Chapter 278: Whose Father, Whose Daughter (2)

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“...So mysterious,” Lin Xian chuckled, clearly amused. Not long ago, Chu An Qing had captured his interest with her quirky ideas. At first, they seemed like the wild fantasies of a naive young girl. Yet, despite this, her vibrant enthusiasm was undeniably contagious. For a fleeting moment, Lin Xian found himself swept up in her excitement, engaged in a stimulating exchange that felt like a collaboration of two brilliant minds.

“But don’t worry, Lin Xian,” Chu An Qing said with a bright smile, patting her chest confidently. “If I could really travel through time, you’d be the first to know! I promise, I’d find the younger you and give you all the winning lottery numbers! You’d be richer than my dad!”

“Well, thanks in advance,” Lin Xian responded with a grin, holding open the electric door of the sleek business car and gesturing for her to step inside. “And remind me to invest in Bitcoin.”

“Oh, that’s not possible!” Chu An Qing quickly dismissed the idea, her expression turning serious. “That’s illegal!”

....

After the ride, Lin Xian’s chauffeur dropped Chu An Qing off at Donghai University. She waved cheerfully as she stepped out of the car. “Bye, Lin Xian. Drive safely!”

“Yeah, you get some rest,” Lin Xian called out, rolling up the window as he prepared to drive away.

Watching the car disappear around the corner of her dorm, Chu An Qing reflected on Lin Xian’s recent advice about attending Professor Zhang Yang’s general education class. She had already taken it last semester and would have to wait to enroll again. But she considered sneaking into the lecture hall just to listen. After all, with hundreds of students in attendance, who would notice one more?

She stretched, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Living life, she realized, meant chasing what you love. Not every moment had to be grand, and not every ending profound. What mattered most was finding happiness and living without regrets.

Humming to herself, she walked toward her dormitory, only to stop short in surprise.

A tall, elegant woman in sunglasses stood in front of the dormitory, exuding a blend of grace and authority. Dressed in a chic trench coat and adorned with shimmering blue earrings, she commanded attention.

“Yellow Finch?” Chu An Qing hurried over, puzzled and slightly anxious.

“Yellow Finch, what brings you here?” Chu An Qing inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Removing her sunglasses, Yellow Finch revealed her piercing blue eyes, giving her a look that was almost too intense. “An Qing, do you have a moment?” she asked softly, her tone serious. “There’s something important I need to discuss with you.”

....

Seated in a quiet corner of the school cafeteria’s third-floor café, the two women faced each other, cold drinks untouched between them. Chu An Qing listened in disbelief to Yellow Finch’s revelations.

“Is... is all of this really true... Yellow Finch? I... I can hardly believe it,” she stammered, her hands instinctively touching her cold cheeks.

If Lin Xian’s musings on time travel were somewhat plausible, what Yellow Finch described sounded like it was ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel.

“I... I don’t understand, and I...”

“It’s okay, An Qing,” Yellow Finch soothed. “I don’t expect you to make any decisions right now. This is a lot to take in. Take your time to think about it. But remember, don’t tell anyone about our conversation—not your parents, not Lin Xian, nobody. This decision must be yours alone.”

Chu An Qing felt vulnerable. “Not even Lin Xian? I was thinking about discussing it with him... Can I really not tell him?”

Yellow Finch shook her head gravely. “Trust me, An Qing. It’s for Lin Xian’s own good to keep him out of this. Due to the elasticity effect, the crucial information I’ve shared is mostly incorrect or even completely the opposite. Sharing this with Lin Xian would only mislead him. If he acts on this false information, he’ll surely make mistakes and miss out on a critical opportunity.”

“When the situation changes, I’ll update you with the facts. But for now, although what I’ve told you might seem incorrect, the events are very real. It’s like the value of Pi—even if I incorrectly say it’s 5.14, it doesn’t negate the actual existence of Pi.”

Overwhelmed by the bizarre nature of the conversation, Chu An Qing fell silent.

After a lengthy pause, she finally spoke, her voice steady but filled with confusion. “The ‘Alpha Substance’ you mentioned... the one that’s only found in outer space, is it truly that vital to Lin Xian?”

“Yes, it’s extremely crucial,” Yellow Finch confirmed softly, leaning forward to look Chu An Qing in the eyes. “Missing this element could cause everything to unravel. By the time we realize its importance, it might be too late.”

....

Yellow Finch stood, her movements smooth and deliberate. “This is my phone number,” she said, placing a piece of paper on the table.

She picked up her coat. “It’s only September 2023, not even October yet. You have plenty of time to think and decide. When you’re ready, call me, and I’ll tell you everything I can.”Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com

With a graceful gesture, she donned her stylish trench coat and slipped on her sunglasses.

“Lastly, remember, An Qing, no matter what choice you make, it will be the right one. Because... I can’t predict the right answer. I’m just trying to do what I believe is right,” she added, her voice tinged with a hint of regret.

