Leaving

"Little Yu..."

"Little Yu..."

"Little Yu..."

Amidst the void, a cacophony of voices reached her ears, accompanied by a faint buzzing. Her muddled consciousness gradually stirred awake.

When she opened her eyes again, she was met with a stark white ceiling and the sharp scent of disinfectant.

"..." The short-haired girl on the hospital bed slowly raised her hand. Her sickly pale arm resembled a brittle branch, devoid of vitality.

An Shiyu's dull eyes flickered faintly as she parted her cracked lips.

"Water..."

"Here." Another girl beside the bed handed her a baby bottle.

After moistening her parched throat, An Shiyu finally regained her senses. As the mechanical bed adjusted upward, she once again saw the light of the world.

The pale glow of dawn seemed to symbolize rebirth and hope, a stark contrast to the dreary hospital room.

An Shiyu: "..."

She turned her head slightly and saw a girl who looked almost identical to her, along with an elderly man with red-rimmed eyes.

His wrinkled hands hovered in the air, as if torn between embracing her and fearing she might shatter like a fragile bubble.

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke softly, "How long was I out this time?"

"Over a month," the girl beside her replied.

"A month... That long? It felt like just a moment to me." An Shiyu murmured, though the relentless weakness in her body served as a cruel reminder of the truth.

"Little Yu, are you alright?" Anshi Yilang asked, his voice trembling. The night before, when he heard his granddaughter's heart had stopped, he nearly collapsed but rushed to the hospital immediately.

The old man looked haggard, as though he had aged a decade overnight.

But thankfully, An Shiyu had been revived—and even regained consciousness!

"Had a disgusting dream," An Shiyu said with a pale face, her eyes narrowing slightly as she hugged her arms. "Some sleazy guy was hugging me and spouting the cringiest pickup lines. I wanted to kick his head off..."

The girl beside her subtly averted her gaze. "Oh?"

Just then, a man in a white coat entered, holding An Shiyu's medical reports.

"Mr. Anshi..."

He paused, glancing at An Shiyu before turning back to Anshi Yilang. "Could we speak outside?"

"Alright." Anshi Yilang started to rise, but An Shiyu spoke again from the bed.

"Just say it here. I know my body better than anyone."

The doctor hesitated, but Anshi Yilang, familiar with his granddaughter's stubbornness, sighed and nodded for him to proceed.

"Miss Anshi's condition is still critical. In fact, it's..."

An Shiyu remained eerily calm. "Go on."

"She likely only has about a week left." The doctor lowered his voice.

"What did you say?!" Anshi Yilang shot to his feet, grabbing the man's collar with surprising strength for his frail frame. "My granddaughter just woke up! Where the hell did you get this nonsense?!"

"..."

"Run the tests again!!!"

"..."

"Mr. Anshi, I—I'm just..."

"..."

"Bullshit!!!!"

"Grandpa." An Shiyu's weak voice instantly deflated the old man's fury. Unfazed by the grim prognosis, she simply said,

"Enough. I understand."

"Little Yu, they're just scaring you! It's fine—Grandpa will make them work overtime to develop the medicine..." His voice cracked with desperation.

"You're all I have left..."

An Shiyu: "..."

She exchanged a glance with the girl beside her.

Reaching out, she placed her bony fingers on the old man's head and whispered, "Grandpa, I want to go to school."

"..."

"Alright..."

......

After changing out of her hospital gown, the other girl spoke up. "Really not considering it? It's the best option."

"Considering what..."

"Your heart."

An Shiyu replied flatly, "You're not my 'shadow.' You're you, and I'm me. You're his granddaughter too."

"My... sister, as far as I'm concerned."

The other girl fell silent.

"Live well." With that, An Shiyu stuffed her hands into her pockets and walked away.

Her figure looked unbearably frail, the warm sunlight from the window doing nothing to dispel the pallor of her skin.

"Stubborn as ever. Not that I dislike it..." The other girl shrugged, pulling out her phone.

"Revive—"

The screen still displayed a paused video player. She quickly closed the app.

"At least it worked."

Then, she too left the hospital.

......

After summer break, Haizhu City remained sweltering, though the cicadas' clamor had faded.

At Yinshan Academy, Ye Shuang arrived at the infirmary as usual. When he pushed the door open, a familiar figure was curled up on the couch, eyes half-lidded.

"Shouldn't you be at the military training? Why are you napping here?" Ye Shuang asked, but as he took in her profile, realization dawned.

[Character: An Shiyu

Congenital heart disease, critical condition.]

[Would you... be willing to pay the price?]

Ye Shuang: "..."

At that moment, An Shiyu seemed to sense his presence and lazily opened her eyes. "Hey..."

Her voice was weak.

"Are you... okay?" Ye Shuang stepped closer, noticing how much thinner she had become.

"No idea what you're talking about." An Shiyu paused, then suddenly grimaced slightly.

"Your voice is kinda grossing me out right now."

Ye Shuang: "?"

What did I do?

"Take me somewhere, old man." An Shiyu suddenly said, her pale lips quirking into a faint smile.

"Let's skip class."

Ye Shuang: "..."

"Alright." He didn't ask further.

They drove until Ye Shuang realized their destination—the village entrance.

Stepping out of the car, the familiar sight reminded him of the time An Shiyu had taken him there on her motorcycle.

"Here again...?"

"Let's go." An Shiyu didn't elaborate, walking ahead at a slow pace.

After winding through the same twisting alleys, they reached the same dilapidated shack at the end.

The same shop, the same elderly woman—frozen in time, untouched by the modern world.

The air was thick with the scent of age.

"Granny, two milk teas. And some peanuts." An Shiyu ordered.

The hunched old woman stood up, assembling the items before extending a gnarled hand. "Two yuan..."

An Shiyu placed a hundred-yuan bill into the drawer. "Keep the change."

"Mm... mm."

An Shiyu didn’t leave the shop. Instead, she stuck a straw into her milk tea and began sipping quietly. Only after finishing the entire cup did she finally speak.

"Granny, I might have to leave here soon. About the promise we made… I’m sorry."

The old woman opened her cloudy eyes. Though hard of hearing, she faintly caught the word "leave." A lifetime of solitude had taught her how to say goodbye, and so she forced a smile, her lips trembling slightly.

"Alright, alright… Be careful on your way."

An Shiyu gave a faint smile in return. "Mm."