Chapter 76: The Road of Double Exile 18

The female teacher stepped out of the classroom. She looked quite young, probably not yet thirty, and wore a large overcoat resembling the white sun-protective robes of the Arabs, though its cut was somewhat reminiscent of a nun’s habit.

She asked politely, “How old is the child?”

“Eight,” Dr. Zhang answered for Shi Xianyu. She had already learned most of Lu Li’s basic information during their earlier conversation.

“Eight? She looks so small,” the teacher said, studying Lu Li carefully. “…She seems only five or six.”

“This child was separated from her mother and has had no one to care for her for a long time, so she’s a bit malnourished,” Dr. Zhang explained. “Fortunately, we found her early. With proper care here, she should recover well.”

The teacher bent forward slightly, smiling at Lu Li. “You’re so adorable. Come, can you tell the teacher your name?”

Lu Li shrank back shyly, hiding behind Shi Xianyu.

Dr. Zhang said, “She can’t speak. We’re not sure yet whether it’s psychological or due to some physical injury. She’ll need a comprehensive hospital examination, but she can write, and simple communication isn’t a problem. She’s a clever child.”

“I see…” The teacher softened her tone and spoke to Lu Li, “Can you write your name for the teacher?”

Lu Li picked up her sketchbook and wrote her name.

The teacher immediately praised her gently, guiding her with care, “What a lovely name, Lu Li. Would you like to join us in class?”

Lu Li pursed her lips and looked up at Shi Xianyu.

Shi Xianyu encouraged her, “Would you like to try a class?”

Lu Li tilted her head in thought, glanced at the other children in the classroom, her eyes showing a spark of curiosity. Finally, she nodded to the teacher.

The teacher took her hand and led her inside, introducing her to the class, “We have a new friend joining us today. Let’s all welcome her, shall we?”

The children immediately burst into enthusiastic applause, filling the room with cheerful noise.

“You can leave her to us,” Dr. Zhang reassured Shi Xianyu. “Don’t worry, the teachers here are experienced and will take good care of little Li. Why don’t I show you around? Want to take a look at the cafeteria? The food here is quite good and provides all the nutrition growing children need.”

Shi Xianyu stood outside the classroom for a while, then nodded slightly, “Thank you. Let’s go see the cafeteria.”

She felt like a parent on a school open day, though she hadn’t even been married, yet here she was, experiencing the worries of parenthood in advance.

…

The cafeteria wasn’t far. Since it wasn’t mealtime, it was quiet, with only three or four people inside. Still, the environment was pleasant, the windows facing a lush green lake that brought a sense of peace and contentment to anyone who looked out.

Dr. Zhang spotted an acquaintance in the cafeteria and brought Shi Xianyu over. “Dr. He, you’re here too.”

Out of courtesy, Shi Xianyu greeted him as well, “Hello.”

The man before her was in his early twenties, with refined features and a gentle demeanor. He wore a white shirt and light brown trousers, holding a book in his hand. When he saw Shi Xianyu, his book slipped from his hand and fell to the floor with a thud.

Dr. Zhang laughed, teasing, “What’s this? Dr. He, were you so absorbed in your book?”

Shi Xianyu stood awkwardly aside. She knew she was presentable, but not extraordinarily beautiful—were the men in this world a bit too dramatic? First, there was Luobo’s blatant attentiveness, and now another man was so stunned by her he dropped his book. If she didn’t know her own appearance well, she might have thought herself a goddess come to earth.

The man called Dr. He hurriedly bent to pick up his book, his face flushed. As he did, several photographs tucked inside slipped out and scattered. Embarrassed, he bent down again to collect them.

Shi Xianyu noticed one of the photos was of a large flower lizard. Curious, she bent to pick it up and examined it.

Dr. Zhang leaned over to look as well, and asked in confusion, “Dr. He, are you still researching these mutant beasts?”

The young man straightened, face still red. “Mm… Lately I’ve been experimenting with a purification method. If successful, it could greatly increase the efficiency of soil use.”

He glanced shyly at Shi Xianyu, stammering, “This is…”

Dr. Zhang introduced them, “This is Miss Shi Xianyu, from Qinghe Oasis. She’s planning to enroll a child, so I’m showing her around.”

Then, smiling, she said to Shi Xianyu, “This is Dr. He Su, one of our hospital’s most outstanding young talents.”

Shi Xianyu returned the photo to He Su and asked curiously, “I’ve heard from the squad that these mutant beasts are highly poisonous. When they encounter them in the wild, they avoid them if possible. Do these poisonous mutants actually help with soil improvement?”

“The petals and calyx are poisonous, but the stamen should be safe,” He Su replied softly, still blushing. “But obtaining that part is difficult, which is why I plan to wait for progress in my research before applying for a team mission.”

Shi Xianyu noticed other photos of animals with flowers growing from their bodies and grew even more curious. “Are all the animals you study ones with flowers?”

“These are all successful symbiotic mutants, very valuable for research.” He Su sneaked another glance at her. “Are you… interested in these things?”

“Mm…” Shi Xianyu smiled awkwardly. “It just seems odd to me that such animals can improve soil. I don’t know much about this stuff—if you explain it, I probably won’t understand. I won’t take up your time.”

She was just curious and hadn’t meant to press for answers.

But He Su was eager to explain, his cheeks still red. “Actually, it’s not that complicated… The key is that all these animals are parasitized by the same organism, which we call flosoma.”

Dr. Zhang saw this and smiled, “Why don’t you sit down and chat? Miss Shi, I’ll get you some water.”

Shi Xianyu paused, hesitating, “You don’t have to trouble yourself…”

“It’s no trouble. You two talk, I’ll be right back.” Dr. Zhang smiled and walked away.

Shi Xianyu wasn’t foolish—she could see Dr. Zhang was deliberately giving her an opportunity to talk with Dr. He. But even knowing that, she still didn’t know how to refuse.

He Su was quite straightforward, earnestly beginning his explanation: “After the environment on the continent began to deteriorate, we noticed that more and more creatures were being parasitized by flosoma, exhibiting all sorts of manifestations. For example, the bramble python’s head turns into a flower, and its tail mutates into thorny brambles—a recessive mutation. The flower lizard is a dominant one; here, the flosoma and the lizard live in a relatively balanced symbiosis.”

Shi Xianyu still didn’t quite understand, but since He Su was explaining so earnestly, she listened attentively nonetheless—