"You’re awake!" Ming Tao voiced. Ease was evident in his tone as well as something Mira could not define.

Mira swallowed. Her fingers held onto the fur skins on the bed and gripped so tightly they felt sore. She did not respond to Ming Tao. She did not want him here.

Jia Hao watched her reaction carefully. His eyes dangled from her to Ming Tao, suspicion in his eyes. Jia Hao felt shitty being suspicious. Throughout Mira’s unfortunate condition this past week, Ming Tao acted like he lost his senses. Even when all the other husbands left, Ming Tao stayed and helped out. Now with Mira’s reaction to seeing him, Jia Hao could not help but wonder why he indeed waited.

As far as Jia Hao was concerned, Ming Tao hated Mira’s guts.

"I want some food, Jia Hao." Mira said. Her voice trembled under her breath.

"Let me go and get you some." Jia Hao uttered.

"No!" Mira barked. She did not want to be in the same room as the man who threatened her with her child. "Let us go together." Mira responded more calmly. "I think I need to stretch my legs. After being in bed for so long, even though I do not recall half of it, a walk may be good for me." Mira smiled.

"Come join me then." Jia Hao said. Mira’s face brightened. She put her legs out the bed and stationed her feet on the ground then stood. When she took a step forward, something odd happened. She fell.

"Mira!" Jia Hao breathed as he gushed to her side. Jia Hao raised her up, supporting her weight on him.

Mira giggled nervously. It had been a while since she stood on her feet so it made sense for her to fall. "Thank you." She said to Jia Hao. He let her go while staying at a close distance by her side.

Mira took another step forward. Her body collapsed. This time, Jia Hao came to the rescue, he held her before she hit the ground.

[Scanning host’s vitals.] System chimed. The screen popped in front of Mira had a mini figure of her there and a red, check-lined beam glued to the image of her.

[Host’s health configuration;

Head: in a stable state.

Heart: pumping regularly.

Organs: functioning properly.

Physical health: very good. At 90%

Identifying the 10% default!]

Mira swallowed. Watching her being processed like this was scary. Especially when it regarded her health.

[Default identified!

Damage: Achilles tendon rupture.

Typical duration to heal after surgery: 6 – 12 months.

Medication offered: High grade healing elixir.

Added health bonus from elixir: healed 95% of the damage caused from severe fall and numbed all body pain.

Healing Duration after elixir: 1 week.

Host must exercise leg muscles and learn to walk again!

Host’s vitals scan completed!]

Mira’s heart rate dropped. Reading the final dialysis of the scan screwed with her head. She could not walk. She had to learn how to.

Mira’s eyes watered. If she was trying to stay strong before, this just killed the entire façade.

"Hey, hey, what’s wrong?" Jia Hao asked. He was still supporting her body up.

"I. . ." Mira began. "I can’t walk, Jia Hao." She said.

Ming Tao’s body tensed. He could not help but feel guilty. Regret panged so hard at him that he thought it would swallow him alive. If he hadn’t done that stupid thing, if he never lied in the first place nor forced her to come to the riskiest hot spring in her hot spring. . . If he never had her choose. . . She would still be able to walk. It was all his fault and he could not seem to not hate himself for it. "I am so sorry, Mira." Ming Tao voiced. His voice carried the weight of his thoughts.

"Are you?" Mira shot back at him. She sobbed. "Or was this what you always wanted? To see me miserable." Tears ran down her cheeks. "Well, congratulations, you’ve succeeded." For the first time since Ming Tao met Mira again in the pride, she was harsh.

Ming Tao ran both his hands into his hair and pulled them lower down his face in discomfort and frustration. "This was never what I wanted." Ming Tao said. "I never wanted you to get hurt."

"Well, forgive me if I do not believe because it doesn’t look like it." Mira’s tone beamed. Her temper, hidden in pain, skyrocketed.

"Sorry to intrude but," Jia Hao began. He wanted to be sure he heard that right. "What is Ming Tao’s link to the accident?"

Ming Tao froze. He was not afraid of Jia Hao, him and Jia Hao were friends, long time friends, you could even refer to them as brothers but he was afraid of what Jia Hao’s attachment to Mira would prompt him to do. He did not want to get into a bad situation with Jia Hao. And not over a stupid mistake he made simply because he could not control his feelings.

Simply because he chose to listen to Mu Yang and act out.

Mira did not say a word. She only helped herself back to sit on the fur bed still overwhelmed that she could not walk. She tried so hard to exist in a world where she was hated by so many. She tried so hard to be kind and be herself but the beast world made it so hard for her to live.

This was what being in the body of Mira entailed for her. It felt so unfair even though the old owner of this body did even worse to everyone else. Mira gulped. She wiped her tears with a brush of her hand over her cheeks. "Why don’t you ask him. He was so confident that night. I’m sure he can be just as mouthy right now."

Jia Hao let out an exhale. A sinister look plastered his face as he settled his gaze on Ming Tao. "Talk." He ordered, his tone a low, dangerous bass. "And do not think about lying."