Wen Chu’s voice was so faint that only Xiu could hear him.

After the child finished speaking, he completely lost consciousness.

Xiu’s footsteps paused. He glanced at Wen Chu, then, under the gaze of the crowd, continued walking toward the car without a change in expression.

The Upper District had sent him to the Lower District in such haste not merely for a simple takeover.

Before the Lower District was reclaimed, human experimentation had been rampant. When the final laboratory was destroyed, Xiu had discovered a report in the archives that shook the high-ranking officials of the Upper District.

—A plague experiment covering the entire Lower District.

Long before their arrival, the plague virus had already been released into the water sources; no one in the Lower District had been spared.

If they did not take over immediately, a disaster of unprecedented scale would erupt here.

Civilians who couldn’t afford medicine would be displaced; merchants would collude with the government to hoard goods and drive up prices; laboratories would harvest anti-human experimental data.

Even worse, when the rioting populace eventually breached the barrier between the Lower and Upper Districts, the Upper District would also descend into chaos.

“Lord Consul…” The adjutant beside him, who knew the inside story, spoke hesitantly, looking with concern at Wen Chu’s flushed face.

The specific cure for the plague virus was still under development. If Xiu were to get infected now, the entire Lower District would truly lose its backbone.

“It doesn’t matter,” Xiu said indifferently, raising a hand to smooth back Wen Chu’s damp white hair. “Take this pharmacy owner into custody. The ceremony is suspended; we are returning to the manor immediately.”

The adjutant dared not object and signaled the guard beside him.

Receiving the order, the guard quickly stepped forward to detain the pharmacy owner, who was struggling and screaming “I’m innocent!”

Amidst the varied gazes of the crowd, the newly appointed Consul carried the child, whose high fever would not break, into the car. Behind him followed the bound-up pharmacy owner, bringing this welcome ceremony to a hasty close.

The crowd looked at one another in dismay.

“Is that child sick? A fever?”

“Why would the Consul suddenly take a child away? It can’t be to save people, can it?”

“He arrested Little John as soon as he took office. Does the Consul not know that in our Lower District, Little John is…”

The chaotic voices were soon left behind by the vehicle.

---

The Consul’s Manor.

This was once the most extravagant place in the entire Lower District, planted full of rare and delicate flowers. The floor tiles were patterned with gold plating, and every crystal on the chandeliers was worth a fortune.

mere hour after Xiu moved in, the place had completely changed.

The luxurious interior decorations were all moved out and tossed aside. One after another, medical devices were transported in, filling all the rooms in the east wing.

The small, white-haired child was placed on a scanner for a full-body examination. The medical personnel beside him were all dressed in tightly sealed protective suits, ready for battle.

Xiu sat outside the examination room, unable to rest for even a moment. He had just finished briefing the adjutant on the quarantine zone division when he immediately picked up the investigation report on Wen Chu.

“No household registration on record?” Xiu frowned as he looked at the report.

Standing beside him was the undercover agent previously sent to the Lower District, who was also the secretary to the previous Consul, Secretary Li.

Secretary Li pushed up his glasses: “Household management in the Lower District is quite chaotic. This child is likely a ‘black resident’ born in the slums. It is normal for him not to be registered.”

“No one stepped forward to claim him just now, and he was stealing medicine. I’m afraid…”

Secretary Li did not continue, but Xiu understood.

He was likely an orphan.

“Good,” Xiu closed the file and looked back at the clinic. “At least it saves the trouble of dealing with identity issues.”

His gaze lingered on the child’s beautiful but overly sharp and thin chin.

“This child must stay in the Consul’s Manor, and he must live.”

Secretary Li nodded: “Understood. The moment you turned back to save him, I arranged for reporters. A press conference will be held shortly.”

No matter how the plague situation was explained, it would cause panic. The appearance of this child was undoubtedly an excellent entry point.

Although the plague virus had been discovered, the newly appointed Consul had stopped in his tracks for a child, even willing to do everything in his power to save the life of this unknown street urchin.

With such an example set, the entire Lower District would at least not resort to extreme behavior out of fear of being abandoned. They might even pin their hopes on Xiu.

Lying in that hospital room was not just an ordinary child; he represented the countless civilians of the Lower District struggling unseen to survive.

Secretary Li felt he had grasped the Consul’s entire strategy and waited confidently for the other’s praise.

Unexpectedly, the blonde man opposite him paused.

Xiu only then realized how far-reaching the impact of his actions was.

He lowered his eyes, recalling the scorching breath of the child when he picked him up, and those frail, powerless arms wrapped around him.

Just then, the door to the clinic opened, and a doctor hurried out.

“Lord Consul,” the doctor respectfully handed over the report. “This is the comprehensive scan data for the child. We found that his stomach is full of grass and pills. His body also shows signs of many fractures that have healed over time. The ‘medicine’ he took was just supplements; mostly, it was grass. Ideally, we should pump his stomach first…”

The doctor’s voice faded into the background as Xiu stared fixedly at the image on the scan report.

