Chapter 217

“Shen Xiyin, Professor Shen lied to you. He likely said those things on purpose. He knew you cared about Mu Mian, so you would definitely inherit his laboratory and continue all his research for the sake of treating Mu Mian.”

Shen Xiyin’s father had once said that Jiang Yinian was not suitable for managing the laboratory—he was too capricious and lacked any moral boundaries. That’s why Shen Xiyin was the best candidate to inherit it. Jiang Yinian would help her unconditionally, and she had the ability to make everyone listen to her.

“That can’t be. My father wouldn’t lie to me. Jiang Yinian, you’re the one lying to me, aren’t you?”

Shen Xiyin couldn’t accept this. Her beloved father had deceived and manipulated her for the sake of his so-called research, forcing her to do what she disliked the most.

Her father knew how she felt about medical research—that she found it cruel. He also knew what her dreams were, yet he had ruthlessly stripped her of all that.

“Xiyin, you know I wouldn’t lie to you,” Jiang Yinian said. “Why don’t you believe that it was your love for Mu Mian, your refusal to give up, that created this miracle?”

“Autism can’t be cured! How could love alone make an autistic person normal? Jiang Yinian, tell me, you’re lying to me, aren’t you?”

“There have been many unexplained miracles in medical history. It wasn’t just your love for Mu Mian, but also your professional skills. And it wasn’t just you working alone—your parents, the therapists, they all worked hard too. Everyone loved Mu Mian. It was a miracle created by everyone together.”

“Then what do all these years mean? What does everything I’ve done mean?” Shen Xiyin’s world crumbled once again.

“Xiyin, Professor Shen wanted you to break the curse of your genes. What you’ve done isn’t meaningless. Once the effects of the Neural Rose are fully understood, there will be hope for treating many brain-related diseases. It will be another miracle in medical history.”

“I don’t want to create miracles!” Shen Xiyin collapsed to the ground, staring at her hands, hysterical. “What about all the experimental subjects who were sacrificed? The blood on my hands is there because of your lies. This is absurd!”

“Xiyin, the experiments you did abroad were nothing compared to what most pharmaceutical companies do. You have far more moral integrity than most. Ethics and morality are shackling the progress of science. True research should be free. It’s not us who are wrong!”

Tears streamed down Shen Xiyin’s face, but she forced herself to smile. This was nothing. Her world had crumbled many times before. At least Mu Mian wasn’t an experimental subject for the Neural Rose.

Jiang Yinian remembered once asking Shen Xiyin what her birthday wish was.

“I hope Mu Mian can become a normal person. I hope my father’s research succeeds. If I have to make three wishes, I hope everyone can be a little happier.”

“Don’t you want anything for yourself?”

“I already have so much. There’s nothing to regret.”

Back then, Shen Xiyin hadn’t met Lin Sen, hadn’t lost her parents, hadn’t taken over her father’s laboratory and pharmaceutical company. She didn’t yet know that her life would be filled with regrets.

“Xiyin, aren’t you afraid you’ll end up like your uncle, suffering from Alzheimer’s? You’ll forget everything, lose that brilliant mind of yours.”

The Shen family had a hereditary disease, a high likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. That was why Jiang Yinian had researched the Neural Rose—he wanted to change Shen Xiyin’s fate.

“I’m a little afraid. That’s why I need to make sure Mu Mian becomes a normal person before I get sick. Once she can live independently, I’ll be at peace.”

“Why is Mu Mian so important to you?”

“She’s family. Family is important.”

At that moment, two bodyguards noticed faint lights flickering on the distant sea.

One of them said, “Boss, there’s a boat approaching us. We need to speed up and lose them. Can we accelerate?”

The bodyguard was confused. If they had been speeding up all along, they would have already boarded the cargo ship. The contact had prepared everything for them. Once they were on the ship, they could evade the police.

Jiang Yinian’s thoughts returned to the present. He didn’t respond to the bodyguard but instead looked down at Shen Xiyin. “I’m sorry. I should have told you the truth earlier. But I always thought that if you became like me, you’d love me.”

The bodyguard urged anxiously, “Boss, if we speed up now, we can still make it. Once we’re on the cargo ship, we’ll be safe.”

“Shen Xiyin, come with me, okay? Let’s fulfill your father’s dream together. We’ll make sure the world remembers him.”

Shen Xiyin wiped her tears and looked at him calmly. “Jiang Yinian, I won’t leave here alive with you.”

