Rejecting Flags

The next day was Xiao He's scheduled blood donation day at the Special Response Department. The good news was that today's blood donation also meant that Xie Haining would receive a Miracle Factor injection that day.

At the current pace, in just two more months, the tumor in Xie Haining's brain will completely disappear, and he will finally be able to live a normal life again.

When Xiao He woke up in the morning, he was still a little dazed when he came to the toilet, but Ye Wanqing was inside.

"Xiaoqing, can I come in? I need to pee..." Xiao He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Okay, come in," Ye Wanqing replied softly, her words muffled, probably from brushing her teeth.

Xiao He then opened the door, and Ye Wanqing was brushing her teeth in front of the mirror, her hair messy and fuzzy.

"Look at your little head, so cute," Xiao He said with a kiss on the top of her head. Ye Wanqing said lazily, "I tend to toss and turn in my sleep at night... I'll be fine after I wash my hair later."

Xiao He responded and turned his back to Ye Wanqing to go to the toilet. He felt quite gratified at this moment: it's good to be a real boyfriend and girlfriend; he basically won't have to worry about fighting for the toilet anymore.

After using the restroom, Xiao He rested his chin on Ye Wanqing's waist, washed his hands at the sink, then grabbed his cup and toothbrush, filled them with water and toothpaste, and brushed his teeth with Ye Wanqing.

"Ugh, don't get it on my head..." Ye Wanqing said weakly, wriggling out of his arms. The two stood side by side in front of the mirror brushing their teeth. For some reason, a sweet feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

"Hmph..." Ye Wanqing first burst out laughing, then quickly cleared her throat.

"Silly girl." Xiao He chuckled and glared at her. Ye Wanqing muttered defiantly, "Didn't you laugh too?!"

"I laughed because you laughed," Xiao He argued. Ye Wanqing turned her face away angrily and began to rinse her mouth.

Seeing this, Xiao He quickly sped up his brushing to make sure he and she finished brushing their teeth at the same time.

The moment he put down the cup, Xiao He lifted Ye Wanqing's chin and kissed her. But to be honest... it all tasted like toothpaste, which he didn't really like. He still preferred the taste of cherries.

"Honestly, you can't even brush your teeth properly," Ye Wanqing scolded, poking his face, but he didn't offer any resistance.

"Tsk, then I won't kiss you anymore, give it back to me." Xiao He said, bringing his lips closer.

Ye Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle, pouting her lips and giving him a light peck on the lips. "Okay! Time to wash your face."

As she spoke, Ye Wanqing turned on the tap and placed the towel in the sink after the water heated up.

Xiao He wrung out the towel and began wiping Ye Wanqing's face with it. Ye Wanqing, with her eyes closed, grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Be gentle, you silly pig, you're rubbing my face raw!"

"Oh, I forgot. Our Xiaoqing has such delicate skin, unlike me." Xiao He laughed, easing his pressure. "Alright, her little ears need to be washed clean too, and the back of her neck. Do you usually wash them properly?"

"I just don't tidy my room! It's not like I'm unclean!" Ye Wanqing retorted, adjusting her face to match Xiao He's expression.

"Alright." Xiao He finished washing Ye Wanqing's face, then kissed her on the neck. "Go make breakfast, shall we?"

"Hmm..." Ye Wanqing smiled and nodded, secretly pleased as she walked towards the kitchen: What's wrong with you, woman? You're so happy just brushing your teeth and washing your face together, even though we've been living together for so long...

While Ye Wanqing was making breakfast, Xiao He went to her room to help her tidy up.

Ye Wanqing had clearly just gotten up; the blankets were still warm, exuding her unique scent of grass and mint. Xiao He couldn't help but bury his face in her blankets and take a deep breath, but at that moment, a cough came from behind him.

"What are you doing?" Ye Wanqing asked, arms crossed. Xiao He replied without changing his expression, "Enjoying the fragrance of my girlfriend."

