I Can Read Minds Chapter 32: Fragment of a Shooting Star

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: KarateChopMoneky

 

After Lin Han returned to his room, he still couldn’t forget the boy. Not only the wound on his gland, but his shrunken pupils, stiff expression, and uncoordinated gait, have all made Lin Han suspicious.

Did this Omega have some kind of surgery that caused irreversible damage to his gland? But Lin Han clearly saw the scar, it wasn’t a recent injury, rather it was like it had been with the owner for several years, but the wound was too deep to be removed.

The Omega was so skinny and fragile, he didn’t look threatening at all.

Lin Han remembered the first time he met He YunTing, the waiter who deliberately hit him hard on his right shoulder while he was injured. That person also didn’t look aggressive, and even a little thinner than the average person.

As for the Wen TianYao dinner, Lin Han didn’t see it with his own eyes because He YunTing didn’t let him face the scene. His doubts deepened and he couldn’t help but search the news about the day of He YunTing’s attempted assassination again.

But he was surprised that among the overwhelming articles, there wasn’t a single photo of the scene, and only one or two media outlets posted the information of the perpetrator in passing.

Lin Han looked at the report on the light screen. The stabber was an Omega, his ID photo showing a slim and clean person… As for whether there was a wound at the back of the neck gland, Lin Han had no way of knowing.

Lin Han couldn’t explain this uneasy emotion right now, he only felt odd.

After this day, Qi Jiamu, who was already in first place, seemed to be more desperate.

Some people said that every day before dawn, Qi Jiamu arrived at the training ground alone, his morning practice time was longer than anyone else’s, and the entire day of the selection Qi Jiamu never missed anything. Every indicator showed that he strove for perfection, and at the end of the day’s training, he was also the last to leave.

Some people were puzzled about why he was so eager to enter He YunTing’s elite unit to get enough attention from him during the selection when he was already in first place. Even so, those who were jealous continued to tamper with his mecha, but Qi Jiamu endured it all without saying a word, and then worked harder to complete all the tasks.

On the third day, someone broke Qi Jiamu’s voice command program, and Lin Han finally had the chance to fix his mecha.

“Please, Mr. Lin.” Qi Jiamu said politely as he approached the cockpit and stood up. Qi Jiamu was just about to leave the cockpit to give Lin Han his place when he was called back.

Lin Han said, “Small problem, you don’t need to leave, it will be ready in a few minutes.”

Qi Jiamu smiled and obediently stood with his hands in the same place, quietly waiting for Lin Han to handle it, “Okay.”

Lin Han’s eyebrows twitched, and he was a little nervous for no reason.

He dealt with the problem quickly, and Qi Jiamu didn’t say a word throughout, but at least Lin Han had more contact time with him in the past few days, and when he quickly finished dealing with the problem and opened mecha’s self-test program, he said gently, “That boy two days ago, is he your brother?”

Lin Han keenly observed Qi Jiamu’s hands clenching violently, and only after a few moments did he speak, his voice astringent, “…Yes. Is there anything wrong, Mr. Lin?” he asked, a little uneasy.

“Nothing,” Lin Han said casually, as if he was just making small talk, “It just seemed like your brother wasn’t feeling well.”

Qi Jiamu’s voice tightened, “He’s been in poor health since he was a child, and I haven’t seen him for a long time since I came to school in the Core.”

“Hmm.” Lin Han asked offhandedly, “Didn’t you go for medical treatment?”

“Yes.” Qi Jiamu answered quickly, “We have, Mr. Lin.”

Lin Han fixed the mecha and stood up, understanding that the other would probably not answer anything else, “Good, then I hope your brother will be fine.”

It was just a simple sentence, but Qi Jiamu fiercely converged his eyes after hearing Lin Han say so, took a deep breath, as if regulating his emotions, and when he looked up again to speak to Lin Han, the end of his eyes carried a suppressed red tinge, “Thank you, Mr. Lin.”

