When the moment of truth arrived, Ye Tiancheng realized how helpless he was. The feeling of his heart being torn apart was truly unbearable.
"Alright, I understand. Don't make a fuss. I'll go take a look first."
When Ye Tiancheng arrived at Liu Lan Ying's hospital room, Fatty was already there. It seemed he was the last one to arrive, having wasted precious time sleeping.
After entering the room, Ye Tiancheng asked everyone except Fatty to leave. He and Fatty needed to transfer their Zhenqi to Liu Lan Ying.
"Brother Ye, don't bother. I've already tried. It's no use."
Fatty stopped Ye Tiancheng, but Ye Tiancheng didn't want to listen. The woman before him was no longer the vibrant, energetic village chief who was a university student in Ye Tiancheng's memory. She looked like she was in her thirties. This rapid aging and exhaustion stemmed from the decline of her life force.
The passage of life, if it were slow like that of a normal person, wouldn't have such a great impact on others. The key was that the woman before him was changing too quickly. It was clearly a rapid decline in her life force, which was impossible to accept.
Ye Tiancheng tried to transfer his Zhenqi, but it couldn't be absorbed at all. It seemed the blood contract had taken its final toll. After one person died, the other wouldn't be able to hold on for long.
"Fatty, tell me, what should I do? I'd even trade my life for Liu Lan Ying's. I don't want her to die."
Ye Tiancheng, a grown man, had tears welling up in his eyes, his voice trembling with helplessness, sounding incredibly pitiful.
Fatty gently patted Ye Tiancheng's back. "There should be about three days left. We should make good use of these three days."
A person only realizes the preciousness of life when they are at its end. Everything enters a countdown. If these moments aren't utilized properly, it will lead to the deepest regrets in life.
"No, I don't accept this. Liu Lan Ying is still young. She has three years, or even thirty years, and much longer to live. She won't only have three days left."
Ye Tiancheng should have said these words behind Liu Lan Ying's back, but he was too devastated and couldn't control himself, hence he said so much.
"Brother Ye, I've accepted my fate. When I jumped off the building, I never thought I would survive. Living a few extra days now is already a gain."
It was at this moment that Fatty realized it was his fault. If he hadn't been so eager to kill Ouyang Xu Nuo, Liu Lan Ying wouldn't have been cursed by blood. Everything had a cause and effect.
"I'm sorry, Liu Lan Ying. I never thought my impatience would harm you. I'm sorry. If I had known the blood contract wasn't broken, I shouldn't have been so hasty and harmed your life like this."
"It has nothing to do with that. I know everything. This suffering will eventually have a solution, and this is the simplest way. In other circumstances, there would be more sacrifices. Sacrificing only myself now is a great blessing to me."
Liu Lan Ying was not afraid of what was to come, as she had already made up her mind. She just wanted to plan her last three days well.
"Brother Ye, take me back to my hometown. I want to go home and see it. Last night, in a half-awake state, I dreamed I was in my hometown. The feeling was so warm. But when I woke up, it was all a dream. I felt so sad for a long time. If only it wasn't a dream. Because of the busy village affairs, I haven't been back to my hometown for a long time. I had already informed my family that I was planning to go back, but then something else came up."
Liu Lan Ying missed home. She had never missed home so much. Perhaps everyone's greatest wish before dying is to return to their roots. Maybe only by returning to one's roots can a final wish be fulfilled.
"I'll take you back."
Ye Tiancheng knew he couldn't save Liu Lan Ying. The only thing he could do for this woman was to fulfill her wish. If he couldn't even do this, he would be unworthy of being Liu Lan Ying's friend.
"But you have your own things to do."
"No, the most important thing now is you. No matter what else is going on, it has to make way for you. You are the most important thing right now."
No matter how much money Ye Tiancheng had to earn, he would never do it, because for Ye Tiancheng, human relationships were always more important than money.
"Alright, Brother Ye, I really don't like to trouble you, but this time, I hope you can understand me. This is my only wish, and this time, I might really have to trouble you."
Hearing Liu Lan Ying say this, Ye Tiancheng felt very guilty. For so long, although they were friends, he had never thought of doing anything for this woman. Liu Lan Ying was too sensible, always trying to avoid risks and never doing anything that would worry Ye Tiancheng.
Her only act of willfulness turned out to be her last. Thinking about it made him feel a little sad.
"I'm sorry..."
"My time is so precious. I don't know how to salvage the current situation. The only way to make amends is that I still want to go back to my hometown."
Understanding Liu Lan Ying's intention, they couldn't wait any longer. They should leave immediately because time was too precious. If they delayed any further, it could lead to very serious consequences.
The most serious consequence would be that Liu Lan Ying wouldn't be able to reach her hometown alive, which was a very unfortunate situation.
