Su Yunjin asked for leave and went to the hospital with Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye had regularly gone there for check-ups since discharge, and the reports all showed that his body had been working well. The doctor even told him, âMaybe your illness wonât get worse as long as you maintain good mental status.â
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ye went there two weeks earlier than the appointed time.
His doctor asked with a worried look, âJiang Ye, whatâs wrong?â
âI was unconscious last night,â Jiang Ye told the doctor in a calm voice while holding Su Yunjinâs hand tightly.
The doctor immediately arranged a thorough examination for Jiang Ye. He received all the results two hours later.
âItâs not encouraging this time.â The doctor said, âJiang Ye, your illness is getting worse according to the results.â
Jiang Ye, who had always been calm and strong, was stunned for a couple of seconds. He asked, âWhatâs going on?â
The doctor said, âYouâre now in the second stage out of the seven stages of your illness, if I may say so. There are typical symptoms in this stage, such as occasionally losing consciousness and suddenly feeling dizzy, but you donât feel any discomfort, nor do you feel exhausted.â
Su Yunjin held Jiang Yeâs hand tightly. âDoctor, does Jiang Ye need hospital care now?â
âIt will be a good choice.â The doctor thought for a moment before he said, âBut itâs not necessary. Jiang Ye has a good attitude. He may live as usual for another period of time if he doesnât want to stay in the hospital. Hospital care should be considered when he gets worse in the third or fourth stage.â
The doctor meant that it was up to the patient whether to stay in the hospital or not.
âI see.â Jiang Ye nodded. âThank you, doctor. Weâre leaving now. Weâll contact you if we have any problems.â
After that, Jiang Ye took Su Yunjinâs to leave the doctorâs office.
Su Yunjin simply stood there and stopped Jiang Ye.
Su Yunjin was so frightened in the morning that she couldnât imagine what she would have done if Jiang Ye hadnât woken up.
However, she could go to the doctor as soon as possible if Jiang Ye stayed in the hospital so that the doctor could save him.
âJiang Ye, you need to stay in the hospital.â Su Yunjin was almost pleading, âIâm scared. Iâm afraid that...â
Su Yunjin had often said that she was scared those days.
However, she had always been a fearless person who would never be easily affected by anything.
She hadnât slept peacefully ever since she knew about Jiang Yeâs disease.
Jiang Ye smiled apologetically. âIâm sorry, my girlfriend was overwhelmed just now.â
He took Su Yunjinâs hand and left the office. He didnât stop until they reached the end of the corridor.
It was neither cold nor hot in New York in June. The pedestrians walking in the street were in lightweight spring clothes, all wearing a smile on their faces.
âYunjin, I donât want to stay in the hospital for now,â Jiang Ye said after Su Yunjin finally calmed down.
âWhy?â Su Yunjin asked with a helpless look while grabbing Jiang Yeâs sleeve.
Jiang Ye gave her a determined look and said in a gentle voice, âThe doctor said that hospital care wasnât necessary for now. He said that I was in the second stage of my illness. Thatâs far from the fourth stage.â
Su Yunjin shook her head. âI donât care about it. In my eyes, as a patient, youâll be safe only if you stay in the hospital.â
âMy little fool.â Jiang Ye smiled with a helpless look, âYou know, I donât need immediate hospital care even though my disease is rare. I can still live a normal life now. Why should I stay in the hospital? Itâs boring to stay here with a group of patients every day, and I canât go out without my doctorâs permission. Donât you think itâs cruel for me?â
âBut...â Su Yunjin racked her brain, wondering how she could persuade Jiang Ye.
However, she was no match for him when it came to persuasion.
Jiang Ye placed his hands on Su Yunjinâs shoulders and continued saying in a soft voice, âUnless I recover, it will be hard for me to go out once I stay in the hospital. But even the doctor isnât sure if I can recover. No one knows how long it will take for me to recover even if I could.â
After a pause, Jiang Ye said, âYunjin, I donât want to leave you alone in the lifeless apartment.â
Su Yunjin gazed at Jiang Ye, on the verge of tears.
Jiang Ye caressed Su Yunjinâs face with his slender fingers. âIn fact, I donât want to stay in the hospital. Yunjin, how about cherishing it when I can still live a normal life? Donât you think itâs a little stupid to waste my last days in the hospital? I want to spend more time with you when Iâm still able to.â
Su Yunjin was finally persuaded. She agreed with Jiang Ye about not staying in the hospital for the time being.
Jiang Ye had lived as usual apart from his occasional dizziness from then on.
However, owing to their previous experience, Su Yunjin knew very clearly that Jiang Ye would be defeated by his disease sooner or later.
She thought that their peaceful life would be disturbed one day.
