Terminal Illness

Taking advantage of a break in Jiang Manman's dancing, Li Yang took out his phone and called Yue Xiaodan. The two spent quite a while being lovey-dovey over the phone, while Yue Xiaodan had secretly slipped into the office, seemingly with endless sweet nothings to share with him.

They talked for nearly half an hour before an employee outside came looking for Yue Xiaodan to handle a clothing quality issue. In the end, they reluctantly hung up.

"Darling, I'm exhausted." Li Yang had just settled down from his earlier excitement when Jiang Manman threw herself into his arms in a fragrant rush, her forehead covered in sweat.

Li Yang quickly took some tissues from Manman's bag and wiped her face. "Look at you, silly girl. Couldn't you rest for a while?"

"Let's rest a bit, then we can walk around some more." Jiang Manman took a sip of the water she had brought, then lay on Li Yang's lap and rested comfortably in the breeze.

Afterward, the two held hands and wandered around for a few more laps before deciding to head down the mountain. When they reached the final set of steps, Jiang Manman shamelessly clung to Li Yang's back and refused to get down. In the end, Li Yang had no choice but to let her have her way and carried her all the way down.

"Hehe, not bad. Here's your reward." Li Yang had barely set Jiang Manman down when she immediately rewarded him with a fiery kiss.

After a passionate kiss as though no one else existed, they went to browse a large supermarket nearby. When they passed the menswear section, Jiang Manman insisted on dragging Li Yang in to buy him an outfit. Unable to withstand her gentle coaxing, Li Yang eventually picked out a light-colored short-sleeved shirt and jeans. Jiang Manman nodded happily and said he looked handsome.

After buying some fruit and snacks, Li Yang took her back to the residential complex.

"Walk me upstairs," Jiang Manman said, pouting unwillingly.

"Come on, silly girl." Li Yang mischievously smacked Jiang Manman's perky butt. Not to be outdone, she sneak-attacked him in return, and the two kept laughing as they playfully fought.

When they reached the third floor and were about to leave the stairwell, Jiang Manman suddenly grabbed Li Yang and wrapped herself around him like a snake. Li Yang had no choice but to hold her up so she would not fall.

Under Li Yang's passionate kisses, they did not part lips until Jiang Manman's face was flushed like a peach blossom...

Finally, Jiang Manman planted several loud kisses on Li Yang's neck, putting an adorable full stop to their final goodbye.

"Get down already. Don't you know how much you weigh?"

"Ugh, you're so annoying!" Jiang Manman reluctantly jumped down.

"Alright, Niu Niu, go home and sleep. I should get going too. You wear me out every day!" Li Yang said with a smile, rubbing Jiang Manman's cheek.

"Then remember to miss me," Jiang Manman said. She looked back with every step as she walked to her door, waved at Li Yang, and went inside.

"Got it. Rest early. Bye-bye."

Li Yang returned her a handsome smile and stood there watching Jiang Manman enter her home before turning to leave.

Lao Zhao had recently been feeling unwell from time to time, but he had always been busy with work and life, with no time to see a doctor. Until one day, he finally made time to go to the hospital for a full physical examination. The result left him utterly stunned: Late-Stage Liver Cancer!

The news struck Lao Zhao like a bolt from the blue. He could not accept such a cruel reality. After careful consideration, he made a difficult decision—to hide his illness and tell no one. He did not want to burden or hurt his family, nor did he want them to worry. He only wanted to quietly live out his remaining days and enjoy his final moments.

However, fate did not seem to favor Lao Zhao. After a detailed examination, the doctors discovered that his condition was far worse than they had imagined. Years of excessive smoking, drinking, and other bad habits had left nearly every organ in his body with problems of varying severity. The situation was extremely serious. The doctor told him that if he had come earlier, there might have been hope, but it was too late now. Even if Hua Tuo were alive, he probably could not save him.

Hearing those words, Lao Zhao felt utterly desolate. He knew he did not have much time left, but he still chose to remain silent and refused to tell anyone about his illness. He hoped to leave this world quietly, without bringing too much pain and sorrow to those around him.

At the doctor's suggestion, Lao Zhao was told not to carry too much psychological burden, to live well, and to bravely accept the truth.

Lao Zhao sat beneath the shade trees outside the hospital, smoking as he reflected on the journey of his life.

He felt that his life had been worthwhile. He had married Wang Jingjuan, a wife as beautiful as a fairy, and had two daughters who inherited their mother's genes. Each was a lovely young beauty. Whenever the villagers mentioned him, they said Lao Zhao must have done great deeds in his previous life to enjoy such a happy little life.

The more Lao Zhao thought about it, the happier he became, and he could not help laughing aloud. But then he sighed and muttered to himself, "It's just that I won't be able to stay by their side anymore..."

