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“Why does it feel like the more we add, the less sense it makes? It seems like there are still missing links between these key points… or maybe we’re still missing some crucial keywords.”

Lin Xian scratched his head, looking a bit flustered.

“You might be right,” he admitted. “These Millennial Stakes have only shown fragments of some event—bits and pieces of the same story. With so few clues, it’s hard to make sense of it all.”

“But one thing is for sure,” he continued, pausing for effect, “the year 1952 hides an incredibly important secret—something crucial.”

He let out a sigh. “If only we had a time machine. I’ve already got those entangled spacetime particles all set up; it would be amazing to go back to 1952 and see everything firsthand. But that comet carrying Astatine-339 won’t reach Earth until 2234, and until then, time travel is impossible—which is just a massive headache.”

Zhao Ying Jun tilted her head thoughtfully.

“Maybe you could try asking Einstein. Sure, he’ll probably say, ‘I refuse to answer, question void,’ but if you’re clever and indirect, maybe you could get him to reveal something useful.”

“That’s true.” Lin Xian nodded, tearing up the paper full of keywords and tossing it into the trash. “Sometimes Einstein refusing to answer isn’t all bad. If the question is just right, his refusal itself can be confirmation.”

He suddenly changed the subject. “Anyway, let’s put that aside for now. Look here—I booked an appointment at the registry office for September 20th so we can get our marriage license. My mom had someone check the date—it’s the eighteenth of the eighth lunar month, a very lucky day. Apparently, it matches well with both our zodiac signs and the elements in our birth charts. What do you think—should we go get our marriage license then?”

Zhao Ying Jun couldn’t help but laugh at his serious demeanor.

“It’s so funny to think that the same guy who was just talking to me about Einstein, time travel, and logic is now talking about auspicious dates and zodiac signs. You’re a perfect blend of science and superstition.”

“Hey, all of us in X Country are like this.” Lin Xian chuckled. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, after all. Why not make it a little lucky?”

“Once we get our marriage license, we’ll be officially married. We could even start planning our honeymoon. If we catch the end of summer, we could go to Copenhagen right after getting the license.”

“From October onward, your belly’s only going to get bigger, and it won’t be good for long trips anymore. This is the perfect chance to make your wish come true and see the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen.”

Zhao Ying Jun nodded. Copenhagen was a place she and Lin Xian had long promised to visit together.

But more than that, she wanted to meet Yellow Finch—to see the future version of herself.

…

September 20th. At the Civil Affairs Bureau in Chun’an County, Hang City, Lin Xian and Zhao Ying Jun received their marriage license.

Lin Xian’s parents beamed with joy. To them, it seemed like happiness after happiness kept arriving at their doorstep. Everything had fallen neatly into place, solving so many issues.

They weren’t going to have a formal wedding, but the celebrations were still happening—there had to be feasts and family gatherings. After the banquet in Hang City, they headed to the Capital City for the return banquet. Once that was done, they set off from the airport, flying to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Together, they retraced Yellow Finch’s steps—from Andersen’s Cemetery to Amalienborg Palace. As the sun dipped low, they walked toward the shore, to the shallow waters where the Little Mermaid statue stood.

The blazing sun sank beneath the water, painting the sea a warm shade of orange.

Gentle waves lapped against the rocks, sending droplets splashing onto the bronze mermaid, making it glisten softly.

“Yellow Finch said she never managed to make it here with her Lin Xian,” Lin Xian murmured.

On the beach, Lin Xian held Zhao Ying Jun’s hand, their bare feet sinking into the soft sand as they walked toward the sea. Today, Zhao Ying Jun wore a white sundress, silver earrings, and a wide-brimmed sun hat. �

She had once told Lin Xian she didn’t like dresses—hadn’t worn one since her teens. But now, with her growing belly, those tight-fitting clothes were definitely out. For the first time, she had gone shopping for some loose dresses.

Honeymoons were meant for relaxing, after all. Just the two of them, no need for formality. But her habit of matching her accessories’ colors—that wasn’t going anywhere.

She had once explained to Lin Xian why Yellow Finch chose blue earrings. It was because they matched her blue eyes, sticking to the three-color rule. Lin Xian didn’t quite agree.

“I think,” he argued, “that she wore them because I said I liked blue and thought it looked nice.”

