Genius Playground

’A miracle...’

The word, mentioned in the Bible, refers to a wonder or an inexplicable phenomenon performed by the almighty God.

Jiang Ran had seen it in Old Tian’s diary and had also heard it from the Assassin from 2045.

But hearing this word today from Tian Xiaoli’s attending physician... it felt somewhat comical.

After all, this was a doctor who, day in and day out, advised patients’ families not to be superstitious. For him to be forced to utter such a word, it was clear his entire worldview had been shaken.

”So, Doctor, how is Tian Xiaoli’s condition now? Can she receive visitors?” Jiang Ran asked.

The attending physician nodded.

”Tian Xiaoli’s condition right now is, of course, incredibly good... If you want to see her, just go on ahead. She’s in her room.”

”I’m sure you’ll be just as surprised as I was. It’s truly hard to believe that a young woman who was in a vegetative state just a few days ago now has a clear mind, speaks articulately, and has absolutely no problem holding a normal conversation.”

Jiang Ran pursed his lips.

The thought of meeting such an ”unfamiliar” Tian Xiaoli in a moment made him slightly nervous.

It didn’t feel real. It was hard to believe this reborn Tian Xiaoli was the same pitiful young girl who had previously brought Old Tian to tears.

”Oh, right. You should still be careful about what you say.”

The attending physician added a special reminder.

”Although Xiaoli has already pieced together something about her father from snippets of conversation, we’re still trying to keep the full truth from her.”

”It was our oversight, I have to say. No one expected her hearing and cognitive abilities to recover so quickly. She heard everything we were discussing in the hallway crystal clear.”

Huh?

This caught Jiang Ran by surprise.

”Tian Xiaoli... she knows that Old Tian killed someone?”

”Mhm.”

The attending physician shrugged helplessly.

”There’s nothing to be done. She really does know, which is why I’m telling you to be careful what you say.”

”Although she’s technically older than you—twenty-five—her mental age and memories are still stuck ten years in the past, back when she was fourteen or fifteen.”

Jiang Ran nodded.

”Okay, I understand.”

With that, he left the attending physician’s office and walked toward the rehabilitation ward.

The nameplate on the hospital room door still read Room 42: Tian Xiaoli.

42.

Jiang Ran glanced at the number one more time before pushing the door open and walking in—

Sunlight streamed in, making the curtains dance.

On the bed by the window, a slender but radiant young woman was sitting up, propped against the headboard, looking his way.

She tilted her head, looking at Jiang Ran with curiosity.

”Big brother, you are...?”

It seemed the doctor was right. Tian Xiaoli still saw herself as a fourteen or fifteen-year-old, which explained why she called Jiang Ran ”big brother.”

Her fluent, clear words truly shocked Jiang Ran. Who could have imagined she was in a vegetative state just a few days ago?

”I, uh... I’m a friend of your father’s.”

He introduced himself.

”I’m a student at East Sea University. I knew your father, and I’ve come to visit you in the hospital before.”

”East Sea University!”

Hearing those three words, Tian Xiaoli perked up.

”Then you must be a great student! My dream is to go to East Sea University, too!”

Jiang Ran didn’t respond, his heart a turmoil of mixed emotions.

Old Tian had told him this before. But at that moment, Tian Xiaoli had no idea what a mess her father had left behind for her.

And without a doubt, this mess... would affect Tian Xiaoli for the rest of her life.

”Speaking of which...”

Tian Xiaoli’s mood suddenly plummeted, and she lowered her head.

”They all say my father is a murderer, that he killed a professor from East Sea University...”

”Is... is that true? I know I heard them discussing it outside, but when I asked them about it, they wouldn’t tell me.”

Jiang Ran said nothing.

He didn’t know if he should be the one to tell Tian Xiaoli the truth.

Old Tian was a murderer. That was a fact.

Even though he did it for Tian Xiaoli, to save his daughter from her vegetative state, a fact was a fact. He was, indisputably, a murderer.

”In your memory, what kind of person was your father?”

Jiang Ran changed the subject.

”What was your impression of him?”

Tian Xiaoli tapped her chin with her index finger and gazed at the ceiling, thinking.

”My dad... he was a very strong person.”

”I remember we were very poor when I was little, and my grandparents passed away early. Dad was the pillar of our family; he supported us all by himself.”

”He was always smiling, always saying he could handle anything... But I knew the truth. He was under a lot of pressure and in a lot of pain.”

”One time, I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and saw Dad sitting in the courtyard, crying. I didn’t know why, but I’d never seen him cry so sorrowfully before. I went over and called out to him.”

”The moment Dad saw me, he immediately wiped away his tears and smiled again. He said he’d been scared by a nightmare. I teased him for being a coward, and he just laughed along with me.”

”For a long time after that, I never knew why he was crying. All I knew was that we were very short on money back then. Dad tried to borrow money everywhere but couldn’t, and he would always be in the kitchen, sighing in secret.”

”And then... I remember falling off the roof. When I opened my eyes again, I was here. And my dad... he was gone.”

She looked up.

Her clear, innocent eyes met Jiang Ran’s.

”Big brother, if Dad killed someone... he’ll have to go to jail, right?”

”Yeah.”

Jiang Ran murmured his agreement.

Apparently, Tian Xiaoli only knew that Old Tian had committed a crime, not the fact that he had already taken his own life.