Chapter 133 About the Past

The air in the living room seemed to freeze. Ruan Ning sat up straight. Qin Li also raised his head.

The old man picked up his water glass, took a sip, his gaze became distant, and he began to tell his story:

"Your mothers are twins. The older sister is named Qin Wei (Qin Li's mother), and the younger sister is named Qin Wan (Ruan Ning's mother). They were born into a rather different family. Their maternal grandmother and I both participated in a secret research project codenamed 'Origin.' This project involved some areas that were beyond the understanding of the time."

“Those necklaces are not ordinary ornaments. They are prototypes, or ‘keys,’ made in the early stages of the ‘Origin’ project using a special meteorite material and energy field technology. Originally intended as a memento and symbol, some theoretical deductions in the later stages of the project showed that they may have a potential resonance with a deeper energy field.”

"The project was halted and shelved due to funding issues, controversies, and potential risks. We left the research institution with the data and the necklace, wanting to live ordinary lives. But we didn't expect to be targeted. Not by the authorities, but by some people within the project who went to extremes and tried to restart the research."

“That year, the children were four years old. We took them to visit friends in a neighboring city, and on the way… we had a ‘car accident.’ It wasn’t an accident at all; it was a premeditated attack and kidnapping! In the chaos, Wanwan and Weiwei were separated… Wanwan was taken away by that group of people. We fought desperately and only managed to get Weiwei back…”

The old lady was crying so hard she couldn't speak, only clutching the necklace tightly in her hand.

The old man's voice lowered, filled with years of suppressed pain and anger: "We used every connection we had to investigate, but they were very well hidden, and the leads quickly dried up. We only knew that they might want to use the child as a 'sample' or 'key' for some kind of experiment. Because we kept investigating, we may have pushed them too far, and in the end, we only found out that the child might have been trafficked and his whereabouts were unknown..."

He looked at Ruan Ning: "Your grandmother saved her, raised her, gave her a name and a home... We... we are extremely grateful."

Ruan Ning listened in silence. A corner of her mother's past, which she had never mentioned before, was being revealed in such a tragic way. The shock and memory gaps from when she was four years old stemmed from a conspiracy and kidnapping against her family.

Qin Li's face was ashen, his fists clenched tightly. Was his mother's early death also related to this past?

The old man paused for a moment, then continued, "After that, we were heartbroken and took Weiwei into hiding, almost severing all ties with the past. When Weiwei grew up, she also entered the field, seemingly wanting to find the answers herself, but... she passed away early, without having the chance to tell us what she had found, leaving only those vague notes and instructions."

He looked at the two necklaces: "As for these necklaces... we always thought they were just mementos. But based on Vivi's later scattered notes and some other clues, we suspect that they may not be as simple as they seem. The reason for sealing up the 'Origin' project may be more complicated than we know. And the arrival of the apocalypse may not be entirely accidental."

His gaze swept over Ruan Ning and Qin Li: "Your mothers, because of these necklaces, because of their identities, have been drawn into a vortex that we still cannot fully understand. And now, the necklaces are in your hands. Some things may have only just begun."

The story was over. Silence filled the living room, broken only by the old woman's soft sobs.

Ruan Ning clutched the pendant around her neck; its icy touch now seemed to burn with heat. Her mother's background, the necklace's origin, a decades-old conspiracy and kidnapping, a sealed secret research project… fragments gradually pieced together, pointing to a deeper mystery.

She and Qin Li seemed to be standing on the edge of a fog.

The old lady wiped away her tears, looked at Ruan Ning, her eyes filled with guilt and an urgent longing: "Child...you're all alone out there, taking care of so many people, it's too hard. Move in, there are still rooms available. Your grandfather and I...we're old, we have no other wish but to take care of you. We've already let your mother down, we can't lose you too."

The old man also spoke up, his tone more restrained than the old woman's, but equally expectant: "The inner city is safer and the conditions are better than the outer city. It's more convenient for you to have a stable place to stay since you've just arrived at the base."

Ruan Ning paused for a moment. She felt somewhat unaccustomed to the two elderly people who had just reunited and were deeply moved. Since the apocalypse, she had grown accustomed to independence and distance; the sudden warmth of kinship and close concern made her instinctively want to maintain some personal space.

“Thank you,” she said, her tone softening, “but I can’t move in yet. I have teammates outside; they’ve just settled in, and I need to stay with them. Besides, I’m used to it.”

The old lady's eyes reddened again: "But..."

Qin Li then spoke up: "Grandpa, Grandma, give her some time. She just found out about these things and needs time to process them. Besides, she has her responsibilities and team outside, so it's really not appropriate for her to suddenly move in."

The old man sighed and patted the old woman's hand: "The child is right. We were too hasty."

Seeing the two elderly people's disappointed yet trying-to-understand expressions, Ruan Ning felt a slight stirring in her heart. She added, "I will come to see you often. Whenever I have time."

The old lady immediately seized on this statement: "Really? You'll come often? You can eat here, sleep here, anything you like! Treat this place like your own home! The room is all furnished for you."

"Yes." Ruan Ning nodded. "I will."

This promise made the two elderly people's expressions soften.

The old man then asked, "What are your plans next? Qin Li said there are still some people in your team who have just arrived at the base and need to be settled in."

Ruan Ning: "First, establish a foothold in the outer city. Exchange for points, accept quests, and improve your strength. We need to investigate the necklace and 'Origin,' but we can't rush it."

Qin Li: "I'll keep an eye on things here too. You guys are in the outer city, so be careful. Contact me if anything happens."

The old man nodded: "If you need any help, just let me know. Although we're retired, we still have some old connections at the base."

After having lunch and talking for a while, Ruan Ning got up to take his leave.

The old lady insisted on seeing her to the door, holding her hand and repeatedly urging her, "You must come often! Tell Grandma what you want to eat, and Grandma will make it for you!"

“Okay,” Ruan Ning replied.

Qin Li saw her out of the courtyard. Once outside, he said, "Your grandparents just really want to make it up to you, don't feel pressured."

“I know,” Ruan Ning said. “I’ll handle it.”

"I'll get the temporary inner city pass ready for you as soon as possible," Qin Li said. "Be careful on your way back."

Ruan Ning left with the raging fire. On her way back to the outer city, she touched the necklace around her neck. Her past had been revealed, bringing with it new blood relatives and a heavy burden of concern and responsibility. The feeling was unfamiliar, but not entirely a burden.

She glanced back towards the inner city. There lay her family, waiting for her to visit often, and she could feel the sincerity of the two elderly people.