The Diagnosis and the Unexpected Visitors

Chu Ci dazed for a split second.

Then, the world before him blurred as a faint, familiar ache blossomed in his chest—it felt as though a secret buried deep in his soul had been unearthed and laid bare under his own eyes.

He should have realized sooner.

In a drawer back at the original Chu Ci’s home, there was an old medical file belonging to his mother. If he had bothered to flip it open, he would have seen “Cause of Death: Congenital Heart Disease” written clearly in the first column.

A shaky breath escaped his parted lips. With a soft patter, a single tear fell onto the thin paper, blurring the black ink.

Chu Ci sniffed. He didn’t want to cry, but he couldn’t control it.

It was the original host’s body crying.

Why? Was it because the original host never knew he had this condition? Or was it…

In the next second, the report was abruptly pulled from his hands. Chu Ci’s gaze followed it instinctively. Then, Ji Yanli, who had been standing in silence, suddenly reached out and pulled Chu Ci’s head toward him. With a firm yet gentle pressure on the back of his head, he guided Chu Ci’s forehead to rest against his abdomen.

The muscles beneath the fabric rose and fell slowly with each breath. The scent clinging to Ji Yanli drifted into Chu Ci’s nose. He lowered his lashes and reflexively nuzzled closer, inhaling the scent that made him feel safe.

Since they lived together, they spent most of their time in each other’s company, using the same body wash and shampoo. Unknowingly, Chu Ci had become scented with the same fragrance.

The aroma flooded his senses, wrapping around him until the very air seemed to bear Ji Yanli’s name.

Ji Yanli looked down at Chu Ci, who was acting like a puppy nuzzling for comfort. His heart softened instantly, and he began to stroke the ends of Chu Ci’s hair with gentle, rhythmic motions.

“Don’t be sad,” he whispered, the vibrations of his voice humming through his abdomen. “I’ll be with you.”

Ji Yanli’s voice acted like a soothing spell. Chu Ci bit his lower lip, saying nothing as tears continued to soak into the fabric of Ji Yanli’s shirt, creating the illusion that he was somehow “staining” him.

The original Chu Ci’s ending was an accidental death; the author hadn’t specified if it was a car crash or a heart attack triggered by one. But now, Chu Ci felt a massive sense of crisis. If he failed the mission and couldn’t return to reality, he now had a second “dead end” waiting for him.

‘So, no matter what, I’m destined to die…’

‘What kind of high-risk occupation is this? Doesn’t the System buy life insurance when they pull people into these worlds?!’

‘Dammit, I’m a Mob A so I have to die, while the protagonists get to live and fall in love??! Why!!’

‘I’m officially a hater now. I hope everyone who lives longer than me has a terrible time.’

Ji Yanli, who was watching Chu Ci cry while listening to his vicious curses: “?”

The more Chu Ci thought, the angrier and more indignant he became. Unable to help himself, he reached out and gave the firm muscles of Ji Yanli’s stomach a sharp, unexpected pinch.

“Hiss—”

Ji Yanli was caught completely off guard, sucking in a cold breath as his abdominal muscles twitched from the sting. By the time he recovered and looked down, the culprit had already hidden his “weapon” and resumed his pitiful, teary-eyed act.

“Ji Yanli, am I going to die soon?” Chu Ci sobbed quietly, his voice muffled. His reddened eyes looked truly heartbreaking. “What am I going to do… I… I still have so many things I haven’t done…”

“I haven’t won the 30-million-dollar lottery yet, I haven’t driven a luxury car or lived in a massive villa, and I haven’t even been in a relationship.”

“And…”

He paused suddenly.

‘And I haven’t played the role of the idiot ex-boyfriend at your wedding to Song Qichen, rolling on the floor begging you to come back.’

‘I haven’t thrown a bouquet in your face and called you a scumbag yet!’

‘I haven’t seduced you and then dumped you so you can cry over me for the rest of your life!’

As he listed these, Chu Ci felt even more wronged, his lips trembling.

Ji Yanli: “?”

Are you serious?

