang Lian stood there, wearing a white lab coat.
Gold-rimmed glasses reflected the eerie glow.
He looked as cold and clean as ever—
If not for the tentacles writhing behind him.
He said, "You should've asked me for help."
Zhou Jiao thought: Screw you.
She twisted away—
And saw Xie Yueze again.
He stared at her, handsome features distorted.
His voice was cold, nearly insane.
"'I' am not worthy of your help."
Screw. You. All.
She jerked her foot—
Hit something hard and cold.
A corpse.
Its face hollowed out.
Algae squirmed where its eyes and mouth had been.
And yet she could feel its gaze.
Hear its whisper.
Breath colder than ice ghosted across her ear:
"Seek help from us.
Become one of us."
"We will protect you."