4221 The Other Side 190

Their conversation topic moved on from Gong Jie to Alice.

Yun Shishi was curious, and asked Alice half-jokingly if she had a boyfriend. Alice, however, made it clear that she had never thought of getting married.

"Not getting married?" Yun Shishi didn't look surprised to hear that. Some women didn't like the idea of getting married. They were probably disappointed in men, or disappointed in marriage, and didn't want their freedom restricted by it.

However, Alice said frankly, "Actually, I have high expectations of marriage and family, but it's just that those expectations are too high. It's not something that can be forced, so I might as well stop hoping."

"Why do you say that?" Yun Shishi did not comprehend. Logically speaking, most people who refrain from marriage were usually emotionally scarred or didn't expect anything from marriage.

Yet, as Alice had said, if she had high expectations of marriage, why would she not think of getting married?

Alice could see her confusion. She took a deep breath, and said calmly. "I can't bear children. In the past, I've thought about getting married and having a family, but because of the condition of my body, it has become impossible. Since it's impossible, I might as well give up any illusions I might have."

"How could that be!?" Yun Shishi was surprised to hear that Alice was barren.

Alice had never mentioned this to anyone before. Now that she mentioned it, it came as a surprise. Therefore, Yun Shishi found this strange.

"What happened?"

Alice did not hide it from her. She recounted, "It must have been years ago now. Gong Jie returned from Africa sick with a plague he had contracted there. I remember that time. In Africa, the plague was rampant. Gong Jie caught it, and when he returned to Hurricane, he was immediately quarantined. At the time, there was nothing anyone could do about the virus. In Africa, anyone infected with it was disposed of like a corpse. Many people who caught the virus were left in quarantine facilities like rotting livestock. Most died of starvation before the virus could eat away at them."

"Starvation..." Yun Shishi felt her chest tighten at her words. She knew, of course, that her brother had recovered, but... How did he manage to do so? She had a vague feeling that it had something to do with Alice being barren. She had followed the news, too. Back in college, she'd followed the news often enough to know how the Aymanla virus had ravaged Africa. "Was it the Aymanla virus?"

Alice nodded. It was the Aymanla virus. At the time, Gong Jie had not been seriously infected, but no one knew when the condition had worsened.

This realization then dawned upon Yun Shishi. "I heard that a vaccine was later developed for this virus, but even now, the epidemic in Africa is still not under control."

"That's right." Alice said, "Because vaccines are expensive. Poverty is rampant in many parts of Africa. The vast majority of war refugees cannot afford to pay for a cure."

Yun Shishi probed. "Did you develop this vaccine?"

"That's right."

"Well then..."

She and Hua Jin spoke almost in unison. "Did you develop it?"

"Uh huh. I suppose you could say that!"