From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

The doctor carefully chose his words and slowly explained, "This illness isn't considered an acute or fatal one, but it's very troublesome to treat. It's a stubborn, chronic, and severe gastrointestinal condition. It can't be completely cured in a short time. In the later stages, you must strictly avoid certain foods, take medication on time, and recuperate. You absolutely cannot overwork yourself, stay up late, or get chilled."

The doctor paused for a moment, then looked at us and asked, "Are you here in Lhasa for tourism?"

I nodded slightly, without bringing up the plan to cross the no-man's-land.

The doctor said solemnly, "Then I suggest you return home to recuperate as soon as possible. Her current physical condition is not suitable for her to continue staying in the oxygen-deficient high-altitude area. Her diet and daily routine must be strictly regulated. If she continues to travel and overwork, her condition will continue to deteriorate, eventually developing into ulcerative colitis, and even triggering a series of dangerous complications."

Just then, clinging to her last glimmer of hope, Su Qing asked, "Then... can I still enter the no-man's land?"

Upon hearing this question, the doctor showed a hint of surprise, and said decisively, "Absolutely not. Given your current physical condition, entering the no-man's-land is strictly prohibited."

"The no-man's-land is at a high altitude, with thin air and harsh climate conditions. There is absolutely no guarantee of food and lodging, and you will have to travel at a high intensity along the way. Your current digestive system simply cannot withstand this kind of exertion. Forcing your way in will only directly aggravate your condition, induce acute illness, and in severe cases, even endanger your life."

These words felt like a huge boulder weighing a ton, crashing down on Su Qing and me.

After months of preparation, they traveled thousands of miles to get here.

This long-awaited expedition through the no-man's-land was thus completely out of Su Qing's reach.

Actually, I had a vague idea of ​​this ending long ago.

Su Qing stood frozen in the clinic, completely motionless.

The light in her eyes gradually dimmed, and a deep sense of loss swept over her face.

She slowly lowered her head, her eyes quickly reddening, and her voice trembled with a sob:

"So... I can't go to the no-man's-land with everyone, right?"

My heart ached and throbbed, as if a wad of cotton was tightly blocking my chest, making it hard to breathe. All I could do was nod heavily at her.

"Well. For your health and safety, you can't go this time."

Su Qing lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She bit her lower lip hard, desperately trying to hold back her tears.

Standing beside her, looking at her like this, I felt a sharp pain in my heart, as if I were being pricked by needles.

After months of anticipation and gritting their teeth to persevere, just when they were about to reach the no-man's-land, they were stopped at the door by an inspection report.

I reached out and gently patted her back, whispering to comfort her, "Okay, don't try to tough it out. Let's go outside and talk about it."

Su Qing didn't speak, but simply gave a soft "hmm," her voice thick with a nasal tone.

I carefully put away the thick stack of test reports and helped her slowly walk out of the examination room.

The sunlight outside the hospital was dazzling, but when it fell on Su Qing, it seemed to have no warmth at all.

She remained silent the whole way, no longer chattering as usual, and quietly followed beside me.

We walked down to a quiet bench in the hospital and sat down.

Su Qing turned her head to look at the pedestrians passing by in the distance, and the tears she had been holding back for so long finally flowed out.

"I'm really not reconciled. I persevered all the way to Lhasa, why did I have to give up at the last minute?"

"More than anyone else, I want to follow you into the no-man's land, to see the wilderness and snow-capped mountains with my own eyes, and to finish this live broadcast."

"In the end... I still dragged everyone down."

I looked at her, my heart filled with mixed emotions.

"It's not your fault. No one can predict when they'll have health problems, and no one will blame you. Life is always more important than a trip."

Su Qing gave a bitter smile and wiped away her tears: "I understand all the reasons, but I still feel terrible."

Just then, my phone vibrated again with a "ding".

I could guess without even looking that it was probably a message from Su Wan again.

I took out my phone, and sure enough, a WeChat message from Su Wan popped up on the screen: "Have the results come out yet? What exactly happened?"

I stared down at the screen, then turned to look at Su Qing, who was looking dejected beside me.

After a brief hesitation, I typed out the test results to her in detail.

The message was sent in less than ten seconds.

Su Wan made a phone call right away.

I glanced at Su Qing, got up, took a few steps to the side, and pressed the answer button.

A cold, urgent voice came through the receiver: "Are you still in the hospital?"

"Yes, it's downstairs."

"Stay where you are and don't move. I'm coming right away."

Before I could even say anything, she hung up the phone.

Now I don't know how to explain this to Su Qing.

After standing there for a while, I walked back to the bench.

Su Qing looked up at me and asked, "Was that my sister calling?"

I paused for a moment, then nodded gently without hiding anything: "Yes, she'll be there soon."

Upon hearing that Su Wan was coming, Su Qing's emotions, which had just calmed down, instantly turned cold again.

She frowned, somewhat annoyed, and said, "Why did you tell her?"

"She's been concerned about your test results. She's asked me twice since we entered the hospital. She has the right to know the results."

Su Qing's face grew increasingly pale, and she turned her head away in a huff, saying, "I don't need her fake concern."

"Su Qing, calm down. She's not faking her concern."

But at that moment, she couldn't hear a word I said, and a layer of defensive spikes rose up around her.

About twenty minutes later, a gray Mercedes-Benz G-Class pulled up in front of the hospital.

Su Wan quickly got out of the car.

She didn't even have time to change out of her black windbreaker; she moved quickly, her eyes immediately searching for the two of us in the crowd.

She soon spotted Su Qing on the bench.

Su Wan walked quickly to us, her gaze first falling on Su Qing's red, tear-filled eyes, her brows instantly furrowing.

She looked at Su Qing and asked anxiously as soon as she spoke, "How are you feeling?"

But these words of concern, when heard by Su Qing, were more like a fuse.

Su Qing suddenly raised her head, and all the grievances she had been holding back all the way, as well as her long-standing resentment towards her sister, burst forth at once.

Are you satisfied now?

"The results are in: I'm sick and can't go to the no-man's-land. Isn't this the result you've all wanted?"

Upon hearing this, Su Wan froze on the spot.

A hint of surprise flashed across her cool face, but she quickly suppressed it.

She was silent for a moment before speaking in a low, earnest voice:

"I didn't want you to get sick. I was against you going into the no-man's-land from the beginning, but I was worried about your health, not that I wanted to see you suffer."