Ji Yanli let out a helpless sigh and gently wiped the tear tracks from Chu Ci’s face. “No, you’re not. Stop talking nonsense.”

“Medical technology is very advanced now. Congenital conditions sound scary, but they aren’t untreatable,” he comforted the youth in his arms earnestly. “You’ll have plenty of time to do whatever you want. I’ll be right there with you.”

“Like what?” Chu Ci blinked.

“Like…” Ji Yanli choked for a moment, searching through the list of unrealistic wishes he’d just heard. “—Falling in love.”

Chu Ci frowned, asking in confusion: “With who?”

“With me—”

The rest of the words were forced back into his throat.

Chu Ci tilted his head back, his clear eyes meeting Ji Yanli’s. Every sound in the hallway seemed to vanish in that moment. After a while, Chu Ci snapped out of it, quickly averting his gaze and pulling away from Ji Yanli’s embrace.

His pupils were constricted as he clutched his chest. His heart was hammering so hard he thought he was having another attack.

Terrifying.

He actually thought for a second that if he asked “Do you want to date me?”, Ji Yanli would respond with “Yes, I do.”

Damn it! Ji Yanli’s eyes were too deceptive.

He’s even more wicked than I am!!

Chu Ci took shallow breaths, trying to steady his chaotic emotions.

Once the last IV bag was empty, Ji Yanli finished the discharge paperwork. Chu Ci stepped off the bed with shaky legs, nearly losing his balance the moment his feet hit the floor.

Luckily, Ji Yanli caught him quickly, or Chu Ci would have been greeting the doctor from the floor.

“Make sure to get plenty of rest when you go home. Avoid emotional excitement and strenuous exercise. For this medicine, the dosage for the first few months should follow—”

Before they left, the doctor gave a few more thoughtful instructions. He patted Chu Ci’s shoulder: “You’re still young, so the chances of successful management are high. It should have been discovered earlier, but it’s not too late for intervention.”

“In short, life is the most important thing, kid.”

Facing the doctor’s earnest advice, Chu Ci could only nod obediently. He thanked the doctor and walked out side-by-side with Ji Yanli.

The plastic bag containing the medicine wasn’t heavy, yet Chu Ci felt an unexpected weight on his shoulders. He bit his lip, staring at his toes. As he stepped onto the first stair, he looked up and whispered: “This time… it was all thanks to you. Thank you.”

His youthful voice mingled with the summer night breeze as the streetlights cast a soft glow over his shoulders.

Ji Yanli turned to look at him. After a minute, he reached out and gave Chu Ci’s forehead a light flick.

“Why the thanks?” The youth chuckled, the curve of his lips more beautiful than anything in the world. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“From now on, I’ll be responsible for making sure you take your medicine every day.”

The youth bowed his head slightly, his serious expression making it look like he had taken this on as a personal mission.

“Please, if you feel uncomfortable next time, you have to tell me.”

“If something happened to you, I would be very worried.”

The cool wind stirred the hair near Ji Yanli’s ears. Chu Ci parted his lips and softly replied: “Okay.”

The short syllable felt unexpectedly heavy. He slowly unclenched his fists, and the weight on his shoulders seemed to lighten instantly.

Chu Ci suddenly realized that in this strange world, there was actually someone who cared about him.

This feeling of occupying a small space in someone’s heart…

Was quite subtle.

The hospital at night was far from quiet. The lights in the upper windows were a testament to the many sleepless nights being spent there. The trees outside looked particularly bleak. Just as they stepped out of the hospital, a wailing ambulance pulled up to the entrance.

Doctors and nurses rushed as always, opening the doors to pull out an emergency gurney. The saline bags hanging on the stand wobbled dangerously.

“Move! Emergency patient!!! Move aside!!”

As the noise faded, Chu Ci couldn’t help but look back.

A youth lay on the passing gurney. He didn’t see the face, but the only thing that caught his eye was the patient’s striking golden hair.

“What are you looking at?”

Ji Yanli’s voice pulled him back. Chu Ci turned around.

“Nothing.”

He and Ji Yanli stepped out of the halo of the streetlights and into the endless dark of the night.

Two days later.

