Chapter 98: Love Welfare Institute
Wednesday on the ballad was ‘marriage.’ Marriage represented another type of one-to-one matching.
One by one, the enthusiastic investors soaked the trembling children in the water before fishing them up. Then someone would come up to them and draw blood from these children into blood transfusion bags. The investor took the blood-filled infusion bag with a satisfied smile.
Soon, it was the turn of Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang.
Little Miao Feichi had been crying. He was pushed into the water by the impatient Miao Feichi and his blood drawn. His face was white and he shivered all over, but he had to be obedient. He seemed to realize that resistance was useless and looked at the investors around him with despair and sadness, holding out a trembling hand to have his blood drawn.
After coming down, Miao Feichi casually measured the blood bag in his hand. “It is almost 100ml. If it wasn’t for the need to take it back to the hospital for an examination, I would like to drink it.”
Miao Gaojiang looked around and came to a conclusion. “This group of children have a one-to-one correspondence with the investor. If we start against other people’s children, these ill investors will have no children and will soon become the bloodless monster of the ICU ward. It is likely the aggro of the corresponding investor monsters will be locked on us.”
Miao Feichi frowned. “Then it is better not to act against the children of these NPC investors. It is the most troublesome thing to be chased by monsters. Later, it is easy for them to sneak attack us.”
“We are going to attack the player’s child.” Miao Feichi tossed the blood bag between his left and right hands, staring at the blood flowing in the bag. “I want little Bai Liu (6). How about you take that blind one and let Mu Ke’s child go.”
Then Miao Feichi casually turned his head and glanced at Bai Liu who was sitting silently behind them. He smiled and said, “Mu Ke, in return for you telling us about the life recovery medicine, we won’t act against your child. However, if you need the blood of more than one child to pass the level, you can figure it out by yourself. Little Bai Liu (6) and that blind child belong to us.”
“There is another way.” Miao Gaojiang hypocritically comforted Bai Liu and patted him on the shoulder. “You can try to let the child Mu Ke run out of the welfare home alone. As long as he isn’t caught by any monsters when escaping, he will complete the main task. If he succeeds then you can also pass.”
Miao Gaojiang might’ve comforted Bai Liu in this way but it was obvious that he and Miao Feichi felt that such a scheme was impossible.
The two people didn’t place any hope of clearance on the children’s side at all. It was because the possibility of success was too small. This was a level 2 game. How could a group of children who didn’t know anything escape from a group of A+ monsters? Even A grade players had difficulty escaping, let alone children.
This was a scenario with a near zero chance of success.
Bai Liu lowered his head and pretended that his shoulders were shaking. “Yes, I will try.”
Miao Feichi saw Bai Liu like this and sneered. Then he turned his head back and continued playing with the blood bag.
The moment Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang looked away, calmness returned to Bai Liu’s face. It was indeed a very risky strategy to let the child be the main clearance hope but this was the most cost-effective, lowest cost, lowest risk method that Bai Liu thought of.
—Although the risk was still quite high.
“Mu Ke’s investor, please come up and baptize your child.”
Bai Liu looked up and looked at little Bai Liu (6) who had no expression on his face. They stared at each other briefly through the flame of the candle before little Bai Liu (6) turned his face away. He wasn’t used to being looked at directly. Bai Liu’s lips suddenly curled up in a smile. There was an air of reminiscence in that smile.
At the age of 14, one of the things he was best at was escaping from a welfare home.
Bai Liu stepped forward. His current identity was Mu Ke’s investor and he had to baptize Mu Ke. He stood in front of little Mu Ke at the dean’s guidance.
Little Mu Ke swallowed nervously as he looked at Bai Liu. He handed the candle to the dean and opened his arms to Bai Liu, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Little Mu Ke was really scared, so scared that he couldn’t tell the investor in front of him wasn’t his. After all, they looked the same.
Following the dean’s instructions, Bai Liu placed his hand under little Mu Ke’s knees and picked up Mu Ke.
Little Mu Ke was slowly submerged in the clear water. He closed his eyes in fear and clenched his fists. Bubbles rose from his face and he could feel his warm tears melting into the cold water. It was as if the temperature of his body passed into the water and he became cold.
‘Am I going to die…’ Little Mu Ke thought in a trance. ‘I feel… my heart is going to stop beating.’
