Qiming Chapter 71

Chapter 71

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The sunlight was quickly obscured by dense clouds, and dark currents rolled across the sky. The entire space seemed to shrink bit by bit, eventually becoming a hollow shell that could only accommodate two people.

Lin Xiangrong found a box in the bookshelf drawer, wrapped in red velvet, identical to the one Xu Chengyue had once dreamt of.

"A month before your accident, it was in this office," she said, opening the box, which was empty.

"At that time, there was a chip placed inside. You told me that this box was too ugly, flashy, and impractical, not at all befitting the quality it was supposed to have." She blinked as she looked at the utterly shocked Xu Chengyue, then extinguished the cigarette in her hand and tossed it into a transparent ashtray.

"At that time, you never could have imagined that just a month later, this chip would be implanted in your brain."

"So, all your thoughts and soul come from a chip programmed with the past and future. It gave you a brain similar to a human's, allowing your soul to reside in Xu Chengyue's body."

She leaned closer to Xu Chengyue, her gaze mocking as she spoke: "But at least you have a soul. How does it feel to be human? Isn't it thrilling, interesting?"

His entire body trembled as he slowly slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

He closed his eyes, and somehow, Gu Yunfeng's face appeared before him, Gu Yunfeng's sleeping profile as he lay by his hospital bed, his arms open wide in an embrace under the sunlight.

In that brief moment of warmth, he felt an endless sense of confusion and fear.

All his understanding of the world, society, and emotions was completely overturned in an instant. It was as if his heart had been torn open, blood gushing out, carrying away his muddled consciousness and stripping him of the self-awareness he had built.

She had merely spoken the truth he had long been unwilling to face.

What am I, really?

If the original Xu Chengyue were to wake up, where would he go? He coveted the sunlight, the breeze, the mountains, the flowing water. He had witnessed the full spectrum of human vices, greed, anger, stupidity, slowness, and doubt, but also cherished the goodness and beauty in humanity.

"Why are you telling me all this?" After a long while, he finally opened his eyes and lifted his head, standing up resolutely and straightening his back. He took out his phone and placed it on the table, the recording had been going on for half an hour.

Xu Chengyue placed his hands on the table, leaning forward to look down at her: "I could call the police right now."

"You won't."

"Whether it's Wang Kun, Xiao Lu, or you, all of you have reasons to work for me. Do you want to know your reason?" Her fair hand trembled slightly before she absent-mindedly took out another cigarette, holding it between her fingers as she lit it.

"Stop pretending. You know the truth, you just don't want to admit it. Have you been dreaming a lot lately? Have you fainted for no reason?"

The corners of her mouth turned upwards as she took a deep drag of her cigarette. "The real Xu Chengyue never died. Did Ying Han really think he could fool me with a fake brain death certificate? He only managed to deceive that bunch of foolish amateurs."

Her sharp gaze swept over him. "He could have woken up, he should have woken up, but you've taken over his body."

"But you must want to occupy his body forever, right? To always be human, rather than an emotionless machine. Aren't you afraid that he might actually wake up?"

She grabbed his collar, meeting his threatening gaze with full confidence.

A plane flew overhead, landing at the nearby airport. The deafening roar filled Xu Chengyue's ears, and the intense impact made him momentarily think he heard something falling.

Or perhaps it was the feeling of something shattering.

He lowered his head, wanting to say something but feeling it would be too hypocritical.

At this moment, everything seemed hypocritical.

All he could do was quickly calm down, firmly grasping her wrist and pushing it away from himself. Then he looked at her with a smile: "So? Do you have a way to help me solve this problem?"

Caught off guard, Lin Xiangrong hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Of course, I have a solution."

She walked to the window, gazing at the distant power towers and mountains. She opened the window, then turned around and leaned against the wall, declaring firmly, "A few months ago, Ronghua Biotech was investigated for illegal drug production. I was the one who reported them."

She lifted her head, smiling with pride and indifference.

"The drugs they were illegally producing can ensure that the original Xu Chengyue never wakes up, allowing you to be Xu Chengyue forever, to seize his chance at reincarnation and enjoy the fruits of his previous efforts."

Drugs?

Gu Yunfeng had mentioned this matter more than once. The illegal drug production by Ronghua Biotech had initially faded into obscurity following the sensational Jiang family massacre.

"How can you prove the effectiveness of the drug?" he asked calmly. His palms were clammy with cold sweat, and a drop trickled from his temple down to his delicate collarbone, soaking into the collar of his shirt.

Lin Xiangrong revealed a hidden necklace, a delicate dagger pendant resting on her chest, and her eyes suddenly filled with worry and stillness.

"Do you know why Jiang Hai hasn't woken up until now? His injuries weren't severe, there's no reason he shouldn't have recovered."

"He's been in a coma simply because someone doesn't want him to wake up."

"I've always believed that life is the most precious thing, worth any great sacrifice to save. But for some people, they're willing to go to any lengths to extinguish a life, just to remove one more person from the inheritance battle, just to avoid being overshadowed by their own brother forever."

"When I found out about this, I thought, since you're afraid of someone competing with you for the inheritance, why not squander it all? Money is just an external possession, let everything reset to zero. But unfortunately, a fool is a fool, he doesn't even know how to go bankrupt quickly, I had to teach him."

She held a glass of water in her hand, her features soft and composed, every cell in her body seemingly laughing, though it was unclear who she was laughing at. However, as she spoke, the eager anticipation in her eyes instantly turned into a cold, deep sea.

Her eyes were filled with sadness and helplessness.

"This is what the Jiang family does, this is the sin Jiang Yang committed. He could even harm his own blood relatives. If there's any justice in the world, it won't spare them."

He roughly understood what Lin Xiangrong meant. Jiang Hai had remained in a coma because his half-brother, Jiang Yang, had used a special suppressant drug on him, preventing him from waking up.

If this drug were used on himself, he could live worry-free, forever like a normal human being. The strange dreams and all the hidden truths would vanish, becoming secrets that no one would ever know.

People say life is priceless in a sanctimonious way, but in reality it is nothing but a double standard.

He looked at Lin Xiangrong's empty and desolate expression and suddenly let out a cold laugh. "And what about you? Is using me as a test subject your way of respecting life?"

This question seemed to provoke her. Her face darkened as she shut the window, cutting off the noise of the bustling traffic outside. She slammed the glass of water onto the desk with a forceful attitude.

"Professor Xu, please don't confuse the concepts. When you were brought to the hospital, you were already brain-dead and about to be cremated into a handful of ashes. I was the one who stopped you from turning to dust. I gave you the chance to be reborn!"

"As for why you were brain-dead? I'm sorry, I don't know. You should ask Lu Yong that question. You should ask him, how much does he hate you?"

"To the point where he would personally turn his once most trusted student into a memory-wiped robot?"

He hadn't expected Lin Xiangrong to mention Lu Yong's name. To him, Lu Yong had always been a mentor and a close friend, though also an enigmatic and unpredictable figure.

But no matter what, he had never imagined that Professor Lu would harm him.

The broken clock on the wall suddenly ticked a few times, its unsteady movements producing a clattering noise.

The noise, along with various friction sounds in the air, was drowned out by Lin Xiangrong's voice.

"But you are somewhat fortunate. The greatest influence on you came from that police officer, not from a butcher like Lu Yong. At least, you really do seem like a human being with a heart, a soul, and a sense of justice."

She raised her tone, speaking with a playful expression. "Do you like him? Do you even want to be with him forever?"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: August 24, 2024 by Angel

Edited: November 14, 2024 by Angel