The offensive smell of rust permeated the air.
Behind the bed, the floor was littered with corpses, scattered in a messy heap.
Lu Mingming looked closely, and they bore a strong resemblance to the slight figure of the man in the surveillance footage, but now they were torn apart, with missing limbs, beyond recognition.
Most importantly, there was no sign of the little Samoyed in the bedroom.
Lu Mingming, forcing herself to remain calm, peered inside. Finding nothing, she quickly prepared to close the door.
The next moment, the blood cocoon abruptly ceased all sound. It felt as if a pair of malevolent eyes were fixed on Lu Mingming's back. The dripping blood on the ceiling seemed to move like living creatures, blocking Lu Mingming's path.
Goosebumps erupted on Lu Mingming's skin, and only one thought remained in her mind:
What is this?!
Just then, a childish voice emerged from the blood cocoon: "Teacher Mingming, you're here."
Although it was Hui Lan's voice, it inexplicably carried an eerie tone.
The moment Hui Lan began to speak, static crackled in Lu Mingming's ears, the electromagnetic waves fluctuating incessantly, as if her receiver had been disrupted, making it impossible to hear Molly's voice through the earphones.
This was Hui Lan.
Lu Mingming suppressed her fear, striving for composure as she asked, "Hui Lan, what happened? If you're in trouble, Teacher can help you."
The child in the blood cocoon chuckled foolishly. In the light filtering through the window, Lu Mingming clearly saw Hui Lan reaching into the blood cocoon and pulling out something soft and limp.
Water droplets continuously dripped from the thing, which was incredibly viscous.
A flash of insight struck Lu Mingming, her eyes narrowing. She glanced at the corpse of the slight man – it had been cut open from neck to abdomen with sharp claws, completely emptied.
Lu Mingming discreetly swallowed, remaining vigilant at all times.
She thought, "This isn't going to be the end of me, is it? But where is the little Samoyed?!"
With that thought, Lu Mingming asked, "Where is Xue Gao? Since I came as promised, you should keep your word."
Having eaten his fill, Hui Lan finally displayed a sliver of normal emotion. The entire blood cocoon gradually became surprisingly tranquil, resembling a nest incubating young, and the faint sound of a beating heart could be heard.
Hui Lan lay in the blood cocoon, saying, "Don't worry, the little Samoyed is with me. If you contribute one-third of your blood, I will release the cub."
Lu Mingming let out a cold laugh.
Offering one-third of her blood was tantamount to asking her to commit suicide. Furthermore, such an act would be considered self-inflicted in the interstellar court, offering no legal protection. It was utterly ridiculous.
"You're not agreeing, are you?"
Hui Lan, clearly anticipating the outcome, slowly emerged from the cocoon, his sharp black fingernails tearing through the thin cocoon membrane.
Hui Lan had completely changed.
He no longer possessed the plump, fair complexion of someone pampered in a noble household. He had become withered and thin, his cheeks sunken, and thick black circles under his eyes.
He looked utterly drained and defeated, so emaciated he resembled a skeleton.
Lu Mingming's thoughts were in disarray.
What exactly had happened to Hui Lan in these short three days, from leaving school to meeting today?
Or, perhaps, it wasn't Hui Lan at all?!
She watched as a limp, lifeless cub appeared in his palm.
The little cub's mouth was tightly shut, a trace of blood visible at its lips. Its eyes were weakly squinted, its tail hanging lifelessly. After enduring sufficient abuse, it had no spirit or vitality.
Even without seeing the cub's full form, Lu Mingming recognized it instantly from its general outline – it was her own cub, Xue Gao!
Lu Mingming's first feeling wasn't anger, but an uncontrollable tremor within her heart.
It was as if something was beginning to boil, spreading from her veins to her limbs, throughout her entire body. It was the pent-up frustration of three days and the hatred born from finally receiving an answer.
It was uncontrollable, powerful, and ferocious, washing away all hardship, leaving only a profound calm.
If she had previously been a well-behaved and polite young lady of a prestigious family, she was now a goddess descending from the heavens to judge all things.