Chapter 1175: Chapter 39 Starry Wishes

Lin Xian closed his eyes and set aside the chat record between Du Yao and Tang Xin.

He had actually read through these records before.

But at that time, anger and revenge had consumed his mind, and when faced with the trap deliberately set by Ji Lin, he had to forcibly maintain composure.

And so…

When he had read the chat record earlier, it was merely a cursory glance, without lingering, as his attention and energy were consumed by the tangled confrontation with Ji Lin’s deceptions.

But now.

Everything had come to an end.

Ji Xinshui, Ji Lin, and Zhou Duanyun were dead;

The Seven Sins that had murdered the scientists had been eradicated by him;

Copernicus, who had orchestrated it all, had also been killed by him;

At this moment, in this situation, in this atmosphere…

Revisiting the chat record anew with a different mindset left Lin Xian feeling as if the air in the archive room had turned dense.

It was as though he were breathing in butter–sticky, heavy; it wouldn’t go in, nor come out.

“Can I take this record with me?”

Lin Xian asked the archive room staff.

“Certainly, Mr. Lin. These cases were cracked under your leadership, after all. Moreover, these chat records have been confirmed to be partially fabricated… So, I’ll make a photocopy for you. You can leave the original here and take the copy.”

Due to the influence Lin Xian held from solving the cold cases and helping the Donghai City Public Security Bureau through difficult times, he was held in high regard by the staff, who voluntarily offered to make him a photocopy.

After filling out a form and signing, Lin Xian left with the chat record.

Night fell.

At Zhao Yingjun’s residence.

Zhao Yingjun sat on the sofa, having finished reading through the chat record. She turned to Lin Xian, who had been sitting quietly nearby:

“Is this about the scientist who overcame the side effects of hibernation? Your high school classmate?”

“What a small world. We’ve been searching for Du Yao for so long, only to find that she was classmates with Tang Xin at Johns Hopkins University. And judging by the tone of their conversations, they seemed to have been quite close–more like best friends.”

“But look at what Tang Xin said towards the end; she remembered many things about you, while you couldn’t recall anything about her.”

“Well, we were classmates for only a few days.”

Lin Xian said softly:

“Besides… what she mentioned about me helping her tie her school uniform and ease her awkwardness, even now it feels like such a minor thing. I truly have no recollection of it.”

“Out of courtesy at the time, I lied and pretended to remember, but perhaps my expression betrayed me. Tang Xin saw through the lie.”

Zhao Yingjun sighed lightly:

“Sometimes small things, occurring at specific moments, stop being small. They become unforgettable, things you can carry for a lifetime.”

“It’s like what you told me about Wei Shengjin. When he was a child, he acted brave, imitating Ultraman to protect Liu Shiyu. That one act led Liu Shiyu to follow him all the way to Mars, starting out as a stranger, yet staying with him for life.”

“But for Wei Shengjin, that wasn’t even noteworthy enough to jot down in his diary. Perhaps this is one of the bittersweet truths of growing up–the fact that girls are always so much more mature than boys their age, while boys only gain that emotional depth much, much later.”

As she finished speaking.

She turned her head, lightly gripping Lin Xian’s slightly cold hand with her right hand:

“I’ve felt the same way. The other day, when we went to the Imperial Capital to meet my parents, didn’t you say that I exaggerated your virtues and misrepresented reality? But the truth is, everything I said was genuine. Perhaps saving me from a criminal’s gunpoint and handing me a scrunched-up bouquet of flowers seems trivial to you.”

“To me, though… it’s something I’ll cherish for a lifetime. If I were to enter hibernation, I’d write it on the first page of my Memory Notebook. I’d even be willing to freeze time on that very day.”

She used her other hand to close the printed chat record and placed it on the coffee table:

“That said, the chat record mentions that Tang Xin prepared a ‘gift’ for you, claiming that seeing it might help you recall your high school days. In the end… you never saw that gift, did you?”

Lin Xian shook his head:

“At the time, I had no such frame of mind. It was clear to me that Zhou Duanyun had killed her, yet Zhou Duanyun had the audacity to feign sorrow and suggestively ask if I wanted the so-called gift Tang Xin had left in his car.”

“I was solely focused on avenging Professor Xu Yun and Tang Xin. Plus, I didn’t trust Zhou Duanyun’s words. Who knows if this so-called gift from Tang Xin was real or just another trap?”

“At least you avenged her.”

Zhao Yingjun looked at Lin Xian:

“And avenged her thoroughly. From the perpetrator to the mastermind, even Copernicus himself–you didn’t spare a single one.”

“So, although there’s an element of regret, you fulfilled your promise to Tang Xin. You didn’t let her down. After killing Copernicus, have you gone to her grave yet with flowers to tell her what you’ve done?”

“Donghai City is so close to Hang City, you should find the time to visit. If she knew all the risks you took and how you meticulously dealt with every perpetrator, I’m sure her soul would feel comforted.”

Lin Xian nodded, looking at Zhao Yingjun:

“Would you like to go with me? I understand you’re incredibly considerate, but I don’t want to keep this from you.”

Yet…

Zhao Yingjun smiled faintly and shook her head gently: