My carefree life in space

Chapter 188 Finding Lin Song

"Why are you looking at me? Weren't you all eager to find the ruins? Now that you've found them, let's go in!"

Seeing everyone looking at her like she was a rare animal, Lin Shushu couldn't help but remind them.

"Shushu, how do you recognize those runes?" Lisa asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"This isn't the time to talk about that. Aren't you curious about what might be inside?" Lin Shushu asked instead of answering.

Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Kyle quickly pulled his sister aside and called to the others, "Don't stand here, let's go inside quickly."

When they caught up with the people in front of them, they found that everyone looked dejected.

Lin Shushu looked around and immediately understood why these people were so disappointed. Imagine, when you finally find your dream place after going through countless hardships and high hopes, only to discover that it's completely different from what you imagined, your expectations shatter instantly. Who would be in a good mood then?

This is the situation everyone is facing right now.

Everywhere you looked was desolation; the gray sky was covered with thick, dark clouds, exuding an oppressive atmosphere. A howling wind swept through, carrying up clouds of yellow sand. A few withered, twisted plants trembled in the wind, seemingly silently telling a story of despair.

The distant mountains were a deathly bluish-black, devoid of any life. The surroundings were eerily silent, save for the howling wind; there was none of the fantastical beauty one might have imagined.

"This... how is this possible? Why is it completely different from what is recorded in ancient books? Have we come to the wrong place?" someone murmured.

The others were also filled with shock and confusion. The wonderful world they had always believed in seemed to be a huge lie, and their generations of pursuit now seemed to have become a joke.

Unlike these people who experienced a sense of disappointment, Lin Shushu had not harbored any romanticized notions about this place, so she was not particularly disappointed by what she saw.

Moreover, this is a place of exile. If it were so easy to find the way back, then this place of exile would be meaningless. The reason why the ancestors of the Olay Empire couldn't let go was simply because they were unwilling to accept falling from heaven to hell.

"No, our ancestors wouldn't lie to us. You all go and search everywhere; you're sure to find clues," Ye Hongxuan instructed the people around him, and he himself began searching.

No matter how composed he usually was, Ye Hongxuan's composure crumbled at this moment as his faith was about to collapse.

Suddenly, he spotted Lin Shushu and the others on the outskirts of the crowd. His eyes lit up instantly, and he pushed through the crowd to stand in front of them.

“Miss, since you were able to unlock the secret of the stone gate, you must be quite familiar with this place. Could you tell me where the passage to another world is?” Ye Hongxuan’s eyes gleamed with hope.

Lin Shushu hadn't expected him to ask that. Was he so sure she knew the secret of this place just because she opened the stone door? She doubted he would believe her even if she said she didn't know!

"Your Highness, I think you overestimate me. This is my first time here, how could I be familiar with the situation? As for the stone gate, I just found the runes interesting and tried to recombine them according to certain rules. I have no idea what the deeper meaning is."

Ye Hongxuan didn't believe her. "Miss, don't worry. We won't ask for anything you get from here. As long as you help us find the passage, you will become an honored guest of our Olay Empire."

"Your Highness, whether you believe it or not, I truly know nothing about any passage. I only heard about this ruin after arriving here."

Ignoring his increasingly dark expression, Lin Shushu continued, "However, I can promise you that if you find anything suspicious, I can help you take a look."

Hearing the rest of the conversation, Ye Hongxuan's expression improved. Without saying another word, he walked away and went to arrange for people to search the area.

"Why is Shushu being so polite to him? We don't need to ask him for anything." Mo Ze was somewhat dissatisfied with Ye Hongxuan's words, but he would not question Lin Shushu's decision, much less interrupt her when she was speaking.

Kyle and the others looked somewhat embarrassed upon hearing his words. They wisely walked away and joined the main group of explorers.

Once no one was around, Lin Shushu took Mo Ze's hand to comfort him, "It's hard to say whether there's a passage. Even if there is, they won't let anyone open it easily. I was just saying it offhand."

Moreover, even if I were to lend a hand, it wouldn't conflict with the purpose of my trip.

Mo Ze understood all of this, but he just couldn't stand the way others treated Shu Shu with such a commanding and condescending tone.

"Alright, let's not rush these things. Let's go see Lin Song first."

The fact that Lin Song is here suggests that his parents have likely been here as well. If they have any questions, they can just ask him.

The two quickly spotted Lin Song in the scattered crowd. He was at the foot of a mountain, looking for something.

The sudden appearance of the two men startled Lin Song, who was surveying the terrain. He looked at the two young men in front of him with a puzzled expression, wondering if they had come specifically to find him.

After setting up a smokescreen around the area to ensure no one would suddenly barge in, Lin Shushu looked at Lin Song, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Is there something you need?" The question was asked in the language of the Jin Yuan Empire. In the interstellar era, language communication was no longer a barrier. Even if people didn't speak the same language, there were specialized conversion devices that ensured communication was not affected in the slightest.

Lin Song could tell that the two people meant him no harm, which is why he subconsciously used the language of the Jin Yuan Empire.

“Perhaps I should call you ‘Uncle Lin Song’.” As soon as Lin Shushu spoke, Lin Song froze on the spot.

Knowing her name, her early twenties, a girl from the Jin Yuan Empire… Lin Song had a guess in his mind. He tried to calm his excitement, but he couldn't control the trembling in his voice, "You…you are…a member of the Lin family? Your father is…Lin Cheng'an?"

Although it was a question, the moisture in Lin Song's eyes indicated that he had actually confirmed his guess.

Lin Shushu did not disappoint him, nodding gently, "My name is Lin Shushu." This name was given by Lin Cheng'an, so Lin Song naturally knew it.

He stared at the girl in disbelief. That little baby had grown so much! How had she been all these years? How did she end up in the Olay Empire? Had she found out something?

With so many questions in his mind, he didn't know what to ask first.

"Uncle Lin, do you want to ask why I came here?" Lin Shushu saw Lin Song's confusion and asked the question on his behalf.

Lin Song nodded, staring intently at Lin Shushu's eyes and brows, as if trying to see through her the person who had been missing for decades.

Next, Lin Shushu recounted how she suspected Lin Cheng'an was not dead and how she followed the clues to the Aolai Empire. She only briefly mentioned her own upbringing and barely touched upon the Lin family's affairs.

Lin Song couldn't help but feel admiration upon hearing this. But when he thought of Lin Cheng'an, his mood became heavy. He worried that Lin Shushu would come full of hope, only to leave disappointed.