Shen Yue went to the hospital and obtained her examination report.
It was leukemia.
The doctor said, "As long as you cooperate actively 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 head buzzing, the pale, cold wind reddening her face.
Snow began to fall again. Step by step, she walked blankly down the long street, looking around, no longer knowing where she was.
She held out her hand, and the snowflakes landed in her palm, melting after a moment, but the cold seeped into her bones.
The icy cold of the snow-covered land engulfed her, making her spine ache.
Perhaps it was fate, but she met Zhang Cong again.
The man was tall, panting. He had seen a familiar figure from afar, but it disappeared in a blink of an eye. So he searched frantically in the vicinity and finally found her.
The soft light fell gently on her face. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips curved as if smiling, as pure as tender green leaves.
"Brother, take me home."
She had nowhere else to go.
Zhang Cong's heart beat a little faster, his hands fumbling.
His Adam's apple bobbed nervously, his voice deep and hoarse, "Okay."
---
Zhang Cong lived in a bachelor apartment, simply and cleanly decorated, which was a pleasant sight.
Shen Yue still had unmelted snow on her hair and clothes. Zhang Cong found a clean set of new clothes and handed them to her, telling 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. The pant legs and sleeves were both much too long, making her shoulders appear even more slender and delicate. The black sweater highlighted her pale, fragile skin; perhaps because her skin was too thin, even the bluish-green veins were clearly visible.
Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, as beautiful as a thick patch of seaweed, her neck long and fair.
Zhang Cong watched, the tips of his ears subtly blushing.
The dishes on the table were abundant, exuding a rich aroma that whetted the appetite and easily stimulated one's desire to eat. It was evident that he had put a lot of thought into it.
The man gestured for her to come and eat.
Shen Yue tasted a bite. It was delicious. She lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, "This is fun, Brother, your cooking is really good."
Zhang Cong couldn't help but clench his chopsticks. His features were handsome, in a traditional sort of way. His skin was a healthy wheat color. He looked tall and burly, even a bit intimidating, but with her gentle praise, he didn't know where to put his hands.
He said clumsily, "If it tastes good, eat more."
Zhang Cong's cooking was excellent, but Shen Yue lost her appetite after a few bites. She even felt a bit nauseous. She took a sip of soup to soothe 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, and then he heard Shen Yue say, "My appetite is quite small."
But her appetite was indeed 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 such things couldn't be rushed, so he didn't say anything more.
However, that evening, Zhang Cong cut some fruit and took it to her. The door was unlocked, but he still politely knocked twice. When he received 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 placed the fruit in his hand casually on the table and immediately rushed over. Shen Yue could no longer vomit. She hadn't eaten much to begin with, and what she vomited out later was entirely sour fluid.
Zhang Cong's face was filled with panic. Hearing the sounds of vomiting, his heart clenched with each one. He slowly patted her thin back, his fingers stiff.
From his angle, he could see her snow-white neck and elegant jawline. The bluish-green veins on the side of her neck bulged. When she finally couldn't vomit anything else, she straightened up to rinse her mouth and wash her face at the nearby sink.
The man followed her attentively, looking at her thin, pale cheeks, her reddened eyes, her dark, wet eyes filled with mist, and her slightly swollen eyelids. A vague sense of unease arose in his heart.
"Yueyue, are you sick?"
Her stomach felt like it was being pricked by needles. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her face was very pale, her eyelashes trembled, and her lips were bright red. "It's nothing, I just ate something bad yesterday."
"Then let's go to the hospital," the man said, his voice filled with undisguised concern.
Shen Yue shook her head and refused, "No need, it will be fine in a while."
Zhang Cong persuaded her for a while longer, and seeing that Shen Yue was truly 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.
Her body was curled up, a posture of extreme unease, as if seeking some sense of security. Half of the blanket had fallen to the floor.
Zhang Cong's footsteps were light. He approached and stood beside her, gently coaxing 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, and drifted back to sleep in a daze.
Her long, soft black hair was spread out on the pillow, fluffy and smooth.
Zhang Cong rubbed his fingertips, which were hanging by his side, and lowered his eyes, reaching out to stroke her hair.
It was very soft and pleasant to touch.
His expression softened immensely in that moment.
For a moment, he was reluctant to leave, gazing almost greedily at her sleeping face.
But soon, she seemed to have a nightmare. Her delicate brows furrowed, her breathing gradually quickened, and her lips parted slightly, with a soft whimper.
Zhang Cong reached out to touch her face, and she instinctively nuzzled his warm, rough palm.
Her eyes were closed, and tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
Glistening teardrops, one by one, landed on the pillow. Her eyelashes were stained with moisture, like butterflies drenched in rain.
Zhang Cong looked at his hand; it was wet with tear tracks. The air was filled with a suffocating heaviness.
Lowering his head, he could faintly hear her calling 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, with her eyes closed, remained lost in her nightmare and couldn't hear him.
However, she could feel a faint, gentle presence, and her tears flowed even more freely, "Qi Rui..."
Zhang Cong heard it clearly. His spine stiffened as if it would snap. A chill spread through his heart, and his fingers trembled slightly. He suppressed the obscure darkness in his eyes and reached out to cup Shen Yue's head, stroking it gently.
"Brother is here."
Shen Yue called out a name all night, tossing and turning, repeating the same two words.
Qi Rui.
It was as if the name was etched into her very bones. Even in her dreams, crying herself to exhaustion, she called out that person's name.
Shen Yue stayed with Zhang Cong for two days, and he learned about her situation, knowing that Shen Yue was staying with the Qi family. He asked Shen Yue to come and live with him. Knowing Shen Yue's shy nature and her unwillingness to be indebted to others, he proposed that she pay some rent, and only then did Shen Yue agree.
On a sunny day, Shen Yue took the opportunity to go to the Qi family to collect her luggage.