Going Out

Ren Yi was still adjusting to his elevated perspective, but those words snapped him wide awake. "Brother, but the Alliance said we're not allowed to leave home."

"Mainly, cannot, leave family," Ren Man corrected.

"Some 'family' is 'home.' So, that rule exists."

He explained it to Ren Yi one word at a time. For Ren Man, this qualified as a long, complex sentence.

"Don't be afraid," he said earnestly. After a moment's thought, he struggled to add another sentence. "If I am not there, not allowed."

It was a bit difficult to parse, but Ren Yi understood.

For some Cubs, their "family" was their "home"? Like a house, or a specific area they couldn't leave?

But since his brother wasn't a "tethered spirit," Ren Yi wasn't subject to that restriction? He just had to ensure he stayed within a certain distance of his brother at all times?

And that last sentence was a classic parental statement: I'm here this time, so we can exploit this loophole, but you're not allowed to do this alone, kid.

"Brother, are some Anomalies not human?" Ren Yi asked, only to realize the question was a bit strange after it left his mouth.

"Can be, other forms." As long as they didn't exceed the forms of human cognition.

"Then what are we going out for... Oh, is it the chair?"

So much had happened yesterday that Ren Yi had almost forgotten Ren Man's combination of autism and OCD.

There were originally four chairs in the house. He had broken one yesterday, and Ren Man had already vanished the fragments to who-knows-where. Now there were only three.

And three chairs were not symmetrical.

Ren Man must have been suffering all night because of it.

"I'll be ready in a second." Thinking of this, Ren Yi quickly changed his clothes.

Just as he was about to put on his shoes, he paused for a moment.

They were originally white shoes, but now, the soles were stained a dull red.

It was the "liquid" Ren Yi had stepped in on graduation day.

Without dwelling on what exactly had fallen from the building that day, Ren Yi put on his shoes as if nothing was wrong.

Before they left, Ren Man handed Ren Yi a small slip of paper.

【Public Conduct Guidelines】

"Children" must grow up within a stable social environment and cognitive framework. Do not display behaviors, knowledge, or abilities that excessively exceed the "human cognitive threshold" in public. If you cannot yet maintain your physical form, please go out only when accompanied by a mature "family member."

If you notice a "child" suspected of having cognitive abnormalities, maintain observation and immediately contact the nearest Alliance staff member. Do not interfere without authorization.

Please properly secure "working tools," "food," "gateways," etc. It is strictly forbidden to leave the above items in public areas.

Do not enter areas clearly marked "No Entry" or "Temporarily Closed." The owner of the area is free to deal with intruders as they see fit.

"Family members" must fulfill their guardianship responsibilities and ensure that the accompanied "Cubs" fully understand these guidelines. If public order is disrupted due to negligence in supervision, the "family member" will be held equally responsible. In severe cases, guardianship rights will be revoked.

Ren Man waited quietly for Ren Yi to memorize it before opening the door.

They lived on the eighth floor. Outside the door was an open-air corridor, with the elevator not far away.

Just as Ren Man was locking the door, the elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. Ren Yi instinctively ducked behind Ren Man.

"Brother Ren Yi!"

A small figure lunged out of the elevator. Ren Man blocked the narrow corridor, preventing the child from crashing into Ren Yi.

"Xiaolong, come back here!"

A slightly plump middle-aged woman rushed out of the elevator, grabbed Xiaolong by the ear, and pulled him back.

She then looked at Ren Yi with great warmth. "Oh, it's Xiao Yi. Right, didn't you just finish your Professional Allocation Test? Why are you heading out so soon? You should be getting some rest."

It was Auntie Du, their next-door neighbor, and her son, Zhao Xiaolong.

Due to Ren Man's taciturn nature, Ren Yi had been forced to shoulder the burden of socializing with the neighbors. Because he was polite and had good grades, he was well-liked by all the uncles and aunties in the vicinity.

Only now...

Ren Yi looked at Auntie Du's smiling face, then couldn't help but steal a glance at her stomach. A giant, blood-red mouth coated in lipstick was grinning there. He turned his head, only to meet his brother's urging gaze.

"Hello, Auntie Du," Ren Yi said, forcing himself to speak.

