“Professor, we just went to pick up the old professor. The gate to the courtyard was ajar, and everything inside was in good condition, with no signs of being moved. The old professor just vanished into thin air. I had someone check the surveillance footage, and there were no traces of any strangers or the old professor around.”
Lei Yu looked anxious. He could tell how important the old professor was from Jiang Shuiyun's attitude towards him, but now he had disappeared into thin air. It was unbelievable!
Jiang Shuiyun helped the staggering Yi Jinbai up, and both of them had a bad feeling. "Jinbai, don't be too anxious. Let's go and see what's going on."
Yi Jinbai's mind was completely blank; he had essentially lost the ability to think and could only nod, obeying Jiang Shuiyun's every word.
The two hurried to the courtyard, but Lei Yu didn't allow anyone to touch anything there; she left it exactly as she saw it.
"Everyone, get out first."
Jiang Shuiyun glanced around, told Lei Yu and the others to stand guard outside, and closed the doors and windows, making the inside dim.
"What's wrong?" Yi Jinbai's hands were still trembling a little, but at least he wasn't as panicked as before. He looked at Jiang Shuiyun's movements and asked.
Jiang Shuiyun looked around, sat down in the middle chair, and then had Yi Jinbai sit down next to her. She turned the mecha on her wrist, and sure enough, it connected to a terminal.
"The teacher left something behind; perhaps she has something to say to us."
Jiang Shuiyun controlled the mecha to connect to the terminal left by Sui Yu and read the data. Sure enough, a holographic image appeared in front of Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai, which was basically indistinguishable from a real person.
It was a young Sui Yu, her brows full of arrogance and unrestrained spirit, her eyes radiating a light they had never seen before. Wearing a simple black cardigan, she seemed to see Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai. She casually sat down, and a uniquely shaped pear wood chair appeared out of thin air behind her. The chair's curves perfectly conformed to the human body, making it look exceptionally comfortable.
"Do you still recognize me? Should I introduce myself?"
When the young Sui Yu spoke, his sharp, cold features gave off a sense of superiority even when he smiled.
Yi Jinbai was stunned. He looked at Jiang Shuiyun, then at Sui Yu, wondering what was going on.
"You can talk to her; this is a holographic call sent by the teacher."
Jiang Shuiyun lied to Yi Jinbai. In reality, this was not a conversation between Sui Yu and Yi Jinbai. It was a holographic image created using technological means. This technology does not yet exist in this world, but it was possible in the previous world. Sui Yu designed the answer template to resemble her younger self. This is a combination of human nature and technology. The answers given are basically consistent with the real person. In the previous world, many powerful people would choose to leave this for their loved ones before they died, as if the deceased had never left.
Suppressing her heavy heart, Jiang Shuiyun did not explain these things to Yi Jinbai. She knew that Sui Yu left because she did not want Yi Jinbai to see her death. If she could keep it from Yi Jinbai for the rest of her life in this way, it would be good.
Yi Jinbai was unaware of all this and was somewhat surprised to see Sui Yu in front of him. He tentatively asked, "Teacher, where did you go?"
"Jinbai, I'm so sorry I couldn't say goodbye to you in person, but something big happened in the other world. Someone in my lab has figured out a way to reverse genes, and I have to go back to deal with it. Look, the results are pretty good, right?"
Sui Yu raised his hand and touched his face, then answered Yi Jinbai with a smile.
"Really? When will you be back?" Yi Jinbai didn't understand these things, but she was very happy, which meant that Sui Yu's life would be extended.
"I may not be able to go back. This technology violates the laws of nature. I now need to reconsider whether this advanced technology is suitable for existence on Earth, and how it should exist. It's a double-edged sword; a careless mistake could lead to a major disaster. Moreover, to prevent this technology from spreading and causing too many uncontrollable consequences, all of us who possess this technology must be under surveillance. I can't leave Earth until these matters are completely resolved. I'm sorry, I may not be able to attend your wedding, but I can have a holographic conversation with you, just as if I were there."
Sui Yu answered fluently, his eyes revealing annoyance and apology, just like the real person.
Yi Jinbai was also successfully fooled. "It's okay, it's good that nothing happened. I thought something had gone wrong."
"Don't worry, I can handle all of this. Also, you can see me anytime you want. Shuiyun will give you a special device to connect. Shuiyun, do you hear me?"
Sui Yu looked at Jiang Shuiyun, who nodded in agreement.
"This meeting may have to proceed in this way, Shuiyun, please make the arrangements."
Sui Yu gave further instructions, and Jiang Shuiyun nodded. She left Yi Jinbai and Sui Yu to continue chatting while she went out to arrange for the meeting place to be changed to this small courtyard. She asked Lei Yu to pick up Jiang's parents.
