Genius Club-Chapter 204 - 42 Bury Me on the Moon

Lin Xian walked into the hospital building, took the elevator, and pressed the button for the 17th floor.

The elevator doors closed and began to ascend slowly...

Thinking back to the last time he visited Xu Yiyi’s ward, it was still December 29, 2022.

It was because just two days later, at the MX celebration party and New Year’s Eve, Professor Xu Yun was hit and killed by the murderer at 00:42, dying tragically in the street.

Since then, Lin Xian hadn’t been here, his entire focus on tracking down the murderer.

But as of now, several months later, the progress wasn’t insignificant.

In the long run, he had found clues related to the cosmic constant 42.

Although he still didn’t know what 42 represented or its use, the death of Big Face Cat’s father 600 years later undoubtedly confirmed that there was a frightening secret behind this mysterious number.

Plus, he had found the original author of "Introduction to the Cosmological Constant," and it was only a matter of time before he completely unraveled the mystery of 42.

Once his own situation was secure, he could bring Liu Feng to Donghai and build him a lab, where he could focus on uncovering the secrets of the cosmic constant 42.

By then... once he had harnessed the power of 42, he would truly possess the capacity to confront his enemies.

In the short term, he had also clarified the identity of the murderer.

Zhou Duanyun, Ji Lin, and Ji Xinshui were unequivocally involved in the murder of Xu Yun.

All he needed now was to find enough evidence of the murder... and then he could bring them to justice!

Ding———

The elevator doors opened on the 17th floor, and Lin Xian walked straight to the door of Xu Yiyi’s ward.

"Hmm?"

The door was ajar, allowing a clear view inside.

A stranger stood in front of Xu Yiyi’s ward.

The man was doing rehabilitation stretches for the slumbering Xu Yiyi, so Lin Xian could only see his back.

He wasn’t tall, but he was very muscular, appearing to be someone who did physical work. His hair was semi-long, neatly combed, and the beard on his chin was shaven clean, though a faint blue stubble was still visible.

The man patiently and carefully lifted Xu Yiyi’s frail leg, slowly bending and stretching, bending and stretching... His technique and movements were exactly like those once performed by Professor Xu Yun.

Lin Xian watched quietly for a while.

He noticed that the man’s rehabilitation exercises for Xu Yiyi were very serious and meticulous, giving Lin Xian the first impression... Could this man be a caregiver hired by the hospital? But thinking about it, he didn’t seem to fit that role.

Soon, the man finally finished the entire set of rehabilitation exercises, then turned around and noticed Lin Xian standing at the door:

"Sir, may I ask who you are?"

He asked politely, speaking in not quite standard Mandarin.

"I am a friend of Professor Xu Yun," Lin Xian pointed to the bedridden Xu Yiyi:

"I’ve come to visit Xu Yiyi. And you are...?"

The man smiled, turned around, and nodded:

"My name is Zheng Chenghe, a family member of a patient in the next ward."

As he spoke, he pointed to the wall on his left:

"My sister has been in poor health since childhood and has been hospitalized for many years. Because our ward is next to Xu Yiyi’s, we’ve received a lot of care from Professor Xu Yun."

"Professor Xu Yun was very caring to both of us siblings and helped us a lot... Some time ago, there were many gifts for Professor Xu Yun here, almost all of which were given to us. Both my sister and I are very grateful to him."

Having said this, he turned his head to look at Xu Yiyi:

"Later... Professor Xu Yun had an accident, and I was worried Xu Yiyi would be lonely, so my sister and I often came to talk to her and do some rehabilitation exercises."

...

So that’s how it was.

Lin Xian also nodded politely in response.

This man shared a plight similar to Xu Yun’s, with a sister who was a long-term patient and a daughter in a vegetative state.

It seemed that Professor Xu Yun had indeed been quite good to these siblings, so Zheng Chenghe regularly came to do rehabilitation exercises for Xu Yiyi, which could be considered a way of showing gratitude.

He walked towards Xu Yiyi’s bedside and then noticed that the man’s left side of the face was covered with scars!

Several scars even ran from his neck to his ear, a sight that was shocking. Even though the scars appeared to have healed for some time, looking at the overgrown and reddened scars... they were still somewhat frightening.

In contrast, the man’s right side of the face was unscathed.

"Those scars on your face..." Lin Xian voiced his curiosity.

"Oh, these are from a dog bite when I was a child." The man touched the scars on his left face and smiled:

"I was naive and unaware of the dangers as a child, and I got bitten by someone’s dog."

"It looks quite severe."

"It was indeed quite serious at the time, but fortunately, it’s mostly just frightening and a bit unsightly; there’s not much harm."

"That’s not true!" Suddenly, a childish shout came from the door.

Lin Xian turned to look towards the entrance of the ward...

The newcomer was a little girl in a hospital gown, her skin as pale as snow; she had the kind of whiteness that comes from not seeing the sun, a sickly white.

She had long hair, was very thin, and not tall, seeming to be around thirteen or fourteen years old.

"Big brother isn’t thoughtless, he protected me! He’s a hero!"

The little girl stubbornly clutched Zheng Chenghe’s clothes, looking up at Lin Xian.

Lin Xian smiled, crouching down to her level:

"What’s your name?"

"I’m Zheng Xiangyue," the little girl said with a voice like a ringing bell.

"Zheng Xiangyue?" Lin Xian nodded in surprise:

"That’s a very pretty name."

Lin Xian looked up at Zheng Chenghe again:

"Actually, both of your names are quite nice, Chenghe and Xiangyue; your parents must be very cultured people."

However...

At Lin Xian’s words, Zheng Xiangyue’s eyes dimmed instantly.

Hmm?

Lin Xian realized... had she said something wrong?

