That day, Suiying was led by his close friend, Yellow-Hair 4079, to an extremely secluded and dangerous place: a space between the ventilation ducts beneath the lift platform's fans.
It was a maintenance passage left behind after the power core was expanded. The air reeked of rust and exhaust, and the place was damp and gloomy. The emergency repair lights on the walls flickered as if they might go out at any moment. Only a faint glimmer from the ventilation duct outside reached in.
"4079!"
"Where exactly are you taking me?"
Watching the other man continue ahead, Suiying thought back to the perilous stretch along the lift platform's outer edge, barely thirty centimeters wide. Following behind, he couldn't help frowning, an ominous feeling creeping into his heart.
"Almost there!"
"Just up ahead."
Yellow-Hair 4079 didn't explain. He simply led the way, carrying the bag of food Suiying had just given him, and excitedly urged Suiying to hurry up.
A few minutes later...
After passing two vents whose slowly turning blades were like executioner's blades—if you touched them, you'd almost certainly be sliced to pieces on the spot—they finally reached a relatively spacious bend at the far end of the passage.
Then, to Suiying's utter shock and surprise, he spotted 4277 at a glance, her belly swollen with pregnancy.
"!!"
And, as expected, Suiying froze. It was as if lightning had struck him, leaving his mind utterly blank. He stood stock-still, staring dumbfounded, unable to move for a long while.
That was right!
Facing 4277 as she turned to look at him, one hand resting on her swollen belly, he could only stare wide-eyed in disbelief. He couldn't make a sound.
"..."
Seeing Suiying's reaction, 4277 had clearly expected it.
She gently stroked her heavily rounded belly, forcing a bitter smile.