"Qinghong, wilt thou?"
A gentle, ethereal voice drifted down, washing over her soul with a soothing divine power.
In the Blue Phoenix space, Qinghong heard the oracle and looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with resolve. "My Great Goddess, Qinghong has already made up my mind. I'll not change it."
Even if it meant exposing her scars and the terrors in her mind to the world, she wanted everyone to know the truth. She wanted them to wake up. Even though... she was truly afraid.
Just thinking about those events made her heart tremble. She buried her head between her knees, whispering to herself: "Qinghong, you can do this. You are the strongest, bravest mouse. Keep going!"
The dawn sun, viscous and blood-red, ground its way across the horizon inch by inch.
The streets were so quiet that the sound of a light breeze could be heard. Only a few dared to step out for a morning walk; vendors were scarce, for there was no one to call out to.
Everyone knew today was another day of "Execution".
Furthermore, the public already knew the identity of the condemned: the daughter of "Mrs. Zhu", a famous influencer known as "Lolo".
The information had been leaked by the same individuals who harassed Qinghong previously—specifically, the three university students who had insulted her in the comments.
Lolo was a luxury influencer. Her daily life consisted of videos and livestreams flaunting her latest designer bags, limited-edition perfumes, and custom-made gowns.
Her popularity was immense, with a follower count in the seven figures. It was rare for a wealthy socialite to "share" her life so transparently, showing off her villas and private clubs without fear of privacy leaks.
Logically, such a wealthy woman lacked nothing, yet she chose to work as a "Pet Behavior Correction Specialist". Even as the situation escalated, her fans' first instinct was to defend her.
—[Slander! Pure slander! That 'Qinghong' girl is lying. Lolo would never do such a thing...]
—[Exactly! I once had a Ragdoll cat that used to bite. I sent it to her for a while, and it came back so well-behaved! It doesn't scream or tear up the house anymore!]
—[Me too! Mine was even more amazing. I just bought an audio recording from her. My pet heard it and immediately calmed down! And the price was very affordable! (Attached Video)]
In the attached video, a Husky's fur stood on end the moment the recording played.
Its pupils contracted to the extreme. It didn't run; instead, it collapsed as if its spine had been crushed by an invisible hand.
The sound from its throat wasn't a bark, but a thin, jagged whimper—the sound of human despair.
Its eyes looked as though they were witnessing something utterly terrifying.
The posts involving Lolo were "traffic gold", and replies flooded in:
—[Wait, bro! Did you see how scared it was? You're calling the person who sold you that a "good person"?]
The original poster immediately snapped back:
—[What do you know? This is bio-wave audio. Lolo said it translates to: "If you aren't good, Mommy/Daddy will hit you." What's wrong with that?]
—[OP, are you sure? It sounds incredibly eerie to me...]
As the sun fully emerged, Qinghong's thoughts drifted back. She remembered the drop of blood, the piece of candy, and the woman whose body she now inhabited.
Qinghong was a white mouse born in a laboratory filled with the stench of disinfectant and blood.
She had never seen the sun. The word "Sun" came from a larger member of her kind. He said his name was Zhizhi, a name given to him by his mother. He told her that the glowing things above were "lights", not the sun. The sun was warm, and he loved it, just like he loved his mother.
At the time, she didn't understand the difference between a light and the sun, nor did she understand warmth or the concept of a name.
In the lab, they didn't have names—only serial numbers. She was F0407.
She just felt that Zhizhi was big and could protect her. She felt safe with him, so she loved to cling to him, "offering" him any good scraps of food she found.
As the other mice vanished one by one, her fear grew. Every day, she hid under his belly, her tiny body perfectly covered by his.
Back then, she wondered: Is this the "warmth" Zhizhi talked about?
As a lab rat, her fur had barely grown in when she was forcibly weaned. The warmth of a mother was a memory she had long forgotten. She craved that sensation, clinging to it until the day "that event" occurred.
"Squeak—!" (No! Don't!)
Qinghong watched as Zhizhi was snatched away. She didn't know how to keep him; she only knew that if the big one was taken, he would never come back.
She panicked, spinning in circles, jumping and scratching at the glass. Soon, sharp, frantic screams filled the sealed lab.
"Squeak-squeak-squeak!" (Mama, Master, save Zhizhi! Zhizhi is in pain! Master, save me!)
But Zhizhi never returned. She was left alone.
From that day on, Qinghong fell into a depression. She stopped eating and drinking, spending her days huddled in a corner. At any sound, she would snap her head up—perhaps out of fear it was her turn, or perhaps hoping he had come back.
She noticed the new one. This female biped smelled different; she didn't carry the heavy stench of blood. But Qinghong still refused to get close. Whenever she approached, the mouse hid as far away as possible until she had no strength left.
She didn't understand this female biped. She couldn't count days, but she knew the cycle of the lights. She knew that when the bipeds were gone, the world was dark. Since Zhizhi was taken, the lights had turned on three times.
The first time, the woman brought a small piece of apple. The second time, she left peanuts. The third time, she tried to feed her lettuce. On the fourth time, she held a piece of candy between her fingers. Qinghong's nose twitched uncontrollably. It smelled wonderful.
"Eat up, little one. I spent a long time researching this candy; it's harmless for little ones like you," the woman's voice was soft, like the breeze Zhizhi had described.
Eventually, seeing the mouse wouldn't move, she placed the candy on a small dish and left with a sigh.
Qinghong thought of how Zhizhi said his mother always made strawberry cookies. She hadn't understood then, but looking at the candy, a desire to taste it rose within her. She crept forward and took it in her mouth. It tasted of apples and grapes. Her eyes brightened.
By the fifth time the light came on, Qinghong had regained some strength. When the door opened, she expected the kind female biped, but instead, a different demon entered.
Recalling this now with the memory of her human shell, she finally understood what he had said:
"Eh—it seems the Professor got the subjects mixed up. This is actually F0407. Well, now I have to figure out how to appease Lolo," the male biped said, his tone reflecting the trivial annoyance one feels over a lost tool.
"But this one is the cleanest and whitest. Lolo should like it. I'll take it for her 'Charity Rescue' photoshoot."
The door slammed shut like the gates of hell. Much later, after a fitful sleep, the cage was opened. A pungent scent woke her.
"Since F0407 has already been used for the experiment, I'll take this one as compensation for Lolo. It's not on the logs anyway."
She was stuffed into a cage that still carried a trace of Zhizhi's scent. She felt a momentary relief, yet her instincts screamed in terror of this man and the unknown path ahead. This was her first time feeling the sun.
"Squeak." (Is this the 'Sun' Zhizhi talked about? It's so comfortable.)
The air smelled different—fragrant, but in a way she disliked. At the end of that fragrance stood the woman. She leaned against a car, looking at the man with feigned annoyance, but when her gaze fell on Qinghong, every hair on the mouse's body stood on end.
"Squeak-squeak-squeak!" (This female biped is even scarier than the male.)
The memory cut off. It was 7:00 AM. Qinghong closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the submissiveness of a rodent was gone.
The livestream was about to begin. But at that moment, a post began to go viral.