Hua paused for two seconds, then immediately followed, realizing something might be taken from her.
After brief self-introductions, Li Mo could always bring up novel topics, never letting the conversation fall silent.
He was the polar opposite of the introverted Hua.
Anyone talking to Hua would eventually end up in deep silence, speechless.
After chatting for an unknown amount of time, the courtyard gate was pushed open. Hua's father and his friend walked in, looking somewhat curious at the children chatting happily in the pavilion.
Upon seeing her father, Xiao-xuan immediately ran to his side and said, "Daddy, I want to eat dinner with Hua tonight."
"Huh?"
The man wondered why his daughter had changed her mind so quickly, until his gaze shifted to the boy beside Hua, and then he understood.
Hua's father was also quite puzzled, wondering where this child came from. He hadn't noticed anyone enter the courtyard before. Was it a friend who had snuck in to play with Hua while he wasn't looking?
But did Hua have any friends?
Li Mo's identity was highly suspicious, but when Hua's father saw the quiet, gentle smile on Hua's face, he dismissed his concerns.
After the dinner party, the two families returned home. Li Mo followed Hua back to the old house.
Upon questioning, Hua's father learned about Li Mo's amnesia and the fact that he had been sleeping in the box in the old house's master bedroom.
Of course, as a mature adult, he certainly wouldn't believe such a story.
Hua's father assumed Li Mo was lying. The next day, he used his connections to inquire about Li Mo's identity, but the result was: none found.
An unregistered person...
This reminded Hua's father of news he had seen in the media recently.
The news reported an outbreak of a highly contagious plague on some continent. Apparently, people in several cities had died, causing widespread panic.
Many refugees were relocated to Shanghai City.
Those capable of working were assigned suitable positions.
Children unable to work were sent to orphanages, potentially fostered by families in society with the need and means. He figured Li Mo was one of them.
Just unwilling to stay in the orphanage, he ran away.
Hua's father had visited the orphanage before, hoping to find a suitable family member for Hua.
Many wealthy families adopted good-looking, intelligent children with decent learning abilities.
This group of children was the most popular.
The remaining ones, more or less, had witnessed the devastation of their homes, left with nowhere to stand.
Forget healing Hua; they themselves needed psychological counseling.
A lively and cheerful child like Li Mo should logically have been taken in by a family in need long ago.
How was he left behind?
Hua's father couldn't understand. Based on Li Mo's looks and cheerful personality, it was impossible for him to have remained until now.
But since he had remained, perhaps it was fate.
Of course, Hua's father considered more that Hua was indeed much brighter than usual when she was with Li Mo, which prompted the thought of adoption.
"Hua, can you accept having one more person in our family?"
"I..."
"It's okay, just tell me what you think."
"Mm, I... want to. Mo is very nice..."
"Alright, I'll handle the follow-up procedures, and get Mo registered under our family name. From now on, you'll be family."
"Mm..."
Hua lowered her head, pursing her lips, occasionally glancing up, her eyes darting towards Li Mo like a little thief.
And each time their eyes met, Li Mo would respond with eager warmth and a brilliant smile.
Gradually, Hua couldn't help but smile too.
This was the first person she had ever met who was willing to smile for her.
At that time, Hua hadn't realized how drastically her answer would change the course of her life.
The next day, Hua went to school as usual, only this time, she had someone accompanying her.
Burning gazes came from all directions. Hua wasn't quite used to it, only able to stare at her feet.
The two soon arrived at school.
Outside the classroom, Li Mo was called over by the teacher. As a new addition to the class, he had to wait until all classmates were seated before going in for self-introduction.
Hua returned to her seat, a corner no one sat next to.
"Hua, good morning."
Xiao-xuan came over to greet her. Hua replied with an "Mm," adding, "Good morning."
This interaction caught the attention of others. Everyone knew the two hadn't spoken a word since the start of school and weren't friends. Why were they suddenly greeting each other today?
The next second, Xiao-xuan asked hesitantly, "Hua, um, where does he study... I don't mean anything else, just wanted to ask. He's your family, why aren't you in the same school?"
Hua forgot how she replied.
Hua didn't remember what happened afterwards. She only knew that Mo, with his exceptional looks, special eyes, and witty language, captured everyone's attention.
Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school...
Unlike the ordinary Hua, Li Mo excelled far beyond average in every aspect.
Shanghai City was an international metropolis. A good school, especially, focused on developing comprehensive abilities, moving beyond simple exam-oriented education.
Occasionally, even special departments came to the school for assessments.
Throughout his subsequent academic career, whether in subject exams or sports, Li Mo always easily took first place, as if born to it.
