When Ella was four years old, the scandal at the test base was revealed, and the Authority and the military stormed the building, taking many staff and teachers with them, except Joanna.

Joanna is a member of the Authority, and she lurks in the Experimental Building for years, gathering evidence and finally making the existence of the Experimental Base public.

The first group to be removed from the experimental base were children under the age of eight in Group A. They are physically and mentally healthy and have not yet been used for experimentation, so they are prioritized to be sent to various orphanages, waiting for well-wishers to adopt.

The children over the age of eight in Group A and the children in Group B were not so lucky, either because they were modified or because they were placed in Group B and were suspected and feared by others.

"The kids in Group B are born killers." This was what one of the trainers had said before, so the Authority had to be cautious, suspecting that these children were flawed in their personalities, and that if they were to be left in the care of others as normal children, they might one day become hunters in the New World.

The current responsibility for managing these children falls on Joanna's head. Joanna let go of her long coiled hair, tied it back in her head, and changed into her stiff gray clothes, all the while putting away her serious expression. Now she is like a big sister next door, showing a completely different temperament from Joanna in the past. But the children's fear of teachers has long been ingrained, and even if Joanna changes her old ways, the children will not be able to get close to her.

"Lady Joanna is a good person." Little Ella said this again, but except for Reslie, everyone else was still skeptical.

Children are sometimes very sensitive and can detect certain clues whether adults can believe or not. The first time Ella went to Joanna for the keys, and when Joanna told her carefully, she secretly noticed that Joanna was different from the rest of the staff.

Little Ella ran to Joanna, pulled her skirt, raised her clear eyes, and said, "Madam, Mia's birthday is coming, can you help her celebrate her birthday?" ”

Joanna's eyes widened in surprise, she didn't expect that there were still children willing to talk to her, and even ask her. She hugged little Ella in her arms, and it was a long time before she squeezed out a sentence:

"Well, of course."

When Joanna hears that she is going to throw a birthday party for Mia, the children are happy and envious. But Mia's physical condition is getting weaker and weaker. First I started to feel dizzy, I walked unsteadily, then I started to lose my hair, and finally I was even bedridden. The reason for this is that after the incident of the experimental base was revealed, the important staff related to it all fled and destroyed most of the materials. Children over the age of eight who have been modified no longer have life-sustaining drugs.

Everyone made wigs and new clothes for Mia, who loved beauty, there was no shortage of flowers in her room, the children were with her all the time, and when the weather was fine, they would push her out to bask in the sun. From time to time, the children gather to discuss how to take care of Mia. They have long since abandoned their rival status, and instead take care of their eldest big sister as a family member. This was unimaginable before.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, it snowed heavily, and the white covered everything. The children, who had never seen snow before, were surprised and delighted when they looked at the cold white crystals. Resley pushes Mia out to look at the snow. Pure white snowflakes fell on the corners of her eyes, kissing her dark eyes, and tears sprinkled on the tips of her heart. She closed her eyes and buried her wish on this winter day.

"I want to watch the snow with everyone next year."

In the evening, in Mia's room, Joanna and the children throw a big party for her. Cakes and desserts fill the table, Mia lies weakly on the bed, closes her eyes and makes a wish on the cake, and the children clumsily sing the newly-learned birthday song. It was the busiest day in the lab building in years.

In the midst of laughter, at the moment when the birthday candle went out, when the last snowflake fell, Mia closed her eyes and no longer had the strength to open them.

Sensing that something was wrong with Mia, everyone gathered at the head of Mia's bed, Joanna carefully picked up Mia, and her voice came to her ears, and she was angry. Joanna couldn't control herself anymore, her eyes were full of tears, and she hugged Mia in pain.

On her deathbed, Mia smiled and lay in Joanna's arms, just saying two short syllables: Mom.

After Mia left, other older children began to show the same symptoms. First Dean and Rose, then Harry and Anna, and finally Ressley. Every few days, a child leaves. In this case, it was Joanna who had the hardest time. She ran up and down every day, taking care of every sick child, forgetting to sleep and eat. At the same time, she is constantly urging the Authority's research and medical staff.

Once little Ella got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, passed by Joanna's room, and found that her room was still lit, and Joanna was sitting at her desk, holding a pen and recording something. Joanna, who works hard for the children under the light, is the appearance of a confused mother in Little Ella's heart.

Little Ella walked into Joanna's room and sat down beside her with a small bench.

