She is the most beautiful rose

Chapter 364 passed
There was an information gap between her and Qin Yanfeng; he didn't know about the hospital basement, but Qin Juan had told her about the hospital's past that afternoon.

The person I saw in the hospital's underground laboratory that night...

Her heart was racing, and she suddenly looked up at Qin Yanfeng.

"What came to mind?"

He asked gently, as if offering guidance.

Does he know?

Shen Manzhi's face turned somewhat pale under the ambiguous warm yellow light.

Delson's initial collaboration with domestic research institutions was with Qin Xianhe of the Qin family.

That night in the basement, I heard the familiar voice of an older person and saw the person with my own eyes...

Shen Manzhi's eyelashes trembled slightly; the person from that night was also Qin Xianhe.

Qin Yanfeng only knew the former, not the latter.

The collaboration three years ago should have ended long ago. Even the files that Shen Manzhi stole from Jiahe Research Institute a year ago were sealed. However, the construction of the hospital's basement began in the same year and it was put into use a year ago, indicating that Qin Xianhe's "collaboration" never ended.

But not with Delson, but with this foreign organization.

Shen Manzhi's hand, which was resting to her side, was clenched into a fist. The pain made her thoughts more agile, and she had completely ignored the background that Qin Juan had laid out in the afternoon when he talked about the hospital's history.

He mentioned three time points: one year ago, three years ago, and twenty years ago.

A year ago, the research institute was shut down and had to relocate because the cooperation project proposal was stolen. Three years ago, the Delson Laboratory was destroyed by an explosion, which destroyed all serum samples, making further cooperation impossible and leaving no source of experimental materials.

What about twenty years ago?
Such a distant event, and it's related to the Qin family.

Shen Manzhi's brow furrowed deeper and deeper; the only thing she could think of was her mother Zhan Yunqing's case.

But whose interests did Zhan Yunqing infringe upon?

Is it the same thing?
Qin Juan said that the Qin family started participating in medical projects at that time. If there were foreign organizations infiltrating and cooperating with the Qin family at that time, and Zhan Yunqing was also involved...

To silence them.

Her face suddenly turned deathly pale, and a chill ran through her body.

Seeing that her expression was off, Qin Yanfeng grabbed her hands and forcefully intertwined them, smoothing out her swollen palms. "What's wrong?"

"I……"

When she looked up, she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes and was somewhat speechless.

Qin Yanfeng hugged her and said softly, "It's okay, you can tell me when you're ready."

He couldn't possibly have been unaware of such a strong emotional shift.

Shen Manzhi was somewhat confused. These various old and new incidents were all connected. Was it a coincidence or something deliberate?

If it was intentional, what is the other party's next plan?
What exactly is the relationship between foreign organizations and the Qin family?
Shen Manzhi suddenly felt a headache coming on, a sharp, throbbing pain in her nerves. She rubbed her forehead, thinking there must be some missing information that could connect the dots…

"Don't think about it." Qin Yanfeng frowned, noticing the fine beads of sweat on her forehead. He gently massaged the acupoints on her head. "Shen Manzhi?"

Shen Manzhi lowered his head and stared into the void, his brows furrowed.

What else didn't you think of?

Qin Xianhe's cooperation with overseas organizations and his collaboration with Delson suggest that he must have known about her identity long ago.

If they could have targeted her mother back then, why don't they just arrest her directly instead of relying on external forces like Helandai to restrain her?

Their influence can penetrate so deeply; they can't possibly operate in such secrecy.

It felt as if...every step she was taking was part of their plan.

She was present at two of the three attacks, and in the second one, she was deliberately lured there in an attempt to surround her.

Following the clues, she went to the Third District Police Station, which led her to the Huaicheng Mental Health Center and the basement.

The heavily guarded experimental base is located in the center of the basement.

See you in the western suburbs at 10 AM tomorrow. I'll take you there.

Qin Juan sent her a text message saying he would take her into the laboratory in the center of the basement.

Another sharp pain shot through her, and Shen Manzhi closed her eyes.

