From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

At this moment, I am incredibly glad that I listened to A-Qiu's advice and didn't eat breakfast this morning, otherwise the gastroscopy and colonoscopy would have had to be postponed to the next day.

For the entire morning, I accompanied Su Qing as she shuttled between various departments and examination rooms in the hospital.

Blood tests, X-rays, abdominal ultrasound – one examination after another was completed.

She used to be a little girl who was instinctively afraid of needles and resisted having blood drawn.

Today, however, she was unusually quiet and brave, silently cooperating with all the projects without showing any signs of being spoiled.

I knew in my heart that beneath her calm exterior lay immense panic.

Once the blood test results are available, a gastroscopy and colonoscopy will be scheduled immediately.

A gastroscopy and colonoscopy require general anesthesia, and a family member needs to come and sign the consent form.

I am not Su Qing's immediate family member. I was originally planning to take out my phone and call Su Wan to come and sign the papers.

But Su Qing stopped me abruptly, turned around and told the doctor that I was her boyfriend and that all I needed to do was sign the papers.

Given the urgency of the situation, I didn't dwell on this trivial matter and argue with her.

I had no choice but to go along with her and sign my name.

After signing the consent form, Su Qing was led into the gastrointestinal endoscopy room by medical staff.

I sat alone on the bench outside the door, waiting restlessly.

About half an hour later, Su Qing was wheeled out of the examination room by medical staff.

She had regained consciousness, but the effects of the general anesthesia had not completely worn off, leaving her feeling weak and limp.

Every minute and second spent waiting for the final inspection report felt incredibly long and agonizing.

The hospital corridor was bustling with people and filled with noise. I stayed by her side the whole time, patiently calming her tense and anxious emotions.

"Are you feeling any better now?"

She nodded slightly, and said with a hint of curiosity, "This is my first time having general anesthesia, and it feels really amazing."

"What's so amazing about it?" I couldn't help but ask with a smile.

"I was lying on the examination bed, silently counting in my mind, but before I could even count to five, my consciousness suddenly cut off, and I knew nothing more."

I was amused by her words and tried to lighten my tone: "You're still thinking of enduring the anesthesia? You're overestimating yourself."

The smile on Su Qing's face slowly faded, and she sighed heavily, her voice low and somber: "I just don't know what the final test results will be, what if..."

I quickly interrupted her wild thoughts: "Don't overthink it. It's probably just a common chronic gastrointestinal problem. With proper treatment, it will heal quickly."

Su Qing looked up at me, her eyes wet, her voice soft: "Lin Ye, I'm a little scared."

She, who had always been strong and full of energy, let down her guard in front of me for the first time and revealed her inner fears.

"Don't be afraid. You're in such good spirits today, there won't be any major problems. Don't scare yourself."

She gave another bitter laugh and said in a low voice, "Actually, I've always been weak and sick. I catch a cold and fever almost every month. And once I get a high fever, the situation gets very serious."

After hearing Su Qing's words, the scene of Su Wan and I chatting in the courtyard last night instantly flashed into my mind.

Su Wan told me that Su Qing had been frail and sickly since childhood, and it seems that she wasn't lying.

Perhaps it was because Su Qing was born with poor health that her family members had subconsciously taken extra care of her since she was a child.

However, her parents did not know how to properly interact with their child and always imposed their own ideas on Su Qing.

My heart was set on loving you, but I used the wrong methods.

Over time, this ironically fostered Su Qing's rebellious and stubborn personality as she grew up.

In contrast, Su Wan has been independent and strong-willed since childhood, and everyone's impression of her is that she is mature and sensible.

Even her parents assumed that she didn't need much care, so they gave most of their attention and affection to Su Qing.

It was this imbalance in family care that ultimately shaped the two sisters into two completely opposite personalities.

After spending so much time together, I've come to see it too.

Su Wan appears aloof and doesn't like to fit in, but in reality, she's the one among us who cares most about Su Qing's safety.

Just as my mind was racing with thoughts, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.

I took out my phone, and a message popped up on the screen. The sender was Su Wan.

She messaged me asking, "Have the test results come back yet? How is Su Qing doing?"

If she really didn't care about Su Qing at all, she wouldn't have sent this message in the first place.

This is the second message she has sent us since we arrived at the hospital.

She had already sent a message to inquire about the situation when Su Qing went in for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy.

I replied to her that the examination was not yet finished.

I glanced at Su Qing, who looked preoccupied beside me, but didn't tell her that Su Wan had been concerned about her.

The rift between the two sisters is not something I can resolve with just a few words.

I silently typed a reply: "Still waiting for the results."

Su Wan replied almost instantly: "Let me know when the results come out."

"Um."

I put down my phone and turned to look at Su Qing, who still looked distracted.

I said softly to her, "The report will take a while, and the anesthesia has worn off now, so we can eat. Why don't we go out and find something to eat?"

Su Qing didn't say anything, she just nodded, and I led her away from the hospital building.

I found a local breakfast shop near the hospital and ordered a few local Lhasa specialties.

Su Qing, who usually lights up at the sight of delicious food, had no appetite at all today.

She barely touched the food on her plate. She couldn't get the still-unfinished medical report out of her mind, and she was preoccupied and completely out of sorts.

After lunch, we waited anxiously for another two hours before all the test reports were finally handed to us.

Holding a stack of lab reports, I led Su Qing back to the attending physician's office.

The doctor carefully reviewed all the examination reports page by page, his originally calm and composed expression gradually becoming solemn and serious.

Seeing the doctor's expression, my heart jumped into my throat, and a bad feeling welled up inside me.

"Doctor, how is it? Is the problem serious?" I asked impatiently.

The doctor put down all the reports in his hand, looked up at us, and said in a heavy tone:

"The patient's condition is not simply due to a change in environment or a mild intestinal disorder. It is a chronic, severe damage to the intestinal mucosa caused by long-term irregular eating habits, stimulation from the high-altitude environment, and a weakened immune system, accompanied by functional gastrointestinal disorders."

"To put it simply, her previously hidden chronic enteritis suddenly worsened, and her intestines were showing signs of impending failure. In the early stages, routine examinations could not detect any organic problems, and the test results showed that everything was normal. However, the intestinal mucosa was already severely damaged and repeatedly inflamed, which is why she had persistent abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting."

After hearing the doctor's diagnosis, I was shocked, and my heart sank to the bottom.

Su Qing's face instantly drained of color, turning deathly pale. She frantically asked, "Doctor, is this illness serious?"