In a discreetly luxurious private clinic, a doctor in a white coat looked at the woman opposite him, a faint trace of regret in his eyes.
“Miss Shi, have you really made up your mind?”
The young woman addressed as Miss Shi nodded, a bright and open smile on her face. “Yes, I’ve decided.”
Even though he had long become accustomed to life and death as a doctor, facing a young life that was about to slip away still filled him with regret.
“Although there’s currently no more effective treatment for your condition, we can still use some methods to ease your pain and extend your life. Since money isn’t an issue, why not give it a try?”
Anyone who could come to this hospital for treatment was not short of money. The doctor truly couldn’t understand why she would give up treatment. Weren’t the wealthy the ones who feared death the most?
The girl looked at him calmly. “Then can you tell me what the success rate is?”
“Even if I’m lucky enough to catch that one or two percent chance, how much longer could my life actually be extended?”
“The suffering from treatment compared to the possible extension of life—would they even be proportional?”
The doctor hesitated for a moment, then shook his head helplessly. In truth, the girl already knew the answer. She asked only to make it clear that there was no need to waste effort for a possible extra month or two.
Moreover, even those extra one or two months were merely hopeful expectations—almost a miracle in themselves.
Treatment was painful. In fact, he could understand her choice. Not everyone could endure that kind of suffering.
But understanding was one thing. If it happened to him, he didn’t think he would be as open-minded as she was. He might endure more painful treatments just to live a few days longer, gambling on that one-in-ten-thousand chance.
And he might also resent fate for the suffering, becoming bitter and cynical—at middle age, still not as clear-minded as this young girl.
“Alright, I respect your decision.”
“However, you’re always welcome to come see me anytime. You have my private number. If you have any questions, feel free to consult me. I do have quite a lot of free time,” the doctor added with a small joke.
As the chief physician of this private hospital, countless people lined up for his appointments every day—some even willing to pay exorbitant prices for a slot.
“Alright, thank you, Director Wang. I won’t stand on ceremony if I have any questions. I won’t disturb your work any further,” the girl said as she stood up and nodded toward him.
Director Wang also stood and walked her to the door of the consultation room. His lips moved, but in the end he didn’t try once more to persuade her.
The girl turned back, her face still wearing that bright smile, and waved at him. That dazzling smile felt completely out of place in the atmosphere of the hospital.
Watching her walk away with light, brisk steps, Director Wang sighed. How could anyone face life and death with such fearlessness?
As a doctor, he encountered similar situations almost every day—sad, disappointed, painful—but there were still moments when his heart softened.
When she reached the parking lot, Shi Meiqing pressed the key in her hand, and a bright red supercar blinked its lights.
Next to it, a small Mini Cooper flashed its headlights twice.
Shi Meiqing walked toward the red supercar and clenched her slightly restless hands, deliberately keeping her distance from the car, afraid her hands might act on their own will.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful. Isn’t this basically begging me to touch it?” Her eyes were practically glued to the bright red car, sparkling with desire.
It was as if she were saying: I want to touch it, I want it, I want to sit in it and feel it.
But what came out of her mouth was the exact opposite.
“Tsk tsk, the person who drives this must be really brave! The attention rate must be 99%!”
If it were her being stared at like that, she’d probably want to find a hole to hide in.
“And if it gets even a tiny scratch, that would cost a fortune!” An excuse—definitely an excuse. Lack of money was never the reason she couldn’t own a car like this.
“Tsk tsk, the evil rich people.”
As if she herself wasn’t one of those “evil rich people.”
She muttered while looking at her little Mini Cooper. The eyelashes stuck on its headlights curled cutely, and with its compact body, no matter how she looked at it, her own car was adorable.
“I only like cute things,” she said. Though her tone was a bit sour, making it less convincing.
Shi Meiqing got into the Mini and didn’t rush to start the car. Instead, she tilted her head and kept looking at the supercar beside her, her eyes shining just like the Mini’s “big eyes.”
“So pretty… what a pity. I probably won’t ever have the courage to drive something like that on the road.”
Just then, her phone on the passenger seat rang cheerfully.
“Answer the phone, landlord lady! Landlord lady, your friend has something for you! Answer the phone, landlord lady~”
Shi Meiqing twitched her mouth. That little curly-haired girl must’ve been messing with her phone again last time—no wonder the ringtone keeps changing. She can’t keep up anymore.
She picked up the phone and turned on speaker, still looking at the car outside. “Hello? What made you call me now?”
Her best friend—the curly-haired girl—came from a similar local background, and the two eccentric girls hit it off instantly and became close friends.
A babyish voice came through the phone, dragging out every syllable. “Sweetie, where are you?”
Shi Meiqing shivered. “Straighten your tongue when you talk.”
“Damn it, you’re being picky now? Do you know how many people want to hear me call them ‘sweetie’ and I don’t even bother? Hurry up, what are you doing?”
Shi Meiqing was speechless.
Every time she heard that voice mismatch, she felt like her brain was splitting apart. How could someone be so dramatically inconsistent?
She fastened her seatbelt and drove out, still glancing back reluctantly at the red supercar.
Damn it. When I die, I’m definitely telling my friends to burn me ten or eight of these—more badass than this one.
“I’m out handling something. Hurry up and say what you want. Weren’t you working part-time to experience the hardships of life? Why are you calling me during work hours to slack off?”
“I got fired. Damn it, I just wanted to earn a little money and experience the hardships of life, but my bald boss wanted to hit on me. Do you think I’d tolerate that?”