Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The timeline rewinds half an hour, to interstellar time 3:15 AM.

After Lin Youhan left during the day, Si Muyun, who had been escorted out earlier, returned to the ward with a police officer named Wang Xiao. They meticulously inquired about his parents' activities from a week prior before departing.

By evening, Wang Xiao came back with a boxed meal.

Zhang Yuanhang felt a warmth in his heart, but having already received so much kindness, he felt awkward accepting more. He told Wang Xiao, "Officer Wang, a nutrient drink will suffice."

As he spoke, he pulled a glass bottle from his pocket, its barcode yellowed and faded.

"Don’t be so formal. Nutrient drinks are bland and unappetizing. You’d be better off eating a proper meal," Wang Xiao said, snatching the nutrient drink from his hand. He inadvertently glanced at the expiration date on the bottle and handed him the meal. "This nutrient drink expired ages ago—its nutritional value is practically gone. You really should eat this."

Unable to refuse further, Zhang Yuanhang accepted.

Wang Xiao casually tossed the nutrient drink into the trash, not noticing the production date printed on the bottle—New Era 140.

Even so, around 3 a.m., Zhang Yuanhang woke up hungry.

He was still at a growing age and normally had a hearty appetite. He often chose nutrient drinks over meals, telling himself that if he felt hungry, he could simply endure it. But after waking at three, he couldn’t fall back asleep. His stomach growled relentlessly, a constant reminder of his hungry state.

The figure looked somewhat familiar.

He stood up and called out, "Yang Ming?"

When the figure didn’t respond, he decided to walk over for a closer look.

But the moment he took a step forward, the young man moved. In that instant, a flash of white light appeared—Zhang Yuanhang immediately stopped in his tracks.

It was a fruit knife.

"...Yang Ming?" Zhang Yuanhang called again, but this time the young man only moved closer, faster.

The ward’s curtains fluttered slightly in the night breeze, letting in a pristine moonlight that fell over both of them, allowing him to see the young man’s face clearly.

Zhang Yuanhang was stunned, his mouth hanging open for a long moment before he finally managed to speak the name: "Chen Wen?"

Without a word, Chen Wen thrust the knife into his shoulder, forcing him back several steps until his back hit the glass window. The wind-blown curtain brushed lightly against his face, confirming this was no dream.

The person before him was frighteningly unfamiliar, his eyes filled with intense hatred. He spoke word by word: "It was you! You killed him!"

-

Lin Youhan glared irritably at Zhang Yuanhang, who was dressing the wound on his shoulder. Even after some time had passed, the white gauze was still stained with bright red blood. The owner of the injured shoulder remained silent, quietly caring for the wound.

"Why didn’t you dodge when he stabbed you?" Seeing his clumsy bandaging, Lin Youhan snatched the gauze from him and said bluntly.

Zhang Yuanhang looked down, deep in thought. After a long pause, he suddenly asked, "Dr. Lin, is Yang Ming… really dead?"

Knowing what he was thinking, Lin Youhan’s tone softened instinctively as he delivered the harsh truth: "Yes, his body was recovered a week ago. His face was unrecognizable."

Even though he already knew the facts, hearing it from someone else again made Zhang Yuanhang’s eyes redden. His lips trembled, unable to form a complete sentence, as if speaking to himself: "How… how could he die? He promised… he promised to go with me to the Tech Hall. I’ve already finished the design drafts, gathered the materials… How could this happen?"

Then, he suddenly looked up and grabbed Lin Youhan’s hand that held the gauze. "Dr. Lin, are you lying to me? He isn’t really dead, is he? He’s just asleep—just asleep! He’s just like my parents, only asleep…"

By the last sentence, he burst into sobs. The teenage boy buried his face in his own arms, weeping uncontrollably.

In almost a single night, he had lost the parents who loved him most and the friend he trusted most.

Yet he chose to retreat into denial, taking a long time before he could finally accept their departure.

Lin Youhan sighed. After finishing the bandaging, he patted Zhang Yuanhang’s head and asked Wang Xiao to watch over him.

"Get some rest."

-

In another ward, Song Chenglei and Zhao Mingchuan had restrained Chen Wen to a chair, taken the knife from his hand, and placed it on the table.

"Chen Wen, why are you at the hospital right now?" Si Muyun observed the young man’s expression and noticed that since being tied to the chair, his gaze had become vacant and confused. His face held a look of someone who was still naive, and when he heard Si Muyun’s question, he stared blankly, clearly not understanding why he was being asked.

Chen Wen looked at the three officers and asked slowly, "Officers, may I ask where I am right now?"