Zhao Ying Jun had twisted his arm in response, scolding him for his vanity.

“Are you Yellow Finch, or am I? Feeling pretty proud of yourself now, aren’t you, Lin Xian? You’re getting a bit big-headed!”

Lin Xian knew better than to argue with a pregnant woman. He surrendered.

Their footprints trailed behind them, four rows of imprints leading slowly to the tides.

The salty sea breeze ruffled their hair.

They stood where the waves just barely covered their ankles. Lin Xian spoke again, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

“Yellow Finch said it wasn’t her Lin Xian who broke his promise—it was her. I’ve never quite understood what she meant by that.”

Zhao Ying Jun gazed at the Little Mermaid statue bathed in the golden glow of sunset, taking a deep breath of the salty air.

“At least,” she said softly, “you came here with her—and with me. We must always try to keep moving forward, stepping towards a better future.”

Lin Xian turned to look at Zhao Ying Jun, her large sunhat casting a shadow across her face.

“You’re saying the exact same thing as Yellow Finch,” he said with a smile.

“Well, of course,” Zhao Ying Jun grinned. “After all, we are the same person.”

“So, in many ways, I do understand her. We think the same way, we care about the same person.”

She turned her gaze towards the statue, the bronze mermaid’s expression caught between melancholy and hope.

“That’s why I’m here—in Copenhagen. Lin Xian, everything Yellow Finch did was to ensure that you stood on the lessons learned from failure and walked towards success. She wanted you to have a life without regrets. If she could see us now, I’m sure she’d be proud.”

Zhao Ying Jun closed her eyes, feeling the breeze against her face. It was almost as if, just a few steps away, there stood her future self, her blue eyes filled with the reflection of her younger self.

“Thank you,” Zhao Ying Jun whispered.

On this beach stood a brave hero, one who crossed the boundaries of time to guide Lin Xian to the right path—and then handed him to her.

Now, it was her turn to carry the torch.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth in her belly. Almost as if—

Something moved, kicking her from within.

She gasped, her eyes snapping open.

“Lin Xian! Lin Xian!” she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her stomach. “Feel this—the baby just kicked me! It was just now… I swear, it kicked!”

“Really?” Lin Xian’s eyes lit up as he placed his hand there, curiosity evident in his expression.

But nothing happened.

“Maybe it was just a false alarm.” Lin Xian chuckled. “I read that you usually feel the baby move around the fourth month. You’re not quite three months yet—it’s a bit early.”

Zhao Ying Jun blinked, her face softening. “No, it was real… Maybe the baby felt something too.”

She tilted her head up, her gaze fixed on Lin Xian. “By the way, wasn’t it right here, in this very spot, that you first heard the name Yu Xi?”

Lin Xian nodded. “It was after Yellow Finch taught me two of the time rules. She told me, ‘Never leave Yu Xi.’ I remember thinking long and hard about it, trying to figure out who or what Yu Xi was. It took a lot of things happening before I finally realized that our daughter’s name would be Yu Xi.

“For the longest time, I overthought it—trying to find some deep, hidden meaning. But in the end, it wasn’t complicated at all. There was no mystery, no hidden twist.” Lin Xian smiled softly. “Yellow Finch was just telling me, plain and simple—don’t leave your daughter this time. Don’t let her grow up an orphan. Stay by her side, watch her grow.”

Lin Xian paused, looking out towards the horizon. “I think that must have been Yellow Finch’s regret—she must have lost me in some other timeline. To change our fate, she came here alone. At some point, she chose the world over her daughter—she left Yu Xi behind, made her an orphan.”

Zhao Ying Jun took a step closer to the statue, turning to face Lin Xian as she shook her head.

“No,” she said firmly. “She wouldn’t regret it.”

The sun dipped lower, casting its crimson glow on the beach. Zhao Ying Jun raised her head, her silhouette framed against the sky, her face illuminated by the red of the setting sun.

For a fleeting moment, Lin Xian could almost see Yellow Finch standing before him.

“She wouldn’t regret it,” Zhao Ying Jun repeated softly. “Yellow Finch knew better than anyone that a future without a tomorrow has no meaning. To scrape by, to merely survive, is enough for ordinary people.

“But you’re not ordinary, Lin Xian. You’re not just one of the masses—you have the ability to change everything, to save the future from falling apart.”

She took a deep breath, her eyes unwavering.