The researcher in the white sterile suit walked back and forth, using electromechanical devices to fix his limbs. A canister of unidentified green liquid was injected into his body. His blurred vision began to slowly burn, and he became drowsy and hibernated all night.

When I opened my eyes again, the room was empty, bathed in intense white light. My ankles were still chained, and the chains drew blood as I moved, enticing the others who were still asleep...

Is that a person?

The roars and howls that erupted were even more brutal than a wild beast tearing apart its prey.

But nobody wants to be the prey.

Until the large glass container filled with green solution in the center of the base's flat floor, the defeated "prey" was thrown in time and time again.

The only wild animal survived.

The report was delivered in a cold, mechanical voice.

[0973, Passed.]

"Shen Manzhi!"

Qin Yanqin clearly saw fear, ruthlessness, and numbness in her eyes. Everything was so profound that it made his heart tremble. He cupped her face in his hands.

He spoke so softly he didn't know what to do, "Zhizhi?"

The body is more honest than memory.

The moment his cheek was touched, Shen Manzhi's fingers were already gripping his wrist.

It's not a caress, it's a capture, a preemptive strike etched into the bones and blood through countless battles.

Her reddened eyes stared at the person in front of her, she abruptly stopped herself, but her fingertips were trembling, like a bloodthirsty beast smelling the scent of a living creature, instinct awakening before reason.

That violence came without warning.

It lies dormant deep within the spine, reviving along with the memories.

She remembered her own gaze sinking to the bottom as the green liquid mixed with blood surged in the glass container, remembered the roars echoing in the empty space, and remembered that when she looked up and saw the robotic arm drooping, something more primal and unsatisfied was coursing through her veins, clamoring under every inch of her skin, wanting to break through the soil.

She wasn't someone who survived because of a special constitution; she was an experimental subject who crawled out of countless hells.

She suddenly closed her eyes, her nails digging into her palms.

The kiss came so gently and carefully; she felt soft lips fall around her eyes, then slowly move to her ear, whispering her name.

Shen Manzhi.

She is Shen Manzhi, not 0973.

The force of the fingertips loosened before reason prevailed.

Shen Manzhi stared at Qin Yan's face; it was too close.

He was so close that the lingering fierceness in her eyes had nowhere to hide; so close that she could almost see her own reflection in his pupils, just like she had seen in front of the glass container.

The beast-like wariness in his pupils slowly faded, replaced by a deeper, bone-chilling coldness.

A deep sense of lingering fear washed over me.

"Qin Yanfeng..."

Qin Yanfeng pulled her into his arms, lowered his eyes, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm here, I'm here."

Shen Manzhi then realized that she was trembling. A strange emotion welled up from the depths of her chest, stuck in her throat, and was so bitter that she almost choked.

If all of this was a setup.

When she easily found flaws and clues, and successfully sneaked into the basement thinking she had found the truth and wanted to go into the laboratory to investigate further, she had already fallen into the other party's trap.

No wonder she always felt that these three cases were targeting her; now I know how.

It went too smoothly, as if she was being guided deeper into the lab, one step at a time, until the door behind her closed, and she finally "discovered" that she was lying inside the experimental chamber once again.

They could never get out.

Unable to catch her openly, they devised this scheme to lure her into their trap.

She pressed her forehead against Qin Yanfeng's chest.

It's not about relying on, it's about resisting.

It was pushing against something with all its might, as if trying to smash it, break it apart, and knock it back to where it belonged.

She tried to steady her breathing, "I originally planned to go to the hospital again tomorrow night..."

Qin Yanfeng was slightly taken aback. "When did you go?"

Shen Manzhi opened her mouth, but didn't know where to begin.

Qin Yanfeng loosened his grip slightly, noticing the lingering redness in her eyes. As if remembering something, he gently stroked the area below her collarbone, the scars he'd seen while changing her clothes. He felt a tightness in his heart. "Why do you think keeping it from me is protecting me? If it's to keep me from worrying, then can I also keep some things from you?"

Shen Manzhi was slightly taken aback.

