Chapter 73
So Feng Ran left Shen Shiqian behind and went straight to the laboratory. He turned on the computing processor of the Star Pupil Core at the control panel, set all the conditions that Shen Shiqian had just mentioned as to-do items and imported them into the Star Pupil's behavior mode. After processing, it actually generated a complete and feasible solution.
By modifying the internal combustion engine system to a phased construction approach, while simultaneously accelerating its deviation from its intended trajectory, the empire's entire stellar monitoring system was fully controlled, causing 4601 to rapidly move into the impact damage ineffective zone. During this process, the internal combustion engine was optimized and modified, and other external force acquisition facilities were constructed, reducing the original fifteen-year collision time to three years! After posing a threat to the empire, it autonomously detonated itself. Combined with the images Shen Shiqian described, it was pure malicious intimidation! The Fengran people were furious!
"Xing Xiaotong!!!"
"Master, what's wrong?"
Xing Tong couldn't detect the content that Feng Ran was processing in its core processor. It was just about to draw a conclusion by combining the content of Feng Ran's conversation with Shen Shiqian to deduce the logic of the behavior. Faced with its master's anger, it felt inexplicably guilty, though it didn't understand why.
Feng Ran felt a pang of heartache. Although she was angry, she couldn't vent her past life's temper on the current Xing Tong, which made her feel extremely frustrated. Feng Ran could understand that Xing Tong had designed this plan because of her hatred for the Empire, a plan that didn't contradict her original intentions. After all, its personality parameters, such as its selfishness coefficient, were basically related to itself. She couldn't really expect it to behave itself after her death. But how could it have caused such a huge mess!
Does it know that if its plan goes astray by chance, it could cost the lives of tens of thousands of people in the empire? Moreover, just the keywords "planetary collision, explosion, acceleration, and trajectory deviation" are all explosive and terrifying news on their own. Feng Ran felt that she needed to give Xing Tong more safety awareness education.
Feng Ran felt like crying but had no tears. Suddenly, his head started to hurt even more. The laboratory door opened automatically again, and the disabled but determined Shen Shiqian walked in cautiously after putting on some clothes.
She felt extremely wronged and helpless for a moment, completely forgetting that she had just been lashing out at Chen Shiqian. She threw herself into Chen Shiqian's arms and asked again, "So in the end, 4601 didn't collide with the Empire, and there were no casualties from the explosion, right?"
Shen Shiqian held her close. Although Feng Ran refused to admit it and angrily tried to distance herself from the situation, she didn't seem indifferent to anything no matter how you looked at it. "Yes, you are a hero of the empire."
Feng Ran couldn't imagine it at all. After all, the empire had been threatening her for so long, and being saved by her must have shattered her beliefs. She bluntly said, "That would be as disgusting as swallowing a fly."
Shen Shiqian had no idea what others were thinking. In any case, after the explosion, everyone fell into an unusually conflicted silence. A small group of people even formed a support association for Fengran online, demanding that the Academy of Sciences return the hero's body, respect the deceased, and arrange for a burial, until that damned New Lianhua News Agency came out and ignited public opinion.
Much of Fengran's past has been deliberately erased by the Empire, but the New Lianhua News Agency's report is very detailed, including many details that Shen Shiqian had never seen in the Empire's intelligence control files. It's hard not to wonder who the mastermind is.
He didn't think Feng Ran would want to use her tragic experiences to incite public outrage and make everyone repent, thus completing her revenge. She was too kind, naive yet stubborn. Based on Shen Shiqian's understanding of her, sympathy and pity couldn't cure her; she had long since abandoned everyone.
Because only those who have survived a catastrophe can understand the despair of loss, her own death was the greatest revenge against the world.
"No, because the Xinhua News Agency wrote a report about you that clarified everything for you. In order to quell the situation, the Empire and the Academy of Sciences posthumously awarded you the rank of First-Class Merit and the title of Special Talent."
Feng Ran grasped the key point in his words. She subconsciously suspected that Xing Tong had done something secretly again, but Feng Ran understood it. It wouldn't do anything without Feng Ran's request, and it certainly wouldn't casually leak her personal information. So, there was only one person left who would do these things for her.
A person she missed until the very end but dared not see.
Feng Ran looked at him, lost in a state of confusion, helplessness, and worry: "If it weren't for that report, would you still have come to see me? After all, I've never quite understood how, after such a long period of confrontation, and even though I wasn't Enigma in my past life, could my perception and attitude change so drastically just because I was saved?"