After dozens of seconds, Bai Liu took him out again. The soaked little Mu Ke gasped, his mouth blue and purple. He instinctively clung to Bai Liu’s neck for dear life, coughing and choking. The person waiting to draw Mu Ke’s blood came forward, pulling off the plastic protective sleeve of a syringe to reveal the sharp needle tip.
Little Mu Ke shook his head frantically and backed away in horror. He almost pulled Bai Liu’s clothes as he climbed onto Bai Liu’s head. Bai Liu grabbed onto his struggling ankle.
Bai Liu stared at the tearful Mu Ke. “Be quiet.” Then he raised his head and told the person who was going to draw the blood, “Don’t take it from him.”
Both the person taking the blood and the struggling little Mu Ke were startled.
The dean asked, “Investor, are you sure you don’t want to take this child’s blood? If you take him away and he has a disease that affects you, we won’t be responsible for it.”
“It doesn’t matter what his blood is.” Bai Liu looked up at the dean, his attitude very indifferent. “There is no need to draw the blood for screening. I am sure that he is the child I want to take away. I will bear the consequences of his illness.”
The wet Mu Ke curled up in Bai Liu arms, staring up at Bai Liu with his hair still dripping.
Bai Liu looked down at little Mu Ke in his arms. He put down the child who hadn’t recovered and whispered in little Mu Ke’s ear, “Leave here with Bai Liu (6). I don’t want your blood.” Then he patted little Mu Ke on the shoulder and went to sit down in his original spot.
Little Mu Ke took his candle back from the dean in a daze and stood next to Bai Liu (6) in the queue.
Soon, little Mu Ke reacted. He approached Bai Liu (6) and whispered in a low voice, his tone a bit excited, “Xiao Liu, he is your investor, right? He really doesn’t want my blood like you said!”
“I told you.” Little Bai Liu (6) replied calmly. “He is a weird investor who wants to save us.”
Soon, little Mu Ke looked at little Bai Liu (6) with horror. “He is your investor so why did he baptize me? He baptized me. What will you do?”
“The next child to be baptized, Bai Liu (6). Bai Liu (6)’s investor, please step forward to baptize him.” The dean looked at little Bai Liu (6).
Little Bai Liu (6) lowered his head obediently and stepped out of the line.
The dean called out a few times but no one responded. Suddenly, someone laughed contemptuously and stood up. “Dean, Bai Liu (6)’s investor has unfortunately passed away. Why don’t I help baptize him?”
The man who stood up was Miao Feichi.
“No, Mr Investor. You have already baptized a child.” The dean shook her head and rejected Miao Feichi. Miao Feichi glanced at little Bai Liu (6), licked his mouth and sat down with regret.
The dean walked in front of little Bai Liu (6) and gazed at him like he was unsold goods. Meanwhile, the words that came out of her mouth were very compassionate and pitying. “What a poor investor, what a poor child. You have been abandoned. Oh, of course, the fact that you came to the welfare home means you have been abandoned by your parents. Now even the investor who values your life abandoned you on the eve of your baptism.”
Little Bai Liu (6) stood with his head down as he was scolded by the dean. His dark eyes stared at the candle he was holding and the firelight reflected on his expressionless face.
“You are a child abandoned by God.” The dean pretended to sigh. “The sin on you is incomparable so God has chosen to let everyone abandon you. Do you know where you are wrong, Bai Liu (6)?”
“I don’t think I know, Dean.” Little Bai Liu (6) answered calmly.
The dean gazed at little Bai Liu (6) with a very indifferent, stern look as she condemned him righteously, “My child, you are wrong because no one wants to help you wash away the sins that you have. You need to complete the baptism alone and you need to be punished. You need to stay in this pool for a long time to wash away your sins.”
Little Bai Liu (6) was pulled to the container of water by the dean. Before little Bai Liu (6) could react, the dean took away the candle and pressed Bai Liu (6)’s shoulder to let him sit on the container. She was expressionless as she looked down at little Bai Liu (6).
She held the candle in one hand and with her other hand, she grabbed his hair and threw him into the pool. “You need to be washed clean, my child.”
