Chapter 461: Butterfly Effect
A woman broke up with her ex-boyfriend because she didn't like him anymore. In his anger, the ex-boyfriend killed someone—and that someone just happened to be a person who had made great contributions to the country.
Because of that person's death, an entire industry might stagnate for twenty years.
This is a calamity star, just like the butterfly effect.
If you had to say whose fault it was, you couldn't.
After all, the calamity star herself had only done one insignificant thing. But the flapping of the butterfly's wings compounded until it became what it is now.
Xiao Ye and Zhu Chen got off the helicopter and arrived at the location indicated by the astrological signs.
As the old saying goes: nine deaths, one life.
Every dead end has a sliver of hope.
As for whether one could seize it, that depended on their own ability.
And the key to breaking the calamity star's curse lay in the place revealed by the astrological signs.
The place where they now stood was a clearing.
Before them was a pool of water that, in the reflected light, seemed to have a faint red glow.
There was a forest in front of them and behind them, though the one behind was relatively sparser.
Xiao Ye spoke up. "There are seven, seven, five, and four trees in the north, south, east, and west directions, respectively. This means the person we're looking for is to the northeast."
Zhu Chen nodded. "Correct. The pool is circular, and its water level already shows signs of dropping. This indicates a woman who is entering middle age..."
The two discussed matters until the middle of the night before finally leaving.
Afterward, Xiao Ye began arranging for his subordinates to search for a matching individual based on the information in their files.
「Two days passed.」
「The sanatorium.」
Lin Chuyue stared somewhat distractedly at the door of the hospital room.
It was still early. Lin Chuxing wouldn't go for her exercises until the afternoon; she had to rest occasionally to avoid overexertion.
"Chuyue, what's wrong?"
"N-Nothing." Lin Chuyue's heart ached with a bit of sorrow.
She knew her sister was more important, but today was her birthday.
In previous years, Grandpa would definitely remember, and so would Xiao Ye.
But today, she had heard from no one.
But she couldn't let it show. After all, Lin Chuxing's rehabilitation was the most important thing right now. 'I've celebrated so many birthdays; missing this one isn't a big deal.'
If Lin Chuxing were to overthink things and get upset, that would be terrible.
Ever since Lin Chuxing was sent to the ICU from overthinking, everyone had been treating her with even more caution, as if she were a porcelain doll.
They even had to think three times before speaking to her.
Seeing she wouldn't talk, Lin Chuxing had no choice but to say, "Chuyue, I'll always be your older sister. You can tell me whatever is on your mind."
"I know, Sis. You should get some rest."
Lin Chuyue continued to slice an apple, her mind elsewhere.
By noon, there was still no news. She gave up completely.
She gave a bitter smile. 'Oh well. If we're not celebrating, we're not celebrating.'
In truth, she had been quite looking forward to it. It was her first birthday since her parents had returned, after all.
Her sister was here now, too. She really hoped the whole family could get together.
「Dusk.」
No one had come.
Lin Chuyue was indescribably disappointed. After taking Lin Chuxing back to her room to rest, she went out into the hallway.
Under the bright lights, she was a lonely figure.
"Chuyue."
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Chuyue's head snapped up. She saw Xiao Ye, Jian Qiuyan, Lin Feng, and Lin Aoshan.
Her entire family was here!
Because Lin Chuyue had been so sad before, she hadn't noticed them approaching at all.
Her eyes instantly turned red. "Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Xiao Ye... why... why are you all here?"
"To celebrate your birthday, of course!"
From her hospital room, Lin Chuxing watched the hallway and smiled. 'Little sister, I'm sorry. I actually knew it was your birthday today, but I didn't let on.'
Earlier in the day, she had seen how distracted Lin Chuyue was and had wanted to say something.
But then she remembered her parents' instructions and swallowed her words.
The family then celebrated with Lin Chuyue, blowing out candles and eating cake.
It was a birthday celebration like any ordinary person's, with no special frills, but it felt incredibly warm.
Lin Chuyue's eyes were red with emotion. She gave them each a hug. "Thank you, Mom and Dad! Thank you, Grandpa!"
She finally looked at Xiao Ye. Just as she was about to speak, he took out a box. "This is your birthday present. I hope you like it."
She opened it and saw... it was a zoo in the Imperial City!
Lin Chuyue had always loved fluffy little animals, but she never had the time or energy to care for them herself.
She never imagined Xiao Ye would just give one to her!
"Thank you!" She couldn't help but throw herself into Xiao Ye's arms.
On the hospital bed.
Although Lin Chuxing was smiling, her heart felt heavy.
Even though she was part of this happy scene, she felt like something was missing.
That night, Jian Qiuyan and Lin Feng stayed behind.
Lin Aoshan also moved into the sanatorium.
As for Lin Chuyue, she and Xiao Ye got to have a day for just the two of them.
Since it was her birthday, and it had been so long since they'd gone out to have fun, they naturally had to make the most of it.
After putting on disguises, they strolled through the city center as if no one else was around.
The amusement park, the mall—they went to every place they could think of.
The final stop: the Xiao Family's ultra-five-star hotel!
「Inside the room.」
Lin Chuyue gave Xiao Ye a shy, timid look. "Well, I'll go take a shower first."
With that, she dashed into the bathroom, not forgetting to lock the door behind her.
Xiao Ye chuckled helplessly. 'Silly girl. They had already gone all the way early on in their relationship, so why was she still so shy every time?'
But he had to admit, it was all the more alluring.
「Half an hour later.」
Lin Chuyue walked out wrapped in a bath towel, her exposed shoulders smooth, fair, and radiant.
As she walked, she turned off the room's lights one by one, leaving only the dim, yellow glow of a bedside lamp.
Xiao Ye was sitting on the edge of the bed, and in one motion, he pulled her into his arms for a full embrace.
He buried his head in the crook of her fair, slender neck, inhaling her pleasant scent. "Chuyue, I've missed you so much."
Lin Chuyue wrapped her arms around his head. "Me too. I'm the one who missed you the most!"
Suddenly, her world was spinning.
By the time Lin Chuyue came to her senses, she was already lying on the bed.
Xiao Ye looked down at her and curled his lip into a smile. "Since you missed me the most, why don't you take the lead today? How about it?"
Although Lin Chuyue was shy, she knew this was a rare moment for the two of them.
She took a deep breath and raised her arms to wrap them around Xiao Ye's neck.
"Alright, you can start. I'll do my best to cooperate."
After speaking, she even leaned in on her own and kissed the corner of Xiao Ye's lips.
That single touch was all it took to light the fuse.
Soon, the corners of her eyes were flushed red and filled with a shattered, vulnerable look.
「All night long.」
The sounds from the room never stopped.
They only just barely ceased when the sky turned the pale white of dawn.
Xiao Ye carried Lin Chuyue and helped her take a bath before returning to the bed, where they fell asleep in each other's arms.