extra ko-fi chapter (1/2) for Sandiiiahh 
Aahhh! Thank you!! ❤️
December, late fall.
In the afternoon, Xu Ze went to the cardiac ICU of the Second Hospital to visit Ye Yunhua. Ten days ago, Zhou Zhen sent him a message that a suitable lung donor might have appeared.
After checking the compatibility, the hospital confirmed that the transplant could be performed. The operation was still performed by Li Zhan. After the surgery, Ye Yunhua stayed in the ICU. If everything went well, she would be transferred to the general ward or return to the nursing home in a week.
On the day Ye Yunhua was rushed to the Second Hospital for rescue, Xu Ze had already decided to sell the house at a reduced price through the agency to raise money for the surgery as soon as possible. However, Zhou Zhen told him it was no longer needed after the emergency.
“Someone opened new accounts for your grandmother in both the nursing home and the Second Hospital. The total balance is about 2.3 million.”
The nursing home was where Ye Yunhua usually stayed, while the Capital’s Second Hospital was the most specialized hospital in the entire Union for treating cardiovascular diseases. Xu Ze looked at the bank statement Zhou Zhen had given him, but his mind was blank without any thoughts.
After a long time, he asked, “When?”
Was it before Lu Heyang knew the truth about Xu Ming’s death, or after?
“Look at the date on it. An amount was deposited a long time ago, and later the two million was transferred after you signed to confirm the lung transplant.”
The name on the account was Gu**. Xu Ze recalled that He Wei once mentioned that he and Lu Heyang usually used Gu Yunchi’s account for any major expenses to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Xu Ze put on an isolation suit, a transparent face mask, and medical gloves to enter the ICU. Ye Yunhua was surrounded by various devices and lay quietly on the hospital bed with her eyes closed. Xu Ze gently touched the back of her hand with his gloved hand and looked at her for a while before leaving.
After exiting the Second Hospital, Xu Ze headed to the subway station. About an hour later, he exited the subway and walked for ten minutes until he arrived outside a private hospital.
It was the hospital where Lu Heyang had taken him for the checkup when he had the false pregnancy. Xu Ze walked across the grass and stood by the fence. He could see the entrance of the main building from there.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
He stood there motionless. It didn’t take long for the security guard to notice him on the surveillance camera and come over to inquire about the situation. He eyed Xu Ze warily. Xu Ze knew he was overly suspicious but still explained, “My friend might be discharged today, so I came to take a look.”
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An hour and a half later, that was roughly how long it had been, a black bodyguard’s car pulled up to the hospital and stopped at the bottom of the entrance steps. Xu Ze finally moved, stepping forward and approaching the fence to peer inside more closely.
Another twenty minutes or so passed, the revolving door of the main building turned, and the bodyguards by the car immediately went up the stairs. Along with doctors and nurses, over a dozen people stood at the entrance. Xu Ze rubbed his eyes and unconsciously gripped the railing with both hands, trying to find a gap in the crowd. Despite his efforts, he could only spot a wheelchair but was unable to make out the person sitting on it.
It wasn’t until they reached the edge of the steps that the bodyguards and nurses spread out a little. The remaining two omegas were talking to the doctor, presumably Lu Heyang’s father and sister. Xu Ze had seen Lu Heyang’s sister before and thought she was his girlfriend. Now he realized she looked more like the omega father, while Lu Heyang resembled his alpha father more.
He finally saw Lu Heyang.
Lu Heyang was sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a dark gray sweater. He looked slightly thinner and his hair was cut shorter. His eyes fell to the ground with a cold expression, seemingly indifferent to what the people next to him were saying.
Xu Ze stood outside the fence, unable to take his eyes off Lu Heyang, silently watching him like that seven-year-old alpha many years ago. He was surprisingly calm and he wasn’t sad because he had thought he wouldn’t be able to see Lu Heyang.
He had to thank He Wei for telling him which hospital Lu Heyang was in. He Wei told him that only Lu Heyang’s father and sister were allowed to visit him. He also told him that Lu Heyang’s pheromones had been affected by the drug, causing the level to fluctuate and that he needed to recuperate. Lu Heyang hadn’t suffered any physical injuries, but he had some memory problems due to the electric shocks and pheromone disorder. There was hope for recovery after treatment.
He also told Xu Ze that Lu Heyang would leave the capital tonight and he didn’t know when he would return—possibly never.
Therefore, Xu Ze had to come, it might be their last meeting. He was prepared to wait until nightfall.
The wind slightly tousled Lu Heyang’s hair. Suddenly, Lu Heyang raised his head and looked in the direction of the wind.
Across the not-so-close distance, their eyes unexpectedly met. However, Xu Ze would have preferred it if Lu Heyang hadn’t looked at him—it was a very unfamiliar look. He couldn’t tell if Lu Heyang’s gaze was more unfamiliar or if Xu Ze found this version of Lu Heyang more unfamiliar. In this contrast, Xu Ze realized with hindsight that when Lu Heyang used to look at him in the past, it was different from the way he looked at others.
After a moment of eye contact, Lu Heyang turned his head back and stood up from the wheelchair. With the help of the nearby bodyguard, Lu Heyang slowly walked down the steps and got into the car. After that, the others got into the car, and the medical staff returned to the main building.
Xu Ze’s eyes followed the departing car. He stepped out of the lawn and stood by the side of the road. The bodyguard’s car passed him quickly. Its windows were closed and pitch black, and didn’t reveal anything but his own blurred shadow reflected on the glass.
Xu Ze started following the car, but his steps were too slow and far from catching up. So Xu Ze started running. He ran at a fast pace as the leaves drifted down on his face. No matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t catch up. He could only watch as the car drove away on the endless road, swirling up dry leaves on the road. The expansive late-fall sunset resembled strewn yellow sand covering the whole sky. The wind filled his throat. Xu Ze finally stopped, he lost all strength and collapsed to the ground.
