116 Survivors

On the planet of Wol, in Mingzhou City, at the home of Zhong Yun.

In front of the small courtyard, a high-end shuttle pulled to a stop. Zhong Pingjiang helped his wife step out of the vehicle, while the driver assisted with the rest of their belongings. Perhaps due to just disembarking from the flight, Yun Rong’s face appeared slightly pale as she entered the house, supported by her husband.

"Sit down and rest for a moment; I’ll go pour you a glass of water," Zhong Pingjiang said gently, feeling a pang of heartache as he saw the exhaustion on his wife’s face.

The driver set down their bags and departed after a brief word.

Zhong Pingjiang brought a glass of hot water from the kitchen and handed it to his wife, just as his phone rang. It was a call from the company. He was about to decline it when Yun Rong said understandingly, "Go ahead and take it. You’ve already delayed plenty of business because of me these past few days."

Everything at the company had been running smoothly for some time now; it was no longer like the early days when they had to handle every detail themselves. They had delegated daily management to professional managers. As the company’s decision-maker, Zhong Pingjiang only needed to handle major issues, allowing him to step away from the tedious day-to-day affairs. That was why he had found the time to take his wife away for a change of pace. However, since the company was their life’s work, they were never truly comfortable leaving it entirely in others' hands.

Seeing his wife’s insistence, Zhong Pingjiang kissed her forehead. "Rest well, then. Call me if you need anything."

"Mhm."

As her husband’s figure disappeared through the doorway, the relaxed smile on Yun Rong’s face slowly faded. She curled up on the sofa, clutching her shoulders, and stared blankly at the steaming glass on the table in front of her.

The house was too quiet. A place that once brought her immense warmth now felt as cold and grim as a desolate prison, filled with a helpless sense of loneliness. She hadn’t felt it as strongly while they were out, but the moment she entered the house, she could clearly sense the lingering presence of her son.

He loved sitting in this very spot. Like his father, he lacked patience and disliked using tea cups, preferring large mugs instead. He was terrified of being alone; whenever there was a movie he wanted to see, he would save it for when he had time, just so he could pull her along to watch it with him.

Scalding tears began to roll down her cheeks. The grief in Yun Rong’s heart was uncontrollable. *Little Yun, he was always so afraid of the dark. In that other world, is he afraid?*

After a while, she wiped away her tears, stood up from the sofa, and walked upstairs to open Zhong Yun’s room. The furnishings were exactly as they were before he left. Caressing the desk her son had used and sitting on his bed, a wave of sorrow washed over her.

*Why? Why did my son have to suffer such a fate? He was only seventeen! He had such a bright future ahead of him; his life had only just begun...*

Yun Rong could no longer hold back. She buried her face in the quilt and sobbed silently.

At the doorway, Zhong Pingjiang watched his wife in her agony. His strong heart felt as if it had been torn into countless pieces. He walked over and embraced her trembling frame. In this moment, she seemed so helpless. He held her tightly, hoping to impart some of his own strength to her.

A long time passed before Yun Rong finally calmed down. The couple held each other, feeling the rhythm of their respective heartbeats.

"Let’s move out," Zhong Pingjiang’s voice echoed in the hollow room.

"No," Yun Rong replied with ironclad resolve.

Zhong Pingjiang knew her heart; he understood she did not want to leave the place filled with memories of their son. He sighed silently and did not try to persuade her further.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Who are you?" Zhong Pingjiang asked, looking at the pretty, quiet young girl standing before him with a trace of confusion.

The girl bowed politely. "Excuse me, is this Zhong Yun’s home? I am his classmate."

"Oh, you’re one of Little Yun’s classmates," Zhong Pingjiang said, surprised. "Please, come in."

"Sorry to disturb you, Uncle."

"What is your name?" In the living room, Yun Rong was already seated on the sofa, looking kindly at the quiet girl.

"You must be Zhong Yun’s mother," the girl said, looking a bit nervous. "My name is Yu Ruo. You can just call me Little Ruo."

"Little Ruo, what would you like to drink? Juice or tea?" Zhong Pingjiang, seeing that his wife seemed quite fond of this girl, felt a bit of joy and hoped to have her stay and keep his wife company.

"There's no need—" Little Ruo began to politely decline, but Zhong Pingjiang had already fetched her a glass of juice. "Thank you, Uncle."

"I don't think I've ever heard Zhong Yun mention you before?" Yun Rong, perhaps harboring a certain misunderstanding, said with a smile.

Little Ruo was sharp and naturally caught the implication. Her face turned red. "Zhong Yun and I... we are just ordinary friends."

Zhong Pingjiang couldn't help but smile. Having been young once, how could he fail to see the girl’s heart? He hadn't expected his son to have attracted such an outstanding girl... *Sigh.* He then sighed inwardly. It was a pity he was no longer here. At the thought, his heart felt deeply despondent.

However, it seemed this girl, Little Ruo, did not yet know the news of what had happened to Little Yun.

Sure enough, she asked, "Auntie, where is Zhong Yun now? I haven't been able to get in touch with him for a long time."

Yun Rong’s smile froze, and her bright eyes dimmed.

"Did I say something wrong?" Little Ruo looked at Zhong Yun’s mother, bewildered, completely unable to understand why her expression had changed so drastically.

"Little Yun, he... he is gone."

"Gone? Where did he go?" For some reason, the tone of Zhong Yun’s mother made Little Ruo’s heart skip a beat; an ominous premonition rose within her.

"He..."

Zhong Pingjiang sighed and was about to explain, but he had only managed to say a single word when his phone rang again. Frowning, he looked at it to see it was his most important assistant calling, so he answered.

"What—" Zhong Pingjiang stood up abruptly. The volume of his voice caused both women in the living room to look at him. He had long since lost his usual composure, his face filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Good—" He ended the call decisively.

"What is it?" Yun Rong looked at her husband in astonishment. She rarely saw him lose his composure like this. Could something have happened at the company? She couldn't help but feel worried.

Zhong Pingjiang didn't have time to explain. He turned on the television. A bright and professional anchor appeared on the screen, reporting a major headline with a serious expression: "...According to reliable sources, a survivor has emerged from the *Tongguang Star*, which went missing five months ago. The survivor’s name and age are currently unknown..."

*Clatter.* Yun Rong let the glass slip from her hand, and it shattered on the floor.

After planting the World Tree seed, Zhong Yun had not lingered; he boarded the *Mars* and headed for Davor. He had been longing to return home for some time. If not for Xiao Ling telling him there was something of vital importance to attend to on Planet Qiyun, he would have returned with Zhang Xiao long ago. He never would have stayed until now.

The news of his ship’s disappearance must have reached home; he could only imagine how worried his parents must be. At the thought, he was desperate to return home immediately.

However, even at maximum speed, it would still be a seven-day journey.