I Can Still Salvage It

After Shen Mian fully recovered, Pei Zhiyi took him to the temple where he had previously made prayed to express his gratitude.

During Shen Mian’s illness, he had gone to the temple before dawn to pray. He was willing to give up everything in exchange for Shen Mian’s safety.

That temple wasn’t a popular tourist spot, but the monk of the temple had a good relationship with Pei Zhiyi’s grandmother. When he was young, he would go there with his grandmother. During Shen Mian’s illness, he had climbed the mountain before daybreak, and the temple was deserted. He kneeled alone in front of the Buddha to make his wish. Even though the room was quiet, he could always hear the sound of dripping water and the rustling of the wind.

In fact, he had done many similar things in the past six months. Previously, the Pei family would regularly donate to needy children, but ever since Shen Mian fell ill, he specifically allocated a portion of his own assets for charity.

When one is in turmoil, they always seek all possible sources of strength to hold onto the person they love.

Shen Mian listened, feeling a bit dazed.

Because he had no idea that Pei Zhiyi had gone through so much and could only rely on gods and Buddhas.

Pei Zhiyi always appeared calm and composed in front of him, as if he were born calm. He always handled everything rationally and took responsibility for everything.

And he would never lose control or be fragile.

But now Pei Zhiyi told him that many nights he couldn’t sleep at all.

Pei Zhiyi walked slowly with Shen Mian on the stone steps behind the temple. It was springtime, and the scenery in the mountains was beautiful, with bamboo forests rippling in waves.

He had been there several times in the past half year, but he never appreciated the scenery of the mountains. Now, with Shen Mian by his side, he felt that the sky was high and the scenery was picturesque.

“Mian Mian, staying calm is only for you to see,” Pei Zhiyi chuckled self-deprecatingly, “If even I lose my composure, then from whom will you draw courage?”

Perhaps it was in his nature, or perhaps it was because he was a few months older than Shen Mian.

Pei Zhiyi naturally felt that he was Shen Mian’s reliance.

No matter how much he struggled, he would keep it to himself in the late hours of the night, and when the day broke, he would be the unshakable elder brother in Shen Mian’s heart.

He didn’t feel tired at all; he felt that it was his duty.

Shen Mian, on the other hand, felt a little sad. He held Pei Zhiyi’s hand and walked down the stone steps step by step.

When they were about to leave the temple grounds, he softly said to Pei Zhiyi, “But, I also want you to also rely on me.”

He stopped in his tracks, as if making a solemn promise, with a hint of shyness and a lot of seriousness, looking at Pei Zhiyi.

“Be patient with me. One day, I will become mature, and I will be able to take care of you too.”

When he spoke, his eyelashes blinked restlessly, and his eyes turned amber in the sunlight. Behind him were the deep green waves of bamboo, while he stood tall and white in his snowy clothes.

Pei Zhiyi smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

When they were young, Shen Mian had already been his reliance.

But he didn’t mind if Shen Mian gave him more.

He was greedy and insatiable like that, longing to possess all of Shen Mian.

.

After they came down the mountain, Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi sat in a nearby coffee shop for a while. When Pei Zhiyi went to buy ice cream, Shen Mian heard 007’s voice in his mind after the long absence.

Since Shen Mian’s recovery, 007 hadn’t appeared for more than twenty days.

“Shen Mian,” this time it didn’t call him “host,” but used his name, “I’m leaving.”

Shen Mian knew that day would come, but he still felt a bit reluctant.

In fact, they were more like colleagues with 007, not particularly close but not strangers either. Nevertheless, parting ways would still be a bit saddening.

“Thank you,” Shen Mian sincerely said, “I feel incredibly lucky and happy to have met you. Without you, I would be in the hospital.”

007 chuckled lightly. That was the lovely aspect of Shen Mian. That little bastard Pei Zhiyi wasn’t as pure innocent as him. He would beat around the bush, trying to ask if 007 was responsible for Shen Mian’s illness.

But as a legitimate system, it was naturally impossible for them to make the hosts sick.

As it was about to leave, 007 asked Shen Mian with a pleasant tone, “Do you have any more questions for me? Or any other small wishes? Perhaps I can help you fulfill them.”

Shen Mian felt that he was already content. He had received so much—his parents’ blessings, good health, and an exceptional boyfriend. To be more greedy would be excessive.

But he did have one question for 007, something that lingered in his mind and made him a bit sad.

Hesitant, he asked 007, “That day in the hospital, was the future you showed me real? If I couldn’t reach a heart-beat value of 100 and exchanged it for Pei Zhiyi’s love for me to disappear… would there really be a girl in the world who would marry Pei Zhiyi and receive all his love?”

He always wanted to know if such a person truly existed, someone who could replace him.

“I’m not jealous…” Shen Mian tried to defend himself but gave up after a moment, admitting honestly, “Okay, maybe I am jealous.”

007 laughed; it found it amusing.

It said, “That wasn’t the real future, but the most painful illusion I created based on your inner desires. You were afraid of Pei Zhiyi falling in love with someone else, so I showed you him having a family with someone else. Only the most painful torment can generate a heartbeat value of 100.”

Shen Mian was a bit confused and asked, “Then what is the real future?”

As he asked this question, he saw Pei Zhiyi walking towards him from outside the shop.

The entrance of the shop had a flower trellis, and Pei Zhiyi walked through it, attracting many discreet or overt glances.

But Pei Zhiyi’s gaze only fell on Shen Mian alone.

Shen Mian couldn’t help but smile.

At the same time, he heard 007 say in his mind, “Pei Zhiyi’s most real future is already in your hands, isn’t it?”

“Actually, I deceived you in one aspect. I don’t know what will happen after erasing Pei Zhiyi’s love for you.”

After saying that, 007’s time by Shen Mian’s side entered a countdown of three seconds.

“I’m really leaving this time. Goodbye.”

007 left those words and disappeared quietly in Shen Mian’s mind, just like when it came, leaving without a trace, quietly and silently.

It was like a dream, full of bizarre and extraordinary things that no one would believe even if he told them.

Only Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi themselves knew that it was real.

.

Pei Zhiyi also heard of 007’s departure. He bid farewell to 007 politely, like two long-time colleagues who hadn’t been on good terms.

He walked up to Shen Mian, and Shen Mian looked up at him with round, adorable eyes.

“Why are you looking at me?” Pei Zhiyi asked with a smile, placing the ice cream in Shen Mian’s hand.

Shen Mian finally tasted the famous lime-flavored ice cream from the neighboring shop.

He smiled at Pei Zhiyi, mischievousness in his eyes, resembling a little fox. Without waiting for Pei Zhiyi’s reaction, he stood up, leaned in, and planted a kiss on Pei Zhiyi’s lips.

With the sweet taste of ice cream.

He said to Pei Zhiyi, “I feel so lucky.”

That my first love is my longtime bestfriend and brother who’s always been with me through every season.

.

End of the main text.

1So this is it! i hope you enjoyed the chapters. if you liked it please visit my Kofi using this link https://ko-fi.com/cee4409 .Any amount will be appreciated and once again thank you for the support!.

1So this is it! i hope you enjoyed the chapters. if you liked it please visit my Kofi using this link https://ko-fi.com/cee4409 .Any amount will be appreciated and once again thank you for the support!.