Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Compared to Aurora’s pleasant climate, the wind in Chunming City felt noticeably dry.

Yang Jin had traveled to countless places in his life, and Chunming City, an unremarkable and featureless location, left no special impression on him. As soon as the cabin door opened, the dry wind rushed in.

“Are we really stopping in a place like this?” Yang Jin looked out. They were at the foot of a mountain, a bit removed from the city—relatively hidden.

“What, do you want to pitch a tent in the city center?” Zhan Feng asked. “Or do you think our arrival was too low-key?”

“A little,” Yang Jin said deliberately. “Very plain.”

Zhan Feng chuckled. “I have no interest in making a grand entrance. Who knows who might be lurking in the shadows? We’ll set up a base here, then change into something less conspicuous and head into the city.”

“We could visit Yixi’s home,” Yang Jin suggested, glancing at Shi Yixi with a smile. “Since we’re here.”

“Sure,” Shi Yixi nodded.

The three of them changed into more casual attire, though they still concealed their essentials. The plane transformed into a base mode, blending into the mountainside without attracting attention. After settling in, the trio set out.

“Will your parents be home?” Yang Jin asked Shi Yixi.

“At this time, they should be back from work,” Shi Yixi replied.

“Really?” Yang Jin said. “If we’re lucky, we might even make it in time for dinner?”

Shi Yixi nodded. “Yes, Mom cooks early. After dinner, they usually go for a walk.”

“Will you let us stay over?” Yang Jin teased. “If we have nowhere else to stay, would you let us crash there? I can’t very well sleep on the streets like this, can I?”

“Well…” Shi Yixi hesitated, speaking softly, “I’d need to ask for my parents’ permission.”

Seeing how serious he looked, Zhan Feng couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t be so tense. Yang Jin is joking. There’s no way he’d end up sleeping on the streets.” At Zhan Feng’s reminder, Shi Yixi realized that Yang Jin never worried about accommodations. He had even seen Yang Jin instruct Fan Fan to hack into a hotel’s system to book them rooms.

“…My home is small,” Shi Yixi said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Shi Yixi led them to an old residential building. It was an aging complex with few occupants. He explained that it was a dormitory allocated by his father’s workplace when his parents first moved to Chunming City. They had lived there for over a decade.

His hand hovered over the door, hesitating before finally knocking. This door, which he had opened and closed countless times over the years, now made him a little nervous, even emotional.

“Who is it…” A woman’s voice came from inside. The door opened, and the woman froze in surprise. Quickly recovering from her shock, she broke into a joyful smile and hugged Shi Yixi tightly. “My baby’s home!”

“Mom.” Going away to Nufeng Academy for the first time had been Shi Yixi’s initial experience of leaving home. Months of being away had felt surreal, but now, in the warmth of his mother’s embrace, he felt grounded.

“Did my baby miss me?” Fu Youqin ruffled Shi Yixi’s hair. “You seem taller… oh…” She suddenly noticed the two unfamiliar men standing behind Shi Yixi. Both were strikingly handsome, and one of them even seemed vaguely familiar. Fu Youqin asked, “And you are…?”

“We’re Yixi’s friends,” Yang Jin said with a smile. “School is on break, so we came home with him to visit.”

“That’s wonderful!” Fu Youqin welcomed them warmly without a second thought as to why Shi Yixi would have two such mature friends. “Yixi’s never been great at making friends since he was little, and he’s always been rather introverted. We were all happy when he got into Nufeng Academy, but I was also worried he’d be bullied. Seeing him bring friends home is such a surprise—and such a joy!” She turned to Shi Yixi, her tone shifting slightly to one of reproach. “It hasn’t been very safe lately. How is everything at your school? It’s been so long, and you haven’t sent us any news. Your dad and I have been worried sick about you.”

“Where’s Dad?” Shi Yixi asked. “Is he home yet?”

“He’ll be back in a bit,” Fu Youqin said as she ushered everyone inside. “Come in and sit down. Are you hungry? I’ll whip up something for you to eat. Stay for dinner tonight—it’s been ages since we’ve had guests…” She busied herself, chatting energetically and enthusiastically.  

Before long, Shi Yixi’s father, Shi Rong, returned. Dressed in a khaki jacket and carrying a briefcase, he had a scholarly and gentle demeanor.  

Shi Rong looked surprised to see Shi Yixi. He stepped forward, gave him a hug, and ruffled his hair with a warm smile. “Why didn’t you let us know you were coming back? I didn’t even have time to buy you something nice to eat.”

