Chapter 136 – Back to Earth

When Jian Mei woke up in bed, he slowly opened his eyes.

The ceiling of the room was clean and white. He stared at it blankly for a moment. Outside the window, the sound of birds chirping was peaceful, but he only felt an emptiness in his heart. Tears slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the pillow.

There was a knock at the door, and someone called, “Mei Mei, are you awake?”

Jian Mei came back to his senses and slowly sat up in bed, still struggling to shake off the emotions that lingered.

“Mei Mei?”

A voice from outside sounded more concerned this time.

Jian Mei looked toward the door and softly replied, “Mom, I’m awake.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re awake,” Shen Meina said with a sigh of relief. “I was worried because you slept for so long. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t budge.”

Jian Mei tried to compose himself. When he got out of bed, he felt a bit unsteady, but he forced himself to stand firm. Not wanting to worry his mother, he walked out of the room. He took a deep breath as he stood by the door, then opened it and said to his mother standing outside, “I just slept too deeply.”

Shen Meina didn’t press the issue. She simply chuckled softly, “You gave Mom a scare.”

Jian Mei scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Your father has already found a new school for you,” Shen Meina said gently. “You’ll need to take the entrance exam this year.”

Jian Mei nodded. “I know.”

He had been preparing for this exam for a long time; there was no room for mistakes.

Jian Mei started tidying up his room. As he was organizing his stationery on the desk, his hand shook, and the pencil case fell to the floor, scattering pens everywhere. He knelt down to pick them up, and one pen rolled too far. When he crawled over to retrieve it and stood up, he accidentally bumped his head on the corner of the desk, sending a sharp pain through his body.

Shen Meina came upstairs and, noticing his discomfort, asked with concern, “Mei Mei, what happened?”

Jian Mei crouched on the floor for a long time.

Shen Meina noticed his body trembling slightly, his eyes red as if he had been crying. She hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from a simple bump. “What’s wrong? Does it hurt a lot?”

Jian Mei nodded slightly. “Yes, it hurts.”

Shen Meina felt an overwhelming sense of heartache.

As a mother, she could tell that when Jian Mei said it hurt, he wasn’t hiding anything—it really did hurt.

“Are you too nervous?” Shen Meina asked, her voice filled with concern. “It’s okay, even if your grades aren’t great…”

Jian Mei gently shook his head.

Shen Meina looked at him with worry.

Jian Mei noticed the concern in his mother’s eyes. There were a few strands of gray in her hair—something she never had before. The corners of her eyes had fine lines that hadn’t been there in the past. She used to take great pride in her appearance, and in the past, if he acted like this, she would have scolded him, pulling at his ear. But now, her gaze was full of uncertainty and concern. His parents had showered him with love all these years, and he couldn’t let them worry anymore.

Jian Mei took a deep breath and softly said, “It’s okay, I’m fine. I can take the exam.”

He stood up from the desk. It seemed like he had just lost control of his emotions for a brief moment; now he looked much better. He shouldered his backpack and went downstairs with his mother. On the way, his phone buzzed with numerous WeChat messages, all wishing him luck for the exam. As he stepped back into high school after so many years, the image of the SA building involuntarily came to his mind.

As he entered the exam room, he felt an unusual sense of calm. When he picked up the pen and began to answer the questions, his thoughts were clear and focused.

The initial sadness slowly subsided, replaced by a sense of seriousness and determination. He knew that wallowing in sorrow wouldn’t help. He had to stay calm and live well for the sake of his parents and family. He believed that Lu Xingwang would also live well for the sake of his country and his people.

They would both be okay. Jian Mei looked forward to, and waited for, the day they would reunite.

Even if they never met again, he would cherish their memories in his heart and keep waiting, until the very last moment of his life, never giving up.

…

One year later

The acceptance letter from the medical university arrived, and the whole Jian family was filled with joy.

Shen Meina baked a large cake and, when Jian Mei forgot to wash his hands again, she scolded him, “How many times do I have to tell you, Jian Mei? Are you itching for trouble? You didn’t wash your hands again!”

Jian Mei was shooed away from the table, and he replied helplessly, “Yes, yes, I’m going right now.”

He went to wash his hands, all while answering the phone, which kept ringing non-stop. On the other end were Cheng Yu and the others, offering their congratulations. Especially Cai Zhenzhen, who was still at college, suggesting they go to college together when the term starts.

Jian Mei found it odd, “But we’re not at the same college.”

Cheng Yu and Cai Zhenzhen were in finance, after all.

“It’s fine, our college are close to each other,” Cai Zhenzhen said. “Plus, as your senior, I can give you a tour.”

Jian Mei felt a bit helpless but still agreed, “Alright, thank you.”

University life wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to him. After all, during his time on Stan Star, it was almost as if he had already attended university. He had four roommates, each from different cities, but they were all friendly and easy to get along with. Jian Mei found the situation quite fitting.

Since he was actually a year older than the others, he was chosen as the dorm leader. As university life began, his classmates gradually noticed that Jian Mei was particularly strong in practical and professional skills. He was good-looking and had an excellent ability to learn, which quickly earned him a reputation and attracted the attention of many girls.