Hearing this unexpected answer, the three exchanged glances, their expressions as though they’d seen a ghost.

Song Chenglei picked up the fruit knife from the table and asked, "Do you remember this knife?"

Hearing this, Chen Wen looked at the fruit knife in his hand. A smear of fresh, still-wet blood remained on the blade.

Suddenly, his expression changed. He burst into hysterical laughter, leaning closer to the table. "Aren’t you curious how Yang Ming died?"

"I saw it—I saw it all. It was Zhang Yuanhang who killed him with his own hands. The street was serene and spotless, like a paradise, but it was a den of man-eating demons—they’re all dead, and they’ve come back to life! Hahaha! They’ve come back to life!" Chen Wen leaned back violently in the chair. The hospital-provided chair was flimsy, and with the sudden force, both Chen Wen and the chair crashed to the floor. Even though the three reacted quickly, the chair still hit the ground with a loud "thud—".

"Chen Wen!" Si Muyun grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to meet his gaze.

Chen Wen’s pupils were unfocused, his eyes distant. He wasn’t looking at Si Muyun but staring fixedly at the wall behind him, muttering incomprehensible words that made everyone’s skin crawl.

He said, "It… opened its eyes."

"Opened what eyes?"

Chen Wen shifted his gaze back to Si Muyun, a sinister grin spreading across his face. His hand trembled as he raised it, pointing at the wall behind Si Muyun. "Of course, it’s that."

"My great god."

Si Muyun followed the direction of his finger. Behind him, the wall had nothing except a diagram of the human body.

He turned back. Chen Wen was still laughing foolishly, staring motionlessly at the wall.

He signaled to Song Chenglei and Zhao Mingchuan with his eyes. Understanding, the two walked over to the human body diagram and, upon closer inspection, ripped it off the wall. They looked carefully—there was nothing behind it.

Seeing this, they exchanged a glance, seeing the same confusion in each other’s eyes.

Was this a ghost messing with them?

Si Muyun also saw that there was nothing behind the diagram. He asked softly, "Chen Wen, what exactly did you see?"

Perhaps because Si Muyun’s tone was less harsh than before, Chen Wen’s expression faltered.

Just then, the door to the ward opened. It was Lin Youhan, who had just come from Zhang Yuanhang’s room.

He was holding a medical record book. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Si Muyun and Chen Wen in a standoff. Not far behind them, Song Chenglei and Zhao Mingchuan were holding a human body diagram, feeling around the wall. They turned to look when the door opened.

Recognizing Lin Youhan, the two were about to greet him.

But before they could speak, Chen Wen moved first.

Staring straight at Lin Youhan, he said word by word, "You’re actually still alive."

"Does it surprise you that I’m alive?" Lin Youhan strode into the room, medical record book in hand. He glanced at Si Muyun, then without hesitation, chopped Chen Wen on the back of the neck.

He crouched down and said, "Captain Si, there's no need for an interrogation in this situation."

After speaking, he looked at Si Muyun, only to find Si Muyun's intense stare fixed on him.

Lin Youhan touched his face and said, "Captain Si, I know I'm handsome, but you don’t have to stare at me so intently. You’re making me feel like I’m drop-dead gorgeous."

Si Muyun, who had only suspected there might be some connection between Chen Wen and Lin Youhan, was left speechless.

Could Lin Youhan ever fix this vain habit of his? He was vain ten years ago, and he’s still vain now—does he have nothing else to do besides being in love with himself?

Though he thought this, Si Muyun also reflected that if it weren’t for this trait, they might never have met in the first place.

For a moment, Si Muyun didn’t know whether to consider it a good thing or a bad thing.

Seeing that Si Muyun didn’t respond, Lin Youhan repeated himself and patted his shoulder reassuringly, "You don’t need to be so anxious. You’re only just a step behind me."

As he said this, he held up his pinky to show just how little.

Si Muyun: "…"

Better he’d kept his mouth shut.

"Si Muyun, can’t you say something?" Lin Youhan grew impatient with Si Muyun’s prolonged silence and spoke angrily.

"I—"

Suddenly, a staggering crash sounded from behind. Turning around, they saw that the two who had been eavesdropping had gotten into a fight over their positioning and had knocked each other to the ground. When they noticed Si Muyun looking their way, they gave an awkward smile, grabbed a nearby anatomy poster, and tried to hide behind it, whispering, "Captain, we absolutely won’t spread any of this."

After saying this, the two began whispering behind the chart, their voices so soft they thought Si Muyun couldn’t hear. But they had clearly underestimated the room’s echo—every word reached Si Muyun’s ears, and his face instantly turned furious.

