"But, Manman," the young man whispered softly into her ear, "I've caught you."
"I-I don't know you! I don't understand what you're talking about." Su Man tried to break free, but the young man held her tightly, giving her no chance to escape. Su Man was petite, with very little strength, and against the man in front of her, she had no ability to resist.
Su Man felt like this might be the end for her today.
Her savior was really strange. He didn't look like a good person at all. His gaze on her had a kind of feverish intensity, like a hungry wolf wanting to devour her whole. It felt like he wanted to consume every piece of her.
The little rabbit was trembling in fear, too scared to even raise her eyes. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground. From this angle, all Chong Jin could see was the top of Su Man's head.
Like a kitten, with a round, adorable little head.
Chong Jin suddenly felt an itch in his palm.
He wanted to touch it.
The next second, the young man reached out toward Su Man, but instead of touching her head, his pale, slender hand gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look directly at him.
More than touching her cute little head, Chong Jin realized there was something else he wanted to do.
The hunter's gaze locked onto the little rabbit's soft, crimson lips, a desire smoldering in his eyes.
Su Man had been missing for two days, and it had been two whole days since he'd kissed her.
A faint longing rose in his eyes, the heat of his gaze so intense that Su Man could hardly bear it.
No!
Su Man's small body began to tremble.
She had no idea what this young man wanted from her.
She was so timid. Even though she had amnesia, she couldn't imagine that someone like her would ever provoke such a dangerous person.
There had to be some kind of misunderstanding.
Looking into those beautiful yet dangerous eyes, Su Man tried to explain, "I don't know you. I really don't—" But before she could finish, her words were swallowed by Chong Jin's kiss.
The swift hunter moved quickly and precisely, invading his prey's territory the moment she let down her guard.
The young man was kissing her.
For a moment, Su Man's mind went blank, her brain stalling as she tried to process what was happening.
Then something pried her lips open. Su Man accidentally touched it, and as soon as she realized what it was, her ears started to burn. She instinctively tried to pull away, but the invader was quick, tangling itself with her.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, leaving Su Man utterly speechless, her mind blank with confusion.
No, this isn't right...
Su Man wanted to say something, but her lips were sealed by the ravenous wolf, and no words came out.
Out of the corner of her eye, Su Man could see people nearby watching them. Her already flushed ears turned an even deeper shade of red.
She had already been the subject of much gossip in the group, especially after getting pregnant at such a young age. Now, being caught kissing a strange man in broad daylight made her feel even more mortified. She couldn't bear the thought of how she would face everyone in the future.
This can't go on!
It has to stop.
Su Man began to struggle, pressing her small hands against the man's chest, trying to create some distance between them, but it was useless. She was too weak.
In fact, the struggle only made her feel worse.
Whether it was from running too fast earlier or something else, Su Man started to feel completely drained. Her head was spinning, and her vision of the young man grew blurry. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear the strange sensation in her body, while muttering, "I-I really don't—" know you.
Before she could finish, the dizziness hit her even harder, and her legs gave out. She hadn't even realized what was happening when all her strength seemed to drain from her body, and she lost her balance.
Am I going to faint?
Su Man thought.
She was afraid of pain.
Before she lost consciousness, she instinctively tried to adjust her posture to lessen the impact of the fall, but unexpectedly, she fell into someone's arms instead. The cold scent of pine needles faintly lingered in the air around her.
Her body seemed to recognize the scent, and without realizing it, she took another deep breath, drawn to the familiar smell.
Before she could see who had caught her, Su Man's vision went black, and she passed out.
The night was as cool as water. With the thunder and lightning now gone, the sky returned to its usual tranquility. The stars twinkled in the dark sky, and the bright moonlight fell on Su Man, making her pale face appear even more delicate.
Chong Jin gazed at the unconscious Su Man in his arms, his strong, slender fingers gently smoothing the hair that had been tousled by the wind.
"Young master."
The shadow guard respectfully stood before Chong Jin, bowing slightly as he spoke.
Chong Jin didn't look up. Instead, he extended his hand toward the shadow guard, who promptly handed him a coat. In the next moment, a thick, warm coat was draped over Su Man, covering her tightly, with only her little face peeking out.
The unconscious kitten had found her safe harbor and burrowed into it, seeking more warmth.
Cradling Su Man, Zhong Jin carefully lifted her into his arms, as if she were a precious treasure. As he held her, he began walking and commanded the shadow guard behind him, "Go wake up those doctors who are sleeping."
"Yes, sir!"
At the same time, not far from where Su Man lay, a group of people was in chaos. "I told you not to leave Su Man behind! But you all had to go off on your own! Now look what's happened!"
"What do you mean 'you all'? It was Holly who decided to drive off. We didn't say anything! If you want to blame someone, blame Holly!"
"Blame me for driving?" Holly scoffed.
"If I hadn't driven, we'd all be zombies by now. Instead of thanking me, you're blaming me? If you have time to blame me, why not blame the one who closed the car door-the real culprit?"
She crossed her arms, her beautiful eyes looking down at someone, "Ning Yi, don't you agree?"
Yes!
The one who shut the car door.
If she hadn't shut the door, Su Man would've made it into the car. She was already right in front of the vehicle, and if they had just let her in, they could've escaped that zombie.
But damn Ning Yi had shut the door, dragging them all into this mess, putting them in this situation.
That guy wasn't someone to be messed with. Anyone could see his connection to Su Man wasn't simple. He might even be the father of the child she's carrying.
Thinking about it made everyone turn pale.
They had all speculated about Su Man's baby, thinking that the father was probably dead. Otherwise, why would Su Man be alone in the wilderness? But no one had expected that the father was still around-and so powerful, too.
Even their leader might not be a match for him.
And just now, they had almost gotten Su Man killed.
All because Ning Yi had closed the door.
Everyone glared angrily at the culprit. "Ning Yi! Do you know that you're going to get all of us into deep trouble?"
The cold girl showed no reaction, her expression as indifferent as ever.
"You really are a jinx! The leader shouldn't have kept you in the group!"
Ning Yi still showed no response. She had grown used to such remarks and let the others insult her freely, her icy expression never changing. It was like punching a pillow—no matter how hard they tried, their anger couldn't land. The crowd, unable to release their frustration, glared at Ning Yi with hatred, as if they wished they could tear her to pieces.
But more than this, the group was worried about their own lives. Someone in the crowd, concerned, asked, "Do you think Su Man might forgive us on account of the leader finding her?"
Ning Yi did not join the discussion.
In fact, from beginning to end, she hadn't spoken a single word. Her silence was so constant that everyone was used to it. If it weren't for her actions today, no one would have even noticed her existence.
Ning Yi's gaze was fixed in a certain direction—that was where Zhong Jin had taken Su Man. As Ning Yi stared, her expression grew thoughtful.
...
Zhong Jin's car stopped not far away. It was an RV-like vehicle with a hard exterior, entirely green, blending perfectly with its surroundings.
When Zhong Jin carried Su Man into the vehicle, the doctors inside were already prepared.
This was no ordinary vehicle—it was a medical van, fully equipped with professional equipment and medical facilities.
Even performing surgery wouldn't be an issue. There was a specially allocated operating room, a medical room, a rest area, and even a kitchen.
Zhong Jin had always pampered Su Man in his large estate, never allowing her to go outside. He had predicted her health would be in poor condition when he found her this time.
"It's hypoglycemia and anemia causing the fainting," the doctor reported after completing the examination. "Miss Su also hasn't been getting proper nutrition these past few days. Other than that, there's nothing too serious, except…"
The doctor paused, his gaze flickering as he looked at Zhong Jin.
"Speak."
The doctor hesitated for a moment. "I think Miss Su may have suffered a mental attack. When I examined her, I found lingering signs of a concussion."
Hearing this, the young man's movements paused as he tucked Su Man back under the blanket.
The heater was on in the car, but Su Man had a weak constitution and was prone to catching colds and fevers. She was also especially sensitive to the cold.
Zhong Jin carefully tucked her small, exposed hands back under the thick, warm down comforter, covering her completely except for her slightly flushed face.
But still, there was some paleness.
The young man's long fingers tenderly stroked her cheek, but his voice was cold. "Continue."
Only then did the doctor continue. "But Miss Su's external injuries are very minor, not enough to cause a concussion. I suspect she was attacked by a mental ability user."
A mental attack.
From a mental ability user.
The young man's face had already grown cold, his long, narrow eyes filled with an icy glint—a dangerous signal.
He had never expected that person to make a move against Su Man.
Ordinary ability users could hardly withstand a mental attack, yet that person had targeted Su Man.
Fine, very well.
"Master."
Sensing that his master was calling for him, a dark guard appeared from the shadows, respectfully kneeling on one knee.
"Throw him into the arena," the young man's voice was cold. "Let the two newly cultivated beasts from the lab have some fun with him."
"Understood."
The dark guard disappeared as quickly as he had responded.
The handsome young man gazed at the sleeping Su Man, his long fingers couldn't help but stroke her cheek again, this time moving towards her lips.
In the dead silence of the room, the young man's deep voice suddenly echoed. "Can a mental attack cause memory loss?"
His fingertips pressed gently on her lips, savoring their sweetness, recalling the words she had spoken before fainting.
Su Man had said she didn't know him, and she hadn't appeared to be joking or lying.
So why had she said that?
There was only one possibility: she genuinely believed she didn't know him.
"We can't rule out memory loss. In fact, I believe the likelihood is quite high…" the doctor paused, cautiously observing Zhong Jin's expression as he spoke in a careful and veiled tone. "Especially if the mental ability user is particularly strong. The stronger the mental attack, the more severe the damage."
The silence grew heavy.
The doctor didn't dare take a single breath.
Everyone knew that Su Man had managed to escape all thanks to that person's help. The relationship between that person and Miss Su was well-known throughout the base.
That person was now a taboo topic in the base.
Anyone who mentioned them would die.
The doctor hadn't forgotten the terrifying storm that had swept through the base the day Su Man escaped.
It had been terrifying.
And the young man responsible for all that terror was now gently caressing Su Man's face, his fingers lingering possessively.
This was the gift that person had meant to deliver.
That person wanted revenge.
They had deliberately approached Su Man, taken her away from him, and knowing full well that she could never successfully escape him, had laid a trap. They had attacked Su Man mentally, trying to make her lose her memory.
Even if Zhong Jin managed to find her in the end, an amnesiac Su Man might not return with him, because to her, he was now a stranger.
But that person had miscalculated.
So what if Su Man had lost her memory?
She was still his Su Man.
Did that person think this could stop him?
How laughable.
The young man's handsome face remained calm, but the gloom between his brows betrayed his true feelings—the desire to tear that person apart.