His roommate, Wang Gang, teased him, saying, “Mei Mei, you’re becoming quite the campus sensation. Lots of girls are asking about you.”

Jian Mei would always respond with a gentle smile, “I already have someone I like.”

This led to the school launching a prize competition to guess who Jian Mei was in love with.

It was obvious that Jian Mei wasn’t interested in any of his roommates. After all, by the second year of school, each of his roommates had found a partner, while Jian Mei remained single. He didn’t go out on dates during holidays, preferring to go home, and didn’t even have a single ambiguous relationship. Yet, despite being a “lone wolf,” Jian Mei never seemed tempted by the idea of finding a partner.

As he put it:

“I already have someone I like.”

“My special someone is amazing, and I don’t envy others.”

“We don’t see each other often, but I love him very much.”

Throughout his four years at university, the question of who Jian Mei liked became one of the biggest mysteries among the students, but even by the time of graduation, no one had figured it out.

For his social practice, Jian Mei was assigned to an unfamiliar hospital. He adapted to the environment quickly. After working there for a few years, he could transfer back to A City and work at the same hospital as his father and brother. But he wasn’t in a hurry; work was the same no matter where he was, and healing patients was his priority. Modern medical equipment was different from what he had used on Stan Star, so he had a lot to learn.

Occasionally, Jian Mei would still think about that world filled with divine power, but he would quickly return to reality.

“Our hospital’s young master is coming to inspect today,” a colleague mentioned. “I’ve heard he’s young, successful, and quite the catch in the eyes of many!”

Jian Mei wasn’t particularly curious, but since his colleague brought it up, he joined in on the gossip.

Later in the day, only the department heads were allowed to attend the meeting led by the young master. Since Jian Mei was the only one in his department who wasn’t infatuated with the idea of a wealthy, eligible bachelor, he was given the task of taking meeting notes.

When he arrived at the meeting with his notebook, he was surprised to see a familiar face—Cheng Yu.

Jian Mei felt his expression slipping out of his control, but Cheng Yu, upon seeing him, gave a slight smile. The man in the suit looked refined and elegant, and his smile was gentle, yet carried a deeper meaning.

After the meeting, Cheng Yu called Jian Mei outside.

Cheng Yu said, “Let’s have dinner together tonight.”

“You…” Jian Mei hesitated, looking at him, “How are you the young master of this hospital?”

“Didn’t I ever tell you?” Cheng Yu smiled, “My family is a major shareholder of this hospital.”

Jian Mei genuinely hadn’t heard about this before.

But there was a silver lining: although the young master’s identity surprised him, the fact that it was his old classmate made him feel more at ease. They went out for dinner together and talked about what had happened over the past few years.

After a few drinks, Cheng Yu asked him, “I heard you didn’t date anyone during your years at school?”

Jian Mei nodded, “Yeah, I didn’t.”

Cheng Yu smiled, as if asking, “Why not?”

Though he already knew the answer, he purposely didn’t say it, as if waiting for Jian Mei to respond.

Jian Mei replied, “It’s nothing. I already have someone I like.”

“Who?” Cheng Yu’s expression changed slightly, growing dimmer, but Jian Mei didn’t notice right away.

Jian Mei simply answered honestly, “No one.”

“Are you still waiting for him?” Cheng Yu placed some food on Jian Mei’s plate and looked at him. “You’ve waited all these years, and he still hasn’t shown up. Are you really going to keep waiting?”

Jian Mei didn’t know how to respond.

Waiting for Lu Xingwang was something he did without any conditions and without expecting anything in return. Whether or not Lu Xingwang would ever come, deep down, Jian Mei remained steadfast in his resolve.

Cheng Yu softly asked, “Mei Mei, do you really have to wait for him?”

Jian Mei picked up a glass of wine from the table and took a small sip. The half glass he drank burned a bit as it went down, making his chest feel warm. He nodded and said, “Yes, I have to wait.”

Cheng Yu fell silent.

He didn’t know if he had lost to that person or if he was simply resigned to Jian Mei’s unwavering determination.

Jian Mei looked at him and asked, “What about you? All these years, why haven’t you looked for someone? There are plenty of girls at the hospital who like you.”

Cheng Yu gave a slightly self-deprecating smile. “What good is it if they like me?”

Jian Mei vaguely sensed something but said nothing.

“Mei Mei, you can keep waiting,” Cheng Yu said after taking a sip of his drink. “It’s okay. You can keep waiting as long as you want.”

Jian Mei looked at him in surprise.

Cheng Yu then spoke softly, “I’ll be with you the whole time.”

It was a rather bold and passionate confession, leaving Jian Mei, who wasn’t prepared for it, momentarily at a loss for words. He looked at Cheng Yu, meeting his gaze, and suddenly felt a bit confused, unsure of how to respond or what to say.

Just then, a news report appeared on a television screen nearby: “According to recent scientific reports, we have successfully detected signals from a location several light-years away. Some scientists speculate that these signals may come from an unknown distant galaxy. This could be the first step in our exploration of the universe and possibly…”