4232 The Other Side 201

"I don't know…"

"But I think there's something rather suspicious about it," the boy said suddenly.

Alice was surprised. "Go on."

"Why do you think Professor Romanka so easily allowed us to take Natalia away after all the hard work he'd put in, cultivating her as an experimental specimen? Don't you find that suspicious?"

Alice looked stunned.

Youyou studied her expression and continued, "I think it's Professor Romanka who's really suspicious. Do you think it's possible the personality could be manipulated by someone else?"

"Well… I can't say right now."

"Maybe it sounds like a fantasy, but I do find it suspicious. Maybe I'm imagining things."

Alice was at her wits' end. But now was not the time. The woman looked crestfallen. "I don't know what went wrong in any of this. Anyway, now that you're in contact with Natalisa, make sure you take extra precaution. For example, when you feel tired, never look her in the eye. Her expression, her movements…"

"Is it that … scary?" Youyou was utterly baffled. "Can I be hypnotized by her even when I'm not asleep?"

"When you feel tired, that's when your brainwaves are at their weakest. It's also when you'll be especially vulnerable to interference."

The boy listened and nodded solemnly. "Yes, I understand."

Downstairs, there was the sound of a car engine.

Alice sensed that they had arrived. "I'm going to my room upstairs," she told the boy. "Let me know the minute a problem situation arises, okay? I'll be right upstairs."

"I'll try not to make any mistakes. If Natalisa finds you upstairs, she'll be suspicious. Then all our efforts will be for nothing."

Alice looked stunned. She had not expected the boy to be so wise.

"Yes, I understand."

Alice went upstairs.

Youyou, on the other hand, went downstairs. By then, the actor had entered, holding Natalia's hand. When Natalia saw the boy, she showed more enthusiasm than she had ever shown him.

"Youyou!" She skipped over and took his hand, smiling adorably. "I'm so bored at home alone. I just wanted to come play with you."

"What do you want to play?"

"The last time I saw you and Little Yichen playing that game, on TV… I want to play it, too."

"Oh, on PS4?"

"Yes, it's a boxing game."

Little Yichen had bought the PS4 and XBOX 360. When he had spare time, he would pester Youyou for a game or two. But now that he was obsessed with PUBG, he was less enthusiastic about these games.

Occasionally, only Youyou and Mu Yazhe would play. The game console was now covered in a layer of dust. This was a console game that needed to be linked up to a television screen to play. The resolution was really sharp. Like many other games in the gaming arcade, there were combat types and intelligence types. Natalia had previously seen the twins playing Tekken 7. Intrigued, she'd said she wanted to try playing the game, but then it was time to go home, so she missed out.

Youyou turned on the game console, but was secretly watching Natalia's every move through the reflection on the television screen. She sat on the sofa with her hands on either side of her, curiously studying his actions.