“Unfortunately...” she paused, a smile playing on her lips. “I actually know more about you, but due to the elasticity effect, I can’t tell you now. Otherwise, your decision would be easier.”

“Goodbye, see you later.”

With that, Yellow Finch turned and walked away, her high heels clicking on the floor, each step echoing in the now quiet café.

Chu An Qing watched her disappear around the corner, her mind racing with the weight of the conversation.

She looked down at the small piece of paper on the table. A phone number was scribbled on it. She reached out, gripped it, and put it in her pocket.

....

“Today, we’ve covered the basics of Einstein’s theory of relativity,” announced Professor Zhang Yang in a packed lecture hall. Chu An Qing, sitting in the last row, diligently took notes from the blackboard. Beside her, a recorder captured every word.

She adjusted her glasses.

“You’d be better off going on a vacation!” Chu Shan He crossed his arms, frowning at the official-looking documents on the coffee table.

Signed by X Country’s Space Agency.

Stamped by multiple departments.

It couldn’t be fake.

But it was utterly absurd!

Absurd to the extreme!

Letting a 19-year-old girl with no specific training or talent go to space—complete nonsense!

“You’re not going, period!” Chu Shan He waved his hand, indicating there was no room for discussion.

At this moment, Su Xiu Ying, Chu An Qing’s mother, also stepped forward, rubbing the almost-crying Chu An Qing’s cheeks.

“You silly girl... what are you thinking? Going to space for a mission... I thought you were joking! How could it be your turn to go? Why would it be you?”

“Even if it could be you, what could you do there? How could you help? You’d just cause trouble for the country. Why doesn’t your father let you go? Because he’s worried about your safety, worried you might get hurt, face danger... why can’t you understand?”

Chu Shan He turned around, looking at his stubborn, tearful daughter. “Do you know how dangerous this is? I may not know how you convinced the space agency to give you this absurd document, but I can’t just watch my daughter participate in such a dangerous plan! I refuse to believe that this space mission can’t happen without you! Is the entire X Country out of people?”

“If X Country is really out of people, I’ll go! Your mom will go! But we won’t let you go! Do you think this is like taking a plane? A ship? This is space! If something happens, there’s no chance of survival!”

He took a deep breath, glaring at Chu An Qing.

“Do you think I didn’t know about you sneaking off to America to cheer for Lin Xian at the hacker competition?”

Chu An Qing choked, wide-eyed at her father.

How?

“I knew as soon as you got back!” Chu Shan He pointed at her fiercely.

Su Xiu Ying patted her head.

“Your father couldn’t sleep for days, worrying... blaming himself for not keeping an eye on you. Even though you were already back from America, he couldn’t stop worrying and didn’t sleep for days.”

“Don’t tell her these things,” Chu Shan He interrupted Su Xiu Ying, still glaring at Chu An Qing, his brows furrowed.

“Why didn’t I confront you? Why didn’t I scold you?”

“Your mother and I thought, our child has grown up, now 19, with her own thoughts and ideas. So, we pretended not to know, didn’t mention it, respected your choices.”

“But now you’re going too far! Too far! I won’t indulge you any longer! This document requires my signature. You can forget about it. I will tell the space agency’s leaders to let anyone else go, but not you!”

Tears blurred Chu An Qing’s vision, and she burst into tears.

“Why! Why can’t I go...”

This novel is translated and hosted only on Bca Translation

“You say space is dangerous, but isn’t defending the borders dangerous? Isn’t being a soldier dangerous? Wasn’t the front line in wartime dangerous? Those test pilots, police officers, bomb disposal workers, aren’t they in danger? Among them, there are kids my age! There are girls like me!”

“Why can’t I go... why can others go but not me? Give me a reason!”

“Because you’re Chu Shan He’s daughter!!” Chu Shan He’s veins bulged with anger.

“Do you understand? Because you’re my daughter! That’s why you can’t go! It’s that simple!”

Chu An Qing sobbed, almost out of breath.

But she clenched her fists, stood straight, and tearfully staring at her father...

“Dad...” Her voice trembled with tears. “Which girl isn’t someone’s daughter? Which girl... doesn’t have a dad? No one comes from a rock... Even if their dad isn’t Chu Shan He, each girl is a precious daughter in her father’s eyes.”

“Now we live in peaceful times... we don’t need to do those dangerous things. But if something truly needs you, me, everyone... if everyone refuses, doesn’t stand up courageously... what will happen to our country? Our lives?”

“Just because I’m Chu Shan He’s daughter, I should hide behind others, watching other daughters fight... risking their lives... while I just watch! Watch my whole life!!”

“I won’t!!!!” Chu An Qing shouted loudly!

She wiped her tears with one arm, she clenched her teeth and glared at the stern father, “If others’ daughters can do it. Then Chu Shan He’s daughter... can too!”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation