Zhao Jiang asked instinctively.
Si Ning didn’t reply at first. He scanned everything, took photos for records, and sent them to the Resurgence Management Office before saying, “It could also be changes from the seed the Filthy Earth Tree left behind back then.”
“Did you forget what that seed did?”
Back then, Captain He Chengfeng and his team had come to investigate after hospital staff reported missing bodies from the morgue. They discovered that strange seed.
For a full month, bodies sent down from the wards vanished mysteriously from the morgue. It caused quite a stir at the private hospital.
At first, they thought it was human theft. But after investigating, they found the first missing body in the ceiling.
Then in the lab walls, the elevator shaft, and… the cafeteria.
The lost bodies were everywhere, orderly yet chaotic, extending from the morgue in a horrifying manner.
No one thought of trees at first.
Until Captain He Chengfeng accidentally noticed green sprouts growing from the missing bodies’ hearts. That’s when he tried connecting the locations of the vanished corpses.
—They formed the shape of a massive tree.
And the ferocious, lush trunk was unmistakably the mark of the Filthy Earth Tree.
They reported it to Resurgence Management Office higher-ups immediately, who quickly responded.
They cleared the entire hospital and halted the Filthy Earth Tree’s spread.
But the remaining branch that had grown stayed in the hospital.
The current layout changes might be related to that branch from back then.
Si Ning gave Zhao Jiang a look and headed toward the basement morgue.
He pursed his lips and slowly descended.
“Creeeak, creeeak”—boots crunching on the floor echoed in the empty stairwell.
Zhao Jiang and two team members followed the captain, while the others guarded the entrance above, in case there were actual Filthy Earth Tree worshippers.
The four cautiously passed through the abandoned stairs and looked straight ahead at the powerless morgue.
Peering into the empty room revealed everything at a glance, but the most glaring thing was—that seed which had sprouted from under the morgue’s ceiling light, capable of growing invisible branches, was gone!
Zhao Jiang sucked in a cold breath, suddenly feeling the corridor they were in turn icy.
“Did it break out from the private hospital?”
His voice was hoarse, incredulous.
Si Ning gripped his hand tight:
“Report upward.”
“The seed might not be in the private hospital anymore.”
The superior’s worries before departure had come true.
The Filthy Earth Tree did have a backup plan.
…
While the Resurgence Management Office investigated the Anhua Road hospital.
In the office, Xu Qinglai sensed something and looked up.
“The seed is gone?”
His fingertips paused slightly as he glanced at the movie poster on his phone.
“So my earlier sensing wasn’t an illusion.”
“The Filthy Earth Tree turned the seed into a thought-form and implanted it into the movie?”
Xu Qinglai arched an eyebrow lightly. He felt that watching a movie with Bo Ting tomorrow might turn out to be interesting.
A withered log trying to come back to life?
He let out a scoff, shook his head, and didn’t take it to heart.
However, as the sky gradually darkened, he still sent a message to Bo Ting.
“I just noticed that this movie called The Bud has some horror elements.”
“Do you mind?”
Hm?
Horror elements?
Bo Ting, who had been deep in thought about his disguise, paused for a moment. He recalled the sci-fi thrillers he had watched before transmigrating.
“I should be fine, right?”
Bo Ting wasn’t entirely sure.
But it didn’t matter. Even if he was terrified, it wouldn’t show on his face.
After all, who could tell horror from an air conditioner’s face?
Bo Ting nodded to convince himself and turned his gaze to a hood in the bedroom cabinet.
Hmm.
What if he wore this plush hood tomorrow when he went out?
He could cover his body with clothes, and with the hood on his head, even cameras wouldn’t capture him… right?
The more Bo Ting thought about it, the better the idea seemed. It was simply genius.
After Mr. Xu’s message, he replied with a question of his own:
“Actually, I have something too.”
“If I dress warmly tomorrow when I head out, you won’t mind, will you, Mr. Xu?”
Dress warmly?
Was Bo Ting afraid of the cold?
Xu Qinglai glanced at the weather outside in Mengjia City—over twenty degrees—and figured that some existential traits might make one sensitive to cold, which was barely acceptable.
“Of course not.”
He replied with a smile.
Bo Ting nodded and gazed at the blue shark plush hood grinning with a row of teeth, a smile tugging at his lips.
Luckily, he had done a part-time gig as a milk tea shop mascot during a holiday back then.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have kept this treasured hood.
