Chapter 19: It’s okay, right?
Yu Yan’s body was a standard male physique, and he was quite strong. At the moment he was grabbed by the hand, what crossed his mind was to grab 012 by the arm and pull him out of the nest.
With such a lightweight birdlike body, lifting him up was easy, and dragging him out would be effortless…
Before his thoughts had fully formed, Yu Yan felt a tremendous force pulling at his arm. In the dizzying whirl, he was already dragged into the dimly lit nest.
Even with his normally calm demeanor, at this moment he recalled the secret documents describing 012’s behavior during the mating period—a ruthless, bloodthirsty killer.
This was bad; 012 was hunting.
Hadn’t he been fed enough? Did he still need to hunt for himself?
While Yu Yan was thinking these thoughts, his attitude remained proactive rather than resigned. He quickly seized 012’s arm, attempting to pinch his acupoints and certain vulnerable spots to try to counteract the confused guy.
“Gu,” 012 emitted a low sound as he was pinched.
Despite the tension, Yu Yan nearly laughed at the sound.
He used his weight to press down on 012, gripping one hand while searching for the other arm, intending to control the dangerous claws.
Unexpectedly, as Yu Yan touched a certain spot, 012 suddenly became agitated, flapping his wings wildly inside the nest. Yu Yan squinted his eyes against the flurry, his mask making a snapping sound from the wing hits.
“Alright, alright, calm down.”
Unintentionally loosening his grip, Yu Yan found himself suddenly overpowered. 012 broke free, and Yu Yan was thrown over, landing at the bottom of the nest, causing the woven branches and leaves to collapse downward.
The soft pocket could only accommodate a curled-up position and was absolutely unsuitable for any fighting skills. The light was dim, and the lamp Yu Yan had been holding had long since fallen at the entrance.
He couldn’t see 012 clearly, only able to distinguish his head and feet by the faint glow from his wings and eyes.
In contrast, 012 could see every movement of the human in the nest.
As Yu Yan wobbled and tried to get up from the swaying “pocket,” he was repeatedly pressed back down by 012’s hand.
After several attempts, Yu Yan almost laughed with frustration, finding the action oddly familiar.
It was similar to how he used to play with the dragon snapping turtle, repeatedly flipping it over and watching it flail on its back, laughing as he applied medicine to its claws.
It seemed he was getting a taste of his own medicine now, as it was his turn to be tossed around.
When 012 pressed him down again, he smiled.
At this moment, 012’s mind wasn’t very clear. When he was lucid, he controlled all emotional fluctuations and ignored all irrational desires, much like how he once suppressed his appetite and endured hunger.
In the space between lucidity and confusion, he yearned for the attention of a mate, wanting to get closer. When he was clear-headed, he recalled the human persecution and retreated.
Now, fully immersed in a state of disorientation, all repression was cast aside, and he could only follow his instincts, pursuing the alluring scent.
The scent of the human was significantly diminished due to the protective suit.
012, feeling somewhat impatient, grasped the protective suit—expected to be flexible and firm—and pulled with somewhat frantic movements.
Trapped in the nest, Yu Yan also gathered his strength and struggled upward with all his might.
“Rrrrip.” The protective suit was torn apart by the combined forces, and the internal filter was also destroyed.
Yu Yan, half-sitting up, said: “…”
With half of his body and head exposed, a rich fragrance suddenly assaulted his nostrils, causing him to choke.
He realized that the protective suit had been filtering out a strong, rich aroma.
The scent was a blend of the fresh leaves from the large willow tree, various floral fragrances, and a particularly unique, indescribable smell.
A cold hand pressed against his neck, followed by the similarly cold body of 012 drawing close, the two bright blue lights nearly touching his cheek.
The icy touch made Yu Yan shiver, and with 012’s proximity, the special scent grew even stronger, filling his nostrils.
Yu Yan understood now that this aroma was emanating from 012, likely a change similar to his color-shifting wings and eyes, used to attract mates during this special period.
This was troublesome. Even if he could escape from 012’s mouth, the increased risk of infection due to such close contact was a concern.
Feeling 012’s hurried breath near his neck, Yu Yan’s expression hardened, his mind racing with the urgency of not letting this creature bite an artery.