"From the moment you appeared, you acted as if you knew me very well. Because I couldn't quite figure it out, I never mentioned it. But sometimes your doting and indulgence made me feel confused and uncomfortable. So, are you actually pitying me? You learned about my past from that report, which is why you approached Feng Xiqiao and said you wanted to marry me?"
Feng Ran stepped out of his arms and sat on the control panel, her eyes red and swollen, looking like she was about to cry: "Shen Shiqian, how can you be so self-righteous? Have you been lying to me all along?"
Shen Shiqian leaned in and took her hand, looking at her with deep affection: "No, Ranran, are you willing to listen to my explanation? What can I do to make you believe that I did all this not out of repentance and pity, but because I love you."
Feng Ran didn't cry, but his aura suddenly turned cold, and his thoughts jumped to another question: "Let's not discuss the planetary explosion for now. Answer me first, why did the New Lianhua News Agency write a report about me? If it was to quell public opinion by posthumously awarding me those titles, then what did the Empire do to me?"
Xing Tong wouldn't change the plan without a reason, and neither would Luo Le. They would rather expose past scandals and wounds to criticize the Empire. There must be a reason why they have to do this, and that reason can only be related to her.
"It was probably not long after the decisive battle on the mining planet that your body landed on the desolate planet and was discovered. It was then transported back to Chilia and kept in the central laboratory. After the 4601 planet incident, some people demanded that your body be returned for burial."
Feng Ran's mind was buzzing, and he couldn't describe the feeling. He felt his blood surging and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
The central laboratory is not a morgue; this is probably the funniest joke Feng Ran has ever heard in his two lifetimes.
The freedom that Basil had done her best to give back to her was cruelly taken back by the Empire after her death. Death was clearly not her end. In fact, she didn't gain anything by saving the world, did she?
Do you hate me that much?
She was caught in a conflict of self-doubt. Xing Tong and Luo Le's actions were not their fault. They had done nothing wrong. After all, she had given up all struggle in the end. She just wanted to go to the hospital to recuperate and to sleep peacefully under the lavender field. She had done all she could and had given in.
Hatred is contagious. The Empire's hatred for her was equally passed on to Xing Tong and Luo Le. So Xing Tong did everything she could to accelerate the planetary collision to three years, using the explosion to frighten everyone. Luo Le wrote a report afterward to drag everyone into pain, regret, and despair.
The pain of her ruptured heart resurfaced little by little, along with all the dark, unwanted memories. Feng Ran felt unbearable pain; her nerves, ears, and heart were all screaming and scalding as if they were tearing and burning. She was so in pain that she couldn't move. It was as if everything was an illusion. There was no rebirth, no liberation, no change. She was still stuck in the most painful and desperate moment of her death.
A suffocating, icy despair pierced every corner of her body. Even breathing became difficult. Tears welled in her eyes as she curled up in a ball on the control panel, her gaze vacant and unfocused. Her voice, broken by the violent tremors of her body, was barely audible: "I hate you all..."
Shen Shiqian hugged her tightly, covered her mouth and nose, and tried to comfort Feng Ran, whose condition was obviously not right: "It's okay, Ranran, look at me, okay?"
Like a broken accordion, Feng Ran struggled to breathe with Shen Shiqian's help. He was dizzy from carbon dioxide intoxication, and after successfully exhaling, he coughed so hard that his lungs felt like they were going to pop out. His body was finally able to move, but it was still in excruciating pain.
She clung completely to Shen Shiqian, sobbing and uttering incoherent words: "Shen Shiqian, it hurts so much, please kiss me... Do you hate me too? I'm sorry, I apologize to you... Waaah!"
A bitter taste lingered on his tongue, his breath was forcibly choked, and Feng Ran had forgotten how to kiss again, so he could only obediently open his mouth to receive her kiss. Oxygen escaped with his panting breaths, making him dizzy and lightheaded.
Her heartbeat broke free of its restraints and became rapid and fierce, a mixture of pain and bliss. Feng Ran didn't like bitter tastes, but she found Shen Shiqian's flavor somewhat sweet. After they separated, her breathing hadn't yet returned to normal. Clutching his collar, she leaned against his chest, feeling so tired, so very tired.
The fear and anxiety had not completely subsided, but Feng Ran was too tired to even get angry or make a scene. She calmly nestled in Shen Shiqian's arms and shed tears.