Just as he was about to stand up and interrupt, Lin Youhan pulled him back down, copying their whispered tone, saying, "What’s the rush? Let’s hear what they have to say."

Si Muyun gave him an unreadable look and also lowered his voice, "I hope you won’t regret this."

Lin Youhan widened his eyes, blinking his clear, lively eyes as if to say: Hearing your gossip is worth any regret.

Si Muyun responded by giving him a thumbs-down.

Lin Youhan immediately glared at him—who did he think he was looking down on?

Seeing Lin Youhan’s reaction, Si Muyun’s eyes lit up with amusement, and he let out a soft, suppressed laugh.

Just then, Song Chenglei’s voice, which he clearly thought was quiet, carried over: "Is the captain horny or something? Why is he laughing so happily?"

The smile on Si Muyun’s face froze: "…"

He very much wanted to turn around and ask Song Chenglei what he meant by that, but Lin Youhan, crouching in front of him, doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach. Realizing he was being too loud, he covered his mouth with his hand.

Si Muyun looked up at the ceiling, thinking despairingly: Let him laugh. It’s not the first time I’ve been laughed at.

The two continued their conversation. It seemed that after Song Chenglei spoke, he heard no response, so he didn’t hesitate to kick Zhao Mingchuan.

Zhao Mingchuan immediately snapped, "The hell was that for? You nearly broke my foot!"

Hearing this, Song Chenglei pretended to examine Zhao Mingchuan’s foot. But the moment he bent down, he immediately straightened back up, covering his nose with a disgusted expression, saying, "Not to be rude, Lao Zhao, but have you washed your feet in eight hundred years? The stench is enough to make me pass out."

"If you have what it takes, go ahead and ascend to heaven! In our line of work, you dare say your feet don’t stink?!" Zhao Mingchuan retorted, immediately bending down to tug at Song Chenglei’s shoe, trying to confirm whether his feet were just as bad. After struggling to pull the shoe off, he suddenly realized what he was doing. Enraged, he threw the shoe aside, "Damn you, Song Chenglei! What the hell is wrong with me, taking off your shoe?"

Song Chenglei nodded in agreement, "Now you know you’re messed up? If you like my shoes so much, I’ll give them all to you later."

Suddenly, Song Chenglei’s shoe landed with a "smack—" right between the two of them. Their hearts sank as they stiffly looked up in the direction the shoe had come from—Si Muyun was watching them with a smirk, while Dr. Lin crouched behind him, watching like it was prime-time TV. When they glanced his way, he even raised a hand and greeted them, "Hey there."

Five seconds later, the two bolted out of the room in embarrassment. Song Chenglei, missing one shoe, suddenly remembered his shoe was still inside and hurriedly turned back. The next moment, the shoe came flying out, almost smacking him in the face.

Song Chenglei picked up the shoe, thinking, That was close. Then an idea popped into his head. With a fearless boldness, he stuck his head back into the room, spotted Dr. Lin, and shouted, "Dr. Lin, don’t worry—our Captain Si smells great all over!"

After shouting, before Si Muyun could come out and retaliate, he grabbed Zhao Mingchuan and took off running. Halfway down the hall, he suddenly stopped, held up the shoe, and said to Zhao Mingchuan, "Damn, why am I running with only one shoe on?"

Zhao Mingchuan took two steps back, clearly gagging from the stench of the raised shoe, "Song Chenglei, if you’re going to talk, talk—why are you shoving your shoe in my face?"

"I thought you’d like it."

Zhao Mingchuan shuddered and rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, "I’m straight, man, get the hell away from me."

After saying this, he booked it, afraid Song Chenglei would chase him, moving with the speed of a kid racing to the lunch line.

Song Chenglei yelled after him, "Don’t be gross!"

-

Back in the room, Lin Youhan remained crouched on the ground, wondering why Song Chenglei had run back just to say that.

Si Muyun picked up the chair and said to Lin Youhan, who wore an utterly confused look, "Don’t even go there."

"Why?" Lin Youhan looked up at him. Feeling he lacked presence, he stood up, touched his chin, and said belatedly, "Does he actually think the two of us are a thing?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt they were off and quickly added, "Nah," muttering under his breath, "As if that’s possible."

"If we were together, who could resist hiding it? If it were me, I’d rent ten blimps, with their sides plastered with our love story. Then I’d arrange for the central city’s screen walls to blast our wedding anthem nonstop, 365 degrees. After that, I’d go to schools and give lectures, announcing to the whole world—I, Lin Youhan, am married!"

Si Muyun, who had been about to explain, silently closed his mouth, even picturing the scene in his mind.

He thought, I’d rather the world just end.