Chapter 10: Insects

This was no illusion.

The couple warmly invited the siblings to enjoy a delicious meal together.

At the dining table, Sana spoke of the scenery from her journey, even sharing photos and videos with Xurui.

Xurui, possessing genetic memory, knew little but could still engage in a meaningful conversation with her.

As for Xuchu, as long as he was given a plate of food, he would happily amuse himself, completely unaware of being ignored.

After the meal, Sana skillfully took out a handkerchief to wipe Xuchu’s mouth.

She smiled and said, “Xurui, would you like to come aboard our ship tomorrow? Over the years, I’ve collected items from various planets as souvenirs—you’d probably like them.”

She took Xurui’s hand gently. “Xuchu isn’t interested in these things at all. It’s rare to have a girl I can chat with—I almost wish I could show you everything.”

Xurui felt it would be impolite to refuse again, so she nodded.

“All right.”

...

“Miss Sana is really gentle. I love the videos of their explorations across different planets—she’s exactly like the person in the videos.”

“This is probably the first time Xurui has felt kindness from an adult. I really don’t understand how she could be so dark-hearted, wanting to replace her brother to be adopted.”

“But looking at how things are now, it’s clear Sana is more interested in Xurui.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Sana must have discovered Xurui’s true nature, which is why she’s turning her attention to adopting Boss Chu instead.”

The murmurs of the crowd reached Xuchu’s ears without any barrier.

Xuchu remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on the screen before him.

He seemed to recall some of those memories.

While Xurui had been running around trying to solve his genetic defect, Sana came to see him every day.

Because of this, he believed that the couple intended to adopt him.

But now, watching Xurui’s memories, it was clear the couple was more interested in Xurui!

Moreover, he had a vague suspicion.

Suddenly, the voice of Bu Xingye sounded in his ear: “The Bailey couple’s true purpose in approaching Boss Chu is probably to get close to Xurui.”

Xuchu’s body stiffened abruptly.

A sour, bitter feeling welled up inside him—indescribable.

It seemed this was indeed the case.

He forced a slight smile. “They told me themselves they wanted to adopt me. I wouldn’t be so delusional to imagine that otherwise.”

“Besides, Xurui did abandon me on the ship, vying for me. The look on her face then—she looked like she wanted to tear me apart. I wouldn’t forget that.”

The crowd continued watching the screen.

At this moment, although Xurui had reluctantly accepted Sana, her expression was stiff; it was obvious she still resented her.

With her spoiled and willful nature, how could such a drastic change happen?

...

Early the next morning, the door to Xurui and Xuchu’s room was knocked upon.

Before the knock, Xurui had already sat up, rubbing her nose and muttering in a displeased whisper.

“What on earth is that smell? It’s unbearable.”

Opening the door, Sana greeted her with a bright smile. “Hi! You promised to visit our ship.”

Xurui reluctantly nodded. “Okay.”

But she couldn’t help asking, “What’s that smell on you? It’s awful—is it because you haven’t bathed?”

Such a rude comment sparked a ripple of whispers in the square.

Xurui had been annoying even as a child—pretentious and impolite.

Sana’s smile faltered awkwardly as she sniffed her clothes. “Really?”

Little Xuchu, rubbing his sleepy eyes, came over and broke the awkward silence. “Aunt Sana smells like flowers—very nice.”

Sana’s face lit up, crouching to pat his head. “Maybe it’s the perfume I’m wearing. Sorry, Xurui, you’ll have to put up with it.”

Xurui pursed her lips and nodded.

Sana held Xuchu’s hand and chatted with Xurui all the way to the car.

An hour later, they arrived at the ship’s docking station.

The ship was quite old, with many patched-up spots on the exterior.

Inside, it was cozily arranged. The activity area outside the cockpit was filled with jars and bottles, all secured in place.

The jars contained all kinds of exotic flowers and plants, and books were stacked in a corner.

Selvan was leafing through a classical book. Seeing them arrive, he smiled warmly in welcome.

“By the way, do you want to see my lab?” he offered enthusiastically.

Xuchu’s attention was already captured by the candies and strange fruits on the table.

Xurui nodded and followed Selvan into another cabin.

There, a device placed centrally immediately caught her eye.

Divided into three transparent chambers, it was unmistakably a gene extraction apparatus!

The crowd who recognized the device couldn’t help but exclaim with delight: “A gene extraction apparatus! What a coincidence!”

“Xurui searched for so long and now it’s right here without any trouble!”

“Now Boss Chu can be treated!”

They had all witnessed how hard Xurui had worked to find a gene extraction device for Xuchu’s treatment.

She had been busy from dawn till dusk for days, only to be disappointed each time.

Seeing the device now, everyone couldn’t help but feel happy for the siblings.

And this was no coincidence.

Sana approached with a smile, patting Xurui’s shoulder.

“I heard you were looking for a gene extraction device, so I wanted to bring you here. But you seemed to have misunderstood us before. You want to treat your brother? I can help.”

Everyone waited silently, hoping the icy barrier in Xurui’s heart would melt and she would accept her.

However,

“No need,” Xurui shook her head, refusing decisively.

What was going on?

Why refuse?

Isn’t this the gene extraction device you’ve longed for?

Sana was clearly surprised by Xurui’s refusal.

She paused, then smiled, “It’s true that extracting genes from your body is painful. You might need some time to prepare.”

Xurui nodded and then gave a sweet, innocent smile.

“It is painful. I’ll need some time. Can I sleep here tonight?”

Sana’s face lit up immediately. “Of course! We’ll be staying here for three more days. You and little Chu can both stay.”

Xurui nodded, rubbed her eyes, and whispered, “Thank you.”

That night, the siblings stayed on the ship.

Xurui’s eyes were very uncomfortable, and she was exhausted, so she went to bed early.

Around midnight, she got up to drink some water.

Her eyes still stung unbearably; she rubbed them hard. When she looked up, the cabin before her had turned red.

This was a memory of Xurui’s—the scene suddenly bathed in red, the whole world dimmed.

She left the room and headed toward the main cabin, hearing voices inside.

As she drew closer, the dark red world exuded a sinister aura.

Approaching further, the scene before her made everyone hold their breath.

These were not two people—but two insects!

Two towering, human-sized insects with strong exoskeletons, sharp mandibles, sickle-shaped forelimbs, and back scythes.