"Pervert..." Ye Wanqing glared at him and whispered, then turned back to continue cooking in the kitchen. Xiao He pretended nothing had happened, folded the blankets and straightened the sheets for Ye Wanqing, and it was almost time to eat.

Today's breakfast is a bowl of beef noodles, a serving of steamed dumplings, and a poached egg. Just looking at it makes me smile.

"Having such a girlfriend is so wonderful, I want to marry her." Xiao He patted Ye Wanqing's head and chuckled to himself, then kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, baby."

"Why are you suddenly like this? It's so annoying..." Ye Wanqing blushed instantly and whispered, "I also..."

Before he could even say "I love you," Xiao He excitedly shouted, "Let's eat!" and then began to wolf down his food.

Ye Wanqing was a little annoyed, but seeing Xiao He stuff two steamed dumplings into his mouth after taking a big bite of noodles, she couldn't help but laugh, and her anger subsided. She reached out and poked Xiao He's cheek as he chewed rapidly, and laughed, "Old Xiao, look at you, you eat like a little hamster!"

"Isn't that what you love about me?" Xiao He said smugly.

"You're so vain..." Ye Wanqing smiled, pursing her lips, and kissed him on the cheek. "Eat more."

"Hmph." Xiao He chuckled, patting her head as he said, "You should eat more too."

After breakfast, Xiao He and Ye Wanqing went to the Special Response Department.

Xiao He had nothing else to do today except donate blood, so he planned to check on Xie Haining's treatment.

"Sister Man, I have a question for you." Before donating blood, Xiao He asked Cui Man, "Come closer to me..."

After discussing it in detail for a while, Xiao He nodded. "Then it's decided. We'll go together later."

Right now, Xie Haining is practicing with Xia Yu in the training room.

"Alright, Xia Yu, that's enough for today." Seeing Xia Yu panting, Xie Haining said gently with a smile, "Don't push yourself too hard. Some things can't be rushed. Relax, what's meant to be will be. What's that saying?" Xie Haining paused, then said in unison with Xia Yu, "What's destined to be yours will be yours, and what's not, you can't force."

"I can't learn your mindset, Brother Ning," Xia Yu said with a smile, wiping his sweat. "I just think that if you want something, you should work hard to get it."

"Work hard, but don't force it." Xie Haining wiped the sweat from the back of her neck. "Be grateful for what you have, and don't be jealous of what you don't have."

"Mmm." Xia Yu smiled and nodded. "Brother Ning, you're going to get the Miracle Factor injection today, right? Good luck!"

"Sigh, I don't have much to say about encouraging her. What's amazing is Little Xiao's Miracle Factor," Xie Haining said with a wry smile, then waved to her, "Take a good rest and have something to eat. I'm going now."

Xia Yu waved to him, then hesitated for a moment before going to the equipment to continue practicing.

Xie Haining took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and then went to the medical room of the Special Response Department to wait for the medical staff to inject him with the Miracle Factor. But despite this being a treatment for his terminal illness, he did not feel excited.

He feels only gratitude for everything he has now.

For him, being able to spend a few more years with his wife and daughter was already a luxury. When the doctor pronounced his death sentence, he wasn't worried about his own life, but rather about not having enough time to try everything he wanted to do with his wife and daughter before he left this world, to give them enough happy memories, and to provide them with the material support to live on before he left this world.

But now he has enough time to make up for his past mistakes; not many people get a second chance.

He was already very content, and even if there were no more Miracle Factor from today onwards, he could accept it calmly.

At that moment, a medical worker entered from outside and asked with a smile, "Are you ready, Candle Dragon?"

"Anytime." Xie Haining smiled slightly. The medical staff first gave him a physical examination, checking his various data, and then a routine head CT scan to record the size of the tumor for comparison.

After more than half an hour of this ordeal, Xie Haining finally completed her routine physical examination.

