Chapter 88-3: Pull Him Back (3) |
Leaning once more on the railing, enjoying the beautiful scenery in the night breeze, he found that everything around him seemed clearer and brighter, and he realized how deeply attached he was to this world.
But no matter how much attachment he felt, there was something in his heart that outweighed his own life.
Time passed, and darkness enveloped the earth.
With his eyes closed, Pei Yun’s mind replayed the past: those days filled with both laughter and tears, the joyful times with his mother and friends, and his blood-stirring dreams and pursuits. Every memory was vivid, as if it all happened just yesterday, within reach.
The final memory was his passionate declaration on the player forum.
“I will build an invincible Star Vein combination. Brothers, wait for me!”
Game Gold-Farmer, Is This a Beaver?, Drunken Milk… familiar forum IDs flashed through Pei Yun’s mind.
But on the road of chasing dreams, a towering wall called reality always stood in the way.
Opening his eyes, he felt his breathing grow heavy and labored. Every breath seemed like a final farewell to the world.
Turning his head, he saw a young man around 18 years old. His eyes were deep and bright, his nose straight, with a faint trace of weariness beyond his years etched between his brows. At this moment, the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile as he looked at Pei Yun.
“You… need something?” Pei Yun wiped the corner of his eyes, asking a bit awkwardly.
“I’m fine, but I can tell you have something weighing on your heart. Feeling unhappy?”
Facing the question, Pei Yun shook his head.
“I’m fine.”
The young man stepped forward, leaning on the railing and gazing softly at the rippling lake surface.
“As long as you’re alive, there are endless possibilities.”
These words startled Pei Yun slightly.
Instinctively, he thought the youth mistook him for having suicidal thoughts and was trying to talk him out of it.
Realizing this, he quickly shook his head.
“You’ve misunderstood. I have no thoughts of suicide. I’m still deeply attached to this world… it’s just…”
After a brief pause, Pei Yun continued.
“There’s something far more important that I have to risk my life to pursue. There are some things where I have the right to choose, but no power to change.”
Even Pei Yun himself wasn’t sure why he was saying so much to this young man.
It was simply that the youth gave him a very warm and familiar feeling, even a hard-to-describe sense of belonging.
This feeling was so absurd that Pei Yun found it strange himself, as he had never met the young man before.
After hearing his explanation, the youth turned to look at him, revealing his white teeth as he smiled and asked.
“Do you believe in miracles?”
“Maybe.” Pei Yun’s answer carried a bitterness. He knew full well that there was little hope for a miracle in his mother’s condition.
“I can see it in your eyes, you don’t believe miracles will happen.”
As he spoke, the youth stood upright, patting Pei Yun on the shoulder.
“The road to chasing dreams is indeed full of obstacles, with reality forming a towering wall. But miracles are the force that can break through that wall… Anyway, keep chasing your dreams. Your grand goal hasn’t been achieved yet, and I’m looking forward to it.”
With that, the youth’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. He waved and turned to leave.
Under Pei Yun’s gaze, the youth walked farther and farther away, his figure gradually blurring.
—
That night, the following evening.
Operating room.
Pei Yun lay calmly on the surgical table, ready to face what might be his final moment.
He was reluctant to part with everything beautiful in this world: his mother’s companionship, his unfinished goals, and more.
But after this moment of longing, his heart was filled with a serenity that transcended life and death.
Life always has an end. Everything he had experienced, whether joy or sorrow, would remain as eternal imprints in his memory.
“Goodbye.”
Just then, the door to the operating room was suddenly shoved open.
Pei Yun heard the doctor shouting.
“Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Your mother’s kidneys have regained activity and are rapidly healing. She no longer needs dialysis or life support.”
The sudden news was like lightning tearing through the silent night sky, instantly lighting up Pei Yun’s dimming world.
He shot upright, eyes filled with disbelief.
His heartbeat surged, his breathing quickened, and his mind struggled to process the information, unable to find any logical way to verify if this was real.
He couldn’t help but pinch his thigh hard to confirm that he wasn’t dreaming.
He then jumped up and ran frantically toward his mother’s hospital room.
The elevator ride felt agonizingly slow.
When he arrived at the room and pushed open the door, he saw his mother’s pale and weary face, though now she wore a gentle smile.
Seeing him, her eyes reddened.
“Little Yun… the doctor said a medical miracle has occurred.”
Boom!
An indescribable surge of emotion erupted from the depths of his heart, like long-awaited rain soaking his cracked and parched soul. Tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably.
At this moment, endless joy filled his heart.
A miracle had really happened!
He thought back to the youth he met last night, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall the young man’s appearance.
—
Primordial Altar.
[Boss, mother and son are now hugging each other, crying tears of joy. Meanwhile, the doctors insist she stay for further observation and hope she can participate in medical research trials. But Darkness Approaches firmly refuses. The doctors won’t allow them to leave, and Darkness Approaches keeps refusing. The doctors continue to beg, almost kneeling, but Darkness Approaches absolutely refuses to let his mother be part of any experiments. The tug-of-war continues…]
“Enough! Stop giving me your endless live commentary.”
Qi Sheng impatiently interrupted the chattering Guide.
[Hehe, Boss, I can see you really value this player.]
“Of course I do. He’s been a great help to the development of the player legion. Since real-life troubles came up, it was only natural to lend a hand.”
Saying this, Qi Sheng turned to the floating Guide beside him.
“By the way, how much Sacrificial Power did it cost to heal his mother?”
[3.6 Sacrificial Power.]
“Find a way to quietly deduct it from his future earnings.”
[Boss, brilliant! We must never break the rules, it must be deducted!]
Guide immediately followed up with flattery.
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