Upon hearing this, Zhang Chenyan's parents exchanged a smile without saying anything more. The three of them continued walking toward the bus stop, and as luck would have it, the number 35 bus was approaching. Zhang Chenyan was the first to board, followed by his father and Xie Han. After swiping the bus cards for all three of them, Xie Han led them to seats at the back.
The Aerospace Museum was still some distance away, and there weren't many passengers on the bus. Zhang Chenyan chose a window seat, leaning on his hand as he gazed out at the passing scenery. The trees lining the avenue slowly receded, and towering buildings came into view. Since the bus was traveling within the city, it moved slowly, occasionally stopping to let passengers on and off.
Zhang Chenyan seemed to have endless patience, almost entranced by the view outside. Everything appeared to be bathed in a gentle light, as if the sun had cast a warm glow over the world. Zhang Chenyan didn't understand why he was so captivated, but the reality was that he was, to the point of shedding tears without realizing it.
"What's wrong?" his father asked, placing a warm hand on his head. "Are you so excited about going to the Aerospace Museum? Did your mom neglect you while I was away?"
"Don't talk nonsense. He's always like this when you're home. He's even more restless when you're not," Xie Han remarked, though her tone showed concern. "Could it be some teenage issue? How could a simple bus ride bring you to tears?"
Zhang Chenyan had a reasonable suspicion that if he didn't explain himself soon, his parents might conclude he was crying out of excitement for the outing.
But the truth was, he didn't even know why he had started crying.
Faced with his parents' puzzled expressions, Zhang Chenyan eventually came up with an excuse: "Dad, you haven't been home in so long, and it's been ages since we've gone out together as a family."
Upon hearing this, Xie Han nudged her husband, "See? It's because of you."
"Alright, alright, it's my fault. I promise, I'll spend more time with you both from now on," his father replied gently.
For the rest of the ride, Zhang Chenyan remained silent. As the bus turned a corner, the sun shone on their side, making Xie Han uncomfortable. She suggested they move to another seat, given that the bus was relatively empty and there were no assigned seats.
His father moved over without complaint, but no matter how much they urged him, Zhang Chenyan refused to budge, stubbornly staying in the sunlight.
"What are you, a sunflower?" Xie Han joked. "Why are you following the sun? If you get sunburned and stop looking good, no one will care."
"My good looks are due to my features, not my skin tone," Zhang Chenyan shamelessly boasted. "Even if I get a tan, I'll still be a handsome guy."
Xie Han was at a loss for words but eventually let it go, repeatedly reminding herself that he was her son—her own flesh and blood.
When they arrived at the Aerospace Museum, his father went to buy tickets while Zhang Chenyan and Xie Han waited at the entrance. There were quite a few visitors, mostly parents with their children. To their mild embarrassment, they even encountered a school group on a field trip to the museum. The children were numerous, and their curiosity was boundless. Even before entering, Zhang Chenyan could hear their chatter.
"The teacher's going to buy tickets. Everyone stay here, and the class monitor will be in charge of keeping order," a female teacher called out loudly.
Though the children stood still, their mouths never stopped. One proudly boasted about having visited the Aerospace Museum before, immediately drawing a crowd of other kids who bombarded him with questions. He then launched into a long-winded explanation, clearly embellished, almost turning the museum into a display of the galaxy's five thousand years of history, with a bonus forecast for the next three thousand years.
"Was I this talkative when I was little?" Zhang Chenyan couldn't help but ask Xie Han.
Xie Han thought for a moment before replying, "When it was just the two of us, you weren't that talkative. But whenever your dad came home, you'd get all excited, talking nonstop about all sorts of nonsense."
Judging by Xie Han's tone, it was clear she had wanted to vent about this for a long time. Now that the opportunity had presented itself—handed to her by none other than Zhang Chenyan—she wasn't about to hold back.
After a while, his father returned with the tickets and handed two to Zhang Chenyan and Xie Han, whispering, "Let's hurry in and avoid the students, or you'll be stuck listening to their chatter the whole time."
"Kids will be kids; we've all been there," Xie Han sighed.
"If it were just the two of us, it wouldn't be a big deal. But we've got Chenyan with us, and I promised him a good time. I don't want him to have any regrets or a bad experience," his father explained with a smile.
Most parents in this world are like that. When it comes to themselves, they're fine with anything. But when it comes to their children, they want to give them the best.
Moved by his father's thoughtfulness, Zhang Chenyan quickly grabbed his parents and headed inside, saying, "I did my homework before coming. I've even planned out the route."
"It's the year 2250. With the arrival of the eighth industrial revolution and resources becoming increasingly scarce, we are now poised to reach for the stars and find a new home!"
As he listened to the tour guide's enthusiastic voice, Zhang Chenyan felt his spirits lift.
Humanity has always been driven to explore, to seek out new territories and new homes. Although the outcome is uncertain, humanity remains hopeful about the possibilities of the future.
The family followed the guide as she led them through the museum. She was thorough in her explanations, and her clear, pleasant voice always seemed to carry an undercurrent of hope and anticipation whenever she spoke of space exploration.
In truth, this was the hope of all humanity.
Zhang Chenyan listened intently, with Xie Han and his father always by his side.
However, just as they were about to enter the final exhibit, a commotion broke out in the museum.