"The tumor has grown slightly larger than last month; it's very resilient and still struggling," the doctor replied, looking at the CT scan.

"Just like me," Xie Haining joked. "Without the Miracle Factor, it's probably more resilient; I'd die first."

"It's good to be optimistic," the doctor said with a smile. "But there's no need to worry too much. Its current size won't compress your blood vessels or nerves, and your health data is good. In fact, your physical condition should theoretically be at Level 1, but this tumor has weakened your body considerably, which is why you only have the physical abilities of a normal person."

At this point, the doctor turned to the cryogenic medical kit behind him. "Alright, let's not talk about those depressing things. Let's finish this month's injections first, and then have another check-up. Seeing yourself getting better little by little will be very uplifting, won't it?"

"Yes," Xie Haining smiled slightly, "It allows me to spend more time with my wife and daughter and help others."

The injection of the Miracle Factor is not complicated. This special antibody is a special substance secreted by the brain. After injection, it will not produce any side effects. It can be administered via normal intravenous injection.

The doctor wiped the vein in his elbow with alcohol and then inserted a needle.

As the Miracle Factor was injected into his body, Xie Haining could feel his body recovering little by little. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of relief as power surged from within him.

"How do you feel?" the doctor asked, pressing on the injection site after the injection was finished.

"I feel full of energy," Xie Haining replied with a smile.

"Really? Anyway, take a rest, eat something, and then come in for a checkup to compare the results," the doctor said with a smile.

Next came another round of physical examinations. The doctor examined the results with a serious expression, but Xie Haining remained calm.

"Congratulations," the doctor said, handing Xie Haining the CT scan. "Your tumor has completely disappeared. From today onwards, you are a healthy, normal... Mutant."

Xie Haining was immediately surprised. "Completely gone? But... weren't you told I'd need three or four more injections?"

"That's because," at that moment, the door behind them was pushed open, and Cui Man led Xiao He, Ye Wanqing, and Xia Yu into the infirmary, "You always say such ridiculous things, so we decided to eradicate it completely this time, to prevent future troubles and refuse to be ridiculous. Xiao He directly donated four hundred milliliters of blood, and the Miracle Factor in it is enough to cure you."

"Congratulations, Old Xie, you're now a healthy... Mutant." Xiao He smiled and gave Xie Haining a fist bump. Ye Wanqing also smiled and said, "Congratulations, Old Xie."

"Brother Ning, congratulations." Xia Yu said with a smile, "We've finally waited for this day."

"We promised to celebrate properly, didn't we?" Cui Man said with a smile, arms crossed.

Xie Haining's mind was a little fuzzy at this moment, and the voices of the crowd seemed particularly distant. He staggered toward them. He had thought that he had accepted any possibility, that he would calmly face any outcome, but at this moment he was still wavering.

His heart pounded harder and harder, a warm current spreading from his chest throughout his body and then overflowing from his eyes. He didn't bump fists with Xiao He, but instead opened his arms and embraced everyone.

At that moment, his heart was filled with gratitude.

"Thank you everyone..." Xie Haining lowered her head and smiled, "I'm really grateful to everyone, especially you, Little Xiao."

"Hey, don't be so polite, aren't we all family...?" Xiao He wiped his nose, a little embarrassed.

"Alright, alright, you're a married man, it's not appropriate for you to be hugging three women," Cui Man teased. "Go share this good news with your wife and daughter. Then we'll find a place to celebrate."

"Hmm!" Xie Haining quickly wiped his face, then hurriedly grabbed his phone and ran to the side to make a call. "Hey, honey, I need to tell you something, but please don't get too excited, okay? It's like this..."

Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still filled with excitement: the day had finally come.

The feeling of personally saving someone important from the despair of a terminal illness is like changing the fate of a teammate who was supposed to die in a game.

Xiao He actually dislikes games that superficially offer players various options, but ultimately lead to the same result.

