Chapter 120: To Go or to Stay

Chapter 120

Early the next morning, Mei stepped out of her room and happened to run into An Ziyou coming from the opposite direction.

"Morning, Xiao You!"

"Morning, Mei'er!" An Ziyou greeted her with his usual gentle tone and a faint smile playing on his lips.

Catching a delicate fragrance in the air, Mei’s eyes brightened as she looked at An Ziyou. "It smells so good! Did you make something delicious, Xiao You?"

"Your little nose is sharp as ever! Yes, I’ve prepared breakfast. Go on and eat!" An Ziyou affectionately tapped the tip of her delicate nose, then took her hand and led her toward the dining room.

When they arrived, the others were already seated. It was clear that An Ziyou had gone to call Mei specifically just now.

Looking at the generous portions of steamed buns and shredded meat porridge on the table, Mei couldn't help but look at An Ziyou and say, "You made all this? How early must you have started preparing? You must be exhausted!"

Hearing this, the smile on An Ziyou’s face deepened.

"I woke up a bit earlier today, so I made extra! Eat up, it won't taste good if it gets cold!"

"Okay!"

Once Mei sat down, everyone began to eat.

"The food Xiao You makes gets better every time!" Mei exclaimed after taking a bite of a thin-skinned, juicy steamed bun.

Although the others didn't speak, the frequency with which they used their chopsticks and the speed of their eating showed clearly that they were very satisfied with today’s breakfast.

It had been a long time since they had enjoyed such a proper meal.

Previously, while Mei was ill, An Ziyou hadn’t had the heart to vary the menu, and they had eaten nothing but steamed buns and noodles day after day, accompanied by large pots of braised meat. While the taste was fine, eating the same thing for months on end had been difficult for everyone.

Fortunately, during that time, not only was he distracted, but the others were too worried about Mei’s condition to care about food; as long as they weren't hungry, they didn't pay much attention to what they were eating.

Now that Mei had recovered, not only did the cook have the spirit to prepare meals, but the diners also had huge appetites, and the food on the table was soon polished off.

"Yesterday, while searching the government database, I found an invitation sent by Country A half a month ago. It invites scientists from our country to go to Country A to jointly discuss and research a cure for the zombie virus," Mei said suddenly, putting down her chopsticks.

"Go to Country A? Are those idiots out of their minds? With earthquakes and tsunamis happening constantly, setting out to sea is practically suicide! Every country treats its researchers like precious treasures now; how could they possibly risk sending them across the ocean to Country A?" Mo Chen said mockingly.

The others also felt that it was impossible for the government to agree to Country A’s invitation.

However, results are often unexpected.

Mei shook her head and said, "You’re wrong. The government has already agreed. They decided to depart in a month—well, no, judging by the timeline, they are set to leave for Country A in half a month!"

"Why is that?" Ye Jingxuan asked.

Knowing that sending people out might well be a one-way trip, there had to be a reason for their consent.

"I checked, and it seems they discovered the cause of the zombie virus over there, though the specifics are unclear."

"In other words, those people believe there is a high probability of successfully developing a cure, which is why they decided they had to send people to Country A no matter what?" Mo Chen added.

"Probably! I don't know for sure. But I actually want to go to Country A myself to see." Mei didn't care about the reasons behind the government’s decision; her latter sentence was what she truly meant.

Everyone was stunned by Mei’s words. They had just been saying that going to sea was suicide, and in the blink of an eye, she proposed going along. Such impulsive behavior seemed to be something only she could suggest.

"And your reason?" Xiriel asked calmly, elegantly adjusting his glasses.

"I want to see if they really have discovered the cause of the zombie virus. If so, I should be able to find the third fragment of the Source of Darkness," Mei explained.

Now that everyone basically knew her situation, there was no need for her to hide her reasons.

"Then let’s go! When do you plan to leave? I’ll go with you!" Xiriel decided immediately.

"Wait! What do you mean by 'you'll go with her'? Are you planning to leave us behind and act on your own?" Mo Chen asked, sounding displeased and sullen.

"It’s very dangerous this time!" Mei didn't think there was anything wrong with Xiriel’s decision. For such a dangerous mission, the fewer people, the better.

"So, you think we’re holding you back?" Mo Chen’s tone grew even sharper.