“No need, Dad,” Shi Yixi replied. “I just wanted to drop by and see you both.” He introduced Yang Jin and Zhan Feng as he had with Fu Youqin and then asked Shi Rong about his work and his mother’s health—simple, everyday questions.  

Shi Yixi’s expression remained calm, and his tone steady, but to Yang Jin, he seemed noticeably different from usual. Watching the interaction between Shi Yixi and his parents, Yang Jin began to understand why Shi Yixi didn’t care much about a busy social life.  

His parents truly loved him. A child raised in such an environment of “love,” no matter how innate their difficulty in understanding emotions or how reserved they were, would never stray from the right path.  

Shi Yixi’s straightforwardness and thoughtfulness likely stemmed from the nurturing family life he had always known.  

Fu Youqin prepared a table full of dishes to host their guests. They asked about Shi Yixi’s school life, and Yang Jin answered on his behalf. Since news of what had happened at Qianfan had yet to spread, Shi Yixi’s parents genuinely believed it was a simple school holiday and that he had brought friends home to visit. They didn’t press for more details.  

Although his parents could sense changes in Shi Yixi, they didn’t question him. Shi Rong reminisced about how Shi Yixi had never cried, laughed, or made much noise as a child. At one point, he even suspected something was wrong, but numerous hospital visits confirmed he was perfectly healthy. Eventually, he attributed it to differences in personality.  

However, this time, Shi Yixi seemed more cheerful. He even smiled occasionally during conversations—a change that, though surprising, filled them with joy.  

No parent in the world truly believes their child is inherently inferior or irreparably flawed. Even if they say otherwise, they secretly hope their child will grow up healthy and happy—just like any other child who laughs, cries, and acts out.  

Shi Rong drank two cups of alcohol, which made him a little nostalgic—or perhaps tipsy. He reflected on how, in the blink of an eye, Shi Yixi had grown from a baby into a tall young man with good friends, and how his life was steadily moving forward. The conversation drifted toward imagining Shi Yixi’s future: marriage, children, and the natural progression of life.  

Fu Youqin nudged Shi Rong, scolding him. “Don’t say such sentimental things. Our baby has finally come home for a visit—why make it so melancholic?” Shi Rong chuckled and quickly brightened, suggesting they go stargazing after dinner.  

This was one of the most intimate activities between father and son.  

“The weather in Chunming City is nice,” Yang Jin remarked, gazing up at the night sky. “You can see so many stars.”

Shi Rong laughed. “It’s been good these past couple of days. Who knows what’s gotten into the city government lately? Even during festivals, we never get such clear skies.”

“I’ve heard Yixi mention it,” Yang Jin said with a smile, glancing at Shi Yixi.  

The three of them chatted on the rooftop. Initially, Fu Youqin had invited Zhan Feng to join, but he felt it inappropriate to eat without contributing, so he stayed behind to help Fu Youqin clean up. Yang Jin, on the other hand, wasn’t expected to lift a finger—he never bothered with such things. 

Shi Rong saw Yang Jin’s extraordinary demeanor and sighed, “It’s wonderful that my baby has made friends like you.”

“Don’t say that,” Yang Jin replied. “He… he’s great. A lot of people like him.”

“Really?” Shi Rong asked Shi Yixi with interest. “Baby, are there any girls at school who like you?”

Shi Yixi quickly shook his head.

“Mmh, it doesn’t matter. When the time comes, it will happen naturally.” Shi Rong turned his gaze to the sky, pointing into the distance. “Baby, do you still remember those stars I used to tell you about?”

“I remember some,” Shi Yixi answered.

“Look, isn’t that one particularly bright?” Shi Rong asked, pointing at the sky.

“That’s Sirius,” Shi Yixi replied. “The brightest star.”

“But the sky we see is always an illusion,” Shi Rong said. “Only by using a telescope can we observe the real starry sky. Baby, can you guess what interesting thing Daddy discovered?”

“What?” Shi Yixi asked.

“Do you still remember me telling you about dark matter? It permeates the universe,” Shi Rong said. “There are some primordial celestial bodies in the universe that emit light entirely different from the stars we see, generated by the decay of dark matter.”

Shi Yixi shook his head.

Shi Rong chuckled, “It’s okay if you don’t remember. Whether in terms of time or space, these things are far removed from our era. But Daddy’s job is to study these distant things.”

Yang Jin had heard Shi Yixi talk about Shi Rong’s work. Ever since humanity lost interest in the universe, the astronomy bureau became more like a retirement institution. The work wasn’t particularly busy, mainly assisting the meteorology bureau with observations. More often, they created star charts to help humans extract resources from nearby planets.

