Checklist

Ye Shuang stared at his phone but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to open the file labeled "Bucket List."

Deep down, he already knew An Shiyu’s health was deteriorating, but seeing the almost definitive timeline laid out before him made his chest feel as if it were being crushed by a boulder.

Ye Shuang’s grandfather had passed away from cancer. Back then, after the surgery, the doctor had clearly stated that his life could be extended by about three years.

Though his grandfather had grown alarmingly thin post-surgery, his spirits had seemed relatively high. At the time, Ye Shuang had naively believed things could continue like that indefinitely—until his grandfather’s condition took a sharp downturn in the third year.

And then, he was gone.

Now, Ye Shuang felt a bitter ache in his heart. The girl who always joked around with him in the school infirmary would, in just a few months, be lying on a hospital bed until her heart stopped beating.

Silence.

An Shiyu, however, seemed eerily calm seeing Ye Shuang like this. Perhaps she had imagined this moment countless times before—

Struggling, suffering.

For An Shiyu, if she never allowed herself to hope, she could never be hurt.

So, for everything in life, the key was simply not to expect anything.

"It feels a bit cold," Ye Shuang muttered, his throat dry as he rolled up the car window. He looked ahead, where the sea was now visible.

Even though it was summer, the sky was overcast, and the ocean lacked its usual blue hue, as if shrouded in a dark filter.

"We’re here."

After parking, Ye Shuang walked along the shore with An Shiyu. Neither had a destination in mind; they simply strolled, listening to the waves lapping against the sand.

Ye Shuang opened his mouth several times but couldn’t find the words—until he noticed An Shiyu’s gaze fixed downward, her shoulders trembling faintly.

Was she… crying?

"If you want to cry, just let it out," Ye Shuang said.

But when An Shiyu lifted her head, her face showed no trace of sorrow. "Who said I was crying?"

"Then why are your shoulders…?"

"Oh, that’s because your fly’s open," An Shiyu replied, her eyes forming two mocking dots.

Ye Shuang froze, then immediately glanced down—only to realize he was wearing a pair of zipperless shorts.

Ye Shuang: "…"

Seeing the triumphant smirk on the girl’s face, Ye Shuang inexplicably felt his mood lighten a little.

An Shiyu was still the same An Shiyu.

Maybe he didn’t need to be so somber. After all, this wasn’t what she wanted either. As she had once said, she never needed anyone’s pity.

"That bucket list… there’s nothing too difficult on it, right?" Ye Shuang suddenly asked.

"Everything’s impossible," An Shiyu said.

For a moment, Ye Shuang wondered if one of her wishes was to go to Japan and become the second-best male gamer—so he opened the file.

Contrary to his expectations, there weren’t multiple entries. Only a single line stared back at him:

【Try eating tomatoes】

Ye Shuang scrutinized it, baffled. "Are you sure you didn’t send the wrong file?"

"Why is there only one thing?"

An Shiyu tiptoed to peek at his phone, as if fascinated by his reaction.

"Oh, because I haven’t thought of the others yet. For now, that’s the only one."

"Recently, I watched this movie called The Bucket List. Thought it was pretty fun, so I figured I’d try it before I die."

Ye Shuang fell silent. Wasn’t this way too casual?

And how could she say "before I die" so calmly?

"Eating tomatoes," Ye Shuang mused, recalling something. "Didn’t you say your family’s rule was that ninjas can’t eat tomatoes?"

"Eh, I changed the rule. Now we can," An Shiyu said.

Since when could family rules just be altered like that? Wasn’t this a bit too flippant?

Ye Shuang pinched the bridge of his nose, his gaze at An Shiyu a mix of exasperation and tenderness. "In that case, have dinner at my place tonight. I’ll make you some tomatoes."

"Sure."

The atmosphere no longer felt so heavy. After strolling along the beach a while longer, Ye Shuang brought An Shiyu home.

By afternoon, Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou had returned, carrying bags of new clothes. They seemed surprised to see An Shiyu there.

"An Shiyu’s joining us for dinner," Ye Shuang explained from the kitchen, where he was prepping ingredients.

"Exactly," An Shiyu chimed in from the couch, holding Wan (the fat cat) and waving its paw in greeting—though the flattened ears suggested Wan wasn’t too fond of her.

"Bro, what’re you making tonight?" Tang Keke asked, eyeing the tomatoes Ye Shuang was slicing. "Tomato and eggs?"

"Nah, something else," Ye Shuang replied, moving on to dicing beef brisket.

As night fell, Ye Shuang brought the dishes to the table one by one. "Wash your hands before eating."

"Question: What if I don’t?" An Shiyu raised her hand from her seat.

"Then you eat with the dog," Ye Shuang retorted, then realized they didn’t have one. "Correction—with Wan."

The chubby cat, busy with its canned food in the corner, looked up. "Meow?"

Ye Shuang had stir-fried some Chinese broccoli, prepared squid with green peppers, and made spare ribs with perilla leaves—but the centerpiece was a hearty pot of tomato-braised beef brisket.

"Ooooh, tomato beef brisket! Looks amazing," Tang Keke cheered as Ye Shuang served her and Bai Yuyou.

"Here, yours," Ye Shuang said, scooping tomatoes and beef over rice before handing the bowl to An Shiyu.

"I don’t eat tomatoes."

Ye Shuang: "…"

Despite her words, An Shiyu took the bowl anyway—classic An Shiyu behavior.

She poked at the tomatoes with her chopsticks, as if steeling herself.

Finally, she took a small bite, chewing slowly.

After a few seconds, she remarked, "Huh. Not as sour as I thought."

"I picked the ripest ones," Ye Shuang said, guessing her aversion was to the acidity.

Dinner continued, with An Shiyu devouring half the pot of tomato beef brisket—much to Ye Shuang’s surprise.

But since this was her "bucket list" wish, he didn’t comment.

"I’m outta here."

After dinner, An Shiyu lingered briefly before announcing her departure.

"Alright," Ye Shuang said, not pressing her to stay. "So… how were the tomatoes?"

An Shiyu tilted her head slightly, half-lidded eyes considering. "Mmm… not great."

"You ate half the pot, though."

"Who knows~" she singsonged, then vanished with a playful flicker, the door clicking shut behind her.

"This girl…"

…

Outside the apartment, a compact electric car idled at the curb. An Shiyu climbed in without hesitation.

"Why’d you make me pick you up?" the driver asked, the rearview mirror reflecting an identical face—just slightly tanner.

"Ate tomatoes," An Shiyu replied breezily.

"Huh? Aren't you allergic to tomatoes?"

"Allergic or not, can't a dying person at least taste something for once?" An Shiyu waved her hand dismissively, her gaze drifting toward the window as if fixated on a lit-up apartment across the street.

"Let's go to the hospital. My skin's starting to itch."

"..."

"Oh, and by the way—it actually tasted pretty good."

"Yeah, yeah."

The engine roared to life, and the figure of the "spicy fish head" vanished into the night.