Lin Han’s hand stopped in mid-air and eventually withdrew, “It’s okay.”

He was trying to use his ability to find out what the two brothers were talking about.

But probably because Qi Jiamu’s eyes were too sincere, and his expression he saw that day was too sad, Lin Han suddenly became a little guilt-ridden. Even if the pain was someone else’s, he shouldn’t meddle without asking.

Lin Han found He YunTing after the training.

These days he would go to the command room or He YunTing’s room from time to time. Many people in the base were discussing that Mr. Lin was really an expert hired by the General himself and was therefore treated differently.

Lin Han didn’t care much about these remarks, but stood in front of He YunTing and raised the question that had been bothering him for two days, “I have something to ask the General.”

Lu AnHe went to eat and He YunTing was left alone in the room, he hung up his jacket before turning around to answer, “What is it?”

Lin Han wanted to get straight to the point, but when the words came out, they ended up as, “General’s shoulder injury… How is it?”

He YunTing probably didn’t expect Lin Han’s first words to be this, so he paused for a moment, “It’s almost healed.” After another two seconds, He YunTing seemed to think of something and added stiffly, “Thank you, Mr. Lin, for your concern.”

No matter what, this answer was good, so Lin Han breathed a sigh of relief, “Then the person who attempted to assassinate the General last time… Did you find out any details? Did he, by any chance, have the glands at the back of his neck destroyed?”

He YunTing raised his eyebrows for a moment, but quickly returned to coldness, “Yes. How does Mr. Lin know?”

Lin Han hesitated for a moment, but still told He YunTing roughly what he saw that day.

“I thought it was strange, and I thought of what happened to the General last time, that’s why I came here.” Lin Han said, “Does the General know about an Omega like that?”

This time He YunTing fell into a long silence.

Lin Han thought He YunTing was thinking back and didn’t interrupt him, but after the long silence, He YunTing finally answered, “——I know. But there’s no way to check anymore.”

Lin Han didn’t expect He YunTing to give an affirmative answer, “Why is that…?”

How many Omegas were there with such damaged glands? What have they been through?

He YunTing’s expression didn’t change, but his tone was even colder, “…Sorry. Military secret, can’t tell Mr. Lin.”

Lin Han opened his mouth, but decided not to react, “Okay.”

He YunTing’s blue eyes had no emotion, and Lin Han didn’t know how to describe his own feelings, “Then, I’ll go first.”

He YunTing looked at Lin Han.

As Lin Han walked to the door, He YunTing still called out to him, “By the way, Mr. Lin. For the fourth round of practical training, we need to re-check the information of all those who boarded the warship.” He YunTing said, “I wanted Lu AnHe to inform you, but since you’re here, just pass on the latest personal information.”

Lin Han froze for a moment, “Okay.”

This time He YunTing didn’t ask him to stay, and the two didn’t shake hands.

The third round of selection was officially over, leaving less than two hundred new pilots in the base. The fourth round of practical training they were about to face was the key to whether they could finally stay here.

The base was already making preparations, so this time the selected exercise site was located in the remote side of the M System, adjacent to the Oddbound biologic system, with some sparsely managed self-administered small planets a little farther away.

Before departure, the base gave the people a day and a half to recuperate, but didn’t open communication with the outside world, only for the purpose to allow preparations for the upcoming departure.

Lin Han was rarely idle, but he didn’t go out and continued to review the relevant information in his room.

Lin Han wasn’t social, and he didn’t come to the base before, even going between the Institute and home was rare. His contact with people wasn’t much, and he really didn’t have much impression of the glandular injury Omegas.

The base’s intranet was monitored throughout, so Lin Han’s search was limited, and in the information he’d found now, there was little of particular value.

Everything was back at an impasse.

Lin Han didn’t think He YunTing’s refusal to tell himself was too much, he had his own insistence, and although he was curious, he couldn’t disregard other people’s feelings.

