He'll Be Sad If Dad Dies (continued)

Several young researchers cried in front of Lou Yu, saying they doubted whether their creation of the reagent was right or wrong, and that if they hadn't succeeded, these fifty-two people wouldn't have died.

Fifty-two corpses filled the entire morgue.

Fifty-two may sound like a small number, but each number represents a vibrant life, and behind each life is a family. The loss of these individuals inflicts immense pain on their remaining family members.

Previously, they had obtained experimental data from the Central Base through various channels, and the death toll was in the thousands. At the time, all they had was the idea that the experiment failure rate was really high.

But when you actually witness it with your own eyes, you realize that the loss of each life is an unbearable burden.

Everyone who knew about this experiment felt a layer of gray snow in their hearts; not clearing away the snow meant only sorrow, but clearing away the snow revealed the bloody reality.

When the first person died in the experiment, the institute's initial excitement over the successful development of the reagent was completely extinguished. They asked Lou Quan for leave, not to enjoy their leisure time, but to try and address their psychological issues.

Lou Quan held the final report, staring intently at the section on the death toll and specific circumstances of each death for a long time, until the color drained completely from his face.

He sat on the sofa in the living room, from day to night, without moving an inch, like a fine wooden sculpture.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the front door of the house was opened. Bai Huan turned on the light and was startled when she saw him.

The living room was dark, so he assumed Lou Quan had gone upstairs.

Upon suddenly seeing the lights, Lou Quan's eyes were momentarily blinded, and this time he finally moved.

Turning his head, Lou Quan saw that the person who had come was Bai Huan, and a hint of anger gradually appeared in his originally indifferent eyes.

As someone close to Lou Quan, although Lou Quan didn't tell Bai Huan about the reagents and experiments, he guessed some things through observation.

He ran into Lou Yu on the street today, and even from a distance, he could tell that Lou Yu was in extremely poor condition.

Bai Huan had felt at the time that the experiment's outcome was bound to be bad, and now, seeing Lou Quan's current state, he was certain that his guess was correct.

Bai Huan wasn't unaware of Lou Quan's sinister gaze, but he still mustered his courage and walked over.

"A-Quan, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go make you something, okay?"

Lou Quan said in a chilling tone, "Get out."

Bai Huan seemed not to hear her and continued, "What do you want to eat? How about stir-fried meat? It's winter to have something like that..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lou Quan, who had suddenly stood up, grabbed him by the collar and shoved him onto the sofa.

Lou Quan's eyes were red-rimmed, his voice hoarse, suppressing immense pain. He said, "Why are you all allowed to live well, while truly kind people die tragically? Why do you still bother me? Why don't you just die already!"

Bai Huan, who was struggling while holding Lou Quan's hand, suddenly stopped upon hearing this. She looked up at Lou Quan, only to see the hatred filling his eyes.

His eyelashes fluttered slightly. He released Lou Quan's hand and calmly said, "Kill me."

Bai Huan knew that Lou Quan really wanted to curse more than just him, but at this moment, only he was there, and he also felt sorry for Lou Quan, so he was willing to die for him.

Upon hearing Bai Huan's words, Lou Quan's pent-up grief was ignited. He took a deep breath, grabbed Bai Huan by the neck, and gradually increased the pressure on his hands.

Bai Huan's face turned from white to red, then from red to purple, veins bulging on his forehead. His body thrashed violently out of survival instinct, but Lou Quan suppressed it all.

Soon, the resistance stopped, Bai Huan's eyes rolled back, and he was about to die.

Just then, Lou Quan suddenly let go of his hand, took two steps back, and slumped onto the sofa next to him.

As air returned to his lungs, Bai Huan instinctively gasped for breath, then clutched his neck and coughed incessantly, his body sliding to the ground like a limp noodle.

Large tears streamed down his face, wetting his cheeks; it was unclear whether they were just physiological tears.

After he calmed down, Lou Quan, his hair disheveled, said, "I promised Mom I wouldn't kill you. And you'll never try to provoke me again. Get out of my house. I don't want to see you again."

Lou Quan spoke these words in a very calm tone, as if he really didn't care and didn't even bother to argue with Bai Huan.

When Lou Quan mentioned the word "Mom," Bai Huan's mind immediately conjured up that gentle face that always seemed to be smiling.

She would call him Xiao Huan with a smile, praising him as the cutest child she had ever seen. And after learning that he and Lou Quan were together, she wholeheartedly supported their relationship.

Even until her last breath, she was still forcing Lou Quan to swear not to blame Xiao Huan, and not to hurt him.

Bai Huan's face suddenly burned with shame, and perhaps, sadness.

Lou Quan didn't see him. He looked at him again, but he didn't see him either. He looked at Lou Quan again, stood up, stumbled to the door, opened it, and was greeted by a bone-chilling cold wind.

