Genius Club

Chapter 327: The Last Lesson

This novel is translated and hosted only on BCaTranslation

Lin Xian stood on the cobblestone path, a mere ten meters from the iconic Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. For Yellow Finch, every step toward the melancholic statue seemed to stretch on forever, each one heavier than the last, as if she were walking through the fabric of time itself.

She paused under the dim glow of the street lamps, her gaze fixed on the bronze figure of the mermaid. After a moment of silent reflection, she turned, her eyes shimmering with an ethereal blue light as she called out to Lin Xian. He was busy fiddling with his phone, trying to capture the perfect shot from his position.

“Make sure to get a clear shot! A really clear one!” Yellow Finch’s voice was filled with a mix of excitement and urgency.

Lin Xian responded with a thumbs up, his focus divided between the artistic elements of the shot and the technical aspects of nighttime photography. Knowing the pitfalls of using a flash, he adjusted his phone settings to maximize the ambient light, aiming for a perfect balance that would illuminate Yellow Finch in her entirety without casting harsh shadows.

Click.

He captured an image, but it didn’t satisfy him. Adjusting the phone to a vertical position, he tweaked the angle slightly and tried again.

“Not bad,” he muttered under his breath, pleased with the improvements.

He called out to Yellow Finch, “Come back. I’ve got it!”

But Yellow Finch stayed put, her smile serene yet mysterious. “Take a few more. Just in case one isn’t clear enough.”

Lin Xian obliged, kneeling to take another photo from a low angle. This perspective would enhance Yellow Finch’s stature, elongating her legs and torso, though in his eyes, she was already perfection personified.

As he focused on capturing her empowered stance, a sudden movement caught his eye through the lens—a small, swift figure darted from behind the statue, charging directly at Yellow Finch.

“What the—?” Lin Xian gasped, lowering his phone in disbelief.

A child? No, it was a teenage girl, about a meter and a half tall, clad in a grey hoodie that obscured her face. But her eyes were unmistakable—intense, bright blue, glowing with an unnatural luminosity that rivaled even Yellow Finch’s vibrant gaze.

Before Lin Xian could process the situation, the girl lunged at Yellow Finch, her arm swinging a sharp knife that gleamed under the streetlights.

“Run!” Lin Xian’s warning sliced through the night, but it was too late.

The knife plunged deep into Yellow Finch’s back, emerging stained with blood on the other side—a brutal and efficient strike.

Against the pain, Yellow Finch remained stoic, barely flinching. “Quick… take the picture!”

Lin Xian, driven by a mix of fear and determination, snapped several more photos, capturing the fleeting image of the attacker. The girl withdrew her weapon and sprinted across the beach with supernatural speed, vanishing into the night.

Lin Xian was left in shock, his mind racing as he pocketed his phone and rushed to Yellow Finch’s side. She was already on the ground, blood pouring from the wound in a relentless stream.

“I need to call for help—” he began, fumbling for his phone again.

“No… listen to me…” Yellow Finch’s voice was weak but insistent. She grabbed his hand, her own stained with blood, and held it over her chest.

“This is… the last thing I can teach you… the last lesson…”

“Don’t talk! I’m calling for help! I won’t let you die!” Lin Xian’s voice cracked with emotion, but Yellow Finch gently shook her head.

“I did this on purpose… This was my reason for coming to Copenhagen. My time was already running out… I wouldn’t have lived past these two days…”

“Please… don’t interrupt me… remember what I say, remember it… clearly!” Her words were punctuated by a painful cough, blood speckling her lips.

“There are two things you need to consider… First, how did I know she would appear here, and how did she find me in Copenhagen? And second… why did she target me specifically, and not you?”

“This is crucial. It’s… the second law of time-space I wanted to teach you but couldn’t say… Have you thought of a name for it?”

“Compulsory Avoidance,” Lin Xian replied instantly, his voice steadying as he embraced the gravity of her final lesson.

“I call the phenomenon of being silenced, becoming transparent, unable to speak or move, compulsory avoidance!”

Yellow Finch, despite the severe loss of blood, still clung to clarity and determination. A faint smile graced her lips as she gave a weak nod.

“Good name…” she whispered, her voice barely audible against the crash of the waves.

“But this time-space law… without today’s events… you would never fully grasp it. This law… it’s your true power, your real means… You must… think it through… cough, cough…”

As her life force waned, Yellow Finch’s breaths became shallower, her body gradually losing its warmth.

“Yellow Finch…” Lin Xian’s voice broke with emotion as he held her closer, trying futilely to ward off the inevitable with his embrace.

“How can I save you?” he pleaded, his voice a mix of desperation and helplessness.

The woman in his arms mustered a weak smile, her voice a shadow of its usual strength. “You don’t… need to save me. This is… my mission… my task.”

“If you can… I just want… to ask one thing…” Her voice faded, her form becoming lighter, almost ethereal.

“Lin Xian… Xian…” she called out, her body now half-transparent, as light as a feather, a testament to her dwindling presence.

With trembling effort, she raised her left hand and gently caressed Lin Xian’s cheek, which was numb from the cold and shock.

“Promise me… this time…” Her lips moved, her breath a whisper, “Don’t… leave… Yu… Xi…”

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

Like fine sand slipping through fingers, Yellow Finch’s nearly transparent body disintegrated into countless tiny blue crystals. They scattered in the blink of an eye, carried away by the sea breeze, leaving no trace behind except the memory of her existence.

Lin Xian knelt on the beach, his breath heavy, his arms still outstretched as if holding onto the ghost of her presence. When he looked up at the statue of the Little Mermaid, it mirrored the sorrow he felt, its stone face wet from the sea spray, resembling tears.

The blue specks that had once been Yellow Finch had disappeared without a trace, along with the blood that had stained his clothes. Now, only the high heels at his feet and the photos on his phone remained as proof that Yellow Finch had once walked this earth, had once breathed, had once been to Copenhagen.

Taking deep breaths to steady himself, Lin Xian stood and faced the endless sea, the breeze, and the quiet beach under the bright moon.

“Yu Xi…” He murmured the name left by Yellow Finch, feeling more lost than ever.

“Who is… Yu Xi?”

Meanwhile, far away in Donghai, X Country, inside a high-end villa, a different scene unfolded. A fluffy Pomeranian, named VV, erupted into frantic barking, awakening from a disturbing dream.

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Zhao Ying Jun, startled from her sleep, flicked on the bedside lamp and looked down at VV who was crying uncontrollably on the floor.

This novel is translated and hosted only on BCaTranslation

“Did you have a nightmare, VV?” She tried to console the Pomeranian, stroking its fur and neck soothingly.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re awake now, it was just a dream…”

VV’s reactions were unusually intense tonight. In the eight years Zhao had been VV’s companion, she had never seen it cry so mournfully after a nightmare.

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”

No amount of comforting seemed to ease VV’s distress. Zhao Ying Jun, feeling helpless, reached for her phone and played a video she had recorded of Lin Xian’s first visit. Usually, the sight and sound of Lin Xian calmed VV instantly.

“Here, let’s watch this again.”

In the video, Lin Xian knelt and gently petted VV, his deep, soothing voice saying, “VV… be good.”

However, this time, the usual magic of the video failed. VV continued to wail, its cries piercing the quiet of the night, its body limp and tears streaming from its tightly shut eyes.

Zhao Ying Jun frowned deeply, concerned by this uncharacteristic reaction. She picked up VV, cradling the trembling dog in her arms, trying to offer comfort through her warmth and heartbeat.

“VV… what’s wrong…” Her voice was filled with worry as she held the distressed Pomeranian close, seeking to understand the cause of its profound sorrow.

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation