Chapter 128: Heartbeat

"Should I make him shut up?"

Qiao Suisui rubbed her forehead and shook her head, "Getting rid of him won't solve the root of the problem."

She had not expected that the Female Protection Association would actually discriminate against artificial females. In a world with few females and many males, logically every female should be well cared for, but from the moment she arrived in this world, she discovered that the underlying logic of this world's operation was still survival of the fittest. Females were treated as rewards, accessories, and even playthings used to decorate the strength of males. The scarcity of females made "possessing a female" increasingly something worth showing off. On the surface, females were given special treatment, but in reality, it was still value-based screening; females without value could only end up as transparent tools for sexual release.

A strong sense of unwillingness rose from the bottom of Qiao Suisui's heart.

On what grounds? On what grounds must they become tools to decorate others? On what grounds should whether one can reproduce, or the quality of one's genes, become the standard for judging whether a person has value?

Qiao Suisui took a deep breath and said calmly to Anubis, "We need more information. Only by knowing exactly where those neglected females are can we truly help them."

Anubis nodded and told Qiao Suisui to go rest first. When he turned around, a flash of coldness crossed his eyes, and the surrounding darkness receded like a tide.

"Th-this is all the data on the inferior females," the staff member said with a trembling voice, "Please, let me go."

Qiao Suisui took the small, transparent USB drive and looked at the staff member who was on the verge of tears. She didn't know what method Anubis had used to make him honestly hand over such important items. Inside was the information on all females with inferior genes; it was a leak of confidential information.

After the two left the Female Protection Association and reached a safe place, Qiao Suisui immediately organized the list into a detailed report and released the first task information within the organization. She used Aili's situation as an example to explain that a large number of females might currently be facing danger without anyone noticing.

"Dear members of Zizai," Qiao Suisui wrote in the message, "We have discovered that the Female Protection Association has severely neglected and discriminated against a large number of females with inferior genes. These females have not received the protection and care they deserve, and even their basic right to survival has been deprived. We must take action to save these marginalized females."

Once the task information was released, the members of the organization were all shocked. Many had not expected that such a large number of females were not being properly cared for.

"This is simply too much!" one member said angrily, "We pay taxes to support females per capita every year, and yet they take our Interstellar coins and do nothing!"

"That's right!" another member echoed, "We've been waiting in line for so long without obtaining a female, while those neglected females are suffering. This is simply an insult to us!"

Soon, the members of the organization spontaneously claimed the addresses of the females and began to investigate. They divided into small groups and went to various locations to confirm the current situation of those females.

The sky had turned dark. Anubis sent Qiao Suisui to the place where she had arranged for someone to pick her up, and the two were finally going to part ways.

"Today... thank you." She stood opposite him, but dared not look him in the eye, looking to the side somewhat unnaturally.

Anubis's gaze, however, followed her the whole time. Knowing that the moment to say goodbye had arrived, the thoughts he had restrained all day kept clamoring in his mind.

Call her name.

Acknowledge her.

Stop pretending not to know her.

Tell her your heart.

Anubis's chest rose and fell slightly, and in the depths of his eyes was chaotic struggle.

"Then, goodbye."

Qiao Suisui pinched the hem of her skirt and turned to leave after speaking, but in the next second, her wrist was grabbed by the youth.

"Wait." She turned around and looked up at him. Their eyes met, and both saw a green, budding emotion in the other's eyes.

The two simultaneously turned their heads to the sides. The youth's ears were red enough to drip blood, and he made a fist and placed it to his mouth, coughing dryly in a cover-up. Qiao Suisui looked elsewhere in a flustered manner and said, "I, I really have to go."

"When is the next time we'll meet?" Anubis asked.

Qiao Suisui lowered her head and bit her lip; a drum-like restlessness came from her eardrums.

"Soon, I promise."

Anubis smiled and gave a soft "Mm," his eyes filled with lingering affection. He whispered, "When we meet next time, let's both tell the truth."

"Okay."

In the following few days, Qiao Suisui and her organization launched a series of actions. They not only rescued many neglected females but also exposed the dark side of the Female Protection Association to the entire Interstellar through the media.

Qiao Suisui sat in front of the camera, using that face that constantly changed its appearance, and declared to everyone: "We want to let everyone know that the Female Protection Association is not truly protecting females; they are only using them. We want to change all of this so that every female can receive the respect and protection they deserve."

This move completely brought the organization Zizai into the public eye, and the Beastmen who had previously been joking and watching the fun changed their views one after another. Furthermore, under Qiao Suisui's appeal, the entire population began to supervise the Female Protection Association to ensure they properly cared for every female in accordance with Interstellar regulations.

And Aili had already been properly settled in another residence. Qiao Suisui had originally wanted to arrange it, but Laiboli had taken a step ahead and settled her in first.

"Sui Sui, don't be angry with me. I know I was wrong. I won't make excuses; this matter was indeed my negligence." Laiboli hooked her waist and coaxed her in a low voice, "Look, I've already transferred a servant from the Huangting, and from now on, they will be specifically responsible for taking care of Aili."

Seeing her nod with satisfaction and finally stop giving him a cold face, Laiboli smiled brightly and whispered against her ear, "Then can I go in tonight?"

Qiao Suisui glared at him, and Laiboli immediately felt a burning heat in his lower abdomen.

Her eyes were extremely beautiful, the corners slightly upturned. When she was angry, she was even more charming than usual. Her pair of pitch-black pupils were clear and clean, combining the two contradictory characteristics of purity and allure. Yet, someone who grew up looking like this was unaware of it. Glaring at Laiboli, she said crossly, "Aren't you busy with things? Why did you specifically come to help Aili move?"

Laiboli endured his desire, lowered his head to kiss her cheek, and said softly, "How would I dare not to come."

At this moment, Aili, standing to the side, was timidly peeking at them, looking very curious but not daring to approach.

"Aili, do you want to eat a lemon tart?"

Qiao Suisui beckoned to her and took out a lemon tart for her. The girl relaxed her vigilance, took it from a distance, and ate it in small bites. After tasting a bite, her eyes lit up, and she immediately devoured the palm-sized lemon tart in big mouthfuls.

Aili used her hands, covered in pastry crumbs, to tug at Qiao Suisui's skirt. Seeing this, Laiboli frowned immediately. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Qiao Suisui pull her hands up without any disgust, patiently and gently teaching her to speak: "Aili, what do you want?"

Aili's eyes were full of little stars, and she said stutteringly but very hard: "Thank... sister pretty, you pretty."

Laiboli glanced sideways at the little girl and couldn't help but curl his lips, "The person is silly, but her taste is quite good."

(End of chapter)