Genius Club

Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Another Time, Another You

Long live understanding.

Lin Xian took the drawing and folded it back into the black notebook.

He resolved to throw it away as soon as he stepped out, this disaster could not be kept…

But Chu Anqing was really easy-going, down-to-earth, unpretentious, and very considerate and empathetic. Lin Xian internally gave her personality 100 points.

She took the initiative to help him out of an awkward situation when she saw that he was embarrassed; and even after helping him, she did not show any vanity and even gave him a way out…

Lin Xian truly envied Chu Shanhe for having such a caring girl by his side and wondered if he would ever have one in the future.

“So… could you sign my Rhine Cat doll?”

Chu Anqing giggled, handing over a Rhine Cat Doll:

“This Bun-haired Qipao Rhine Cat is my favorite, and who knows? Once you become a world-famous designer, this autographed cat might even increase in value!”

“But I definitely won’t sell it. I feel a Rhine Cat with the founder’s signature has a lot of commemorative value.”

“Of course, I can.”

Lin Xian took the Rhine Cat and pinched the fabric tag to sign his name:

“Honestly… this is actually the first time I’ve signed a Rhine Cat.”

Lin Xian laughed while signing:

“No one has ever asked me to sign a Rhine Cat before, you’re the first one. Generally, everybody just likes the cat and doesn’t care who designed it.”

“Really? Then could you write a serial number NO.1 on it, hehe, that would make it even more meaningful!”

“No problem.”

Lin Xian felt his mood lighten up in the company of this cheerful girl.

He pinched the fabric tag and wrote a small NO.1 under his signature, marking it as the first autograph of his life.

But he didn’t think there would be a second one.

Design products aren’t like novels, apart from industry insiders, hardly anyone pays special attention to who the creator is.

Even with something as popular as Hello Kitty, few know that the designer is Shimizu Yuko, or even that the IP belongs to the Sanrio company.

“Here you go, it’s yours.”@@novelbin@@

Lin Xian handed back the Rhine Cat Doll to Chu Anqing.

“Thank you, senior!”

Chu Anqing received the Rhine Cat and waved at Lin Xian:

“Well, I’m off then.”

“Take care.”

Waving goodbye to this bundle of joy, Lin Xian exhaled briefly.

That was close.

He nearly had a life-changing disaster.

If she had been a haughty princess, she might have run back to Chu Shanhe complaining that he, like a toad wanting to eat swan meat, was secretly in love with her, and then what?

By comparison,

Chu Anqing was good-tempered, communicative, and reasonable.

“Chu Shanhe did a really good job raising his daughter,” Lin Xian truly acknowledged.

After seeing Chu Anqing at the celebration party and how much she resembled CC, Lin Xian had speculated a possibility—

Could it be that one day, the Hibernation Pod was successfully developed, and Chu Anqing hibernated to 600 years later, becoming CC?

At first, Lin Xian had dismissed the idea.

Because in the future world of “The First Dreamland,” the Hibernation Pod hadn’t been successfully developed, and even the Hibernation Pod Filling Liquid was only figured out in 2477, or the year 2200—where would Chu Anqing find a Hibernation Pod?

And there was another inconsistency.

Even if the Hibernation Pod could be developed, that would happen many years later.

Perhaps by the time Chu Anqing could sleep in a Hibernation Pod, she would be in her twenties, or even approaching thirty—She surely couldn’t turn back the years and become young again in the future, could she?

Not to mention, why should a perfectly healthy person use a Hibernation Pod?

With the risks of memory loss and having to part with family, Chu Shanhe would never bear to do it.

But then…

Later, Xu Yun told him that a side effect of the Hibernation Pod is varying degrees of memory loss.

Lin Xian didn’t know what form this memory loss took, but CC also mentioned she had many memories that didn’t belong to her.

Combining the two…

Lin Xian found it difficult to judge whether there was any connection.

After all, CC’s descriptions were also vague—what did it mean to have memories that weren’t hers?

The fragments of memory were incoherent, but what kind of incoherence was it?

She said that although her memories did not belong to her, they were still the life she had lived. So if we understand it in terms of parallel universes… what kind of parallel universes?

So far, the various mysteries between CC and Chu Anqing remained unsolved, with no clue in sight.

“Does CC still… exist?”

Lin Xian suddenly thought of this question.

After the Temporal Flux, the dreamscapes drastically changed, and everyone’s fate was altered, which naturally included CC.

In this future world…

Where is CC?

Is she still persistently trying to open that safe?

Or even, does that safe still exist?

“That’s hard to say.”

Lin Xian shook his head, feeling that fate, indeed, is such a strange thing.

Some people, just like a cursed fate, stick to you like glue, not leaving your side even if the world radically changes and becomes entirely renewed.

Like Big Face Cat.

Yet with others, it’s possible that the last time you saw them in your lives has already passed without you realizing it.

Like CC.

In such a vast world, in such a vast Donghai City, and there’s even a larger and more sci-fi New Donghai City…

Lin Xian had no confidence that he would meet CC again.

“Unless, she and I are also entwined in such a cursed fate.”

…

After the lecture, the counselor insisted on arranging a drink with Lin Xian.

But Lin Xian declined.

Because there was something more important to do tonight in his dreams—

[To find Big Face Cat’s father, inquire about the nature of the cosmological constant, and try to analyze the secrets of the Genius Club.]

Once home, he hastened to wash up.

He checked the time, 5:10 PM.

A bit earlier than the last time he went to sleep to enter a dream.

But being early was good, it’s always better to have some extra time.

Pulling the curtains closed, Lin Xian dove into bed.

He closed his eyes.

…

…

…

Without the familiar breeze of summer and the jarring cicada calls, Lin Xian felt a bit uncomfortable.

The tight space between the self-built small buildings blocked out the sunlight, and the entire village was embraced by a cool shade, which was quite comforting.

Lin Xian opened his eyes…

He had entered the dream successfully, once again appearing in that rugged, zigzagging, crowded, and narrow impoverished village.

He looked at his watch.

5:32 PM.

There were still about 10 minutes until the thief who would rob Auntie Li’s purse would pass by here.

Lin Xian hid in an alleyway nearby, leaning against the brick wall.

Lying in wait.

Waiting for that “Triple Blade Master” to show up.

This was the quickest way to get in touch with Big Face Cat.

Time ticked away by the second.

Finally.

“Catch— catch the thief! C-catch… c-catch the thief!”

The panting voice of Auntie Li came from outside the alley.

Lin Xian flexed his wrists:

“You’ve finally come… Roronoa Zoro!”