Chapter 45
Wen Ling floated in intermittent dreams.
He dreamed of standing beneath the dome of the Sailiang Imperial City's library, his fingertips caressing the jade slips that recorded ancient civilizations. Sunlight streamed through the glazed windows, casting a dazzling array of light and shadow on the bookshelves. Those ancient texts seemed to whisper, recounting the glory of the Ten Kingdoms era.
The Sairen Kingdom, embracing the principle of "the benevolent are invincible," governed all things with rational order; the Saiyi Kingdom, adhering to the principle of "righteousness," embraced loyalty and trustworthiness as its guiding principles; and the Sailiang Kingdom, upholding the principle of "goodness as its foundation," protected the last traces of warmth in troubled times. There was also the rituals of the Saili Kingdom, the wisdom of the Saizhi Kingdom, the promises of the Saixin Kingdom, the warmth of the Saiwen Kingdom, the modesty of the Saigong Kingdom, the restraint of the Saijian Kingdom, and the tolerance of the Sairang Kingdom... These ten kingdoms, like ten shining stars, collectively illuminated that great era.
"We have different paths..." someone whispered in the dream, the voice as ethereal as the wind.
The excruciating pain brought him back to reality. Wen Ling struggled to open his eyes and found himself lying in an unfamiliar medical cabin. The walls were a plain metal color, the instruments ticked regularly, and the air was filled with disinfectant and the cool, refreshing scent of Miao Weizhen.
He tried to move, and immediately felt a sharp pain in his right leg, but it was much better than before. The professional bandage showed that the person who treated him had considerable medical experience.
"Don't move."
Miao Weizhen's voice came from the corner. Wen Ling turned around and saw him sitting on a chair in the shadows, holding a data pad in his hand, with a noticeable dark blue mark under his eyes.
"Where... are we?" Wen Ling's voice was hoarse.
"A safe place." Miao Weizhen put down the data tablet and walked towards the medical bay. His movements were still elegant and calm, but Wen Ling noticed that the collar of his uniform was slightly open, which was a rare mess.
Miao Weizhen checked the readings on the medical equipment, his finger sliding rapidly across the touchscreen. "You were unconscious for forty-three hours. You have damaged arteries in your legs, three broken ribs, and a mild concussion."
Wen Ling then noticed that Miao Weizhen's voice was deeper than usual, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue. "Have you been here all this time?"
Miao Weizhen didn't answer, but handed him a glass of warm water. "Drink slowly."
Just as Wen Ling was drinking water, Miao Weizhen suddenly said, "The metal pieces in your protective suit are very dangerous. If the federal scanner detects them..."
Wen Ling choked. He didn't expect Miao Weizhen to discover that little secret.
"I just..." He tried to explain, but couldn't find the right words.
Miao Weizhen gave him a deep look, then turned back to the medical equipment. "Next time you want a souvenir, tell me. I can give you a safer option."
This sentence was said extremely calmly, but it made Wen Ling's heart skip a beat.
For the next few hours, Wen Ling drifted in and out of sleep under the influence of the drug. Every time he woke up, he saw Miao Weizhen in the same position, sometimes processing data, sometimes just quietly gazing at the starry sky outside the porthole.
When Wen Ling regained consciousness, she felt much better. Miao Weizhen was preparing a simple meal with surprisingly skilled hands.
"I didn't know you could cook." Wen Ling said softly.
Miao Weizhen didn't look back. "I learned at the Interstellar Diplomatic Academy that envoys stationed abroad must master basic survival skills."
He brought a bowl of nutritious porridge and sat down next to the medical pod. This was the first time Wen Ling had seen Miao Weizhen so... at home. Without the usual sense of distance, he now seemed more like a real person, someone who could experience fatigue.
"Over at the base..." Wen Ling couldn't help but ask.
"Safe," Miao Weizhen replied briefly. "Luo Yan has taken over command. I am the only one who knows our current location."
The feeding process was silent and awkward. Miao Weizhen's movements were precise but stiff, clearly unused to caring for others. But when he noticed Wen Ling frowning at his movements, he unconsciously softened his movements.
"Why did the Federation suddenly increase patrols?" Wen Ling asked.
Miao Weizhen put down his cutlery and pulled up his datapad. "They're looking for this."
The screen displayed an ancient star map, marking the distribution of relics from the Ten Kingdoms period. One mark stood out in particular—it was located deep within the Phantom Machine Wasteland.
"This is?"
"The true origin of the Star Shuttle Project." Miao Weizhen magnified the mark. "In ancient times, sages from the Ten Kingdoms established a laboratory here to study the connection between consciousness and matter. What Xinglan discovered is their legacy."
