Chapter 168: We’ve Already Taken Off Our Pants
Chapter 168: We’ve Already Taken Off Our Pants
(Translator’s Notes: "We’ve already taken off our pants" is a colloquial expression in Chinese, often used to convey the idea that someone has already committed to a situation or action to such an extent that it's too late to turn back. It's equivalent to saying "we're in too deep" or "we've already gone too far to stop now" in English.
“Hey, why do you all look so bitter and resentful?”
The Green Dragon tattooed man steps through the doorway with an infuriating grin, his face oozing smugness. He raises a bag of seeds in one hand and waves it at Anran as if showing off some rare treasure.
“Tsk tsk, I search everywhere, but this broken place doesn’t have a single grain of rice or even fruit tree seeds. All I can scrape together is this measly bag of tomato seeds. Come on, beauty, let’s see what you can do with these. Oh, and lucky for you, I even find some white sugar. Imagine that—sweetened cold tomatoes! Doesn’t that sound nice?”
Anran’s expression doesn’t change, but her heart sinks. Cold tomatoes? With sugar?
Suppressing the mix of anxiety and disgust rising in her chest, Anran walks over slowly, cradling the baby in her arms. She locks eyes with the Green Dragon tattooed man, snatches the bag of seeds from his hand, and empties a few onto the table. Her palms begin to sweat, and a faint chill runs down her back.
She glares at the Green Dragon tattooed man, who is clearly enjoying the spectacle, before taking a deep breath. Slowly, she places her hand over the seeds. Concentrating all her energy, she triggers her ability.
Under her trembling palm, tender green sprouts begin to emerge, rapidly growing into small tomato plants. The Green Dragon tattooed man leans in, his eyes glittering with excitement, as if he’s watching the performance of a lifetime.
Anran grits her teeth, pushing her powers further. Her mind races with a single mantra: Don’t be exposed. Don’t be exposed. Exposure means death. Death for me and the baby.
But as the plants grow taller, Anran feels a sharp, biting pain coursing through her body. It’s as if thousands of tiny ants are tearing into her flesh and gnawing at her bones. She can’t take it anymore. Just before she loses consciousness, she abruptly stops infusing the plants with her power.
“Hey! Why’d you stop?” the Green Dragon tattooed man barks, stepping forward. He shoves Anran, nearly knocking her off balance, and snaps impatiently, “I’m asking you—why did you stop?”
Anran steadies herself, her arms tightening protectively around the baby. She pushes back against the Green Dragon tattooed man with all the strength she can muster and shouts, “I told you! When I’m hurt, my powers weaken. This is the best I can do right now. You want tomatoes? Come back the day after tomorrow!”
"Are you f***ing serious? What’s the point of this?” a man standing in the doorway yells, holding a bag of sugar in one hand. His voice is thick with anger as he sneers at Anran. “We took off our pants for this? And this is what we get?”
Before the man can say another word, the Green Dragon tattooed man spins around and slaps him hard across the face. “Will you die if you don’t eat for a day?” he barks. “Show some respect to our beautiful lady here!”
Turning back to Anran, the Green Dragon tattooed man smirks, his beady eyes scanning her up and down. His gaze lingers on the faint trace of blood still trickling down her neck. He chuckles, feigning a tone of understanding.
“You’re right,” he says, nodding as if he’s suddenly sympathetic. “Take care of your injury. Rest up.” Then, his voice drops, and his tone turns sinister. “But tomorrow, at most… You’d better have something ready. Otherwise…” He doesn’t finish the sentence, but the threat in his voice is crystal clear.
Anran doesn’t respond, her expression cold and unreadable. She knows Green Dragon and his men have long lost their humanity. Whatever atrocities they’re planning, she can’t let herself show weakness.
Ignoring the numbness spreading through her body and the stabbing pain in her limbs, she maintains her composure, even as her insides churn with fear and anger.
After a moment of mock courtesy toward Yun Tao, the Green Dragon tattooed man finally leaves the dormitory. As soon as he steps outside, the man by the door slams it shut and locks it, making it clear they don’t trust Anran to stay put.
Not long after, someone brings food and water to the dormitory. They even throw in some disinfectant for Yun Tao’s wounds, a laughable attempt at pretending to care. The Green Dragon tattooed man himself, flanked by two of his lackeys, stands outside the dormitory window, calling out to Anran.
“Do you want more food?” he asks with a fake tone of concern.
Anran forces herself to nod. “Hmm,” she murmurs, playing along. She doesn’t dare show any defiance now.
The Green Dragon tattooed man chuckles, clearly pleased with her compliance. But Anran knows better than to trust his so-called kindness. The battle for survival is far from over.