Little Bai Liu (6) was pushed into the pool and completely submerged under the water. His instinctive reaction of choking and suffocation made him want to grasp both sides of the bathtub-like container. Yet soon, little Bai Liu (6) forced himself to let go and let himself sink to the bottom of the pool.
The dean, who grabbed his head and held it under the water, smiled softly. She raised the candle while looking at Bai Liu (6) under the water below her. “Before this candle burns out, you aren’t allowed to leave the baptismal pool.”
The light from the candle wick jumped twice and dripped hot wax onto the hands of little Bai Liu (6) that were holding onto the sides of the pool. The stinging reaction similar to the burning of flames caused little Bai Liu (6) to instinctively loosen his grip on the already slippery altar walls he was holding.
The clear waves of water moved in little Bai Liu (6)’s vision. He saw the gentle smile of the dean directly above him. It entered his eyes and became hideous and terrifying.
The white wax droplets instantly solidified when they hit the water surface, turning into wax-like floating objects, just like a child’s peeled off fingernails. His head was still being pushed down by the dean. Little Bai Liu (6) forcibly raised his head, his chest rising and falling quickly due to a lack of oxygen. He was a small, defenseless creature but his eyes were calm, as if he wasn’t being baptized below the pool’s surface.
He seemed to have anticipated that he would go through all of this.
Once Bai Liu (6)’s oxygen was about to run out, he would seize the opportunity and use his full strength to pop out of the water surface full of wax droplets and take a breath. Then Bai Liu (6)’s head would be held down by the dean again. He breathed hard again and again, as if he was going to die in the baptismal pool. He suffocated and struggled with all his might to emerge from the water.
Little Mu covered his mouth, his eyes red. Miao Feichi watched the suffering little Bai Liu (6) and showed a pleased expression. He stretched out his neck to try and get a closer look at Bai Liu (6)’s pained face submerged under water.
Miao Feichi didn’t like the scene of children being tortured. It reminded him of when Miao Feichi kidnapped that child. He turned his head slightly and frowned, his expression a bit heavy.
Meanwhile, Bai Liu quietly looked down. His eyes were a bit dazed and he was too calm.
It seemed that the person on the verge of drowning in front of him wasn’t his 14 year old self or his own way to clear this game.
His long-term memories were like little Bai Liu (6) trying to rise from the water, emerging from the wax seal.
Bai Liu hated water because he was once punished like Bai Liu (6). He seemed to be 14 years old at the time. Bai Liu’s memories weren’t very clear. Human beings would instinctively forget the memories that made them uncomfortable. He did some wrong things. He took an adult’s money and promised to do something for them, just like little Bai Liu (6).
Soon, this matter was reported by the other children of the welfare home. The director of the welfare home had looked at him in horror and fear, as if he had done something heinous. Bai Liu, who was still called Bai Liu (6) at that time, was already feared and talked about by the dean and teachers due to his bloody hobbies.
They looked at Bai Liu with disgust and fear, as if saying, ‘Ah, I knew it. You finally did something like this.’
To be honest, Bai Liu had enjoyed the look in their eyes. Then he was soon punished.
Bai Liu squinted his eyes as he thought back in a daze. It seemed that his head was pushed into something. He couldn’t quite remember. It was a container full of water and they scolded him while screaming at him not to do it next time. He choked in the water and agreed softly.
However, the panicked teachers seemed to grab at this chance to punish him. They didn’t simply let him go, this little devil. They drowned him for a while longer before retreating in an exhausted gusto. It was as if they had educated a murderer who lost his way.
Lu Yizhan, who was also drowned for an afternoon, lay panting on the ground. Next to him was the dying Bai Liu, or Bai Liu (6). He hadn’t changed his name at that time.
Lu Yizhan was a rare idiot in the world. When the teacher received the report from the other children and asked who did such a bad thing, Lu Yizhan came out and took the blame for Bai Liu. He voluntarily admitted that he was the one who did it and asked the teacher to punish him. This guy didn’t even know that Bai Liu had done it. He just helped Bai Liu with the blame.
Unfortunately, the self-dedication of the fool Lu Yizhan didn’t get a perfect ending. The child who reported it insisted it was Bai Liu who did the bad thing and wouldn’t let it go.
The end result was that Lu Yizhan, who did nothing, was labeled an accomplice and was also severely punished by the teacher.
