Chapter 38 Endangered Relationship

Chapter 38: A Relationship on the Brink

"Can't you just board a regular trade ship? Why apply for reimbursement? No, this is not approved."

Director Zhao had just managed to see You Jinhui off, confidently assuring him the person would be fine, only to feel his vision darken upon seeing the reimbursement process initiated by his senior sister.

"Did you plan this travel route?"

"Thoughtful, isn't it?" Xu Qingzhi played with a trophy from the display cabinet, then surveyed the dean's office. Aside from being larger, it wasn't much better than the small workstation in the lab—nothing special.

"Relax, he's a grown man; he'll survive. At worst, there are over two hundred churches."

"Oh, you don't have to approve this one either. Just process the transfer of the balance from 4795 to me in batches."

Zhao Lin cc'd the magistrate and awaited instructions.

"So, you and senior brother actually declined to run for dean just to go through procedures more conveniently and avoid handling miscellaneous tasks, right?" Zhao Lin had been so busy he'd lost weight.

Xu Qingzhi placed the medal back in its spot, disagreeing, "That's not entirely accurate. Among your fellow students, you write the best papers. Your senior brother and I have full confidence in you."

Poor guy, stuck with Project 4795, which had seen little progress for years. Without the dean title, there wouldn't even be enough honorary trophies to fill this display cabinet.

Out of concern for her junior brother, Xu Qingzhi kindly offered, "I have a bunch of awards at my workstation that I can't fit—forgot what they're for. Want to borrow a few? At least replace that 'Outstanding Graduate' one."

"Unrelated personnel, please do not interfere with the dean's work. Close the door on your way out, thank you."

Mogang had quite humane policies. If people without a stable home found it difficult to secure work initially, there was a one-month eviction protection, extendable during winter until the mild winter completely passed.

In principle, any vacant property occupied for over 24 hours automatically became unclaimed, allowing for legal squatter's rights.

It was said to be strongly advocated by the CSA—putting people first. If a house was empty, people could live in it.

Without analyzing the pros and cons, it was quite friendly to Chen Jiyan at the moment.

"If you don't mind, you can stay here for this period. However, you'll need to do some volunteer work for the church—translation or transcribing books, for instance."

Roze explained that due to the tedious and cumbersome nature of the work, well-educated individuals from the CSA often looked down on it. Most volunteers weren't skilled enough, leaving only a few passionate devotees, resulting in a massive backlog of historical and literary materials.

Chen Jiyan agreed, of course. The room was clean and tidy, with only a thin layer of dust on the kitchen countertop. After a quick cleanup, it was good enough to live in.

Chen Jiyan didn't have much; he came alone. The volunteer work clothes were temporarily sufficient for changes. Before leaving Dingshu, he drank a small bottle of nutrient solution, so he didn't need to worry about food for a while. Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—pretty much taken care of.

He still needed an umbrella.

Dingshu was perpetually rainy, but pedestrians didn't need such traditional rain gear. When the system detected rain, it automatically formed a transparent shield around the person's body, with customizable effects for raindrops on the barrier. Xisha had set hers to an unknown five-petal flower on the first day.

"You can still do that now, but the range is halved, and only default patterns are available," came the enthusiastic suggestion from Little E.

Chen Jiyan's response was to mute it.

"Your system," Roze, having been in Dingshu for years, could pick up on even the slightest change in expression, "is not allowed in the church. Turn it off and hide it if you don't want to hand it over."

This was the first time Chen Jiyan removed his wristband since arriving. He heard a beep in his head:

"Disconnected. Reactivation required to resume service."

"Why is the voice still there?"

"It's from Sangxia'en. Children there have it until adulthood, as everything before adulthood is precious experimental data. But it's more humane than Dingshu. Since Sangxia'en is gone, it's fine for you to keep using it."

So Little E existed independently without relying on the Dingshu system.

"Yes," Little E was reactivated upon hearing its name, "I will accompany you until adulthood."

So it didn't matter if he wore it or not. It didn't look cheap either. Chen Jiyan put it back on his left wrist, tucking it under his sleeve.

"You had a fight, right? No need to tell me the details; I roughly know." You didn't have to guess what young people were thinking; it was all written on their faces.

"Don't be so wary, Jiyan. I'm not here to speak for anyone."

"Ting's status is special; her travel is restricted, so she can't stay in Mogang long. Our wedding anniversaries are always in Mandu—too predictable—so I came early to find a suitable dating spot."

"Might come in handy in the future."

Very reasonable, quite believable. No wonder when You Jinhui mentioned his father, he only thought of artistic romance. Almost called him a love-struck, naive simpleton.

