During the previous two food deliveries, Yan Tuo had been so hungry he was barely conscious. Someone had to prod him awake with a stick, and all he could see were blurry shadows and flickering lights, never clear enough to identify who brought the food.
This time, he was surprisingly lucid when someone entered.
It was Feng Mi.
Her dreadlocks were gathered into a thick ponytail. She wore a dove-gray cashmere tracksuit with an ivory-white down vest and running shoes.
Upon seeing Feng Mi, Yan Tuo felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Somehow, he felt that if she was the one delivering food, his days might not be quite so miserable.
Feng Mi carried a bag in one hand and a flashlight in the other. When the light fell on Yan Tuo, she paused for a long while before saying with surprise, “Yan Tuo? How did you end up like this?”
So she hadn’t been the one who came the previous times.
And what did she mean by ‘like this’? Well, it didn’t matter—he must look filthy, stinking, and utterly wretched.
Yan Tuo stared at the bag in her hand. “More steamed buns?”
Feng Mi gave a light chuckle and placed the bag by the bars.
Yan Tuo desperately wanted to lunge forward and grab the bag, but he managed to restrain himself.
He released his grip on the blanket and walked over to the bars as dignifiedly as possible, crouching down to reach through and open the bag.
Steamed buns and a water container.
He laughed self-mockingly. “The same standard fare, couldn’t you mix it up a bit…”
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
In the corner of the bag rolled several bright yellow small tangerines.
Tangerines? Actual fruit?
Yan Tuo was almost delirious with joy. He picked one up and peeled off a section, bringing it to his nose to smell.
The fragrance was incredible—a sweet undertone beneath the tartness. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend he was lying among countless tangerine trees.
He sat down on the ground. Happiness was all about contrast—even if Feng Mi had only brought him tangerine peels instead of actual tangerines, he would have been content.
This was the scent of the outside world, the scent of sunlight.
Feng Mi sighed. “Yan Tuo, didn’t you bring this upon yourself?”
Yan Tuo spoke softly, “With a bit more luck, I would have made it through.”
Feng Mi almost laughed out loud. “Yan Tuo, did you think you could fool everyone? Your story about the diary didn’t even convince me. Are you underestimating Aunt Lin that much?”
Was that so?
Yan Tuo didn’t care much anymore—he was already imprisoned anyway. “Where did I slip up?”
“The logic was sound, but emotionally, it wasn’t convincing. I read that diary later, and even I, an outsider, shed tears by the end. As her son, how could you remain completely unmoved?”
She sneered. “Only someone as thick-headed as Xiong Hei would have let that slide. Think about it—if the diary story was really convincing, why are you still locked up? When Aunt Lin first asked me to watch you, I asked if she suspected you. Do you know what she said?”
Yan Tuo remained calm. “What did she say?”
“She said if you suspect someone and want to eliminate those doubts, the best solution is to kill them for peace of mind. If you can’t bring yourself to kill them, then lock them up before they can betray you. That way, they’ll never betray you and remain the obedient child—she was convinced you had betrayed her, she just didn’t expect things to progress even after locking you up.”
Yan Tuo smiled. “That’s the advantage of having allies.”
Feng Mi snorted coldly. “What good did that do? You all planned this together, yet you’re the only one suffering. Where are they now? Why aren’t they helping you?”
Yan Tuo remained silent, savoring a segment of tangerine in his mouth, luxuriating in the taste. After a while, he looked up at her. “What’s the date?”
Feng Mi said, “Just over ten days until the New Year.”
Yan Tuo felt disoriented.
It had happened so quickly. When he lost his freedom, there were still several days until the year’s end, and now, New Year was approaching.
He asked, “Will I get to eat dumplings for New Year?”
Feng Mi looked at him for a while, feeling both amused and saddened. “You’re still thinking about dumplings? What’s the point?”
Yan Tuo said, “Of course, there’s a point—it’s New Year after all.”
He pointed at the tangerines in the bag. “This time, I’ll resist and save one tangerine for New Year. If I have dumplings and a tangerine that day, then this year won’t have been too bad.”
Suddenly remembering something, his body tensed. “Do you know about what’s down here?”
Feng Mi didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”
Yan Tuo said, “Just before you came, there was something here, bumping and scratching, with glowing green eyes.”
Feng Mi made a sound of recognition. “Oh, that. Number 019, we’ve already named it—Youpeng.”
Number 019?
Yan Tuo’s heart tightened: Gou Ya must have been 018, and after being destroyed, this was… another replacement?
“Does it have a blood sac?”
Feng Mi looked down at him with an intriguing expression. “Yes, we’re still selecting. After all, we lost several companions at once and need replacements urgently.”
Yan Tuo’s gaze turned cold.
How foolish of him to think seeing Feng Mi was a good thing. No, they would always be what they were.