Chapter 23: The Voice in the Doll

Su Yutao was being carried by him, one hand still clutching that filthy, tattered doll.

Blood dripped from her arm.

It hurt.

But she didn’t let go.

Mole carried her upstairs. When he passed the dead dog, he glanced down—a mangled mess of flesh and blood, its ribs kicked in.

He looked back at the wound on Su Yutao’s arm.

His scalp tingled.

How the hell was he going to explain this?

Back inside.

Mole set her down on the couch and went to find the first-aid kit.

Sounds of rummaging through cabinets.

Then the sound of his footsteps returning.

He crouched in front of her.

“Give me your arm.”

Su Yutao extended her arm—but her other hand still held the doll, refusing to let go.

Mole glanced at the doll but said nothing.

He tore open her sleeve.

Cool antiseptic poured onto the wound.

The pain made her flinch, a soft whimper escaping her throat.

Mole pressed his hand against her arm, keeping her still.

“Bear with it.”

Cleaning.

Applying medicine.

Bandaging.

His movements were sharp and efficient.

When he finished, he packed up the supplies and stood up.

Then his gaze fell on the grimy, sticky, stinking doll in Su Yutao’s arms.

The doll had a big tear from the dog bite, cotton stuffing spilling out, stained with something black—maybe swill, maybe blood.

Mole frowned.

“You’re still holding that thing?”

Su Yutao hugged the doll tighter.

Mole reached out a hand.

“Give it to me.”

Su Yutao shrank back, shaking her head.

Mole clicked his tongue.

“It stinks like that, and the dog bit it. Why keep it? Let me throw it away.”

He reached for it.

Su Yutao clung to it desperately, curling into a ball, protecting the doll against her chest.

A low growl came from her throat.

Not crying.

Resistance.

Refusal.

Mole tugged once. It didn’t budge.

He looked at the little blind girl curled up—arm wrapped in bandages, covered in wounds, filthy—but still refusing to let go.

Like a puppy guarding its food.

Mole’s mouth twitched.

“Is this crappy doll more important than your life?”

Su Yutao nodded.

Nodded?

Mole was stunned.

He thought she would shake her head, let go, let him throw it away.

But she nodded.

Meaning: Yes, more important than life.

Mole stared at her for two seconds.

Then he let go.

“Fine. Keep it.”

He stood up, walked to the other end of the couch, and pulled out his phone.

Su Yutao curled up, hugging the doll, not daring to move.

Mole glanced at his phone, then back at her.

“Sister Lin comes back tomorrow. You’d better hide those wounds.”

“Otherwise, I’ll be dead, and you won’t be much better off.”

He said it, then looked at her again.

Su Yutao huddled on the couch, clutching the filthy, tattered doll, covered in grime, arm bandaged, still smeared with mud from her earlier fall.

He frowned.

“You’re a mess… Go take a shower.”

Su Yutao was taken aback.

A shower?

She remembered when Lin Qingxue had helped her last time.

Now she was alone.

Mole seemed to realize the problem too.

“Never mind. Can you do it yourself?”

Su Yutao nodded.

She had to, even if she couldn’t.

She groped her way up.

Mole led her to the bathroom door and opened it.

“Go in. Call me if something happens—no, you can’t call. Knock on the wall.”

Su Yutao nodded.

The door closed.

The bathroom fell silent.

Only the hum of the exhaust fan.

Su Yutao stood there, holding the doll, not knowing where to start.

She fumbled forward until her hand touched the cold tiles.

Reaching further—a faucet.

Found it.

She reached out and turned it on.

Water rushed down.

Cold.

Ice cold.

Su Yutao flinched, pulling back.

She waited a moment, then tested the water temperature.

Still cold.

She waited again.

Tested again.

Still cold.

She didn’t know how to adjust the water heater or how long it took to warm up.

So she just stood there, waiting, testing the water every few seconds.

Hand under the stream, over and over.

Cold.

Cold.

Still cold.

Then—

“Sss—!”

Hot.

Suddenly hot.

Su Yutao jerked her hand back, stumbling and almost falling.

She cowered in the corner, holding the doll, the burned hand stinging fiercely.

But she didn’t make a sound.

Because she couldn’t.

She just waited.

Waited for the sting to pass.

Then she reached out again, cautiously approaching the stream.

Now it was warm.

Perfect temperature.

She sighed in relief.

She took off her clothes—the oversized clothes that were Lin Qingxue’s.

Then she remembered the doll in her arms.

Filthy.

Stinking.

It needed washing too.

She stepped under the water, holding the doll with her.

Hot water washed over the doll; dirty water ran down her feet.

Su Yutao felt her way, scrubbing bit by bit.

Fluffy.

Soft.

She scrubbed and washed, scrubbed and washed.

As she rubbed, something felt odd—it was getting smaller? And something seemed to be leaking out?

But she couldn’t see.

She didn’t know the dirty cotton was being swept away by the water.

She kept washing.

Kept scrubbing.

Then—

“Aiyaaaaa—!”

A voice suddenly exploded.

Soft and cute, but frantic.

“Stop washing! Stop washing! It’s all over, it’s all over!”

Su Yutao froze.

Who?

Who was talking?

There was only her in the bathroom.

The voice kept yammering, sounds like crying.

“If you keep washing, I’ll be gone! I finally found a place to stay!”

Su Yutao’s hand shook, and the doll fell to the floor with a thud.

Water still ran.

But the voice stopped.

Su Yutao crouched in the corner, trembling.

Then she felt that sensation again.

A strong pull.

On the floor.

The doll.

She didn’t know why, but she felt she had to pick it up.

She reached out, groping—

The moment she touched the wet, furry thing—

“Ouch… it hurts…”

The voice sounded again.

Weaker than before, soft and small, like a little girl.

“Why did you drop me…”

Su Yutao opened her mouth.

No sound came out.

But her mind was racing.

What’s going on?

What’s talking?

The voice seemed to hear her thoughts (even though she didn’t speak), sounding a bit aggrieved.

“Why are you so mean… I was just trying to tell you to stop washing…”

Su Yutao was stunned.

This thing could hear her mind?

She tentatively thought: Who… are you?

The voice replied.

“Me? Just me.”

Su Yutao: …

That was like no answer at all.

She thought again: Why are you inside the doll?

The voice paused, then became proud.

“My master is Qianxia, a top-level system! She built me herself!”

“Based on the original template of legendary top-level systems! The most perfect kind!”

Su Yutao blinked.

Master?

Top-level system?

Original template?

She didn’t understand any of it.

But she caught a name—Qianxia.

She timidly thought: Who is Qianxia?

The voice faltered.

“Ah?”

Su Yutao repeated.

Who… is Qianxia? The master you mentioned?

Silence.

A long, long silence.

Then the voice spoke again, now with a tone of grievance and disbelief.

“You… don’t know who Qianxia is?”

Su Yutao shook her head.

Then, in her mind, she added: No, you just told me.

The voice grew even more wronged.

“Didn’t I just say it? My master is top-level system Qianxia! I was made from the perfect template!”

“My name is Qiansui! Qian from thousand, sui from years old!”

Su Yutao: …

You… didn’t mention your name earlier, did you?

Qiansui was silent.

Then its voice grew small, uncertain.

“I didn’t?”

Su Yutao shook her head.

“Really not?”

Su Yutao nodded.

“Uh… maybe… I forgot…”

Qiansui’s voice trailed off, like a child caught misbehaving.

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