Shen Yue went to the hospital and received her examination report.
It was leukemia.
The doctor said, "As long as you actively cooperate with the treatment, there is still a possibility of recovery."
Shen Yue stared at the words, lost and helpless.
When she walked out of the hospital, she threw the examination report into the trash can.
She walked aimlessly, her mind buzzing. Her pale face turned red from the biting wind.
Snow began to fall again. Step by step, she walked blankly down the long street, looking around, no longer knowing where she was.
She reached out her hand, and snowflakes landed on her palm, melting in no time, but the chill seeped into her bones.
The cold of the ice and snow engulfed her, making her back ache.
Perhaps it was fate, but she met Zhang Cong again.
The man was tall and panting. He had seen a familiar figure from afar, but it disappeared in an instant, so he searched frantically nearby and finally found her.
The soft light fell gently on her face. Her eyelashes fluttered slowly, and her lips curved as if in a smile, as clean as tender green leaves.
"Brother, take me home."
She had nowhere to go.
Zhang Cong's heart pounded a little faster, and he felt at a loss.
His Adam's apple bobbed nervously, his voice low and hoarse, "Okay."
—
Zhang Cong lived in a bachelor apartment. The decor was simple and clean, which was striking.
Shen Yue still had unmelted snow on her hair and clothes. Zhang Cong found a clean set of new clothes for her and asked her to take a bath first, while he went to the kitchen to cook.
By the time the meal was ready, Shen Yue had finished her bath.
She was wearing Zhang Cong's clothes. Both the pant legs and the sleeves were much longer, making her shoulders appear even thinner and more delicate. The black sweater made her exposed skin look pale and fragile. Perhaps because her skin was too thin, even the dark bluish veins were clearly visible.
Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, as beautiful as a thick patch of seaweed. Her neck was long and fair.
Zhang Cong watched, the tips of his ears quietly turning red.
The dishes on the table were abundant, emitting a rich aroma that whetted the appetite, easily stirring hunger. It was clear that he had put a lot of thought into it.
The man gestured for her to come and eat.
Shen Yue tasted it. It was delicious. She lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, "It's very good, Brother. Your cooking is truly excellent."
Zhang Cong couldn't help but tighten his grip on his chopsticks. His eyebrows and eyes were handsome, with a traditionally attractive face. His skin was a healthy wheat color. He looked tall and strong, even a little fierce, but with a gentle compliment from the woman, he didn't know how to place his hands and feet.
He could only awkwardly say, "If it's delicious, eat more."
Zhang Cong was a good cook, but Shen Yue lost her appetite after a few bites and even felt a little nauseous. She took a sip of soup to calm herself and put down her chopsticks.
She hadn't even finished half of the rice in her bowl. Zhang Cong thought it didn't suit Shen Yue's taste, but then Shen Yue said, "My appetite is quite small."
But her appetite was really too small.
Zhang Cong felt that Shen Yue ate so little, it was like feeding a cat, and she was too thin. But he also knew that these things couldn't be rushed, so he didn't say much more.
However, in the evening, Zhang Cong cut some fruit and brought it over. The door was unlocked, and he politely knocked twice. When there was no response, he pushed the door open.
The bathroom light was on, and the door was ajar. He walked in and heard sounds of vomiting from inside the bathroom.
He casually placed the fruit in his hands on the table and immediately rushed over. Shen Yue could no longer vomit. She hadn't eaten much, and in the end, she only vomited sour liquid.
Zhang Cong's face was full of panic. Hearing the sounds of vomiting, his heart clenched, and he slowly patted the woman's slender back, his fingers stiff.
From his angle, he could see her fair neck and beautiful jawline. The dark bluish veins on the side of her neck bulged. When she couldn't vomit anything else, she straightened up to rinse her mouth and wash her face at the nearby sink.
The man followed her eagerly, looking at her thin, pale cheeks, her reddened eyes, and her dark, moist eyes filled with mist, her thin eyelids slightly swollen. A vague, unsettling feeling arose in his heart.
"Yueyue, are you sick?"
A needle-like pain shot through her stomach. Cold sweat broke out on the woman's forehead. Her face was very pale, her eyelashes trembled, and her lips were a vibrant red. "It's nothing, I just ate something bad yesterday."
"Then let's go to the hospital." The man's voice was filled with undisguised worry.
Shen Yue shook her head and refused, "No need, it'll be fine in a little while."
Zhang Cong persuaded her for a while longer. Seeing that Shen Yue was really unwilling, he went to the living room to find some stomach medicine.
When Zhang Cong returned with the stomach medicine and warm water, Shen Yue had already fallen asleep on the bed.
She was curled up, an extremely restless sleeping posture, as if she needed this to feel safe. Half of the quilt had fallen to the floor.
Zhang Cong's footsteps were light. He walked closer, stood beside her, and softly coaxed Shen Yue to wake up and take the medicine.
Shen Yue was very sleepy. She didn't even open her eyes when she took the medicine, falling back asleep in a daze.
Her long, soft black hair was scattered on the pillow, fluffy and soft.
Zhang Cong rubbed his fingertips against his sides and lowered his eyes. He reached out and ruffled her hair.
It was very soft and pleasant to touch.
The man's eyebrows and eyes softened immensely.
For a moment, he was reluctant to leave, gazing almost greedily at the woman's sleeping face.
But soon, the woman seemed to have a nightmare. Her delicate brows furrowed, her breathing gradually quickened, and her lips moved slightly, with a soft sob.
Zhang Cong reached out to touch her face, and the woman instinctively nuzzled against his warm, rough palm.
She closed her eyes, and tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
Crystal tears fell one by one, landing on the pillow. Her eyelashes were stained, like butterflies caught in the rain.
Zhang Cong looked at his hand. His palm was wet with tears, and the air felt suffocatingly heavy.
He lowered his head and could vaguely hear the woman calling out someone's name.
He didn't know who Shen Yue was calling, but he still responded, "I'm here, don't be afraid."
Shen Yue kept her eyes closed, still trapped in her nightmare, unable to hear him.
But she could feel a faint gentleness, and her tears fell even more copiously. "Qi Rui..."
Zhang Cong heard her clearly. His back stiffened almost to the breaking point. A chill spread through his heart, and his fingers trembled slightly. He suppressed the ambiguous darkness in his eyes and reached out to cover Shen Yue's head, gently stroking it.
"Brother is here."
Shen Yue kept calling out a name all night, tossing and turning, repeating those two words.
Qi Rui.