Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

Can you imagine how it feels to see another version of yourself?

Ruo Manni stared at this unfamiliar yet familiar “self,” and she felt no surge of excitement in her heart.

It was probably because this wasn’t really ‘her’, but rather Lin Kexin from another world. To her, this Lin Kexin could only be considered a familiar stranger.

However, why did Lin Kexin look at her with such intense emotion?

Ruo Manni was a bit suspicious. Could it be that this world’s Lin family has a cousin who looks just like her? Could it be that the reasons she made up on a whim actually matched the reality?

While Ruo Manni was lost in her thoughts, wondering what she would do if it were true, she suddenly heard Lin Kexin speak.

“Are you Ruo Manni from the Gus Empire?”

Ruo Manni almost jumped up, and Hebrew Adam was equally shocked. The two of them stared at Lin Kexin with wide eyes, incredulous. Both of them were beginning to wonder if they had heard wrong.

The reason for their shock was that Lin Kexin had spoken in the Gus Empire language.

How could a native Earth woman possibly speak a language from another parallel universe? It was absolutely impossible. If that were the case, it meant this woman was either not native to this world, or she had some strange encounter…

Hebrew Adam doubted that this woman had traveled through a black hole to reach this world before them. The problem was, they had watched the black hole appear first, then crossed over. No one could have been faster than them.

And besides, the way this woman interacted so harmoniously with people from this world, she couldn’t possibly be new here. So what was going on?

Although Hebrew Adam’s mind worked quickly, he couldn’t figure out this woman’s origins.

Ruo Manni didn’t think as much as he did. She only had one fantastical thought, her voice trembling as she said, “You are?”

“Shouldn’t it be you who is the real Lin Kexin?” Lin Kexin asked again.

She spoke in Chinese, her expression calm, but her eyes were red.

Lin Ruihai didn’t show any surprise on his face when he heard that Lin Kexin spoke a language he wasn’t familiar with. However, when he heard Lin Kexin’s second sentence, he suddenly turned to look at Ruo Manni, his expression filled with excitement, disbelief, and a hint of anticipation.

“Kexin, what do you mean by that?” Lin Ruihai asked, his face tense, but his gaze fixed firmly on Ruo Manni, as if trying to find some trace of someone in her.

Since Lin Kexin had said it, Ruo Manni understood immediately. Although it was unbelievable, she hoped more than anyone else that it was true. She hurried a few steps forward to stand in front of Lin Kexin and, in Gus Empire language, asked, “You are Ruo Manni? From the Gumera Star Region?”

Lin Kexin nodded gently and, speaking in Gus Empire language, responded with a conflicted tone, “I didn’t expect… to see… myself.”

“I originally thought you were another Lin Kexin from a parallel timeline,” Ruo Manni said, her feelings just as complicated.

The two girls looked at each other, as if there were a thousand words, but neither knew how to begin.

“What is going on? Why are we both involved in this?” Ruo Manni couldn’t help but ask.

“At first, I thought it was an accident, but now it seems like it may not have been,” Lin Kexin said, also deep in thought.

“So many coincidences, it’s likely they aren’t coincidences,” Ruo Manni also started to have her doubts.

“Kexin!” Lin Ruihai, hearing the two girls speaking in a language he didn’t understand, couldn’t hold back and called out. Both girls turned around to look at him.

Lin Ruihai gazed at the unfamiliar yet somehow familiar girl. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt that her gaze was very familiar, almost like how his sister used to look at him before she got sick.

“What do you two mean by this?” Lin Ruihai couldn’t hold back any longer and asked.

Ruo Manni then remembered something. She had previously thought this was a parallel universe and that this Lin Ruihai wasn’t truly her brother. That was why, when she saw him earlier, she only felt a sorrowful longing—feeling like everything had changed.

But she was wrong. This world wasn’t a parallel universe. This man was her real brother. Ruo Manni couldn’t help but feel tears welling up in her eyes.

“Does he know something?” Ruo Manni asked, sensing that Lin Ruihai was probing.

“When you died, I took over your body and was reborn. There was a gap of almost twenty seconds, and everyone knew I had died and come back to life. After all, I am not you. Your parents quickly realized that I wasn’t you, but they are good people, so they didn’t treat me differently. Instead, because I occupied your body, they took great care of me and treated me like another daughter,” Lin Kexin explained.

“If it weren’t for your rebirth into my body, I would have been dead by now. They understood that very well, so they are only grateful to you,” Ruo Manni said sincerely, feeling truly thankful.

She hadn’t died yet, but her body had already turned to bone. The feeling was hard to accept.

“I feel the same way. If it weren’t for your rebirth, my body wouldn’t have survived either,” Lin Kexin replied, sharing the same sentiment.

In this world, a year ago, after Lin Kexin’s soul dissipated, Ruo Manni from the Gus Empire in the starry age had reborn into Lin Kexin’s body. Slowly, she revived the body. With the martial arts training from the starry age, she helped bring the body, which had nearly lost all vitality, back to life.

Meanwhile, Lin Kexin’s soul had been reborn into Ruo Manni’s body from the starry age. She endured the excruciating pain from gene medication and found a way to survive.

The souls of two girls from different timelines had switched places, finding a path to survival for each other…

The two girls looked at each other, and in that moment, their hearts communicated without words.

“I never expected you to find your way back. I never imagined we’d have this day to meet,” Lin Kexin said, tears in her eyes. “Sometimes, I feel guilty. Because I came back, you could never be revived.”

“I often feel guilty too, because of taking over your body. Sometimes I wonder if I stopped you from having a chance to be reborn,” Ruo Manni admitted, expressing the guilt in her heart.

This was the unspoken burden deep within their hearts.

Because the two of them were unconsciously switching between Gus Empire language and Chinese while speaking, Hebrew Adam, who understood Chinese, could only catch part of the conversation, while Song Changlong, who didn’t understand Gus Empire language, was completely confused.

Lin Ruihai, however, was different. He didn’t understand Gus Empire language either, but he knew about Lin Kexin’s situation. Watching the two similar-looking girls excitedly discussing something, he grew increasingly convinced that his suspicions were correct.

Just as the two girls finished speaking and clasped hands, seemingly having come to some agreement, Lin Ruihai, who could no longer hold back, was about to step forward and ask for clarification when suddenly, a column of light rose from above their heads, scaring him.

Ruo Manni’s light was a round jade ring-shaped shadow, while Lin Kexin’s was a jade button-shaped shadow. The two light shadows merged in the air, forming a complete jade pendant, which then transformed into two semicircles and shot toward the girls’ foreheads, disappearing without a trace. After that, both girls fainted.