Sure enough—
Freeing one hand, Jiang Ran casually flipped through the files spread across the table.
In truth, it hardly mattered whether he read them or not. Since Xu Yan said these materials were real, then they had to be real.
That was precisely why Jiang Ran had insisted on asking Xu Yan’s boyfriend to conduct an on-site investigation at the University of Pennsylvania.
IDs, records, docunts, transcripts—when all was said and done, they were just paper data. Forging them was not difficult. With enough power and influence, even obtaining an authentic set through back channels was not difficult.
But a person’s real life, their real experiences, were impossible to forge.
The University of Pennsylvania existed in a real place, its classrooms were there, its dormitories were there—whether Cheng ngxue had actually attended classes as a student there was sothing that could not be faked. Truth was truth, and falsehood was falsehood.
The facts proved Jiang Ran’s guess had been correct.
And the words Qin Feng had written on the back of that photo were also correct—
[There is no student nad Cheng ngxue at the University of Pennsylvania! She never studied there at all!]
“Jiang Ran——”
At this mont, even Xu Yan—normally calm and steady—had panic flickering in her eyes. “Th-this… what exactly is going on?”
Resting his head on one hand, Jiang Ran looked at her.
“Arican universities aren’t the sa as universities in Dragon Country. There’s far too much behind-the-scenes manipulation over there.”
“Especially private universities like the University of Pennsylvania. Strictly speaking, they have no principles at all. Every rule can be broken.”
“That’s how capitalist society works. With enough wealth and influence, you can get into whichever university you want. You don’t even need to pretend—everything can be done openly.”
“So from that angle, forging a fully authentic and factually existing enrollnt history for Cheng ngxue wouldn’t be difficult. Including things like transcripts.”
“The only thing that can’t be forged is whether Cheng ngxue personally went there to attend university. That’s why I had you investigate this.”
“But…”
Xu Yan still could not understand.
“But I still can’t figure it out. Why would Xiaoxue lie to us about sothing like this?”
“And her house… her parents too—could it all… could it all be fake?”
Jiang Ran said nothing. He simply propped up his chin and thought.
To pull off this kind of all-encompassing fabrication, the power of one person—or even a few people—would never be enough.
Without question, there had to be an entire team behind Cheng ngxue, planning everything.
These people had spared no effort to construct a false yet perfectly real Cheng ngxue—
What exactly was their objective?
“In fact, it may not just be Xiaoxue’s parents who are fake.”
Jiang Ran spoke words that made Xu Yan feel even more horrified.
[There’s a very high chance that even this Xiaoxue herself is fake.]
“Don’t panic yet. Even I have trouble explaining this. You know I’ve been suspicious ever since sumr vacation, and—there’s sothing we kept from you. We plucked a strand of your father’s hair and compared it with Xiaoxue’s in a DNA kinship test.”
“What was the result?” Xu Yan urged.
“The result showed that they are indeed uncle and niece. There is a blood relationship.”
At that, Jiang Ran spread his hands.
“But think about it. Since Xiaoxue’s enrollnt records and transcripts were all forged, then that DNA report—which also ca from a private hospital—do you think it still has any credibility at all?”
Just as Jiang Ran had expected, Xu Yan slowly shook her head.
As smart as she was, she had already realized that Cheng ngxue’s sudden return to the country and sudden appearance were indeed full of suspicious details.
What made her even more uneasy was this—
The younger sister who had lived beside her day and night, the younger sister with not a single visible flaw, whose every mory and habit was exactly the sa as the one in her impressions—
Could actually be fake?
“Should we… do another DNA test?”
Xu Yan still found it hard to accept. She proposed, “I can pluck another strand of Xiaoxue’s hair, and another from my dad, then take them to a public hospital in the capital. Or maybe ask my boyfriend to find a reliable overseas hospital.”
“We could even do it at several places, several tis, and see whether this Xiaoxue really has blood ties to our family.”
However—
Jiang Ran shook his head.
“There’s not much point in doing that anymore.”
He gave three reasons.
First.
They still had no clear idea how powerful the team behind Cheng ngxue really was. Perhaps even public hospitals and overseas hospitals could still be infiltrated and their reports tampered with.
Second.
Even if the test really told them that Cheng ngxue and Xu Yan’s father did share blood—
So what?
At this point, with Cheng ngxue’s background story now riddled with lies, could they still truly trust this flawless girl?
