Chapter 17: My Heart Beats For You (VIII)

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Chapter 17: My Heart Beats For You (VIII)

Half a month later, the bandages around Shang Ke’s head were removed. After a few more days of observation, he would finally be allowed to leave the hospital.

He was now refreshed and full of energy, hardly looking like someone who had recently undergone brain surgery. Every day, he wandered through the garden, chatted with fellow patients, and played chess with them. Life was remarkably comfortable.

The only slightly discordant part of his peaceful life was Jian Chenfeng, who was becoming more and more affectionate toward him. The feelings in the man’s eyes were practically overflowing, especially when the two of them were alone, when he made absolutely no effort to hide them.

Shang Ke was convinced that this guy had to be secretly preparing some devastating move, merely waiting until he was discharged before unleashing it on him once again…

“Donglin, why aren’t you going in?” Jian Chenfeng frowned when he saw Jiang Donglin standing blankly outside Jian Xin’s hospital room.

“No. I don’t want to disturb her rest.” Jiang Donglin turned to leave.

Jian Chenfeng stopped him. “Xin’er said you haven’t come to see her for several days. Have you been busy lately?”

“Mm. I’m handling an important project,” Jiang Donglin replied absentmindedly.

“What project could possibly be so important that you don’t even have time to step inside and see her?” Jian Chenfeng walked over and fixed him with a piercing stare. “Jiang Donglin, since you agreed to be with my sister, then don’t let her down. If I find out you’ve done anything to betray her, I won’t let you off.”

Jiang Donglin looked up at him. “Chenfeng, I’m afraid I can’t stay with your sister anymore.”

“What?”

“After everything Yumo has done for her, I no longer feel qualified to be with her.”

“Are you an idiot?” Jian Chenfeng seized him by the collar. “Xin’er loves you. Her feelings aren’t a prize that goes to whoever sacrifices the most for her. You’re deciding to give her up all by yourself—have you even considered how Xin’er feels?”

Jiang Donglin lowered his eyes. “But I can’t ignore my brother’s feelings either. How painful must it be for him to watch the person he loves happily together with his own older brother?”

“Jiang Donglin, those are nothing but excuses. You’re only doing this to make yourself feel better.” Jian Chenfeng shoved him away. “Your brother understands the situation better than you do. He knew Xin’er loved you, so he didn’t force her. Instead, he chose to step aside and let the two of you be together. And what are you doing? Because you feel guilty and miserable, after hurting your brother once, you’re going to turn around and hurt my sister too? You get to ease your conscience, walk away, and leave everyone else to clean up the mess?”

“Jian Chenfeng, I’m not trying to shirk responsibility.” Jiang Donglin spoke seriously. “I only want to give Jian Xin another chance to choose and let her get to know Yumo again. If the two of them still can’t be together in the end, then I’ll do everything I can to win Jian Xin back.”

Jian Chenfeng sneered. “You decide she should choose again, so she has to choose again? And whenever you decide you want her back, you think you can simply pursue her again? Jiang Donglin, I really misjudged you. I always thought you were a responsible man, but it turns out you’re just a self-righteous hypocrite. Leave. My sister’s feelings aren’t yours to allocate however you please.”

Jiang Donglin closed his eyes. After softly saying, “I’m sorry,” he quickly walked away.

“Miss!”

A frightened cry suddenly came from inside the hospital room.

Jian Chenfeng hurried inside and found Jian Xin sitting in her wheelchair, clutching her chest with a painfully strained expression.

“Xin’er!” Jian Chenfeng steadied her and helped the attendant give her medicine.

“Brother, Brother…” Jian Xin clutched Jian Chenfeng’s arm tightly, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to lose Donglin. Brother, help me bring him back, please?”

“All right. Don’t get worked up. I’ll call him and make him come back later.” Jian Chenfeng soothed her gently, though a cold glint flashed through his eyes.

At that moment, Shang Ke was taking a leisurely walk through the garden when the System’s voice abruptly rang through his mind:

【Additional Mission 1: Help Jian Xin obtain a transplantable heart.】

Shang Ke’s expression froze.

System, could you possibly be any more shameless? You just had to wait until after my surgery succeeded before issuing this additional mission! If I’d known beforehand, I would’ve at least grabbed a brick and smashed myself over the head a few times before the operation!

What am I supposed to do now? Sacrifice myself all over again?

Then again, the System hadn’t explicitly said he had to use his own heart. Finding another suitable heart for Jian Xin should also count.

The problem was that the process of completing the mission had to be genuinely life-threatening and meet the conditions of being both “heroic” and “sacrificial.”

That presented Shang Ke with a real problem. Donor hearts weren’t cabbages that he could simply grab by the armful. Not only were they scarce, they also had to be compatible. Even with the Jian family’s wealth and resources, they still hadn’t found a suitable donor.

What chance did he have?

While he was thinking, Shang Ke spotted Jiang Donglin hurrying out of the hospital and heading straight for the parking lot.

Shang Ke hurried after him for a few steps, intending to say hello, but Jiang Donglin never even looked back before getting into his car and speeding away.

“Why’s he in such a hurry?” Shang Ke rubbed his fuzzy, closely cropped head.

When Shang Ke returned to his hospital room, he happened to run into Jian Chenfeng coming from Jian Xin’s side of the ward.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’re in a terrible mood.” Looking at Jian Chenfeng’s dark expression, which resembled someone suffering severe constipation, Shang Ke couldn’t help asking.

“Your brother was just here.”

“Mm. And?”

Jian Chenfeng glanced at him. “He plans to break up with Jian Xin.”

“Break up? Why?”

What kind of convoluted plot twist happened while I wasn’t paying attention?

“He wants to step aside and give you a chance with Jian Xin.”

“Give her to me?”

Did water get into his brain? You either love someone or you don’t. Since when can feelings simply be handed over from one person to another?

Jian Chenfeng stared directly at him. “If they break up, will you pursue Jian Xin?”

“Never mind that for now. I want to know why he thinks he needs to ‘give’ Jian Xin to me.”

Am I really so pathetic that someone has to hand me a relationship out of pity? That’s practically an insult to my personal charm!

“He found out that you intended to give your heart to Jian Xin, so he feels he no longer has the right to compete with you.”

Shang Ke was speechless.

Sorry. I really didn’t mean for that to happen…

“I think he’s simply too proud. Besides, he’s been used to giving way to me since we were children. This time is probably no different.” Shang Ke held his cup in both hands and lightly bit the rim.

Jian Chenfeng’s gaze settled on his lips. “Then what do you think?”

Shang Ke took a sip of water. “Feelings aren’t candy. You can’t just say you’re giving them away and expect someone else to take them. And even if you could, who knows what kind of strange taste you’d end up with once it reached your mouth?”

Jian Chenfeng’s eyes brightened slightly. “Can I take that to mean you’re planning to let go of your feelings for her?”

Hey, do you have to look that radiant about it? Could you possibly make yourself any more obvious?

Unable to stand the sight of his glowing expression, Shang Ke deliberately asked with great expectation, “What if I don’t want to give up? Will you help me pursue Jian Xin?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Jian Chenfeng’s face immediately darkened.

Hehe.

“So when you asked what I thought, you were only testing me, weren’t you?” Shang Ke gave him an I saw through you ages ago expression. “You were never going to give me a chance to pursue Jian Xin in the first place.”

“That’s right.” Jian Chenfeng answered without hesitation. “I’ve already claimed you. Don’t even think about escaping me for the rest of this life.”

Unfortunately, this life of mine may be very short…

Shang Ke lowered his eyes and fell silent.

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