Chapter 41: Regret
“Let’s leave now,” Hua Mian whispered.
Yu Jin knew this wasn’t the time for sentimental chatter. He nodded, removed the researcher’s coat, and then had Hua Mian bind his hands behind his back before pushing them forward.
A Ning opened his mouth several times, as if he wanted to say something, but each time he closed it again.
Hua Mian understood that he was trying to ask Yu Jin about his mother, but she gave him no opportunity, pretending not to see.
Yu Jin noticed this, but once he understood Hua Mian’s attitude, he silently aligned with her.
Once they reached the corridor, A Ning had no chance to ask any questions.
The three of them walked in silence toward the main gate, their steps quick. Hua Mian struggled to suppress the metallic-sweet taste rising in her throat, but her body couldn’t help but sway slightly.
Though she soon regained her balance, Yu Jin kept glancing at her discreetly. When he noticed something was off, his expression turned serious.
Along the way, they encountered three patrol teams. Each team asked roughly about Hua Mian’s identity and the fact that Yu Jin was bound.
A Ning, who had initially been too timid to speak, now spoke without hesitation, improvising lies on the spot. Truly, human potential was limitless.
Rounding another corner, they were close to the main gate. Hua Mian, who went first, abruptly pulled her head back.
Meeting Yu Jin and A Ning’s puzzled gazes, she forced herself to stay calm.
To her surprise, it was Gong Zheng and his entourage appearing at the gate.
After steadying her breathing, she clenched her fists and shook her head subtly at the two others, signaling them to continue walking.
Gong Zheng and his group brushed past them. Hua Mian lowered her head slightly, burying her chin into her scarf.
“Wait.” Gong Zheng’s deep voice suddenly called out.
Hua Mian kept walking as if she hadn’t heard.
But Gong Zheng blocked her path with his arm. “Lift your head.”
Hua Mian’s heart skipped a beat, but she instantly put on an impeccably flattering, almost submissive smile.
“Sir, are you calling me?”
Gong Zheng studied the small figure for a few seconds. This person had striking eyes—amber-colored irises, very similar to the little female who had escaped.
“Sir, this is our guard at the gate, Lucas,” Daniel interjected, stepping from the side. Thinking back, only Lucas had stood up for him when he was slapped, so he added a word of support.
Hua Mian bent slightly, acting the obedient subordinate, a tiny figure putting on a grandiose display.
Gong Zheng averted his gaze. “Hmm, lead the way.”
What a waste of such beautiful eyes.
Daniel’s smile softened slightly. Before leaving, he patted Hua Mian on the shoulder as a small comfort.
Hua Mian looked deeply touched, her features contorted, making Daniel twitch the corner of his mouth.
The three of them strutted out.
Hua Mian hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Perhaps no one had ever used this method before.
The laboratory’s security wasn’t even as tight as her female cage. The guards at the gate were nothing but a disorderly lot.
It seemed the longer one ruled here like a local tyrant, the laxer things became outside, even when the winds of authority blew strong.
Seeing Gong Zheng and his group strut in so confidently, she wondered if officials and merchants were colluding, performing a charade while shouting accusations.
Thinking this way, her steps quickened.
“Hold him for me,” A Ning said, pointing to the bowed Yu Jin.
“Yes, sir.”
Hua Mian’s expression remained respectful as she continued forward.
Once they were gone, the guards at the gate looked on with envy, whispering that Lucas must be destined for greatness. Some even speculated that visiting certain clans might bring similar fortune.
Luckily, the airship wasn’t far. Once on board, Yu Jin tore the ropes from his wrists.
“Madam, are you feeling unwell?”
“Let’s just leave here first,” Hua Mian said, leaning back against the seat, exhausted, and closing her eyes.
Yu Jin removed his coat to cover her.
Then he turned to A Ning. “Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. Can I ask you about a female?”
“Go ahead.”
“She’s my mother—brown hair, brown eyes, not a very high nose, and a small mole here.” A Ning activated autopilot and tapped his chin with his finger.
Yu Jin hesitated. “Curly hair?”
“Yes! Curly! Small curls!” A Ning said excitedly.
“Her name is Xue Lan?”
“Yes. Is she inside? Did you see her? Did you speak to her? Is she… okay?”
A Ning’s voice cracked, filled with hope.
Yu Jin felt a heaviness. “She passed away ten years ago.”
A Ning sat dumbfounded, mouth open, only able to make an indistinct sound.
After a long moment, he whispered, “Ten years ago?”
He looked at Yu Jin in confusion, his vision gradually blurring.
Hua Mian had regained some composure. Even with her eyes closed, she had heard their conversation. She opened them now, watching A Ning, and let out a soft sigh.
Sometimes, fate is cruel.
Ten years ago, A Ning’s mother had escaped from the laboratory. The lab management was likely in even greater chaos then, making it the best chance for rescue.
But A Ning had failed to seize that opportunity, never considering that his mother might be captured by the lab.
Sometimes, a single lapse in judgment separates life and death.
Seeing A Ning’s grief-stricken face, Yu Jin nodded slightly.
He had gone through the lab’s records, finding Xue Lan’s file.
The cause of death was listed as sudden death during egg retrieval.
Not even dignified.
A Ning, seeing Yu Jin’s pitying expression, realized that his mother must have suffered inhuman treatment before dying.
Regret and remorse almost crushed him.
If ten years ago he had his mother as proof and had the courage to expose the lab, would she still be alive?
He couldn’t help but clutch his head and let out a low roar.
No wonder he had searched for her for so many years without success.
A Ning’s crying turned into laughter—laughing at his own stupidity, at his cowardice, for thinking only of the might of Teng Yue Mining and that a small mouse beast like him couldn’t oppose them.
Yet it was that moment of weakness that caused his mother to die an unnatural death.
…
Hua Mian and Yu Jin listened to A Ning’s crying as they reached the edge of the forest.
“You should get off here. Don’t come back.” A Ning’s voice was so light it was almost carried away by the wind.
“You’re going back to the lab?” Hua Mian said bluntly.
A Ning’s eyes burned with hatred. “I want them to pay!”
“You don’t have to convince me. My mother raised me—she was the best. All these years I’ve been looking for her. Adopting so many children was my way of accumulating merit, praying she would survive.”
“Ha, praying to heaven and earth isn’t as effective as relying on oneself. I realized it too late. But now I know her… cause of death. As her son, I will personally deal with those bastards.”
Tears filled A Ning’s eyes, but beneath them burned an unquenchable fire.
Hua Mian was silent for a moment, then withdrew her hand from his arm and stepped back.
A Ning piloted the airship away, leaving Hua Mian and Yu Jin behind.
