"What did the doctor say?" Jin Miao pulled out a chair and sat down next to Jin He, carefully observing Jin He's expression. "Are you still on oxygen? Are you having trouble breathing?"
"I still feel a bit tightness in my chest," Jin He replied.
Jin He's medical record was on the bedside table. Jin Miao picked it up and flipped through it. It contained Jin He's recent echocardiogram and electrocardiogram. She looked at it for a long time, then took a deep breath and closed the medical record.
"Have you been feeling unwell lately?" Jin Miao asked her. Although she tried her best to control her trembling voice, Jin He could still hear it.
"Has something happened?" Jin He asked.
What could possibly happen?
Jin Miao's smile was tinged with bitterness. What could possibly happen to her brother's health? His heart was a ticking time bomb; he could cause an accident at any moment and catch them off guard.
"What's wrong?" Jin He closed the book and reached out to pat Xiao Miao's head. "It's okay."
An Yi brought in two glasses of orange juice. The glass for Jin Miao was full, almost overflowing, while the glass for Jin He had only been sipped a couple of times. She couldn't drink too much, or she would get acid reflux.
Jin He picked up the orange juice and took a sip: "You seemed a bit off earlier, did something happen?"
Jin Miao hadn't originally planned to tell Jin He about this, since it wasn't something to be happy about, and letting Jin He know would only make him feel bad. Now, seeing his medical records, Jin Miao was even less inclined to tell him.
"No, it's just that the experiment encountered some difficulties."
"Oh, is that so? If you're really too busy, you don't need to come here every day. I'm fine here."
Jin Miao nodded.
"elder brother……"
"Hmm?" Jin He asked, "What's wrong?"
“You, you’ll always be here, right?” Jin Miao said. “You promised me that you would attend my wedding after I get married, and that you would take care of my child and teach the child to call you uncle.”
"Of course! What's wrong? Did someone bully me?"
Jin Miao shook her head and said no when asked.
She stayed there for a while, then Jin He sent her back to school, saying it wasn't safe for a girl to go back too late. An Yi took her out of the hospital, and as soon as Jin Miao stepped out of the ward, she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears almost instantly.
An Yi silently took out a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed it to her.
Does my brother know about this?
“I told him, but he didn’t seem to take it seriously,” An Yi said. “It’s probably for the best that he doesn’t take it seriously, otherwise too much pressure would be bad for his heart.”
“That’s because he had mitral valve prolapse before, so he didn’t take it seriously. Now the prolapse is so severe that surgery is necessary.” Jin Miao took out a tissue to wipe her tears. “But is he fit in the operating room right now?”
An Yi remained silent.
"I'm not going to school anymore, I'm coming back to take care of him."
"You want to drive your brother to his death."
"What can we do? Valve replacement surgery requires open-chest surgery and breaking bones. What are the chances of my brother surviving the operation? I'm a medical student myself, and I've seen countless examples of failed valve replacement surgeries, but I just can't bear the thought of this happening to me!"
“I will find him the best doctors and the best post-operative care. You can come to see him every day, but you can’t take a leave of absence from school.” An Yi patted Xiao Miao on the shoulder. “Listen to me, don’t make your brother sad.”
Jin Miao wiped away her tears, then, as if suddenly remembering something, stood up and said, "My mentor is a leading figure in cardiac surgery; she must know many renowned doctors both domestically and internationally. I'll go and beg her..."
An Yi couldn't possibly have missed what Jin Miao had thought of. He said, "I've already made arrangements. Once your brother is feeling a bit better, we'll bring them over for a consultation."
Jin Miao cried, "Thank you, Brother An Yi."
The two exchanged a few more words. Jin Miao was about to leave when An Yi returned to the ward and saw Jin He standing at the table, slippers on, pouring water. He quickly went over and took Jin He's water glass: "Why are you out of bed?"
Jin He looked up at him. He had been well taken care of during his illness, at least he wasn't as thin as a refugee. He looked at An Yi's expression, then shook his head: "I'm thirsty, the juice was too sour."
An Yi turned his head and glanced at it. The juice was still there, but it had sunk to about the height of a finger. He said, "Isn't it good?"
Jin He nodded.
"Then we'll drink cantaloupe juice tomorrow. You go back and lie down first, and I'll bring you some water."
"Um."
An Yi poured the water and tested the temperature. He was relieved to find that it was just the right temperature to drink. When he brought it to Jin He, he found that Jin He was still sitting on the bed, his eyes following him.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"I overheard your conversation with Xiao Miao outside just now," Jin He said with a smile. "You didn't dare tell me, were you afraid I couldn't handle it?"
An Yi placed the water glass in his hand, wrapped his large hand around Jin He's slightly cold hand, and lowered his head without making a sound.
“Actually, I’ve been prepared for this for a long time. I started preparing three years ago for the possibility that my heart might not work one day… You don’t need to be sad.” Jin He’s voice was soft and gentle, but it sounded terrifying to An Yi. “I know my own body. If I really have to have valve replacement surgery, I might not make it off the operating table. And if I do make it off, I might die from a postoperative infection.”
"No, don't say that..."
"An Yi, I'm ready."
Jin He pulled her hand away and patted An Yi's hand. "Please be prepared for this as well, okay?"
An Yi felt that this person was really ruthless at times. He would rather not leave him any hope at all, and would rather assume from the beginning that he was already dead than let others have hope and then have it shattered.
Upon hearing this, An Yi fell into an eerie silence. He twitched his fingertips slightly and gripped Jin He's hand tightly: "No..."
Don't leave me.
His voice was already hoarse. Jin He guessed that he had gotten a sore throat again. That's just how he is. When he gets a sore throat, the first thing he does is lose his voice. He's someone who takes such good care of his voice. Before, when his voice was this hoarse, he would have already told himself to make himself some herbal tea.
Jin He lowered her eyes and patted An Yi's dejected head: "Hey, why do you look like you've been abandoned?"
"Isn't it because you abandoned me..."
“I will take my medicine properly,” Jin He said. “I will also try my best to eat more. I will get treatment. It’s not like I’m giving up. Why are you so upset?”
An Yi opened his arms and hugged Jin He tightly without saying a word.
"I will try my best to survive." Jin He patted his back. "But don't get your hopes up too high. I don't have much confidence in myself."
An Yi buried his face in Jin He's neck and said in a muffled voice, "I have faith in you, that's enough."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com