Chapter 16: My Heart Beats For You (VII)

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Chapter 16: My Heart Beats For You (VII)

Under Jian Chenfeng’s relentless surveillance, Shang Ke tragically made it all the way to the day of his surgery. In the meantime, he had tried tumbling down the stairs, stepping on soap in the bathroom, rolling out of bed onto the floor…

Unfortunately, reality proved that deliberately smashing the back of one’s head also required technique. Most of the time, he landed on his butt or back. He ended up covered in injuries, yet the back of his head stubbornly survived every one of his increasingly frantic “assassination attempts.”

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten to fight for his right to participate in extreme sports either. Unfortunately, Jian Chenfeng caught him and dragged him back every single time. It was as though the man had planted informants in every club, leaving Shang Ke absolutely no loophole to exploit.

Despite everything Shang Ke put himself through, Jian Chenfeng never suspected the truth. All he knew was that Shang Ke’s condition was steadily worsening. He was frequently dizzy and nauseated, his limbs had grown numb and weak, and even walking had become difficult.

Eventually, Jian Chenfeng simply moved into Shang Ke’s room and personally took care of practically everything for him.

For all his harsh words, Jian Chenfeng was unexpectedly patient when it came to actually caring for him.

Shang Ke couldn’t help thinking that if he were a woman, having a boyfriend like this would probably make him incredibly happy.

In the end, he stopped trying to sabotage himself. If he was going to die, then he would simply die when the time came. Tormenting the people around him like this was becoming too difficult for his conscience to bear.

He could die and have everything end for him in an instant, but the people who cared about him would be left grieving afterward.

A mission was a mission, but Shang Ke had no desire to turn himself into a heartless lunatic obsessed with courting death.

On the day of the surgery, the entire Jiang family came, along with Jian Chenfeng and Jian Xin.

Shang Ke said to his parents, “Dad, Mom, I want to speak to Jian Chenfeng alone for a moment.”

The Jiangs glanced at Jian Chenfeng several times before leaving the hospital room with worried expressions.

Once only the two of them remained, Shang Ke began, “Jian Chenfeng, if something happens to me…”

“Nothing is going to happen!” Jian Chenfeng crouched beside the bed and tightly gripped his hand. “As long as you don’t suddenly snatch the scalpel out of the surgeon’s hand in the middle of the operation and stab yourself in the neck.”

Shang Ke was speechless. “I’ll be under anesthesia. How would I even have the strength to steal the surgeon’s scalpel?”

Jian Chenfeng narrowed his eyes. “So if they weren’t giving you anesthesia, you really would try to take it?”

Shang Ke fell silent.

So in Jian Chenfeng’s eyes, I’m really the kind of person who loves hurting himself that much?

All right. From an outsider’s perspective, he admittedly did look a little obsessed with self-harm…

Several knocks sounded from outside the door.

“Yumo, it’s time to prepare for surgery,” Jiang Donglin reminded him.

“Just a minute,” Shang Ke called toward the door. Then he turned back to Jian Chenfeng. “Jian Chenfeng, promise me that if the surgery fails, you’ll immediately transplant my heart into Jian Xin. You know her condition is getting worse too.”

“Can’t you forget about her for even one moment?” Jian Chenfeng growled. “I can tell that you aren’t completely indifferent to me. Is it because we’re both men that you refuse to accept me? Jiang Yumo, after your surgery, let’s try being together.”

Shang Ke looked at him, as though a thousand unspoken words were hidden in his eyes. After a moment, he said, “Let’s talk about it after the surgery succeeds.”

Jian Chenfeng’s heart gave a violent leap.

He didn’t reject me outright! He actually didn’t reject me!

Not long afterward, the doctors and nurses wheeled Shang Ke into the operating room while everyone else remained outside to wait.

Jiang Donglin walked over to Jian Chenfeng. “Chenfeng, come with me for a moment.”

The two went to the window at the end of the corridor.

“What was that about his heart?” Jiang Donglin asked.

“What?” Jian Chenfeng looked at him.

“I vaguely heard the two of you mention a heart while I was outside the room,” Jiang Donglin said. “Is there something else Yumo has been hiding from us?”

Jian Chenfeng looked out the window. “This really isn’t something that should be kept from you. Yumo signed an organ donation agreement specifically designating his heart for Jian Xin.”

Jiang Donglin stared at him in shock. “When?”

“Not long after he found out about the brain tumor.”

“What?” Jiang Donglin was stunned. He had never imagined that his younger brother would do something like this. “Wait. You’re saying he signed the donation agreement almost immediately after discovering the tumor?”

If he remembered correctly, Yumo’s condition had worsened because Jiang Donglin had shoved him into the wall. Before that, the tumor had still been relatively stable, and his chance of successful treatment had been thirty percentage points higher than it was now.

And even then, Yumo had already prepared to donate his heart.

Jiang Donglin then remembered that after learning about his tumor, Yumo had not only hidden it from the family, but had deliberately delayed treatment as well.

If Jiang Donglin hadn’t accidentally caused him to hit his head, had he intended to keep delaying it indefinitely?

Jiang Donglin’s expression grew grim. He turned toward the operating room, his eyes filled with worry.

“He’ll be fine,” Jian Chenfeng said with absolute certainty.

“Yes. He’ll be fine.” Jiang Donglin closed his eyes and gave a bitter smile. “Do you think I’ve failed terribly as his older brother? I feel like I’ve never truly understood him at all.”

He appeared frivolous and irresponsible, yet his feelings ran this deep.

For Jian Xin, he was apparently willing to give up even his own life.

