Chapter 138 There's No Going Back
There was a knock at the door. Xie Xingchen looked up and asked, "He Li is back again?"
"No, I made an appointment with my older brother and sister-in-law." Lin Yao lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "Even though submitting evidence is not wrong, I should have informed them first based on our feelings."
After all, this matter involves too many people and things. If it is not handled properly, Xie Xingchen may lose even his last brother.
That's really too cruel.
Xie Xingchen nodded slightly: "You're more thoughtful than I am."
He got up, went to open the door, and let Xie Yunhuai and Jiang Qiran in. The brothers looked at each other and remained silent.
"Have you gone to see Father Yun? How is he?" Xie Yunhuai spoke first.
“I’ve seen it. He was always gentle yet strong, always smiling, which made me…” Xie Xingchen’s voice was very soft. “I only found out today that the reason they initially conducted the experiments was really because I was kidnapped and taken away. He embarked on a path of no return step by step in order to save me.”
Lin Yao interrupted, "It's not your fault."
"It really wasn't your fault, don't blame yourself." Xie Yunhuai lit a cigarette, paused for several seconds, and then spoke.
“When I was little, I always felt that Yun’s father favored you. Because you were sick, he took you with him everywhere he went, and I was always the one they abandoned.”
“Yun’s father said that my younger brother has a very serious illness and it will take more time to save you. For a long time, I didn’t understand and thought it was just an excuse, that he just didn’t like me that much. Even though he was very good to me, I could still feel the difference.”
Xie Xingchen said in a hoarse voice, "Brother, I'm sorry."
Xie Yunhuai flicked his cigarette ash: "Later, when I first saw you having an attack, it was really pitiful. You were clearly in so much pain that your body was convulsing, but you were very well-behaved and didn't cry out at all. You would rather hurt yourself and your hands were covered in scratches than let others worry."
“I understand immediately, Xingchen. No one would stand by and watch you die. It’s so heartbreaking.”
"If I had the chance to save you, I might have taken a very extreme approach."
Xie Xingchen looked up: "Don't you hate me? Because I... I collected evidence, which led to all of this today. Seeing that your company's stock price has dropped a lot, your sister-in-law's family will probably be in a difficult position."
"Of course not, you are the best younger brother. If I had experienced everything you have experienced, I wouldn't have done better than you."
Looking at his haggard face, Xie Yunhuai said with heartache, "You are now the best solution."
"Thank you, brother." Xie Xingchen thought to himself, Yun Qing really raised the children very well.
Even now, his brother doesn't scold or hate him; instead, he tries to comfort himself, and the more he does this, the more guilty he feels.
Jiang Qiran replied, "It's nothing. I had a fight with my family last night and was ready to cut ties. I didn't want to stay in that lousy Jiang family anymore. They've already sucked enough blood from me through marriage alliances in the past few years, and they still have the nerve to complain."
Xie Yunhuai's lips curved slightly: "Don't worry about us, your brother isn't as fragile as you think."
Hearing this, Lin Yao breathed a sigh of relief: "I called you here to inform you in advance, in case of any unpredictable consequences."
He actually had a moment of hesitation, not wanting to see Xie Xingchen in so much pain.
Even if I manage to reach a difficult settlement, I cannot forgive the other victims. No matter how I think about it, I cannot simply let it go.
Jiang Qiran turned her head away, held back her tears, and laughed, "What are we compared to Xie Yunhuai? He's lived a glorious life for over twenty years without suffering any hardship. It's the Xie family that owes you."
"No one has the right to morally blackmail you because of this. Even if the sky falls, you don't need to consider or bear the consequences."
"Can I come with you to beg for food?" Xie Yunhuai asked.
"That won't work. If you're this incompetent, you'll have to get a divorce and find someone else."
Jiang Qiran said coldly, "It's a second marriage, so you should be able to find a decent one to remarry. I can hire you as his mentor to make some money. Wouldn't that be good for you?"
Lin Yao couldn't laugh; his heart was still heavy with worry: "You may not understand the consequences. It's not just jail time; if the remaining evidence is handed over, with so many lives lost, it will most likely be the death penalty. Can you really accept that?"
Xie Xingchen's pupils trembled slightly.
Xie Yunhuai looked at him: "Xiao Qi just said that you don't need to consider the consequences of the sky falling. We will accept whatever the law decides."
Xie Xingchen said in a hoarse voice, "Yaoyao, I already thought about today the moment I gave you the evidence. Do you think I don't know how severe the sentence would be? Of course I do. But I can't help covering it up when I clearly saw it."
Lin Yao remained silent.
"It's getting late. You two should get some rest. Go first thing tomorrow morning."
Xie Yunhuai stood up and patted Xie Xingchen on the shoulder: "I know you're in pain, but no one blames you. Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"
Xie Xingchen nodded slightly.
Lin Yao felt that he was still in a bad mood, but didn't know how to comfort him. After the others left, he took the initiative to hug him and asked, "Do you feel any better after seeing your older brother?"
"I'm sorry, I'm in such a bad state right now, making you worry." Xie Xingchen reached out and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Is it difficult for you?"
Lin Yao stared at him for a moment, feeling his heart collapse.
He leaned down slightly, lifted Xie Xingchen's chin, and kissed him: "Xie Xingchen, do you want to do it?"
