Across Time And Space

Soon, General Lin"s voice could be heard from the inside, "Come in."

Jiang Mingyue took a deep breath before she turned the k.n.o.b and walked in into the room.

When General Lin saw that it was his daughter, the frown on his brow disappeared, and his lips turned into a smile. "Mingyue. It"s you."

"I brought you some refreshments," Mingyue said as she lifted the tray. She glanced at the messy table and saw that her father was dealing with a few doc.u.ments.

A wave of disappointment hit her. She will have to come again another time to talk to her father. These days, General Lin was busy with her sister"s marriage, that it was hard for her to find time to test her father about his beliefs. As Mingyue had to work most of the day, the time she could come back to the Lin"s residence was limited. In the end, it was hard for her to talk to her father.

Mingyue forced a smile and headed to the coffee table. "Then, I"ll put the tea and cakes here," she said before she turned to head to the door.

"Mingyue, wait," General Lin spoke up. "I"m almost finished with my work here."

When Mingyue turned around, she watched her father tidied up his desk before he walked over the sofa.

"Come over and sit," General Lin gestured to the sofa. He poured some tea into the cup and took a seat. Suddenly, General Lin stood up and walked to a corner. He lifted up something and went back to the table.

Mingyue frowned as she watched her father carrying a board of chess in his hand. Intuitively, Mingyue pushed aside the tray of refreshments to the right, to make s.p.a.ce for the board.

"It has been a while since we played," General Lin said. "Since you"re here, why don"t you accompany me for a round or two?"

"Yes," Mingyue said. At this time, she did not know whether she wanted to laugh or cry. She had come to talk to her father. But now, her father had asked her to stay and play a round of a game of chess. Mingyue thought that she might not have the chance to bring up the issue about the matters that have been occupying her mind for days.

Unless if she brought up the matters during the game. But knowing her father, MIngyue knew that General Lin would prefer silence during the game. Hence, Mingyue had no choice but to give up on her idea. Perhaps she could try to talk to him again after dinner.

The two began to arrange the table, and soon, Mingyue picked up the stone and made her first move.

An hour later, the board was almost full of black and white stones. As they went further, Mingyue"s movement gradually turned slow as she had to consider her move.

General Lin lifted his head to look at his daughter. He could see that Mingyue was hesitating in making her move. Although Mingyue was his adopted daughter, they had spent a few years together. How can he not know that something was bothering his daughter"s mind?

As Mingyue finally put the stone on the board, General Lin glanced at the board and smiled. It was his turn. It didn"t take him a long time to make his move.

"What"s bothering you?"

"Huh?" Mingyue looked up at her father with a dazed expression.

General Lin heaved a sigh. "Between your sister and you, you were the one who was good with chess. I remember back then when I first taught you to play, and it didn"t take you too long to understand the rules. After three rounds, you began to pick up the game, and we played for hours before your mother asked us to stop."

Mingyue smiled at the memories.

Actually, she had learned to play chess from his father, Jiang Huan. Occasionally, she would accompany the Crown Princess to play a round of two as well. It was just that, when she came to this world, she had forgotten everything. When General Lin had taught her to play the game, it didn"t take her too long to remember.

"Should we stop now?" General Lin suggested. "It doesn"t seem like your mind is here at the moment."

Mingyue shifted her glance between her father and the board. But General Lin had moved to pick up a cup of tea and slowly enjoyed drinking them. Mingyue knew that her father had decided to stop.

"Do you have something to talk to me?" his lips curved into a smile as he watched Mingyue continue to be in a daze. "Mingyue, you are my daughter. How can I not know that there was something you"d like to say. Today was not the first time you came in with a tray of refreshment for me. Speak. What is it?"

"Well," Mingyue hesitated. Her father had caught her off her guard. Although she had come to talk to her father, Mingyue had long ignored that intention when her father asked to play a game of chess.

General Lin continued to drink his tea leisurely as he waited for Mingyue to speak.

Mingyue pulled at her fingers and took a deep breath as she made up her mind. This time, Mingyue decided not to beat around the bush. Instead of testing her father, Mingyue chose to be straightforward. "Dad, do you believe in the existence of another time and s.p.a.ce?"

General Lin"s paused in his movement, but he immediately recovered before his daughter could notice anything. He stared at his daughter for a few seconds longer as he tried to decipher what was on Mingyue"s mind.

Noticing that there was something strange in her father"s gaze, Mingyue forced a smile. "I was casually asking."

General Lin took another mouthful of tea before he heaved a long sigh. He noticed that this was not the first time that Mingyue had brought up the topic that led to the existence of another dimension.

"It"s not that I did not believe in such thing," General Lin said. He put the cup on the tray and cast his gaze down as he thought of something.

When he looked up again, Mingyue could see his probing gaze.

"Mingyue, you," he paused. "Have you remember anything?"