Why did you provoke me?

Yu Meng didn't continue the topic. Niannian was Xiu Jie's younger sister, and it was Xiu Jie's responsibility, not hers. She was just offering some pointers, and what Xiu Jie did was beyond her control.

Because it was a same-day trip, we arrived in the town in the middle of the night.

Yu's father, mother, and Dali were all awake. Hearing the sound of a car outside, they all ran out.

Aunt Yu stepped forward and hugged Sister Xiu tightly. "You're back so late, haven't you eaten yet? I had Changjiu prepare everything, it's keeping warm in the kitchen."

Yu Meng watched as her mother hugged Xiu Jie, and she and Da Li exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly.

Only Niannian's hand was tightly clutching Xiujie's clothes.

When Dali saw this, she placed Dali's other hand in her own palm. "Mom just doesn't know you yet, otherwise she would definitely hug you too."

"Big sister, I will be good."

"Good girl!" Dali praised.

After everyone ate, they all went to sleep.

When Yu Meng woke up the next day, it was already past nine o'clock. She was sitting there eating breakfast when Yang Huan came over. "Yu Meng, Granny Hua is here."

Yu Meng asked with her eyes, "Where is it?"

"We'll be here in 15 minutes." Yang Huan's usual carefree expression vanished. "Should we go meet her?"

"No need to be in such a hurry, you have to wait until I finish this meal." Yu Meng looked at her, "Even an emperor doesn't starve his soldiers."

Yang Huan nodded, "I'll go upstairs and pack my luggage first, then I'll let my little sister know."

Yu Meng didn't actually want to go; she was afraid, she didn't want to become a puppet like in her previous life.

Yu Meng smiled bitterly. Did she still have a choice? She hadn't figured out how to tell her parents about this.

Yu Meng sighed again. If she couldn't avoid it, then she would fight it! A flash of ruthlessness crossed Yu Meng's eyes. At worst, like in her previous life, if she couldn't break the net, she could at least kill the fish.

Yu Meng saw that Yang Huan and Yang Le had both come downstairs, and their luggage was already in the car. "I'm going to tell my parents where I'm going. You guys wait for me in the car."

Yang Le was about to speak when his older sister, Yang Huan, grabbed him. "Okay, we'll wait for you in the car."

Yu Meng took a deep breath and knocked on her parents' bedroom door.

"Xiao Si, have you eaten? You slept too late last night. No one bothered you, why didn't you sleep a little longer?" Aunt Yu's nagging started again.

Yu Meng sat down on the edge of the bed. "Dad, Mom, I have to go out for a while. I don't know when I'll be back."

Mr. and Mrs. Yu's expressions changed, and Mr. Yu's voice was hoarse, "Can't we not go?"

Yu Meng shook her head. "What we can't avoid is the power of the nation. There shouldn't be any danger, it's just that I don't know when she'll be back. Your daughter is very capable, she might be back in a few days."

Aunt Yu pulled Yu Meng aside, "Is it those two little girls? I knew you'd never had any friends growing up, how come you suddenly brought home two girls this big?"

Yu Meng smiled. "Mom, those two girls are my bodyguards. They're really capable."

Mr. and Mrs. Yu were dumbfounded.

No matter how reluctant they were, Yu Meng still left in the end. Even Dali and Sister Xiu didn't notice she was gone.

Yu Meng sat in the car and glanced at Granny Hua. "Where are we going?"

Grandma Hua smiled, "Let's go see where you'll be working from now on."

"Grandma, look at my young face, look at my small frame, look at my thin shoulders. Do you really think I can shoulder this burden?"

"Xiao Meng, these are not problems. The problem is whether you really want to do this. If you do, countless people will follow you. They are not afraid of death, they can abandon everything: family, love, their gray-haired parents, their crying babies, even their own lives, their own flesh and blood."

Yu Meng looked at Granny Hua earnestly, "I am just an ordinary girl. My biggest dream is to live a peaceful and safe life. I cherish life, whether it is mine or someone else's."

"Yu Meng, I won't force you. Go see it. If you really find it offensive, I'll personally bring you back. Unless absolutely necessary, I will never disturb your life again." Granny Hua spoke sincerely, but Yu Meng didn't believe a word she said.

There are no free lunches, and no one will be kind to you for no reason.

"Grandma, I got home too late last night. I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when we get there."

Grandma Hua responded, her heart filled with mixed feelings; she didn't know which way things would go next.

She was conflicted. She felt sorry for Yu Meng, but everything indicated that Yu Meng was the only choice, and she had no other option.

Whether it was the good road conditions or the driver's skill, Yu Meng was definitely asleep.

She was a little dazed when Granny Hua woke her up. "Granny, have we arrived?"

Grandma Hua smiled kindly, "We've arrived. Shall I show you around?"

Yu Meng shook her head. "I feel great right now. Let's go see the patient."

"This matter isn't urgent. It's been going on for quite a while already, so a little more won't make a difference," Granny Hua said softly.

Yu Meng, arm in arm with Granny Hua, said, "We'll have to face this sooner or later; I don't like to procrastinate."

"Then let's go change our clothes, and then go take a look. Let's see the person you met that day."

Yu Meng followed Granny Hua into a spacious and bright room, but everything inside overturned her understanding.

It was a device resembling a fish tank, and inside it was a person. It was like keeping fish; the person was being kept in the fish tank. The only difference was that there was no water inside.

"Infected people must be kept in isolation. We can't control the aliens in their minds. If we let them run wild, we'll all be infected very soon. It's extremely dangerous," Granny Flower explained.

Yu Meng nodded. "Let me take a look first."

Granny Hua took a step back, while Yu Meng stepped forward. Sure enough, a small flower swayed freely on the lines in the man's mind.

"Grandma," Yu Meng called out, "Should we pull out the lines, or pull out that flower?"

"Are you confident you can pull out the lines?"

"Give it a try, but I don't know if this person will be stupid."

"I don't care if I go crazy, as long as I can pull out the lines." The person in the fish tank actually spoke, which surprised Yu Meng. Fish tanks are for keeping fish, but this one can talk. Is it a mermaid?

Yu Meng nodded, "Grandma Hua, you heard it too. I won't take responsibility for what happens to this person."

Yu Meng closed her eyes, and the lines on her wrist instantly covered the entire fish tank.

Granny Hua's eyes widened, and her mouth involuntarily opened. This was... this was the third level—the Bone Painter.

Yu Meng carefully infiltrated the man's mind with her lines, and the man collapsed into the fish tank without even struggling.

Yu Meng tried to touch the little flower with her own lines, but it actually dodged away.

Yu Meng immediately became interested. "This little flower is not only smart, but she also knows how to avoid danger."

Yu Meng wasn't in a hurry and played with it slowly, but it never dared to touch Yu Meng's lines.

Yu Meng had an idea. She broke the line that had entered her mind into countless fine threads. These threads didn't chase after the little flower; they simply floated in her mind, gradually expanding their area. The original line in her mind was dragged into a corner by the little flower.

Yu Meng had no intention of letting it go. More and more fine threads appeared in her mind. Finally, the little flower slowly shrank, eventually shrinking back into the lines.

All of this once again overturned Yu Meng's understanding.