Chapter 391: Childhood Friends Must Be Cultivated from a Young Age (74)

In truth, everyone knew the situation, but none of them wanted to accept such a cruel reality.

As the girl’s condition worsened, her body was covered with countless tubes, and even speaking became difficult.

A deep sense of helplessness and grief enveloped everyone’s hearts, suffocating them.

An Ziyu’s condition was no better than Shen Mubai’s.

If back then in the hospital he felt like his world was on the verge of collapse, now it was as if his heart was dying along with it.

His eyes were pitch black, devoid of any light, and his whole demeanor showed no sign of life.

When Shen Mubai opened her eyes, this was the scene that greeted her.

Seeing her awake, An Ziyu’s gaze finally flickered with a trace of emotion.

His lips trembled as he softly called, “Luoluo.”

Shen Mubai could see a glimpse of his younger self in that look, filled with helplessness but now even more desperate.

His every movement was careful, as if afraid that any touch might cause irreversible damage.

She managed a weak smile and, due to her condition, could only utter two strained words, “Zi…yu.”

An Ziyu stared at her, his once gentle voice now hoarse and broken.

“I’ll get the doctor,” he said.

Shen Mubai stopped him.

“Zi…yu.”

He paused, looking at her pale, emaciated face, the gloom in his eyes growing deeper.

Shen Mubai struggled to speak, “I… will leave… soon.”

His fist clenched tightly, the taste of blood rising in his throat.

His eyes turned red, like a cornered beast on the edge of despair, and he growled in a low, threatening voice, “I forbid you to say that, Jiang Luoluo!”

Shen Mubai weakly conceded, “Alright… I won’t say it.”

An Ziyu carefully held her hand, the darkness in his eyes intensifying.

Slowly and deliberately, he said, “Even if you leave, I won’t let you go.”

His tone was so obsessive and resolute that it made Shen Mubai’s heart skip a beat.

But then, An Ziyu smiled gently.

It was his first smile in days, yet it carried a madness that sent chills through Shen Mubai, making her feel uneasy.

He slightly tilted his head, his black eyes fixed on her unwaveringly.

In a soft, tender voice, he said, “I’ll stay with you… forever.”

Realizing the full meaning of his words, cold sweat broke out on Shen Mubai’s forehead.

…

On the day Shen Mubai passed away, Xiao Xueqing cried uncontrollably, while Jiang Chen, suppressing his immense grief, comforted his wife.

Their young son, Jiang Chen, didn’t quite understand the concept of parting.

Whenever he asked where his sister had gone, his parents would tell him she had gone to a very faraway place.

Jiang Chen felt sad.

It had been a long time since he had seen his sister.

Whenever he saw Ziyu, his dislike for him seemed to fade just a little.

Why was that?

Perhaps because Ziyu always looked… so sad, even though he neither cried nor smiled.

He was like a puppet in the room, lifeless and devoid of spirit.

At school, the students felt sorry for An Ziyu, the once highly admired school grass.

At first, they whispered about him in private, but over time, the conversations became fewer and fewer.

Then one day, someone mentioned a name—Jiang Luoluo.

Someone asked in confusion, “Who is Jiang Luoluo?”

The person who had spoken paused, scratching their head.

“I don’t know. It sounds familiar, but I can’t seem to remember anyone by that name. Weird.”

Meanwhile, the girls at school were still agonizing over how to catch the attention of the handsome An Ziyu, but none of them succeeded.

As senior year came to an end, everyone went their separate ways.

Some cried, others laughed, but the girls who had secretly admired the school grass were heartbroken because he had been accepted into a prestigious university.

This meant that they would likely never see him again.

At F University, a new student arrived—a tall, handsome young man with outstanding grades and a flawless reputation.

He quickly replaced the previous campus grass and became the campus grass of many girls who dreamed of winning him over.

But during his four years at university, countless girls failed to win his heart.

Not a single one succeeded.

Even the boys were confused.

Why did he, despite having no girlfriend, ignore so many potential admirers?

It seemed like such a waste.

His dorm mates couldn’t understand either.

“Hey, An Ziyu, Do you have someone you like?”

The once youthful face had matured into a more captivating one.

His crystal-clear eyes held a faint smile.

“Take a guess.”

His roommate clicked his tongue.

“You must have someone. Otherwise, why would you stay single all this time? Come on, tell us—she must be a girl so beautiful that she’s stolen your heart.”

An Ziyu smiled but didn’t reply.

Still, deep down, he always felt like something was missing.

Someone important.

Someone whose absence made living feel like dying.