A man started shouting frantically, "It's all fake! It's all fake!"
The man wasn't far from where Zhang Chenyan was standing, so he could clearly see the terror on his face.
Security guards quickly arrived and subdued the man, pinning him to the ground. But even then, the man continued to scream, waving his arms desperately: "Everything! Everything is fake! You, the people here, are all fake! Machines, this city, this world, it's all fake!"
Zhang Chenyan was deeply disturbed by the scene. There was something familiar about the man, as if they had crossed paths before, but he couldn't quite place where or when.
His father moved to shield him, worried that the man might scare him or break free and harm him.
But his father's concern proved unnecessary. The guards soon hauled the man away. Even as he was being dragged out, the man kept shouting, "There's no way out! Humanity has no way out! The stars, the universe—there is no second Earth!"
"What a lunatic, talking nonsense at a time like this!"
"Yeah, didn't the news already report that they found a planet similar to Earth?"
"Don't even start. As soon as there was a hint of it, people began selling spots for emigration."
"If that planet is more habitable, why not live there? It's better than fighting for resources here."
"You've got it wrong. Even if interstellar emigration is possible, it's the so-called elites who will go first. Do you think people like us will have a chance?"
"Let them go. If they leave, Earth will be less crowded, and our lives will be better."
"There's that… Well, let's see what happens. They say there's new progress."
...
Listening to the conversation around him, Zhang Chenyan turned to his parents and asked, "If interstellar emigration becomes a reality, could we go?"
Xie Han leaned in and whispered, "We probably could. Your dad's an engineer, so he might get a spot."
Zhang Chenyan's eyes lit up, and he smiled brightly, "I knew it—Dad is amazing!"
His father put a finger to his lips and made a shushing gesture, "Keep it down. It's still far from certain. If interstellar emigration happens, it might take years."
To Zhang Chenyan, a few years didn't seem long. Even for his parents, it wasn't a long time—they were still young and could wait.
"There was a little interruption just now, but let's continue," the guide said at an opportune moment.
Zhang Chenyan resumed following the guide, but for some reason, what had once been the highlight of his day now felt somewhat lackluster. The guide continued her duties, but Zhang Chenyan's mind kept replaying the words of that man.
"It's all fake! It's all fake!"
"Everything! Everything is fake! You, the people here, are all fake! Machines, this city, this world, it's all fake!"
"There's no way out! Humanity has no way out! The stars, the universe—there is no second Earth!"
...
"Are we fake? Is there a second Earth?" Zhang Chenyan didn't know why he asked such questions. But the truth was, by the time he realized it, the words had already left his mouth.
This feeling of his mouth moving faster than his brain was deeply unsettling—like now, he had to explain himself to Xie Han and his father: "I didn't mean to ask that. Of course, I know we're real, and there will be a second Earth. Didn't those ladies just say the news confirmed it? We just have to wait for the emigration."
As he listened to his own voice, Zhang Chenyan suddenly felt it was hollow.
It was as if the words weren't really coming from him, as if they were dry and forced.
It seemed he wasn't so much explaining to his parents as he was trying to convince himself.
His father looked at him, his tone serious and sincere: "Of course, we're real. I'm real, your mother is real, and you're real. The food we ate today, the museum trip, the sights we've seen together—everything is real. As for a second Earth, I can't guarantee it will happen, but you must believe in the advancement of human technology and have hope for the future. Only then can you keep moving forward and create greater value."
Xie Han gave him a light slap, "Don't let a madman influence you. You're making me question your intelligence. I carried you for ten months—how could you be fake? Does that mean all the pain I went through was for nothing?"
Feeling embarrassed, Zhang Chenyan scratched his head, not knowing what to say. In the end, he opted for a convenient escape.
Indeed, using the bathroom is the solution to all problems.
Take a trip to the restroom, collect your thoughts, and by the time you return, everything will have blown over—at least that's what Zhang Chenyan thought.
But what he didn't expect was that as soon as he entered the restroom, he would hear crying from one of the stalls.
"Help me, get me out of this hellhole!"
"Damn it! Why is this place so terrifying?"
"No one believes me! But then, they're not even people, so why would they?"
"I'm stuck here with a bunch of monsters! Everything here is a monster!"
...
Zhang Chenyan recognized that voice. He knew it was the madman from earlier.
He wanted to turn and leave, but his body wouldn't obey him. It was as if the madman had a magnetic pull, drawing him closer to the stall.
"Do you... need help?" Zhang Chenyan thought it was the dumbest question he had ever asked. Not only should he not have asked it, he shouldn't even be here.
But his hand moved involuntarily to knock on the door.
The sensation was awful, like someone else was controlling his body, making him act against his own will.
It was only now that Zhang Chenyan realized his body had been hijacked by something else. His mind was still racing, but his thoughts were useless—his body wouldn't carry them out.
He desperately wanted to ask what this thing was, to demand it leave his body immediately. But he couldn't. Every word that came out of his mouth wasn't really his own.
Zhang Chenyan: "Who are you? Do you need help?"
The voice inside the stall suddenly stopped, as if the person was pondering something.
Zhang Chenyan: "What's your name? I mean your real name."
Zhang Chenyan: "What did people in your original world call you, not here?"
Zhang Chenyan: "How did you see through it? Is there a way out?"