You're my wife, don't doubt it!

“Ah, the High Priestess. Mysterious, dark, seemingly serene on the surface but turbulent beneath. This is my favorite card—let's see what I draw.” Ouyang Qianqian said, then turned over another card.

“THE DEVIL.” The girl next to me read the words on the card softly.

"Demon, put shackles on yourself. Maybe I can buy a pair of horns to wear." Ouyang Qianqian smiled faintly, looking up at Xiao Yao: "Then, brother... sigh, why did you leave too?"

Xiao Yao finally squeezed out of the group of girls and left the cafeteria with Yu Luying.

Today, Yu Luying was wearing a very artistic, plain-colored long dress, and brown open-toe buckle shoes. The buckle in the middle separated her nude-colored socks into two sections. It wasn't that this didn't fit Yu Luying's usual style, but it was definitely the first time he'd seen her wear socks like this. Moreover, school uniforms weren't required during these exam days, and it was surprising that Ouyang Qianqian was wearing one while Yu Luying wasn't—it felt like a mix-up—but Xiao Yao wasn't paying attention to analyzing why at the moment.

He explained Shen Jie's situation to Yu Luying, who expressed her full understanding and even planned to go to the hospital with Xiao Yao to help after the exam. However, Xiao Yao declined, saying, "You need to rest well for me."

The last exam in the afternoon was English. English is not difficult for those who know it, and Xiao Yao wanted to use Yu Luying's skills to finish quickly and hand in the paper. However, the last big question was an English-to-Chinese translation question—which was very unusual, because usually the questions were Chinese-to-English translations—the original text was a passage that resembled a poem, something that Yu Luying probably had never seen before.

Xiao Yao thought that he couldn't always take advantage of Yu Luying in every exam. He should try his best to make the most of his skills in writing poetry, something he was quite good at.

"We are moved by this person, and thus our lives will change. Death slowly enlightens people's wisdom, making us gradually realize how necessary it is to greet each other before meeting..."

What is this?

Xiao Yao spent some time translating the text, but he didn't quite understand it himself. When he looked up, the exam was almost over.

He hurriedly handed in his paper and took out his phone.

With only 1% battery remaining and several missed calls, the phone automatically shut down before I could even check it.

Damn!

Xiao Yao rubbed his temples to relieve some of his dizziness, then tidied up his things and prepared to rush to the hospital.

But as soon as I left the exam hall, I ran into that annoying Wang Ming again.

The unexpected encounter happened in the school corridor. Xiao Yao was walking towards the classroom when Wang Ming came out of the front door. He had a dark circle around one eye and his left cheekbone was noticeably swollen.

Xiao Yao was startled and subconsciously took half a step back, assuming a battle formation. Wang Ming, however, only glared at him with hatred, lowered his head, and walked past him.

Xiao Yao ignored Song Haijian's request for everyone to return to the classroom to hear him announce the summer vacation arrangements, and rushed out of the school to ride his bicycle.

Fortunately, after being beaten up, Wang Ming didn't dare to touch his valve core again.

"Xiao Yao!"

As his bicycle sped off, he vaguely heard someone calling him from behind.

Xiao Yao turned around but didn't see anyone. He must have been hallucinating.

do not care.

Xiao Yao rode to the First People's Hospital of Shanghai at lightning speed. He felt that even a professional cyclist—for example, Shen Tianyun—would be this fast.

The emergency room is busier during the day than at night, filled with hurried medical staff and anxious family members. The smell of disinfectant in the air cannot completely mask the unsettling atmosphere mixed with the smell of blood and smoke. Occasionally, a wail or cry comes from somewhere, pounding on Xiao Yao's heart, making him quicken his pace.

"This place is definitely not a good place to rest. Even if she can't be discharged today, she should at least be transferred to a regular ward." He thought to himself, but when he looked up, he saw that the equipment, sheets, and curtains next to Shen Jie's bed were all in a mess, while the bed itself was empty.

He asked a stranger in the next bed, who seemed to have a broken leg, was in a splint, and was groaning softly.

"It seems his condition worsened, and he was rushed to the emergency room. That should be it."

"What?!" What happened to mild pneumonia? How could he be in critical condition after only one day? Are you kidding me?

He reached out and stopped a nurse who was walking by, asking somewhat menacingly, "Where is the emergency room?"

"Go out, turn left, then right at the end, go through the third door, head east, and if you can't find it, look for the signs on the wall." The nurse seemed to be used to this situation and was completely unaffected. She finished speaking quickly and walked away.

"Where are the directional arrows?!" Xiao Yao stood in the hospital corridor, his eyes filled with black and white figures, and he felt dizzy.

"This way, this way, turn right ahead." A jumble of running sounds approached from behind Xiao Yao. He instinctively stepped aside. Several nurses pushed a stretcher and rushed past, surrounded by a few panicked men and women.

Isn't this the direction the emergency room is in?

They must be going to the emergency room!

Thinking of this, Xiao Yao took off after him and finally saw the double doors with a blinding red light rotating on top at the end of a long corridor.