Xie Xingchen ran his fingers along Yao Yao's lower back, feeling the other person deliberately comforting him in a way he preferred: "Yao Yao, you still have a slight fever, you don't need to..."
"Let's do it, okay?" Lin Yao rarely took the initiative. "I want to hold you."
This was probably the most amicable exchange between them.
Lin Yao kissed the moisture in his eyes and tasted his pain, so he could only use a tighter hug and closer embrace to tell him that there were still people in this world who loved him.
At six o'clock in the morning, Lin Yao's communicator sounded an emergency alarm.
Lin Yao answered the call groggily and heard the order: "Special mission, spacecraft number 0137, needs to transport a batch of special military equipment back to Ziyun Star, depart at seven o'clock."
"Going on a mission so early?" Xie Xingchen asked in a low voice, "It's quite far. I'll go in your place."
He reached out and touched Lin Yao's forehead; it was still a little hot.
I shouldn't have made a fuss last night; it was the other person who indulged me, which is why I still have a low-grade fever.
Lin Yao mumbled an "Mmm," then said indistinctly, "My perfect attendance record... I don't want it..."
"Your aircraft is parked in the training military area?"
"Um."
What are the control panel command numbers?
"November 13th, your birthday."
Xie Xingchen chuckled, raised his hand to ruffle his hair, and teased him, "Where's your bank card PIN?"
Lin Yao kept his eyes closed, clearly having fallen into a deep sleep for the second time, but his lips were taut because of this crucial question: "I won't say."
"Money-grubber." Xie Xingchen lowered his head, his voice soft. "Is it also Xie Xingchen's birthday?"
Lin Yao remained silent, but said with heightened alertness, "I need to change the password."
He confessed without being asked, so adorable!
Normally, anyone could handle the delivery, but I don't know why they had to ask Lin Yao. After Xie Xingchen got up and washed up, he went back to bed and kissed him: "Go to the police station to hand in the evidence as soon as you wake up, don't delay."
Lin Yao responded haltingly, "Remember... to report the handover to the military region."
Xie Xingchen stared at his sleeping face for a while before getting up briskly, going back to pilot Lin Yao's aircraft, and only after they were already on the road did he slowly send out a mission personnel change request.
Ten minutes later, Xie Hengzhi's voice came through the communicator: "You went in Lin Yao's place? Why didn't you report it beforehand?"
Xie Xingchen said calmly, "What, is the Alliance Commander now getting involved in military affairs too? Why are you everywhere?"
"This is against the rules. Why do you always do things this way without following the rules?" Xie Hengzhi's tone sounded a bit urgent. "Emergency landing, or return the way you came, immediately."
Xie Xingchen looked at the flight path map on the central control screen, his tone full of regret: "I'm sorry, we flew too fast and have already left the capital planet. Now..."
He suddenly felt the rear wing vibrate, and the numbers on the instrument panel began to change erratically, suddenly becoming unbalanced.
Xie Hengzhi's voice suddenly became harsher: "Speak! Where are you now?!"
Xie Xingchen tightened his lips, suddenly understanding the last words Xie Hengzhi left behind when he departed yesterday.
"Xie Xingchen, will you regret your decision today? You will."
It turned out his worries were not unfounded; he really did have murderous intent back then, fearing that the evidence Lin Yao submitted would kill Yun Qing, so he wanted to become the cruel executioner ahead of time.
She was certain of her guilt and escapism at not daring to submit it in person, and certain of Lin Yao's unwavering attendance at his missions over the past four years.
That madman.
Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, he found himself on this death flight in place of Lin Yao.
Xie Xingchen's eyes were bloodshot as he spoke sarcastically, each word distinct: "Xie Hengzhi, you don't love me, so why are you in such a hurry?"
"Didn't you want to abandon me when I was just a baby?"
"The moment Yunqing was arrested, you wanted nothing more than to kill me to vent your anger, didn't you?"
"It's rare for me to please you like this, but below me is a vast ocean. I can't make an emergency landing, and I can't go back."
The aircraft plummeted suddenly, and these questions were like stones thrown into a lake, failing to create even a ripple.
Lin Yao was still asleep.
But even in my dreams, I couldn't find peace. Suddenly, someone pulled me down from the clouds, causing a sudden loss of weight. Then I woke up to find my bed empty.
He sat up, vaguely recalling Xie Xingchen carrying out the mission on his behalf, connecting directly to his frequency with a communicator, but could only hear a strange mechanical roar.
Tearing, smashing, tide, and wind.
"Xie Xingchen... what's the situation on your end..." Lin Yao's face suddenly turned deathly pale, as if a sharp knife had been plunged into his heart. He couldn't breathe and trembled uncontrollably. "What kind of broken communicator is this? I can't hear a single word..."
"Xie Xingchen, this is Lin Yao, answer me!!!"
"Xie Xingchen, this is Lin Yao, answer me!!!"
"Xie Xingchen, this is Lin Yao, answer me!!!"
At the other end of the communicator, a huge explosion suddenly rang out, seemingly shattering the communicator in my hand even from a great distance.
He seemed to see those dark, star-like eyes being swallowed by the sea.
Xie Xingchen, who always replies instantly.
This time, there was no response.
-
There might be a few angst-filled moments in the next couple of days, mainly as I'm wrapping up plot points and foreshadowing. I'll try to update as much as possible, and the main story will be finished in a few days. Don't guess, it's definitely a happy ending!!!
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