Xiao Youzi was afraid of picking up the wrong medicine.
So she checked very carefully, looking at the medicine bottle and then reading the drug instructions.
Fortunately, Lin Ting had already made thorough preparations—she had repackaged the cancer-targeted drugs and painkillers into cold medicine bottles.
Otherwise, if Xiao Youzi found out she had cancer, Xiao Youzi would definitely break down.
Such a young Xiao Youzi shouldn’t have to bear so much.
Lin Ting knew that Xiao Youzi would find out sooner or later, but she wanted to delay it as long as possible.
She only hoped Xiao Youzi could have a little more happiness.
And that she and Xiao Youzi could have a few more beautiful memories together.
That day was a Saturday.
After buying groceries, Lin Ting held Xiao Youzi’s hand and bought a bouquet of purple lisianthus from a roadside tricycle vendor.
That was her favorite flower.
Back at the rental apartment, as she and Xiao Youzi trimmed the flower stems and leaves, the mother and daughter chatted.
“Youzi, no matter how hard life gets in the future, always love life, okay?”
“If Youzi feels sad, just do what you like to do and eat what you like to eat.”
Xiao Youzi helped by cutting off the extra leaves nearby.
Then, imitating her mother’s way, she arranged the flower stems in her hands with practiced ease.
“Mom, how could life possibly be hard with you by my side?”
“It’s all sweet!”
“As long as Mom is with me, no matter how sad things get, Youzi won’t feel sad.”
Like a few days ago, when her father refused to acknowledge her.
There was still sadness.
And it wasn’t light.
It took Xiao Youzi several days to come to terms with it.
But it didn’t matter if her father didn’t recognize her—as long as she had her mother, she had the whole world.
Xiao Youzi placed the trimmed purple lisianthus into a vase and looked happily at her mother, who had stopped working.
“Mom, every day and every moment with you, Xiao Youzi is super happy, super joyful!”
“……” Lin Ting couldn’t respond to Xiao Youzi’s happiness and joy.
Her face suddenly looked weak.
Her terrible emotions had been calmed and repaired many times.
Yet many times, they completely collapsed because of a casual remark from Xiao Youzi.
How much longer could she stay with Xiao Youzi?
Three months?
She was afraid she wouldn’t even make it three months.
Should she tell Xiao Youzi the truth earlier so Xiao Youzi could be mentally prepared?
But the bad news was so sudden—could Xiao Youzi handle it?
Several times, the words reached the tip of her tongue, only to be swallowed back by Lin Ting.
How could a mother bear to say such cruel and painful words about death and eternal separation to her own child?
In the end, she said nothing.
This secret hidden in her heart was like a ball covered in thorns—every time she wanted to bring it out, she put it back, again and again piercing Lin Ting’s body and soul.
Feelings of confusion and helplessness flooded over her like a tide.
When exactly should she tell Youzi?
And in what way should she tell Youzi?
After lunch, she took Youzi to the children’s park.
They rode the roller coaster, carousel, and Ferris wheel, played on the pirate ship and rainbow slide, and fed many adorable animals.
In truth, Lin Ting’s body was already overloaded from these activities.
She felt terrible.
Several times, she couldn’t catch her breath and coughed repeatedly.
Each time, she coughed up blood clots the size of watermelon seeds.
Every time, she turned away from Xiao Youzi and secretly threw the blood-stained tissues into the trash can.
To ensure Xiao Youzi would have more beautiful memories, she pushed through her overburdened body and persevered.
At night, after Xiao Youzi fell asleep, Lin Ting sorted through the photos taken during the day.
In the photos, despite her smile, her face was pale and bloodless, with dark circles under her eyes.
Starting tomorrow, she would have to wear makeup.
Otherwise, she couldn’t hide this lifeless, sickly complexion.
She picked the best-looking photo and wrote line after line on the back:
【Youzi, life is like riding a roller coaster—there are times when you go uphill and times when you go downhill.】
【When you hit a low point, Youzi, don’t be sad. Mommy will become a star in the sky, watching over you, staying with you, and loving you forever.】
【Hang in there, my baby! Mommy loves you forever!】
The next day was Monday.
Lin Ting’s cough grew worse.
The blood that came out was no longer the size of watermelon seeds but a large, dark pool.
Was her condition worsening?
Looking at the large, foul-smelling, dark pool of blood in the sink, Lin Ting panicked.
Would she not be able to stay with Xiao Youzi much longer?
Thinking that she might die soon, the light in her eyes faded, and even breathing normally required tremendous effort.
“Mommy, are you okay?”
Outside the door was Xiao Youzi’s soft, concerned, and worried voice.