Wen Ling stared at the markings on the star map in shock. "So the Federation's goal isn't just the Star Shuttle Project's technology..."
"What they want is the complete knowledge system left by the ancient civilization." Miao Weizhen closed the star map. "That wisdom that can unify consciousness and technology, but is sealed because it is too dangerous."
At this moment, the medical equipment sounded an alarm. Wen Ling's temperature rose again, and the wound showed signs of infection.
Miao Weizhen immediately stood up and prepared the medicine, his movements quick and steady. But when he injected Wen Ling, Wen Ling noticed that his hands were shaking slightly.
"Are you scared?" Wen Ling asked softly.
Miao Weizhen didn't answer, but focused on adjusting the infusion rate. Under the effect of the drug, Wen Ling fell into a coma again.
This time, he dreamed he was walking through a garden filled with exotic flowers and plants. A young woman in a white lab coat, her back to him, was tending to a glowing plant.
"Dr. Xinglan?" Wen Ling asked tentatively.
The woman turned around, revealing a face somewhat similar to Miao Weizhen's, yet softer. Her eyes seemed to hold a sea of stars, with a penetrating clarity that saw through everything.
"You are Wen Ling," her voice was as clear as spring water, "I have been waiting for you."
"wait for me?"
"My brother is too used to shouldering everything alone," Xinglan gently touched the glowing leaf. "I left so suddenly, I didn't have time to tell him that some burdens should be shared by more people."
Wen Ling stared at the woman he had only seen in photos and profiles: "You want me to help him share the burden?"
"No." Xinglan smiled. "I want you to make him understand that he never has to bear it alone."
When Wen Ling woke up again, it was already late at night. A single small light was on in the medical cabin, and Miao Weizhen had fallen asleep in his chair. The datapad was still lit, displaying complex medical data and his handwritten observation log.
Wen Ling quietly watched Miao Weizhen sleeping soundly. With all his defenses dropped, he looked unusually young and vulnerable. Moonlight streamed through the porthole, casting soft shadows on his face.
At that moment, Wen Ling suddenly understood Miao Weizhen's loneliness over the years. Carrying the hopes of an entire civilization, guarding a dangerous secret, yet having no one to share his burdens with.
Perhaps sensing the gaze, Miao Weizhen suddenly woke up. Seeing Wen Ling's clear eyes, the confusion in his eyes instantly disappeared, and he regained his former clarity.
"How do you feel?" Miao Weizhen stood up to check the equipment, his fingertips sliding rapidly across the control screen. His voice remained calm, but his inspection was more meticulous than usual.
"Better than expected." Wen Ling raised the corner of her lips slightly, gazing at his focused profile. "It seems your medical skills are as reliable as your tactics."
Miao Weizhen continued his work without pause, saying in a low voice, "The next opportunity for me to prove my medical skills can come later."
Wen Ling chuckled: "It depends on whether the Federation is willing to cooperate."
At dawn, Wen Ling's fever finally subsided. Miao Weizhen changed his bandages with precise and smooth movements. When his fingers accidentally brushed the skin on Wen Ling's leg, both of them froze for a moment.
"That day at the command center," Wen Ling said softly, "when you entered those coordinates, did you anticipate this happening?"
Miao Weizhen continued with his work, the gauze wrapped neatly between his fingers.
"I've considered every possible scenario," he said in a low voice, "including the worst-case scenario."
Wen Ling stared at his tense profile: "But you finally let me go."
The action of tightening the bandage became slightly heavier.
Miao Weizhen raised his eyes, his gaze as deep as the night: "Because I still missed one thing."
His fingertips unconsciously pressed against his chest. "I didn't anticipate the reaction here when my prediction came true."
This subtle movement made Wen Ling's heart tremble. He understood what Miao Weizhen had left unsaid. Even though he knew rationally that this was the best option, emotionally it was still difficult to bear.
Wen Ling said softly: "It doesn't matter. We will bear all the consequences of this choice together."
This time, Miao Weizhen held his fingers with his backhand, with a firm grip.
When Miao Weizhen was about to leave to check the spacecraft system, Wen Ling stopped him.
"When this is over," he said softly, but clearly in the silent cabin, "take me to see the places you remember."
Miao Weizhen paused at the doorway, his back standing tall and proud in the moonlight. "Those places... no longer exist."
"Precisely because it no longer exists, I want to see it all the more." Wen Ling stared at his back, "I want to know what kind of past has shaped you into who you are today."
Miao Weizhen turned slowly, the silvery moonlight flickering in his eyes. After a long pause, he nodded slightly:
"good."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
