I Can Still Salvage It

Shen Mian was rushed to the hospital. He fainted without any warning. One moment, he was looking pitifully at Shen Changhe, attempting to explain himself, and the next second, he collapsed without , no matter how much Shen Changhe called out to him. He kept his eyes closed and showed no signs of waking up.

However, when he was taken to the hospital for examination, no illnesses were found. They only detected a slight fever, and the doctor could only speculate that it was due to excessive psychological stress and exhaustion.

But Shen Mian still remained unconscious.

Shen Yu stayed at home, while Shen Changhe and Su Ying stayed by Shen Mian’s bedside in the hospital room.

In those days, Su Ying remained calm. Apart from the initial emotional breakdown, she never showed a hint of panic, as if Pei Zhiyi and Shen Mian’s coming out didn’t exist, as if it hadn’t affected her daily life at all.

But now, sitting beside Shen Mian’s bed with Shen Changhe, she reached out and touched his face, softly saying, “He has become thinner.”

As soon as she uttered those words, her tears burst forth like a broken dam, covering her entire face.

“He never listens. It’s not just about his poor academic performance, his health is also not good,” she choked out as she complained to Shen Changhe, “I think he’s just like you, liking whoever looks good. Pei Zhiyi is good-looking, so he decided to be with him.”

But as she spoke blaming words, she carefully held Shen Mian’s hand, as if afraid of causing him any pain, not daring to exert too much force.

Shen Changhe’s eyes also turned red as he helplessly patted Su Ying’s shoulder.

He had sat in the living room all night, and now he was tired, but mentally he was still awake. Patting Su Ying’s shoulder, he whispered, “Let it be… Let them be. The two children have grown up to the point where they can’t be separated.”

Su Ying gave him a light punch, blaming Shen Changhe, “It’s all because you spoiled him too much that this happened.”

Because Shen Mian hadn’t been diagnosed with any serious problems, Su Ying and Shen Changhe didn’t tell anyone that Shen Mian was in the hospital.

However, just an hour after Shen Mian was admitted to the hospital, Pei Zhiyi appeared outside the ward.

He came with Yu Lian and looked unusually messy. There were obvious wounds on his cheekbones, and there were traces of blood at the corners of his mouth, as if he had been in a fight.

Shen Changhe and Su Ying looked at him in astonishment, not understanding how he had known Shen Mian was in hospital.

Pei Zhiyi didn’t have time to explain anything to Shen Changhe and Su Ying. He hastily said, “Aunt, Uncle, I’ve come to check on Mian Mian,” and walked straight to Shen Mian’s bedside.

Shen Changhe and Su Ying didn’t stop him. Instead, they turned their gaze to Yu Lian, who had finally caught up with Pei Zhiyi after much effort.

Yu Lian, wearing flat shoes, couldn’t keep up with Pei Zhiyi and was panting for breath before calming down.

She glanced at Pei Zhiyi and Shen Mian with a complicated expression before explaining to Su Ying, “Zhiyi suddenly said that Mian Mian was sick and insisted on going to see him. He had a conflict with the bodyguards at home, so I could only bring him out first. But I didn’t expect Mian Mian to be really sick. I thought Zhiyi just had a nightmare…”

Shen Changhe and Su Ying were also surprised as they looked into the hospital room. Pei Zhiyi was standing by Shen Mian’s bed, gently touching his face, as if finally confirming that he was still there.

Pei Zhiyi also looked up at Shen Changhe and Su Ying.

He knew in his heart that at that moment, their parents had not yet agreed to their relationship, and logically speaking, they wouldn’t want to see him by Shen Mian’s side.

But in the end, Shen Changhe and Su Ying didn’t say anything. Instead, they took Yu Lian and left. Before leaving, Su Ying hesitated and said, “If Mian Mian wakes up, please let us know.”

Pei Zhiyi nodded, “Okay.”

Only Pei Zhiyi and Shen Mian were left in the room, and it was so quiet that they could only hear their breaths. The sky was gradually getting brighter, and the clear sunlight shone into the room. Shen Mian’s features were delicate and gentle, like a young prince from a fairy tale.

But Pei Zhiyi was afraid to see him unconscious.

It would remind him of that ominous dream.

He rushed to the hospital after receiving a prompt from 007. On the way, 007 told him that Shen Mian’s body wouldn’t have any noticeable problems until the three warning signs were over.

But that didn’t bring him any comfort because the time left for them was too short, only 18 days.