After giving her instructions in the courtyard, Jiang Shuiyun slowly tightened her grip on the gate, suppressing the pain in her heart. No matter what, she had spent more than 20 years with Suiyu. Suiyu was her mentor and the person who raised her. She could talk about being carefree, but when she really faced this kind of separation of life and death, she realized how difficult it was to resist that kind of pain and sorrow.
Not wanting Yi Jinbai to notice anything amiss, Jiang Shuiyun took advantage of the brief moment to leave the courtyard and sit by the river where no one was around. Her composure crumbled in an instant.
Jiang Shuiyun's outburst of emotions lasted only three minutes. She composed herself, scooped up some water from the river to wash her face, carefully dried it, and only returned to her courtyard after confirming that everything was alright.
Before long, Lei Yu brought Jiang's parents over. Jiang Shuiyun closed the door, explained the situation to Jiang's parents, and then the four of them sat down together with a holographic image of Sui Yu.
Sui Yu is indeed a proud person, but she is not the kind of person who is stubborn and refuses to admit her mistakes, nor is she the kind of person who would make excuses to shirk responsibility. After the two sides communicated, the atmosphere was much better than expected.
Jiang's mother has come to terms with it. Now that her child is back by her side, that's the best outcome. She should look forward to the future.
After dinner, Jiang's parents left, and Yi Jinbai finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although his emotions had fluctuated greatly throughout the day, at least everything turned out well without any major incidents.
Yi Jinbai and Jiang Shuiyun also returned home. Yi Jinbai said she wanted to cook herself to celebrate the day's close call, and Jiang Shuiyun went with her. She made an excuse to go to the study, closed the door, and then let down her guard, revealing her exhaustion.
Jiang Shuiyun walked to the computer and stared blankly at the black screen. The more than twenty years her teacher had raised her flashed by like a revolving lantern. She didn't know how long she stared at it, maybe ten minutes, maybe longer, when the computer screen in front of her suddenly lit up.
Jiang Shuiyun was startled to realize she hadn't done anything. Looking at the computer screen displaying the operations, she felt a chill run down her spine. Before she could think any further, a letter appeared on the computer, addressed to Jiang Shuiyun herself.
After checking and finding no real risk, Jiang Shuiyun still chose to open the letter that had appeared out of nowhere, since her computer was practically unhackable.
After clicking on it, Jiang Shuiyun discovered that it was an audio recording left for her by Suiyu.
“Shuiyun, I did go back, with Yunmu. I thought it over and decided to bring her back. She's all alone in this strange world, and I think she wants to go home. I'm so sorry to your parents, please convey my apologies. I originally wanted to stay until your wedding with Jinbai, but I'm sorry, my health doesn't allow it anymore. I wish you a happy marriage in advance, and I believe you will have a good life together. My mind is already foggy; I feel like there might be things I haven't told you, but I can't remember them. I believe in you; no matter what, you will make the right choice. I also believe in Jinbai. Thinking about it this way, I have nothing to worry about,” Suiyu's weak voice carried a sense of relief and liberation. “I'm leaving. Take care of yourselves.”
The audio ended, and Jiang Shuiyun remained motionless for a long time. But when she closed the email, a string of tears fell onto the table, and she silently closed her eyes.
Jiang Shuiyun prepared a special device for Yi Jinbai that Sui Yu had instructed her to use. In fact, it was not a communication device, but simply a disguise of the terminal left by Sui Yu.
Life returned to normal, and the wedding date drew closer every day. Yi Jinbai was busy with wedding preparations, but Jiang Shuiyun was also busy. The holographic era had caused a huge impact on society, and she was very busy.
Jiang Shuiyun finally had some free time three days before the wedding. Her parents wanted to use the Jiang family's old house as the venue for their wedding, as it was the safest and most luxurious place. Yi Jinbai knew this was the elders' wish, and although it disrupted their previous plans, he did not refuse. However, Jiang Shuiyun saw through this and came up with a compromise between the two sides.
The wedding was held in three locations. One of them was the Jiang family's old house, whose style perfectly matched that of a traditional wedding. Red silk, red satin, and red lanterns were everywhere, creating a festive atmosphere that complemented the wedding dress perfectly. The house was solemn, elegant, and full of the ultimate in traditional aesthetics and romance.
The other was an island that Yi Jinbai had previously chosen. Everything had already been arranged: flowers, beaches, castles, blue skies, and the boundless sea. Three different wedding dresses were also provided, creating a scene that was both free and sacred.
