Chapter 4: The Gun Barrel Pressed Against Her Forehead
Located in the southeast, the Yi Meng Independent State experienced frequent rainfall in autumn and winter, especially in its capital city, Xi He.
At 12:45 pm, Ming Zaozao, who had gone to her playroom after lunch, suddenly put down her pink building blocks, slipped on her slippers, and went to find her mother in the study. She quietly pushed open the unlatched door, about to call out to her mother, when she noticed Ming Fei was asleep.
Ming Zaozao tiptoed to the sofa on the right side of the study, peered over the edge for a minute, and then returned to the playroom.
With a clear purpose in mind, Ming Zaozao pulled a blanket from her star-shaped tent and grabbed a small shark plushie from the floor mat. But she was still too small to carry everything at once, so she woke up the standby 008.
“Huahua, help Baby.”
(Hua means Flower)
Huahua was the nickname Ming Zaozao had given 008 because of the small printed flower on the upper right corner of its white display screen, and also because she found the name easier to remember and cuter.
Awakened, 008 replied, “Okay, Baby ^^”
Quickly, Ming Zaozao placed the plushie and blanket on 008’s robotic arm and then brought over a box of new building blocks. The room was comfortably warm, and Ming Zaozao’s cheeks flushed after her exertions. She trotted to the table, drank most of her milk, and then said in a muffled voice, “Huahua, let’s go to the study.” She added, “Be quiet, Mama is sleeping.”
008 replied, “Okay, Baby, please rest assured, I will switch myself to silent mode.”
“Mm!”
The child and robot returned to the study. Ming Zaozao first placed the toys on the carpet in the seating area, then took the rainbow-colored blanket from 008 and gently draped it over the sleeping Ming Fei.
Ming Fei had personally crocheted this blanket for Ming Zaozao.
At that time, Ming Zaozao loved watching Flying Kitty, a cartoon whose main character had a magical rainbow blanket. After watching it, Ming Zaozao asked her mother if she could buy her one.
Ming Fei had agreed.
And so, a rainbow blanket appeared in Ming Zaozao’s playroom. As for why it couldn’t fly, Ming Zaozao reasoned that her mother had worked so hard crocheting it that she had used up all her magic energy stones.
Besides, with her mother by her side, she possessed the most magical and powerful magic in the world.
After the soft, warm blanket was spread out, covering most of Ming Fei, Ming Zaozao placed the little shark plushie beside her, so it could join her in watching over her sleeping mother.
Satisfied with her work, Ming Zaozao nodded and sat down by the sofa to quietly build a block house.
“—Don’t call me Mama.”
The hazy fog receded, the sharp words bringing Ming Fei’s dream into sharper focus.
A woman in a dark suit, her makeup impeccable, was meticulously cutting into a prime steak with a sharp knife and fork. Her expression was indifferent as she glanced at the younger Ming Fei across the table, a jeweled earring in her right ear catching the light. Disdain flickered in her eyes.
“I’m not your mother.” She stated bluntly. “And I never will be.”
“I adopted you just for show, for charity. In private, you can call me Director Gu.”
In the vibrant, flower-filled garden, a gentle breeze rustled through the wind chimes, their tinkling sound now mocking the cautious young girl.
Soon, Ming Fei, within the dream, witnessed her younger self respond just as she remembered.
“…Okay.” The little girl’s hands trembled beneath the table. “Thank you, Director Gu.”
The woman was pleased with the girl’s compliance. The disdain in her eyes vanished, replaced by a warm, amiable expression, a smile as flawless as the one she presented to the media.
“When we’re out in public, you must call me Mama.” She continued. “At home, you can call me Aunt Gu. I will raise you until you go to college.”
The little girl nodded obediently, repeating, “Thank you, Director Gu.”
Perhaps finding the girl too subdued today, the woman set down her knife and fork, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
“Tomorrow, I’ll have someone send over this season’s new children’s clothes. Make sure you try them on to see if they fit. Even if you are just the Gu family’s dog, you still have to look presentable.”
The little girl’s face paled further. “O-Okay.”
