The feeling was strange.

Growing up, he had rarely spent time around women. The women he’d occasionally encountered were mostly composed and dignified female elders — he hadn’t expected to associate the word “adorable” with a grown woman.

Before, that word had only ever called to mind his five-year-old niece.

But then, Bai Youwei’s pampered, fussy streak was about on par with that five-year-old niece of his…

At that thought, the corner of Shen Mo’s mouth curled involuntarily. He felt like laughing.

This small shift in his mood was sharply detected by the woman in his arms —

“What are you laughing at?” Bai Youwei demanded fiercely. “Are you laughing at me in your head? Do you think I actually enjoy being carried by you? If you people hadn’t taken my wheelchair apart…”

Shen Mo changed the subject: “Does the new wheelchair we found fit you?”

Bai Youwei paused, then gave a disdainful snort. “Hmph. Smells like antiseptic…”

But she didn’t say it was bad.

That wheelchair was one Shen Mo had gone all the way back to Hangzhou to retrieve from a Hangzhou hospital.

…

Back at the tent, the night was still quiet.

Everyone was resting; no one had noticed the two had ever left.

The two lay shoulder to shoulder, and for a while they thought of the dollhouse reward, and then of the destination they were heading toward. Neither felt like sleeping.

Bai Youwei rolled over to face Shen Mo, lying on her side, and asked softly: “After we’ve met with Professor Song, what are your plans?”

Shen Mo stared at the tent ceiling. After a silence, he said: “…I might… try to find my family.”

“Where would you look?” Bai Youwei asked again.

Shen Mo shook his head slowly.

In this world with no electricity, no internet, no means of communication whatsoever, finding someone was like searching for a needle in the ocean.

He turned his head to look at her: “What about you — have you thought about going to find your father and mother?”

Bai Youwei answered quickly: “No.”

Shen Mo: “…”

Bai Youwei explained: “Think about it — right now they’re either in trouble or they’re not. If they’re in trouble, there’s no point looking; if they’re not, they’re surely having a hard enough time already. A daughter with two disabled legs suddenly showing up to depend on them would only add to their burden.”

Shen Mo smiled. “You’re thoughtful.”

Bai Youwei replied candidly: “I just don’t like making myself unwanted.”

“And you’re not afraid of making me want you gone?” Shen Mo asked with a smile.

Hearing that, Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze turning dangerous. “…So, do you?”

It was a delicate question — a few words couldn’t answer it properly. Either you gave a deflection, or you said something ambiguous.

Shen Mo was still turning it over in his mind when Bai Youwei suddenly said: “Oh, I’m suddenly really sleepy… going to sleep, going to sleep.”

She rolled over and went quiet.

Shen Mo looked at her. After a moment, he closed his eyes too.

The night grew quieter still.

…

From Hangzhou to Shanghai was one hundred and seventy-seven kilometers. With a fast enough drive, two hours would do it — but to navigate around stretches of road occupied by dolls, the journey had taken far longer.

When they reached the Humin Elevated Road, they found a number of peculiar road signs along the way.

For example: *1.2 km ahead — Game, trigger count 12, 2119-7-30, A05.*

“Game” presumably referred to the doll game. The string of numbers was the date. “A05” was unclear for now.

The signs appeared very considerate, providing passing travelers with safety warnings free of charge.

They continued forward and discovered more similar signs — some pointing left, some pointing right.

Yan Qingwen stretched a hand out from the car window and waved at the vehicles behind.

Both cars pulled over one after the other.

Yan Qingwen walked over to the off-road vehicle and said to Shen Mo: “It looks like Shanghai is fine. These signs don’t look like the work of an individual — there’s probably an organization of some scale that conducted surveys and put them up.”

He paused, then added: “We also haven’t seen any fog up ahead.”

Teacher Cheng sat in the car and asked in puzzlement: “Shanghai has such a large population — why would there be no fog?”

—