And lastly, most importantly—
“It’s better not to alert the enemy.”
Jiang Ran’s voice turned low.
“At the mont, we still don’t understand this Xiaoxue’s goals or intentions. The other side may not even realize we’ve grown suspicious yet. For now, it’s best to maintain this balance.”
“If she notices you plucking her hair, that basically ans both sides are laying their cards on the table. Honestly… I don’t think we currently have the strength to do that. I need more ti to prepare.”
Xu Yan nodded, agreeing that Jiang Ran made sense.
“Then what are you planning to do next?”
“My boyfriend might be able to help with so things, but… from what you’re saying, it sounds like you don’t want too many people to know.”
“Don’t worry.”
Jiang Ran reassured her.
“I already have a rough plan in mind. And frankly, right now, aside from official authorities, I don’t dare trust anyone.”
“So I really do need so ti to handle this. During this period, I’ll need your help keeping Xiaoxue occupied. Just maintain the sa attitude and behavior as usual. Don’t let her notice anything strange.”
Xu Yan lowered her head, her mind heavy with worry.
But in the end, she agreed. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she stood up.
“If possible, I still hope this whole thing turns out to be nothing more than a ridiculous misunderstanding.”
Jiang Ran stood as well.
“That would naturally be the happiest outco for everyone.”
Unfortunately—
He knew very clearly in his heart.
How could things possibly be that simple?
The two of them walked out of the milk-tea shop and returned side by side along the sidewalk toward Donghai University.
The whole way, neither of them spoke.
Anyone faced with sothing this bizarre and full of danger would be left deeply unsettled.
“Once you get back to school, pull yourself together.”
Seeing how low Xu Yan’s spirits were, Jiang Ran quickly comforted her.
“If you stay in this state, Xiaoxue will easily notice sothing is wrong.”
“Don’t worry.”
Xu Yan took a deep breath and lifted her head.
“I’m not that fragile.”
She smiled.
And once again beca that forever dependable, forever mature older sister.
[I’ve been through many things before too. My ability to accept things is much stronger than you think.]
“So leave the school side to . I guarantee nothing will go wrong.”
“The day after tomorrow is Xiaoxue’s birthday. We’ll be preparing things together these next two days. Whatever you need to do, just go do it. I’ll keep an eye on Xiaoxue the whole ti and report to you imdiately if anything happens.”
After seeing Xu Yan back to school, Jiang Ran turned around, got into a taxi, and hurried nonstop to Donghai University First Affiliated Hospital.
He wanted to see what Tian Xiaoli’s condition was like now.
—
This was important.
Because it would directly verify what kind of “divine power” the Priest of the Mutual Aid Society of Regrets truly possessed.
And if that “divine power” really could reach the level of bringing the dead back to life, then there was every reason to seriously suspect—
[The Cheng ngxue who suddenly appeared at the class reunion may be strongly connected to the Mutual Aid Society of Regrets.]
So far, Jiang Ran had three theories regarding Cheng ngxue’s true situation.
Cheng ngxue is the real Cheng ngxue, and this current farce is simply a misunderstanding.
A great deal of evidence supported this view. The only unclear points were the University of Pennsylvania enrollnt issue and that weed-overgrown courtyard.
Cheng ngxue is fake, another girl disguised and surgically altered to approach him.
This theory was admittedly conspiratorial, but not impossible. The only thing difficult to explain was that she possessed all of Xiaoxue’s mories, habits, and feelings—things that were extrely hard to fake under close scrutiny.
Cheng ngxue was resurrected through Lilith’s power, or the Priest’s power from the Mutual Aid Society of Regrets.
This theory was the most fantastical, but if he truly accepted the premise, many logical knots would unravel.
Because if she had truly died and returned to life, then the past two years would naturally be blank for this reborn Cheng ngxue.
Only—
Years of materialist education made it very hard for Jiang Ran to accept sothing this anti-scientific.
Granted, his Positron Cannon and ti-traveling text ssages could also make soone “co back from the dead,” but that kind of “resurrection” was essentially a worldline transition, absolutely nothing like Cheng ngxue’s case of physically returning as the sa living person.
“In any case, let’s first go see Tian Xiaoli.”
Looking at the rapidly passing scenery outside the taxi, Jiang Ran’s mind conjured the image of that skeletal little girl lying in a hospital bed in a vegetative state.
Priest.
Lilith.
