Became a vicious male mother

240

The weeds in the backyard were pulled clean, and the wooden house was dismantled.

In the desolate courtyard, every step you take leaves you in muddy yellow soil, and your white shoes are quickly stained brownish-yellow.

Gu Xinglan walked into the villa step by step, slowly went upstairs, until she reached Li Hetai's room.

Around the door, the paint had begun to peel slightly, and the wood grain underneath was rough and dull.

He took off his shoes, turned the doorknob, which was a little oily and sticky to the touch, and couldn't turn it open.

"Li Hetai, that's me."

There was a knock on the door, but no one answered.

Fortunately, he had the key to the room with him.

As soon as the key was inserted into the hole and opened a crack, a faint, indescribable smell of decay wafted out.

As the door opened wider, the stench of decay grew stronger, rushing straight toward his face.

Feeling somewhat uneasy, Gu Xinglan pushed open the door without blinking.

The room was dimly lit, with the curtains drawn tightly, and only a faint sliver of light piercing through the gaps, barely illuminating the bed.

On the bed lay a black horse, its limbs sprawled out, its body stiff, its eyes wide open in death.

The black horse was small, only half the size of the bed. Its body had begun to rot, soaking the bed surface. There were also many mosquitoes and flies swarming around it and hovering over the nightlight. The smell of death permeated the room.

Just a few days ago, the little horse was galloping freely across the yellow earth; now it's a stiff corpse.

Meanwhile, Li Hetai, sitting next to him, seemed completely unaware.

The boy sat beside him, the bed slightly sunken, his body curled up, his hands clasped in front of his legs, his chin resting between his knees, his eyes completely covered by his bangs, and his expression obscured by his long, short black hair.

Like withered grass that doesn't move, when the wind stops, life stops too.

Gu Xinglan was like the wind, gently placing her hand on Li Hetai's shoulder.

"Li Hetai?"

The long-lost voice appeared, and the boy slowly moved his eyes to the person who spoke.

"Go take a shower first, okay?"

The voice was slow and leisurely, as if someone were casually asking him if he wanted to go out for lunch on a leisurely afternoon.

Gu Xinglan gently stroked the boy's hair, swatting away the mosquitoes and flies that were resting on it.

-

A soft, pattering sound came from the bathroom.

Amidst the sweltering heat, Gu Xinglan meticulously wiped away the clods of dirt clinging to the surface with a cloth.

He applied the shower gel several times but it still wouldn't lather, so he held a cloth and a showerhead, scrubbing with utmost patience.

The water temperature from the showerhead was just right; the warm water flowed gently down his hair, slowly washing away the dirt and rotten smell from the boy's body.

After washing, Gu Xinglan gently brushed aside the wet hair on Li Hetai's forehead.

Without her hair to cover her face, her haggard and pale face was revealed, and the water droplets on her face were quickly wiped away with a towel.

"Shall we bury it together?"

"……it is good."

Li Hetai's body gradually relaxed, his forehead gently resting on Gu Xinglan's shoulder, his fingers unconsciously tightening around Gu Xinglan's fingers.

The horse was eventually buried in the ground.

The backyard used to be planted with a large patch of sunflowers, but now there isn't a single flower in sight, not even a blade of grass.

The rain silently washed over the small, raised mounds of earth.

Gu Xinglan held a shovel in her right hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her left.

System: [Oh dear, that's the first horse of the mission target.]

[From unruly to utterly loyal, a horse devoted only to its master, through countless days of companionship—you humans always need an emotional anchor.]

Li Hetai seems to be a perfect being in some ways, so perfect that it seems unreal. In reality, he is just an ordinary person who can be sad and happy.

Seeing Li Hetai standing quietly in front of the raised mound, lost in thought, Gu Xinglan walked over, put her arm around the boy's shoulder, and shook him a couple of times.

"There are still seven days left in the competition. We can still make it if we leave now. Let's go."

Gu Xinglan made no plans for the spontaneous trip and simply bought two tickets using both of their ID cards.

Despite the light rain and feeling sticky and wet, the two of us, one big and one small, ate two bowls of pork belly noodles in the waiting area. They were a bit fishy and quite expensive.

Li Hetai ate with great relish, his hair even trembling with each bite.

After finishing our meal, we boarded the plane. It was the early morning when the plane arrived at Lexington Airport, and the city was brightly lit.

Outside the glass curtain wall, planes take off and land on the tarmac, their engines roaring and echoing in the waiting area.

When I came out, I was surrounded by unfamiliar faces, heard unfamiliar languages, and saw unfamiliar buildings everywhere I looked.

The word "unfamiliar" assaults the senses.

Very unusually, Li Hetai even took the initiative to grab his hand.

-

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a faint scent of leather and sulfur.

"Cliffin... Cliffin, which hotel is it?" The hotel he booked didn't show a specific address, but the map software showed several Cliffin hotels.

It's been about 15 minutes since I left the airport. The number of people has decreased as I've walked, with only a few homeless people on the road.

Feeling uneasy under the scrutinizing gazes, Gu Xinglan clung tightly to Li Hetai beside her, and was about to call the hotel.

"Hello?"

"Are you calling me?" A deep voice came from behind.

The man was tall and wore a long overcoat. He carried a drawing board in his right hand and exuded a refined artistic aura even in the dim light.

Gu Xinglan shook her head subconsciously.

"Sorry, I'm looking for a hotel."

"Really? You're also at the Clifton Hotel?" Upon hearing the word "hotel," the man smiled and strode over, carrying his suitcase.

“My name is Clifton McIntosh, you can just call me Clifton.”

Kriffin, ever the friendly type, leaned close to his phone, looking at the name of the hotel Gu Xinglan had booked.

“I’m also at this hotel. If you don’t mind, we can go together.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man with the Asian face raised his eyebrows, clearly pleased.

Clifton received an emotional response and couldn't help but lower his eyebrows and eyes.

-

"Are you from the East?" He picked up "The Travels of Marco Polo" and shook it. "I just came back from traveling there..."

The wheels of the suitcase rumbled, and the two of them became a group of three, chatting idly.

The hotel was vastly different from the ones he had seen in Wushui, so Gu Xinglan didn't book an expensive one.

But... isn't this place too desolate?

There was very little infrastructure and foot traffic around, and most of the lights were off except for the lobby, which was still lit up, making it look like a small hotel.

"Are you sure... this is the Kriffin Hotel?"

“Absolutely true.” Kriffin nodded quickly. “I wouldn’t lie.”

As they went up the stairs, Li Hetai sat on his suitcase, already half asleep, with dark circles under his eyes, but his eyes were still open.

He touched him gently, and the boy fell into his arms.

It's unclear how long Li Hetai had been guarding that horse; it's likely that as soon as the horse caught its breath, Li Hetai pulled it into the room.

That's why I look so tired now.

"The little boy is so cute," Kriffin said with a smile. "Is he your younger brother?"

Gu Xinglan nodded.

“I also have a younger brother, who has black hair, and he only came back two years ago.”