Chapter 32

Snow Without Attachment

These two definitely aren’t ordinary people!

On the way back to the base, Ah Hai and the others didn’t say a word, but the same thought echoed in everyone’s mind: They’re not ordinary!

Especially Pedro—he must be an ability user, and a powerful one at that! 

In hindsight, they realized that Pedro had been holding back when he fought them the day before. What kind of ability user fights with their fists, anyway? 

As they looked at Pedro, gratitude even began to creep into their expressions. 

When Pedro turned his head, he was greeted by a group of boys gazing at him with admiration in their eyes. 

Though puzzled by their sudden gratitude, Pedro smiled, placed a finger to his lips, and said cheerfully, “What just happened is a secret, okay?” 

Without hesitation, Ah Hai and the others swore, “We’ll take it to the grave!” 

With a grin, Pedro jogged back to Juan’s side, and the two of them continued walking side by side. 

—

Snow began to fall again. 

The wind howled, and the snowfall thickened. Pedro hugged his arms and tucked his chin into his collar as he walked next to Juan. Despite the cold, his spirits were high.

Is this what it feels like to live a dream? 

There had been a time when Pedro had no dreams. Locked away in a vast room, he neither wanted freedom nor felt any longing for the world outside. 

It wasn’t until Juan arrived that everything changed. 

Through the poems and stories Juan read to him, Pedro glimpsed unimaginable worlds—some grand, some eerie, some dangerous, and some as calm as still water. 

Now, whenever he stood alone by the window at night, he no longer saw the end of his life. Instead, he saw the vast and varied worlds Juan had described. 

When they flew out on missions, Pedro even began to take an interest in the sights beyond the aircraft’s windows—though only to look, never to step outside. 

He didn’t want to explore alone. 

But now, he was truly walking through the world with Juan at his side. 

Pedro exhaled a puff of white breath, then stomped playfully in the snow, listening to it crunch under his boots. After a moment, he sneezed, wiped his nose, and stared at the transparent snot on his fingers in surprise—before bursting into laughter. 

Then he heard Juan’s voice. 

“Is it that cold?” Juan turned to look at him, concern in his gaze.

In his current body—a corpse—Juan couldn’t feel heat or cold. Even in his original body, his sensitivity to temperature had always been limited. 

Seeing Pedro’s reddened nose and flushed cheeks, Juan glanced at the other boys and confirmed they were all shivering too. 

Though Juan couldn’t feel the cold, he could tell from their clothing that everyone else was dressed warmer than Pedro. 

So, without hesitation, he took off his hospital gown and handed it to Pedro, gesturing for him to wear it. 

Pedro hesitated. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked softly.

Juan shook his head and replied just as quietly, “I can’t feel it.”

After a brief pause, Juan decided to be upfront, both to avoid future misunderstandings and to spare Pedro any misplaced gratitude. “This body is already dead. I don’t need food, and I can’t feel heat or cold. Injuries don’t hurt either.”

He added, almost casually, “It didn’t hurt back in the tunnel, either.”

Though Juan didn’t say it outright, Pedro immediately understood.

Sniffling, Pedro grinned. “That’s actually… pretty great.” 

With that, he cheerfully wrapped the hospital gown around himself. Though it wasn’t very thick and didn’t carry Juan’s warmth, Pedro’s smile deepened, and he even began to hum a tune.

—

Humans… aren’t they supposed to be repulsed by corpses? Juan wondered. But Pedro seemed strangely happy after learning the truth. 

Then again, Pedro had spent days carrying Juan’s corpse-like body before this—perhaps that explained his lack of discomfort. 

With that thought, Juan stopped pondering the matter and resumed walking. 

Though the cold helped preserve his body, lingering too long in the snow wouldn’t be good either. He needed to get back to the base soon.

—

Even though they hurried as fast as they could, by the time they returned to the base, they looked like seven snowmen

They weren’t the only ones, either—everyone coming in from outside was similarly coated in snow. 

The only difference was that the other “snowmen” were clearly much bulkier. Sure enough, when those people dusted off the snow at the gate, they revealed

thick, puffy coats underneath—layered like loaves of bread.

Juan remembered that Pedro had once been given a coat like this—by a man named Du Ge on their way here. 

Then, he recalled what had happened to the coat. 

When Pedro left the quarantine area, he had forgotten the coat there. The only thing Pedro brought with him when he left was his previous body. 

Since clothing didn’t seem like an essential item, Juan hadn’t thought much of it at the time… 

—

“Let’s go to the clinic first,” Juan told Pedro. He glanced at the five boys, who were all shivering from the cold, and motioned for them to follow as well.