Do you really have the power—
To bring the dead back to life?
By the ti he arrived at Donghai University First Affiliated Hospital—
The mont he stepped upstairs, he ran straight into Tian Xiaoli’s attending physician.
“Jiang Ran?”
This doctor had so acquaintance with Professor Zhang Yang and Dean Gao Yan, so he still rembered Jiang Ran’s na.
“What brings you here?”
“I ca to see Tian Xiaoli.”
Jiang Ran pointed toward the rehabilitation ward on the other side of the corridor.
“Is that okay?”
The attending physician looked at Jiang Ran, fell silent, and seed hesitant to speak.
Finally—
He patted Jiang Ran on the shoulder.
“Co with . To the office.”
Once inside, the doctor directly pulled Jiang Ran in front of the computer and opened several scans.
“Do you rember when you ca last ti—four days ago—I showed you Tian Xiaoli’s brain scans?”
“I rember.”
At that ti, the doctor had shown him two comparison images. After only one day awake, Tian Xiaoli’s previously atrophied brain tissue had already begun miraculously redeveloping.
“Then look at this one. This is the newest scan from this morning.”
Click.
The mouse double-clicked, opening an image.
Looking at the black-and-white scan, Jiang Ran involuntarily sucked in a breath—
Full.
It was already full.
The scan showed it clearly: Tian Xiaoli’s cranial cavity had completely filled in.
No empty spaces. No atrophy. Her entire cranial cavity was brimming with thriving brain tissue.
Just from looking at the image alone, he could feel that raw force of life.
“And that’s not all.”
The attending physician frowned deeply.
“She’s only been awake for four days, and Xiaoli’s language function, vision, hearing—even reading and writing—have all completely recovered to the state they were in before she fell into the coma.”
“Her mories are still stuck in her teens. She still rembers the mont she fell from the rooftop. It’s unimaginable. Ordinary people can sleep in and get sluggish for a day and still end up with fuzzy mories, but she slept for more than ten years, and her mories are still this clear.”
“And do you know what’s even more terrifying?”
The doctor braced himself against the desk, his eyes filled with doubt toward his own education, his own knowledge, and his many years of dical experience.
“Jiang Ran, you’d never guess this—Xiaoli’s muscles, which had withered for years in all four limbs, have also started slowly redeveloping and reviving. Her skin and hair too. They’re recovering faster than a normal person’s!”
“Can you understand how absurd that is? So vegetative patients, even conscious paralysis patients, have family mbers doing rehabilitation exercises every day and still can’t stop their muscles from continuing to waste away.”
“But on Xiaoli’s side, even if she lies in bed all day doing absolutely nothing, her muscles are still slowly recovering. You can visibly see flesh returning to her arms and thighs. Of course, her appetite is huge too. She eats a lot every day and still needs nutrient infusions.”
“We drew blood and ran all kinds of tests. Every single indicator ca back completely normal. There isn’t a single theory that can explain what’s happening to her. You—sigh, honestly, these past few days I’ve really started doubting the truth of this world.”
Jiang Ran looked at the physician, who was now scratching his head uneasily.
Only then did he understand why the man’s expression had been so unstable earlier, why he had imdiately dragged him into the office.
Perhaps when it ca to sothing this bizarre, the only person this doctor could truly share the shock with was Jiang Ran, who had long since beco accustod to the unbelievable.
“So in other words—”
Jiang Ran looked at the physician who now seed to be questioning his entire life.
“Doctor, would this count as a dical miracle?”
At that—
This chief physician, renowned throughout the dical field for many years, gave a self-mocking chuckle.
“Heh. A dical miracle?”
He shook his head and sighed.
“Throughout all of history, after so many years of modern dical developnt, there has never once been a case this outrageous.”
“I don’t think the word miracle is enough to describe what’s happening to Tian Xiaoli.”
“It’s not just . Over the past few days, many experts from across the country heard about Tian Xiaoli’s condition and ca for consultations. In the end, everyone reached the sa conclusion—that a situation like this, sothing akin to [rebirth], simply should not be possible.”
“But the facts are right in front of our eyes. Who could deny them? If I absolutely had to use one word to describe what happened to Tian Xiaoli—even though it’s not exactly appropriate for to say this as a dical professional, I truly can’t find a more fitting term.”
The attending physician swallowed hard, forcing out through his throat the reality he did not want to admit:
[Divine miracle!]
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