Cat and Rose - Cat & Rose - Chapter 45 - Cycle and Begin Again (7)

Chapter 45 – Cycle and Begin Again (7)

Ling Yi ran into Su Ting on the way back to his room, and was currently chatting with her on the common room balcony.

On the ship, entertainment programmes were scarce, so chatting was one of the small number of pastimes available to them.

“We students more or less resembled Ye Selin in some way—she was the type of person that easily attracted people,” Su Ting looked at the starry sky outside the ship window, her eyes reflecting brightness. “Right now, even though we’re very safe, peaceful, and achieved many unbelievable results, I still want to return to those days back on Earth where I was with Ye Selin.”

“I’ve dreamt of Ye Selin before,” Ling Yi sat beside Su Ting, recalling back to a long, long time ago, to the woman who had told him to live on happily, “she was sending me off to a place, it was a circular…”

“That was the safety zone,” Su Ting answered, “at that time the virus had spread within cities, so the cities would line out a secret safety zone, where only people who did not hold the virus and went through strict tests could enter… but the Berlin virus was too contagious, so we all knew that setting up a safety zone was simply our final breath at death’s door.23 Our real hope was always the vaccine.”

Ling Yi did not speak anymore.

He could not remember anything about Earth, but he still knew that the disaster left a period of painful memories in everyone’s hearts that could never be forgotten. Moreover, almost everyone kept it as a closely guarded secret; he only found out about the virus’ existence because the Colonel had inadvertently said it.

“Maybe you can’t understand right now,” Su Ting sighed softly. “Sometimes I feel that it was really too selfish of the Voyagers to forcefully bring the Wilkins Laboratory and their research with them.”

Ling Yi contemplated, then said to her, “But we only have the Voyagers now.”

“Yeah.” Su Ting nodded. Her tone livened up slightly. “Even though I don’t like this spaceship that much, I’ll still work hard and do more.”

They diverted the topic, conversing about other things such as Area 2’s announcement of their new hypothesis on the black hole’s structure, or Lucia’s three-hour sleep—it seemed like she had undergone a new round of protections and level-ups.

Gradually, the time arrived at the typical hours for bedtime, so Ling Yi got up and poured a cup of hot water for Su Ting. “You should go to sleep.”

Su Ting propped her chin up, smiling as she looked at him. “Our little darling’s being so sweet to me, hm?”

“I still have to wait. I don’t know how long I’ll have to wait for…” Ling Yi looked at his own communication bracelet. Lin Si still did not reply to his message.

“Okay,” Su Ting did not ask further and simply replied, “you should rest early too.”

Ling Yi nodded.

After Su Ting left, Ling Yi remained alone on the spacious, silver balcony platform. It was silent in all four directions, with only the distant, tiny buzzing sound of the spaceship accompanying him.

This sound was omnipresent and often overlooked by people as part of the silence. Only Ling Yi was sensitive to it, as he was used to living on the ground.

Sometimes, he could even hear which part of the spaceship had turned on a high-power device.

Like ripples, the entire ship’s electrical network produced a surge, then reached an equilibrium with its surroundings, disappearing within the still, waveless surface of the water.

He sat for a while at the table, a hand propping up his jaw, gazing absently at the faraway starry sky.

Lin Si had not returned ever since he went to submit his documents to the Marshal, and did not even reply to his messages, which made Ling Yi feel uneasy in his heart.

It seemed like there were many times before, like now, where he had to wait for Lin Si to return.

Sometimes, he wanted to grow bigger, so he could be with Lin Si instead of being like this, doing things by himself, or having nothing to do.

If he was the Marshal, he definitely would not tangle Lin Si up in so many meaningless tasks.

Ling Yi gazed at that vast ocean, immersed in a distant, faraway trance.

Adelaide walked past from the end of the corridor and could not help but sneak an extra glance in Ling Yi’s direction.

The gentle stellar lights illuminated the silver platform, and the living being that sat at its centre was so beautiful he seemed unreal. If butterflies existed on the spaceship, they would definitely form a kaleidoscope and flutter over to him, just like how they flew towards the most fragrant flower in springtime.

Sadly, there were no other living beings on the spaceship apart from humans, but the passing psychiatrist thought that his ability to appreciate beauty was not inferior to the butterflies.

He looked a while from afar, using his gaze that pierced through skin and bone to conclude that the beautiful little one was currently deep in melancholy.

This kind of melancholy was worth being alert over, as a child would encounter many problems in the process of growing up. Furthermore, the spaceship was not an environment suitable for young children.

Whether it was here or on the ground, time flowed in liquid form, and life every day was simple, repetitive, and never-changing. He had gotten used to this nearly static lifestyle, so his psychological growth was very slow—perhaps even a few years later, he would still remain a child.

Tang Ning’s situation was the same. The current Tang Ning and the young Tang Ning were not too different; his life only surrounded the keyboard and orbited around Zheng Shu. Apart from those, he had no knowledge of many other things.

The psychiatrist fell into deep thought for a moment, then decided to find the opportunity to remind Lin Si.

He once again thought about the constantly changing Earth—as one grew older in age, the things a person needed to face would constantly change too. The world they could perceive would grow wider day by day, like a boundless journey without destination, where one could encounter many unexpected things.

Sorrows of partings suddenly invaded the psychiatrist’s heart. He turned his head to look at the vast, distant starry sky, and unexpectedly felt melancholic too.