Back at the clinic, Juan approached the nurse at the front desk and stared at her directly, asking if she could prepare meals for six people. 

The nurse was momentarily stunned. 

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I? And don’t just ask for six portions—aren’t you eating too?” Before the nurse could respond, a doctor passing by made the decision for her. “Xiaomei, prepare seven meals and put it all on his uncle’s tab!” 

The doctor, bundled up in a thick coat, smiled and added, “It’s freezing out there. Give them plenty of meat and soup to keep warm.” Looking past Juan to Pedro and the other boys, the doctor asked with a grin, “By the way… who are these kids?” 

Before Juan could answer, Ah Hai stepped forward and introduced himself. “Hello, Doctor. We’re all orphans from the care center.” 

The doctor immediately understood. 

The care center in the base—though officially called the Juvenile Care Center—was colloquially known as the Orphanage, since only children without parents or relatives ended up there. 

Looking at Juan, the doctor thought of his troublesome uncle and guessed that the boy must truly not want to stay with his relatives any longer. He was even spending time with orphans and treating them to meals. 

Moved by this, the doctor told the nurse, “Give them extra meat and vegetables too.” 

Both were rare commodities at the base—luxuries, even for most people. 

While the boys stood there, stunned by the generosity, Juan calmly thanked the doctor and nurse. 

What a polite child, the doctor thought. Then, noticing Juan’s thin hospital gown, the doctor frowned and asked irritably, “In this weather, your uncle didn’t send you any warm clothes?” 

Hearing this, the nurse added, “He didn’t just forget the clothes—no one’s come to check on him since the day he left.” 

The doctor grew even more upset. “If they won’t come to you, go back and get what you need. That’s your home. Grab some warm clothes and anything else you want—don’t freeze out here.” 

The doctor leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I looked into it: your uncle’s family doesn’t work or earn money. The house is yours—they live off the pension your parents left behind, and they even use the money you earn on missions for your cousin. Take what you need without hesitation!”

With that, the doctor gave Juan a reassuring pat on the shoulder and walked back to his office. As he left, he mulled over how ineffective the inspection team had been. That family clearly hasn’t learned their lesson. I might need to escalate this… but who should I contact? 

Deep in thought, the doctor began mentally going through the higher-ups he had treated before. 

—

Meanwhile, the clinic had turned into a party—or so the nurse called it. She cheerfully rolled a cart full of delicious food into Juan’s room and added an extra bottle of milk for each of the boys before leaving with a smile. 

The spread was a feast: sour soup beef, fried chicken wings braised rabbit with mushrooms, stir-fried pork with green peppers, sautéed vegetables, and black fish tofu soup. 

It was a rare treat to have such a variety of ingredients, and the chef had prepared dishes that were perfect with rice. Even more unusually, nearly every dish contained meat—an absolute luxury for these boys, who were still growing but usually deprived of both meat and vegetables. 

They rushed to the food, quickly taking up spots on the hospital bed. 

—

Since there was so much food, the nurse had removed the bedding from the bed and set everything up as a makeshift dining table. 

“Help yourselves,” Juan said. Though everyone had sat down, they waited for his permission before eating. Even then, they insisted that Pedro take the first bite. 

Only after Pedro started eating did the others dig in enthusiastically. 

Pedro ate with great relish. Since Juan couldn’t eat, and the others were letting him go first, Pedro enjoyed the best parts of every dish. 

Having survived on only two kinds of food for years—and never in enough quantity—Pedro found even the simplest new ingredient delightful. Now, with so many dishes before him, each so exquisitely prepared, every bite made his eyes sparkle with joy. 

By the time he was halfway through the meal, his cheeks were stuffed, and his face had regained a healthy, rosy glow. 

Juan watched him for a moment, then turned to look at the snowstorm outside. Finally, he stood up. 

“Where are you going?” Pedro asked, swallowing a mouthful of milk to wash down his food. 

“Home,” Juan replied. “The doctor’s right. I need to get some warm clothes.” 

He thought it would be practical to grab a few extra things—not just for himself, but for Pedro too. He couldn’t afford to dress too differently from the others, and keeping his body protected was important as well. 

With these thoughts in mind, Juan opened the window, preparing to leave. 

“Want me to come with you?” Pedro asked, standing up immediately. The other boys, cheeks still puffed with food, stood up as well. 

Juan shook his head. “No need.” He declined their offer with a smile, then leaped gracefully into the snowstorm. 

The others sat back down, continuing to eat as if nothing had happened. They left the window open for Juan. 

—

While the boys enjoyed their meal, Juan had already entered the apartment that housed the body he was currently using. 

It was located on the third floor of a building in a nearby neighborhood, on the left side of the hallway.