Lin Ting’s hands trembled as she turned on the faucet and wiped the corner of her mouth.
Xiao Youzi stood at the door like a little adult, scolding, worrying, and instructing:
“Mommy, you have to see a doctor today. What if your condition gets worse?”
“Mommy, how about Youzi doesn’t go to kindergarten today? Youzi can go to the hospital with you.”
Feeling guilty, Lin Ting pretended to be calm and patted Youzi’s head:
“Youzi, be good and go to kindergarten. Mommy will go to the hospital today and report back to you, okay?”
After dropping Xiao Youzi off at kindergarten, Lin Ting hurried to the most authoritative cancer hospital—Pengcheng First People’s Hospital.
Today, despite his busy schedule, Jiang Yu made time to visit Pengcheng First People’s Hospital.
His most respected mentor, who had dedicated his life to medicine, was recently diagnosed with cancer.
The mentor was confirmed to have lung cancer, and it was already in its late stages.
As his mentor’s most accomplished student, Jiang Yu rushed to visit him as soon as possible.
Leaving the oncology department, Jiang Yu felt deeply saddened.
His mentor was only in his sixties but had less than a month left.
The specific anti-cancer drug developed by Linjiang Pharmaceutical Group was precisely targeted at lung cancer.
But it was still one step away from success.
Jiang Yu desperately wanted to achieve results quickly so he could help his mentor.
His steps quickened as he headed back to the pharmaceutical laboratory.
Just as he was silently vowing to speed up the research, he caught sight of a familiar figure.
It was Lin Ting, having her blood drawn.
The doctor took one tube after another of her blood.
Jiang Yu counted from a distance—seven tubes in total.
Why was Lin Ting having so much blood drawn?
Lin Ting was there for a follow-up appointment today.
The doctor needed to confirm whether her cancer cells had metastasized.
If the cancer cells had spread to other organs in her body, it would mean she truly didn’t have much time left.
These seven tubes of blood were for a complete blood count test.
After the blood draw, Lin Ting felt completely drained.
She quickly sat down on a nearby chair and took out the sugar water she had brought with her.
She didn’t even have the strength to unscrew the lid of the cup.
She tried several times but couldn’t unscrew it.
Suffering from low blood sugar and a severe illness, she had come to the hospital for a follow-up blood test without eating anything in the morning. Now, she truly felt as if she might collapse at any moment.
She couldn’t die.
She had to live.
She still had Xiao Youzi.
At least until she could settle Xiao Youzi properly, she had to stay strong and survive.
After catching her breath, Lin Ting mustered all her strength again, but the bottle cap still wouldn’t budge.
At that moment, the water bottle in her hand was taken by a large palm.
The fingers gripping the bottle were distinct and slender, each joint clearly defined.
How could Lin Ting not recognize this hand?
It was Jiang Yu’s hand.
Looking up, she saw Jiang Yu unscrew the cap for her and hand it back. For a moment, she was too stunned to react.
“Jiang Yu?”
Why was he here?
At the sight of Jiang Yu, the vivid image of Youzi being torn apart flashed clearly in Lin Ting’s mind.
She clenched her numb fingertips as pain spread through every part of her body.
A mix of bitterness and hatred made her unwilling to see Jiang Yu again.
Her expression turned cold.
This look made Jiang Yu’s chest tighten.
He extended the opened water bottle toward her. “You don’t look well. Have some water first.”
When he saw her, he had actually wanted to turn and leave, to avoid any interaction.
But somehow, he had walked over anyway.
Lin Ting was wearing makeup today.
Jiang Yu didn’t notice anything unusual; he thought she was just suffering from a common illness.
Drinking water was the last thing on Lin Ting’s mind.
She snatched the bottle from him and walked away without a word.
Jiang Yu strode after her. “Lin Ting, why are you at the hospital?”
Lin Ting didn’t answer.
With her back to Jiang Yu, she headed toward the self-service printer for reports.
After scanning her medical QR code, one test report after another printed out.
As Lin Ting bent down to retrieve them, she still ignored Jiang Yu behind her.
A pair of slender arms reached past her and picked up the stack of reports from the printer.
Jiang Yu was a medical student.
With just a glance, he could understand these reports clearly and thoroughly.
Carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin 19 fragment, squamous cell carcinoma antigen…
All these indicators were abnormally high, marked in red.
The MRI and X-ray CT results also showed that her lung cancer cells had already spread to other organs…
In shock, he looked at Lin Ting.
The frail, thin woman before him seemed as if she might scatter with the wind.
His brow furrowed tightly as he stared at her in disbelief. “Lin Ting, this can’t be true. How could someone as young as you have this kind of illness?”