A ten-year-old child, so thin he looked only seven or eight. His small stomach sac was filled with undigested green grass.

The tips of the grass blades were like daggers, cutting a sour, aching wound in Xiu’s heart.

He remembered the scattered pills around the child when he found him.

The child probably couldn’t read. He just thought that eating medicine would make him better, stuffing whatever random pills he found into his mouth.

So clumsy, so weak, yet trying so desperately to survive.

He was only ten years old. He had suffered so much, yet when he was on the brink of death, he hugged Xiu gently, still looking for his mother.

“…You must save him,” Xiu’s voice was dry.

He hadn’t thought about all those political strategies. From start to finish, his thought was simply this:

—I must save him.

The doctor was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “We will do our best.”

As soon as the words fell, a commotion broke out from the blood test station on the other side.

Two or three seconds later, the commotion subsided, and a doctor hurried over with a report: “Lord Consul, we have a new discovery.”

Xiu looked up, took the report, and then he too was stunned.

[Name: ?]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 10]

[Species: Lop-eared Rabbit]

Lop-eared rabbit?

Xiu blinked, suspecting he was hallucinating from fatigue.

He looked again; the species column still read “Lop-eared Rabbit.”

The blood test doctor’s voice came through, filled with unease and bewilderment: “We checked several times, and the result was consistently Lop-eared Rabbit. Furthermore, in his body, not only did we find the final strain of the plague virus discovered in the lab, but we also found traces of antibodies for a simpler version of the plague virus.”

Xiu looked up sharply.

The doctor became even more nervous, stammering, “If… if the data is correct… he very likely underwent human experimentation as well… and was infected with the initial version of the plague virus at least three times. That is why this infection is so aggressive…”

Secretary Li hadn’t expected things to take this turn and hurriedly asked, “Is there still a chance to save him?”

The two doctors looked at each other; at this moment, neither dared to make a guarantee.

Secretary Li got anxious and looked at Xiu: “Sir, I will go find another white-haired child right now…”

“No need.” Xiu pursed his lips, feeling his breathing become difficult.

“The press conference will proceed as scheduled. We must save him.”

He raised his eyes, looking at the people with their varied expressions, and said coldly, “He is not only an ordinary citizen of the Lower District but also a victim of the laboratories. A child of only ten years. We have no reason to give up on him.”

Silence reigned in the Consul’s Manor for a moment, followed by a unified, forceful response: “Yes, sir!”

---

Wen Chu felt as if he had been sleeping in darkness for a long time.

Beside him, there were noisy voices at times, then it felt like he took a few needles, and then he smelled that familiar cold fragrance.

Finally, he smelled an exceptionally enticing aroma.

First came the rich, meaty scent unique to Red Braised Pork, carrying the burnt sweetness of soy sauce reduction, then the fresh scent of powdery soft potatoes, mixed with the spicy fragrance of ginger slices and scallions…

It smells so good.

I really want to eat.

Wen Chu struggled for a while, and finally, tempted by the food, he opened his eyes.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a pristine white ceiling.

The drip on the IV stand was falling drop by drop. The instruments beside him emitted a rhythmic beep-beep sound. If not for the aroma becoming even stronger, Wen Chu would have suspected he was back in the laboratory.

What smells so good?

Wen Chu’s limbs were weak. He tried hard to sit up, wanting to find the source of the scent.

Just then, the television in front of the hospital bed, which had been playing advertisements, suddenly switched to the news.

The news anchor spoke solemnly: “We now urgently cut to a live press conference. Yesterday, the newly appointed Consul, Xiu Aflend, arrived in the Lower District. He rescued a critically ill child by the roadside and discovered a rare plague virus in the child’s body…”

Wen Chu was focused on finding the source of the aroma and didn’t pay attention to the news content.

But the more he listened, the more familiar it sounded.

He turned his head sharply, just as the news cut to the press conference scene.

An incredibly familiar blonde man sat behind the interview table, wearing a solemn black suit. His young, handsome face bore a maturity and steadiness that did not match his age.

His brows and eyes were sharp and cold as he spoke into the microphone: “I apologize for disturbing everyone late at night. Good evening, everyone. I am Consul Xiu.”

Wen Chu’s eyes instantly lit up.

It’s that voice. This is the older brother who saved me!

So it was the Consul who saved him in the end. He thought he was dreaming.

Wen Chu cupped his face, staring unblinkingly at Xiu’s face, not even bothering to look for the source of the food smell anymore.

Brother said my illness is serious… there’s a plague outbreak… Brother has thin lips… Brother is so good-looking…

Wen Chu’s focus drifted further and further away.

His fever hadn’t broken yet, so once his attention scattered, he couldn’t pull it back. In the end, Wen Chu stopped listening to what Xiu was saying and just kept staring at him.

In the past ten years, no one had ever shown him such kindness.

Wen Chu liked Xiu very much.

He wanted to remember Xiu’s appearance well.

