A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 19: New Life
Chapter 19: New Life

At the hospital, Arix was waiting for Cassian to finish his IV drip and had just consulted with the doctor. When she found out Cassian could go home, she hailed a Lev and brought him back with her.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Thaddeus and Fleur sitting in her living room.

Arix paused, a bit hesitant, and asked, ”Mr. and Mrs. Kering, what brings you here?”

Arix thought to herself, maybe Thaddeus and Fleur came because she was living in the Kering family’s apartment. She and their daughter, Raya, were enemies now. Thinking this, she felt it wasn’t right to stay in their house, so Arix decided she would move out soon.

Cassian, although unsure of what was happening, sensed Arix’s cautious tone. He looked thoughtfully at Thaddeus and Fleur, and then, he tenderly licked Arix’s fingers that was holding him.

Arix felt the warmth on her fingers. She thought the little puppy was just being mischievous out of boredom. So, she gently stroked Cassian’s fluffy body to calm him down.

Since seeing Arix, Fleur had been overly emotional. She was so nervous that she seemed to have lost her ability to speak.

She had thought long about what to say to her daughter, but now that she was actually facing Arix, it felt as though her throat was blocked. She couldn’t express her years of longing.

Fleur was about to speak, her face full of guilt and nearly crying.

Arix, seeing this, thought she was embarrassed to ask her to leave.

They were Drexel’s parents, and Arix didn’t want to make it hard for them. So, she took it on herself and said, ”Is it because I’m staying here that I’m troubling you? I’ve already found a hotel and can move out soon, thank you for letting me stay.”

Hearing this, Fleur almost fainted in Thaddeus’s arms. She struggled to compose herself and then urgently said, ”You can’t leave! I mean, I didn’t come to kick you out. Please, feel free to stay here as long as you like, okay?”

”Honey, let me talk,” Thaddeus said, soothing his wife’s panic. After calming Fleur, he smiled at Arix and said, ”Kid, why don’t you sit down first?”

”Okay,” Arix replied, a bit confused, and sat on the sofa opposite Thaddeus and Fleur. She looked up to see Fleur’s teary face, even more puzzled about what was going on.

Cassian was just as baffled. He thought, ’Aren’t they supposed to be giving me a lecture? Why are they crying first?’

”Your name is Arix Thalis, right?” Thaddeus asked in a gentle tone.

”Just call me Arix,” she replied. Arix didn’t like Raya, but her resentment didn’t extend to Thaddeus, who had contributed a lot to the Alliance. Arix knew he was a man worthy of respect.

”Okay, Arix, I want to ask you something. Do you... remember your parents?” Thaddeus asked intently, his eyes betraying a hint of nervousness.

Arix certainly remembered her parents — but those were her parents from her past life. She knew Thaddeus wasn’t asking about her past life; he was likely asking about the biological parents of the Old Arix.

However, in the memories left to her by the Old Arix, there was no trace of her parents. The closest thing she had to family memories were those of the orphanage, mostly involving her friends and Sister Gwen.

With this in mind, Arix answered Thaddeus, ”I’m sorry, I don’t remember them.”

”Then... if they came looking for you, would you want to meet them?” Thaddeus asked cautiously.

Arix didn’t respond immediately, realizing what Thaddeus and Fleur were implying. She guessed that they might have found the biological parents of the Old Arix.

Arix hesitated, wondering if she should meet them. She thought about it from another perspective: ’If the Old Arix were in my body, would I want her to pretend to be me and stay with my parents?’

After a moment, Arix looked up at Thaddeus and Fleur and said, ”Even though they abandoned me on purpose, I’m still willing to meet them.”

Once she had said it, Arix stopped dwelling on it. She thought that if someone could replace her and be with her parents, she would be grateful to that person.

So, Arix was also willing to be that person.

Fleur could no longer hold back. She got up and hugged Arix tightly, crying, ”We didn’t abandon you on purpose. You were kidnapped ten years ago. We’ve been looking for you all these years.”

Arix was stunned. She stared at Fleur and said, ”You are my mother? But aren’t you Raya’s mother?”

Fleur, afraid of any misunderstanding, quickly explained, ”No, my daughter is you, and only you. Everything you saw yesterday was just a play to catch the person behind her.”

”What about her now?” Arix asked, a bit curious.

”She has been detained. Once the military finishes investigating who’s behind her, the worst she’ll face is exile to a prison planet for life,” Thaddeus said. Though his face remained calm, he had already determined a severe fate for the false Raya. He would not let anyone who dared to harm his daughter off easily.

Arix had not expected her revenge for the Old Arix to unfold in such a dramatic way. Everything felt surreal, yet she also felt sorry for the Old Arix.

If only the Old Arix had waited, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

When it was late at night, Arix reluctantly saw Thaddeus and Fleur out. After promising to move back into the Kering family home the next day, she finally sent off her emotionally overwhelmed parents.

The room fell silent again, but Arix’s face showed no signs of loneliness.

In her interactions with them, Arix gradually came to accept her newfound parents.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect for her was that Drexel had become her biological brother. She couldn’t help but look forward to seeing his face when he learned the truth.

Just the thought of it made Arix chuckle to herself. Then, holding Cassian, she contentedly lay down on her bed and quickly fell asleep.

That night, Arix dreamt for the first time in a long while.

The dream took her to a room from her past life. Realizing this, she excitedly opened the door, eager to see her parents again.

After some searching, she found them in the garden below the second-floor balcony. Just as she was about to greet them, another ”Arix” appeared in her view.

Arix froze for a moment, then quickly hid behind the curtains, quietly observing the scene below.

She didn’t know how long she stood there, reluctant to shift her gaze away from the family of three below. Deep down, she felt this might be her last chance to see her parents.

Probably, from now on, it would be the Old Arix who would stay by their side.

Yes, Arix had recognized the Old Arix by some minor habits. She was surprised but not saddened. After all, among all possible outcomes, this was perhaps the best.

With a sense of acceptance, Arix smiled briefly, then her figure slowly faded behind the curtains.

At the same time, the girl who had been chatting with Arix’s parents sensed something and looked up towards the second-floor window, but there was nothing unusual there anymore.