After browsing Ye Zhi's WeChat Moments, I got up from the bed and drew back the curtains... The ancient city was still the same as always, with all sorts of lights intertwined, blurring the boundless night and keeping those who didn't want to go home entertained...
I can imagine what the street must look like right now: happy people are still happy, and sad people are still sad.
I really didn't expect so many things to happen before I left... I've already suffered enough with a broken leg. If Chen Jin really gets that disease, how will he face his future?
This is not just painful, but also morally reprehensible, because he harms not only himself, but also the women he has slept with... What is wrong with this world? Why are there so many people who disregard reason, morality, and health, and still seek pleasure with the opposite sex?
With a heavy sigh, I went back to bed and drifted off to sleep, lost in thought about human nature...
...
Because of the intermittent rain, Dali has been unusually cold lately, so much so that when I woke up this morning, I had a bit of a cold, felt very lethargic, and had a burning sensation in my throat.
I had just drunk a glass of water when Chen Jin called me. He wanted me to go to the hospital with him right away for a checkup. He also told me that he had barely slept all night, only dozing off for a short while, and that he had dreamt of the woman who had infected him with the drug. He was woken up by her sinister smile… He was on the verge of a breakdown. He wanted to know the result now, even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, he wanted to escape from this terrifying shadow…
I understood how he felt, so I skipped breakfast and went to the hospital with him.
...
When we arrived at the hospital, I helped him register. He guessed that he had already passed the window period, so the doctor suggested that he use the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which is the most efficient testing method. Usually, if blood is drawn in the morning, the results will be available in the afternoon.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Chen Jincai came out of the laboratory with an alcohol swab in his hand. He didn't press the blood-drawing site and appeared dazed.
He walked over to me, and I gave him my seat. He didn't sit down, but just stared blankly at the rain falling from the eaves.
I felt a bit annoyed, but I couldn't panic. I had to comfort him, so I said to him in a relaxed tone, "Don't think so much. I think this is just a result of your own fear. This kind of thing happens to only one in tens of thousands of people. What are the chances that you'll run into it?"
Chen Jin pulled up his sleeve, revealing many small, red bumps on his arm... He said to me in a hoarse voice, "Don't try to persuade me anymore, I know what the outcome will be..."
"Please sit down first, let's chat for a while." (Tank's new book was first published on the WeChat official account "Tank's Bookstall." Remember to follow for protagonist photos and author interactions.)
Chen Jin then sat down beside me. Ignoring the fact that we were in a hospital, he pulled a cigarette from his pack and lit it shakily. Only when he was almost finished did he speak to me: "Michael… I don't want to die, but this time it might really be unavoidable… It's dangerous for her too. This past year, we've been having sex, and whenever it was her period, I didn't use protection… I'm sorry… Saying sorry is useless now… If possible, I hope you can take over the bar after you come back from Thailand… The bar can't go under; this is all the assets I have left… If I die, transfer the bar shares to my parents' names, and you can give them dividends every year… If you really have no interest in running the bar, then sell it… You have to sell it for a good price. My parents don't spend much, so the money they get should be enough to support them in their old age… I'm begging you, you absolutely, positively have to do this for me!!"
Chen Jin became increasingly incoherent as he spoke... He took a deep drag of his cigarette, his thoughts suddenly went blank, and he froze there, speechless.
I felt a pang of sadness, but I comforted you, saying, "The results won't be out until this afternoon, so try not to worry... It's not the time to say that yet!"
Chen Jin, who had been in a daze, seemed to suddenly wake up. His cheeks trembled a few times, and tears fell down his face. He clutched his clothes tightly at his chest and said in a broken voice, "I regret it... I really regret it... If God gave me another chance... I would definitely live an honest life... I'm such an idiot. Why did I torment myself for that bitch Ding Lin... I'm finished. This time next year, I might already be a box of ashes... I don't want to die... I don't want to die..."
When his sore spot was touched, Chen Jin slid off the bench and collapsed to the ground, repeatedly pounding his head and chest...
What fear, what regret!
I felt terrible, but there was nothing I could do for him. All I could do was stand in front of him and shield him from those strange looks.
...
Outside in the corridor, the rain was still drizzling. Amidst the sound of the rain and Chen Jin's sobs, I drifted into a dazed state... Fate is truly strange. Just a few days ago, Chen Jin accompanied me to the hospital, experiencing the lowest point of my life; today, our roles have been reversed, and he is even more tragic than me... What I lost was at most a leg, while for him, it was his most precious life.
...
I don't know how much time passed, but Chen Jin finally calmed down. He first wiped his face hard, then said to me, "Michael... I don't have the courage to face this result... I want to find a quiet place for a while... This afternoon, can you help me get the test results?"
"Hmm... You should go and sit by Erhai Lake for a while, it will make you feel better... I'll wait for you here."
"Don't call me if it's not going to be a good outcome."
I stared at Chen Jin in astonishment. After letting out a heavy sigh, he turned and walked out of the hospital.
...
With a gloomy mood, I went to a nearby fast food restaurant called "Dicos". I ordered a milk tea and a beef rice bowl, and then sat down by the window to eat. The hospital was right across from me.
For some reason, the image of Chen Jin crying his heart out out of fear keeps flashing through my mind, forcing me to prepare myself mentally for the possibility of losing this brother at any moment.
I think life is really fragile. First there was Wang Lei, then Chen Jin...
Suddenly, I want to cherish the time I have left. I don't want to live against my conscience. Just like with my career, once I've made a decision, I'll roll up my sleeves and see it through to the end... And if I love someone, I should be with her no matter what!
...
In a daze, Ye Zhi messaged me again, asking where I was and saying she wanted to have lunch with me… It seemed she had concentrated all the initiative she had ever shown in her life into these past few days! Want to chat with more like-minded people about "My Tenant Sister"? Follow "Hot Articles" or "rd444" on WeChat to discuss your favorite books with other readers.
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