“If you die, Mu Mian will lose her sister.”

“If I leave with you, she’ll lose her sister all the same.”

“Boss, don’t hesitate, or we won’t be able to escape!” The bodyguard, hearing the sound of boat propellers in the distance, urged again.

“Shen Xiyin, will you remember me?”

“If the research makes progress, I’ll include your name and my father’s in the author credits of the paper. I’ll make sure the world remembers you both.”

Jiang Yinian gazed at her intently. “Shen Xiyin, I don’t need the world to remember me. I just want you to remember me.”

The police had cordoned off the Jiangzhou City docks and dispatched coast guard units to search the entire sea.

Fang Rui, Mu Mian, and Lin Sen boarded one of the boats, which also carried several snipers.

Soon, the sea surveillance system detected a yacht heading toward the area where cargo ships were docked. Once Jiang Yinian boarded one of those ships, the search would become much more complicated.

All the search boats closed in on the yacht.

Two armed bodyguards stood outside the yacht. Seeing the approaching boats, they opened fire.

Jiang Yinian, holding Shen Xiyin hostage, hid inside the cabin.

The sky and sea were pitch black, making visibility poor. It took the snipers a while to aim, but they eventually shot one of the bodyguards.

The other bodyguard quickly took cover behind the boat.

Concerned for the hostage, the police didn’t dare to advance recklessly, and the situation reached a stalemate.

Soon, reinforcements arrived, surrounding the yacht. The remaining bodyguard was also shot by the snipers.

Fearing that Jiang Yinian might harm the hostage, the boats stopped ten meters away, not daring to get closer.

Jiang Yinian took a pistol from a drawer and, with Shen Xiyin as his hostage, stepped out of the cabin. He shouted to Fang Rui, “Let me leave safely, or I’ll kill her!”

Shen Xiyin said, “Fang Rui, just shoot. Don’t worry about me!”

Fang Rui, while directing the snipers to aim at Jiang Yinian, tried to negotiate. “Don’t harm the hostage. What do you need to leave safely?”

“I need a helicopter!”

Fang Rui replied, “Okay, but it will take time to prepare. Don’t harm the hostage in the meantime.”

Jiang Yinian leaned close to Shen Xiyin’s ear and whispered, “Shen Xiyin, if you hadn’t met Lin Sen, would you have loved me?”

“No.”

“But I met you first.”

“Jiang Yinian, the answer is still no.”

Jiang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Yinian’s movements exposed his head.

Taking advantage of his distraction, a sniper quickly aimed and fired. The bullet pierced through the air, striking Jiang Yinian squarely in the forehead.

Warm blood splattered onto Shen Xiyin’s face.

Jiang Yinian slowly collapsed, his memories flashing back to the past.

“Jiang Yinian, you seem lonely. Can I be your friend?”

“Jiang Yinian, you’re like Mu Mian—you’re a genius. Geniuses are different from everyone else.”

“Jiang Yinian, even though you’re a genius, you can’t always look down on others. Intelligence is determined by genes. You’re lucky to have a high IQ, but you can’t despise those who aren’t as smart. That’s unfair.”

“Jiang Yinian, you can’t let your dark thoughts become reality. You need to be a good person. Can’t control yourself? Then I’ll keep an eye on you from now on!”

“Jiang Yinian, I’ve fallen for someone. I’m going to tell him. Wish me luck!”

"Jiang Yinian, even if I become like you, I could never like you."

Jiang Yinian looked into Shen Xiyin's beautiful eyes. They seemed to glisten with tears, yet also seemed dry. He slowly closed his eyes.

"Sister, I'm so glad you're okay!" Mu Mian ran from the boat to Shen Xiyin's side, wrapping her arms tightly around her. "You can't die! If you die, I'd have to make myself a schizophrenic just to keep a version of you alive in my mind."

"Mu Mian, I know, and that's why I won't die so easily."

"Sister, I'm still so scared."

Shen Xiyin held Mu Mian tightly in return. There was a time when she was afraid every day—afraid that Mu Mian would become another Miao Miao, afraid of losing her. But now, she was no longer afraid. Mu Mian would live a healthy life, full of happiness and joy.

Fang Rui stared at Jiang Yinian's lifeless body, a sudden wave of panic washing over him.

Jiang Yinian was dead. Did that mean all the secrets about the Neuro Rose would be lost? Was Mu Mian an experiment of the Neuro Rose?

If Mu Mian turned out like Miao Miao, what would he do?

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