Chapter 118: Loss of Humanity

The sudden change in the "jerk" male lead left Mo Niannian struggling to adapt. Especially when she saw that he was truly in earnest, preparing to place her onto the operating table, she finally felt a genuine surge of panic.

"Wait, Jiang Hu! If I really become your toy, there will be no one left to keep you company—no one to talk to you, eat with you, or do anything with you!"

Jiang Hu tilted his head, pondering for a long while. "But I don't really need that."

He had always lived this way, and he didn't feel anything was wrong with it. His toys, after all, were far superior—loyal, constant companions that would never betray him. The more Jiang Hu thought about it, the happier he became. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Mo Niannian, considering where to make the first incision.

Mo Niannian gripped the bedsheets beneath her tightly. "How do you know unless you try?" If the mission really failed, she would just kill this jerk of a male lead right now.

Jiang Hu contemplated for a moment and then offered a faint smile. "Then let's try. Don't let me down, Niannian."

He released her, even untying the ropes binding her, confident that she couldn't escape. Without another word, he vanished without a trace.

Mo Niannian let out a breath. Having arrived less than a day ago and having already danced on the edge of death several times, she felt her poor heart really couldn't take much more.

[Why is this jerk Jiang Hu so difficult to handle in this world?] Mo Niannian wondered if it was even possible to lower his malevolence level.

The System was also troubled. [The male lead grew up in a pile of corpses. He’s never had a normal social interaction in his life; to him, these things are as mundane as eating or drinking.]

[But you’ve done great, Host! In the original timeline, after the original owner was hypnotized, he found her too boring and threw her into the ocean to feed the sharks.]

Mo Niannian: [...So?]

[You just arrived, and he already wants to turn you into a toy! In his mind, a toy holds a much higher status than any other human.]

[Am I supposed to thank him for that??]

Mo Niannian was furious. This trash system was a complete waste of her time and energy. Was there any hope for this world's male lead? She harbored deep doubts.

She surveyed her surroundings: a cage-like room with several surveillance cameras trained on her. Escape was impossible. She had heard that this place was a research base built by a wealthy benefactor who had paid a fortune to have Jiang Hu develop drugs. Jiang Hu was notorious in the industry for being eccentric; he barely communicated with anyone, yet his technical skills were world-renowned.

He was not only a globally celebrated surgical genius but also possessed an extraordinary mastery of psychology. Countless people had lined up to hire him, and finally, one tycoon had paid a high price to secure his services. That tycoon knew of Jiang Hu’s odd temperament, and since the base was ten miles from civilization, there was no one to turn to for help. Jiang Hu had been running his experiments here openly for over a decade before anyone even realized what was happening.

With no hope left, Mo Niannian had to rely on herself. After all... it was still Jiang Hu. Surely he wouldn't actually kill her.

Mo Niannian drifted into a deep sleep.

Jiang Hu watched her through the monitors. He stared at her for a long time, a smile eventually curling his lips—a shallow, cold smile that didn't reach his eyes.

When Mo Niannian woke up, the room was bright. Jiang Hu was sitting silently beside her, just watching her, which was inexplicably chilling.

Mo Niannian had made up her mind; since it was Jiang Hu, she greeted him with a composed expression. "Morning, Jiang Hu." She stood up, completely uninhibited. "Where is the bathroom? Also, I need a new set of toiletries."

Jiang Hu adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly. "Very well, I will prepare them immediately." This person was becoming more and more interesting.

Although Jiang Hu seemed like a completely different person, Mo Niannian had spent three small worlds with him and was intimately familiar with his little habits and gestures. She was absolutely certain this was him. Perhaps it was because he had been so good to her in the past that, even knowing this version of Jiang Hu was a twisted, cold-blooded demon, she couldn't help but show her true self in front of him. She frequently made unreasonable demands.

Jiang Hu would just watch her, his gold-rimmed glasses shielding his true expressions. He would gaze at her silently for several seconds before turning to carry out her requests.

Mo Niannian simply treated the place like her home, abandoning any thought of escape. She couldn't tell what Jiang Hu was thinking; aside from conducting experiments, he spent his days watching her. Even she couldn't fathom what was going on in his mind.

Jiang Hu had shut himself in the laboratory again, and Mo Niannian lay on the sofa, bored to tears. It was a pity there was no television or phone; otherwise, life wouldn't be so bad.

An explosion sounded from the lab. Mo Niannian was startled and called out hesitantly, "Jiang Hu?"

"Hmm," Jiang Hu replied, acknowledging her.

"Are you alright?" she asked, worried.

"I'm fine." After those two flat words, he fell silent.

Mo Niannian couldn't shake her unease. She got up to check on him. As soon as she reached the door, a thick scent of blood hit her. Furrowing her brows, she pushed the door open. The lab was in shambles. Jiang Hu stood amidst the wreckage, blood dripping steadily from his right hand, forming a small pool on the floor. He was staring at his wounded hand, watching the blood flow away.

Mo Niannian walked over, angry. "You're injured and you don't even know how to treat it?"

"A minor matter," Jiang Hu said dismissively. He was just in time to study how the wound would automatically heal. At this thought, his eyes deepened as he stared at his injured hand.

Mo Niannian was both shocked and furious. "It's such a deep cut! Don't you feel any pain?"

"Pain?" A slight look of confusion appeared on Jiang Hu's face. Pain was a complex physiological and psychological experience; it involved the sensation caused by harmful stimuli acting on the body, as well as the body's reaction to it.

Mo Niannian was incensed. She pulled him out of the lab. "Where do you keep your medicine?"

Jiang Hu stared at her hand for a long time. "There is no medicine."

"There's no medicine in a place this big?" Was he some kind of deity? Mo Niannian was about to be driven mad by him.

Jiang Hu shook his head again. He was still bleeding, and his lips were beginning to turn pale. Mo Niannian worried he might faint from blood loss. She had no choice but to find a cloth and help him bandage it.

Jiang Hu looked dissatisfied and tried to pull the cloth away.

Mo Niannian slapped his hand. "What are you doing? Do you really want to die from blood loss?"

Jiang Hu stared at her, his eyes dark. After a long moment, he adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Thank you."