Bai Chi might seem like an emotionally clueless fool, but at certain moments, he’s surprisingly sharp—knowing exactly how to maneuver for his own maximum "benefit."
To be honest, his acting skills are downright terrible.
Yet when he fixes those expectant eyes on her, whether his performance is convincing or not no longer matters.
Xia Miao feigned reluctance and sighed, "I really don’t know what to do with you."
Then, little by little, she closed the distance between them, granting his wish as she reached out and wrapped her arms around him.
Bai Chi’s eyes lit up with delight. He instinctively pulled Xia Miao closer as she leaned against him, nuzzling her cheek before letting out a satisfied, "Hehehe."
He had never experienced intimacy with anyone before. This was the first time he realized that simply holding someone, doing nothing more than clinging to each other, could bring such joy.
Of course, the condition was that it had to be her—no one else could achieve this effect.
Xia Miao, however, seemed to buy his earlier lie about being in pain. Her hand gently stroked the top of his head as she murmured, "Does it still hurt?"
Bai Chi’s heart unexpectedly softened. A strange sense of embarrassment crept over him, while warmth bloomed inside his body like a rising flame, thawing his usual icy chill.
"It doesn’t hurt anymore," he mumbled, voice small with guilt. He hadn’t been in pain at all—he had lied to her.
But Xia Miao didn’t bother questioning whether his words were true or not. Instead, she relaxed completely, letting herself slump against him. "Then let’s sleep."
Bai Chi gave a quiet hum and obediently closed his eyes.
The next day was, once again, a sunny one. The patients gathered outside for their routine sunbathing session.
Unsurprisingly, today’s headcount was a few short of yesterday’s. Every day, the numbers dwindled. No one could guess what had happened to those who never reappeared.
Duan Shou kept a sharp eye on the crowd, waiting for his chance to cozy up to Xia Miao.
By now, he had figured it out—Xia Miao definitely had some tricks up her sleeve. Otherwise, how could she wander around so fearlessly and always return unscathed?
The moment Xia Miao appeared, Duan Shou scurried over.
"Hey, sis, did you sleep well last night?"
Xia Miao, mid-stretch, blinked at the sudden address. "Yeah, I slept fine. Why?"
Duan Shou grinned. "I was just worried you might’ve had a rough night. Glad to hear you’re well-rested!"
Xia Miao eyed him suspiciously, baffled by the sudden "sis" routine.
Duan Shou stealthily pulled a hard-boiled egg from his pocket and pressed it into Xia Miao’s hand. "Snuck this from the cafeteria this morning. You worked hard last night—gotta eat well to keep your strength up."
Xia Miao accepted it without hesitation. "Thanks."
"Ah, no need for thanks between us!" Duan Shou oozed flattery, lowering his voice. "Meeting here and becoming friends is fate. Let’s help each other out, yeah? If there’s ever a way to leave, we’ve gotta stick together."
Xia Miao nodded. "Sure, sounds good."
Duan Shou beamed, convinced he’d secured his safety net.
But their chat was cut short—it was soon time for labor.
This time, the men were assigned to patch the leaky roof, while the women were sent to the overgrown field behind the dormitory to pull weeds.
Xia Miao claimed a quiet spot, working at a snail’s pace, blatantly slacking off. Strangely, no patrolling guards scolded her for slacking—normally, slacking meant trouble.
Before long, someone sidled up to her.
"Patient 09, I heard you went to the warehouse last night. Didn’t you run into any danger?"
It was Patient 05. She didn’t like Xia Miao and avoided dealing with her, but to escape this place, she needed intel—and Xia Miao seemed to know things.
Coincidentally, Xia Miao didn’t like her either.
"Yeah, we went to the warehouse. But no, nothing dangerous happened."
Patient 05’s forced smile stiffened. Clearly, she thought Xia Miao was holding back crucial details.
Patient 05 tried again. "Patient 09, weren’t you assigned to clean the admin office before? I heard it’s full of man-eating flowers. Didn’t they attack you?"
"Man-eating flowers?" Xia Miao looked genuinely puzzled. "I didn’t see any."
"You didn’t?" Patient 05’s voice rose in disbelief—Xia Miao’s lie was too brazen.
Xia Miao smiled. "If I’d seen something that terrifying, I’d remember. But really, there were none. Otherwise, do you think I’d have walked out of there alive?"
Her expression was utterly sincere, betraying no hint of deception.
Patient 05 finally accepted that she’d get nothing useful here. She forced a tight smile. "Well, I won’t bother you anymore."
With Patient 05 gone, the area fell quiet again.
The weeds here grew waist-high. Xia Miao tugged at them lazily before pausing to rest, inspecting her delicate hands with a pout. "My hands hurt."
A rustle came from the thicket. Then, a pair of pale hands emerged, gently taking hold of hers and massaging them.
Xia Miao murmured, "Bai Chi."
A second later, the white-haired boy’s face popped up from the greenery.
He was like some lurking woodland creature—or perhaps a ghost—always watching silently from nearby, ready to appear the moment she needed him, never considering that he might startle her.
Not that Xia Miao found him frightening.
Right now, his lanky frame was awkwardly hunched as he cradled her hands, kneading them with care. His rosy eyes fixed on her intently, like a little rabbit that had magically materialized from the undergrowth.
Xia Miao basked in his attentions, murmuring, "Isn’t it uncomfortable crouching like that?"
He shook his head. "With Miao Miao, it’s fine."
At least he knew how to sweet-talk.
Xia Miao fished the hard-boiled egg from her pocket, withdrew her hand, and began peeling the shell.
Bai Chi watched, motionless.
Once she finished, she held the egg to his lips. "Your reward."
Bai Chi took a bite but found it awkward. He cupped the egg with both hands—like an animal clutching food—and nibbled at it bit by bit.
The sight was uncannily reminiscent of a hamster munching on a snack.