Of course, this shallow and light melancholy was not even comparable with the dark clouds in Marshal’s heart.

Amidst this grim situation, he could only raise the most simple yet most effective solution—let Lin Si sleep.

If Lin Si was the mastermind, this gesture would render him immobile. If he was not, then it could allow the true mastermind who always used Lin Si as a shield to give themselves away, and even if it was not possible, it could still buy some time, allowing himself to conduct a more thorough investigation of the entire spaceship.

He looked at Lin Si, waiting for his response.

Lin Si’s features were illuminated by the faint white light from his bracelet. His expression, the Marshal knew very well.

Since a long time ago, Lin Si’s image had always been like that—cold, calm, collected, and you would know the calculations in his heart were strict and precise too. When this ability was used to weigh pros and cons or calculate profits and losses, any person in authority would view him as a nail in their eye or a needle in their flesh—even if he was perhaps harmless.

Naturally, Lin Si did not appear as how the Marshal thought of him, weighing the pros and cons and calculating the profits and losses. He was currently thinking of that little kitten he was taking care of.

He asked, “After I go to sleep, who will take over my role?”

“We’re still considering…” The Marshal furrowed his brows and thought for a while. “This will be decided by Madam Chen.”

“Among the biologists, I’m already considered conservative,” Lin Si said flatly. “There are many who hold a much more radical attitude towards science. I hope you can think over it seriously.”

The Marshal said, “All activities of ‘limitless’ will not be reinstated while you’re asleep.”

This was a rather heavy promise, which represented that the ultimate authority of human genetic modification, in the present and in the future, would all belong to Lin Si. Nobody else would be able to intervene with its direction.

That meant in actuality, the Marshal leaned towards trusting Lin Si. In reality, Lin Si did not mind whether or not he slept, but he could not leave out the matter of Ling Yi’s future whereabouts.

“I’m sort of worried about…Ling Yi.” He lowered his eyes. “My original idea was to go exploring with him on the Expeditioner.”

“He can still go with the Expeditioner now.”

“That’s not what I mean,” said Lin Si. “Firstly, he’s a special mutation. For selfish reasons, I’m not willing to leave him on the spaceship to let other people experiment on him. Secondly, if I’m not on the Expeditioner, I believe this voyage would be too dangerous, and I don’t want Ling Yi to risk himself…the only solution that will ease my concerns is to let him sleep along with me.”

“I understand you.” The Marshal loosened his slightly furrowed brows. “I had a son.”

The Marshal’s usual hardened voice slightly mellowed, but it did not lack power. “With children who are about to become adults, I will let them choose their own direction for the future.”

Lin Si said, “He’s still very small.”

“The only reason why a child can’t grow up is because of their guardian,” said the Marshal.

Lin Si said, “I don’t believe there are problems with my method of education.”

A discussion between the two of them could never achieve a happy ending where they reached a consensus—this situation had happened many times. Walking out of the storage room where immense danger lurked within, Lin Si recorded everything regarding the situation, and adjusted the room’s security level to the highest.

Afterwards, he took out his bracelet, looked at Ling Yi’s location, and rushed to the balcony.

When he arrived, Ling Yi was gazing out the window with his head propped up, looking tired out already.

He sat by Ling Yi’s side, and the little guy leaned close very naturally, placing his head on Lin Si’s shoulder.

Lin Si reached out to ruffle his hair. Ling Yi took the opportunity to roll into Lin Si’s arms, pillowing himself on his leg face up.

Even though Lin Si still saw Ling Yi as a little thing, in reality, he was not considered small anymore, and was nearing adult size—he pinched Ling Yi’s arm, examined the proportions of his entire body, and felt rather satisfied.

His skeletal structure was very good without any problems. He could still grow a bit taller, and his proportions were also not bad.

Ling Yi felt like he was in an x-ray scan for no reason. His entire body stiffened.

Lin Si asked him, “How was today?”

“I did my exercise questions, then played with Su Ting…” said Ling Yi, “and then nothing else.”

Lin Si did not ask anymore. Ling Yi did not speak either; he only gazed at Lin Si, in a trance.

Lin Si looked at his dazed expression and laughed. “Tired?”

Ling Yi nodded.

Every night, he would only willingly go to sleep once Lin Si was back—Lin Si knew this little habit of Ling Yi very well.

…That was why, it was difficult to accept that this little one who was bound so tightly to him would have to grow up alone in the sea of stars faraway.

He wanted to tell Ling Yi about the Marshal’s idea, but in the end, he could not speak of it, his words simply formed into, “Let’s go back”.

After returning to their room, Ling Yi fell asleep very quickly. He curled up in front of Lin Si, only half his hand peeking out of his woollen sleepwear, grabbing at the corner of Lin Si’s sleeve. He appeared like a small furry animal, the tips of fingers a light, glossy pink colour.

Lin Si looked at his sleeping face, only turning off the brightness after a long time.

The instant the room darkened, he felt Ling Yi shift, huddling even tighter against him.

The warmth and steady sounds of breathing spread outwards infinitely within the darkness. The spaceship floated quietly in the deep space, and the vast sea of stars embraced the windows. Sometimes, this kind of vast, silent and lonely beauty would evoke fear in one’s heart. Like every evening before, when this moment arrived, he would have a delusion—that he and the warm little thing in his arms would be able to depend on each other for life.

*

The author has something to say:

I’m back, for now I’m not feeling completely blocked, but I still can’t recover back to daily updates, i’ll rehabilitate first qwq

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