The last one is Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai's small courtyard, which will be decorated with flowers. This is also where they will actually be. The first two will all use holographic technology, as will all the guests. Moreover, because many guests have very special identities, their appearances will be altered. Furthermore, the weddings in these two scenes will be broadcast live globally.
Jiang Shuiyun wanted to give Yi Jinbai the best, but she originally didn't want to do a global live broadcast. However, from any perspective, the advantages of the live broadcast outweighed the disadvantages, and Yi Jinbai agreed, so it was decided that the world would witness the power of the latest technology at the wedding, far exceeding people's imagination. This was destined to be a significant chapter in the history of human technological progress.
The day before the wedding countdown, Jiang Shuiyun sat in a hotel chair, looking at the light screen that her company had just developed. Although it was the first generation of light screens, it was already quite good.
"Professor, everything is ready," Xu Xu said as he walked in, a look of joy on his face as he looked at Jiang Shuiyun. "Congratulations in advance on your wedding, Professor."
“Xu Xu,” Jiang Shuiyun raised her head, leaned back in her chair and stretched her neck, “I have a plan. After I marry Jinbai, I plan to focus on my family.”
Jiang Shuiyun was really tired. She felt she had done enough. Originally, all she wanted in this world was to take care of Yi Jinbai and live a simple retirement life. However, things had clearly deviated from her original plan, and now it was time to get back on track.
"Professor, are you thinking of having a child with Miss Yi? That's good. Then you'll have a successor. I'm sure your child will be able to carry on your legacy."
Xu Xu did not understand Jiang Shuiyun's meaning. After all, normal people would not do such a thing as retiring while they are at the peak of their careers.
“No, we don’t plan to have children,” Jiang Shuiyun said, looking at Xu Xu. “I just want to live a normal life.”
Xu Xu paused for a moment, then hesitated, "Professor, are you serious?"
"What's so unserious about this?" Jiang Shuiyun shrugged.
“Okay, I believe the professor has considered things more thoroughly than we have, but as long as the professor needs me, I will stay by his side.”
Xu Xu's words of dissuasion circled on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back. They knew Jiang Shuiyun's temper all too well. Once she made a decision, she would never change it for anyone else. But at the same time, every decision she made would be correct, even if it sounded unbelievable or even dangerous. She would always make sure that everything was foolproof, and that was not something they should worry about.
"certainly."
Jiang Shuiyun nodded, her eyes filled with an expression that Xu Xu couldn't understand.
The wedding took place as scheduled, witnessed by people from most of the world, and was hailed as an unparalleled wedding, a perfect combination of ultimate aesthetics and cutting-edge science. Praise poured in like a tidal wave, and with the display and release of new technologies, it almost became a global carnival.
This was just the wedding in the eyes of outsiders. In reality, Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai simply bowed to heaven and earth in the courtyard with six or seven close friends, two elders, and a garden full of flowers.
After the ceremony, Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai changed into simple red dresses. In the courtyard, there was a long table, a few ounces of sake, and a table full of delicacies. Some people cheered them on, and they drank the nuptial wine. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful, and the courtyard was filled with laughter as they enjoyed the most ordinary happiness.
As dusk settled, the group, all drunk and staggering, were put into their cars and taken home. The courtyard was also cleaned up. Jiang Shuiyun pulled Yi Jinbai up to the roof and sat on the ridge, watching the sunset and moonrise, with stars twinkling in the deep blue sky.
They had rehearsed every kind of lavish wedding, a long and complicated process that left them exhausted by the end of the day, too tired to even lift a finger. Although it was incredibly glamorous, it wasn't the happiness they were looking for, nor the wedding they wanted. So, in the end, amidst a chorus of incredulous questions from the crowd, they chose a wedding in a small courtyard.
Jiang Shuiyun held Yi Jinbai's hand tightly, and the two nestled together. Suddenly, Yi Jinbai laughed, "That's wonderful, we're married."
"Yes, we got married."
Jiang Shuiyun smiled and agreed. She had been full of anticipation in the days before, but now that the day had finally arrived, she felt a sense of unreality. Only by holding tightly to the people around her did she feel that everything had settled down.
"I really love you so much..." Yi Jinbai was also happy today. He drank a little fruit wine, the lowest alcohol content kind, but he was still a little drunk. He raised his hand to hug Jiang Shuiyun's neck. His cheeks were flushed and hot in the moonlight. He said whatever was on his mind.
"I love you too..." Jiang Shuiyun replied, but before she could finish, Yi Jinbai's lips sealed her words.
The kiss was tender and lingering, perhaps because the moonlight was so beautiful, the atmosphere so wonderful, and the sweet aroma of the fruit wine so enticing, or perhaps because the two people kissing were in love.