"I’ve never seen Dad and Mom..." Zheng Xiangyue said grievously:

"They were killed by someone when I was a kid."

Killed?

Lin Xian furrowed her brow, what was this about?

"Xiangyue, don’t talk nonsense. How could you have never seen your parents? They were the ones who held you and raised you since you were little... you just have a bad memory and have forgotten,"

Zheng Chenghe chuckled awkwardly, pulling Zheng Xiangyue behind him and apologizing as he looked at Lin Xian:

"It’s just a child’s talk, don’t take it to heart. Indeed, we come from humble beginnings. Our parents got into a dispute with villagers years ago and were killed by accident in the conflict... But all that is past, and those responsible were punished by the law."

Lin Xian, seeing that Zheng Chenghe was reluctant to delve into the past, did not inquire further.

Everyone in this world has things they’d rather not bring up. There’s no need to force a full account; it would only make others uncomfortable.

Just like the scars on Zheng Chenghe’s face...

From Zheng Xiangyue’s words just now, it wasn’t hard to guess that those scars were probably not as trivial as Zheng Chenghe had described. They were more likely from when someone set a dog on Zheng Xiangyue and Zheng Chenghe, trying to protect her, ended up with his face badly bitten.

As for whether this incident had anything to do with the conflict between their parents and the villagers... Lin Xian felt it was highly likely.

Zheng Chenghe appeared physically strong, but his speech was exceedingly polite and humble, a contradiction that was striking. Perhaps this stemmed from his having lost his parents at a young age and having to fight hard to bring up his little sister.

The hardships of life had smoothed away the edges of the man.

Zheng Chenghe seemed to be in his thirties, so there was quite an age gap between the siblings. Sorting through her thoughts...

If Zheng Xiangyue could barely remember her parents, it meant they had died when she was very young, perhaps only two or three years old.

At that time, Zheng Chenghe would have been about twenty, a gap of over a decade between the siblings.

And looking at the hospital gown Zheng Xiangyue was wearing...

They really were a pair beset by misfortune.

Lin Xian was starkly reminded of a line she had read in a book, which said that when you feel life is against you, just visit a hospital, and you’ll realize how lucky you are, at least you’re not ill.

The present situation was a testament to that.

The people living in this hospital building were all suffering the torment of illness.

"What’s wrong with Xiangyue’s health?" Lin Xian asked as she looked at Zheng Chenghe:

"She seems fine to me. Looks quite healthy."

Zheng Chenghe’s expression was stoic as he caressed his sister’s smooth hair:

"Xiangyue has a congenital heart disease, a very severe form. When she was checked as a child, doctors said she wouldn’t grow up... and her blood type is very unusual; she has never found a compatible heart for a transplant."

"But I believe, one day Xiangyue will definitely recover," Zheng Chenghe then smiled, bent down, and picked up the frail Zheng Xiangyue, placing her on his sturdy arms:

"After all, our Xiangyue is very strong! The doctors say every year she won’t live past her next birthday... but hasn’t Xiangyue survived one birthday after another? So there’s definitely no problem! Our Xiangyue is a good girl blessed by the gods."

"Speaking of which, Xiangyue, your fourteenth birthday is next month, right? What gift would you like? Your brother will buy it for you."

"Hehe, I don’t really want any gifts," Zheng Xiangyue chuckled mischievously:

"I’ve only ever had that one wish, you just need to agree to it! I’ve told you so many times, but you never agree to it."

Zheng Chenghe’s expression turned serious, and he shook his head:

"I can’t agree to that wish, because you can definitely be cured."

"What if I can’t be cured? Just agree to it then!"

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"No, no, I can’t agree to that. I will definitely cure you, no matter how much effort it takes, I will cure you."

...

The siblings reached an impasse here, which piqued Lin Xian’s curiosity so much that she couldn’t help but ask Zheng Xiangyue:

"What’s your wish?"

Zheng Xiangyue looked at Lin Xian with hopeful eyes and smiled:

"I want to ask my brother... to bury me on the moon after I die!"

...

This...

Lin Xian was at a loss for words.

Should she chalk it up to childish innocence, or was it that Zheng Xiangyue, being young, didn’t grasp the gravity of life and death?

No wonder Zheng Chenghe refused to agree to it.

Any brother would not make such a pact with his sister. As long as there was the slightest possibility of curing the illness, one would fight for it as if their life depended on it.

Lin Xian exhaled long through her nose...

She took Zheng Xiangyue’s hand:

"You probably won’t make it to the moon."

"Why!" Zheng Xiangyue’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Because it’s likely that soon, the first-generation Hibernation Pod will be put into use," Lin Xian explained with a smile:

"Do you know about the Hibernation Pod? It’s what Xu Yiyi’s dad is researching. Once you sleep in it... and then open your eyes, decades or even centuries will have passed."

"Your illness may be incurable now, but in a few decades, a few centuries, human scientific and medical technology will have advanced by leaps and bounds. By then, such a minor ailment like yours can be cured with ease."

He turned his head, looking at the equally emaciated Xu Yiyi:

"Perfect, Professor Xu Yun was planning to send Xu Yiyi to the future for treatment. You two could go together, what a good idea. You could become friends when you wake up."

"So, don’t give up on yourself so easily, Xiangyue. Don’t talk so casually about death, it will hurt your brother’s heart."

However...

In this moment, Zheng Xiangyue’s gaze suddenly seemed so mature and understanding, it was heartbreaking.

She sighed softly, looking up at the moon hanging in the night sky outside the window:

"But... I really want to go to the moon... "

"Why do you want to go to the moon?" Lin Xian asked curiously.

"Because my brother said that’s where Dad and Mom are," Zheng Xiangyue pursed her lips and blinked:

"I really want to meet them..."