And due to the rules of the system, he couldn’t reveal that Shen Mian’s life was already on a countdown to him and his parents.

He could only bear that torment alone, watching the person he loved most lying on the hospital bed, feeling helpless.

He remembered in his dream from the previous night, Shen Mian was lying in the hospital just like this, becoming thinner and paler, as if he would break at a touch, with tubes inserted all over his body, unable to say a word to him.

“Can’t I take Shen Mian’s illness upon myself?” Pei Zhiyi held Shen Mian’s hand and asked 007 again, “I’m willing to do anything, just please let me take his place.”

007 remained silent for a while before turning him down.

“This world doesn’t work like that,” 007’s voice even carried a hint of sympathy. “I’m sorry, it’s not possible.”

Pei Zhiyi had already anticipated that outcome but still felt a sense of despair.

They say nothing is more important than life and death, yet what he and Shen Mian were going through was precisely a matter of life and death.

He painfully pressed his forehead against Shen Mian’s hand.

He had never felt as small and powerless as he did now.

After Shen Mian fell ill, he visited the temple where his grandmother often went many times. Even though he was someone who didn’t believe in gods and spirits, he kneeled in front of the Buddha for a long time, making wishes and reciting Buddhist scriptures.

But now, looking at Shen Mian’s peaceful sleeping face, he didn’t know if the deities had heard his prayers.

Shen Mian slept for a full day and night.

But he had no idea that he had been asleep for so long. According to him, it felt like he had only chatted with 007 for a while before waking up.

In an unprecedented manner, 007 rambled in his mind, explaining the final mission and the reason for his collapse. Finally, it asked him if he was willing to let Pei Zhiyi replace him in his illness.

Shen Mian was shocked and almost cursed out loud, thinking that 007 must be out of its mind.

But immediately after, 007 asked him another question.

“Shen Mian, I can now tell you that once I release your illness, you will only have seven months left to live, and it can’t be cured. But I can give you another choice. If you fail to complete the mission in the end, are you willing to exchange all your points to eliminate Pei Zhiyi’s feelings for you and let him start a new life?”

Shen Mian was stunned.

He had never thought about that question.

Since he had been with Pei Zhiyi, he had always tried to avoid thinking about that possibility. He was like a little turtle hiding in the shell built by Pei Zhiyi, as long as he didn’t look outward, the storms of the outside world couldn’t harm him.

But deep down, he had always been afraid of failing the mission. He didn’t have as much confidence as he appeared on the surface.

As the time for the mission approached, he had seriously considered what would happen if he really died. What should Pei Zhiyi do?

There were actually many people who loved him in this world.

But his parents still had Shen Yu by their side, and his friends would make new friends.

But what did Pei Zhiyi have?

He couldn’t leave anything for Pei Zhiyi except endless pain.

And now, 007 asked him if he was willing to let Pei Zhiyi forget about him.

“What do you mean by eliminating his feelings for me?” Shen Mian’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

And as always, 007 remained calm.

“It means that all of Pei Zhiyi’s feelings for you will disappear. For him, you will be just an ordinary friend who died at the age of eighteen, a bit of a pity but insignificant. He won’t even know that he had such a lover. He will quickly fall in love with someone new and live a happy life.”

Just hearing that made Shen Mian feel suffocated in his chest.

But as if afraid that Shen Mian wasn’t suffering enough, 007 added, “I can show you what kind of life Pei Zhiyi will have without you in his future.”

After saying that, images appeared in Shen Mian’s mind.

He saw a more mature and charming Pei Zhiyi, appearing to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, standing in a bridal shop. Next to him was an enchanting and beautiful tall girl, holding his hand and chatting and laughing with him, discussing the style of the wedding gown with a designer.

Walking out of the bridal shop, the girl smiled and discussed with Pei Zhiyi what dishes to cook when they got home, which art exhibition to visit the next day, and what kind of bouquet to choose for the wedding.

They were getting married soon, in just two months.

But soon, the scene changed to a hospital.

Pei Zhiyi held a newborn baby in his arms, looking unusually flustered and incredulously asked the doctor, “Why does my daughter look like a monkey?”

Shen Mian couldn’t help but almost laugh.

How could Pei Zhiyi be so flustered? It was unlike him. He even said his own child looked like a monkey.

But he couldn’t laugh because the baby in Pei Zhiyi’s arms was the child he had with someone else.

And he had become a ghost floating beside Pei Zhiyi, unable to reach out and touch him.

He looked at the baby in Pei Zhiyi’s arms, finding it detestable no matter how he looked at it.

What was even more annoying was that Pei Zhiyi walked over to the woman who had just given birth and said tenderly, “Look, the baby is so well-behaved.”

The baby is well-behaved.

Upon hearing that, Shen Mian couldn’t help but cry.

How could Pei Zhiyi have a baby with someone else when he was right there? Didn’t Pei Zhiyi say he would only love him in this lifetime?

How could he go and marry someone else?

No matter how much he cried, Pei Zhiyi couldn’t hear him. He was a gentle husband and a loving father, wholeheartedly taking care of his wife and daughter.

There was an invisible barrier between them, separating them into two different worlds.

007’s voice rang in his ears, “This is the world without you. He won’t suffer, won’t remember his lover from when he was eighteen, and won’t know how much he once loved you. He will marry someone new, have children, grow old together, and the person named Shen Mian will be completely buried. He won’t care, even in death.”

Each word stabbed Shen Mian’s heart like a knife.

He looked at the mature and composed Pei Zhiyi, seeing the soft and contented expression on his face, and truly understood what it meant for his heart to be torn apart and what jealousy felt like.

Pei Zhiyi had been too good to him, giving him a sense of security and making him never doubt that he was loved.

But at that moment, he realized that Pei Zhiyi could fall in love with someone else and feel such despair towards him.

“Do you still want him to forget you, even if he will love someone else as he once loved you?” 007 continued to taunt him, presenting another bait, “If you don’t want that, you can exchange your points for another reward, extending your lifespan by one month. But it can only be one month. After that, everything will return to normal, but Pei Zhiyi won’t forget you. He will always remember that he loved Shen Mian.”

Only those on the brink of death could truly appreciate the value of time.

Extending his life by one month was a tremendous temptation.

Shen Mian had already searched for a lot of information and knew that his survival rate was low and a relapse was highly likely. So, he didn’t doubt 007’s estimate of his lifespan.

Seven months plus one month made eight months.

After saying those words, 007 fell silent, waiting quietly for Shen Mian’s decision.

Shen Mian felt that 007 was truly malicious, knowing he was a patient yet tormenting him with such hurtful images.

He saw the scene before him change again. Pei Zhiyi walked on the streets with his daughter, and encountering a high school classmate.

The classmate chatted with him, asking about their high school classmates and if he remembered Shen Mian.

And Pei Zhiyi, focused on feeding snacks to his daughter, casually replied, “Shen Mian? Isn’t he dead?”

His death seemed insignificant to Pei Zhiyi, failing to create even a ripple.

…

Shen Mian felt like his heart was breaking into countless pieces. He looked at Pei Zhiyi’s happy face and felt that that was the most detestable multiple-choice question he had ever encountered in his life.

It was almost asking him if he was willing to hand over his lover, his brother whom he had relied on since childhood, to someone else.

Was there a more terrifying punishment in the world?

A voice in Shen Mian’s heart was desperately tempting him, urging him to refuse and choose one more month of life. That way, he could spend more time with Pei Zhiyi, and Pei Zhiyi would never belong to anyone else.

He closed his eyes in pain and asked 007, “Can you guarantee that if I die, those points will really be exchanged?”

“Yes,” came the reply.

Shen Mian bit his lip, then quickly let go and asked again, “Can you not make him stop loving me completely? I don’t ask for much, just leave a little bit for me.”

Just a little bit would be enough. He didn’t want Pei Zhiyi to treat him as a stranger.

But 007 refused, “No.”

A long silence followed.

Shen Mian opened his eyes, extended his transparent hand, and touched the face of the thirty-year-old Pei Zhiyi.

Although he knew that Pei Zhiyi didn’t belong to him and couldn’t hear his words, he still smiled at Pei Zhiyi and said, “So this is how you look at thirty.”

He said, “Brother, I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you as you grew up.”

“I choose to exchange my points and let Pei Zhiyi start a new life without me.”

Shen Mian thought, if Pei Zhiyi knew about his choice, he would scold him fiercely, and make him quickly take it back.

But brother, I really don’t want you to suffer because of me.

Because I love you too.

More than I love myself.

…

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Shen Mian watched helplessly as Pei Zhiyi and everything around him disappeared before his eyes.

In reality, he opened his eyes, and the sunlight outside was bright. The eighteen-year-old Pei Zhiyi looked at him with red eyes.

At the same time, both he and Pei Zhiyi heard a voice in their minds.

“Congratulations to host Shen Mian and host Pei Zhiyi, Heartbeat Points have reached 100.”