Hu Lei woke up in the middle of the night. She crawled out of the warmth of Zhong Feng's arms and left the room. She was hungry and thirsty. She did not plan on looking for food in a stranger's home, but she needed a glass of water.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes drifted to the doorway that seemed to lead to the basement. The entrance was closed, but she could see some light flowing through the gaps around the door. She stopped on the last step and stared at that door for a while.

She knew that she should move along. Her best choice was finding a glass of water and returning to bed. However, she could not let it go. Her curiosity towards the owner of the house was overwhelming.

Perhaps, that curiosity arose from the fact that he did not satisfy her expectations. She did not know if she had hoped for a bona fide villain. But she had never thought that the man hiding in the shadows was a young man with a gentle voice.

As if possessed, Hu Lei walked from the stairs and stood before the tempting door that held secrets. She turned the handle with care. When the door opened, she was washed by a gentle white light. She looked down the stairs, but she could not see anything unusual.

She closed the door and took the first step down the stairs.

The basement was surprisingly cooler than the rest of the house. Moreover, she noticed that this secluded space was more modern. The floor of the basement from her vantage point on the stairs indicated the flooring was tiled with ceramic or porcelain.

She kept walking down the stairs with apprehension and excitement mixing into one. Unfortunately, as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found herself face to face with Yuan Haoran. She was startled and almost stumbled back.

His red eyes seemed to glow like a vampire's in the dim light. The sight was horrifying. Moreover, unlike his friendly demeanour before, he appeared positively murderous. He looked like he needed only a single word to attack the intruder.

"What are you doing here?" The voice was like thorns of ice.

Hu Lei resisted the urge to shiver in fear. She felt like she was looking at the real Yuan Haoran. Cold and dangerous and on the edge… She decided to confess the truth.

"I was curious." She said simply.

If Yuan Haoran attacked, she did not intend to go down without a fight. However, she hoped that he would not resort to violence, despite his bloody aura. She stood her ground, refusing to step back, even as his killing intent intensified.

"What do you want to know?" The words held a compelling edge.

Hu Lei's golden eyes gained a bright lustre, like a sword in the moonlight. She faced the man before her, putting aside her original apprehension and caution. She had never been someone who cowered before tough opponents.

"I want to know your motivation. I want to know the reason I suffered." She said with a calm voice.

"I thought you believe in karma and the cycle of good and evil." The response held some amusement.

"I would still like to know why countless people suffered and died in pursuit of an answer." She paused. "I know the International Health Alliance did not only work for your benefit. But at the very least, the things I experienced in Antarctica were related to you." Hu Lei said.

Yuan Haoran looked at Hu Lei for a long moment before he turned from her. He began walking deeper into the large basement. Hu Lei hesitated before following. Perhaps, she was a fool for following the unfamiliar man, but she wanted to know desperately.

She wanted peace of mind.

In the inner part of the basement, there was a locked room. It did not have a traditional lock or handle. Rather, it used the biometrics of the owner to open. Hu Lei watched as Yuan Haoran scanned his fingerprints and iris to gain access.

He ushered Hu Lei in before closing the door. His aura did not lose that subtle bloodiness of a person who had killed countless people. Furthermore, Hu Lei could sense a subtle killing intent directed toward her, but she chose to ignore it.

Once she looked around the newly revealed space, her eyes were drawn to the centre of the white room. The coffin-like futuristic pod in the middle was prominent and imposing. If Akira had been on the scene, she would have realised that the unit was similar to the one used by Luna Adventures.

Hu Lei walked toward the feature as if she was pulled in by a peculiar magnetism. The cover of the pod was as clear as glass. She peered inside and saw a beautiful young lady lying in the pod, perfectly still. She looked dead, but Hu Lei did not think she was.

Sleeping Beauty…

The words came to her mind unbidden.

"If I thought killing you right now could give her a chance at a healthy life, I would do it without blinking." Yuan Haoran said, startling Hu Lei out of her trance.

She looked up at him. His eyes were glued on the girl, and there was a mixture of pain and helplessness emanating from him. She did not know if there were words of comfort she could offer him, especially after he threatened to kill her.

"Is she in a coma?" Hu Lei asked.

"No. It is a state of suspended animation." Yuan Haoran replied. "She is just in a state of dormancy, but she can wake up."

Hu Lei looked at the girl a little closer. She stared at the closed eyes, lips and other facial features before she drifted down to the rest of her body. Her brows creased before she looked up at Yuan Haoran. His eyes were still glued on the sleeping girl.

"Is she experiencing organ failure?" Hu Lei asked.

"You are indeed Hu Ming's daughter." The response indicated that he was impressed. "It is a degenerative disease that affects all organs. I have considered all the possible approaches for resolving the problem, including genetic alteration."

Hu Lei finally understood. The attempts to trigger her genetic strength was not about building a super-soldier. It was about healing a human with a deteriorating body. Yuan Haoran had probably wanted to change the girl by triggering genetic changes as her father did to her.

Except he could not do it because Hu Ming had designed her to be different from the beginning.

"How long does she have?" Hu Lei asked.

"If I awaken her, probably a year."