Therefore, Su Yunjin still felt worried, even though Jiang Ye was feeling well those days.
Jiang Ye soon saw through Su Yunjin, so he decided to have a frank talk with her.
âYunjin, we canât get rid of my disease.â Jiang Ye said, âYou must accept the cruel reality that we donât have much time left to live a normal life. Come on, promise me that youâll live, work, and laugh as you used to before Iâm sent to the hospital. Cheer up, will you?â
Su Yunjin had to admit that Jiang Yeâs words made sense although she felt sad.
Jiang Ye lifted the sides of Su Yunjinâs mouth with his forefingers. âCome on, smile. You look better when you smile.â
Su Yunjin laughed with pure joy as her forced smile faded. She hugged Jiang Ye and laughed out loud in tears.
Only then did she realize that she was the reason why Jiang Ye didnât want to stay in the hospital.
She was depressed even when Jiang Ye was still with her. She would have lived a hard life if he had been in the hospital.
She realized that she should have let Jiang Ye stay in the hospital without worry.
Therefore, Su Yunjin tried her best to maintain a good mental status. She became as optimistic as Jiang Ye and spared no effort in her work without thinking about his disease. She began to study the dishes for patients and search for information about his illness on the Internet after work. Under the influence of Jiang Ye, she no longer looked worried, and she was even hopeful about their future.
More than half a month passed in that way. Jiang Ye went to the hospital for a routine examination.
Jiang Ye and Su Yunjin were slightly nervous when they received the results. The doctor said,
âIâm glad to tell you that Jiang Yeâs illness hasnât worsened. Itâs still fairly optimistic according to the results. Keep in mind that it will be affected by your mood. Stay optimistic and believe that you can survive your disease.â
Su Yunjin couldnât help it. She jumped up happily and hugged Jiang Ye. âHow about having a fancy meal to celebrate it tonight?â
Jiang Ye patted Su Yunjinâs head. âOkay, weâll go wherever you want to go.â
Su Yunjin mentioned a star restaurant. âI want to eat Australian spiny lobsters there, no matter how expensive they are!â
âOkay.â Jiang Ye gazed lovingly at her with a smile. âLetâs order all the most expensive dishes.â
Su Yunjin had been worried because she thought that they would be financially insecure since Jiang Ye fell sick. She tried to save every cent to keep enough money to pay for Jiang Yeâs medical bills in the future, although their bank balance was increasing.
Jiang Ye was glad that she could do whatever she wanted. He would always support her.
Su Yunjin went shopping on Fifth Avenue with Jiang Ye after their big meal.
She had learned on the Internet that she could find almost all the famous shops that she thought of on Fifth Avenue. The reason why she had applied to an American university was that the avenue was a fatal attraction for her.
The first thing Su Yunjin did when she first went to the United States was shopping at all the stores on Fifth Avenue.
However, she had never gone there again ever since she was financially cut off when she insisted on living with Jiang Ye. Nonetheless, she was experienced in shopping there, so she took Jiang Ye into a menâs suit store as soon as they got off the car.
The two both had elegant demeanor, although they were wearing ordinary clothes. The sales clerk quickly walked over and asked, âGood evening. May I help you?â
Su Yunjin said, âIâd like a tie for my boyfriend.â
âThis way, please.â The sales clerk gestured for Su Yunjin to follow her and led the two to the tie rack.
The sales clerk didnât know Chinese, so Jiang Ye said to Su Yunjin in Chinese, âA tie here is worth more than our living expenses for half a month. Are you sure you want to buy it?â
âNo big deal.â Su Yunjin waved her hand at leisure. âWe have money.â
Su Yunjin knew well about creating a perfect ensemble. Not long after, she picked a tie that matched Jiang Ye well.
Jiang Ye handed the bank card to Su Yunjin and said, âWaiting here to pay the bill is up to you. Iâm going to the restroom. Letâs meet at the coffee shop downstairs.â
Su Yunjin nodded. She went to the coffee shop downstairs to wait for Jiang after paying the bill. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ye entered the coffee shop with a bag in his hand.
She didnât know what was in the bag, but she couldnât be more familiar with the conspicuous logo on it.
Jiang Ye walked over to Su Yunjin, who was looking at him in surprise. He squatted down in front of her and took off her flat shoes. Then he took out a box from the bag and opened it, in which there was a pair of elegant, delicate high heels.
Jiang Ye held Su Yunjinâs foot and put on one of the high heels for her. Then he looked up and asked, âHow does it fit?â
He neednât have asked about it since he knew Su Yunjinâs shoe size, and the size of designer shoes was always standardized. âHow do you know that I want this pair of high heels?â Su Yunjin looked at Jiang Ye in a daze, without checking whether it fit her or not.