More eye-catching than ever before, Li Mo's appearance instantly put the usually marginalized Hua in the spotlight.
Time flew by, years passed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, within a dimly lit laboratory tacitly approved by the authorities, complex instruments and equipment lay scattered on the lab benches, the silver metal gleaming faintly.
A pungent chemical smell permeated the air. Many documents bore messy residual sketches and formulas, recording past experimental processes and lines of thought.
"Mine is very big; you'll have to bear with it." [Context implies injection needle/procedure]
"Snakey, why do you sound like you're interrogating me?"
"Is that so? Anyway, for the accuracy of the experimental data, I won't use anesthesia. If you refuse now, you can still get off the operating table."
"It's already nine o'clock. If we delay any longer, I won't make it."
"Alright, I'll 'take care' of you attentively."
A horrifying surgery was decided upon through this lighthearted, brief exchange.
The scalpel descended onto smooth skin, easily slicing through tissue, exposing the fine blood vessels hidden beneath the flesh, the path of flowing crimson blood laid bare.
Li Mo's body was covered in densely packed tubes, recording real-time physiological data.
In the dim light, a pair of green pupils stood out, flashing with joyous light.
A tube filled with purple-black liquid was injected into his body. The data on the instruments changed rapidly.
The pain of erosion continuously stimulated his brain, like countless silver needles piercing every nerve ending.
Three hours later, Li Mo walked out of the bathroom, hair dripping wet, changed back into his clothes. The wounds on his body were healing at an extremely rapid rate.
Mobius, wearing a white lab coat, walked up and handed Li Mo a card.
"Pleasure doing business with you. This is your payment."
Li Mo took the card, a flicker of imperceptible joy in his eyes.
"Thanks. Still have an hour left, plenty of time."
"Hehe, I should be the one thanking you. After all, not just anyone is willing to become a little white mouse dissected on the operating table, even if they have inhuman healing abilities... Rest assured, I don't plan on revealing your special nature just yet. I'm just a little curious, why are you in such a hurry to make money?"
Mobius sat in her chair, organizing documents, glancing sideways at Li Mo, awaiting his answer.
"Probably because it's fast money?"
"Reasonable enough. However, I'll be leaving Shanghai City in a few days. If you want to find me, take this business card. It has the address. I'll cover all your travel expenses; no one will stop you."
Mobius handed Li Mo a dark green card. Such a perfect experimental subject wasn't common.
Willing, cooperative, and durable.
Although all experimental results were still pending verification, Mobius wasn't ready to expose Li Mo's existence just yet.
What a person whose body constantly regenerated, whose cells stopped aging after reaching a certain level, who could recover even after organ removal or limb severance meant – Mobius didn't need to overthink it. Just a glimpse into the obvious future was enough.
The upper echelons would go crazy.
Forget them, even Mobius herself couldn't resist keeping Li Mo by her side, studying him day and night.
Perhaps, with her abilities, she could truly explore the infinity of life.
But before everything settled, the experimental prototypes couldn't be leaked.
"So generous? But I'm not short on money right now. Next time you want me for an experiment, the payment won't be cheap. You'll have to offer something else valuable~"
Blinking his pink eyes, Li Mo walked up to Mobius and reached out his hand.
Then he flipped the indoor light switch beside Mobius. Instantly, the dim laboratory became incredibly bright.
"So, how did you manage to make such a mess of the lab? Just cleaning up would take half a day. Haven't considered hiring an assistant?"
"I'll handle the cleanup for you this time. No extra charge."
Li Mo helped Mobius organize the documents, putting the instruments back where they belonged, including reagents and machinery. Having done it once before, Li Mo was incredibly proficient this time.
Mobius turned her head away. "My assistant isn't in Shanghai City. I hadn't planned on staying here long originally. It was only because you showed up that I was willing to stay a couple more days."
"Is that why you've been eating instant noodles for two days?" Li Mo pointed to the pile of empty noodle containers in the corner. "I already ordered takeout for you. It'll be delivered outside shortly. Although takeout might not be much more nutritious, at least it has flavor."
"Well then, I look forward to our next meeting, Snakey. Bye-bye~"
After tidying up the surroundings, Li Mo waved goodbye and left the laboratory without looking back.
Leaving Mobius alone in the spacious, bright laboratory. She walked to the mirror, stunned to see a faint bloodstain on her cheek.
When did that get there?
The payment for the first two experiments was just money. The third experiment required something valuable... that guy...
"I hear World Serpent headquarters has a troublesome newcomer."
Mobius pulled up the personnel change file. On it were the newcomer's photo and information.