He lowered his voice, as if it were being forced out of his chest, "You're making me very worried."

Just unintentionally recalling these related matters can cause her so much pain; how can he let her face it alone?

Shen Manzhi's expression was complicated.

She still didn't want to drag the people around her into a dangerous vortex.

But thinking about it carefully, what she feared most about everything she had just thought of was being locked in the laboratory again and facing death.

No, what she feared was the panic and emptiness at the thought of never seeing this person again, as if a piece of flesh had been ripped out of her body, leaving her feeling terribly heavy.

His eyes also became moist and red.

Shen Manzhi suddenly sat up and kissed him. The passionate and tender kiss left Qin Yanfeng stunned.

His Adam's apple bobbed, but he still raised his hand to support her waist and gently pushed her away. Although his voice was hoarse, he still restrained himself and said, "Don't try to get away with this trick again."

Shen Manzhi's eyes were still glistening with tears: ?
Qin Yanfeng remained calm and composed, his expression indifferent. "Last year on the Lantern Festival, the night you left, it was just like this."

She was so proactive that he was completely blinded by her intention to leave, and didn't even realize she was going to.

Shen Manzhi curved her lips into a smile, lowered her head and kissed him again, very lightly, like leaving a seal.

“I was just thinking,” she whispered, her voice close to her lips, “that it’s so unfair to you to drag me into this. But if we’re destined to be together, then I want to cherish you even more every day from now on.”

Because she couldn't predict whether an accident or tomorrow would come first, she wanted to feel his presence more intensely.

Qin Yanfeng understood the implication in her words.

She never thought too far ahead or made any promises about the future. He understood her concerns, so he nodded, "We will live a peaceful and prosperous life together."

The two hugged for a while, then Shen Manzhi got up and quickly pulled away from the bed. Before Qin Yanfeng could stop her, he asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Let me calm down."

Shen Manzhi fastened her bathrobe, picked up the water beside her, and drank it down in one gulp.

Qin Yanfeng leaned against the headboard, watching her body flush slightly, and raised an eyebrow.

Perhaps it was because so much had happened since they returned to China, but every time they met they would have a heart-to-heart talk, and after each talk they felt they were even closer to each other.

The closer you are to someone, the more you want everything to go smoothly for them.

Shen Manzhi finished her drink and put down the cup. Love is not selfish, but she always felt indebted.

Therefore, all connections between the Qin family and the hospital were concealed, including Qin Juan's.

She recounted the clues she had discovered during her last visit to the hospital and her suspicions.

“They knew it wouldn’t be easy to catch me openly, so the experimental base in the basement was a second trap they set for me. I was supposed to sneak into the lab that night, but an accident happened and I didn’t have time.”

Qin Yanfeng somewhat disapproved of her decision, "Are you still planning to go?"

Shen Manzhi pursed her lips. "Originally, I just wanted to collect more evidence from the hospital. Now that I know they're setting a trap for me, there's no need to go. I'll fly to Beijing to see Si Ming the day after tomorrow."

Qin Yanfeng didn't say anything more, and just fell silent.

Shen Manzhi stared at him, hesitatingly asking, "Are you concerned about me seeing Si Ming?"

They had just been talking about "caring" when Qin Yanfeng remained silent, simply looking at her.

Shen Manyi subtly curved her lips into a smile and said seriously, "We're here to talk about serious business."

Qin Yanfeng's tone was somewhat cold, "The last time you went to him to discuss serious matters, he kept you behind."

Shen Manzhi knew he held a grudge, so she leaned closer to look into his eyes and said in a soft voice, "Then will you come with me?"

Qin Yanfeng's pupils reflected the beautiful woman's smiling face, only to realize later that she had said it on purpose, just to flirt with him with that last sentence.

He pulled her closer, holding her waist, and whispered, "We can't meet alone."

He rarely made such demanding remarks, and Shen Manzhi smiled and agreed.

The atmosphere started to heat up again, but the conversation wasn't over yet.

