102: Secrets and misunderstandings

"Ouch, is this how you treat your own kind?"

The handsome man pinned to the ground by her didn't struggle, merely feigning pain in a hypocritical manner.

Tu Nan hesitated.

What was he saying... his own kind? Tu Nan wanted to tell the Children to stop, but then realized neither of them had actually made a move.

She turned her head slightly and saw the two fluffy figures lying beside her, watching the scene with curiosity.

[You guys... what's this?] The Children's behavior was quite abnormal.

Never mind Tu Nan telling them to act; with Miao Miao's explosive temper, she would usually rush in to help without a second thought as long as she saw her mother attacking someone.

[Hehe...] Miao Miao scratched her face with her hind paw, looking rather evasive.

Ao Ao remained sitting properly, though his eyes also held a trace of embarrassment.

[Well... he caught us and said he'd tell our parents. Um, but he's actually quite nice; he even brought us all out.]

"Brought you where?" Tu Nan felt as if a tangled mess was before her eyes. She didn't let go of the stranger, continuing to question the Children.

[...The armory. He found us when we sneaked in.]

Seeing that Tu Nan still wouldn't release him, the stranger flashed a wicked smile.

"Don't doubt it; you really do have the scent of a Foster Mother on you." He twitched his nose. "It's quite strong. You haven't been out of the warehouse for even a year, have you? Let me go, baby~"

Under Tu Nan's glare, he tapped his own chest with a finger.

"Look, the scar is still there. Did you gouge out your serial number too? It hurt like hell without anesthesia back then." This "Male Beast"'s face crumpled like a bitter melon.

He seemed to be speaking of a tragic past, yet his eyes clearly showed he didn't care at all.

Skeptical, Tu Nan pulled open his collar.

This person's chest... was quite flat, but they truly were a Female Beast.

Tu Nan's gaze was drawn to the hideous scar on her upper chest.

"168562020." He—or rather, she—laughed wildly. "Came from the 1685 Nursery. I'm Lance, Lance Valentine."

"And you?" she asked Tu Nan.

Tu Nan's heart shook. This was the second time she had been recognized at a glance; the first time was by Ji Yu, and now... this person, she was really a Foster Mother?

Tu Nan hardly dared to believe it.

"The scar... why didn't you remove it?" There were clearly scar removal surgeries that could restore it perfectly.

The person allowed Tu Nan to remain pinned on top of her, laughing flamboyantly.

"Why remove it? I want to remember everything. I keep this to remind myself of where I came from... because I hate it, from the day I truly understood the Foster Mother system."

"By what right? I ask myself every day, what am I living for?"

Her eyes curved in a smile, yet her pupils were filled with cold indifference.

It was the kind of light from a fire about to go out after a violent burn, the kind of wood charred nearly to pieces.

Tu Nan relaxed her strength. Of course, her meager strength hadn't actually done much.

Lance sat up effortlessly, even managing to scoop Tu Nan up in the process.

She moved Tu Nan onto the sofa and reached out to feel her chest.

"You had the scar removed? Well, being able to forget is for the best. Good for you."

Tu Nan slapped away the straying hand.

Although this was indeed a Female Beast, she looked too much like a roguishly handsome Male Beast; Tu Nan constantly felt the illusion of being flirted with.

She believed this really was a Foster Mother because of that deep-seated hate and resentment.

It was the flip side of the same coin as Ji Yu's calm resignation.

It was an incomprehension of fate.

Tu Nan pulled back the hair at the nape of her neck and pointed out the patch of skin where the numbers had once been engraved.

"462835." Tu Nan let her hair down and spoke slowly.

"My name is Blue Pearl."

She kept a few secrets, but surprisingly, Lance appeared very shocked.

"Central Breeding Farm, and the number is so low." She clicked her tongue in wonder.

"How could you be out here alone? Someone like you... there's no way you'd be released."

Tu Nan didn't understand what Lance was talking about.

Lance's eyes widened in surprise as she asked, "You... really don't know anything?" She got her answer from Tu Nan's confused expression, finding it incredible.

"4628—the first four digits are the Nursery's code. It's defined according to star map sectors, and yours represents the Central Breeding Farm."

"And 35... is the serial number of the Foster Mother within it."

Tu Nan compared it to Lance's number and realized something.

Lance snapped her fingers.

"Noticed?" She smiled in an eerie way. "The Nurseries have existed for nearly two hundred years... The Central Breeding Farm is different from the small one I was born in; it was among the first batch of Nurseries. How could it only be at number 35?"

Tu Nan was struck with horror.

"Then..."

"Maybe it was a special batch filling an old number, but regardless, there's no way you should have been able to escape."

Tu Nan didn't know what was happening; she had no memories of the past, but everything was becoming increasingly ominous... "I must not be discovered," she murmured.

Lance nodded.

"Exactly! Your scent is too strong. Sigh, it's just too easy to recognize." She tapped her forehead, looking a bit troubled.

"If we were at the base, I could help you mix a potion. Where am I supposed to find the plants and reagents needed here? The herbs I carry with me aren't complete."

Tu Nan listened to her muttering for a while and gained a rough understanding of some specialized knowledge regarding Foster Mothers.

Namely, for these artificially produced Female Beasts like Foster Mothers, they must be soaked in medicinal reagents every month before reaching adulthood to prevent their gene chains from collapsing.

That specific reagent had a unique scent that those familiar with it could identify. The base where Lance stayed had long since developed a formula to remove the odor.

"The base you mentioned?" Tu Nan was curious. Lance, a Foster Mother, seemed healthy and could even appear on this ultra-luxurious flight; the strength of this base seemed quite formidable.

Lance rolled her eyes.

"Stop, that's my secret. Anyway, just remember I'm Lance of the Valentine Family. We're friends who met on the starship; it's normal not to know that much, right?"

Since she didn't want to say, Tu Nan actually felt a sense of relief.

If everyone had secrets, it was actually safer. Wasn't it?

"What plants do you need? Are there many kinds?" Tu Nan was eager to resolve this issue first.

"Not many are missing, maybe three? Or two? I need to go back and check. The key is they can't be found on the ship. Once we reach the destination, I'll help you solve this. Don't panic."

She comforted Tu Nan. "Actually, not many people would notice this, believe me. I'm different because I'm in scientific research."

Tu Nan believed this; after all, Gaia's nose was very sensitive, yet he had never mentioned any problem with her scent.

But it would be better to solve it as soon as possible.

She thought of the plant-rich botanical garden on the ship's roof. Would the necessary plants be there?

Just as she was about to ask Lance, there was another knock on the door.

Tu Nan thought she knew who was at the door.

Just as well, she could ask him about a reservation for the botanical garden. Tu Nan opened the door with a smile, and the one standing outside was indeed Kong Jiamu.

He held a captivating smile and offered a delicate, dripping-wet flower, about to invite Tu Nan for a walk in the Starlight Corridor to begin his "gentlemanly" pursuit.

He saw Tu Nan's loose collar and then looked further into the room.

A pretty boy with an equally loose collar and messy hair was sprawled on the sofa, greeting him glibly.

"Good evening, Colonel Kong~"

In Kong Jiamu's eyes, that tone was full of provocation.

He looked at Tu Nan unwillingly, breaking his own rules once again to ask a question that should never have come from his mouth.

"Who is this?"