Chu Ci sat with his head propped on his hand, staring dazed at the gloomy sky. Since the morning, he had felt an inexplicable, stifling heat. Summer was fading, and the rainy season had suddenly begun to reclaim the world.

The atmosphere in class had been a bit off lately, though he wasn’t sure if it was because of the recent monthly exams or something happening in the outside world.

Then, he heard a faint sob. Even though it was quickly stifled, Chu Ci caught it.

It was his seatmate.

After the exams, for some unknown reason, the homeroom teacher Wang He had changed the seating from single desks to pairs.

It made Chu Ci a bit uncomfortable.

His seatmate was a model student; whenever he slacked off in class, he felt like he was corrupting a “flower of the new era.”

The sobbing became harder to suppress. Chu Ci finally turned to look at the girl. She had her head down, teeth biting her lower lip, and her trembling hands confirmed she was upset.

Her phone screen was lit up, displaying a trending headline that had shocked the internet: #Movie Star Lin Ci’an Involved in Accident While Filming; Insiders Suggest Foul Play?!#

When Chu Ci saw the name “Lin Ci’an,” he instinctively looked closer.

The trending topic was accompanied by several photos of Lin Ci’an. The youth in the pictures was stunningly beautiful, capable of pulling off any look. The final image, however, was a blurry shot that looked like an emergency room scene.

Chu Ci frowned as he looked.

It looked familiar.

“What are you looking at!” Before he could remember, the phone was flipped over. His seatmate glared at him with eyes as red as a rabbit’s.

Chu Ci pointed to the phone: “Lin Ci’an… is he the one who’s been really popular lately?”

“What do you mean ‘lately’!” The girl snapped. “Ci’an has been famous for ages, okay! Go ask anyone if they haven’t seen his movies!”

Chu Ci blinked.

Well, I haven’t.

Just then, Ji Yanli passed by them, handing out flyers for the upcoming arts festival.

Chu Ci teased inwardly.

‘Ji Yanli hasn’t seen them either.’

“Ahem…” To avoid hitting a nerve again, Chu Ci changed the subject. “What… happened to him?”

As one of the important supporting characters in the book, Chu Ci couldn’t help but be a bit concerned.

“It must have been those anti-fans!” The girl gritted her teeth. “Ci’an took a sip of water while filming, and someone had drugged it. He collapsed right after drinking it…”

As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears again.

Feeling a bit of pity, Chu Ci pulled a tissue from his backpack and handed it to her.

She froze for a moment before taking it with a pout. “Thanks.”

“Don’t worry too much. Lin Ci’an will definitely be okay.”

If he died now, how would the rest of the plot unfold!

Perhaps his words touched her, as her attitude toward him softened significantly. “I hope so.”

The short conversation ended, and Chu Ci returned to staring out the window.

The morning classes flew by. Just as the bell for the final period rang, Ji Yanli—who rarely moved so fast—stood up immediately.

Chu Ci hadn’t eaten much that morning and was likely starving.

Ji Yanli had spent the whole morning deciding what to take him to eat.

But just as he was about to move, a voice came from the door: “Ji Yanli! Teacher Wang wants to see you in the office!”

Ji Yanli’s footsteps halted. His plans were ruined. A flash of displeasure crossed his eyes, but it vanished instantly. He looked toward the door, his eyes crinkling into his usual gentle smile: “Okay, I’m coming.”

He looked back at Chu Ci’s seat. The youth in the back had heard it too and gave a small chin lift, indicating he would wait for him.

Ji Yanli’s complicated emotions settled. He quickly turned and left the classroom.

The office wasn’t far. He arrived quickly.

He curled his fingers and knocked politely before turning the handle. “Teacher Wa—”

The words died in his throat the moment he looked up. The people sitting in the office weren’t Teacher Wang He, but a different man and woman.

The office’s cold air-conditioning enveloped him. Two pairs of eyes fixed on him simultaneously. In a split second, Ji Yanli felt as though his legs were frozen to the spot. A piercing chill climbed up his spine.

His Adam’s apple bobbed once as he whispered in disbelief—

“Dad… Mom.”