The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

"Snapped!"

Xu Nian snatched the phone, hung up, blocked the number, and turned it off in one swift motion.

"Brother...I'm sorry..."

The girl lowered her head in shame, tears welling up in her eyes.

Xu Nian bent down and gently hugged her.

"Don't overthink it, they just dialed the wrong number."

The girl burst into tears.

She hasn't earned enough for her brother to own a house and a car, yet she's burdened him with debts comparable to both combined.

If I had known this would happen, I should have given up on treatment sooner and shouldn't have held my brother back.

The boy buried his head in the girl's hair, sobbing uncontrollably as well.

In fact, he had already borrowed from every online lending platform he could find.

So what if he's burdened with debt? This is the girl he loves most.

He hated himself, hated his own incompetence. If he had unlimited wealth, how could he have just watched this white rose wither before his eyes...

......

The two of them held each other and cried until the sunset faded, until the stars of Hoshino Pyongyang faded.

Xu Nian forced back her tears, released the girl in her arms, and got up to walk towards the kitchen.

In just a few hours, the clock will be ticking towards tomorrow.

Before I leave today, I want to make sure my younger sister has this hot meal of dumplings.

Once tomorrow arrives, it means they'll lose a significant portion of their time together.

Xu Xi stopped crying and went into the kitchen to help the boy with his work.

She knew that she only had a month and a half left to live.

Every minute and every second is precious.

We shouldn't waste time crying.

She still has so much to say and so many things to do in the rest of her life.

As for tears, they will fall to the heavens and transform into gentle rain to nourish all things.

Perhaps the white roses growing in that flowerbed can replace me, paving the way for my brother's future life with fragrance.

......

The pot lid rose and fell, releasing wisps of steam.

This pot of fragrant dumplings is larger and plumper than usual.

It's bulging and plump, like a soup dumpling.

Xu Nian carefully picked them out with chopsticks, trying not to break the dough of each dumpling.

After it was served, the girl began to eat heartily before the food had cooled down.

One bite, and the rich, fragrant juice burst forth, splashing onto the boy across the table.

"I'm sorry, brother!"

The girl quickly took out tissues and wiped the boy's body clean of the juice.

"It's okay, how does it taste?"

Xu Nian stared nervously at the girl, anticipating her evaluation.

This was an innovation of his in the filling, which included many ingredients with high water content.

The goal is to ensure that with each bite, a burst of flavorful broth will ooze out.

As the old saying goes, the most blissful thing to eat is a dumpling that bursts with juice.

He wanted to experience as much happiness as possible in the little time his sister had left.

"It tastes great, very delicious!"

"Brother, these are the best dumplings I've ever eaten!"

Xu Xi couldn't remember the last time she had eaten so much oily food.

Back then, she still had inexhaustible energy, able to take her brother around and chase after everything she loved.

She ate with great relish, swallowing one whole in one gulp, locking all the juices that symbolized happiness inside her mouth.

It's as if all the appetite I've lost this year is being made up for in this one meal.

Xu Nian sat down, picked up a round dumpling, blew on it, and took a bite.

"Pfft!"

A stream of juice crossed the table and splashed onto the girl opposite.

The girl was stunned for a few seconds, blinked her beautiful peach blossom eyes, thought for a while, and then made a face of embarrassment and anger.

"Oh, brother! You actually got revenge on me!"

Then, she found the plumpest dumpling, aimed at the boy, and took a big bite.

"Pfft!"

"Oh ho, you think you're all grown up now, huh!"

Just as Xu Nian was about to apologize, she was drenched in soup so hot that she couldn't open her eyes.

He picked up a dumpling, aimed it at the girl, and took a bite.

"Pfft!"

"Haha, brother! You missed!"

"Pfft!"

...

The two kept stuffing dumplings into their mouths, dodging the juices that burst from each other while trying to find ways to attack one another.

On this day, the girl smiled more than she had in the entire previous year combined.

Boys too.

But as he was laughing, he suddenly started crying.

How wonderful it would be if he could always be with the girl he loves, playfully bickering like this.

He would be willing to toil forever and bear countless debts for the rest of his life.

The soup masked her tears, preventing the smiling girl from seeing her embarrassment.

......

After finishing her meal, Xu Xi's pretty face gradually lost its color, her breathing became increasingly disordered, and her mental state began to decline.

Is it because the medication has worn off?

Xu Nian hurriedly found the box of medicine, wanting to feed her sister another pill.

After opening the package, he remembered that Director Huang had told him to eat no more than one a day.

"Brother...I'm so sleepy..."

The girl yawned softly, tilted her head, and leaned against the boy's chest.

Xu Nian slowly stood up, picked her up, moved her to the bedroom, and placed her on the soft mattress.

As he was about to leave to wash the dishes, a small hand grabbed the hem of his clothes.

"Brother...let's sleep together..."

Xu Nian paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Washing the dishes tomorrow isn't out of the question.

He took off his coat, lay down in bed, and gently embraced the girl's petite body.

Her body was so cold, like a piece of frozen jerky.

He felt extremely sorry for her, so he picked her up and placed her on his body, using his own body heat to warm her.

The girl's lips curled up slightly, her cheek pressed against the boy's chest, revealing a faint smile.

"Brother...I love you so much..."

"I love you so much too..."

Xu Nian held the girl tightly, gently stroking her hair with his palm.

Her once thick, black hair has thinned so much that it can be held in the palm of one hand.

I long to see her again, with her cascading, soft hair.

"Xiaoxi, be my girlfriend."

She had promised him that she would become his lover after she recovered from her illness.

But he will never live to see that day.

He wanted to spend the last part of the girl's life with her as her boyfriend.

Even if it's only for a month and a half.

Xu Xi smiled sweetly, closed her eyes, and kissed the boy's chapped lips.

She did not agree.

On her birthday night, when she was taken to the hospital and saw Huang Jianjun's face, she knew that she had lost her future.

So even when she saw the boy she loved again, she only gave the most vague answer.

When I recover from my illness, that's when we'll hold hands.

She is a person with no tomorrow.

But my brother can have countless tomorrows.

She was not worthy to be his lover, to occupy this most precious title.

But he will always exist in her heart, even if the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, even if they are separated by life and death.

......