Bleeding here would be hard to stop.
In a desperate move, Yu Yan reached out to block 012’s mouth.
He thought to himself that having his arm bitten was better than having his neck bitten.
012 didn’t open his mouth to reveal his teeth. Instead, like some small animal, he leaned against Yu Yan, lifting his head to sniff at his palm. Yu Yan also felt a slightly moist sensation.
It was akin to a kitten or puppy nudging with a wet nose, but Yu Yan knew it wasn’t the nose—it was too soft.
It seemed that 012 had been well-fed, and fortunately, he didn’t appear to be in the mood to eat.
If Yu Yan had any relief up to this point, it quickly dissipated as the situation took an increasingly incomprehensible turn.
012 embraced him.
It felt as if he was holding something soft and cold, like water plants.
Yu Yan found this unexpected development difficult to understand.
Neither the mutated white bat nor the mutated silk ribbon bird exhibited male-to-male courtship behaviors. Additionally, he recalled that 012 had been quite averse to him.
So, what was going on?
Yu Yan tilted his head back, trying to avoid the cold sensation. He pressed his lips tightly together, using his waist to forcefully kick.
Unfortunately, his kick missed its target, and instead, a cold hand pinned his leg. The partially removed protective suit was pulled off, revealing his shirt and trousers underneath.
As he bent his legs to kick again, his ankles were grabbed and pressed against his chest, leaving him curled up in a constrained position.
What worried Yu Yan the most was that the unique scent from 012 was gradually sapping his strength. His limbs grew weak, and his mind felt light-headed.
The scent seemed to have an intoxicating effect.
Yu Yan cursed inwardly, raising his hand to cover his nose in an attempt to reduce the inhalation, but his arm was pushed away.
The glowing eyes drew closer, and the overwhelming fragrance enveloped him completely.
The areas being touched were so cold that Yu Yan couldn’t help but tense up.
012 had lived in a cold environment for a long time, but no one had ever asked him if he liked the cold—perhaps he preferred warmth.
It was possible that the pursuit of warmth was an instinct shared by all creatures.
For a moment, Yu Yan felt like a bird in the nest.
Another bird beside him was pressing tightly against him, spreading its fluffy wings to fill every gap between them, as if trying to absorb warmth to avoid freezing.
The artificial jungle was shrouded in white mist, and the wet, cold air mixed with the overly sweet scent, finally cutting through the haze and slightly clearing his thoughts.
Yu Yan felt a bit cold. His skin was icy, but beneath it flowed something hotter, bringing a different kind of warmth.
The sweat produced by this warmth was quickly absorbed.
The vibrant, flashing butterflies liked to sip the toxins secreted from 012’s skin. After living symbiotically for so long, it seemed that 012 had learned a thing or two from them.
012, pressed against him, kept shivering. The rapid rise and fall of his chest were like a lively, tireless bird fluttering inside.
Yu Yan’s shoulders were covered by two wing membranes. The soft, fuzzy texture of the wings was unexpectedly comforting, likely the only warm spot on 012’s body.
The light outside the nest was growing brighter, and the glowing fluorescence on the wings was dimming.
The decorative flowers had fallen to the ground, revealing the intertwining green branches and leaves inside. The once-bright nest now looked mottled and uneven, sagging under the weight.
Feeling dizzy, Yu Yan struggled to pull his hand from a clamp-like grip and touched his forehead.
Sure enough, he was feverish.
What symptoms are these of which virus? The fatigue and headache made it hard for his mind to function.
“You little rascal, you’re done for,” he muttered, closing his eyes and slipping into unconsciousness.
*
Su He, wearing clothes she hadn’t changed for two days, rushed to Senior Kang’s laboratory.
As soon as she entered, she began apologizing, “Sorry, something came up unexpectedly in the lab.”
She was supposed to come in the morning but ended up being delayed until noon.
The lab was empty. Senior Kang wasn’t in his office drinking tea or reviewing materials, wasn’t at the workbench recording data, nor was he in the feeding area interacting with the experimental subjects.
It was well past working hours. Could he not be here?
Cursing the lazy man who was always slacking off, Su He quickly walked to 012’s feeding area to check on his condition.
