Chapter 54.1
Upon hearing the introduction, Vincent struggled to understand.
Chief of White Tower? Y? The one who suddenly appeared on the black list four years ago and had been firmly holding the top spot? Y, who designed the starship control system for them?
But wasn’t the person in front of them their Commander’s employer, a second-year student at Turan Academy?
Vincent felt a bit dizzy.
And the rumored Y, whether male or female, was a middle-aged person with wisdom shining in their eyes and a crease on their forehead, silent and reserved!
How old was Qi Yan? He was barely an adult, so how could he be considered middle-aged!
Another thing, the starship central control system was completed by Qi Yan… at sixteen?
Vincent turned to Erich, who knew nothing. He desperately wanted to grab him and spill the tea! Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t right, so he had to hold it in, not daring to say a word, enduring it with great difficulty.
Erich didn’t notice Vincent’s meaningful glances, only surprised by Y’s appearance and age. He also noticed that Lu Fenghan was standing still, not offering his hand.
Very strange.
The military and the White Tower have always maintained a strong and collaborative partnership. In the interstellar era, war was no longer simply about sacrificing human lives. Instead, it had become more of a competition at the tactical and technological levels.
Decades ago, thanks to the White Tower’s innovation in space communication technology, the rebel forces found themselves scattered like sand for a decade, repeatedly disrupted by communication interference, and relentlessly pursued by the Expeditionary Force.
Consequently, the military held the White Tower in high regard, especially those on the front lines. They understood deeply that the items delivered by the White Tower often had the power to save thousands of lives. Hence, they proceeded with utmost caution.
Yet now, Lu Fenghan completely ignored the hand extended by Y.
Just as Erich contemplated discreetly signaling, Lu Fenghan finally stirred. He reached out and grasped Qi Yan’s hand, not too firmly, yet he didn’t release it quickly either.
Feeling the chill of fingertips, Lu Fenghan murmured, “Why so cold?”
With those words, he released Qi Yan’s hand, took a half-step forward, and carefully draped the military jacket he held over Qi Yan’s shoulders.
In that moment, it seemed as though Lu Fenghan was enveloping Qi Yan in his arms.
He should have felt uncomfortable with the sudden closeness, but his body seemed entirely accustomed to it, rooted in place without the slightest resistance.
Feeling a slight weight on his shoulder, Qi Yan instinctively grabbed onto the collar of the jacket. He glanced at Lu Fenghan, only to realize that he was suddenly engulfed by the other’s intense presence.
Strangely, the discomfort from the wormhole jumps seemed to dissipate at that moment.
His hand still tingled slightly. The warmth from Lu Fenghan’s hand was intense. It felt rough, as if covered in tiny wounds, scabs, and calluses.
Qi Yan found himself inexplicably intrigued.
Adjusting his stance, Lu Fenghan remained close, not retreating to his original position. Instead, he asked Qi Yan from the intimate distance, “What have you brought with you?”
Draped in Lu Fenghan’s jacket, Qi Yan began, “I’ve brought the foundational architecture for a new detection system named ‘Windcatcher.’ However, before practical deployment, it needs to be linked with the starship’s central control system for testing and calibration.”
Lu Fenghan arched an eyebrow. “Windcatcher? Who came up with that name?”
Qi Yan: “It was chosen from the unused name registry.”
“And the previous ones, ‘Peregrine,’ ‘Twilight,’ ‘Sundial,’ were all from there?”
Qi Yan nodded. “Yes.”
“Hmm,” Lu Fenghan pressed on, “According to your habits, what name would you choose?”
These questions were of little consequence, but Qi Yan instinctively answered each of Lu Fenghan’s inquiries meticulously, “CE0701 New Detection System.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Lu Fenghan’s lips as he finally captured a glimpse of familiarity from beneath the icy veneer.
Glancing at Qi Yan’s slender frame, Lu Fenghan thought to himself, “Clearly, he hasn’t been eating well,” before asking, “Shall we begin testing now?”
Qi Yan nodded. “Hmm.”
Lu Fenghan didn’t say much, just called out, “Pojun, take Qi Yan to the equipment room for the central control system.”
“Alright,” Pojun’s voice came over the intercom, greeting, “Nice to meet you, my developer.”
Vincent beside them involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.
Erich couldn’t conceal his surprise either.
Qi Yan showed no surprise or excitement at hearing Pojun’s voice, only instructing, “Let’s go.”
After a few steps, he paused, turned back, and his gaze fell on Lu Fenghan’s hand, hesitating, “Your hand—”
Lu Fenghan: “What about it?”
Qi Yan lowered his eyes. “Nothing.”
With that said, he followed the guiding markers displayed by Pojun beneath his feet.
With only three people left on the bridge, Erich spoke up, “Commander, you and Y—”
His voice was interrupted by Vincent, “Commander, what’s going on between you and Qi Yan? Weren’t you two getting along fine in Leto? Why does it feel…” Vincent searched for the right word, “Why does it feel like there’s a lack of camaraderie?”
After speaking, he discreetly signaled Erich, indicating, “Wait for me, I’ll explain later.”
The relaxed expression on Lu Fenghan’s face vanished completely. He watched Qi Yan’s departure with a deep gaze, his eyes betraying a palpable restlessness.
“Got too much free time? Erich, draft me a new defense schedule and submit it before dinner. Vincent, go check if Weiss has spoken yet.”
Seeing Lu Fenghan’s icy stare and the “approach at your own risk” aura enveloping him, Vincent and Erich swiftly responded in unison, “Yes!”
Lu Fenghan returned to his command room.
He retrieved a cigarette from the pack, holding it between his teeth, unlit. Memories flooded back from the cafe in Leto, where Qi Yan, out of curiosity, had taken a puff from his cigarette, only to grimace at the taste.
The suppressed pain in his chest finally erupted, spreading intensely throughout Lu Fenghan’s body. He gritted his teeth, his hand gripping the edge of the table, veins bulging.
After several minutes, he regained his composure. Leaning against the wall, he asked Pojun, “What is Qi Yan doing now?”
Pojun: “He’s in the equipment room, accessing the central control system database.”
Lu Fenghan was engulfed in shadows. After a few breaths, he continued, “Did he say anything else?”
His voice was hoarse, tinged with anticipation and a subtle hint of fear.
Pojun: “Yes, he asked me to remind him to rest in six hours. He also inquired about the injuries on your palm.”
“Injuries?” Lu Fenghan was taken aback, lowering his head to examine his palm. He noticed numerous small wounds, some old and some new, remnants from his time on Dawn. They hadn’t hurt at the time, and he hadn’t even noticed them after scabbing over and callousing.
Only that Little Delicate would consider these to be injuries.
Only he would… worry about these minor wounds.
A twinge of bitterness and swelling filled his heart, and Lu Fenghan, for some reason, felt a slight sting at the corners of his eyes.
Closing his eyes, he imagined Qi Yan’s appearance as he had approached earlier.
He was thinner now, the silk shirt hanging loosely on his frame. He looked hollowed out, as if he hadn’t eaten well in ages. His wrists, already slender, now seemed fragile, as if they might snap with a slight touch.
When he had draped the clothing over him, he had been as obedient as ever, radiating a sense of trust and docility towards him.
But how had Qi Yan spent these past six months?
What had led him to become this icy, distant figure?
What had caused him to stand before him, calling him “General” with such detachment?
Lu Fenghan leaned his back against the cold metal wall, feeling the chill seeping into his bones. After a long while, he spoke hoarsely, “Can I contact Elisa from the White Tower?”
He had only heard two names from Qi Yan: Elisa and August. Both of these individuals should be close to Qi Yan.
Pojun quickly replied, “You can.”
Lu Fenghan: “Connect the communication.”
A few seconds later, the communication link was established. Due to the distance, there were faint traces of interference in the signal.
Lu Fenghan spoke first, “Hello, I’m Lu Fenghan. I apologize for the sudden interruption.”
Elisa didn’t sound surprised. Her tone was gentle. “I suspected you would contact me soon. You’ve seen Qi Yan, haven’t you?”
“Yes, and he’s gotten thinner,” Lu Fenghan felt a restless unease gnawing at him, but considering Elisa’s relationship with Qi Yan, he tried to maintain a calm tone, “I want to know what’s going on with Qi Yan.”
“How much do you know about Qi Yan’s reality distortion?”
Lu Fenghan furrowed his brow slightly. “He often confuses events that have happened, and he’s quite forgetful.”
“What about the matter concerning his mother, Lin Zhi?”
Lu Fenghan didn’t understand why these two questions were being linked together, leaving him feeling like he was dangling in mid-air with no solid ground beneath his feet.
“I know about this. He told me,” Lu Fenghan responded.
A few seconds later, Elisa’s voice resumed, “When Qi Yan was eleven, his mother, Lin Zhi, quietly left the White Tower and returned to the house where she had lived with her parents during her childhood. There, she ended her own life. In a situation unknown to all of us, Qi Yan stayed alone by Lin Zhi’s side for a long time. No one knows what his feelings and thoughts were at that time. It wasn’t until he reached out to the outside world that he was brought back to the White Tower.”
Upon hearing this account, Lu Fenghan suddenly felt a hint of familiarity. But when he tried to grasp it, the feeling dissipated like smoke, elusive and impossible to hold onto.
Elisa continued, “You know that Qi Yan has an excellent memory.”
“Yes,” Lu Fenghan agreed, “Once he’s seen something, he won’t forget it.”
That was why he had suggested to Qi Yan, when the escape pod had ejected, that he should try to forget this particular memory.
He didn’t want that image to become a new nightmare for Qi Yan.
“Indeed, he doesn’t forget. So when he returned to the White Tower, we were all concerned. But soon we realized that things were more serious than we had imagined. Qi Yan’s memory showed abnormalities.”
Elisa took a deep breath, recalling that period of time.
“In his memory, Lin Zhi didn’t die. Qi Yan would tell us that his mother was in the laboratory, in the garden, in meetings, or that she had just said good morning to him five minutes ago. He could vividly describe Lin Zhi’s appearance at those moments. In his eyes, Lin Zhi had always been at the White Tower.”
Without giving Lu Fenghan any time to process, Elisa concluded, “Due to his exceptional memory, Qi Yan deconstructs and reassembles fragments of memories about his mother in his mind, creating new memories. Then, he replaces the real memories with these new false ones.”
A certain suspicion sliced through his heart, drawing blood instantly.
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
