Chapter 222: Not a Hallucination

Qiao Suisui was stunned in disbelief for a moment, murmuring, "Addicted? Ka'er?"

How could this be possible.

Ka'er was a Male who could resist his hunger instincts even while on a mission; he could even restrain himself well whenever he felt passion for her, never going a step further without her consent. With such self-control, Ka'er was addicted to hallucinogens? "Is there some kind of misunderstanding here? Ka'er wouldn't be that kind of person."

Zongfang and Sang Yan both fell into silence.

After a long while, Zongfang gently squeezed her palm and said, "Do you want to see him? I will make the arrangements."

Qiao Suisui nodded heavily.

Three days later, Qiao Suisui and the others arrived at the Federation.

The Secretary-General reported to Zong Yan that Zongfang had entered the Federation. Zong Yan was surprised but also felt a hint of relief, thinking he had finally come to his senses. Just as he was planning to arrange for someone to pick him up, he heard the Secretary-General say, "He came with the Alliance Leader of the Freedom Alliance this time. Given that the relationship between the two sides is very tense, it would be somewhat sensitive if we were too flashy, and besides..."

The Secretary-General hesitated.

Zong Yan frowned: "Speak."

"There is a female beside him."

Zong Yan was taken aback and asked in return: "Are you sure it's a female? What is her identity?"

He understood his son; if he were capable of changing his heart, he would have done so thirteen years ago. Why would he have waited bitterly until today?

The Secretary-General said doubtfully: "That is the strange part; her identity cannot be found. Even the Sky Eye cannot capture her aura or genes. We can only tell from the surveillance that she is a female. At this moment, the three of them have already entered the Supervision Center."

The Supervision Center.

Qiao Suisui took off the brooch on her chest; it was a Concealment Prop from the Points Mall. She thought that since the identity of Ancient Humans had been gradually forgotten by the Beastmen, it would be better to withdraw from the public eye to avoid causing more trouble. Moreover, this world had INF Company Supervisors; the other party was in the shadows while she was in the light, so it was not wise to be too flashy. Thus, she had been very low-key along the way.

At this moment, following the Warden to the end of the corridor, the first room on the left was the room where Ka'er was being held.

The conditions of every room were the same; the layout and items were very simple, and one could see everything at a glance.

"Number 8747, someone is here to see you." The Warden patted the iron door, but there was no movement inside.

Zongfang ordered: "Open it immediately."

"... This is likely..."

"Open it. I will take responsibility for the consequences."

"Yes."

The Warden scanned his iris, and the iron door opened with a clatter.

Qiao Suisui held her breath and looked inside. She saw a man sitting in the middle of the room. He was facing away from the door, showing no reaction to the outside world at the moment, only looking up at the single square window in the room. No one knew what he was thinking.

Qiao Suisui was a bit afraid to recognize him. She slowly walked two steps closer and called out softly: "Ka'er."

The man's body stiffened instantly, but he still did not turn around, only tilting his head slightly to reveal a gaunt profile.

"Ka'er, what happened to you..."

The man stared at her indifferently, then his gaze moved past Qiao Suisui to look at Sang Yan and Zongfang behind her, saying: "You came to see me?"

Qiao Suisui stood frozen, not understanding why he completely ignored her.

Zongfang stepped forward, placed his hand on her waist, and said to Ka'er: "She is the one looking for you."

Ka'er raised an eyebrow and gave a self-deprecating smile. "Now there are three hallucinations; what difference does it make whether I quit or not?" After speaking, he turned back and looked up at the window.

The Warden sighed and said: "He has been in forced withdrawal for three years, and has relapsed more than twenty times during this period. Others break out of prison for freedom, but he—he goes out to get a shot of hallucinogens and then breaks back in. I don't know what he's after. Once, I asked him, 'You can come and go as you please, why do you come back? You can't even quit.' He said he had nowhere else to go."

At this point, the Warden sized up Zongfang's expression and asked: "Can you take him away this time? We really can't manage him."

Qiao Suisui listened from the side, her heart shriveling into a wrinkled orange, sour and astringent; she couldn't describe the feeling. She walked over quietly, sat down beside Ka'er, and accompanied him in silence.

Sang Yan wanted to say something, but was stopped by Zongfang. He gestured for everyone to go out, giving them some space.

Ka'er was wearing an ill-fitting prison uniform, the pant legs too short, making him look somewhat comical and embarrassed, yet he was completely unaware. His two arms rested on his knees, his eyes staring unblinkingly out the window.

Qiao Suisui also followed his gaze out the window, but saw nothing except the blinding sunlight.

"Ka'er, what are you looking at?"

Ka'er did not look at her, seeming very familiar with her presence. His voice was low and hoarse, as if talking to himself, yet answering her question: "I am looking at every day since she left."

He suddenly turned his head, staring at her with exhaustion and longing.

"You haven't appeared for a long time; I thought the hallucinogens had stopped working."

His last injection was half a month ago. Ka'er sadly discovered that he had developed antibodies to the hallucinogens and would no longer have hallucinations.

Qiao Suisui could no longer hold back her tears; they fell with a 'plop', landing on the back of her fair hand.

Ka'er was somewhat flustered. He felt the hallucination before him was too realistic, just like the real Sui Sui crying in front of him, and he couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart, a sharp pain.

"Don't cry, please don't cry..."

He reached out almost subconsciously to wipe the tear stains from her cheeks, but when his hand felt her soft, smooth skin, he froze in mid-air as if he had been stung.

"You..."

He looked at Qiao Suisui in shock, unable to speak for a long while.

The Sui Sui in his hallucinations would not have such a realistic touch; he could be certain of this, because he had embraced her countless times in his hallucinations.

Ka'er called out cautiously: "Sui Sui?"

Qiao Suisui's eyes were already red from crying. She threw herself into Ka'er's arms, hugging his neck and sobbing in heartache.

"Ka'er... I don't want you to become like this..."

Ka'er forgot to react, his hands stiff, staring blankly at the wall opposite, though he saw nothing. His internal organs churned, and his heart hammered so hard it felt like it would explode.

"Sui Sui?" He called out again.

Qiao Suisui wiped away her tears with her hand and replied with a trembling, tearful voice: "I'm here."

Ka'er touched her face blankly, feeling the warmth of her breath. Then, he moved excitedly from sitting to kneeling, cupping her face with both hands. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears.

He stroked her contours over and over—her forehead, eyebrows, bridge of her nose. When his fingertips reached her soft red lips, a hot tear rolled down.

"Sui Sui."

"I'm here."

"Sui Sui."

"I am here."

Ka'er's hands were already trembling uncontrollably; he gasped for air, his eyes filled with excitement and fear, tears breaking like a dam. It was as if all the long-suppressed longing, pain, and regret poured out in this moment like a flood; his entire body began to shake as he pulled Qiao Suisui tightly into his embrace, terrified that she might disappear again in the next second.

"It really is you, tell me, tell me this isn't an illusion, I beg you to tell me this isn't an illusion."

Qiao Suisui hugged his waist, buried her face in the crook of his neck, and said, "This is not an illusion, I have returned."

(End of this chapter)