Even if he was punished, Lu Yizhan was a well-known good boy. The teachers liked him very much and he wouldn’t be punished so severely. It was just that he refused to leave. He had to stay with Bai Liu for however long Bai Liu was punished. This honest and pure boy crouched beside Bai Liu with red eyes, like a stubborn calf who couldn’t be pulled away. He didn’t resist, curse or prevent the teachers from torturing anyone. He just didn’t leave and stared at Bai Liu who was choking under the water.
As Bai Liu was pressed into the water, Lu Yizhan also buried his head in the water and saw the struggling Bai Liu. He said anxiously, ‘Hold on Bai Liu, it will be over soon.’
‘I’m here, Bai Liu.’ Lu Yizhan roared underwater. ‘I believe you have done nothing bad.’
Bai Liu looked at Lu Yizhan who was gurgling bubbles due to talking. He saw Lu Yizhan’s anxious and panicked face and Bai Liu couldn’t help wanting to laugh. He did laugh. He couldn’t actually hear what this fool was saying to him and he couldn’t figure out why this fool believed in him without any basis.
If Bai Liu still had the strength to speak at that time, he would definitely tell Lu Yizhan, ‘Idiot, I did a bad thing, a very bad thing.’ It was a pity he didn’t have the strength. He was drowning to death.
The unlucky guy Lu Yizhan suffered the same as Bai Liu and was now getting up while still choking on water. He staggered forward, trying to get to Bai Liu who was lying on the ground, soaking wet and gasping for air.
Then it was like his brain twitched. Lu Yizhan suddenly crouched down, stared at Bai Liu and asked if he wanted to change his name. Tell them that he had changed his face and would never use the name of ‘Bai Liu (6)’ to meet people and do bad things.
‘Perhaps they won’t punish you like this in the future.’ Lu Yizhan was very whimsical. In Bai Liu’s eyes, he put forward a stupid and unconstructive proposal.
This wasn’t the first time Lu Yizhan had done this type of thing, Bai Liu thought. In fact, Lu Yizhan often had such unfounded ideas—for example, he must be friends with Bai Liu.
Bai Liu’s eyes rolled around as he lay on the ground. He was supported up by Lu Yizhan and turned to look at this Lu Yizhan who was watching him expectantly. His wet hair slipped down and covered Bai Liu’s eyes. Bai Liu covered his belly abruptly and laughed. It wasn’t known what he was laughing at or why he wanted to laugh. He just laughed strangely while sitting on the ground wet with the water from his body.
Bai Liu laughed while curling up and spitting out the water in his throat. After spitting it out, Bai Liu became very calm. He looked at Lu Yizhan who was stunned by his laugh and answered lightly, ‘Okay, if you tell me to change it then I will change my name.’
The baptism, or torture of little Bai Liu (6) on the altar finally ended. The dean finally let go of little Bai Liu (6).
No children could be killed in the church so Bai Liu wasn’t worried about the dean directly drowning Bai Liu (6). She was just punishing little Bai Liu (6), a child no investor wanted. It was because the baptism was also a task for the child. It was natural to be punished if they couldn’t do it.
Little Bai Liu (6) emerged from the water. He lay on the edge of the pool, coughing up a few mouthfuls. He raised his hand and wiped the water from his mouth before staggering out of the container. Soon, little Bai Liu (6) recovered from the suffocation state just before drowning. He didn’t look like a child who was almost drowned in public. He showed no emotion and calmly took the burnt out candle from the dean. He bowed politely to the dean and stood back in line.
The long-term lack of oxygen made little Bai Liu (6)’s cheeks flushed and his eyes were wet with tears. His hair stuck to the sides of his face and dripped water. The originally wide robe was now fully attached to his body because it was soaked, making him look thin and small.
Little Bai Liu (6) lowered his head, covered his nose and mouth and coughed in a restrained manner, his eyes red.
He looked… a bit pitiful.
The statue on the inverted cross behind him, which had been sleeping peacefully, frowned at some point. The fingers that had been spread out slightly closed together. He seemed to have been disturbed by little Bai Liu (6)’s coughing sound and the thorns on his body wrapped around him more tightly.