The house looked as old as the neighborhood itself. Inside, it was a chaotic mess, with clutter piled everywhere. The rare patches of visible floor were dirty, and it was impossible to tell how long it had been since the place was last cleaned.

Juan didn’t care about the mess. After all, he had been in even dirtier places before. Since he wasn’t staying here, it didn’t matter to him.

Reminding himself that he was only here to get some clothes, he stepped over the clutter on the floor and made his way into the house. It wasn’t very big. Apart from the kitchen at the entrance, there was a bathroom and then the bedrooms.

There were three bedrooms in total: two facing north and one facing south. The clothes in the first room were a mix of men’s and women’s, likely belonging to this body’s uncle and aunt. The second room was clearly a woman’s, probably his cousin’s. With that in mind, Juan pushed open the door to the third room—and froze.

There was no bed in the third room, just clothes hanging haphazardly everywhere and random items scattered across the floor.

It didn’t look like a bedroom at all, but since this was the last room left, it must have been where this body used to sleep.

With that thought, Juan began collecting clothes.

He found a large piece of fabric and packed a variety of thick and thin clothes neatly into a bundle. After folding them carefully, he tied the bundle tightly and slung it over his back.

As he prepared to leave, he noticed the kitchen. Remembering that Pedro’s current place only provided two meals a day, he decided to bring some food with him.

The family’s kitchen was filthy, with dirty dishes piled in the sink and on the countertops. The floor was covered with oil stains and muddy footprints. After searching for a while, Juan managed to find a can of food and a few packets of instant noodles. He packed them neatly into his bundle, slung it back over his shoulder, and got ready to leave.

But before he could open the door, it opened on its own.

A long-haired woman entered, and the moment she saw him, she screamed, “Dad! Mom! There’s a thief in the house!”

“I’m not a thief,” Juan said calmly.

“Oh, it’s you…” The woman recognized him and, upon seeing the familiar face, scowled in disgust. She turned toward her parents and shouted, “Never mind, it’s not a thief. It’s him.”

Her parents, who had rushed over upon hearing her scream, frowned when they saw Juan.

“So, your injuries are healed?” a middle-aged man asked, stepping out from behind his daughter. His gaze lingered on Juan’s face for just a few seconds to confirm it was him. Once satisfied, he began taking off his coat.

“They’re not healed, and they never will be,” Juan said after a brief pause. 

“This body is already dead. The wounds will never heal.”

He was telling the truth.

But the middle-aged man didn’t believe him. 

Hearing Juan’s words, the man raised his eyebrows and snarled, “Oh, so you’ve grown bold, huh? A few days in the hospital, and now you think you can talk back? Do you think staying injured means you can live in the hospital forever? Fine! Go live in the hospital for the rest of your life!”

The woman behind him patted her husband’s back and gently interrupted, smiling at Juan. “It’s good that you’re back. How could anyone live in a hospital forever? That’s way too expensive.”

Then, turning back to Juan, she smiled even more warmly. “Anan, since you’re back, why not clean up a bit? The place has been such a mess without you. You know how your sister and your uncle are—they wouldn’t even pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle. I’ve been overwhelmed with all this clutter these days…”

As she spoke, she handed him the coat her husband had just taken off. When Juan didn’t take it right away, she pushed it toward him again.

Unsure of her intentions, Juan replied, “I’m leaving. I only came back to get some clothes, and now that I’ve got them, I’m going back to the hospital.”

The woman was stunned for a moment.

But her daughter immediately exploded. “Clothes? What clothes? Don’t tell me you’re taking your clothes. What clothes do you even have in this house?”

Recalling what the doctor had told him, Juan said, “The doctor told me that everything in this house was bought with this body’s parents’ money or with money earned by this body. So, I can take what I want.”

Though his words sounded a bit strange, the three people in front of him were too focused on what he had said to notice.

The daughter’s eyes fell on the bundle behind him, and she shrieked even louder. “That’s my scarf! It’s rare! What do you mean it’s yours? Give it back to me!”

Juan couldn’t let her take the bundle. If she did, everything inside would spill out. Shaking his head, he stuck to his statement: “The doctor said he investigated.”

“Investigate, my foot!” Ignoring him completely, the young woman spread her arms wide and blocked the door. “Unless you put that bundle down, you’re not leaving through this door.”

Juan glanced at the window.

He gave the young woman a slight nod, then turned and walked to the window at the far end of the living room. Opening it, he stepped onto the windowsill. With a light jump—

“Ahhh! An An jumped out of the window!” the middle-aged woman screamed.

Juan landed gracefully, like a snowflake that held no attachment to the ground. The moment his feet touched down, he sprinted off and quickly disappeared from sight.