From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

The last rays of the setting sun slowly disappeared along the window sill of the ward, and the neon lights of the city outside lit up one after another. Warm light wafted in through the glass, filling the entire ward.

Su Qing leaned gently on my shoulder, her breathing soft and even, her long eyelashes drooping, her eyes filled with anticipation for the days to come.

I held her warm, soft palm, and could feel her steady pulse beating through my fingertips. I had already quietly made my plans.

The following week, I was completely caught up in the cycle of running between two places.

During the day, I focused almost all my attention on taking care of Su Qing, accompanying her to her post-operative check-ups and anti-inflammatory treatments on time. Even at night, I would wake up and reach out to check the temperature of her forehead.

Once she calmed down, I moved a chair to sit by her bedside, opened my laptop, and started handling the remaining preparatory matters for the media company, drafting contracts and reviewing venue information.

These days have been the most peaceful and secure time I've ever felt in a long time.

Looking back, my initial intention was simple and meager: I just wanted to earn more money to treat my mother's illness and improve our impoverished life.

But now, above all these goals, I have an even heavier longing in my heart.

I want to give Su Qing a home.

I know her family is well-off and they never lack material things.

But the sense of security and belonging that I can personally give her is completely different from what her family of origin provides.

Su Qing's recovery speed far exceeded the doctor's initial estimate, and her mindset visibly improved little by little.

She is inherently resilient, but she is naturally afraid of pain and needles. After getting through the most difficult part of the surgery, she was very disciplined in her subsequent recovery.

Before we knew it, it was time for the follow-up appointment a week later.

The attending physician, holding a stack of printed test reports, flipped through them page by page and said to us:

"The recovery is excellent. The wound has healed completely without inflammation or fluid buildup, and all vital signs have returned to normal."

Su Qing's eyes lit up immediately, and she leaned forward eagerly to ask, "Doctor, can I be discharged now?"

The doctor smiled and nodded slowly: "You can be discharged and go home to rest. Just come back for follow-up check-ups as scheduled."

Su Qing's eyes gleamed with anticipation as she pressed on, "How long will it take for me to recover to my pre-surgery state?"

Just as the doctor was about to answer, my heart tightened, and I spoke first:

"Don't think that far ahead. Go back and focus on recovering. You'll be back to normal in no time."

Su Qing pouted slightly and turned her head to look at me: "I just want to have a general idea of ​​how long it will take."

I never expected her to ask this question in front of the doctor. The excuse I gave her beforehand was not something I had discussed with the doctor beforehand.

As she looked at the doctor again, awaiting his reply, the doctor finally spoke slowly:

"It will take at least six months. During this recovery period, walking and light activities are fine, but high-intensity or strenuous exercise must be avoided. Please remember this."

"Huh? Half a year?"

Su Qing froze, and the light on her face instantly faded.

She turned to look at me, her voice tinged with grievance: "Didn't you tell me before that it would take about a month to get better?"

A sudden panic gripped my heart.

To alleviate her pre-operative fear, I deliberately told her that she would recover in a month; I lied.

Now that she has heard the doctor say it would take six months, she is inevitably feeling a huge sense of disappointment.

Upon hearing this, the doctor looked somewhat bewildered, but still patiently explained:

"A month is far from enough for a full recovery. Strictly speaking, this is not a minor surgery, so we can't rush it."

Su Qing's face gradually darkened, her disappointment clearly written on her face.

I quickly nodded to the doctor: "Okay, thank you for your hard work. We will definitely follow the doctor's orders strictly."

After receiving the discharge certificate, I accompanied Su Qing out of the doctor's office.

The corridor was dimly lit by white lights, and patients and their families passed by from time to time.

She stopped and turned to look at me, asking seriously, "You told me it would take a month to recover, were you deliberately lying to me?"

My heart sank. After a brief silence, I could only honestly say, "Su Qing, I'm sorry, I... I lied to you."

Su Qing looked at me quietly: "So you deliberately told me it only takes a month?"

I nodded gently and quickly added, "I just wanted to put your mind at ease and reduce the stress before the surgery; I didn't mean to hide it from you."

To my surprise, she wasn't angry. She just said somewhat dejectedly, "But it'll be six months. Does that mean I won't have a chance to go on the Terra route?"

Before I could reply, she looked up at me again: "By the way, did you resubmit the application for the Terra route?"

I kept the fact that the Terra line had been approved a secret from her.

I was worried that she would feel very burdened after the surgery, as she was already sensitive, and if she found out that the approval had been granted but she couldn't go with me.

But right now, we've just had a big fuss over the lie about the recovery period, and if we continue to hide the news about the approval process...

That would no longer be a well-intentioned reassurance, but rather a sign of distrust.

She'll find out about this sooner or later, and it will really hurt our relationship once she discovers that I've kept two things from her.

After weighing the options in my mind, I decided to stop hiding it and tell the truth.

"Su Qing, I have something to tell you, but don't get excited after you hear it."

She looked at me with a puzzled expression, waiting quietly for me to continue.

"The Terra Line has actually already been approved."

Upon hearing this, Su Qing's eyes lit up, and she instantly became excited: "Really? You resubmitted the application?"

I nodded emphatically: "I didn't reapply. The application that was rejected before was later approved via text message."

"That's great!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the joy on her face quickly faded, and her tone became low.

Without much thought, I blurted out, "It's okay, if we can't go, we won't go."

Su Qing immediately shook her head and quickly retorted, "No way, you know how difficult it is to get approval for the Terra line. Besides, we desperately need this live stream right now to maintain the traffic we built up in the no-man's-land."

She paused, then continued earnestly, "Besides, the authorities finally got the approval. If you give up now, what will they think of us?"

Su Qing is right.

I still don't understand why the application that was initially rejected was approved again.

But approval means that the authorities recognize us.

This is not as simple as just taking an adventure route.

Of all the outdoor bloggers online, none have received official endorsement yet.

If we can successfully complete this shoot, this recognition will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As for me, when I submitted the application, my plan was to travel the Terra route with Su Qing. All the documents I submitted were for both of us.

She can't come along, so it's not appropriate for me to go alone.

Even if you're traveling alone, you still have to re-report and change your travel companions, going through a complicated reporting process.

As I weighed the pros and cons in my mind, Su Qing suddenly spoke up: "Go ahead, don't worry about me. I'll stay home and take care of the logistics."