The woman said no more, picking up her phone and leaving the table, leaving the little girl alone and bewildered.
Ming Fei, observing her younger self from a third-person perspective, struggled to end the dream, but could only helplessly watch as the scene shifted again.
This time, the setting changed from the garden to the gates of an orphanage.
The old, rusty iron gates were firmly shut, flanked by towering locust trees casting long shadows. Ming Fei watched her younger self get out of a van, a bulging backpack slung over her thin shoulders, still wearing the same old clothes from a year ago when she left the orphanage, and the same faded canvas shoes.
Abandoned for the first time, the small figure stood outside the gate for a long time, only knocking on the guardhouse window when it began to drizzle.
The woman in the guardhouse recognized her, staring blankly for a few seconds before opening the gate.
“Xiao Fei, why are you back?” the woman asked in surprise. “Weren’t you adopted by Director Gu?”
Rumors of the Gu family’s financial troubles and impending bankruptcy had been circulating online for almost a week. Even if they were to declare bankruptcy, the Gu family’s inherited wealth would still be enough for the often-photographed philanthropist to live comfortably for the rest of her life.
But—things never truly valued are easily discarded without reason.
The little girl’s face flushed with embarrassment. She mumbled, “Director Gu told me to come back to the orphanage.”
The woman immediately understood. “Alright, sit here for a moment, I’ll call the director.”
“Okay.”
Ming Fei recalled what would happen next. The director would first ask her if she’d done anything wrong, then call the adoptive parent to confirm. After twenty-five unanswered calls, the director would finally accept that she had been abandoned.
“Good girl, it’s not your fault, it just wasn’t meant to be.” The director’s gaze was complex. “You must learn to be more adaptable in the future. At least don’t leave your adoptive parent’s home without proper procedures.”
The young Ming Fei hadn’t explained that she hadn’t left of her own accord.
From being told to leave to actually being abandoned, the Gu family’s driver had given her only half an hour. She hadn’t even had time to grab the wooden carving she’d made, because she hadn’t been given a chance to speak.
In a moment, the bizarre dream twisted again. The orphanage faded, replaced by a cramped room. The young Ming Fei was older now, but even thinner, her face pale as a sheet, gaunt and hollow.
She sat on a chair, holding a bowl of hot porridge, about to feed the frail woman lying in bed.
From her omniscient perspective, Ming Fei immediately recognized her second adoptive parent, an omega who once had a bright smile, who would ask her if she’d slept well, and who would let her call her Mama. But after her alpha partner cheated and left, her condition deteriorated, eventually leading to mental health issues.
When the woman swallowed the first spoonful of porridge, her eyes were still clear.
From the second spoonful on, she grabbed young Ming Fei’s wrist, spilling the hot porridge onto her pants.
“Why did she leave me?” She demanded. “Tell me, why did she leave me?!”
Young Ming Fei remained silent, so she escalated her accusations. “Is it because of you? It must be because of you! You’re a jinx! I shouldn’t have brought you home. Can you give me my old life back?”
Her words became increasingly incoherent. She had long forgotten the promises she made when she adopted Ming Fei, forgotten how she’d felt an instant connection with the young girl, excitedly telling her partner that they must have been mother and daughter in a past life, then eagerly calling the orphanage director to express her desire to adopt her.
“I must have been crazy when I made that decision. You don’t deserve to be our child.”
The young Ming Fei next to her remained impassive, as if accustomed to such rebukes.
“Get out! Get out!”
“Get out of my house! My home doesn’t welcome a jinx like you!”
The harsh, cold, resentful words echoed like a vicious curse, drawing closer, repeating endlessly. Finally, a voice shattered the nightmarish scene, piercing the boundless darkness. Ming Fei’s eyes snapped open.
“—Mama.”
Ming Fei’s breath came in ragged gasps, her forehead covered in a sheen of sweat. After composing herself, she followed the voice to find her daughter.
A worried Ming Zaozao had climbed onto the sofa, embracing her mother with her small body. Her warmth radiated like a tiny furnace, gradually thawing Ming Fei, who felt like she’d been plunged into an icy abyss.
