Lin Xian walked into the hospital and took the elevator to the 17th floor. As the doors closed, he remembered his last visit to Xu Yi Yi’s hospital room on December 29, 2022.
Two days later, during the New Year’s Eve party, Professor Xu Yun was tragically killed at 12:42 AM, right in the street. Since then, Lin Xian had focused on tracking down the killers. Over the months, his efforts paid off. He uncovered hints about something called the Universal Constant 42.
Though he didn’t fully understand what 42 meant or how it was used, the fact that Big Cat Face’s father died 600 years later because of it hinted at a terrifying secret. He even tracked down the author of “Introduction to the Cosmic Constant.” It was only a matter of time before he cracked the mystery of 42.
Once everything was safe, his plan was to bring Liu Feng to Donghai City, set up a lab for him, and let him delve into the secrets of 42. With that knowledge, Lin Xian would be ready to face his enemies.
For now, he had pinpointed the killers: Zhou Duan Yun, Ji Lin, and Ji Xin Shui were definitely behind Xu Yun’s murder. He just needed solid proof to bring them to justice.
Ding—
The elevator stopped at the 17th floor, and Lin Xian headed straight to Xu Yi Yi’s room.
“Huh?”
The door was slightly open. Inside, a stranger stood by Xu Yi Yi’s bed, doing rehab exercises on the sleeping Xu Yi Yi. Lin Xian could only see his back. The man wasn’t tall but looked strong, like someone used to physical work. His hair was neatly combed, and he had a hint of stubble on his clean-shaven chin. He carefully lifted Xu Yi Yi’s thin leg, bending and stretching it gently, just like Professor Xu Yun used to do.
Lin Xian watched silently. The man’s commitment to Xu Yi Yi’s rehab made Lin Xian think he might be a nurse hired by the hospital. But then again, he didn’t really look like a nurse.
Soon, the man finished the exercises and noticed Lin Xian at the door.
“Sir, who are you?” he asked politely in broken Mandarin.
“I’m a friend of Professor Xu Yun,” Lin Xian replied, pointing to the bedridden Xu Yi Yi. “I came to visit Xu Yi Yi. And you are…?”
The man smiled, turned around, and nodded.
“I’m Zheng Cheng He, a relative from the next room.” He pointed to the left wall. “My sister has been sick and in the hospital for years. Because our rooms are next to each other, we got a lot of help from Professor Xu Yun. Professor Xu Yun was a big help to us. Recently, he shared many of his techniques with us. My sister and I are very thankful to him.”
He looked at Xu Yi Yi with concern. “After Professor Xu Yun’s accident, I worried Xu Yi Yi might feel lonely, so my sister and I often come to chat with her and help with her rehab.”
Lin Xian nodded politely. Zheng Cheng He and Professor Xu Yun shared a common struggle—one with a long-term hospitalized sister; the other, a daughter in a vegetative state. Clearly, Professor Xu Yun was kind to this brother and sister, inspiring Zheng Cheng He to help with Xu Yi Yi’s rehab.
As Lin Xian got closer to the bed, he noticed the left side of Zheng Cheng He’s face was covered in scars. Some scars ran from his neck to his ear, looking pretty scary. Even though they had healed a long time ago, they were still raised and red. In contrast, the skin on his right side was unmarked.
“What happened to your face?” Lin Xian asked.
“Oh, I was bitten by a dog when I was a kid,” Zheng Cheng He replied, touching the scars with a smile. “I was careless and got bitten by a neighbor’s dog.”
“That looks pretty serious.”
“It was serious back then, but I healed. It just looks scary and a bit ugly, but it’s not a big deal.”
“That’s not true!” a young voice suddenly shouted from the doorway.
Lin Xian turned to see a girl in hospital clothes. She was very pale and looked frail. She had long hair and was very thin, probably about thirteen or fourteen years old.
“My brother isn’t careless. He protected me! He’s a hero!” The girl stubbornly clutched Zheng Cheng He’s coat and looked up at Lin Xian.
Lin Xian smiled, squatting down to her level. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Zheng Xiang Yue,” she replied with a bell-like voice.
“Zheng Xiang Yue? That’s a lovely name,” Lin Xian said, surprised. He looked up at Zheng Cheng He. “Both of you have great names. Your parents must have been very cultured.”