"Oh!" Auntie Du seemed very happy. The mouth on her face and the giant mouth on her stomach smiled simultaneously. "What a good boy. Why so shy? You used to be so outgoing!"

"Mom, it hurts!" Zhao Xiaolong, still held by his ear, began to struggle and protest.

The smiles on Auntie Du's face and stomach vanished instantly. She turned to scold Zhao Xiaolong. "You brat, your Brother Xiao Yi just finished an important test. Don't bother him!"

She gave Ren Man and Ren Yi one large and one small apologetic smile, then quickly pulled Zhao Xiaolong into their apartment and closed the door.

Once the neighbor's door was shut, Ren Yi and Ren Man bolted into the elevator as if they were escaping a crime scene.

As the elevator descended floor by floor, Ren Yi covered his face. "Auntie Du is way too enthusiastic."

Yes, he knew there were no normal people in this world—perhaps no humans at all—but he still needed time to adjust.

Ren Man looked down at him with an innocent expression. "She did it on purpose."

Ren Yi: "..."

"Wait, Brother." Ren Yi suddenly realized something. "Xiaolong hasn't 'awakened' yet, right?"

Ren Man nodded.

"In that case, didn't Auntie Du just break the rules?"

【"Children" must grow up within a stable social environment and cognitive framework. Do not display behaviors, knowledge, or abilities that excessively exceed the "human cognitive threshold" in public.】

Ren Man looked a bit confused and said as if it were obvious, "It's humanoid."

Ren Man saw the speechless look in his brother's eyes and finally seemed to catch on to Ren Yi's train of thought.

"Alliance protection. He can't see it."

Before Ren Yi could fully process that, the elevator reached the first floor. The doors slid open, allowing him to see outside.

It was a bright, sunny morning, the perfect time for commuting and morning exercise.

Ren Yi immediately saw several faceless old men, an old lady with hair as thick as chopsticks that was flicking like a snake's tongue, and a salaryman with hooves for feet walking past the entrance.

Good grief, you Anomalies really categorize anything with a head and four limbs as "humanoid," don't you?

At the same time, he realized that the Alliance must have implemented some kind of restriction to cloud the perception of children—including his former self.

Was it a "Rule"? Would the rule fail if the humanoid form was destroyed?

"If you like, you can... show a bit too," Ren Man murmured cryptically beside him.

Ren Yi jumped in fright and said quickly, "No, no, Brother, I'm perfectly fine like this."

He looked up and saw Ren Man smiling very happily.

Ren Man led Ren Yi toward the bike shed. The short walk felt incredibly long to Ren Yi.

There were "people" everywhere. As Ren Yi walked, he had to greet neighbors who looked somewhat familiar.

He felt like a numb greeting-machine, more miserable than a child returning to their hometown for New Year's.

At least those kids got red envelope money and didn't have to repeatedly shatter and rebuild their entire worldview.

It wasn't until he was sitting on the back of their little electric scooter, watching the scenery fly past, that Ren Yi's tense expression finally relaxed.

His worldview had collapsed so thoroughly that he didn't have any energy left to be terrified.

With a sense of total resignation, the scenery in the neighborhood actually took on a certain "charm."

Their destination wasn't far. When this residential complex was first built, a bunch of furniture stores had opened nearby. After a period of fierce competition, only one remained, securing a monopoly on furniture in the area.

Upon arrival, Ren Yi was surprised to find the furniture store bustling with people. Most were families with "children" who hadn't awakened yet, a stark contrast to the usual quiet atmosphere.

"Why are there so many people?" Ren Yi looked up at Ren Man.

Ren Man shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

Ren Yi hesitated. He didn't want to go anywhere with anomalies right now, especially anomalies even Ren Man didn't understand.

"Because of school advancement season," a voice suddenly drifted over from the side.

Ren Man tilted his head slightly and spoke. "Lin."

Ren Yi looked past Ren Man and saw a young doctor wearing glasses.

As for how he knew the man was a doctor, it was because he was wearing a spotless white coat and a stethoscope in the middle of this busy street, as if intentionally emphasizing his profession.

Another acquaintance. No, a familiar Anomaly.

"Hello, Dr. Lin." Ren Yi continued his role as the heartless greeting-machine.