"Why don't you go to sleep yet?"

"I want to be with you."

"Okay, but only stay for ten minutes, and go back to sleep after ten minutes."

Little Ella nodded, then leaned her little head against Joanna. But the child is still a child after all, and he fell asleep after a while. Joanna smiled and poked her finger at little Ella's fleshy little face. She picked up little Ella with the gentlest force in her life, carried her to her bed, and covered the quilt. Then Joanna also sat at the head of the bed.

"Ella, am I doing something wrong?" In the darkness of the night, Joanna asked, "If I had been more prepared and informed the Authority, would I have been able to save more children?" ”

Joanna's voice trembled, and what she couldn't erase from her eyes was remorse and unwillingness. In fact, over the years, the most painful is Joanna. She truly loves every child, but she can't write her pity on her face, but must pretend to be a wicked person. Before the child is destroyed, the materials and information must be checked by her. She watched one child after another die, but she could only pretend to be deaf and dumb and remain silent.

Joanna looked at the sleeping little Ella, and the strong guilt overwhelmed her for a moment, and the faces she had sent away appeared in front of her.

Her shadow fluttered against the wall in the afterglow of the lamp. She wants to give up her identity as a manager, she wants to become an ordinary mother, ordinary to protect all children, but she also knows that her small wish will be ruthlessly swallowed by this dark night...... She was no longer qualified to be a mother......

Joanna took a deep breath as she returned to her desk and continued to document the children's condition.

The night is still long.

Resley will never forget the first time he stepped out of the building, the bright sun piercing his eyes, and the breath of nature urging him to run, to jump, to embrace the grass and trees.

However, after the symptoms began, Resley could no longer walk normally, and he forced his legs open, only to feel a piercing pain. However, when he was finally able to get out of the building, Resley was unwilling to lose his freedom again because of his illness. Every day, he was accompanied by little Ella, endured the pain, and reluctantly walked outside.

One morning, in the early morning light, Resley got up early, struggling to sit in his wheelchair, and he wanted to get out. But Joanna said that it was not yet completely light outside, the snow had not melted, and it was freezing cold, so she was not allowed to go out. Reslie was in a hurry, and he said that it would be too late if he didn't go out, and this was his last wish. After the argument, Joanna compromised.

Resley called little Ella out with him. Four-year-old Ella couldn't push her wheelchair at all, and she still relied on Resley to push hard. They arrived at one of Ressley's favorite trees, the first time Resley had climbed a tree.

"Resley, what are we doing so early?"

"Watch the sunrise." His voice was faint, and little Ella had to lean in front of him to hear it.

The sun rises from the distant hillside, shining brightly, slowly rising in a bright light, driving away the remnants of the night. The temperature was still very low in the morning, and little Ella couldn't help but sneeze. Resley touched little Ella's head and said with a smile:

"Ella, I love you."

Little Ella was confused, "What does love mean?" ”

"That's what it means to like you in the world...... It's the meaning of wanting to be with you forever......"

"Ressley, I told you that I would always be with you. Don't you believe me? ”

"I believe that in this world, I only believe in you." Resley smiled, it was the first time he had expressed his inner thoughts so sincerely, but he was a little overwhelmed.

"Resley, you're not going to be like Mia, I'm going to be a doctor to cure you, can you wait for me?"

"Okay......

"Lesley, I still want to be with you in the future, don't bother me, okay?"

"Good ......"

"Resley, are we free now?"

"Hmmm......"

Under the big tree, with the last strength of his life, Lacey half-opened his eyes, and he saw the clouds on the horizon as if oil paint was smeared on the horizon, and under the sky, snow covered the buildings, covered the bare branches, covered the hillsides and the distant invisible horizon.

Freedom, how beautiful and intoxicating.

He smiled and closed his eyes happily. In a trance, I heard the voices of Johnson and Mia. They frowned, angrily asking themselves why they had left Ella alone.

"Ressley, Ressley, Ressley......"

Little Ella hugged Ressley tightly, her mind blank and tears gushing out uncontrollably, she understood that her Resley would not answer any more childish questions from her. The hard-mouthed and soft-hearted boy, the big brother who once lifted her high, the Resley who would say "I love you", little Ella was lost forever and will never be seen again.

"Ressley, I love you too......" She leaned against Ressley's chest, hoping that Ressley would receive her final confession.

Resley, I won't leave you, but please don't leave me either, okay?