Having completed her registration, Lin Huanyan felt a great sense of relief, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Returning to her dorm room, Lin Huanyan surveyed the small space her predecessor had lived in for four years and she had occupied for two days.
The room was about 20 square meters in size, with a standard single bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a large bookshelf crammed with books.
These were the standard dormitory furnishings. The bed linens were a military green set issued by the school, giving the dorm a stark simplicity.
Her predecessor’s personality reflected this—indifferent to quality of life and wholly focused on academics, a stark contrast to Lin Huanyan.
Lin Huanyan valued quality of life. Even during tough times on Earth, she would buy small items to improve her living conditions.
Rolling up her sleeves, Lin Huanyan opened the delivery boxes she had bought earlier.
Unlike Earth’s cardboard boxes, interstellar packaging was made from a new type of material that was safer, more waterproof, and more eco-friendly.
Lin Huanyan first took the books from the shelf, organizing and packing them neatly into the boxes.
Initially, she planned to discard them, but their pristine condition and the extensive notes made by her predecessor made her reconsider. She decided to bring them to the space station instead.
After packing the books, she moved on to the clothes in the wardrobe and the miscellaneous items on the desk.
Her predecessor’s taste in clothing was surprisingly similar to hers—simple, comfortable designs.
With few belongings, Lin Huanyan quickly finished packing several boxes, leaving only the bed as it was.
Checking the time, she saw it was nearly noon. Lin Huanyan washed her hands in the bathroom and stepped out into the dormitory corridor.
At a vending machine, she bought a peach-flavored nutritional solution.
Lin Huanyan returned to her room, uncorked the bottle, and took a big gulp.
She hadn’t expected that the concept in the novel about substituting meals with nutrient fluids in interstellar life would turn out to be real.
It had been two days since she arrived here, and she’d been drinking nutrient fluids solidly for those two days.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat regular food, but when she checked the restaurant menu, there were only a handful of dishes, and all of them were exorbitantly expensive.
Lin Huanyan had seen the original owner’s account balance. Thanks to various scholarships, research wages, and patent royalties, there was quite a lot of savings.
But spending money on a mediocre meal just didn’t seem worth it.
Still, the thought of having to live on nutrient fluids indefinitely made Lin Huanyan feel like life had lost its luster. Even when she was guarding the lighthouse before, she could still eat proper meals.
“Ding-dong, ding-dong.” Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Lin Huanyan was a little surprised. Who could be looking for her at this hour?
She opened the door and saw a round-faced young girl—her class president.
“Lin Huanyan, Professor Liu asked you to visit his office this afternoon. He said he has something to discuss with you.”
“Alright, got it. Thanks for letting me know.” Just as she was about to close the door, she noticed the girl hesitating, as if she wanted to say something.
Lin Huanyan looked at her in confusion. “Is there something else?”
Zhang Qianqian gazed at the girl before her—dark hair, red lips, skin as smooth as porcelain, and a pair of large almond-shaped eyes filled with curiosity.
She was momentarily stunned by Lin Huanyan’s beauty. She had always focused on Lin Huanyan’s academic achievements and research results, never realizing how stunning she actually looked.
Inwardly, she cursed Andre for being such an idiot. He was hopeless at studying and relied on shady tactics to hijack other people’s work.
What a pity that such a beauty’s good job had been ruined by him.
Still, she kindly offered reassurance, “Lin Huanyan, Professor Liu knows about the work situation. Don’t worry; there’ll be a solution.”
“If you need my help, just say the word. I’ll do what I can.”
“Oh, you mean that? Don’t worry, I’ve already found a way to resolve it. Thank you for your concern.” After bidding Zhang Qianqian goodbye, Lin Huanyan returned to her room.
She hadn’t expected that the issue with her work would come to Professor Liu’s attention—and that even the class president knew about it.
It seemed the original owner wasn’t entirely devoid of social connections. There were people who cared.
When she received the original owner’s memories, she couldn’t help but complain.
The original owner was highly intelligent, with excellent grades, but far too focused. She spent every day moving between the classroom, dormitory, and lab, never visiting other places, never initiating greetings, and having no friends.
Because of this, when she fell ill in her dorm, no one noticed, leading to Lin Huanyan’s arrival.
Don’t think interstellar humans are immune to illness. In the interstellar era, human genes had been further enhanced, and many terminal illnesses from Earth now had cures. However, new diseases—mainly genetic and mental disorders—had also emerged.
Unfortunately, the original owner had a condition called “spiritual energy weakness,” making her more fragile than the average interstellar person.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have succumbed to a minor illness.
Lin Huanyan tidied herself up and changed into more formal clothes before heading out.
The Imperial University campus was vast, with a significant distance between the dormitories and professor offices, so she planned to use a transport device to get there.
Conveniently, there was a hoverboard station right outside the dormitory building.
Lin Huanyan walked over, scanned for a board with her smart device, set the route, and stepped onto it, waiting for the hoverboard to carry her to her destination.
Hoverboards were similar to shared bikes on Earth but far more advanced.
