Xuan Mu called back the doctor, "What's the cause of it?"
As the doctor observed the couple with teary eyes and heard Bing Shi's wailing, his own eyes became a little damp. "It's usually a genetic disease. But your parents have no such symptoms. Usually, the patient is all healthy before the disease appears. It shows up suddenly without notice; some studies showed that there needs to be some triggering factor to cause the actual disease."
Bing Shi, who was hugging Xuan Mu's waist, abruptly distanced herself. She ran to the end of the room, her eyes opened wide, her trembling mouth agape, "It's my fault. Xuan Mu, it has to be my fault..." She clutched her chest and stomach.
Xuan Mu rushed towards her, but Bing Shi avoided him, "No, don't come near me! What if I make it worse..." Xuan Mu ignored her plea and caught her by the waist. He gestured for the doctor to leave. "No! Let go of me!" Bing Shi kicked and punched him violently, "Stay away from me!"
Xuan Mu bit his lips, enduring her painful punches and kicks, and continued to hold her in his arms until she felt tired.
Bing Shi fell on the floor. She let out a miserable cry as she pulled at her hair in self-harm. "I am a monster! Lo...ok what I did to y..you" Her sobbing broke down her words.
"Shh...You are not. Bing Shi, please." He forced her hand away and covered her head with his arms protectively. "Don't hurt yourself," said Xuan Mu with a cracked voice, tears dripped down his face as he kept kissing her scalp, "It wasn't your fault. It just happened. There is no point in avoiding me."
"Xuan Mu, you can't die," Bing Shi's voice was barely a whisper, choked with tears and emotion, "It's going to hurt me."
"I'm sorry," Xuan Mu closed his eyes and continued to kiss her head in silence.
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From then on, Xuan Mu's condition didn't lessen. Each day was worse than the previous day. Eventually, he had to be hospitalized.
The luxurious room that was built for him felt like a prison, trapping him in a state of pain and suffering. The doctors did their best, but there seemed to be no cure for this cruel disease. The once strong and vibrant man was now a shell of his former self, his body ravaged by the illness.
Bing Shi and Sharkie moved into the hospital together with Xuan Mu, accompanying him as much as possible.
Despite the constant attention and care, Xuan Mu's condition continued to worsen. Due to his brain not getting any rest, it put stress on Xuan Mu's vital organs like the heart and kidneys. The hormonal disruption and body stress caused his immune system to fall apart.
The lack of sleep induced damage to his brain and body, and the all-healthy man lost his former strength and vitality.
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
Xuan Mu was leaning against the headboard, unable to fall asleep, he continued to do what he liked, working and being with Bing Shi.
Bing Shi, peeling rabbit apples, threw a bomb at the unprepared Xuan Mu, "Do you want to marry me?"
Xuan Mu blinked his eyes in confusion, "Is this a hallucination?" Though he couldn't fall asleep, the nightmares turned into hallucinations, the next stage of this ruthless disease. "Finally, a good one?" he asked in confusion.
"I'm serious," said Bing Shi and gave him a rabbit apple.
Xuan Mu accepted the ugly-shaped rabbit apple with laughter, "If I had to choose between a girlfriend and a widow. I choose a girlfriend." He smiled weakly, "Bing Shi, let's break up. You are free to find another man."
"Who needs another man? I'm only interested in your wealth," said Bing Shi in resentment. One ear of another rabbit apple was sliced off while the other was ruthlessly bitten off with her sharp teeth, then she broke the poor apple rabbit's body in half and put both pieces into her mouth and chewed on it with rage, "Break up? Do you want to end up like this poor rabbit I just ate?"
"Such a gory sight, I like it," Xuan Mu forced a grin, "My wealth is yours. The power-hungry snake can finally have what she wanted." He sighed, "A pity there would be no man to warm her bed."
"Xuan Mu, you dare to refuse my proposal?" asked Bing Shi with a knife in her hand.
"I dare," Xuan Mu chewed on the tasteless bunny apple, "Are you going to quicken my death with that knife? To end my suffering? Before that, let's break up."
"You broke up with me so many times that I lost count of it," Bing Shi placed the knife back on the table. "Handsome, what about we go on a date?" she asked cheesily.
His mind was telling her to leave her...
"Hm, let me think," Xuan Mu looked down at his weak body, the usually fitting black sweatpants and t-shirt became loose. "I'm not ready for a new relationship. Why don't you try again...in another lifetime?" He felt a light peck on his bony cheek, another peck on the corner of his lips.
...But his heart said NO.
"I just kissed you. Does it make us friends with benefits?" Bing Shi murmured against his lips, "I don't want to be just friends."
Xuan Mu captured her mouth; their lips played with each other silently.
"Girlfriend, is it?" Xuan Mu pecked her lips, "A boring date?"
"Yup," said Bing Shi with a weak grin, she took the wheelchair and helped Xuan Mu to sit on it. It was autumn, so she put a blanket over his legs and helped him to put on a jacket.
"Bing Shi, I can wear the jacket myself," Xuan Mu grabbed the jacket with bony hands, his tone irritated.
"Whatever, let me pamper you," said Bing Shi. She put a couple of jackets on him and herself. Her Doraemon purse changed into a big Doraemon backpack.
Xuan Mu put his elbow on the hand rest, supporting his sharp chin in boredom.
Bing Shi wheeled him to the elevator. Exciting the hospital, they strode off to a nearby park.
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
"I choose the best season to sightsee. Xuan Mu, I'd have never thought that we would have a boring walk around the park," Bing Shi giggled as she looked around the park.
"Mm... It's so boring that I might fall asleep," Xuan Mu answered sarcastically. He displayed lots of frustration and impatience because he grew more limited in what he could do, like working out, kickboxing, and so on.
"If it could make you fall asleep, I'd gladly be bored for the rest of my life," Bing Shi giggled at his 'high' enthusiasm. "Are you cold? Hungry? Do you need to pee? Or poo?"
"Bing Shi. I'm fine," Xuan Mu sighed.
"I like the scenery. Do you want to take a couple of photos?" Bing Shi asked.
"No," Xuan Mu refused flatly. After he'll be gone, he didn't want to be remembered as a weak and ill individual but as a strong and capable man.
And Bing Shi respected his wish. She didn't take any secret photos of him. There were also guards with an anti-camera system surrounding them from afar.