However, Zheng Xiang Yue’s expression suddenly darkened.
Lin Xian realized he might have said something wrong.
“I’ve never met my parents…” Zheng Xiang Yue said sadly. “They died when I was very young.”
“Xiang Yue, don’t say that. You don’t remember, but they loved you,” Zheng Cheng He said, smiling awkwardly and stepping in front of Xiang Yue. “Sorry, kids sometimes say things without thinking. Over ten years ago, our parents had some issues with the villagers and were accidentally killed during a dispute… But that’s all in the past now. The people responsible were brought to justice.”
Lin Xian noticed Zheng Cheng He’s hesitation and didn’t press for more details. Everyone has their secrets, and it’s not right to make someone relive painful memories. And the scars on Zheng Cheng He’s face… Given Zheng Xiang Yue’s story, those scars might not be from a dog bite but from the same conflict that took their parents’ lives.
Zheng Cheng He appeared strong but spoke with humility and respect, shaped by the hardships of raising his sister alone after their tragedy. Hardships had clearly softened this man’s edges.
Based on his appearance, he seemed to be in his thirties, which meant a big age gap between him and his sister. If Xiang Yue didn’t remember her parents, she must have been very young, maybe two or three, when they passed. At that time, Zheng Cheng He would have been around twenty. He glanced at Xiang Yue in her hospital gown… What a tragic story.
Lin Xian remembered a saying: when life feels tough, go to a hospital to see how fortunate you are not to be ill. This was definitely true here. Everyone here was fighting some illness.
“What’s wrong with Xiang Yue?” Lin Xian asked, looking at Zheng Cheng He. “She looks fine.”
“Xiang Yue has a severe congenital heart condition,” Zheng Cheng He explained, gently stroking his sister’s hair. “When she was born, doctors doubted she’d live long… And her rare blood type makes finding a heart for transplant nearly impossible.”
“But I believe she’ll get better one day,” he added, his voice brightening as he lifted the frail Xiang Yue into his arms. “Xiang Yue is strong! Despite doctors saying she wouldn’t see another birthday, she proves them wrong every year. She’s a fighter.”
“Speaking of birthdays, Xiang Yue, your fourteenth is next month. What gift would you like? I’ll get it for you.”
“Hehe, I don’t want gifts,” Xiang Yue said playfully. “I’ve always had one wish. You know what it is, but you always say no.”
Zheng Cheng He’s face turned serious as he shook his head. “No, I can’t agree to that wish because I believe you’ll get better.”
“But what if I don’t? Please promise me!”
“No, I can’t. I’ll do everything to cure you, no matter what.”
Their exchange caught Lin Xian’s attention, and he couldn’t help but ask Xiang Yue: “What’s your wish?”
Xiang Yue looked at him with hopeful eyes and smiled. “I want my brother to bury me on the moon when I die.”
This left Lin Xian speechless. Was this just a child’s innocence, or did she not understand the reality of death? No wonder Zheng Cheng He couldn’t agree. No brother would make such a promise. As long as there was hope, he would keep fighting.
Lin Xian took a deep breath and held Xiang Yue’s hand. “You probably won’t need to go to the moon.”
“Why not?” Xiang Yue asked, surprised.
“Because soon, the first hibernation chambers will be available,” Lin Xian explained, smiling. “Do you know about hibernation chambers? Professor Xu Yun invented them. Once you go to sleep in one, you could wake up decades or even centuries later.”
“Right now, we can’t cure your illness, but in the future, with advances in science and medicine, it will probably be easy to treat.”
He glanced at the frail figure of Xu Yi Yi. “Professor Xu Yun planned to send Xu Yi Yi to the future for her treatment. You could go together and become friends when you wake up.”
“So, don’t give up on yourself, Xiang Yue. Talking about death upsets your brother.”
At that moment, Xiang Yue’s eyes seemed incredibly mature, making her seem wise beyond her years. She sighed softly, looking out at the moon.
“But… I really want to go to the moon…”
“Why the moon?” Lin Xian asked, intrigued.
“Because my brother told me that’s where our parents are,” Xiang Yue replied, biting her lip and blinking back tears. “I really want to see them…”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation