Chapter 12 – Strange and Unusual Request

When everyone was coming down the mountain in the afternoon, Cheng Yu came back and accompanied Jian Mei. He took the initiative to carry Jian Mei’s backpack and asked with concern, “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Jian Mei replied.

Cheng Yu had the appearance of a typical older brother next door. When he looked at you with concern, you would feel like the center of the world. “That’s good. Were you scared alone? Why didn’t you wait for us to find you?”

Jian Mei answered, “It’s alright. I wasn’t particularly scared.”

Cheng Yu looked down at him. Jian Mei, wearing a small yellow hat, had a normal complexion. He was usually quiet and well-behaved, always making direct eye contact when talking to someone. He seemed like a child raised in a very well-mannered family. At this moment, being looked at by those pair of dark eyes, everything seemed unchanged, yet somehow different.

Jian Mei’s steps were light and brisk, and his voice was clear and pleasant. “I did wait for a while. Later, I found my own way. Luckily, you weren’t far away.”

The “waited for a while” he mentioned was actually several hours at noon. Although it was lightly brushed over, Cheng Yu inexplicably felt his face burning. He tried to explain, “There was a girl who sprained her foot at that time. I had someone take her to the first aid station to clean her wound. After it was taken care of, I came to find you as soon as possible.”

He even thought it would be easier to handle if Jian Mei scolded or cried.

But no.

Lu Xingwang had taught him well, so what Cheng Yu saw was not a crying child.

The distance between the two gradually widened. Jian Mei turned his face to look at him and smiled. “Hmm, I know. Everyone must have their own difficulties, right?”

Looking at his smile, Cheng Yu felt a strange feeling in his heart. “No…”

Jian Mei shook his head gently and took out a sealed delicate bottle from his small backpack, handing it to Cheng Yu. “Here.”

Cheng Yu lowered his head to look. The bottle was about the size of a thumb and contained emerald-green liquid. The bottle was exquisite and beautiful, looking exceptionally lovely in Jian Mei’s fair palm. “What is this?”

“It’s for relieving summer heat. When the heat becomes unbearable, just apply a drop on your temples or take a sniff. It will help a lot. It’s a special remedy in our family and works really well.” Jian Mei stood on the path in the woods, patiently explaining, “I have a weak constitution, and my mom gave this to me when I came. This bottle is extra. She said it’s a small gift because it’s rare for me to be invited out by a friend. She was afraid I would feel bored and have trouble getting along with people.”

“I originally brought something else, but I used it up on the way,” Jian Mei said with a hint of regret, giving a faint smile. “Only this bottle is left.”

Cheng Yu looked at his somewhat clumsy smile, and inexplicably, a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

Jian Mei said, “I heard from them that you came to find me. Although we missed each other, I still thank you.”

The evening sun dyed the sky a reddish-orange color, and warm, bright light filtered through the cracks in the leaves. He stood there, politely bowing to himself, then turned his body and walked down the mountain. Just like in the morning, Cheng Yu still saw Jianmei’s back, the same yet different. It was as if he had received this gift but lost even more at the same time. What they missed was more than just a road.

…

After returning home, Jianmei had a slight low-grade fever.

Perhaps it was from walking too long on the mountain, sweating and catching a breeze, or perhaps he was simply exhausted. In the eyes of ordinary people, a low-grade fever was a minor issue, but in the Jian family, it was a matter of great importance. Leukemia patients like Jianmei had lower immune systems, and even a slight cold could potentially cause complications and lead to serious consequences.

Shen Meina took him to the hospital overnight. She originally wanted to nag him a bit, but seeing the child looking weak and feeble, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She knew that Jianmei hated going to the hospital, so she spoke up, “We went to Hospital A. Your friend Xiao Peng was transferred there not long ago.”

Jianmei suddenly perked up, “Really?”

“Really.”

During the years of his treatment, Jianmei had made friends, but with frequent transfers, many people disappeared after spending some time together. The joy of being able to meet again dispelled some of his aversion to hospitals. Fortunately, after arriving at the hospital, he underwent an examination and received simple treatment without any major issues. He would be able to go home soon.

However, Shen Meina’s expression wasn’t good.

Jianmei asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Meina said, “Mom just inquired over there with the attending doctor. They found a tumor in Xiao Peng’s abdomen half a month ago and removed it through surgery.”

