When late afternoon came, Jiang Li discreetly visited his family before going to the city"s business district. Only Feng Ru was with him, floating behind him, sometimes picking a fight with the daylight ghost that she sees along the way. Don"t ask him how and why though. All he would answer was that she was too bored or had too much free time in hand. "A couple of weeks left for me..." He sighed, feeling empty as his masked figure cut through the bustling streets full of people and stalls.
He walked for five more minutes before stopping in front of a slightly rundown shop which had two thank you banners written in beautiful calligraphy on each side.
"Song Clan"s Medicine Hall."
After two and a half months, he finally showed his face at the traditional medicine shop where the Original got his medication before. Unexpectedly, he b.u.mped into the male lead there. And to his surprise, it was because the other man had started dating the granddaughter of the Chinese medicine master there.
"Oh? So you are still alive? I thought you already died." A hunchback old man who had an aloof air around him greeted him from the counter.
"Grandpa, watch your mouth!" A tall mature-looking woman came out of the side door and scolded the old man.
It was Song Wuying, a policewoman from the same station as the male lead. In the plot, she was a minor love rival, but this time, it seems she had successfully gotten the male lead"s affection now that the female lead was out of the equation. Fun fact, when Jiang Li first came into this world, the anonymous text message he received about herbs and stuff was actually from her.
She faced him. "Don"t mind Granpa, he"s just having a bad day due to his back. By the way, h.e.l.lo, He Chen. It"s been a while. I"ve always been hearing about you and your band."
"Yeah, it"s been a while." Jiang Li nodded at her before throwing a look at the silent and cold-faced Gu Feng who snubbed him, probably for the beating last time. "Good day, Officer, Sis Ying, and Grandpa Song."
"We"re not close, brat! Don"t call me, grandpa." The old man snorted but meaningfully looked at his granddaughter. When Song Wuying dragged her new boyfriend outside and left the two alone, Jiang Li showed a small smile. "Hot-tempered yet considerate, I like this old man."
"So why are you here? No one"s around anymore so cut the nonsense and talk."
Jiang Li could only laugh since the traditional doctor was so straightforward.
"I"m not here to bother you, Grandpa Song. I"m only here to thank you for all the care you have given me all these years. And to say sorry for suddenly not going back for two months."
He was quietly looked at by the old man for some time before he heard him say, "Brat, you know I don"t like mushy talks like this. So are you planning to live or die?"
"What a question." Jiang Li"s lips twitched. "Live."
"I see. I"ve been bugging you since forever to go for an antiretroviral therapy together with my treatment, so what changed your mind? You no more feeling embarra.s.sed to go to the hospital for your illness? Or is it because you now have money? I don"t believe it"s money though. I offered you financial a.s.sistance before."
"I"m a known love fool so it should be easy to guess." The small smile returned to Jiang Li"s face. Grandpa Song exclaimed in his heart that the b.a.s.t.a.r.d was indeed handsome. But a pity, such a good-looking person still had a high chance of dying since his decision came too late.
Jiang Li"s eyes roamed around the place until they stopped at a huge shelf to the left.
"There is a girl who fell for me. Smart, beautiful, and talented. Unfortunately, since she fell for me, her IQ dipped into the negatives, sticking to me despite my cold att.i.tude, and even frequented your shop even after knowing the truth."
"..."
"Just for that? Brat, how about my previous efforts for the past two years?"
Even though the old man seemed annoyed at his answer, Jiang Li laughingly continued, "I"m a simple man so since someone is willing to stay by side despite knowing that, all I can do is to show that I try and fight. My family"s three-tenths of the reason, you, two-tenths, her the remaining half..." He showed a distressed expression for a while, then corrected himself, "Sorry, actually, it"s you and my family fifteen percent, and her eighty-five..."
".... Do you know that I badly want to beat you up now?"
The young man laughingly fled seeing Grandpa Song fuming in anger.
The old man almost threw down one of the medicine jars nearest to him. It was just so unfair. For so long, he had tried to advise that d.a.m.n boy to admit himself into a proper medical facility but he said his life was not a priority. Chasing for the girl of his dreams was.
Just when he heard from his granddaughter the kid was finally having a life and a career, he went back only to say he"s getting treatment for the sake of a girl?
"I brought this upon myself. I cared too much for my patients. Now my blood pressure is knocking on the ceiling!"
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He furiously turned his head to the left and huffed.
"Why are you still hiding behind my cabinet when he actually knows you"re going here? And that stupid police officer, he looks at you twice! If he dares break my granddaughter"s heart let"s see if I don"t feed him my dark concoction. But d.a.m.n! You, young people, are p.i.s.sing me off! Come out now. AND SCRAM!" Irritation caused the old man"s words to be all over the place.
When no answered came apart from irritating sobbing sounds, Grandpa Song angrily yelled, "Fine, you don"t ever come out from there!" then went back inside to continue working on his medicine.
As for the person hiding behind the cabinet, it was none other Na Yu who Jiang Li had mentioned as his major reason for finally deciding to go extend his lifespan. The s.p.a.ce behind the wooden shelf was narrow and the weird smell of mold and herbs constantly floated around. An unusual coldness was also there due to Feng Ru"s presence. But with her chest being this stuffy, she noticed none of these at all.
"He Chen, do you know... I only started lingering around you for standing up for me at that time."
"But then you helped me deal with the sc.u.ms who took photos of me almost getting tainted by a former intern colleague... and I developed an interest in you."
"That is just an interest though, which initially made me think of how you did it. Later, it turned into how and when you become a hacker, until it becomes purely thinking of you."
"I become a stalker until I fell for you." She sniffed and blew her nose.
"Now, I can"t stop crying because I fell for you again..."