Deyonna

Translator: Deyonna Tip me Volume 1: Core of Galaxy Chapter 1: Departure Prologue "...We must reaffirm this point once more: in the history of humanity's exploration of the universe, the migration that began in the year 517 of the Marseille Calendar and the Great Retreat five hundred years prior both hold landmark significance. This migration, known as the 'Phoenix Route,' opened a new era. It was our brothers and sisters who brought new hope from the other end of the cosmos. In fact, although the '517 Migration' involved fewer than a hundred people at its outset—they had lost their way, been separated from their companions, and had no expectations about where their journey would end—from our perspective today, the significance of this migration is so profound that it resembles a chain of explosions between us and Marseille. The migrants retraced the path of our retreat, and the destination they reached was simultaneousl...

Translator: Deyonna Tip me Shen Baoshan sensed something off and glanced at Feng Zilian, but before he could speak, someone across the table was already teasing Feng Zilian: "How's it the same? Him being first in his department at Jian University and you scraping in by the skin of your teeth¹. That's the same?" ¹Literally barely making it to the admission cutoff line "Exactly. Besides, our Jian University ranks first in the province overall, and the medical school is top-tier nationally. Last year's city top scorer—that senior—was also from Hechuan No.1 High School. He didn't go to Qingbei²; he chose our Jian University medical school!" ² 清北 (Qīng-Běi) is a common abbreviation for Tsinghua University and Peking University "Hey, Feng Zilian, don't tell me you're holding a grudge against Li Chishu because he turned down your dinner invitation? That's pretty petty of you!" Feng Zilian, flus...

Translator: Deyonna Tip me First Encounter The first time Shen Baoshan formally met Li Chishu during their university years, his impression of the man wasn't exactly favorable. It was only much, much later—so long that it felt like he'd lived through two lifetimes in a daze—that Shen Baoshan, looking back on those days, finally caught on with belated realization: that kid Li Chishu had worn two faces from the very start—one for him, and one for everyone else. To tell the story properly, we have to go back to that first meeting as he remembered it. It was late September. Jian¹ University's military training had just wrapped up, and the weather in Hechuan was starting to cool. ¹Jian University — "建大 (Jiàn Dà)" is an abbreviation. "建 (Jiàn)" stands for "建设/建筑" (construction/architecture), and "大 (Dà)" is short for "大学" (university). In real-life Chinese contexts, this abbreviation usu...

Translator: Deyonna Shen Baoshan took Li Chishu’s class notes from grades 10 to 12 and shared them in their community group, ultimately selling the various subjects collectively for around 10,000 yuan. The first thing Li Chishu did with the money was to buy two very beautiful bouquets of flowers for his parents’ graves. The second thing he did was to buy Shen Baoshan a fountain pen. He felt that Shen Baoshan lacked nothing, and the only thing that could replace a disposable item with something long-lasting was a pen. Buying Shen Baoshan a fountain pen made the gift he gave seem to have more meaning and usefulness for Shen Baoshan. Then Li Chishu bought himself a second-hand smartphone with a camera function. His old handy phone had been used from junior high school all the way to senior high school, and almost all its functions, other than making calls and sending messages, were practically useless. By buying a new second-hand phone, he could also take photos of Shen Baoshan and use Sh...

Translator: Deyonna On the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2024, I finished counting Li Chishi’s birthday gifts in the morning. Later, I placed them under the two-meter-tall Christmas tree that I had purchased last Christmas. Li Chishu truly adored the Christmas tree and had once decorated it with various pendants that Jiang Chi and others had brought back from abroad for us. After Christmas, I suggested taking down the Christmas tree and buying a new one next year, and Li Chishu did not object at the time. As I was climbing up the ladder to take down the pendants from above, Li Chishu suddenly poked his head out from the tearoom on the first floor and said, "Shen Baoshan?" I turned my head and looked down to find his figure. "What’s the matter?" Li Chishu pretended to ponder for a while. "The Chinese almanac says it’s not auspicious for groundbreaking. Earth is related to trees, so..." I squinted my eyes slightly as Li Chishu’s confidence began to wave...

Translator: Deyonna I pushed Li Chishu forward all the way, held his shoulder, and slowly opened the door, turning on the lights from behind. When the pendant light in the room lit up, Li Chishu’s footsteps paused at the doorway. I heard him take a shallow breath, then it seemed as if he had forgotten how to breathe. I have to admit that the piano room my mom arranged for me is indeed not small. Inside, two grand pianos are placed side by side. One is for the family teacher to use, which has been left there since I entered senior high school. Next to the pianos are two wooden cabinets specially made by a master craftsman in traditional handicrafts, commissioned by my mother, to display all the trophies and awards I have accumulated since I was young, both prestigious and not so prestigious, a jumble of them all have a dedicated spot. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window is the backyard garden of the house, and the other two walls are adorned with my photographs, each one framed in a spe...