"While it's normal for kids to argue, and you and Jinhui aren't young anymore, as parents, we can't really just ignore it."

Back when they chose to adopt him, aside from signing the intent form, this person didn't seem to have done much. You Jinhui could barely count as having been his guardian for a while. This flamboyant middle-aged man before him, his kindly expression seemed very unnatural.

He remarked with deep melancholy:

"I didn't agree with her choosing such a dangerous way to have children initially. Jinhui was her insistence on natural childbirth."

"Blood ties are mysterious. With Jinhui, it felt like we had an extra connection. She spent more time at home."

"Boys are rebellious during puberty. We were both angry and heartbroken. She desperately wanted to have another child. Later, we decided to adopt a daughter."

"Yes, initially, we didn't want a boy. But your guardian strongly recommended you, saying you were very well-behaved."

"Although you remained unconscious all this time, Jinhui became much more sensible."

He had originally hoped for a quiet, understanding sister. Though the gender didn't match, he was indeed quiet.

"Adorable, right, Jinhui? You're the older brother now. When the adults aren't home, you need to take responsibility."

"Everything about you, except the initial adoption procedures, was handled by Jinhui. After he came of age, our guardianship of you was transferred to him—at Jinhui's request."

His exact words were: Irresponsible parents, please stay away from minors to avoid corrupting the child.

He didn't want his unreliable, incompetent father near him, nor did he want his successful, decisive mother to instruct him.

Whether he grew into a romantic, sentimental artist or a cold, stubborn politician, You Jinhui couldn't accept it.

"What could you teach him?" Back then, even he himself wasn't an adult yet.

"I won't teach him anything. He can do whatever he wants."

After You Jinhui turned 25, everything related to Chen Jiyan was handed over to him. Roze stopped interfering altogether, though You Ting still checked occasionally, concerned about when Chen Jiyan would wake up.

"I'm telling you this not to speak for him," Roze explained calmly, without a lecturing tone, "I just want you both to know that love also requires cultivation. Whether familial or friendly, it's a rare, fragile relationship that needs careful maintenance, or it can easily become endangered."

"So how do you manage your family?" Chen Jiyan asked earnestly.

At this, the married man instinctively straightened his back:

"First, I take very good care of my own health and have meticulously maintained Ms. You's favorite hair for years."

"Second, I cherish her health deeply, learning various skills like cooking and massage to alleviate my love's work fatigue."

"These two points are crucial, followed by some essential emotional support—like keeping fresh flowers at home to create a romantic and cozy atmosphere, checking in about his itinerary when going out, and returning home no later than nine o'clock..."

Chen Jiyan politely interrupted Roze's endless stream of insights, saying he had benefited greatly but didn't need that kind of advice right now.

"I understand why You Jinhui was dead set against living with you. Taking me away was the right choice."

"Thank you for your hospitality. It's getting late, so I'll see myself out."

"Of course, it's not like we never fought either."

Finally, they reached the part Chen Jiyan was interested in.

"The most serious argument we ever had was because of You Jinhui's eyes."

"The only thing of mine he got was his eyes, yet he doesn't take good care of them." At this point, Roze frowned slightly.

"During his service, he quietly got a prosthetic eye. When we finally saw him again, his hair had turned white too." Roze sighed. "Children grow up and become independent, never stop to think how much it pains their parents."

"His hair?"

Xisha also mentioned that You Jinhui had black hair when he was younger.

"Right after returning to Dingshu, he went to the research institute. Later, he spent a night at Hengmai, and when we saw him again, his hair had turned white."

"Beyond that, I don't know much more. Perhaps Ting might know, but it would be best if he told you himself."

"However, before Sang Xiaen self-destructed, not many made it out like you did. The research institute gradually abandoned several others, all of them from organ failure. He was probably very anxious."

"Once you're in Hengmai, not even a guardian can make arbitrary changes. Sending you out wasn't really about agreeing with CSA's plan—he had other arrangements, likely related to uncovering the truth about Sang Xiaen. But he hadn't cared for all those years."

"I understand what you're saying." He had already figured it out on the way here and wasn't truly angry. On the contrary, if their roles were reversed, he felt he would have made the same choice.

It wasn't that he couldn't accept being used, but You Jinhui had kept it from him from the start and never intended to reveal the truth throughout. Whether it was for his sake or deemed unnecessary, there was no explanation or remedy afterward.

He was a little disappointed, but mostly just annoyed at himself for being so gullible.

"Remember this, Chen Jiyan,"

After seeing Roze off, under the bright moonlight, he looked at his reflection in the mirror and told himself slowly and clearly: "No one is trustworthy except yourself."

After all, "You're a freak."