Jiang Donglin had always believed that he loved Jian Xin deeply. But compared with Yumo, what did his own feelings amount to?

Yumo’s illness had worsened because of him, and even the woman Yumo loved had been taken by him. Given Yumo’s old personality, he should have fought with Jiang Donglin endlessly over it.

Yet Yumo had remained strangely calm.

Thinking back on it now, Jiang Donglin could only assume that Yumo had already decided to sacrifice himself and help bring Jiang Donglin and Jian Xin together.

And Jiang Donglin hadn’t suspected a thing.

If something really happened to Yumo, how could Jiang Donglin possibly stay with Jian Xin afterward with a clear conscience?

The operation lasted a full seven hours.

When the operating light finally went out and the doctor announced that the surgery had been successful, everyone nearly wept with relief and joy.

The doctor did, however, issue a particular warning: they needed to prevent any further blows to Shang Ke’s head as much as possible, or new complications could arise.

The corners of Jian Chenfeng’s mouth lifted slightly, revealing a rare smile.

【Congratulations, Host. Main Mission completed. The Jiang family will no longer suffer Jian Chenfeng’s retaliation. From now on, they will ride the Jian family’s favorable current and prosper all the way.】

The main mission is complete?

Still hazy from the operation, Shang Ke heard the System’s hateful voice.

How did simply having surgery complete the main mission?

【Given the Host’s condition, the surgery originally carried an 80% chance of failure. However, the protagonist of this world hired top neurological specialists for the Host, raising the surgery’s success rate to 65%. Combined with Jian Chenfeng’s protagonist halo, the Host’s originally fatal destiny was successfully overturned.】

Shang Ke: “…”

So protagonist halos really are a heaven-defying thing that actually exists.

【The Host has gloriously survived the Main Mission. The System therefore grants the Host an additional two-year stay in this world. If the Host completes two more death missions during this period without dying, the Host may choose to remain in the current world and live out the rest of this life free of all restrictions.】

A two-year stay? Isn’t that a little too long?

【Because this world is too peaceful, achieving a heroic death is comparatively difficult. The System has therefore specially extended the Host’s stay.】

Shang Ke: …Am I supposed to say thank you?

【You’re welcome.】

【You’re welcome.】

The damn thing is even showing off its English now!

The next day, Shang Ke sat in bed staring blankly into a mirror.

Reflected in the mirror was a bald head wrapped in bandages. His scalp felt empty and drafty, utterly ruining his handsome appearance.

What happened to my Perfect Expression Pack? Why is it completely useless at a time like this?! At least put a blinding halo around my bald head or something!

Just then, Jian Chenfeng opened the door and walked in. Seeing Shang Ke staring solemnly into the mirror, he couldn’t help laughing.

“You can stop looking. You’re still handsome like this.”

Shang Ke gave him a disdainful glance.

Easy for you to say when it isn’t your head. Go shave yourself bald if you’re so confident. You’d go from domineering CEO to freshly released convict in an instant.

“Do you want me to shave my head too?” Jian Chenfeng’s lips curved upward. “Just say the word, and I’ll do it right now.”

Shang Ke put down the mirror and curled his lips. “Forget it. One bald head is shiny enough. Add another and everyone will go blind.”

“I brought you some congee. Have it while it’s warm.” Jian Chenfeng’s expression was gentle, and he was clearly in an excellent mood.

Shang Ke took the bowl. His gaze accidentally met Jian Chenfeng’s deep eyes, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Before the operation, Jian Chenfeng had said that once the surgery was over, the two of them should try being together.

Shang Ke hadn’t directly agreed.

But he hadn’t rejected him either.

So what was he supposed to do now?

If he rejected Jian Chenfeng now, the next two years would inevitably turn into a tangled emotional mess, playing out some melodramatic you love me, but I love her drama.

He would be deceiving himself as much as everyone else.

If he agreed, then Shang Ke would have to do his best to complete the remaining two additional missions and survive them, after which he could choose to remain in this world and spend the rest of his life with Jian Chenfeng.

But Shang Ke had no confidence that he would actually survive those missions.

If he died after entering a relationship with Jian Chenfeng, the damage might be even greater.

This is seriously enough to drive a person insane!

Should he simply give up on the additional missions and find some opportunity to die in an accident instead?

Forget it. I’ll play dead for now and see when the System issues the first additional mission.

Shang Ke held his bowl and concentrated very seriously on drinking his congee.

Elsewhere, Jiang Donglin sat beside Jian Xin’s hospital bed, quietly watching her eat with a dim expression.

“Donglin, what’s wrong?” Jian Xin asked.

Jiang Donglin came back to himself and replied gently, “Xin’er, work has been rather busy lately. I probably won’t have much time to stay with you.”

“Ah? You won’t be able to come see me every day anymore?”

Jiang Donglin silently nodded.

Jian Xin looked disappointed. “Then finish everything as quickly as you can. I’ll wait for you every day.”

“Mm.” Jiang Donglin smiled, but his heart remained heavy.

After learning just how deep Yumo’s supposed feelings for Jian Xin ran, he had decided to withdraw. Whenever he thought about how Yumo had apparently been willing to sacrifice his own life for her, Jiang Donglin could no longer bring himself to continue their relationship as before.

Although Jian Xin had always been prejudiced against Yumo, if she learned everything he had done for her, her opinion of him would undoubtedly change.

It simply wasn’t the right time to break things off yet. Jian Xin’s heart condition meant Jiang Donglin didn’t want to upset her too severely, so he decided to distance himself from her gradually.

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