A black hoodie, cargo pants, and the shark plush head—all neatly assembled.
Bo Ting looked at his perfect outfit and let out a long sigh of relief.
This was solid!
Everything was ready; he just had to wait for noon tomorrow.
Bo Ting checked the time and then thoughtfully messaged Miss Du.
“Miss Du, how has Little Blue been these past couple of days outside?”
“Do I need to pick Little Blue up when I leave the neighborhood this time?”
With the shark plush on, Bo Ting felt like he could go anywhere.
At eight in the evening, Miss Du, who had been talking to herself, fell silent for a moment. She frowned and communicated with Little Blue for a bit before messaging Bo Ting back.
“Little Blue says it’ll chat with you in a dream tonight.”
Bo Ting: …?
Ah?
It could do that?
Though it felt a bit strange, Bo Ting still lay down that night. After closing his eyes, he dreamed of Little Blue once again.
Little Blue was as cute as last time. After poking its leaves out of the pot and waving them, it greeted him obediently.
“Good evening, Brother Bo Ting.”
“I’ve been traveling outside these past couple of days, and I miss you so much.”
The enthusiastic Little Blue Flower spoke cheerfully.
Bo Ting hadn’t known Little Blue had this personality before, since it had nearly withered from his touch.
After greeting Little Blue back, he heard it say, “Are you coming out too, Brother Bo Ting?”
Bo Ting asked seriously in the dream, “That’s right. Do I need to come pick you up?”
“The person who stole you hasn’t mistreated you, have they?”
Bo Ting grew serious at that point. But then he thought of Little Red and Little Purple—with their current sizes, Little Blue should be eating well, right?
Sure enough, Little Blue shook obediently.
“No, Brother Bo Ting.”
“I’m doing pretty well.”
As Little Blue spoke, in the living room, the blue flower wrapped around Mu Feng and Ma O from left and right.
The two Ability Users, who had been incredibly arrogant just a day ago, were now no different from ordinary people.
Mu Feng regretted his decision to steal the flower more than ever; he felt it was the worst mistake of his life.
He despaired as he watched the terrifying eerie flower slowly devour his vitality. Glancing at the dazed Ma O across from him, he felt like he was next.
His face twisted in terror from the illusions in his mind.
Little Blue ignored this baffling human and got to the point.
“By the way, Brother Bo Ting, I earned a house today—it’s in West View Paradise in Camphor District.”
“I just asked Mom, and she said they’re not interested.”
“Little Bo Brother, bring your ID when you come out, and I’ll transfer it to you!”
Little Blue said shyly, scratching itself with a leaf, though it was also a bit excited.
Bo Ting was stunned.
What?
Little Blue had earned a house in just two days outside?!
What had it been up to?
Bo Ting suspected he had misheard, but he was dreaming, after all.
When he woke up, he was still a bit dazed.
He subconsciously jotted down the property name from the dream.
Then, skeptically, he searched it online with the scavenged phone.
—It really existed!
Bo Ting was at a loss for words. Looking at Doudou and Tang Yuan on the balcony, who received boarding fees every month, he suddenly had the illusion that he was living off soft rice.
No, he couldn’t think like that.
Bo Ting took a deep breath, shook off the messy thoughts in his head, and tucked the property address from Little Blue’s dream into his pocket.
After washing up, he quickly changed clothes.
He carefully tucked the plush under his arm.
Bo Ting grabbed his phone and headed downstairs.
“Mr. Xu, I’m heading out!”
At eleven o’clock, Bo Ting’s message popped up.
Xu Qinglai checked it, estimated his distance to Tianxin Cinema, and sent his location.
“Mm.”
Bo Ting gripped his phone tightly, a belated wave of uncertainty washing over him.
He watched the elevator numbers drop floor by floor until the doors opened. Snapping back to reality, he exited the building.
But when he reached the flower shop door, Bo Ting remembered Aunt Qian’s message in the group chat.
—First meetings need some ceremony.
Sure, he and Mr. Xu were good friends, iron bros.
But buying a bouquet wouldn’t hurt, right?
Mr. Xu was so refined; maybe he even liked flowers.
Bo Ting relaxed and entered the familiar little shop. His gaze swept around before settling on the pink roses that had just bloomed that morning.
“Miss Du, wrap this bouquet for me, please.”
Miss Du: …
“You’re giving this to your online friend?”
Bo Ting blushed a little.
“Yeah, is there a problem?”
Pink roses symbolized first love.
This guy knew that, right?
