Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 79
“Who am I?”
The old man stared with wide eyes, seemingly bewildered, as if everything before him was as ephemeral as a dream. He scrutinized the young man before him meticulously, from head to toe, from each strand of hair to every fold in his clothing, almost wishing he could transform into an orbital scanner to analyze the young man inside and out.
It felt like centuries had passed before the old man hesitantly, unconfidently, voiced his conclusion. “You are… Joshua?”
Joshua nodded, a smile spreading across his face.
The old man was even more astonished. He trembled as he patted the top of Joshua’s head to ensure that he was indeed a real person and not a holographic illusion. “My God, my Lord, it really is you, child. It really is you…”
“Yes, it’s really me.”
“Child, you… you’ve grown up.” The old man lowered his head, wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeve. “I almost didn’t recognize you. You look so much like Kester now, exactly alike…” he said, emotionally embracing Joshua like a father reuniting with his long-lost son. “The last time I saw you, you were just a kid, and now you’ve… grown so much…” His shoulders shook as if he were sobbing. “It’s been too long… Far too long…”
“Yes. It really has been too long,” Joshua said softly. “But I’m here now, Teacher. If it weren’t for the ship from Neo Athens, I would have thought you were already…”
“I’ve always been waiting,” the old man replied. “I believed in Kester—believed that you would one day leave Earth and come to the colonies. I wasn’t ready to meet the Lord just yet,” he said with a mischievous laugh. “Is it just you? Didn’t Kester come?”
Joshua’s expression dimmed momentarily. “He didn’t come. He stayed on Earth.”
“Is that so…” The old man’s eyes fell. If Kester hadn’t come to the colonies and had stayed on the mother planet, then he likely had passed away long ago, his ashes scattered in the seas of Old Earth, mingling with the planet he loved, never to be separated again.
“And you, my child,” the old man continued. “When did you arrive at the colonies?”
“Some ten or so years ago. I can’t quite remember…” Joshua’s response was vague. “Because I was in cryosleep for so long, my memories are all jumbled.”
“Why didn’t you come to Neo Athens?”
“I was over two hundred years late,” Joshua explained. “I thought there would be no one I knew left in Neo Athens. Coming here seemed meaningless. It would just add to the sadness.”
The old man nodded understandingly. “I’ve spent most of these years in cryosleep myself, waking occasionally to hear reports from my secretary. It seems that much has changed outside without my knowing. Every time I wake, it feels like everything has changed.” He shook his head as if to dispel the melancholy air. “Let’s not dwell on that. Joshua, how have you been these years?”
“Pretty good, I guess.” Joshua blinked and then said somewhat shyly, “By the way, teacher, there’s someone I want to introduce to you…”
He stood up, gestured for Alois to come forward. Alois had been hiding behind a cluster of wisteria, peering suspiciously at the reunion of the old man and Joshua. From their conversation, he gathered that Joshua was of extraordinary origin, coming from the long-perished Old Earth, and was an old acquaintance of the former governor of Neo Athens, Giorgione, as well as that mysterious Kester. What was Kester’s relationship with Joshua? These questions hovered in his mind like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over Alois’s heart. He felt uncomfortable, as if an invisible wall was excluding him. Although he believed that lovers need not disclose everything, the sheer amount of things Joshua hid from him showed a lack of trust. This disappointed Alois.
Now he was being called over. Well, well, he was used to being at beck and call, to being ordered around. He managed a smile, attempting to show respect to the former leader of Neo Athens, and quickly walked to Joshua’s side.
“Alois, let me introduce you—this is—” Joshua took his hand, solemnly presenting him to the old man. “The first governor of Neo Athens, and my teacher, Giorgione.”
Alois bowed, feeling his smile stiffen.
“This is…” Joshua paused, turned his head to look at the ground, his voice dropping to a whisper. “His name is Alois Lagrange, he’s my… my…” The next words were so faint they were like the buzzing of a mosquito, inaudible to Alois and certainly to the elderly Giorgione.
Alois found it both frustrating and amusing. Why could Joshua assert “he is my family” in front of Joanna and Beatrice, but become so hesitant in front of Giorgione?
But some things in the world didn’t need words to be expressed. When Giorgione saw the tightly held hands and Joshua’s unusually hesitant behavior, the worldly-wise old man immediately understood everything. A myriad of emotions surged in his heart; his student had finally returned after many years, not only maturing from a raw youth into a handsome young man but also bringing a lover with him, which was both joyous and somewhat sad for the old man.
He waved his hand, signaling Joshua not to strain himself, that he understood everything. It’s good to be young, he thought. Young people had enough time to love, to chase dreams—nothing was unattainable, nothing was irreversible. Unlike him, who had missed too much and only learned to regret and lament in his later years.
“If you’ve found someone you love, cherish them,” he told Joshua. “Ah, should I perhaps give you a gift?”
“No need!” Joshua and Alois exclaimed together. The two exchanged glances, then both looked down, their cheeks flushing.
Giorgione smiled helplessly.
Joshua cleared his throat, letting go of Alois’s hand awkwardly. “Actually, Alois, I have some things I need to discuss with Teacher alone. Could you please…”
Alois rolled his eyes. Was there still something he shouldn’t know? Fine, he would leave. “I’ll go find Miss Lina.” Without another word, he turned and left, quickly disappearing among the flowers and trees.
“Is it really okay to send him away like that?” the perceptive former governor asked. “You’re keeping secrets from him, and he’s upset.”
“It’s something between us. I’ll handle it myself,” Joshua stubbornly replied. “Besides, what I need to discuss with you isn’t something he, Miss Lina, or anyone else should know.”
“What is it?” Giorgione became alert.
“About the Yasha.”
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