This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Zhao Ying Jun furrowed her brow, her face showing deep concentration.
“Why does it feel like the more we add, the less sense it makes? It seems like there are still missing links between these key points... or maybe we’re still missing some crucial keywords.”
Lin Xian scratched his head, looking a bit flustered.
“You might be right,” he admitted. “These Millennial Stakes have only shown fragments of some event—bits and pieces of the same story. With so few clues, it’s hard to make sense of it all.”
“But one thing is for sure,” he continued, pausing for effect, “the year 1952 hides an incredibly important secret—something crucial.”
He let out a sigh. “If only we had a time machine. I’ve already got those entangled spacetime particles all set up; it would be amazing to go back to 1952 and see everything firsthand. But that comet carrying Astatine-339 won’t reach Earth until 2234, and until then, time travel is impossible—which is just a massive headache.”
Zhao Ying Jun tilted her head thoughtfully.
“Maybe you could try asking Einstein. Sure, he’ll probably say, ‘I refuse to answer, question void,’ but if you’re clever and indirect, maybe you could get him to reveal something useful.”
“That’s true.” Lin Xian nodded, tearing up the paper full of keywords and tossing it into the trash. “Sometimes Einstein refusing to answer isn’t all bad. If the question is just right, his refusal itself can be confirmation.”
He suddenly changed the subject. “Anyway, let’s put that aside for now. Look here—I booked an appointment at the registry office for September 20th so we can get our marriage license. My mom had someone check the date—it’s the eighteenth of the eighth lunar month, a very lucky day. Apparently, it matches well with both our zodiac signs and the elements in our birth charts. What do you think—should we go get our marriage license then?”
Zhao Ying Jun couldn’t help but laugh at his serious demeanor.
“It’s so funny to think that the same guy who was just talking to me about Einstein, time travel, and logic is now talking about auspicious dates and zodiac signs. You’re a perfect blend of science and superstition.”
“Hey, all of us in X Country are like this.” Lin Xian chuckled. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, after all. Why not make it a little lucky?”
“Once we get our marriage license, we’ll be officially married. We could even start planning our honeymoon. If we catch the end of summer, we could go to Copenhagen right after getting the license.”
“From October onward, your belly’s only going to get bigger, and it won’t be good for long trips anymore. This is the perfect chance to make your wish come true and see the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen.”
Zhao Ying Jun nodded. Copenhagen was a place she and Lin Xian had long promised to visit together.
But more than that, she wanted to meet Yellow Finch—to see the future version of herself.
...
September 20th. At the Civil Affairs Bureau in Chun’an County, Hang City, Lin Xian and Zhao Ying Jun received their marriage license.
Lin Xian’s parents beamed with joy. To them, it seemed like happiness after happiness kept arriving at their doorstep. Everything had fallen neatly into place, solving so many issues.
They weren’t going to have a formal wedding, but the celebrations were still happening—there had to be feasts and family gatherings. After the banquet in Hang City, they headed to the Capital City for the return banquet. Once that was done, they set off from the airport, flying to Copenhagen, Denmark.
Together, they retraced Yellow Finch’s steps—from Andersen’s Cemetery to Amalienborg Palace. As the sun dipped low, they walked toward the shore, to the shallow waters where the Little Mermaid statue stood.
The blazing sun sank beneath the water, painting the sea a warm shade of orange.
Gentle waves lapped against the rocks, sending droplets splashing onto the bronze mermaid, making it glisten softly.
“Yellow Finch said she never managed to make it here with her Lin Xian,” Lin Xian murmured.
On the beach, Lin Xian held Zhao Ying Jun’s hand, their bare feet sinking into the soft sand as they walked toward the sea. Today, Zhao Ying Jun wore a white sundress, silver earrings, and a wide-brimmed sun hat. �
She had once told Lin Xian she didn’t like dresses—hadn’t worn one since her teens. But now, with her growing belly, those tight-fitting clothes were definitely out. For the first time, she had gone shopping for some loose dresses.
Honeymoons were meant for relaxing, after all. Just the two of them, no need for formality. But her habit of matching her accessories’ colors—that wasn’t going anywhere.
She had once explained to Lin Xian why Yellow Finch chose blue earrings. It was because they matched her blue eyes, sticking to the three-color rule. Lin Xian didn’t quite agree.
“I think,” he argued, “that she wore them because I said I liked blue and thought it looked nice.”
Zhao Ying Jun had twisted his arm in response, scolding him for his vanity.
“Are you Yellow Finch, or am I? Feeling pretty proud of yourself now, aren’t you, Lin Xian? You’re getting a bit big-headed!”
Lin Xian knew better than to argue with a pregnant woman. He surrendered.
Their footprints trailed behind them, four rows of imprints leading slowly to the tides.
The salty sea breeze ruffled their hair.
They stood where the waves just barely covered their ankles. Lin Xian spoke again, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
“Yellow Finch said it wasn’t her Lin Xian who broke his promise—it was her. I’ve never quite understood what she meant by that.”
Zhao Ying Jun gazed at the Little Mermaid statue bathed in the golden glow of sunset, taking a deep breath of the salty air.
Perhaps this was Yellow Finch’s true belief—
What is greater, the world or one’s family?
But just as Zhao Ying Jun had said—without the world, there is no family.
The great disasters of 2400 and the apocalypse of 2624—they seemed so distant, far-off concerns.
But generations would come, and their descendants would face those catastrophes.
Many people would laugh and say, “Why should I care about something that happens hundreds of years from now?”
And maybe, for ordinary people, that thinking wasn’t wrong.
Suddenly, Lin Xian thought of the members of the Genius Club. They each had their own goals, their own agendas, but were any of them living solely for pleasure or corruption?
No.
Each of them could have used Einstein’s omniscience to lead a life of luxury and ease—but what were they doing instead?
Whatever you thought of their actions or methods, they were all fighting, each in their own way, for a better future for humanity.
None of them were living for today alone. Even Copernicus, hated by so many, had been scheming, right to his dying breath, to achieve his future plans.
“So Yellow Finch wouldn’t regret it,” Zhao Ying Jun said firmly. “And neither will I, no matter what.”
A sudden gust of wind swept across the beach, catching Zhao Ying Jun’s sun hat and sending it soaring into the air.
They both turned, watching as the hat flew like a bird migrating for the winter, carried by the wind over the sea, beyond the clouds, heading to the other side of the world.
Lin Xian stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Zhao Ying Jun from behind. He smiled faintly.
“It seems like we might just have a listener,” he said.
“Make that two.” Zhao Ying Jun glanced down at her belly. “I’ve got something to confess, Lin Xian.”
“Hmm?” Lin Xian tilted his head, puzzled.
Zhao Ying Jun twirled a stray lock of hair around her finger, tucking it behind her ear.
“You know how you wanted to keep it a surprise—wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out if it’s a boy or a girl?” She bit her lip, looking almost guilty. “Well... I couldn’t help myself. I went to a private clinic and asked the doctor to check.”
She looked up at him, her smile radiant.
“But... it’s good news for you.”
Lin Xian’s eyes widened, the earlier tension dissolving as joy spread across his face.
“Really?”
“Really.” Zhao Ying Jun nodded, her smile growing. “It’s a girl—we’re having a daughter.”
Lin Xian laughed, his face lighting up with happiness.
“I knew it!” He grabbed her hands excitedly. “See, I told you—we didn’t need to get rid of Yu Xi’s old clothes and toys. Her favorite set—we’ll keep it for her to wear in another ten years!”
Zhao Ying Jun couldn’t help but giggle, tapping his nose with her finger.
“You’re going to have a hard time explaining to our daughter why all her things are old and out of date. No matter how convincing you make your story sound, she’ll never believe it.”
She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “But I suppose you don’t have to worry about picking a name anymore?”
Lin Xian nodded, his smile softening. “No need. Our daughter—she’s been here with us all along. She already has her unique, irreplaceable name.”
He knelt down, wrapping his arms around Zhao Ying Jun’s waist, resting his forehead gently against her belly.
He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the lingering sunlight, breathing in the salty ocean air, listening to the gentle rustle of the waves.
In a soft voice, he spoke to her.
“Yu Xi...”
“Daddy’s here.”