Jianmei had a bad premonition deep in his heart. “And now?”

“It has spread,” Shen Meina said calmly, “Xiao Peng’s parents are taking him home tomorrow.”

The night in City A wasn’t cold, and even the hospital had the air conditioning set low. However, standing in the corridor, smelling the scent of medicine, in that moment, Jianmei felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave. He stood there dumbfounded, unable to say a word for a long time.

Shen Meina couldn’t hold back any longer and her eyes turned red, but she tried her best to stay calm in front of the child and asked, “Do you want to go see him?”

Jian Mei lowered his head, his expression unclear, and nodded gently, saying, “Okay.”

It was a peaceful night. When they entered the hospital room, they could hear laughter inside. Standing at the door, they saw a young boy lying in bed wearing a hat, with a smile on his face as he chatted with his parents. He was thin, but his eyes were particularly bright.

When Xiao Peng saw him, he exclaimed with joy, “Meimei!”

Jian Mei’s nose tingled, but he smiled and ran over, calling out softly, “Xiao Peng.”

The boy in the hospital gown on the bed had delicate features. When he saw Jian Mei, he asked, “Are you here to see me?”

Jian Mei nodded, “I came for a follow-up check-up, and I heard that you were also in this hospital, so I came to see you.”

“You don’t need to come see me anymore,” Xiao peng leaned towards him and said. Just as Jian Mei’s heart trembled, he continued with a smile, “I’ll be discharged soon, so we can play outside afterwards.”

His parents stood by, the mother quietly turning her head, her eyes red, while the father, fearing that the child would notice something, let the two children play and led his wife out of the hospital room.

Xiao peng was delighted to see his friend and kept showing things to Jian Mei.

“Look, this is a new outfit. Isn’t it cool? I’ll wear it when I get discharged tomorrow.”

“Have you started junior high school? I guess I’ll start from the first year after I’m done.”

“I wonder if I can keep up. Are the textbooks difficult?”

Jian Mei sat by the bedside, looking at him with gentle eyes and smiled, “It’s a bit challenging, but you’re so smart, so you’ll definitely be fine.”

In a nearby cabinet, there were worn-out textbooks from the sixth grade, both the first and second semesters. Xiao peng used to be the class monitor and had excellent grades in all subjects. Whenever he had free time, apart from chemotherapy, he would always read books. He said he couldn’t fall behind in his studies, otherwise it wouldn’t be good. He used to read books with Jian Mei, who couldn’t solve many problems, but Xiao peng quickly learned.

He often talked to Jian Mei about what major he would study in university and how he could earn money to improve his parents’ lives. His parents were migrant workers and worked very hard. He wanted to buy his mother an electric scooter in the future and relieve his father from carrying heavy cement every day.

Xiao peng held Jian Mei’s hand and said, “I’ll give you my home address. You can come to visit me in the future.”

Jian Mei felt that Xiao peng’s hand was very cold, but instead of pulling away, he held Xiao peng’s hand even tighter, as if trying to hold onto something. “Okay, I’ll come find you.”

“Oh, by the way!”

Xiao peng seemed to remember something. He took out a slightly old robot from the drawer. The robotic warrior had been well maintained by its owner, showing signs of being carefully cared for. The boy placed the toy in Jian Mei’s hand and said, “Here.”

Jian Mei was a bit surprised.

“This is what my mom bought for me when I was eight. It has been with me all this time, but it’s a bit broken now. It used to light up and sing. It’s a pity,” Xiao peng sat beside him. The hospital room was quiet, and the frail boy looked gently at Jian Mei by his side. “I noticed that you seemed upset today. When I was in pain from chemotherapy, I would ask the robotic warrior to give me strength. It made the pain less unbearable. Now that I’m being discharged, I’m giving it to you. My parents might have to go work in another city next year, and we won’t be able to see each other anymore. You have to learn to take care of yourself…”

Tears slid down Jian Mei’s cheeks, dropping onto the robotic warrior one by one.

On the way back, Jian Mei held the toy tightly, curled up in the back seat. It took a lot of effort for him to hold back his tears in front of Xiaopeng.

“Mom…” Jian Mei looked out the window and asked softly, “Will Xiao peng die?”

Shen Meina, who was driving, paused for a moment, her gaze dimming. “It has spread already, and his attending physician can’t do anything about it. They wasted too much time at the county hospital in the beginning, and there were several medication errors. It’s too late to turn things around now.”

Jian Mei remained motionless for a long time, not saying anything. When they came out, he saw Xiao peng’s parents. The middle-aged man, who was not even forty yet, seemed to have aged rapidly in just a few years. The grief in their eyes made Jian Mei unable to look directly at them. It was something they dared not show in front of the child. Jian Mei couldn’t help but wonder, were his own parents like this during those difficult years for him?

Back at home, after freshening up and lying in bed, Jian Mei still couldn’t sleep. He held the robotic warrior in his arms, which was a little broken with damaged internal parts. Unable to bear it any longer, he took out his phone and skillfully opened WeChat, clicking on that profile picture and sending a message: “Are you there?”

This time, the response came quickly.

Lu Xingwang replied: [Did you come down the mountain?]

“Mmm…” Jian Mei caressed the head of the robotic warrior. Perhaps everything that happened today had been a bit overwhelming for him. After some hesitation, he typed a question that seemed foolish: “Do you think death is scary?”

As soon as he sent the question, he regretted it a little.

But Lu Xingwang didn’t give him time to regret. Just when Jian Mei was wavering, he received a reply: [Does it matter whether we’re afraid or not?]

Jian Mei pursed his lips and took a deep breath before typing: “I just feel… Some people leave too early.”

Their brilliant lives had just begun, but they ended abruptly. Day after day, they hoped for something, only to be met with death. Perhaps Jian Mei himself had very little to hold on to, so he cherished every person around him. He knew, of course, that death was inevitable, but the sudden sadness was too overwhelming for him to digest.

“Ding.”

A message notification sounded, and Jian Mei opened it to see Lu Xingwang’s words:

[Life and death can’t be forced. Everyone will die.] His tone was calm. [I will too.]

It felt like a heavy blow to his heart. Jian Mei’s pupils dilated when he read those words, and his hand holding the phone trembled involuntarily. He was sensitive to these things, so he immediately asked, “Are you sick?”

There was no reply from the other side.

He waited for a long time, his heart growing increasingly anxious. In the end, unable to control himself, he dialed Lu Xingwang’s number. Even if he might be disliked or hung up on, he still did it. He had already experienced the grief of losing a friend once, and he couldn’t bear or didn’t want to go through it again. The call button on his phone kept flashing, and in the final moments, when Jian Mei was almost desperate, the call connected.

Lu Xingwang’s voice was low and hoarse. “Hello.”

Jian Mei inexplicably sighed with relief but also became more tense at the same time. He cautiously asked, “Are you sick?”

There was silence on the other end for a long time.

After a while, Lu Xingwang responded with a “Mmm.”

Jian Mei asked, “Is it serious?”

“Mmm.”

“Will… will you die?”

Lu Xingwang’s gaze turned deep, and his hand tapped the tabletop intermittently. It was a subconscious action he did when lost in thought. In reality, he didn’t have to tell Jian Mei these things, but after pondering for a moment, he still answered, “Mmm.”

This time, silence fell on the other end of the phone.

There was a faint sobbing sound, somewhat audible, coming from the other end in the silent night. Lu Xingwang knew that this crybaby must be crying again. It was truly strange. He had fallen to this point, yet his beloved older brother, who had always promised to take care of him, hadn’t shed a tear. Even his biological father, the emperor, hadn’t shed a tear. But this child, whom he had only known for a short time and hadn’t even met in person, was crying.

[Why are you crying?] Lu Xingwang sighed helplessly. [Didn’t I tell you before? Everyone will die.]

That was the truth, but the child on the other end of the phone clearly couldn’t accept it. He sounded so stubborn when he spoke, “But I don’t want you to die.”

Even though he knew this was unreasonable, his voice was suppressed with a sob, and there was even a hint of trembling. “Can… can you not die?”

Author’s Note: People scold me when they see my white hair, but I rejoice when I see others with white hair. How many young lives have been lost before reaching old age? Not everyone dies with white hair. – “Zeng Guang Xian Wen”

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Translator’s Note

“Life is short not because of its duration, but because of the moments we fail to cherish and the opportunities we hesitate to seize.”

Heyy guys!!I am attempting to finish translating  all 30 chapters of the novel “Online Dating Boyfriend is Actually an Alien” within 7 days. I would appreciate your support and assistance in achieving this goal on ko-fi