JFWCM Chapter 74

Entu Remembers Yuan

After Jiang Wan’yuan quietly left without any warning, Yi Shang’s world seemed to instantly fall into an endless darkness, all colors ruthlessly stripped away. Once, Jiang Wan’yuan’s existence was like a warm and bright light, illuminating every corner of Yi Shang’s heart. Now, the disappearance of this light has left her world dim.

Yi Shang was extremely anxious and immediately discussed countermeasures with Zhang Yao and Lin Jichuan. They quickly organized all the network resources they could mobilize and launched a search that swept across the entire galaxy. They contacted informants on various planets in the galaxy, offering large sums of money for any clue about Jiang Wan’yuan’s whereabouts; communicated with law enforcers of the Interstellar Alliance, hoping to use the Alliance’s vast information network to obtain leads; and posted missing person notices in various interstellar ports and trading stations, detailing Jiang Wan’yuan’s appearance, personality traits, and even attaching her image data. However, all these efforts were like a stone thrown into the sea, and they remained fruitless.

Days passed in a mixture of anxiety and disappointment. Unknowingly, the graduation season of Xingyao Academy arrived like a predetermined fate. The entire campus was shrouded in an atmosphere of farewell, as if a faint sorrow was gently spread over every inch of the land. The students’ faces were filled with different expressions, some excitedly talking about their grand plans after graduation, their eyes flashing with anticipation and expectation for the future, as if they couldn’t wait to embark on that unknown and challenging interstellar journey; others sadly taking photos with their friends, tears welling up in their eyes, reluctant to part with the companions with whom they had spent their youthful years.

However, all these lively scenes had nothing to do with Yi Shang. She still maintained that aloof posture in the eyes of outsiders, speaking very little on weekdays, as if she had closed herself off in a world that no one could touch. But Zhang Yao and Lin Jichuan, who knew her well, could keenly perceive that the loneliness in her eyes was like a deep black hole, becoming increasingly heavy and difficult to dissipate. She often wandered alone in every corner of the campus, her steps slow and heavy, as if searching for some precious and lost treasure. Those winding paths they had once walked together, the flowers and plants by the roadside seemed to still retain the warmth of their shoulders brushing against each other; that starry sky they had once looked up at together, the stars still twinkling, but there was no longer the heart-stirring and warmth of Jiang Wan’yuan by her side. Now, these once beautiful memories were like sharp blades, each recollection deeply piercing her heart.

The search organized by Zhang Yao and Lin Jichuan gradually lost momentum after countless disappointments. As time passed, people around them began to advise them to give up, after all, finding a missing person in this vast galaxy was like searching for a needle in a haystack. On graduation day, Yi Shang silently came to the rooftop of the campus alone. This was once her and Jiang Wan’yuan’s favorite place, they often shared their thoughts here, enjoying the breeze and admiring the vast and boundless interstellar scenery together. Yi Shang stood there quietly, staring blankly at the scenery she had once seen with Jiang Wan’yuan, her heart filled with mixed feelings. Various complex emotions surged in her heart, including deep longing for Jiang Wan’yuan, helplessness and despair from the fruitless search, and confusion and helplessness about the future. Until the bell ringing the end of the graduation ceremony echoed throughout the campus, she did not see the familiar figure she had been thinking about day and night. In the end, she could only pack her bags with a heart full of disappointment, like a soulless shell, and embark on the road home with the other students.

A Lonely Pursuit

After graduation, Yi Shang’s life trajectory was completely different from those around her. When other students started their new lives in an orderly manner, throwing themselves into various fields of work in the galaxy, Yi Shang resolutely rejected many olive branches from top interstellar research institutions. These institutions valued her outstanding scientific research talent displayed during her time at the academy, offering her generous treatment and broad development prospects, but in Yi Shang’s eyes, none of these were as important as finding Jiang Wan’yuan.

She locked herself in the laboratory, using the profound knowledge she had learned at Xingyao Academy, and devoted herself to the modification of a small interstellar spacecraft. She carefully selected every part, and comprehensively and meticulously upgraded the spacecraft’s power system, navigation system, life support system, and so on. She hoped that this spacecraft could become her reliable partner in traversing the galaxy, leading her to find Jiang Wan’yuan. After countless days and nights of hard work, the spacecraft was finally modified. Yi Shang named it “Xun Yuan (Seeking Yuan),” a name that carried her deep longing for Jiang Wan’yuan and her firm determination to find her.

From then on, Yi Shang drove the “Xun Yuan” and began her lonely journey of pursuit. She traveled between various star systems, like a lone traveler, searching for that trace of a possible clue related to Jiang Wan’yuan in the vast galaxy. As long as she heard even a vague piece of news, she would not hesitate to adjust her course and rush over at all costs.

She has been to the bustling interstellar trade center, which is the interstellar business hub, where races from all planets gather to carry out various trade activities. The market is full of dazzling goods, including energy crystals emitting strange light, uniquely shaped interstellar technology products, and various rare alien plants and animals. The crowd is bustling, and the noisy sounds fill every corner. Yi Shang struggled through the crowd, tightly holding Jiang Wan’yuan’s photo in her hand, asking everyone she met, her eyes revealing urgency and longing. She did not let go of any possible opportunity, carefully observing the expressions of everyone, hoping to find a trace of a clue from their reactions. However, the responses she received were mostly shaking heads and helpless eyes. Each disappointment was like a heavy hammer, hitting her heart hard, but she still did not give up.

She has also been to remote and desolate abandoned planets. These planets may have had prosperous civilizations in the past, but now only ruins remain, appearing dilapidated under the erosion of time. Yi Shang wore heavy protective clothing and struggled to explore the ruins of these abandoned planets. She carefully rummaged through every stone, carefully studying every trace of residue, trying to find any clues that Jiang Wan’yuan may have left behind. Sometimes, she would stop in front of an abandoned building for a long time, imagining whether Jiang Wan’yuan had ever sheltered from the wind and rain here, whether she had left a word or two here. However, each time it started with hope, but ended with deep disappointment.

In this lonely pursuit, Yi Shang became even more taciturn. She buried her emotions deep in her heart.