He decided to use his limited remaining time to do more for his family.

Then Lao Zhao took the last cigarette from his pack and used his lighter to set the Late-Stage Liver Cancer examination report in his hand on fire. He watched the small flame slowly shrink from large to small before gradually going out, as though it foretold Lao Zhao's brief yet happy life...

In the days that followed, Lao Zhao acted as though nothing had happened. He ate and drank as usual, and his work was never delayed. He was simply more diligent and proactive than before. He volunteered for every dirty or tiring job, and no matter where the delivery order was headed, Lao Zhao accepted it all without a word of complaint.

He quietly waited for the little time left on life's countdown.

At noon that day, Lao Zhao called Wang Jingjuan as usual and told her not to make lunch for him because he was out making deliveries and would not be back.

In truth, Lao Zhao did not want Wang Jingjuan to notice any outward signs of his illness.

Avoiding close contact as much as possible was best. Fortunately, the two had slept in separate rooms for years. Other than eating dinner together at night, they each kept busy with their own things. Lao Zhao liked playing mahjong, though the stakes in the village were never high. After dinner, Wang Jingjuan would go jogging and dance in the public square as usual, and sometimes she sang a few songs at home.

Over the years, apart from a few close girlfriends, Wang Jingjuan had basically never fit in with the villagers. They spent every day gossiping behind people's backs because they had nothing better to do. Wang Jingjuan could not be bothered with that nonsense.

That afternoon, Li Yang came over again after getting off work. Once they had finished eating, Li Yang quickly cleaned up. Wang Jingjuan's soft body entered the kitchen, and she wrapped her arms around Li Yang's sturdy waist from behind like a gentle little cat.

Without another word, Li Yang kissed the full red lips he had long been waiting for and entwined himself with Wang Jingjuan's sweet little tongue...

After a round of pleasure, Li Yang scooped up Wang Jingjuan, whose entire body had gone limp, and carried her into her bedroom. The two lay on the bed, holding each other tightly, unwilling to part even for a moment...

"Did you like it?" Li Yang kissed Wang Jingjuan for a long time without tiring before finally letting her go.

Wang Jingjuan did not answer. She took the initiative to kiss Li Yang, not wanting to stop for even a moment...

Forty minutes later, Li Yang slowly released Wang Jingjuan, who had fallen asleep in his arms. He gently kissed her, got dressed, and swayed out of the house.

"My poor old back!"

Walking down the street, Li Yang sighed inwardly. Married women really were the deadliest. He had learned that lesson thoroughly!

Yue Xiaodan and Jiang Manman had never made Li Yang feel unable to keep up.

Lost in wild thoughts, Li Yang slowly walked back to the store. He happened to run into Lao Zhao, who seemed to be heading out on a delivery, still wearing his usual cheerful expression.

"Little bro, why are you late?"

"Hehe, I overslept," Li Yang replied casually.

"Watch yourself with that young girlfriend of yours. Don't wait until you're my age to realize you regret it."

Lao Zhao gave Li Yang that advice openly.

"Got it, bro. I'm going to work. You be careful too." The two brushed past each other on the stairs, never expecting that this encounter would become their last chance to meet in this lifetime.

That afternoon, Lao Zhao had to make several deliveries to Yanshi. He normally took the regular road, but for some reason, he suddenly turned onto the highway toll station in the New District and planned to get off near Yanshi.

Whenever he traveled far, he drove the company's logistics truck. Lao Zhao drove steadily along the way, with a full load of home appliances in the back that customers had purchased for their recent marriage.

Perhaps everything was fated...

If Lao Zhao had not taken the highway, perhaps his ending would have been different. But ifs were only ifs...

Suddenly, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour. Lao Zhao had no choice but to slow down and turn on the windshield wipers. His vision blurred, and he could only focus even harder.

However, at that moment, a horrific traffic accident occurred not far from Lao Zhao...

A sedan lost control while trying to avoid another vehicle and crashed into the guardrail. Thick smoke poured from its front end. Without hesitation, Lao Zhao pulled over in the emergency lane and rushed toward the accident scene.

He found a driver and a passenger trapped inside. The driver had already lost consciousness, while the passenger was badly injured. Lao Zhao tried to open the door, but it had jammed. He searched around for a tool and eventually found a fire extinguisher. Using it, he smashed open the window and pulled the passenger out.

However, when he returned to rescue the driver, the sedan suddenly caught fire, and the flames quickly spread. Ignoring the danger, Lao Zhao rushed into the car again and tried to drag the driver out. But just as he was about to succeed, the fire surged even more fiercely, and Lao Zhao was swallowed by the flames.

In the end, firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze. But Lao Zhao had already died a heroic death. His brave actions moved everyone at the scene. People all said that Lao Zhao was a true hero and that his deeds would forever be remembered.