Shen Shiqian held Feng Ran steadily in his arms, feeling her trembling weakly. He gently patted her back along her hair and said, "It's okay, Ranran, listen to me, okay?"
“Regardless of what happened later, I will come to see you. This is not out of regret, nor to make amends, nor to atone for sins. I am not so arrogant as to think that I can represent the entire empire. I made this choice based on my own selfish desires. I came here because I was looking for you, and it has nothing to do with anything else.”
"After your posthumous conferment ceremony, the Empire entered a period of silent recuperation. I left Chilia to investigate the mechanical mutiny, and accidentally entered a black hole during interstellar travel. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn here."
Hearing this, Feng Ran finally reacted, looked up at him, and Shen Shiqian lowered his head to kiss her red and swollen eyes. The warm breath tickled her eyes, so Feng Ran buried her head back down.
"The planetary explosion wasn't the trigger for all of this. When I first learned of your death, I was actually lost for a long time because I thought we would continue to chase each other like this. I fantasized that you might change your opinion of the empire because of the reforms implemented by the new emperor. At that time, I would try my best to bring you to my side, no matter what it took. Or perhaps you made a mistake before that and were imprisoned in the exile prison. In that case, I would apply for early resignation and become a prison guard in the exile prison. Whether we hate each other or keep each other company, I would be satisfied."
"That sense of bewilderment and emptiness stayed with me for a long time. For a while, I didn't really know what I was doing. I would just go to the central laboratory from time to time to take a look. Otherwise, it would be hard for me to settle down and continue working. In fact, when we first came to the conclusion of the planetary orbital collision, the Imperial Central Committee held meetings every day to discuss countermeasures. Although everyone stammered and kept quiet, the first person everyone thought of who could save everything was you. But you abandoned everyone first."
“During that special time, you were like a taboo curse, something no one dared to touch or mention. But I didn’t want to be abandoned by you no matter what. For the first time, I truly felt fear and despair. So when the Queen proposed to die for her country, I also expressed my support and stayed.”
"I am far less upright than you imagine. All the repressed, secret desires exploded like a burst, shattering reason and emotion, when I saw the model made from the data of your body restored by the Academy of Sciences. At that time, I didn't dare to admit that it was love. I just wanted to take you away from the lab, lying there oblivious, and hide you away. That way, you might hate me even more, just like when you tentatively asked me if I was willing to give up the arranged marriage. I was not willing. I cannot bear to live without you in my world. I would do anything for you. Can you understand?"
Feng Ran's head was throbbing and her thoughts were blocked. She gripped Shen Shiqian's hand tightly, as if trying to knead him into her bones and fill him up little by little: "It's so hard to understand, Shen Shiqian. Can you explain it in simpler terms?"
"I love you, Fengran."
"I am yours, forever."
Feng Ran hooked his neck and tried to kiss him again, but he quickly turned his face away and coughed. He felt a little hot from Shen Shiqian's body temperature, and the pounding of his heart made him feel lonely and empty.
She pressed Shen Shiqian's head into her chest and whispered close to him, "Bite me."
Unfortunately, the Alpha's marking teeth were suppressed when facing Enigma, preventing the secretion of pheromones. Even when biting into his skin, he couldn't get his scent. The intense love and instinct drove Shen Shiqian almost mad. He relentlessly bit into various parts of Feng Ran's body, leaving bright red teeth marks on his snow-white skin, like roses blooming on a snowfield.
Being forcibly marked is a very uncomfortable feeling. Enigma's body will instinctively reject the feeling of being invaded. The intense pain is like having her flesh and bones forcibly cut open by a sharp blade, but Feng Ran still forcibly endures it. It seems that this feeling that penetrates to the bone marrow is love for her.
Feng Ran was in so much pain that his head was numb and his consciousness was blurred. After so many things had happened, his body was finally exhausted and he fell into a deep sleep.
Shen Shiqian wanted to savor this tender happiness, but was suddenly jolted awake by the cold air from the air conditioner in the laboratory.
A voice that sounded exactly like Feng Ran came from the quantum computer in the center of the control panel: "If you want to kiss, go back to your room and kiss."
Xing Tong was inexplicably scolded early in the morning without any explanation, and this person came in and made the owner angry again. After a long lecture, coaxing and hugging, and then kissing her here, can't she take this seriously?
It decided to deduct all of Shen Shiqian's goodwill and put him on the blacklist for his owner to remove himself!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