Name: Elysia
Gender: Female
Hobbies: Females
Specialty (Self-Edited): Because I'm a cute girl, I can do anything~!
Specialty (Official Edit): Honkai Beast Combat, Social Interaction, Honkai Energy Control, Cuddling? (Pending)
Affiliated Department: Anti-Honkai Combat Division
Name: Mei
Gender: Female
Hobbies: Astronomy
Specialty (Self-Edited): (Blank)
Specialty (Official Edit): Research, Decision-making
Affiliated Department: Headquarters still trying to recruit.
"Honestly, why are the newcomers recently getting weirder and weirder? So troublesome."
"Elysia? Wait, I feel like I've seen those eyes somewhere before."
Mobius lowered her head, scrutinizing the photo.
"Exactly the same?"
After pondering for a moment, Mobius used her authority to mark Elysia's file for "Priority Observation."
She also created a brand-new file.
Name: Mo
Gender: Male
Hobbies: Females
Specialty (Self-Edited): (Blank)
Specialty (Official Edit): (Blank)
Affiliated Department: Life Form Research Division, Leader: Mobius
Create a file for him first. When the opportunity arises later, I can pull him directly into the organization, saving the trouble of notifying the higher-ups.
While my authority is still high, I should consider the future more.
She was quite interested in that guy. If she weren't worried about Li Mo attracting too much attention and scrutiny, Mobius would definitely adore having him around.
As long as he lay on the operating table, payment was negotiable.
"Gurgle gurgle."
Her stomach protested.
"Takeout...? So troublesome. Have to walk to the door to get it. Might as well have instant noodles." Mobius sighed dramatically, slumping in her chair, head tilted back, hands clutching her stomach, looking utterly despondent.
"If I knew, I should have made the little white mouse cook me a meal before letting him go! Damn it, the moment he said he ordered takeout, I forgot to ask!"
Even at night, the streets of Shanghai City were dazzling with lights, neon signs flashing.
"Hmph hmph~"
Li Mo hummed a little tune, in a good mood.
"World Serpent."
Li Mo looked at the address on the business card. Not in Shenzhou. If he wanted to go, it would take a half-day flight.
Two experiments had earned him enough money. At least, if spent sparingly, it would last several years. He could buy lots of things.
Li Mo had no intention of undergoing a third experiment. Because it really hurt! The first time with full anesthesia was okay; the second time, they even skipped the anesthetic.
Though he had agreed to it himself – after all, skipping anesthesia meant higher pay – the pain was real.
Once Snakey started surgery, she seemed to enter a state of frenzy. Normally, she was relatively sane, just lazy.
Every time after surgery, he had to clean up afterwards, tidying the lab.
Never mind, I'll keep track of it. Definitely need to get even later when I have the chance.
Li Mo walked to the front of a cake shop. Several employees were still waiting inside.
He had pre-ordered a lavish birthday cake three days ago. Today was the pickup day.
"A sixteenth birthday can't be like last time, just casually eating a bowl of noodles.正好 have the money to pay the balance and get the cake. Wonder if Hua likes chocolate-flavored cream."
"If she asks the price, I'll just make up a number to fool her."
Hua lacked social experience; Li Mo had plenty of excuses to convince Hua he earned the money through part-time jobs.
With Mobius as a connection, persuading the principal and teachers was easy.
Inside the large old house, Hua diligently did her homework in her second-floor bedroom.
The academic pressure in Shanghai City was high. As an ordinary student, she couldn't handle it as effortlessly as Li Mo.
The faint light from the desk lamp illuminated Hua's face. The once gloomy little girl had grown into a well-proportioned young woman.
The pen tip scratched against the paper, making rustling sounds.
Suddenly, a pair of warm hands covered Hua's eyes.
"Ta-da! Guess who~"
"...I still have homework to do. Mo, stop messing around. The teacher assigned a lot of homework today."
"What's so fun about homework? Today is a special day! By the way, why isn't Uncle back yet?"
Li Mo carefully maneuvered the cake slowly from the floor, planning to surprise Hua with a magic trick when she wasn't looking.
Though what would appear wasn't a living person, but a seven-layer cake.
Hearing Li Mo's words, Hua couldn't help but feel downcast, a look of disappointment crossing her face.
Because there was an extra person in the house, her father needed to find a second job. Being the vice president of the martial arts association was just a title, providing little actual income.
So he had to find another night shift job, rarely coming home.
Each time he returned home, it was late at night. Not wanting to disturb her and Mo's sleep, he'd go to bed without eating.
Sometimes Hua would wake up in the morning and see her father asleep on the sofa, without even a blanket.