Fanart entry (slight spoiler for this arc but nothing I consider too serious): ‘Don’t be afraid that I will leave your summer’ by Autumn Song
One by one, the enthusiastic investors soaked the trembling children in the water before fishing them up. Then someone would come up to them and draw blood from these children into blood transfusion bags. The investor took the blood-filled infusion bag with a satisfied smile.
Soon, it was the turn of Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang.
Little Miao Feichi had been crying. He was pushed into the water by the impatient Miao Feichi and his blood drawn. His face was white and he shivered all over, but he had to be obedient. He seemed to realize that resistance was useless and looked at the investors around him with despair and sadness, holding out a trembling hand to have his blood drawn.
After coming down, Miao Feichi casually measured the blood bag in his hand. “It is almost 100ml. If it wasn’t for the need to take it back to the hospital for an examination, I would like to drink it.”
Miao Gaojiang looked around and came to a conclusion. “This group of children have a one-to-one correspondence with the investor. If we start against other people’s children, these ill investors will have no children and will soon become the bloodless monster of the ICU ward. It is likely the aggro of the corresponding investor monsters will be locked on us.”
Miao Feichi frowned. “Then it is better not to act against the children of these NPC investors. It is the most troublesome thing to be chased by monsters. Later, it is easy for them to sneak attack us.”
“We are going to attack the player’s child.” Miao Feichi tossed the blood bag between his left and right hands, staring at the blood flowing in the bag. “I want little Bai Liu (6). How about you take that blind one and let Mu Ke’s child go.”
Then Miao Feichi casually turned his head and glanced at Bai Liu who was sitting silently behind them. He smiled and said, “Mu Ke, in return for you telling us about the life recovery medicine, we won’t act against your child. However, if you need the blood of more than one child to pass the level, you can figure it out by yourself. Little Bai Liu (6) and that blind child belong to us.”
“There is another way.” Miao Gaojiang hypocritically comforted Bai Liu and patted him on the shoulder. “You can try to let the child Mu Ke run out of the welfare home alone. As long as he isn’t caught by any monsters when escaping, he will complete the main task. If he succeeds then you can also pass.”
Miao Gaojiang might’ve comforted Bai Liu in this way but it was obvious that he and Miao Feichi felt that such a scheme was impossible.
The two people didn’t place any hope of clearance on the children’s side at all. It was because the possibility of success was too small. This was a level 2 game. How could a group of children who didn’t know anything escape from a group of A+ monsters? Even A grade players had difficulty escaping, let alone children.
This was a scenario with a near zero chance of success.
Bai Liu lowered his head and pretended that his shoulders were shaking. “Yes, I will try.”
Miao Feichi saw Bai Liu like this and sneered. Then he turned his head back and continued playing with the blood bag.
The moment Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang looked away, calmness returned to Bai Liu’s face. It was indeed a very risky strategy to let the child be the main clearance hope but this was the most cost-effective, lowest cost, lowest risk method that Bai Liu thought of.
—Although the risk was still quite high.
“Mu Ke’s investor, please come up and baptize your child.”
Bai Liu looked up and looked at little Bai Liu (6) who had no expression on his face. They stared at each other briefly through the flame of the candle before little Bai Liu (6) turned his face away. He wasn’t used to being looked at directly. Bai Liu’s lips suddenly curled up in a smile. There was an air of reminiscence in that smile.
At the age of 14, one of the things he was best at was escaping from a welfare home.
Bai Liu stepped forward. His current identity was Mu Ke’s investor and he had to baptize Mu Ke. He stood in front of little Mu Ke at the dean’s guidance.
Little Mu Ke swallowed nervously as he looked at Bai Liu. He handed the candle to the dean and opened his arms to Bai Liu, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Little Mu Ke was really scared, so scared that he couldn’t tell the investor in front of him wasn’t his. After all, they looked the same.
Following the dean’s instructions, Bai Liu placed his hand under little Mu Ke’s knees and picked up Mu Ke.
Little Mu Ke was slowly submerged in the clear water. He closed his eyes in fear and clenched his fists. Bubbles rose from his face and he could feel his warm tears melting into the cold water. It was as if the temperature of his body passed into the water and he became cold.
‘Am I going to die…’ Little Mu Ke thought in a trance. ‘I feel… my heart is going to stop beating.’