"Of course not!" Mei quickly shook her head to deny it, then explained, "I just don't think there's any need for you to take this risk with me! After all, searching for the Source of Darkness is..."

"Enough! Have you forgotten what you said before? We are companions. No matter what we encounter, we will never abandon each other and will face things together! What is the meaning of this?" Mo Chen interrupted her and stood up to challenge her.

Mei had never seen him this angry. She stared at him blankly for a long time before saying, "Of course I haven't forgotten those words, but this situation is different. Because I likely won't be coming back!"

"So what? If you don't come back, then you don't come back. At worst, we can live in another country together. There’s nothing here worth holding onto anyway! But that is absolutely no reason for you to try to leave us behind without even asking!" Mo Chen’s anger remained undiminished.

"You don't understand. By leaving, I don't mean leaving this country—I mean this planet! I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you all before: I, or rather 'Number Nine,' am not only not human, but to be more accurate, I don't belong to this planet. And Number Nine’s family will also be my family; they will be coming soon to take me away from here."

It was only when she was telling Xiriel about her experiences in this world yesterday that Mei remembered her current identity included an extraterrestrial brother, and that brother had promised to come for her.

Counting the time, it would happen in just two months.

She wouldn't be staying on this planet much longer.

Mo Chen’s expression was bewildered, and the others stared at her in shock.

How could she have so many secrets?

Yesterday, they had just accepted her identity as an otherworldly elf, and today she had added being an alien to the mix. Did things have to change so rapidly?

"Don't you still need to find other energy sources? If you leave now without even collecting all the Source of Darkness, what will happen to the other energies?" An Ziyou asked suddenly.

"I will stay here until I collect all of the Source of Darkness. As for the other energies, I suspect they are not on this planet. And that is the main reason I must leave!"

While discussing it with Xiriel yesterday, Mei realized there had been a major misunderstanding in her thinking: she had always assumed that the "other world" Dilo mentioned was just another planet.

She had made this mistake because, in her original world, aside from the space they inhabited, other living things had their own dimensional realms, and the stars themselves held no life. Upon arriving in this world, she had subconsciously applied that framework, treating this planet as the entirety of the world, and thus assumed all three energy sources were here.

When checking data yesterday, she realized this planet was not actually that large—not even as big as a single continent in her original world! In such a limited space, let alone life energy, even the two energies of Light and Darkness could not coexist.

The Source of Light and the Source of Darkness were opposing energies. Once one side became unstable, it would inevitably affect the other. Two unstable energy sources meeting would be enough to destroy the entire planet!

Therefore, even if she turned this planet upside down, she could only complete the collection of the Source of Darkness. To find the other energies, she would have to look to other planets.

"Because my time is limited, I don't plan to return after leaving here. I will continue to search for the remaining shards of the Source of Darkness in other places until I depart this planet. Plus, the journey is truly dangerous, which is why I didn't want you to come along," Mei concluded.

"If those are your only reasons, then I disagree with your decision. Whether you go to other countries or other planets, I am going with you!" Mo Chen raised his head, speaking firmly, his eyes showing a touch of madness.

Wherever she wanted to go, he would accompany her. There was nothing left on this planet worth his attachment. The only thing he wanted to hold onto, the only thing he could not let go of, was her.

No matter what her true identity was or where she was going, wanting to watch over her and be by her side at every moment had become his greatest obsession.

He couldn't imagine what he would be like without her by his side. The mere thought made him feel as though he were going mad. Therefore, no matter what, he would never let her leave him behind!

"A-Chen, have you really decided? Do you really want to leave here and leave this planet with me?" Mei hadn't expected him to make such a decision, and it took her a while to confirm it.

"Yes! In the past, my greatest wish was to kill the enemies who destroyed my home and family with my own hands. Now that my enemies are all dead, there is no one else in this world I care to stay for. So, don't leave me behind, okay?" Mo Chen leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, and whispered.

Mei looked at his handsome face, so close to hers, saw the determination in his eyes, and the faint, hidden plea within them, and she nodded gently.

At the very moment she agreed, a surge of joy rose in her heart!

After all, Mo Chen was the one who had been with her and taken care of her ever since she arrived in this world. Although it hadn't been long, she truly couldn't bear the thought of separating from him.

Now that he wanted to go with her, she wouldn't have to part with him!

This was truly wonderful!