In his view, this kind of game is nothing more than something the developers use to annoy people. The so-called choices are just there to make different endings, and a game that is designed from the beginning to have only one ending but forces players to make all sorts of choices is garbage.

Now, Xiao He has finally changed Xie Haining's fate, and this sense of accomplishment is greater than that of any game.

Indeed, life is the most interesting game. Xiao He thought to himself.

Soon, Xie Haining returned from the side, smiling, and said, "My wife insisted that I take you all home. She wants to cook a few dishes to thank you. She told me that if I can't take you home, I shouldn't go back today either."

"Oh dear, well then..." Xiao He scratched his head a little embarrassedly and laughed, while Cui Man readily agreed, "Alright then, we won't stand on ceremony! Men, get ready and go buy some drinks to celebrate!"

So, the group went to buy some drinks and fruit, and then drove to Xie Haining's residence.

The accommodation arranged for Xie Haining was located in an old part of Beichang City. The houses there were obviously quite old, and there wasn't even a parking lot in the complex. The apartments were all small, around 70 or 80 square meters.

"Why didn't you get Old Xie a nicer place?" Xiao He asked, frowning.

"It was my own request," Xie Haining said with a smile. "Living in a big house feels empty and lacks human warmth. My wife and I both prefer Little One house like this; it gives us a stronger sense of companionship and reminds me of the old days."

"Yes, I think so too!" Ye Wanqing nodded in agreement. "I don't really like big houses either, especially at night, they feel empty and lonely..."

"How about we buy a small house later?" Xiao He asked curiously. "Or we can buy a villa and bring Mom and Dad to live with us."

"This... this seems okay too." Ye Wanqing immediately lowered her head, muttering as she counted on her fingers, then came to her senses and punched him. "Shameless! Who said I was going to marry you!"

As Xiao He understood Xie Haining's meaning. The cement stairs, rusty handrails, and red brick walls all exuded the aura of time, which for some reason reminded Xiao He of visiting relatives when he was a child. There was an indescribable sense of tranquility, making him feel as if the world had not changed and he was still the same person he used to be.

"Honey, I'm home." Xie Haining knocked on the door, and a voice answered from inside, "Coming!"

Then, the door opened, and Xiao He finally saw Sister Xie.

This is a woman with a slender, almost bony figure, beautiful collarbones, and skin that is not very fair, typical of Asian skin. Her features are quite delicate, but she looks a bit haggard. She must have been a very beautiful woman before Xie Haining fell ill.

"Husband, are you really...?" Aunt Xie looked at Xie Haining, her eyes brimming with tears.

Xie Haining smiled and nodded, "Yes, the test results just came back, and I've fully recovered. I'm even healthier than a normal person."

"That's wonderful!" Aunt Xie rushed over and hugged Xie Haining, burying her face in his shoulder, tears streaming down her face.

"Alright, alright, haven't you been getting better? You'll recover sooner or later, why are you so agitated?" Xie Haining chuckled and patted the back of her head.

"Because... our family has had such a hard time these past two years, I really can't believe such a good thing could happen," Aunt Xie said, sobbing.

"Come, let me introduce you," Xie Haining said, leading the woman to the crowd behind him. "This is my wife, Tong Xiaojie."

Then, he introduced them to his wife one by one, "Chief Cui, you've met him before; this is Xia Yu, codename Gluttonous Beast; this is Xiao He, also known as 'Yinglong,' the source of my Miracle Factor; this is Ye Wanqing, his girlfriend."

Tong Xiaojie wiped away her tears, then stepped forward and hugged Xiao He tightly. "Thank you... for saving my Old Xie's life. Words can't express my gratitude..."

"You're too kind. Old Xie is family to us too," Xiao He said politely, secretly thinking: Women are too thin and it's really uncomfortable to hug them... Little Pufferfish is much more comfortable to hug, so soft.

"Come in, come in," Tong Xiaojie said with a smile. "I don't have much to offer you all, but I prepared some food myself as a token of my gratitude."