After dozens of seconds, Bai Liu took him out again. The soaked little Mu Ke gasped, his mouth blue and purple. He instinctively clung to Bai Liu’s neck for dear life, coughing and choking. The person waiting to draw Mu Ke’s blood came forward, pulling off the plastic protective sleeve of a syringe to reveal the sharp needle tip.
Little Mu Ke shook his head frantically and backed away in horror. He almost pulled Bai Liu’s clothes as he climbed onto Bai Liu’s head. Bai Liu grabbed onto his struggling ankle.
Bai Liu stared at the tearful Mu Ke. “Be quiet.” Then he raised his head and told the person who was going to draw the blood, “Don’t take it from him.”
Both the person taking the blood and the struggling little Mu Ke were startled.
The dean asked, “Investor, are you sure you don’t want to take this child’s blood? If you take him away and he has a disease that affects you, we won’t be responsible for it.”
“It doesn’t matter what his blood is.” Bai Liu looked up at the dean, his attitude very indifferent. “There is no need to draw the blood for screening. I am sure that he is the child I want to take away. I will bear the consequences of his illness.”
The wet Mu Ke curled up in Bai Liu arms, staring up at Bai Liu with his hair still dripping.
Bai Liu looked down at little Mu Ke in his arms. He put down the child who hadn’t recovered and whispered in little Mu Ke’s ear, “Leave here with Bai Liu (6). I don’t want your blood.” Then he patted little Mu Ke on the shoulder and went to sit down in his original spot.
Little Mu Ke took his candle back from the dean in a daze and stood next to Bai Liu (6) in the queue.
Soon, little Mu Ke reacted. He approached Bai Liu (6) and whispered in a low voice, his tone a bit excited, “Xiao Liu, he is your investor, right? He really doesn’t want my blood like you said!”
“I told you.” Little Bai Liu (6) replied calmly. “He is a weird investor who wants to save us.”
Soon, little Mu Ke looked at little Bai Liu (6) with horror. “He is your investor so why did he baptize me? He baptized me. What will you do?”
“The next child to be baptized, Bai Liu (6). Bai Liu (6)’s investor, please step forward to baptize him.” The dean looked at little Bai Liu (6).
Little Bai Liu (6) lowered his head obediently and stepped out of the line.
The dean called out a few times but no one responded. Suddenly, someone laughed contemptuously and stood up. “Dean, Bai Liu (6)’s investor has unfortunately passed away. Why don’t I help baptize him?”
The man who stood up was Miao Feichi.
“No, Mr Investor. You have already baptized a child.” The dean shook her head and rejected Miao Feichi. Miao Feichi glanced at little Bai Liu (6), licked his mouth and sat down with regret.
The dean walked in front of little Bai Liu (6) and gazed at him like he was unsold goods. Meanwhile, the words that came out of her mouth were very compassionate and pitying. “What a poor investor, what a poor child. You have been abandoned. Oh, of course, the fact that you came to the welfare home means you have been abandoned by your parents. Now even the investor who values your life abandoned you on the eve of your baptism.”
Little Bai Liu (6) stood with his head down as he was scolded by the dean. His dark eyes stared at the candle he was holding and the firelight reflected on his expressionless face.
“You are a child abandoned by God.” The dean pretended to sigh. “The sin on you is incomparable so God has chosen to let everyone abandon you. Do you know where you are wrong, Bai Liu (6)?”
“I don’t think I know, Dean.” Little Bai Liu (6) answered calmly.
The dean gazed at little Bai Liu (6) with a very indifferent, stern look as she condemned him righteously, “My child, you are wrong because no one wants to help you wash away the sins that you have. You need to complete the baptism alone and you need to be punished. You need to stay in this pool for a long time to wash away your sins.”
Little Bai Liu (6) was pulled to the container of water by the dean. Before little Bai Liu (6) could react, the dean took away the candle and pressed Bai Liu (6)’s shoulder to let him sit on the container. She was expressionless as she looked down at little Bai Liu (6).
She held the candle in one hand and with her other hand, she grabbed his hair and threw him into the pool. “You need to be washed clean, my child.”
Little Bai Liu (6) was pushed into the pool and completely submerged under the water. His instinctive reaction of choking and suffocation made him want to grasp both sides of the bathtub-like container. Yet soon, little Bai Liu (6) forced himself to let go and let himself sink to the bottom of the pool.
