Good News and Bad News

"Yo." An Shiyu greeted as Ye Shuang approached.

Ye Shuang wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but An Shiyu’s voice sounded weaker than usual. Her already expressionless face seemed even paler, drained of color. His gaze drifted downward, noticing a small red mark on the back of her hand—likely from an injection—before she quickly tucked it into her pocket.

"You... okay?" Ye Shuang hesitated but asked anyway.

[Character: An Shiyu

Congenital heart disease patient. Condition appears to be worsening.]

Seeing the information displayed, Ye Shuang frowned slightly.

"What could be wrong? Probably just tired from playing on a private island," she shrugged, lazily fiddling with her bangs, her usual nonchalant demeanor intact.

"Except you weren’t the one who went to the island."

An Shiyu’s fingers paused mid-motion. She glanced at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"How’d you figure that out?"

"Because you’re not sunburned. It was your twin sister who went, right?" Ye Shuang didn’t explain that his system could instantly reveal such details, opting for a more plausible excuse—especially since both Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke had come back noticeably tanned.

Ever since learning there were two An Shiyus, Ye Shuang had started paying attention to their subtle differences. The one with hyperthymesia was more carefree, reckless, and occasionally asked if he wanted to see her in black stockings.

The one before him now, the one with the heart condition, was slightly more reserved. She rarely teased about stockings, often wore a look of mild disgust, had a sweet tooth, and was generally lazier.

Honestly, if not for Ye Shuang’s keen observation, the two girls would’ve been nearly indistinguishable—their personalities, appearances, and even speech patterns were almost identical.

It was as if they were literal clones.

Though Ye Shuang still didn’t understand why the twins shared the same name. Maybe there was a deeper reason.

"Oh." This time, An Shiyu didn’t bother explaining. She just seemed unusually listless.

"Take me out somewhere."

"You invited me out without even having a destination in mind?" Ye Shuang sighed.

The girl gave him a deadpan look. "If I had a destination, why would I need you?"

Ye Shuang: "..."

So I’m the last resort, huh?

"How about the beach?"

"What’s fun about the beach?"

"Probably nothing. But you can at least enjoy the breeze. And since you didn’t go to the private island..." Ye Shuang chuckled. "All beaches are pretty much the same anyway—just different shades of blue."

"Hmm."

An Shiyu didn’t refuse. Instead, she seemed to genuinely consider it.

"Let’s go."

With "Fish" in tow, Ye Shuang drove toward the coast. But he couldn’t help noticing her lack of enthusiasm—she leaned against the window, resting her cheek on her hand, her reflection flickering in the glass as they passed through a tunnel.

The traffic light ahead blinked yellow. Just as Ye Shuang debated whether to speed through, An Shiyu’s words made him slam the brakes instinctively.

"Hey, old man... I might only have a few months left."

The car behind them, also planning to run the yellow light, nearly rear-ended them and started honking furiously.

"Beep beep—beep beep—"

But Ye Shuang barely registered the noise. His mind was stuck on An Shiyu’s last sentence.

"...Is that so?" he finally managed.

"Drive carefully. You almost got us rear-ended," An Shiyu remarked, glancing at the irate driver behind them. "Honestly, it’s a miracle you’ve survived this long with skills like these. Maybe you need a dump truck to teach you a lesson."

"You’re the one who shocked me with that bombshell," Ye Shuang grumbled.

An Shiyu giggled, her laughter oddly lighthearted.

"Still no compatible donor?" Ye Shuang asked as he started driving again.

"Rejection rates are high. There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect match,’" An Shiyu drawled. "Unless you clone me."

Ye Shuang: "..."

Noticing his silence, An Shiyu suddenly spoke up. "But I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

"Bad news."

"You can’t pick that one first."

Ye Shuang rolled his eyes. "Then why even give me a choice? Fine, what’s the good news?"

"The good news is, there’s a special drug that can cure me." An Shiyu flashed a grin, looking like a mischievous child who’d just pulled off a prank.

Ye Shuang exhaled in relief, his shoulders relaxing. "So there’s still hope?"

"And the bad news?"

An Shiyu’s voice softened, almost vanishing.

"The bad news... is that the drug won’t be ready for at least five more years."

"I won’t make it that long."

Ye Shuang’s smile froze. The car fell into silence, the air suddenly stifling. He took a slow breath and cracked the window open slightly.

Only when the cool breeze rushed in did he feel a little more composed.

"Breakthroughs happen. Don’t lose hope," he said, trying to reassure her. But An Shiyu just smirked faintly.

"Like I said. Five years. Minimum."

Ye Shuang: "..."

"But it’s fine. Even after I’m gone, there’ll still be another An Shiyu in this world. She has a perfect memory—she’ll remember everything about me. Maybe, for a person, memories are the soul."

"She knows all my thoughts, looks exactly like me, acts the same... even likes the same people."

"Old man, in a way, it’s not like I’m really dying, right?" Her tone was as lazy as ever, as if discussing the weather.

"But she’s not you," Ye Shuang said.

"She’s not you," he repeated.

An Shiyu blinked, caught off guard.

"How cruel, old man," she murmured, lowering her head so her hair hid her face. "At a time like this, can’t you at least say something comforting?"

"..." Ye Shuang stayed quiet, his chest tight.

"Hey, old man."

"Yeah?"

"There are still things I want to do. Will you come with me?" Her voice was barely audible. "Might... take a while."

"Like what?"

An Shiyu tapped her phone a few times, and Ye Shuang soon received a file—a spreadsheet, formatted like a checklist.

"Is this... a bucket list?" Ye Shuang stared at it, momentarily stunned.