That's just how the world was. The cost of living in Shanghai City was too high. Without working hard, even putting food on the table was a problem.
Hua lowered her head, awkwardly changing the subject. She took out a pile of envelopes from the drawer – mostly pink, a few white, almost every seal marked with a heart.
Then she turned around, holding the letters.
"These are the love letters from the past few days. After you rejected the girls in our class, classmates from the next class found me and asked me to pass these to you."
Hua carefully watched the expression on Li Mo's face.
"Hmm... This is a bit awkward. Throwing them away seems disrespectful to their feelings, doesn't it? But I'm definitely not going to accept them." Li Mo shook his head and sighed.
"Is that so? Then I'll put them aside for now."
Hua's expression relaxed. Just as she turned back, her forehead hit the corner of the large cake box with a crisp thud.
"Birthd—"
"Oww... That hurts."
Li Mo didn't even get to say "Happy Birthday." Hua's forehead swelled red, a small bump forming where the gift box hit her.
"Hua, did you destroy the universe in your past life or something? How can you be this unlucky even on your birthday?"
"Don't say it, don't say it! I know I'm unlucky, please don't remind me again..."
"Ha, haha... Let's eat the cake first then."
Li Mo stepped forward, about to open the packaging, but Hua suddenly grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"What's wrong?"
"I just ate dinner, I can't eat anymore. The cake is too big. I want to wait for Dad to come back and eat together," Hua said softly.
Hearing this, Li Mo put the cake back in the fridge. When he turned around, he found Hua had already left her seat and was lying on the nearby bed.
One hand covered her eyes, the other gripped the bedspread tightly, her lips trembling.
"Mo, there's a very pretty girl, from a wealthy family. She asked me to tell you, you can go play at her house tonight. No one's home."
"Definitely next time. I remember her house has a few computers, right? We can go play games all night then."
"...Are you going to go in the future?"
"Why not? If it's just playing games, it's definitely more fun with more people, right?"
"..."
Hua fell silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "I asked, Dad isn't coming back tonight..."
"Okay, then the cake will have to wait until tomorrow. Go to sleep quickly, Hua. You have school tomorrow. I'm going back to my room too."
"Alright..."
Hua felt a little disappointed, not getting the answer she expected.
"But before I leave, I have a question."
Li Mo dropped his carefree demeanor, looking seriously at Hua.
"Hua, we're family, right?"
Hua hesitated for two seconds before answering, "Yes, family."
Having gotten his answer, Li Mo quickly left Hua's bedroom. Silence filled the room; the faint light didn't reach her eyes.
Outside the window was the deep, dark night, like a huge gauze net shrouding the brilliantly lit city.
Hua sat up and opened the letters meant for Li Mo, reading them one by one.
Li Mo never paid attention to these kinds of confessions. He treated everyone equally and kindly, so naturally, he wouldn't fall for any particular person.
The classmates at the new school didn't ignore Hua, but they wouldn't get close to her either.
Because they all had the same motive. Their interactions with Hua were limited to necessity, not genuine friendship.
In the teacher's words, her emotional intelligence was very low. She couldn't express her thoughts, was clumsy with words, and didn't know how to talk.
Truthfully, most people weren't willing to interact with her. Hua knew this very well.
If it weren't for her being family with Li Mo, she would probably revert to the isolated and excluded state of her childhood.
So Hua was very scared. What if, one day, Li Mo's gaze no longer focused on her? Where would she go then?
Lock herself in her room like when she was little?
After reading all the letters, this feeling intensified, her anxiety only growing.
"Huh?"
Returning to bed, Hua noticed something bulging under the covers near the headboard.
Lifting the cover, she found a life-sized, plush brown bear.
It was soft and warm to hug.
"Mmm..."
Hua hugged the brown bear plushie. It carried Li Mo's residual scent.
Involuntarily, Hua's hand gradually slipped under the covers. She bit her lip, her face flushing crimson, finally burying her entire head into the soft body of the plush toy.
She thought this life would continue forever.
Such peaceful days vanished completely after the outbreak of the Third Honkai Eruption.
Half a month later, school was out for break. Hua returned alone to her original hometown, just intending to take a look, see how her former home had changed.
Her father stayed in Shanghai City for work. Li Mo helped look after the martial arts hall during the day.
And on that very day, the Third Honkai Eruption occurred.
Hua, who had intended to fly home, turned back towards Shanghai City, wanting to find her family. But powerless against the Honkai beasts, she hid alone in a dark, damp alleyway, crying.
Listening to the survivor list broadcasted for Shanghai City the next day, over and over again.
Unable to find the two familiar names.