“Mama.”
Imitating a character from a cartoon, she gently patted Ming Fei’s back. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Baby’s here, Baby will protect Mama.”
Ming Fei had experienced similar nightmares a few times before. Ming Zaozao had witnessed two of them, each time hugging her and telling her not to be afraid, that she would protect her.
“Mm.” Ming Fei held her daughter tightly. “Mama’s not scared. Thank you, Zaozao. I’m sorry I worried you.”
“And Little Shark too.” Ming Zaozao said seriously. “Little Shark and Baby will protect Mama while she sleeps.”
Ming Fei glanced at the shark plushie, a hint of a smile finally appearing in her eyes.
“Yes, thank you, Little Shark too.”
She kissed Ming Zaozao’s round cheek and said with equal seriousness, “Zaozao, thank you for coming into my world.”
The rain hadn’t stopped but had lessened considerably since her nap.
Ming Fei only had two classes on Monday afternoon. When she drove to the university, the students were all discussing the recent gene theft case.
“I hope the Court apprehends all the gene traffickers soon.”
“Me too. I also hope Chief Justice Zhu really does attend the centennial celebration.”
“Yes, yes!”
Ming Fei paid them no mind, hurrying to the office to retrieve some documents before class. When she arrived at the classroom just as the bell rang, most of the students were also discussing the gene theft. The bell signaled an abrupt end to their conversations.
The freshmen knew that Professor Ming’s classes were relaxed and informal, but her coursework was the most challenging. So they didn’t dare slack off. During the forty-minute class, almost no one looked down at anything else.
For the final random question segment, the system randomly selected a student from the back row.
Fortunately, the question Ming Fei posed was relatively straightforward. With help from classmates on either side, the student successfully earned a point, and the class ended with the ringing of the bell.
Before Ming Fei could leave, a few students approached her with questions, even asking her views on the future development of robotics.
The instructor for the next class had already arrived. Keeping her answer concise, Ming Fei smiled and told the students that she would discuss the topic with them in class on Wednesday.
After leaving the teaching building, Ming Fei went to the lab. Compared to her teaching duties, which were a requirement for remaining at the university, Ming Fei preferred the lab, surrounded by components and robots.
She’d already fulfilled her research quota for the year during the summer break. Now, she was here to assist other research assistants with a problem in the biomimetics area, her field of expertise.
While changing into her lab coat, Ming Fei’s hand brushed against the gland at the back of her neck.
It felt no different from normal skin. Physiology class had taught her that the gland would only slightly swell and turn light pink during a heat cycle.
But Ming Fei had never experienced a heat cycle because she was an inferior alpha.
.
At 5:30 pm, the five-hour downpour finally ceased.
A vibrant rainbow arched across the sky. On her way home, Ming Fei turned on the music and tried to video call her daughter through 008.
But 008 seemed to be in standby mode and didn’t respond. Ming Fei didn’t think much of it and contacted the pet store staff on her phone. By the time she confirmed everything was arranged, the self-driving car had already reached its destination.
Huifu Gardens looked the same as always. The greenery glistened after the rain, and staff were clearing up overturned trash cans along the road.
Ming Fei stopped to lend them a hand.
As she rode the elevator upstairs, she finally noticed the confirmation message from the pet store she had received five minutes earlier. Glancing at the photos of pre-selected kittens and puppies, she began to imagine Ming Zaozao’s reaction upon hearing the news.
Would she act cute and tell her she loved her?
Or would she sing a meow-meow song and do a penguin dance?
Or perhaps, she’d just rush into her arms and shower her face with kisses?
Imagining these scenarios, a smile touched Ming Fei’s lips, and she quickened her pace.
But after unlocking the electronic door with her fingerprint as usual, it wasn’t Ming Zaozao who greeted her, but a black pistol. Firearms were prohibited for civilians in Yi Meng Independent State. As the cold muzzle pressed against her warm skin—
With lightning speed, the gun-wielder pressed the barrel directly against the center of Ming Fei’s forehead.
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