The dean, who grabbed his head and held it under the water, smiled softly. She raised the candle while looking at Bai Liu (6) under the water below her. “Before this candle burns out, you aren’t allowed to leave the baptismal pool.”
The light from the candle wick jumped twice and dripped hot wax onto the hands of little Bai Liu (6) that were holding onto the sides of the pool. The stinging reaction similar to the burning of flames caused little Bai Liu (6) to instinctively loosen his grip on the already slippery altar walls he was holding.
The clear waves of water moved in little Bai Liu (6)’s vision. He saw the gentle smile of the dean directly above him. It entered his eyes and became hideous and terrifying.
The white wax droplets instantly solidified when they hit the water surface, turning into wax-like floating objects, just like a child’s peeled off fingernails. His head was still being pushed down by the dean. Little Bai Liu (6) forcibly raised his head, his chest rising and falling quickly due to a lack of oxygen. He was a small, defenseless creature but his eyes were calm, as if he wasn’t being baptized below the pool’s surface.
He seemed to have anticipated that he would go through all of this.
Once Bai Liu (6)’s oxygen was about to run out, he would seize the opportunity and use his full strength to pop out of the water surface full of wax droplets and take a breath. Then Bai Liu (6)’s head would be held down by the dean again. He breathed hard again and again, as if he was going to die in the baptismal pool. He suffocated and struggled with all his might to emerge from the water.
Little Mu covered his mouth, his eyes red. Miao Feichi watched the suffering little Bai Liu (6) and showed a pleased expression. He stretched out his neck to try and get a closer look at Bai Liu (6)’s pained face submerged under water.
Miao Feichi didn’t like the scene of children being tortured. It reminded him of when Miao Feichi kidnapped that child. He turned his head slightly and frowned, his expression a bit heavy.
Meanwhile, Bai Liu quietly looked down. His eyes were a bit dazed and he was too calm.
It seemed that the person on the verge of drowning in front of him wasn’t his 14 year old self or his own way to clear this game.
His long-term memories were like little Bai Liu (6) trying to rise from the water, emerging from the wax seal.
Bai Liu hated water because he was once punished like Bai Liu (6). He seemed to be 14 years old at the time. Bai Liu’s memories weren’t very clear. Human beings would instinctively forget the memories that made them uncomfortable. He did some wrong things. He took an adult’s money and promised to do something for them, just like little Bai Liu (6).
Soon, this matter was reported by the other children of the welfare home. The director of the welfare home had looked at him in horror and fear, as if he had done something heinous. Bai Liu, who was still called Bai Liu (6) at that time, was already feared and talked about by the dean and teachers due to his bloody hobbies.
They looked at Bai Liu with disgust and fear, as if saying, ‘Ah, I knew it. You finally did something like this.’
To be honest, Bai Liu had enjoyed the look in their eyes. Then he was soon punished.
Bai Liu squinted his eyes as he thought back in a daze. It seemed that his head was pushed into something. He couldn’t quite remember. It was a container full of water and they scolded him while screaming at him not to do it next time. He choked in the water and agreed softly.
However, the panicked teachers seemed to grab at this chance to punish him. They didn’t simply let him go, this little devil. They drowned him for a while longer before retreating in an exhausted gusto. It was as if they had educated a murderer who lost his way.
Lu Yizhan, who was also drowned for an afternoon, lay panting on the ground. Next to him was the dying Bai Liu, or Bai Liu (6). He hadn’t changed his name at that time.
Lu Yizhan was a rare idiot in the world. When the teacher received the report from the other children and asked who did such a bad thing, Lu Yizhan came out and took the blame for Bai Liu. He voluntarily admitted that he was the one who did it and asked the teacher to punish him. This guy didn’t even know that Bai Liu had done it. He just helped Bai Liu with the blame.
Unfortunately, the self-dedication of the fool Lu Yizhan didn’t get a perfect ending. The child who reported it insisted it was Bai Liu who did the bad thing and wouldn’t let it go.
The end result was that Lu Yizhan, who did nothing, was labeled an accomplice and was also severely punished by the teacher.