He was only vaguely uneasy.

But he believed that He YunTing could handle everything, and he also believed that if he really needed his help, he would’ve brought it up.

Lin Han leaned back on the sofa and looked at the photo frame. He squinted his eyes a little sleepy, and as his tired eyes looked up from his mother’s face in the frame to the window, he suddenly remembered today’s date.

It was the day when she was still around and would tenderly say ‘Happy Birthday, Han Han!’ every year.

Lin Han suddenly lost some interest and sank deeper and deeper into the sofa. He hadn’t had many birthdays since his mother’s death, but probably because of the happiness he had received on previous birthdays, Lin Han could always remember this day even if he deliberately didn’t think about it.

His mother said, ‘Don’t forget, Mom will say happy birthday to you every year.’

Lin Han’s eyes were a little sore. He closed his eyes and let out a soft breath.

Mom, every birthday of mine is still happy.

Lin Han didn’t know how long he had been sleeping when he was suddenly awakened by a knock on the door.

When he opened his eyes, the sky outside the window began to become dull, and although the knocking was patient, it was persistent. Lin Han stood up and walked to the door in confusion.

——He YunTing stood outside the door, tall in stature, becoming dazed momentarily, when Lin Han suddenly opened the door.

“General?” It was Lin Han who opened his mouth first, “Is something wrong?”

He didn’t expect He YunTing to shake his head gently after a long time, “Nothing. Is today Mr. Lin’s birthday?”

Lin Han froze for a moment, “How did the General know?”

He YunTing hesitantly said, “I found it out by chance in the documents Mr. Lin passed over last time.”

Lin Han looked at him.

He YunTing seemed a little nervous.

Lin Han sensibly didn’t intend to make He YunTing stand outside his door, “Come in first.”

He YunTing was wearing his regular clothes, and a few strand of his his silver hair were hanging down to his forehead. Even though he still looked very cold, under the evening sunset, it was like he was coated with a gentle warm light that didn’t belong to him.

Lin Han closed the door, “It’s indeed today. But…”

But what was he doing here?

He YunTing stood in the same place for a while, then suddenly took out something from his military pants.

“I’m here to give Mr. Lin a birthday present.” He said.

Lin Han was about to pour water for He YunTing, but he froze. He turned around and looked up at him.

He YunTing was standing straight in front of him, his expression was cold, but his tone had a kind of imperceptible tension.

Lin Han looked at He YunTing’s hand, “This…”

“There was a meteorite fall when I was on a mission, and I spent half a day on a small planet to avoid it.” He YunTing explained.

Probably because he wasn’t good at speaking, He YunTing’s tone always became different from usual whenever he said longer sentences.

It was as if he was no longer the cold soldier, and the burden was briefly lifted off his back, so he could be a flesh-and-blood human being. He YunTing continued, “While I was waiting for Lu AnHe to return to the team, I picked up one of the pieces and brought it back with me.”

On his return trip from another place, he accidentally discovered that the largest and brightest meteorite wasn’t burned and vaporized by the atmosphere, but fell and left a deep crater with fragments of the meteor scattered in it.

He couldn’t say whether it had any special significance, but He YunTing didn’t throw it away either, and kept it in the base, “Recently everyone’s staying in the base and there’s no time to go out, and I couldn’t find anything better to give Mr. Lin… After thinking about it, I simply took this.”

He YunTing took a step forward and spread out his palm — it was an unremarkable, half smooth, half rough dark green meteorite with the scent of the stars from tens of thousands of light years away.

It could be just a meteorite, but it could’ve also been a star.

He YunTing put the fragment of the meteorite into Lin Han’s palm, “Happy birthday.”

【There are some secrets I can’t tell you at the moment.】

【But I still hope Mr. Lin won’t be unhappy.】

 

The author has something to say: 

The main tone of this novel is still emotional, yet slightly sweet, and the plot line won’t be too serious! qwq