The board itself was a 30-centimeter-long, 30-centimeter-wide, and 2-centimeter-thick rectangular slab. Its surface looked like plastic but shimmered with a metallic sheen.
After scanning with a smart device, users could directly set a route, and the board would take care of the journey automatically.
There was no need to worry about accidents, as hoverboards had obstacle-avoidance features. They were also connected to the university’s central brain, which planned routes to avoid collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians.
Standing calmly on the hoverboard, Lin Huanyan’s eyes casually wandered, pretending not to care.
The original owner’s personality—someone completely indifferent to her surroundings because she was so focused on learning—meant Lin Huanyan couldn’t openly gawk at the interstellar university.
Now, though, she could use this opportunity to observe the Imperial University campus.
Its layout wasn’t drastically different from universities on Earth: a sprawling campus divided into teaching areas, dormitories, laboratories, recreational zones, and so on.
The difference was that Earth’s university buildings were made of bricks and stone, while interstellar buildings were constructed with high-tech materials unique to the era.
The exteriors were sleek and futuristic, with peculiar shapes exuding an extraordinary aesthetic appeal.
Scattered around the campus were various intelligent machines that made interstellar life more convenient.
The hoverboard gradually slowed down and stopped in front of a cylindrical building.
After it came to a complete stop, Lin Huanyan stepped off. The board then floated away, heading to a parking station beside the building.
Lin Huanyan activated her AI assistant, ignoring the deduction notification that had just popped up, and opened the original owner’s notes.
She found Professor Liu’s office address: 507.
Since it was likely a break period, Lin Huanyan barely encountered anyone, making her way to Professor Liu’s office with ease.
“Knock, knock.” She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door.
“Come in,” a rather authoritative voice came from behind the door.
Lin Huanyan pushed the door open lightly and stepped in. Seated behind the desk was a young man wearing the latest interstellar research uniform.
He was handsome, with deep-set features and furrows on his forehead that suggested he frequently frowned.
“You’re here. I heard you applied to the Black Hole Research Unit at the Interstellar Space Station?” The man raised his head and spoke upon seeing Lin Huanyan. Although it was phrased as a question, it carried the tone of a statement.
“What are you planning? I don’t believe you’d give up on yourself over a minor setback.” His piercing gaze bore into Lin Huanyan, intense enough to make her heart skip a beat. This version of Professor Liu was different from what she recalled from the original owner’s memories.
Standing in front of the desk, Lin Huanyan kept a calm expression, but her mind was racing. How should she respond?
Should she admit she was just a slacker or that she wasn’t interested in those studies anymore?
She was certain that if she said any of that, this Professor Liu would immediately arrange for a check-up to see if her brain was malfunctioning.
But she couldn’t lie either—this Professor Liu was reputed to be an expert in mental research with extraordinarily strong mental powers. Lying in front of him would be as good as digging her own grave.
Ah, mental power! How could she have overlooked that just now?
Mimicking the original owner’s tone, Lin Huanyan maintained a composed demeanor and replied calmly:
“I’m not planning to give up. My doctor strongly advised me to take some time off to recuperate. But I didn’t want to do nothing at all, so I applied for a relatively less demanding position.”
“Doctor? Are you ill? What’s going on?” The man’s tone was filled with doubt, as if her answer had surprised him.
“I was born with a condition called mental power deficiency. It wasn’t severe until recently when I suddenly collapsed in my dormitory. Fortunately, I woke up later on my own. After undergoing a hospital check-up, the doctor informed me that my mental power deficiency had reached level three and that I needed immediate rest.”
“But I was reluctant to give up just like that—I’ve just been promoted to a B-level researcher. Then, I happened to see that the Black Hole Research Unit was hiring a chief researcher. I thought it’d be a good fit since their laboratory facilities are comprehensive, and there aren’t any pressing research tasks. It’s the perfect place for me to recuperate.”
As Lin Huanyan explained, she noticed that Professor Liu’s expression gradually softened.
“If you’re ill, don’t think about research for now. Focus on resting and recovering, then return to it when you’re better,” he said.
“I was concerned because of your research talent. I didn’t want to see someone with such great potential give up over a minor setback. Now that I know you’re not thinking that way, I’m relieved.”
“How did your mental power deficiency develop? If it was detected early on, it shouldn’t have worsened this quickly after treatment.”
“Professor, I grew up in an orphanage in a remote star system where there were no resources for treatment. It wasn’t until I arrived in the capital star that I began receiving treatment.”
For a moment, the man appeared awkward. A trace of discomfort crossed his handsome face as if he hadn’t expected the student he admired to have such a background.
“I know a professor at the Imperial Medical Academy who’s highly skilled in mental health. I’ll speak to him shortly. Before you leave for the space station, make sure to see him. And if you encounter any challenges while resting at the space station, you can come to me. I know quite a few people who can help.”
“Thank you, Professor. I really appreciate it.”
Discord
@dogfoodplease or @dogfoodplease#8837translation works:
ARTTEDSBGT (After Rebirth The True Eldest Daughter Starts Brewing Green Tea):
main story – completed translating
extras/side stories – i still dont have money and account to access this
ATISIUP:
ongoing