“The higher your position, the heavier your responsibility. We might not know the true goal of the Genius Club, but I do agree with what they wrote in their charter.

“If we were just ordinary people, we could ignore the coming disasters, turn a blind eye to the fate of human civilization. Because we wouldn’t have the power, and history wouldn’t blame those who lack the means.

“But what if… we aren’t ordinary?”

She looked at Lin Xian, her eyes locking onto his.

“I was ordinary once—but being with you made me extraordinary. Have you ever wondered, out of all the billions of people on Earth, why it’s only you who can see the future in your dreams?

“I believe it comes with a responsibility. You’re different, even from the other geniuses in the club. You have a duty greater than anyone else’s.

“You have an ability no one else has, which means you must do what no one else can do.”

Zhao Ying Jun’s gaze softened. “That’s why Yellow Finch crossed time to find you—why she left her daughter behind. It’s why I trust you now, no matter how hard this path will be. I believe you can walk it to the end, that you will save this world and give humanity a future.”

Lin Xian looked at her silhouette against the setting sun, her shadow overlapping with the Little Mermaid statue behind her. It felt as if he were having a conversation across time.

Perhaps this was Yellow Finch’s true belief—

What is greater, the world or one’s family?

But just as Zhao Ying Jun had said—without the world, there is no family.

The great disasters of 2400 and the apocalypse of 2624—they seemed so distant, far-off concerns.

But generations would come, and their descendants would face those catastrophes.

Many people would laugh and say, “Why should I care about something that happens hundreds of years from now?”

And maybe, for ordinary people, that thinking wasn’t wrong.

Suddenly, Lin Xian thought of the members of the Genius Club. They each had their own goals, their own agendas, but were any of them living solely for pleasure or corruption?

No.

Each of them could have used Einstein’s omniscience to lead a life of luxury and ease—but what were they doing instead?

Whatever you thought of their actions or methods, they were all fighting, each in their own way, for a better future for humanity.

None of them were living for today alone. Even Copernicus, hated by so many, had been scheming, right to his dying breath, to achieve his future plans.

“So Yellow Finch wouldn’t regret it,” Zhao Ying Jun said firmly. “And neither will I, no matter what.”

A sudden gust of wind swept across the beach, catching Zhao Ying Jun’s sun hat and sending it soaring into the air.

They both turned, watching as the hat flew like a bird migrating for the winter, carried by the wind over the sea, beyond the clouds, heading to the other side of the world.

Lin Xian stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Zhao Ying Jun from behind. He smiled faintly.

“It seems like we might just have a listener,” he said.

“Make that two.” Zhao Ying Jun glanced down at her belly. “I’ve got something to confess, Lin Xian.”

“Hmm?” Lin Xian tilted his head, puzzled.

Zhao Ying Jun twirled a stray lock of hair around her finger, tucking it behind her ear.

“You know how you wanted to keep it a surprise—wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out if it’s a boy or a girl?” She bit her lip, looking almost guilty. “Well… I couldn’t help myself. I went to a private clinic and asked the doctor to check.”

She looked up at him, her smile radiant.

“But… it’s good news for you.”

Lin Xian’s eyes widened, the earlier tension dissolving as joy spread across his face.

“Really?”

“Really.” Zhao Ying Jun nodded, her smile growing. “It’s a girl—we’re having a daughter.”

Lin Xian laughed, his face lighting up with happiness.

“I knew it!” He grabbed her hands excitedly. “See, I told you—we didn’t need to get rid of Yu Xi’s old clothes and toys. Her favorite set—we’ll keep it for her to wear in another ten years!”

Zhao Ying Jun couldn’t help but giggle, tapping his nose with her finger.

“You’re going to have a hard time explaining to our daughter why all her things are old and out of date. No matter how convincing you make your story sound, she’ll never believe it.”

She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “But I suppose you don’t have to worry about picking a name anymore?”

Lin Xian nodded, his smile softening. “No need. Our daughter—she’s been here with us all along. She already has her unique, irreplaceable name.”

He knelt down, wrapping his arms around Zhao Ying Jun’s waist, resting his forehead gently against her belly.

He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the lingering sunlight, breathing in the salty ocean air, listening to the gentle rustle of the waves.

In a soft voice, he spoke to her.

“Yu Xi…”

“Daddy’s here.”