It was the last time they saw each other. The true farewell came too late for a proper goodbye, as there was no opportunity to meet again. No one knew what day they would have to separate. Lu Heyang had arranged everything for him in advance, perhaps understanding deep down that they would have to part someday.
It was better this way. Xu Ze lay on the empty pavement and thought with relief. His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest from the intense short run. He gasped for air, and his eyes were so dry that they were like rusty gears, refusing to close no matter what. He just stared blankly at the sky. The sword that he could see hanging over him every day when he looked up finally fell and slashed him open. It turned out that it wasn’t painful. Xu Ze had been preparing for it for a long time.
It might not be called preparation but rather a mentality he had gotten used to for a long time—possession didn’t bring him joy and peace. It was only when he couldn’t get what he wanted or lost everything that he could think rationally and truly be at peace.
Instead of worrying about when he might lose him, it was better to just let him go.
Xu Ze had been following this destiny, and this time, there were no surprises.
In mid-January, Xu Ze received an acceptance letter from the Union’s Military Medical University. He made a copy of the letter, went to the graves of Xu Ming and Qiao Yuan, and lit the photocopy with a lighter.
In the two black and white photos on the tombstone, Xu Ming and Qiao Yuan wore faint smiles that reminded him of the faded memories of his childhood. Xu Ze had a lot to say and kneeled in front of the graves for over ten minutes, but he couldn’t speak. In the end, he managed to say, “Goodbye, Mom and Dad.”
Ye Yunhua had returned to the nursing home and was recovering well. Although she still didn’t remember Xu Ze, her mental state had improved significantly.
The bodyguards arranged by Lu Heyang stayed by Xu Ze’s side for a month. When they left, one of the bodyguards told Xu Ze that on the day of the incident, Lu Heyang’s wristband contained a wiretap and a satellite tracking device that were immune to typical jamming systems. From the moment he was kidnapped, all voices would appear in real-time in Lu Chengyu’s and Lin Yumian’s earpieces. The special police sent by the Chairman stopped Jiang Wen’s men. They were in a standoff in the woods ten meters away from the warehouse. Everyone would act as soon as Lu Heyang gave in and said “Save me” to his father.
However, Lu Heyang didn’t say a word and remained calm until the end.
“If he asked for the Chairman’s help, everything we’ve done would be meaningless.” The bodyguard told Xu Ze, “He injected himself with inhibitors beforehand to minimize the effect of the drugs on his pheromones. Don’t worry too much.”
Tang Feiyi was shot in the chest and leg by Jiang Wen as he fled. Two alphas sent by Wei Lingzhou drove to rescue him. After that, the Union Bureau issued a warrant for Tang Feiyi’s arrest, discovering his early collaboration with Wei Lingzhou in the large-scale smuggling of drugs, medicine, and weapons.
The Wei family group was thoroughly investigated. Even if it survived, the Union would turn it into a government-owned enterprise. The officials associated with Tang Feiyi and Wei Lingzhou were all interrogated and punished one by one.
Tang Feiyi disappeared, Wei Lingzhou was imprisoned, and He Yu had an accident while being chased; his car plunged off a cliff into the sea, and his body has not been found to this day—Chi Jiahan told Xu Ze this information.
“I feel like He Yu was the one who least deserved to die,” Chi Jiahan said.
It was uncertain how He Wei dealt with this news, Xu Ze only heard that he was accepted into the best police academy in the Union, while Gu Yunchi entered the Union Army’s military academy.
The winds of change were swirling, and fate was turning in the palm of their hands, creating new starting points for everyone.
At the end of January, Xu Ze was notified to enter the school ahead of schedule.
The afternoon Xu Ze was moving to the medical school dormitory, he stood at the window of his room and listened for a long time. He heard the wind, the birds, the rustling leaves, and the laughter of children playing downstairs.
In the end, with only a pitifully small, half-full suitcase, Xu Ze walked out the door and down the stairs a step at a time, leaving behind this place filled with memories.
As Xu Ze passed under the trees, he looked up. The golden, gentle sunlight pierced through the branches and fell on his face. Xu Ze looked up to see the window of his room and thought of the night long ago when Lu Heyang had looked at him upstairs the same way.
Everything was locked in Xu Ze’s desk drawer along with the notebook in which he had long since stopped writing the “卌”. No one would ever find out.
Lu Heyang had forgotten him twice, but it didn’t matter as long as he remembered.
Author’s note:
June 1st, a good day
Lu Heyang turned out empty headed (just kidding). When some people lose their memory, they experience a decline in intelligence and become foolish, while others remain normal despite losing their memory. Lu Heyang belongs to the latter…
Some plot points will be explained (actually not) after the reunion. The next time we meet again, he will be Dr. Xu :)
Translator’s note:
It’s so cruel how Xu Ze’s grandma doesn’t remember him and now Lu Heyang has forgotten him for the second time 😭😭 I was stressing out reading your comments when Lu Heyang lost his memories as a child, knowing this was still coming in the future… 🥲 But the next chapter will be after the timeskip
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I had to fight my tears reading this chapter…
Am sad.. hope to see them getting back together soon.
Have got to say you have done well Lu…protecting Xu Ze and his grandma. I was doubting before if you gonna throw him under the bus..
Thanks for new chapter
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Thanks for the chapter huhu
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i knew a biiiig knife was coming but i still wasn’t ready for that 🥲
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Thank you for the chapter 😭😭😭
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Also, we will be here for you Xu Ze!!! :’)
Heart wrenching… this was hard to read. Forgotten twice, alone again.
Admits the angst.. all I could think about was how useful to have Gu Yunchi as a friend. Pregnancy records, money laundering… 🥹