Qin Yanfeng held her shoulder and pulled her a little distance away: "Why did you remove everyone around you?"

Shen Manzhi's fingertips twitched slightly. "How did you know?"

"The white tiger beside you hasn't appeared for a long time."

Shen Manzhi thought to himself, "He's a human being."

Qin Yanfeng continued, "And those people who were protecting you in the shadows are all gone. Are you waiting for them to come looking for you?"

He secretly arranged for people to follow and protect Shen Manzhi. The two groups had encountered each other several times and occasionally even bumped into each other. He would find out sooner or later that she was missing.

And he could always guess her plans.

Finding Shen Manzhi is easy, but catching Shen Manzhi is very difficult.

Huaicheng is such a small place, even if the other party knows her whereabouts, they have no way to do anything about it, just like Helandai.

But she took the initiative to remove the people.

This means that she was already prepared to get involved.

She sat on the edge of the bed, took his hand, and said softly, "Their real activities are overseas. Continuing to harass them here won't yield any more clues."

Qin Yanfeng frowned. "You always put yourself in danger. If I don't ask, are you planning to keep it from me?"

Shen Manzhi blinked. "I can't remember."

Qin Yanfeng remained silent.

“Look at you,” Shen Manzhi reached out and smoothed his brow, “You get upset if I don’t tell you, but you get angry if I do.”

Qin Yanfeng pulled down her wrist, not denying her plan, "Without any clues or information about the other side, how can you be sure you can get out unscathed?"

Shen Man knew he was very worried, so she never told him about the things she had found out overseas.

But since we've agreed to stand side by side, there's no need to hide it anymore.

“I arrested a few people a while ago. They were the ones who surrounded me across from the Third District Police Station when the second case happened, saying they wanted to take me alive. They were probably arranged by the mastermind. They refused to talk and I couldn’t find their identities, but after multiple verifications, they should be from an overseas employment organization. At the same time, I found traces of large doses of injection on their arms.”

Qin Yanfeng frowned slightly. Another potion?

Shen Manzhi said in a deep voice, "There's one more thing. Before returning to China, I asked someone to find Meihe in Country A."

Qin Yanfeng looked up.

When the Golden Leopard headquarters was raided, Meihe was the only one who escaped. Both of them were seriously injured at the time. Qin Yanfeng did not want her to risk her life to investigate further, so he did not say much about the follow-up.

Unexpectedly, she still went to check.

Shen Manzhi turned her gaze away from his. "She frequents a suburban laboratory on the East Coast, and the people there have the same injection marks on their bodies. I know that this alone is not enough to prove anything, but it's the only clue that connects us right now."

She looked back at him, her gaze calm. "This foreign organization that's causing trouble in China is very likely from the same force as the US-based organization, Meihe."

The clues were fragmented, but each one pointed in the same direction, and she didn't want to let them go.

Qin Yanfeng remained silent for a long time before lowering his voice: "You know that you can't enter the underground laboratory here, so how dare you enter their headquarters base?"

She held his hand, reassuring him with a relaxed expression, "I've already made arrangements over there. I don't do things I'm not sure about."

As she spoke, her voice softened: "What they want is me. I can't think of a better way right now."

A more comprehensive plan might be possible with a longer-term perspective, but the experiments both domestically and internationally will not stop, and the people around her will continue to face threats.

Qin Yanfeng sighed softly.

He cupped her face in his hands, pulling her closer, his eyes as deep as a still, dark sea.

"Don't take all the pressure and responsibility on yourself. With me here, we'll take a different path."

Shen Manzhi looked up, slightly taken aback.

He didn't immediately dismiss her plan; he simply expressed his concerns and worries, then gently accepted her long-standing habit of acting alone.

What she saw in his eyes was a steadfast and composed determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

The person she desperately wanted to protect had actually been protecting her all along.

"Qin Yanfeng".

"Ok?"

Shen Manzhi didn't say anything, but simply rested her head on his shoulder and gently rubbed against him.

He is a weakness, but also armor, and even more so, a sword and a blade that can bloom together.

Fighting side by side