Jiamei Appliances' Luoyang branch and Wang Jingjuan both received notification calls after the incident. After hearing the police officer's account, Wang Jingjuan, who had been at work, went completely blank. Then, as if by reflex, she picked up the phone and called Li Yang, telling him everything in detail.

Everyone was soon busy beyond measure. Li Yang immediately had Wang Jingjuan drive him to the relevant department handling the traffic accident.

The vehicle Lao Zhao had been driving was also brought back.

Relevant personnel from the company came to handle the aftermath of the accident as well.

Li Yang accompanied Wang Jingjuan through every step of the process. At a time like this, no one cared what their relationship was. As a man, Li Yang still took on the responsibility.

Although Lao Zhao had an older brother who was the village chief, the two families had barely interacted because of their father's favoritism back then. They usually only exchanged greetings when they met. A few years earlier, after their father passed away and the funeral arrangements were finished, Lao Zhao and his brother divided their father's assets equally.

The eldest brother took over some of the businesses on his own initiative and converted Lao Zhao's share into cash—a full one million yuan. It showed that their father, despite being a village official his whole life, had left behind quite a substantial inheritance.

Over the following days, Wang Jingjuan told both daughters everything, and they returned home as well. The whole family was immersed in grief.

With Li Yang and Wang Jingjuan carefully following up, the subsequent matters were quickly settled.

Jiamei Appliances used Lao Zhao's deeds as promotional material, causing a powerful response nationwide. Its reputation soared to the top of the industry, and the company's stock price rose sharply as well. It was truly unexpected.

The headquarters quickly made a decision to provide 800,000 yuan in compensation for Lao Zhao's righteous act, which also gave the company positive publicity. With the company's help, the insurance Lao Zhao had purchased soon paid out a full 400,000 yuan. After learning of Lao Zhao's family, the family he had saved all came together and brought their entire savings of 300,000 yuan to Wang Jingjuan. They insisted that she accept it, saying otherwise they would never be able to face the elder brother who had died saving them.

The cause of Lao Zhao's illness gradually vanished forever along with his life.

His compensation totaled 1.5 million yuan, consisting of money from the company, the insurance, and the people he had rescued. As Lao Zhao's family member, Wang Jingjuan collected the compensation with a heavy heart. Holding the security Lao Zhao had left behind for her and their daughters' future, tears welled in Wang Jingjuan's eyes.

The two daughters seemed to understand each other without words. They hugged each other and cried their hearts out. Lao Zhao had never laid a hand on either daughter in his life. When Wang Jingjuan had gotten angry and tried to hit them for being disobedient as children, Lao Zhao would always grin and pull her away. Sometimes Wang Jingjuan got so angry that she took it out on Lao Zhao instead, but he was thick-skinned, and hitting him was like scratching an itch. Before long, Lao Zhao would leave Wang Jingjuan laughing and crying at the same time, and the family would return to its warm, harmonious atmosphere.

Wang Jingjuan knew that while the money could ease the family's financial pressure to some extent, it could never heal the pain caused by Lao Zhao's departure. Thinking of every little moment they had shared, her heart was filled with endless longing and grief.

After receiving the compensation, Wang Jingjuan decided to use some of the money to do meaningful things for Lao Zhao. First, she set aside a portion to hold a grand funeral for him, so that he could rest in peace.

Wang Jingjuan knew that although Lao Zhao had left this world, his spirit would remain in her heart forever. Carrying Lao Zhao's love and care with her, she would continue to live on strongly.

A week later, everything had calmed down. Lao Zhao's funeral arrangements had gone smoothly, and he was buried in a cemetery with excellent feng shui, close to home and easy to visit.

"Zhao Ge, rest well. You worked yourself to the bone every day when you were alive. This time, you'd better behave!"

That day, Li Yang accompanied Wang Jingjuan alone to the cemetery. Standing beneath the shade of the trees, he casually spoke to Lao Zhao as though sharing a private conversation.

"Zhao Ge, don't worry. I'll take care of sister-in-law for the rest of her life. If you agree, I'll marry her someday. If you don't, then I'll still stay with her for the rest of her life. As long as I'm alive, I'll keep my word. Rest in peace, Zhao Ge!"

Wang Jingjuan stood there in large sunglasses, a black dress, and high heels, slim and graceful. She remained silent for a long time, letting Li Yang spout nonsense beside her.

When it was almost time to leave, the two walked down from the cemetery hill together. The scenery there was pleasant, with birds singing and flowers blooming. It was a fine place for someone to rest forever.

It was impossible to tell whether Wang Jingjuan was in a good or bad mood. From the moment they left the cemetery until now, as she drove, she had not said a single word to Li Yang. Sitting in the passenger seat, Li Yang worriedly held the hand she was not using to drive and looked at her with aching concern.