When the sunlight shone into the courtyard again, Jiang Shuiyun, lying on the bed, hugged Yi Jinbai tightly, lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his husky voice filled with laziness and satisfaction, "Good morning, wife."
"Hmm..."
Still half asleep, Yi Jinbai mumbled a reply, found a comfortable spot in Jiang Shuiyun's arms, and continued to sleep, hugging her waist.
The newlywed life was clearly even better than imagined. The two of them dressed casually and simply, rolled up their sleeves, and renovated the small courtyard. They found new flower seedlings, grew a new lawn, and cultivated a new plot of land where they planted all kinds of vegetables and fruits. They also built a row of gazebos and planted grapevines next to the gazebo table, waiting for the grapevines to climb all over the long gazebos and bear plump fruit next year.
A simple wooden pavilion was built by the river. Yi Jinbai moved a tea table there, and while brewing and sipping tea, he would jot down some inspirations. At this time, Jiang Shuiyun would sit in the pavilion to fish or take a nap. The clouds rolled and unrolled in the sky, a gentle breeze passed through the pavilion, and the mountain scenery was all in sight. It was the most pleasant scenery.
The founders of this world's most advanced technology rarely have smart technology in their homes. They seem like ordinary wives living in seclusion in the countryside, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, living a slow-paced life. A kiss upon waking, a snuggle at dusk, and the occasional little surprise are their greatest happiness.
Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai are not completely isolated from the world. They still go shopping together, travel together, and enjoy the world of civilization and technology together. Sometimes Yi Jinbai has some performances, and Jiang Shuiyun will accompany her, but not often. Yi Jinbai is now a national-level musician, and her pursuit is only pure music. She is extremely Buddhist and naturally cannot let work take up too much of her life.
It was another day approaching the New Year. This year, it snowed frequently in City A. Jiang Shuiyun accompanied Yi Jinbai to record the last song of the year. The two walked in the snow wearing thick cotton-padded clothes. The shops on both sides of the street were decorated with festive New Year decorations. No matter how society and technology develop, the traditional things in our bones will always exist.
Jiang Shuiyun put Yi Jinbai's hand in her pocket and looked at a steaming hot pot restaurant in front of her. "Want to go eat hot pot?"
For the best sound, Yi Jinbai's eyes lit up after he had been controlling his diet for several days. He nodded and said, "I want it extra spicy!"
"Okay." Jiang Shuiyun couldn't help but laugh. Yi Jinbai couldn't handle spicy food; even medium spice would make her cry, yet she always wanted more spice.
The two entered the hot pot restaurant, and someone opened the door from the inside. A lively, smoky atmosphere rushed out. The waiter led them to a private room, and soon, someone brought them drinks, fruit, and a menu.
"Thanks."
Jiang Shuiyun didn't look up. She handed the menu to Yi Jinbai and reached for the kettle to pour hot water.
"Professor, I'll do it."
Someone got the water bottle first. Jiang Shuiyun looked at the boy in the waiter's uniform in front of her and felt that he looked familiar. After thinking for a moment, she thought, "Zhao Ying?"
"Professor, do you remember me?"
Zhao Ying was pleasantly surprised that Jiang Shuiyun still remembered him. She poured water for Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai, saying, "Thank you for your help last time, Professor. I also wish you both a happy marriage."
Although Yi Jinbai didn't recognize Zhao Ying, he nodded in response to her blessing. Jiang Shuiyun handed a teacup to Yi Jinbai and looked at Zhao Ying, who was now dressed as a waitress, "Why are you working as a waitress here?"
After all, Zhao Ying was once a young master of the Zhao family. Although his father was imprisoned, even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse. Moreover, she remembered that Zhao Ying played the piano quite well.
Zhao Ying was a little embarrassed when she talked about this, but the light in her eyes never went out. "Professor, you should know about my father's situation. After he went in, my dad was rescued. My dad didn't want to stay in that place anymore, so I brought him here. Because of our identities, my dad didn't want me to get into any trouble, so I came here to work as a waitress. Life is peaceful, and my dad's health has improved a lot. We've finally started a new life."
The transition from a rich young master to a waiter was easy for Zhao Ying to accept. Compared to being a puppet being used before, even if it's tiring and tough now, at least he's a person, someone who can support himself and his father. He's content.
"Things will get better and better."
Jiang Shuiyun admired Zhao Ying's attitude towards life and treated him much better. People who are upright and work hard to make a living deserve respect.
"Thank you for your kind words, Professor."
Zhao Ying took the selected menu and went out to prepare it. Yi Jinbai looked at Jiang Shuiyun beside him and asked, "Do you know her?"