Lou Yu is sick. He developed a high fever the day he returned from the lab. He has always been healthy; this illness is likely caused by psychological factors.

When Lou Yu received news of his comrades' deaths back then, he also fell ill, and his condition was even more serious than it is now.

He's always very empathetic, which is both a good thing and a bad thing.

After taking the medicine, the fever subsided, but I felt listless, like a wilted eggplant. I often sat alone by the window, staring blankly outside with a vacant and lost look in my eyes.

His teammates sometimes wondered if he was about to ascend to immortality.

"Captain, eat something. You'll get better faster if you eat well." After preparing the meal, Chen Lin came over to persuade Lou Yu.

Lou Yu hasn't eaten much these past few days, and his teammates are very worried.

Lou Yu said in a hoarse voice, "You guys? Eat up, I have no appetite."

Chen Lin said, "Spring is just around the corner, and there will definitely be wave after wave of mutated monsters then. If we lose your strongest combat force, I don't know how many more people will die."

Lou Yu's expression softened slightly, and Chen Lin continued, "The potato stew I made today was made with meat from a mutated monster that Snow Bird gave us. You still need to go see Snow Bird in the spring, so if you don't recover quickly, how will you see him?"

Chen Lin was well aware of the weight the words "Snow Bird" carried in Lou Yu's heart. As he expected, Lou Yu immediately stood up as soon as he finished speaking.

"Then I'll eat a little bit, however little."

Seeing Lou Yu walk to the dining table and sit down, the other teammates quietly gave Chen Lin a thumbs up.

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow and winked, indicating that if he were to intervene, there was absolutely no surprise.

Snow Bird had no idea what was happening at the human base, let alone that saying her name could coax Lou Yu into eating.

He and his kids had a more abundant winter thanks to the supplies Lou Yu sent them this year. The kids grew stronger and bigger, and his abs almost melted away.

Tao Qiu pinched the little chubby belly and decided that she had to work out harder after spring, otherwise she would be too embarrassed to show off her figure in front of Lou Yu.

With a mobile phone and a calendar on it, even though it was an old calendar from many years ago, Tao Qiu still followed the dates marked on it and spent New Year's Eve with the kids.

This year, they ate hot pot for New Year's Eve. After a whole winter of hard work, plus the broth they were making, they used up all the chili powder and other seasonings.

Tao Qiu said: Today, I miss my Little Fishy very, very much.

The kids, while eating hotpot and drinking sweet soup, also thought that although that human was annoying, the things he gave them were still delicious and useful.

The sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds that day, its golden rays shining warmly and comfortably on people, and most importantly, bringing them a good mood.

However, some of the snow and ice began to melt in the afternoon, and the temperature dropped, making it still a bit chilly. Tao Qiu put on a padded jacket, trousers, and shoes, and led her equally bundled-up children to add snow to the snowman at the door, afraid that it would melt too.

The Second Cub was very worried. "Dad, how can we keep the snow silver?"

Tao Qiu patted her head. Although he felt the truth was cruel for the child, he still told her honestly, "If it were before, with a freezer, as long as the power didn't stop, we could keep things for a very long time. But now we're in the wild. We can't stop spring from coming and the temperature from rising. By the time the grass sprouts, the snowman will have melted."

The Eldest Cub was also quite reluctant to part with the adorable snowman they had built together, but he still comforted his sister, saying, "In winter, the snowman appears; in spring, the snowman leaves, just like us. We grow up, we can't not grow up, and we can't stop the snowman from melting."

The Third Cub stepped forward and hugged his older sister, saying in a childish voice, "We? This winter, let's build another one together!"

Tao Qiu also said, "Xuexue likes this snowman because it looks like the snowman in the story, and also because we built it together, right?"

The Second Cub, wrapped up like Xiao Xue, nodded obediently.

Tao Qiu continued, "So, it's okay if the snowman melts. As long as we're still together, we can plant more fruit when we run out, and we can rebuild the snowman. There's no need to regret what we've lost; something new and better awaits you in the future."

The thought of building snowmen with his dad, brother, and Second Cub every year immediately made Erzai happy.

"We want to happily send Xueyin home!"

Second Cub's green eyes shone brightly in the sunlight, and coupled with her smiling face, it seemed as if the sunlight itself was even more radiant because of her.

It Xiao Xue a few more times after that, but it usually melted by the next day.

Spring's arrival is overwhelming; no one can stop it.

During this period of snow melting, not only is the temperature low, but everything is also damp, giving a clear, damp chill, as if you were soaking in ice water.

Tao Qiu was fast asleep that night when she vaguely heard a series of wailing cries.

At first, Tao Qiu thought he was dreaming, until the babies in his arms were also startled and snuggled in his arms. When he woke up, he groggily asked who was crying and how pitiful it sounded, and only then did he concentrate on listening.