In the pictures Senior Kang had sent her, the beautifully crafted flower nest now looked as if it had been battered by wind and rain all night, with most of the flowers gone.
A damaged lab coat lay at the nest entrance.
Su He’s heart skipped a beat.
She thought, ‘Oh no, I’m too late. Senior Kang might have encountered an accident and been eaten.’
Was his body dragged into the nest by 012?
No matter how bad he was before, given their recent harmonious interactions, she had to retrieve Senior Kang’s body immediately.
She hoped it wasn’t torn too badly and could still be pieced together.
Su He clenched her fists.
*
Beep beep, beep beep, beep beep.
The steady beeping of the equipment made Yu Yan turn his head slightly and open his eyes.
His eyes, bloodshot and tired, met Su He’s who stood at the bedside, leaning in to look at him.
They exchanged a glance. Su He hesitated, her face reflecting the heaviness of dealing with a critically ill patient.
Yu Yan felt a bit better, his strength returning slightly. He reached up to touch the filtration mask on his face and hoarsely said, “Junior, get me something to eat. I’m starving.”
Su He was surprised that his first request was for food.
“You still want to eat? For the next few days, you’ll only be getting nutrition injections.”
“Well, you can give me those then. I’m too hungry,” Yu Yan said.
His reaction was so nonchalant that Su He wondered if he had lost his memory.
“Do you understand your current situation?” Su He asked.
“Oh, I understand. I haven’t lost my memory,” Yu Yan replied, sitting up a bit and reaching out. “Has my blood test report come in? Let me see it.”
His expression was as indifferent as when he usually reviewed data.
Su He sighed and grabbed the file from the side, tossing it to him. Yu Yan picked it up with one hand and began to read.
“For the previous chameleon experiment, I urgently administered several virus blockers. However, given your exposure… you should understand that the situation isn’t optimistic.”
Su He couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly happened?”
Yu Yan also wanted to know what had happened. He never expected that as a man, he would be considered a female for mating purposes.
And it really happened in a bewildering manner.
Speaking of this.
“Where’s 012? Is that guy conscious yet?”
“Not really. I’ve put him in a triple isolation box.”
Su He thought about 012’s condition, and her already aching head from two days without sleep throbbed even more.
“Do you know how I got you out of that nest this afternoon?”
After confirming that Senior Kang was in the nest and unexpectedly finding him still alive, Su He immediately sought to rescue him from 012’s grasp.
During the rescue, she had provoked 012’s aggressive state. He had destroyed half of the feeding area, and in the end, she had to use high-concentration anesthetics along with filling the area with knockout gas to temporarily incapacitate 012.
But 012’s resistance to drugs was too strong, and he was extremely agitated. After waking, he damaged both the isolation box and the isolation room. Su He had to urgently deploy a triple isolation box to safely contain the highly aggressive 012.
To keep him calm, she had administered a large amount of anesthesia in a short period.
Yu Yan listened and coughed a couple of times. No wonder his nasal cavity and throat were sore; it turned out he had inhaled knockout gas. He had been trying to figure out which series of viruses caused such symptoms.
“Let’s not talk about 012 for now. What are you going to do? Wait to die?” Su He’s tone was grim.
Yu Yan leaned back against the headboard and waved his hand. “Don’t be so pessimistic. Look at Zhou Xiangcheng—he not only got infected but had his neck bitten off by 012, yet he’s still alive. I can still be saved too.”
He had previously worked in the infectious disease department, where every year doctors got infected on the operating table. Even with protection, a slip of the scalpel or a tear in the gloves could lead to blood infection.
Many colleagues were unwilling to take on such risks, and some juniors resisted being transferred to other locations. Yu Yan was one of the few who voluntarily stayed.
After two years without infection, he ended up facing a tragic accident and being assigned a mission by the system. He is naturally less fearful and less concerned about the things ordinary people worry about.
Despite not being killed, his infection indicates that the plot still follows its usual course. In the original storyline, around this time, 012 escaped from the Fifth District Research Institute, killed Kang Shi, and transmitted the virus to the lab assistants, leading to the collapse of the entire institute and the spread of the virus.