Xiao Yao pressed his hands to his knees, gasped for breath for a while, then looked at the red light, leaned against the wall, and made the sign of the cross in front of his chest.

"Hail Mary, you are full of grace, the Lord is with you, you are blessed among women, and your Son Jesus is also blessed..." The prayer that Yu Luying had memorized so well came to Xiao Yao's lips.

At that moment, he wished the light would go out now, yet he also wished it would never go out.

After an unknown amount of time, the monotonous rotation of the red light abruptly stopped and then turned green. Xiao Yao felt that the oppressive atmosphere in the corridor had dissipated considerably.

A moment later, he saw the double doors open and a stretcher slowly pushed out. Xiao Yao quickly went to meet it. Although the nurse pushing the stretcher was wearing a surgical gown and a mask, her eyes still betrayed her exhaustion and helplessness as she looked at Xiao Yao.

Chapter 94 Melting Heart

2023-01-27

A moment later, he saw the double doors open and a stretcher slowly pushed out. Xiao Yao quickly went to meet it. Although the nurse pushing the stretcher was wearing a surgical gown and a mask, her eyes still betrayed her exhaustion and helplessness as she looked at Xiao Yao.

When Xiao Yao saw the small figure completely covered by a white sheet on the stretcher, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

"Are you a family member? You've finally arrived." The nurse leaned forward and asked Xiao Yao, "Where are your parents?"

Xiao Yao stumbled to his feet and went to meet her, trying with his trembling right hand to lift the white cloth from the girl's face.

However, the nurse reached out and pressed down on the back of his hand.

She lowered her eyes, gently shook her head, but her hands remained firm and strong.

"Now, go find Director Lin to get the surgical consent form and any missing paperwork."

"But I still..." Xiao Yao was already choked up and couldn't speak.

“I understand, I understand. But her current appearance isn’t quite right. Staff will be there to help her tidy up so she can say goodbye with dignity.”

You want me to find Director Lin? Who is Director Lin? It certainly isn't Director Lin from the school.

The nurses pushed the stretcher away, as if they were pushing Xiao Yao's world away with it.

He felt as if he were in a thick fog with thin air, moving his leaden legs, seeing only blurry figures and hearing only his own rapid heartbeat, not knowing where he was going.

Ten years have passed, and we are separated by life and death. I try not to think of you, but I cannot forget you. A lonely grave a thousand miles away, where can I speak of my sorrow?

I searched high and low, from the heavens to the depths of hell, but found nothing.

Do not be sad, do not be sad...

In this deathly silence, random verses, regardless of whether they were appropriate for the occasion, bounced around in his mind.

Impossible, impossible.

Shen Jie will grow up peacefully and safely, marry him when she is 30, and then give birth to a smart, healthy, and lively sports student. That's the right thing to do.

Yes, the butterfly effect. As a seasoned science fiction fan, Xiao Yao certainly knows about the butterfly effect.

But Xiao Yao also knew about the grandmother paradox.

Shen Tianyun's arrival could not have indirectly led to her mother's death; that would be a logical fallacy.

Moreover, if the butterfly effect really works, then the world and the future should have been turned upside down long ago in the month or so since Shen Tianyun appeared.

How could someone die just from getting caught in the rain and developing pneumonia?

Just because I didn't take her to the hospital immediately?

A little over a month ago, I was a happy bastard, a single young man who didn't have to worry about anyone else.

Then God told him that he had a daughter.

And now they're telling him his daughter is gone?!

What is going on here?

……

Xiao Yao's vision slowly brightened, and he found himself sitting in a chair with a table in front of him. Behind the table, a doctor in a white coat was writing something.

"Fill out this form first." The doctor handed over a piece of paper, but didn't look up at Xiao Yao.

Xiao Yao took the paper. There were many words written on it, but he couldn't see them clearly. He had to squint and concentrate, and finally managed to make out a few words in the upper right corner:

The deceased. Surname. First name.

Following this is a horizontal line representing a blank space.

Xiao Yao suddenly had a pen in his hand; he should use it to write the correct name on that horizontal line.

But the pen had become incredibly heavy, so heavy that he couldn't hold it normally. He had to put the paper on the table, grip the pen tightly, and struggle to write on the paper.

When Xiao Yao saw the two characters "Shen Jie" appear crookedly after the four characters "deceased's name," he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and then the pen, paper, and his body all fell to the ground.

When Xiao Yao woke up, he found himself lying diagonally on a clean white hospital bed, with a beautiful nurse adjusting the IV drip bottle hanging high in front of him.

When she saw Xiao Yao open his eyes, she turned around and greeted him, "Shen Tianyun, your boyfriend is awake. Come and see him—haven't your parents arrived yet?"

What? Shen Tianyun's boyfriend? Even if I'm going to hell, you can't just randomly matchmake me with someone like that.

Xiao Yao twisted his body, looked around, and wondered what the hell hospital was for.

Wait a minute, don't rush.

Shen... Shen Tianyun?

When registering Shen Jie yesterday, it seems that "Shen Tianyun" was written instead?

Realizing this, Xiao Yao immediately woke up.