“Mr. Consul, may I ask… as far as we know, that child is undocumented. How do you intend to handle his identity issue?”

The camera suddenly cut to the press area. A sharp female voice and a stranger’s face snapped Wen Chu back to reality.

He realized then that Xiu’s speech had already ended.

Wen Chu thought slowly.

Undocumented… that seems to be talking about me?

How will Xiu handle me?

He continued to stare at the TV. The camera switched back to the interview table. The blonde man’s expression didn’t change at all as he answered:

“I, along with the medical institutions, will do everything to save him. Furthermore, until he comes of age, I will fulfill the obligations of a guardian to raise and educate him.”

The female reporter quickly followed up: “So you are planning to adopt this child?”

“Not adoption, but raising and educating.” Xiu tapped the table.

The people beside him understood and quickly distributed documents, one for every reporter.

The blonde man sat at the main table, his transparent blue pupils sweeping over everyone present, finally meeting the camera’s gaze. He looked like a mature young monarch looking through the screen at every commoner in the Lower District.

“It is not just this one child. I will establish welfare institutes in the Lower District. All underage street children will receive government care, and adoption will be open to all sectors of society. The review standards for adopters will be published simultaneously.”

“Starting tomorrow, our staff will divide the districts and re-register households. As long as one has a household registration, they can enjoy the same medical aid as the child today.”

“The government will not abandon any of its people.”

Xiu’s concluding words were sonorous and powerful.

Wen Chu, however, went through a rollercoaster of emotions during this speech.

First, he was excited to see his savior, then he was mesmerized by Xiu’s appearance, feeling a hidden joy because of the other’s favoritism.

Finally, he realized that he was just one very ordinary person among countless civilians.

He had just happened to bump into Xiu.

Wen Chu blinked, suddenly not wanting to watch TV anymore.

He still felt awful.

Headache, stomachache.

Wen Chu simply slid slowly under the covers, wrapping himself up.

Actually, he wasn’t even “people”; he was a little bunny.

If Xiu found out, would he still save him?

Wen Chu didn’t know, but he felt that no one would be willing to spend so much time and energy on a small rabbit.

The people in the lab often said that rabbits were the cheapest experimental consumables.

He was afraid of dying. He tried so hard to eat grass and medicine, managing with great difficulty to live to ten years old, becoming the longest-lived rabbit in the lab.

But after escaping the lab, before he could even live for a week, he was going to die outside because he was a rabbit.

T^T

Life is so bitter.

Tears swirled in Wen Chu’s eyes for a long time, but finally, he gritted his teeth and wiped them away himself.

He couldn’t die. He needed to eat.

When he got better, he would leave.

Now that he could get a household registration, he could go work in a factory to pay back the medical fees. He wouldn’t need to spend money on food either; he could just dry some grass for himself every day to get full. He would definitely be able to save money.

Thinking this, Wen Chu crawled out of the blanket again and sniffed around for the scent.

Finally, his gaze landed on the chair beside the hospital bed.

There was a cylindrical metal canister on the chair.

The aroma was coming from inside that canister.

Wen Chu used both his hands and feet to crawl toward the metal canister, but the IV drip in his hand stopped him cold.

Wen Chu frowned at the IV needle.

Medicine is expensive. In comparison, a little rabbit’s life is cheap.

Just as Wen Chu was hesitating whether to pull it out, a click sounded from the ward door.

Wen Chu was startled, nearly jumping up entirely. He immediately wanted to burrow back into the quilt.

But he was a step too late; the person outside had already walked in before he could hide.

“You’re awake?” The person paused, voicing his surprise.

Wen Chu’s movements froze instantly.

This voice…

He looked up.

Sure enough, familiar blonde hair came into view.

The young Consul, who had just been awe-inspiring at the press conference, looked at the stunned child before him. A smile couldn’t help but surface on his cold face.

“It’s good that you’re awake. It means you’re out of the critical period. I’ll call the doctor now.”

As Xiu spoke, he pressed the call bell at the head of the bed. At the same time, he sat on the chair beside the bed and picked up the metal canister Wen Chu had been longing for.

It would take a moment for the doctor to arrive. Afraid the child was too nervous, Xiu asked gently, “Do you remember what your name is?”

“Wen Chu,” Wen Chu whispered, staring pitifully at the metal canister in Xiu’s hand.

“Wen Chu,” Xiu repeated.

Wen Chu felt his ears inexplicably heat up at the sound.

The Consul curled his lips: “Then do you know who I am?”

“Consul…” Wen Chu’s voice got even smaller.

“Incorrect.” The answer from the other side was unexpected.

Wen Chu looked up cautiously in confusion, only to see the teasing smile in those transparent blue eyes.

The man stood up, reached out, and rubbed the top of his head.

Wrapped in a black formal suit and carrying a sharp, cold fragrance, Xiu chuckled softly: “Kid, from now on, I’m taking care of you personally. Technically speaking, you should call me ‘Father’.”