Even if he was punished, Lu Yizhan was a well-known good boy. The teachers liked him very much and he wouldn’t be punished so severely. It was just that he refused to leave. He had to stay with Bai Liu for however long Bai Liu was punished. This honest and pure boy crouched beside Bai Liu with red eyes, like a stubborn calf who couldn’t be pulled away. He didn’t resist, curse or prevent the teachers from torturing anyone. He just didn’t leave and stared at Bai Liu who was choking under the water.
As Bai Liu was pressed into the water, Lu Yizhan also buried his head in the water and saw the struggling Bai Liu. He said anxiously, ‘Hold on Bai Liu, it will be over soon.’
‘I’m here, Bai Liu.’ Lu Yizhan roared underwater. ‘I believe you have done nothing bad.’
Bai Liu looked at Lu Yizhan who was gurgling bubbles due to talking. He saw Lu Yizhan’s anxious and panicked face and Bai Liu couldn’t help wanting to laugh. He did laugh. He couldn’t actually hear what this fool was saying to him and he couldn’t figure out why this fool believed in him without any basis.
If Bai Liu still had the strength to speak at that time, he would definitely tell Lu Yizhan, ‘Idiot, I did a bad thing, a very bad thing.’ It was a pity he didn’t have the strength. He was drowning to death.
The unlucky guy Lu Yizhan suffered the same as Bai Liu and was now getting up while still choking on water. He staggered forward, trying to get to Bai Liu who was lying on the ground, soaking wet and gasping for air.
Then it was like his brain twitched. Lu Yizhan suddenly crouched down, stared at Bai Liu and asked if he wanted to change his name. Tell them that he had changed his face and would never use the name of ‘Bai Liu (6)’ to meet people and do bad things.
‘Perhaps they won’t punish you like this in the future.’ Lu Yizhan was very whimsical. In Bai Liu’s eyes, he put forward a stupid and unconstructive proposal.
This wasn’t the first time Lu Yizhan had done this type of thing, Bai Liu thought. In fact, Lu Yizhan often had such unfounded ideas—for example, he must be friends with Bai Liu.
Bai Liu’s eyes rolled around as he lay on the ground. He was supported up by Lu Yizhan and turned to look at this Lu Yizhan who was watching him expectantly. His wet hair slipped down and covered Bai Liu’s eyes. Bai Liu covered his belly abruptly and laughed. It wasn’t known what he was laughing at or why he wanted to laugh. He just laughed strangely while sitting on the ground wet with the water from his body.
Bai Liu laughed while curling up and spitting out the water in his throat. After spitting it out, Bai Liu became very calm. He looked at Lu Yizhan who was stunned by his laugh and answered lightly, ‘Okay, if you tell me to change it then I will change my name.’
The baptism, or torture of little Bai Liu (6) on the altar finally ended. The dean finally let go of little Bai Liu (6).
No children could be killed in the church so Bai Liu wasn’t worried about the dean directly drowning Bai Liu (6). She was just punishing little Bai Liu (6), a child no investor wanted. It was because the baptism was also a task for the child. It was natural to be punished if they couldn’t do it.
Little Bai Liu (6) emerged from the water. He lay on the edge of the pool, coughing up a few mouthfuls. He raised his hand and wiped the water from his mouth before staggering out of the container. Soon, little Bai Liu (6) recovered from the suffocation state just before drowning. He didn’t look like a child who was almost drowned in public. He showed no emotion and calmly took the burnt out candle from the dean. He bowed politely to the dean and stood back in line.
The long-term lack of oxygen made little Bai Liu (6)’s cheeks flushed and his eyes were wet with tears. His hair stuck to the sides of his face and dripped water. The originally wide robe was now fully attached to his body because it was soaked, making him look thin and small.
Little Bai Liu (6) lowered his head, covered his nose and mouth and coughed in a restrained manner, his eyes red.
He looked… a bit pitiful.
The statue on the inverted cross behind him, which had been sleeping peacefully, frowned at some point. The fingers that had been spread out slightly closed together. He seemed to have been disturbed by little Bai Liu (6)’s coughing sound and the thorns on his body wrapped around him more tightly.
Fanart entry (slight spoiler for this arc but nothing I consider too serious): ‘Don’t be afraid that I will leave your summer’ by Autumn Song
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