From this perspective, the astronomy bureau’s work seemed both leisurely and dull. But Shi Rong didn’t see it that way. He spoke enthusiastically about his recent discoveries. “Dark matter is currently very stable and unlikely to decay, but I recently observed a young celestial body undergoing decay. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Dad, what does that mean?” Shi Yixi didn’t understand what Shi Rong was talking about. Yang Jin, listening on the side, didn’t fully grasp it either, but he felt an uneasy premonition and perked up to catch Shi Rong’s next words.

“You might think Daddy’s crazy if I tell you, haha. It’s okay—after all, the universe is a myth,” Shi Rong laughed. “I wonder if that decay could be traces left by guests of the universe?”

Shi Yixi didn’t show much reaction, but Yang Jin was startled. Shi Rong was just an ordinary middle-aged man working a mundane job to support his family. Why would he have the curiosity and persistence to make such observations and speak of them so casually to his son?

Could it be… he believed in the existence of other civilizations in the universe?

Shi Yixi thought for a moment and was about to say something when Yang Jin, worried he might reveal the truth, quickly interjected. “If that’s the case, the universe is indeed a myth. People create countless stories to cope with loneliness.”

“Exactly,” Shi Rong laughed. “When people are lonely, they tend to let their imagination run wild.”

Fu Youqin’s voice came from afar, calling them to eat some fruit and desserts. The three of them left the terrace. Shi Rong walked ahead while Yang Jin pulled Shi Yixi slightly aside and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “What exactly does your dad do? How can he have such ideas? Does he realize how dangerous it is?”

“…Dad just loves stargazing,” Shi Yixi replied. “Don’t worry, I won’t reveal your secret.”

Yang Jin said, “That’s not what I meant.”

Shi Yixi asked, “Then what?”

“I… sigh…” Yang Jin hesitated. “Forget it. It’s just idle talk, not worth mentioning.” He changed the subject. “You seem pretty happy today. I could tell. Missed your mom and dad? They really love you, always calling you ‘baby.’”

Shi Yixi, slightly embarrassed, said, “They’ve called me that since I was little. I never thought much of it before, but now that you mention it, it does feel a bit childish.”

Yang Jin said, “That’s their love for you. How is that childish?”

“Mm,” Shi Yixi replied naturally, “Only Mom and Dad will love me.”

He spoke without much thought, but the words rippled slightly in Yang Jin’s heart. He noticed that Shi Yixi often voiced such lonely sentiments. These should have been sorrowful and dejected words, yet Shi Yixi delivered them so calmly, as if it were entirely normal—almost as if it was how things ought to be.

Yang Jin found himself at a loss for what to say and could only remain silent.

—

That night, Yang Jin and Zhan Feng naturally stayed over. The house only had one guest room, and when both expressed they didn’t mind sharing, Fu Youqin tidied it up for them. The family retired early, and after bidding goodnight, everyone went to their respective rooms.

Squeezed together on one bed, Zhan Feng said to Yang Jin with envy, “Yixi is so lucky.”

“How is he lucky?” Yang Jin asked.

“Happy family,” Zhan Feng replied.

“You’ve only seen one side,” Yang Jin said. “He’s been bullied ever since he started school, treated with no respect, and he doesn’t even realize it himself.”

“Really?” Zhan Feng propped himself up on his elbow, his hair spilling over his shoulder. Facing Yang Jin, he smiled and asked, “Then, Teacher Yang, have you ever bullied a student? Students being bullied often happens because teachers turn a blind eye, doesn’t it?”

Yang Jin retorted, “Why would I bully him? Am I insane?”

“You’ve got plenty of flaws,” Zhan Feng teased. “Ignoring orders, doing everything your way during missions. Though you’ve never made a mistake, I honestly don’t want to relive those experiences. Hey, Yang Jin, sometimes I really don’t get you… By the way, why were you punished and sent to Nu Feng to be a teacher?”

“Ordering takeout,” Yang Jin said succinctly. “During a mission.”

“You always pull stunts like that to adjust your focus,” Zhan Feng said with a helpless laugh, as if to say it served him right. “I remember you’ve done even more outrageous things before. What’s this? Wan Hong finally decided to punish you? And this punishment—teaching—feels so meaningless.”

“Who knows if he’s going through menopause?” Yang Jin dismissed the unimportant details of the past. But just then, a thought flashed through his mind. He suddenly sat up in bed.

Zhan Feng, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“You’re right,” Yang Jin said, looking at Zhan Feng. “Why is it that this time, it’s so different?”

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