Chapter 448

Sienna and Kelvin moved along with the New Year parade crowd. Sienna couldn't help but keep running ahead - such events always excited her. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her palms felt warm. Kelvin watched her profile and felt like everything around them had gone quiet, with only Sienna in his eyes.

They followed the crowd for a long time, until most people had dispersed. Only then did Kelvin stop. He asked Sienna, "Ms. Taylor, are you happy?"

Sienna pressed the back of her hand against her face, her voice trembling with joy, "Of course I'm happy, Kelvin. Right now I'm the happiest person in the world."

"Do you have any wishes?" Kelvin asked her. "Don't say it out loud - I'll know just by you thinking it. I'll ask Buddha for you."

They were firm atheists, but Kelvin thought, if there really were gods in this world, then he would beg them to make his lover's wishes come true.

Sienna laughed at him and leaned in, lowering her voice, "Then I hope there will be fewer criminals in the world?"

Kelvin smiled, "Gods don't handle that stuff - that's our job."

Sienna pouted, "Then what do gods handle?"

Kelvin just smiled and wouldn't tell her.

He gazed at the departing New Year parade and the distant church spire, saying only in his heart, "God, if you truly exist in this world, I only ask that you protect the person before me, keep her safe every year, and joyful always."

Seeing him silent, Sienna huffed and followed his gaze toward the distant temple.

She thought to herself, 'Gods who exist in the universe, please protect my beloved beside me, let him live a clear and honest life, and die peacefully of old age.'

Soon it was the day of worship.

Chris came back early and, like Simon, changed into the robes sent by the church. Violette quietly followed behind Simon.

Simon didn't ask what specifically had happened, and Chris didn't tell Simon what he had seen - it was their long-standing understanding.

But he knew everything. Even without anyone telling him the truth, he knew it was Simon who did it.

He knew it was Simon, knew he must have found out about his biological parents' whereabouts long ago, and found the place where he was born.

He knew it was Simon, knew he had seen how his parents abandoned him, had normal children, yet still didn't live well.

He knew it was Simon, knew he understood that tiny bit of unspeakable kindness deep in his heart - giving them a decent life, giving him the confidence to hate two people, and giving him dignity.

Suddenly, he felt at peace.

What was the point of obsessing? He had actually already gotten his answer.

Chris watched them from afar, clearly realizing that he wasn't a burden, wasn't a disaster. He was no different from ordinary people - he was even better. He deserved better, which is why he met Simon, met Sienna, and met his friends.

He had suffered hardships, but from now on, it would be smooth sailing.

When the huge statue was carried out and displayed under the blazing sun, Simon and Chris stood at the front of the crowd, the prayer beads in Simon's hand slowly turning.

He looked devoutly into the eyes of the god in the sunlight, remembering many years ago when he had also secretly come here.

He had escaped the previous Q's surveillance to come here, willingly following the praying people, barefoot, stretching his arms straight and slowly raising them above his head with palms together, pausing at his head, his brow, his throat, and his heart, silently repeating his wishes over and over.

In his repeated pleas, he opened his hands forward with palms up, his body willingly kneeling and falling forward.

Then prostrating, rising, and prostrating again.

He moved forward toward the church in this cycle, yet still didn't dare imagine days like today.

As Simon smiled silently, an unfamiliar laugh sounded beside him.

He turned his head and saw Brad, also wearing robes.

Brad smiled, his tone somewhat teasing, "Mr. Taylor, no wonder I felt you looked familiar when I first met you. Turns out our connection was planted long ago."

Simon searched his memory and vaguely recalled someone who had made the pilgrimage with him years ago. They had walked in silence as strangers, tacitly moving forward together, toward the same god, walking the same path.

In his memory, he only remembered that the other person was handsome, with what should have been the straightest back, yet bending his spine before the god.

So it was him.

Simon smiled, "Brad, you should be a firm atheist. You shouldn't believe in this."

"I don't believe."

Brad's gaze was firm, yet he laughed self-mockingly, "But sometimes, people will change their faith for the hope in their hearts. If someone said it could fulfill my wish, I might even kneel before them."

Simon paused and asked him, "For whom?"

Brad's gaze softened, "My lover."

Simon didn't ask more.

After that day, Kelvin and Sienna were pulled back to Emerald City by a phone call.

The reason was that Finnian had died.

He died in the heavily guarded prison. Sienna, as the medical examiner, performed his autopsy.

This face that looked exactly like Kelvin's made her unable to look directly at first.

She stayed in the medical examiner's office for a day and night, seeing no one.

Early the next morning, as soon as Sienna opened the door, she saw Kelvin with red-rimmed eyes.

He was holding back his emotions, having been waiting outside the whole time.

He didn't ask, just kept staring at Sienna.

Sienna closed her eyes and gave him the medical examiner's report.

After reading it, Kelvin almost collapsed to the ground. Then Sloane took the report.

In an instant, tears streamed down her face.

"He had a very hard life. When the previous Q was alive, he was always forced to do things he didn't like. Later, for my sake, he was sent to the operating table, unable to control his own fate."

"I wronged him. I owe him for life."

Kelvin lowered his eyes, looking very dejected.

After Finnian left, Simon noticed Chris was getting lazier and lazier.

First, he came to Simon, saying he wanted to take a long vacation.

Simon was actually quite happy at first - Chris had been with him for so many years and had never made such a request.

Simon waved his hand generously and approved three months of vacation. He even specifically told Sienna, "He's a fool. He won't know how to enjoy life right away. Think of something and arrange it for him."

Sienna immediately asked Russell for help, commissioning his travel company to spend a week creating a luxury three-month tour package for Chris. He wouldn't have to pay a cent - he just needed to show up.

But when Sienna took this luxury travel package to Chris, he just glanced at it. After reading it, he said, "Thank you, really, thank you."