"Brother Ye, the car is ready, and all the necessary daily necessities are also prepared. Let's set off now."
Fatty had prepared a motorhome earlier, but not for this purpose. It was quite a coincidence, and since the opportunity arose, it was considered a fortunate turn of events.
"Okay, then let's set off now."
Considering Liu Lan Ying's physical condition, she couldn't endure strenuous long journeys. Therefore, a motorhome was naturally prepared.
Moreover, it was a particularly spacious motorhome, making it convenient for Liu Lan Ying to sit on the sofa bed and be covered with a blanket, which would be more comfortable for a patient.
Looking at the scenery flying past the window, Liu Lan Ying's body continued to weaken, but she didn't seem dejected. Instead, a gentle smile graced her face, as if she had seen through everything and was not bothered by the trivial matters of the mortal world.
"It's so beautiful. I never noticed the passage of time before. Now, slowing down and watching the dusk gradually arrive, the sky darkening bit by bit, I feel that this world is truly magical. Every flower, every blade of grass, every tree seems to have a spirit."
Listening to Liu Lan Ying's words, Ye Tiancheng realized something. This girl was only strong on the surface; in reality, she definitely didn't want to leave this world.
It was precisely because of her attachment to life that she had these insights. If someone were truly enlightened, they wouldn't observe the changes of time.
Perhaps everyone has no clear understanding of death, nor do they believe they will lose their lives one day. Everything is a variable, but leaving this world is an outcome that everyone must experience.
Because they have plenty of time to squander, they never think about these things. Now, thinking about it, it feels rather cruel.
"Are you hungry? It should be dinner soon. Let's have something good to eat."
Liu Lan Ying's body was rapidly weakening, so she couldn't feel hunger. The reason she wasn't experiencing much pain in this state was that Ye Tiancheng's Zhenqi and the Phoenix's spiritual energy were protecting her.
It was like a late-stage cancer patient. When the body's organs fail, it is definitely accompanied by pain because the immune system is working hard to prevent the body from dying and disappearing.
"I'm not hungry at all. The doctor gave me nutritional paste, saying it can supplement my body's nutrition and keep me from feeling hungry. I think that's enough. I can't eat anymore."
It wasn't that she didn't want to eat, but that she simply couldn't. Some sensations in her body were already beyond her control. Liu Lan Ying didn't want to taste delicious food only to throw it all up.
So, the only thing she could do was not eat at all, not wanting to become a pitiable person, not wanting others to see her vulnerability.
"Okay, then we'll do as the doctor says."
Fatty was driving and had a simple bite of bread. Ye Tiancheng also had no appetite. When one is in a bad mood, they have no appetite at all, feeling bloated and not hungry.
"Then let's do that."
The atmosphere in the motorhome fell into silence. Ye Tiancheng didn't know what to say because he had seen everything. When Liu Lan Ying left the hospital, she looked like a middle-aged woman in her forties. In less than two hours, Liu Lan Ying's aging had increased dramatically. Now she looked like she was almost fifty.
Life was accelerating at an alarming rate. This was an irreversible tragedy for anyone. Ye Tiancheng had no mood to speak, his heart aching terribly.
"Brother Ye, I think the nutritional paste the doctor gave me is quite tasty. It has a faint vanilla flavor. I asked the doctor before, and this stuff is good for the body. Even if you're not a patient, you can eat it. There are several tubes left, try some."
"Okay, I'll find an opportunity to try it."
Ye Tiancheng couldn't even stomach the nutritional paste. Eating now felt like a burden. The only thing Ye Tiancheng wanted was for Liu Lan Ying to get better.
However, the rapid aging of her appearance indicated that Liu Lan Ying's internal organs were also decaying rapidly. Everything was developing rapidly in an irreversible direction. Even if Ye Tiancheng sacrificed his own life, he couldn't truly save her.
"Stony, when you were around, you always helped me. You turned an ordinary farmer like me into a renowned philanthropist and entrepreneur, domestically and internationally. No one could bully me. But you've also left my side. When I need your help now, you're never here."
In his most helpless moments, Ye Tiancheng would still think of Stony. After all, they had been through many storms together. He always felt that the other was a brother, a companion. But Stony had been gone for a long time.
It felt like a lifetime ago. He used to feel powerful, but now he realized his powerlessness.
"Little brat, parting is for a better reunion. I told you I'm not dead, just hiding. If you try harder, you can find me..."
"Stony!"
He hadn't heard his voice in a long time, but then Nuwa Stone's voice echoed in his spiritual consciousness. Ye Tiancheng was extremely excited, but with that shout, he suddenly woke up. He had actually fallen asleep from exhaustion.