"Ah!"
Shi Xinxin's eyes snapped open. She reflexively sat up in bed, escaping, the cold sweat on her forehead dampening her hair, strands clinging to it.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Her vision was a blur of white. Shi Xinxin couldn't stop gasping. The throbbing pain in her temples made it impossible for her to distinguish between the nightmare and reality!
"Xinxin!" Suddenly, a familiar voice came from beside her, filled with joy.
Sheng Chenjin pulled Shi Xinxin into a hug, utterly lost, but his eyes were full of happiness. He was ecstatic, "Xinxin, you're finally awake! You really scared me to death. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Feeling the warmth of the body before her, Shi Xinxin slowly blinked. Amidst the white, she saw the gentle sunlight filtering through the curtains.
This ray of sunlight also seemed to pierce through her nightmare.
"I..." Shi Xinxin slowly moved her fingers, cautiously touching Sheng Chenjin's arm. The texture in her hand felt so real and strong, her eyes widened slightly.
"I'm back. I'm not in that nightmare anymore." Although uncertain, though a question, Shi Xinxin spoke these words as if stating a fact, as if the person beside her gave her infinite security at this moment, turning any uncertainty into certainty.
Sheng Chenjin smiled with relief, holding Shi Xinxin closer. The scent of faint gardenias from her hair filled his nose.
He answered her with a tone of absolute certainty, "You were never in that nightmare, and that nightmare never existed."
A tear fell from the corner of her eye. Shi Xinxin looked down at her hand in surprise, a smile involuntarily curving her lips.
But in a flash, something suddenly occurred to her.
"But how can I have memories I never knew?" Shi Xinxin's emotions subsided. She stood in that nightmare, searching for related memories to cling to.
Sheng Chenjin didn't understand what had made her so terrified, but one thing he was clear about: Shi Xinxin's abnormalities were undoubtedly related to that human experiment.
Thinking of Yan Hao's words, a dark glint flashed in his eyes. He said gently, "Since those things are no longer in your memory, they must be memories unrelated to you. Just let them go."
Though he said this, Shi Xinxin also wanted to use this excuse to calm her unsettled mind.
But she could now clearly remember being engulfed by an endless tide of fear in that nightmare.
This fear, stemming from the depths of her heart, was definitely not unrelated to her.
On the contrary, the reason she could experience such strong emotions was inextricably linked to those lost memories.
Shi Xinxin slowly lowered her head, her hair swaying slightly by her face. She was trying hard to recall those lost memories.
But this time, not only did she not recall anything, but even the fragmented bits she had remembered in the nightmare vanished. Only the faint residual fear in her heart allowed Shi Xinxin to remember that nightmare.
She looked up, "Where is Yan Hao? Where is he now? No, why am I in the hospital?"
Sheng Chenjin's expression remained unchanged. He said slowly, "You fainted at that place. We followed Yin Xue out of that secret room. Then I brought you to the hospital."
None of what he said registered in Shi Xinxin's memory.
She only remembered the conversation with Yin Xue before she fainted. Her memory seemed to end at the crucial point where Yin Xue revealed information about the human experiment.
"So that's how it is. Where is Yan Hao now? I need to see him, and Yin Xue. I need to ask them clearly about the human experiment." Shi Xinxin's tone was urgent.
Worry gradually surfaced in Sheng Chenjin's eyes, "Xinxin, the situation is still unstable. You can't be exposed to any more stimulating things."
Shi Xinxin couldn't afford to care about that now. Even though she instinctively feared, dreaded that so-called experiment, if she didn't clarify the source of that fear, she would likely be lost in endless darkness all day.
"I'm fine now, I'm doing great! I want to see them both."
"Xinxin..."
Shi Xinxin knew Sheng Chenjin meant well, but she couldn't help it at this moment. She flipped out of bed and hurried to put on the disposable slippers provided by the hospital.
Sheng Chenjin stopped her, helpless, "Xinxin, you are still very weak. You can't move around much."
Shi Xinxin was also anxious, "I'll take responsibility for my own health, but I must know the truth about that experiment immediately!"
As she spoke, she gritted her teeth, hardened her heart, pushed Sheng Chenjin's arm away, and walked forward quickly. Suddenly, she heard a pained cry from behind her.
Shi Xinxin quickly looked over and saw Sheng Chenjin supporting himself on the table with his shoulder, seemingly enduring something, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"Sheng Chenjin!"
Forgetting about the so-called truth, Shi Xinxin rushed over, frantically supporting him. "What's wrong? Why didn't you tell me you were injured?"
Sheng Chenjin gritted his teeth and didn't speak, his eyes trying to comfort her, telling her not to worry.
"This man is really something. Why hide it from me at a time like this? Let me see. When did you get hurt?" Shi Xinxin said, quickly reaching out to examine the wound on Sheng Chenjin's shoulder.
Remembering something, Sheng Chenjin's body slightly shifted sideways, subtly evading Shi Xinxin's action.
He smiled and shook his head, standing up straight with a nonchalant demeanor, "It's nothing. I just bumped into something in that dark passage. It's not like I'm bleeding. Look how worried you are. You still care about me, that's why you're concerned."
Even now, he was still cracking jokes. Shi Xinxin gave him a glare, but more than that, she was worried and heartbroken.
She still insisted on looking, "I don't care. Even if a mosquito bit you, I want to see it. Just tell me, are you going to let me see or not?"
Seeing Sheng Chenjin's appearance, which was nonchalant but clearly trying to hide his injuries, Shi Xinxin felt she'd have better luck being rebuilt if she couldn't see through this.
Sheng Chenjin hesitated, making no move.
Seeing his continued reluctance, Shi Xinxin crossed her arms and adopted a stubborn tone, "If you don't let me see your injuries, I'll never speak to you again."
This threat indeed worked well on Sheng Chenjin.
Even though he knew Shi Xinxin wouldn't really ignore him, he was extremely unwilling to risk even the possibility of it.
He could only slowly move his hand, exposing a large portion of his shoulder to Shi Xinxin's gaze.
Shi Xinxin's eyes widened, and she even doubted if her eyesight was failing her.
"Bite... a bite mark? What is this?" She slowly raised her disbelieving eyes.