Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Once he heard that, Cheng Juan’s heart shuddered as he pinched the cigarette more tightly. His eyes never left Feng Loucheng’s.

“You should know that Ninghai Town is a research base. Professor Chen was the last person Ning’er left behind, who had been studying the earlier civilizations. Back then, Qian Dui, Pan Mingyue’s father, and I were going after a huge drug syndicate. That was how we learned about the happenings in Ninghai Town.” Feng Loucheng’s eyes seemed distant as he recalled the past.

He knew Pan Mingyue’s father.

Back when they had been investigating Ninghai Town, they’d already found Qin Ran strange.

Then, they began finding out more about Chen Shulan.

At that time, Pan Mingyue and Pan Mingxuan had been held hostage by the syndicate. Feng Loucheng and the rest tracked them down, but a hacker amongst them meddled with the positioning system.

Just as it seemed impossible to make progress, Qin Ran took the technician’s laptop and found a way to break through the enemy’s firewall.

Just that…

Pan Mingxuan still died tragically, right before Pan Mingyue’s eyes.

“My judgment was wrong. By the time we rushed back, only Ran Ran and Mingyue were left.” Till today, Feng Loucheng’s hands still trembled as he thought about what had happened. Self-reproach was written all over his face, mixed with some mockery. “The drug traffickers seemed to be very impressed by Ran Ran and said they’d give her a chance to make a choice. She was allowed to give an answer in the options they gave. You can guess what it was about.”

It was either Pan Mingyue or Pan Mingyue’s parents.

She could save one or forsake all.

On the one hand was the couple who treated her like a biological daughter, while on the other hand was a childhood friend who was as close to her as a sister.

Qin Ran’s reactors hadn’t been perfectly constructed then. When they exploded, Pan Mingyue’s parents were buried alive.

“By the time my men and I got there, all we saw was a chaotic scene. If I had just been a little faster… just a little faster…” Feng Loucheng took a deep breath. “After that, another huge explosion took place at the lab, and some nuclear materials leaked. That was when Professor Chen couldn’t go on anymore. I’m not sure if any other forces were involved in it.

“Pan Mingxuan and his parents’ funeral was handled by Ran Ran alone. After that day, Mingyue became a little mentally unsound. There were times she was conscious, but she’d moved into the only mental institution anyway. From then on, Ran Ran often skipped classes to visit her.” At this point, Feng Loucheng pursed his lips. “A year later, Mingyue had recovered quite well, and Ran Ran got her out of the institution. She then brought her to me and then disappeared. Nobody knew where she went.”

It was a little cold in the driveway.

Cheng Juan stood rooted to the ground and didn’t say a thing.

His eyes were colder than usual, and the typical casual demeanor was gone.

His hair was a little messy from all the wind, and his fingertips trembled as he lifted the cigarette.

Feng Loucheng wasn’t very detailed with his narrative. If anything, it sounded vague.

But Cheng Juan could actually imagine the scene.

Based on Qin Ran’s videos, it seemed like she had been very close to the Pan family. Given her character, she definitely wouldn’t have bothered to cooperate with the Pan family in recording a birthday video if she hadn’t treated them like biological parents and siblings…

What Feng Loucheng did not know was that Cheng Juan was aware of what happened after that…

Pan Mingyue was unable to get over her parents’ and brother’s deaths, so how could Qin Ran possibly be able to, given that she had a hand in it?

But she attended Chen Shulan’s funeral anyway and also waited for Pan Mingyue to get better over the year. It was only after she ensured that Pan Mingyue was alright and that she had left her in safe hands did she leave for Continent M alone.

Gu Xichi said she’d been beaten up…

It seemed like at that point, she probably wasn’t looking to live anyway…

She then went into boxing for a year. Cheng Juan believed that she hadn’t intended to become Blank when she first started. She went from a level-eight arena all the way to a level-11 one, not because she wanted to emerge victorious, but because she wanted to die in that ring…

If it wasn’t for Gu Xichi receiving news of Chen Shulan’s illness, Qin Ran could still be living in another dimension.

That was why Chen Shulan had been so worried about her.

She was afraid that when she passed on, Qin Ran wouldn’t want to live anymore either.

How old was she then?

Not even 16?

What had she been thinking when she picked the Pan family?

Cheng Juan felt as if he could picture how she pressed the button on the parents’ side once he closed his eyes.

No wonder she suddenly vanished even though they’d already made a deal to have a match.

Feng Loucheng let out a long sigh. “Elder Xu knows about this too. After that, she didn’t use her right hand anymore. She didn’t even want to be involved in anything Physics-related. Honestly, her results used to be very good when she was younger, but she just didn’t like attending classes. She, Pan Mingxuan, and Song Luting already aimed to get into Beijing University together a long time back.

“The good thing is that Mingyue never felt any hatred towards Ran Ran at all.” Upon thinking about Pan Mingyue, Feng Loucheng sighed again. “In the mental institution… forget it.”

Pan Mingyue, who once had her carefree days playing truant with Qin Ran while several older guys defended them in school, was a high-caliber student in Beijing University’s Law faculty now.

But Feng Loucheng did not feel proud.

He felt bad for her. His heart ached.

Pan Mingyue never thought of getting into Beijing University, and her results were not as good as Qin Ran’s either.

She didn’t have Qin Ran’s high IQ too. The only reason she did so well at the end was because of Song Luting’s teachings. She went from being the last in the level in her First Junior year to second in the level when she graduated.

Feng Loucheng smiled and took another puff. “I can tell you now because I haven’t seen Ran Ran this way in a long time. Aunt Chen is very good with her judgment.”

“Thank you.” Cheng Juan looked down so Feng Loucheng couldn’t see his expression.

He reached out and patted Cheng Juan on the shoulder. “Ran Ran’s here.”