Chapter 16

She kept her eyes closed for the vast majority of the time every day. Even when Zongfang or others came to talk to her, she did not respond. At first, she would force herself to eat something, but ever since she discovered the cameras in the pod, she began a hunger strike.

She didn't want people to see the image of her lying there excreting. A great sense of shame overwhelmed her, which made her body weaker day by day. Sometimes she would sleep for two days straight, and no one could wake her.

This panicked everyone. They all looked nervous and even held a special meeting, where everyone was trying to find a way to make her eat normally.

Someone suggested: "Doctor, why not try to release her? I studied human emotional science at the Interstellar Academy. I suspect Miss Sui Sui might have lost her appetite due to emotional problems."

Zongfang's expression was serious, pondering something.

He had already used various methods—injecting nutrient solution, threats, coaxing... none of them worked. He didn't understand why this research subject was so uncooperative.

Zongfang agreed to give Qiao Suisui some room to move, because after several days of travel, they had arrived at the Sote Republic.

He transferred Qiao Suisui to the Ancient Human Research Center, where instruments and tools were complete, and experts and scholars from all fields of anthropology were gathered. He opened up the entire top floor as Qiao Suisui's activity area, and according to historical records, he restored the living room, media room, entertainment area, dining room, small library, gym, etc., invented by ancient humans on a one-to-one scale.

Zongfang looked with satisfaction at the human-like residence he had built, looking forward to seeing the reaction on that small face.

Sui Sui felt a slight shaking and some rustling sounds around her. She woke up, but didn't want to pay attention.

With a 'hiss—' sound, the airbag door opened, and she felt the electronic locks on her hands and feet release.

Zongfang carried her out. Due to the hunger strike and poor mood, she had suddenly lost ten pounds in a few days. Zongfang frowned when he picked her up. He placed her on a sofa with warm tones and let her step barefoot on the fluffy carpet.

"Now you can move freely; you don't have to stay in the observation pod anymore."

He waited excitedly for her reaction, but Qiao Suisui only opened her eyes for a moment, looked around indifferently, and closed them again with an expressionless face.

The man was stunned and continued: "You are free from now on. A professional nutritionist will deliver meals for you, and you have your own bathroom."

She sneered in her heart.

Freedom?

She had just glanced around, which was to look for cameras, and found that they were indeed in every direction—it could be called 360 degrees without blind spots.

Living as a 24-hour reality show every day—what kind of freedom is that?

She is a human, not an animal without a sense of shame.

She felt extremely annoyed by everything here, especially the man in front of her.

Zongfang didn't see the reaction he expected and frowned in displeasure.

"Tell me what you want, and I will satisfy you." After finishing, he added: "Except for letting you leave here."

Qiao Suisui still didn't look, listen, or speak.

He pinched her wrist in some irritation and said: "Do you think this kind of resistance is useful? I have plenty of time to study you."

"..."

"You can make terms with me."

"..."

"Do you want to see Sikesaisi? I can apply to the Federation."

"..."

Subjected to Qiao Suisui's persistent indifference, Zongfang's face looked terrible. He easily pressed her onto the sofa, pinched her chin, and forced her to look at him.

"Qiao Suisui, speak."

This time she opened her eyes. Her black pupils had no focus, like a puppet that had lost its soul. Zongfang was stunned. Her state was like a different person from the lively girl he saw when he first met her. He panicked completely, the body pressing on her retreated slightly, and the force in his hand unconsciously lightened.

"It's time; I'll have someone send today's meal."

Just as he stood up, his peripheral vision caught a drop of blood on the sofa.

Zongfang immediately took Qiao Suisui into his arms and checked her. Finally, he discovered that the blood was flowing from her lower body, and his eyes were instantly filled with panic.

"Someone, come here!"

He didn't dare to move Qiao Suisui and carefully placed her on the sofa. Soon, the entire medical team arrived, moving quickly to perform an examination on her, with beastmen who had healing talents waiting on the side.

Zongfang kept holding her hand in his, completely unconscious of it. He checked Sui Sui's status every two minutes.

"It's a symptom of threatened miscarriage."

A doctor said: "How could this be? We have been very careful, and previous examinations showed the fetus was very stable."

Zongfang's brows were tightly locked. His distinct-knuckled hand rested on her belly. His usual calmness was completely gone, and his eyes were filled with violence.

"Qiao Suisui, what kind of tricks are you playing? What exactly do you want? Say it."

After a long while, she finally lifted her eyelids slightly, stared coldly at Zongfang, and spoke slowly: "Remove the cameras."

She could no longer bear living without dignity like this.

She knew Zongfang wouldn't let her leave here, and it was clear that it was no longer safe around Luka. Thinking that she was all alone in this world, dark thoughts filled her mind, with a sense of giving up on herself.

"If you continue to monitor me like this, I will end myself quickly. Go study a dried corpse."

Since others are the knife and she is the fish, she would use all available resources to resist to the end.

To hell with the game rules; she wanted the rules of this world to be set by her!

Zongfang's gaze was deep. After a long time, he gritted his teeth and said: "... Fine, only keep the monitoring in the public areas."

"I want you to remove all monitoring." Her gaze met the man's eyes without flinching.

The man took a deep breath, clearly trying his best to restrain his anger. He frowned at her and finally compromised.

"Fine, all the cameras on this floor will be removed. But you must start eating properly from now on!"

Seeing her nod, Zongfang pinched her wrist hard as if venting his anger, but didn't dare to use too much force.

"Qiao Suisui, you're good."

Over the next few days, the cameras were indeed removed as promised.

Sui Sui began to eat voluntarily and gradually restored a regular daily routine. But Zongfang spent more and more time with her. At first, it was in the name of observation, coming for two hours each morning and afternoon, then it became six hours a day by her side, and finally, it turned into him having breakfast, lunch, and dinner with her at fixed times, and at night, unless there was necessary business to leave, he would stay until she fell asleep.

Most of the time, he just observed her quietly and recorded something from time to time, occasionally looking at her slightly bulging belly and losing his focus, not knowing what he was thinking.

Several times, Qiao Suisui dreamed that he carried her to a cold surgical table, cut open her chest with a scalpel, dug out her intestines, and chopped her head in half to soak in formalin.

(End of chapter)