This time when he came to the hospital, he didn't go through the Hu family; he just registered, queued, and paid like an ordinary person.
Qingchen didn't want too many people to know about his illness.
In the afternoon, the MRI scans came back.
Qingchen took the X-ray to the doctor and said with a smile to Yangyang beside him, "The doctor will probably tell me to eat whatever I want."
Yangyang pinched his arm: "What time is it? You're still in the mood to joke around."
Yangyang seemed more worried than Qingchen.
Upon entering, Qingchen politely asked, "Hello doctor, I'd like to ask how much time I have left?"
The doctor looked at the scans, then at Qingchen: "Your cancer cells have spread throughout your body... Aren't you in pain?"
"It hurts," Qingchen replied. "My whole body aches, it feels like my whole body is cracked open, and my heart and lungs feel weak."
The doctor was astonished: "Then how come you're acting like nothing's wrong? Other patients in your condition would have collapsed long ago. How can you still be laughing?"
Cancer in the body completely destroys all bodily functions.
So at this point, the patient will be in pain every moment. Even a feather pressing on their body may feel like a mountain pressing down on them.
I can't breathe.
Doctors have seen too many terminal patients whose cancer has spread throughout their bodies, and sometimes they can't even bear to look at the suffering of those patients.
However, Qing Chen in front of him was different. Qing Chen was also in pain, but he remained calm.
He was so calm that he didn't even look like a cancer patient.
Qingchen thought for a moment and explained, "The pain is indeed there, but it's probably because I've gotten used to it. My body's pain threshold has been raised in the past, so this kind of pain is temporarily tolerable."
The doctor was shocked. How high would this threshold have to be?
Or perhaps, what has this young man experienced that has raised his pain threshold to such an extent that he can calmly deal with even the pain of cancer?
Qing Chen smiled and asked, "Doctor, is there any hope for me?"
The old doctor adjusted his glasses and looked at the scan again: "Let's try PD-1 or PD-L1 immunotherapy. Let's do some genetic testing first to see which one is suitable for you. I don't know your family's financial situation. This treatment is relatively expensive, probably around 800,000 yuan a year, but it can still be somewhat useful for terminal patients."
"Are there any side effects?" Qingchen asked.
"It can damage your liver and kidneys, and it can also be fatal, for example, by causing immune-mediated myocarditis," the old doctor patiently explained. "Of course, compared to terminal cancer, it's always worth a try."
The doctor's unspoken message was that since death was inevitable anyway, trying might offer a chance to survive and prolong life.
However, upon hearing that it was lethal, Qing Chen asked, "If I give up treatment, how much longer do I have?"
The doctor carefully examined the scans: "One month? Two months? Young man, you might not be able to afford the medical expenses, but medical insurance can reimburse a portion now, and you only have one life..."
Qingchen laughed and said, "No, I've used all my money for treatment. What will happen to my wife? Thank you, doctor, I won't get treatment anymore."
The doctor looked at Qingchen with surprise, then at Yangyang: "You two are not yet of legal marriage age, are you?"
Qingchen said, "We both look young, and we have a daughter who is already 9 years old."
As he spoke, he took out his phone to show the doctor a picture of Maki Jinguji: "Isn't she cute?"
"Oh..." The doctor didn't know what to say.
The two went outside, and Yangyang laughed so hard she was shaking: "It's quite funny how you talk nonsense with such a straight face."
She held onto Qingchen's shoulder, laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up, but as she laughed, she reached out to wipe the tears from her face.
"Don't cry, don't cry," Qingchen patted Yangyang's head. "Even a demigod can't kill me, so what's a little cancer? I already have some plans, and some people have actually succeeded. I might not die."
"I didn't cry, my eyes just feel sore," Yangyang straightened up and sniffed. "Let's go, let's eat whatever we want!"
"You did just repeat what the doctor said."
"What are your plans next? To rest and recuperate, complete the remaining two life-or-death challenges, and then receive the injection?" Yangyang asked. "You also have the same injection that Boss He received, right?"
“Yes, it’s on Whale Island. With Boss Zheng keeping a close eye on things, there won’t be any problems,” Qing Chen said. “But I can’t rest yet. As for the life-or-death ordeal, I’ve already completed the training for the remaining two. Now all I need to do is risk my life. I have more important things to do.”
"Huh? At a time like this, what could be more important than life?" Yangyang asked in confusion.
“More important than my life are the lives of the PTA members,” Qing Chen said. “I need to go to the Western Continent again to kill the Arbiter.”
Qingchen and his group really don't have any good solutions to the curse of dark magic.
This is like an invasive species. For example, European rabbits were originally introduced to Australia as food. They had natural predators in their native habitat, but after arriving in Australia, they lost their natural predators, and this species, which did not exist in the food chain, suddenly multiplied and became a plague.
The same applies to black magic curses. If black magic has always existed in the Eastern Continent, then everyone will hide their real names and birthdays, just like in the Western Continent.
In fact, black magic is a very awkward existence in the Western Continent. It's not very necessary to curse ordinary people, but you can't curse a master without knowing their name.
Can Storm Duke curse Blackwater, Phoenix, or Silver Duke? No, he cannot.
Can the Duke of Storms curse a Jhin? No, he can't.
If demigods were to truly fight, the Storm Duke would be the weakest one in the Western Continent.
This means you can dominate noobs, but you'll always get dominated in high-level games.
In a few decades, the Eastern Continent will probably be like this too. At that time, everyone will hide their real names, and the Arbitrators will be powerless to do anything but look at a bunch of silly code names like "Leshan Bangbang Chicken", "Firebird Spinning", "Pure Little Dragon", and "Newspaper Boy".
This time, however, the black magic arrived in the Eastern Continent when it was completely unprepared, like an invasion of a foreign species.
To this day, no one in the Eastern Continent knows how to solve this problem.
But for Qingchen, since he couldn't solve the problem, he would eliminate those who created it.
Or perhaps, this is simply how a demigod would solve a problem.
...
...
On the third day after their return, Qingchen and Yangyang went to Disneyland in Haicheng.
The awkward thing was that the two of them went through those very exciting activities that would be thrilling for ordinary people with blank expressions... I guess it was all about participation.
While riding the roller coaster, Qingchen calmly described the things at Ginkgo Paradise to Yangyang, making Yangyang quite eager to go and play. Qingchen also promised her that he would definitely take her there someday in the future.
The two of them sat calmly chatting inside the roller coaster, a stark contrast to the other tourists...
Yangyang took a lot of photos with Qingchen.
Taking photos of Qingchen alone, or of the two of them together, is like frantically trying to make up for what's missing between them, hurriedly doing the things that couples should do.
Yangyang seemed afraid that time would pass too quickly, and that she wouldn't have the chance to do certain things before she did them.
...
...
Day four of returning.
Yangyang held Qingchen's hand and flew back to Luocheng. The two of them carried a backpack and wore baseball caps, looking like two time travelers, enjoying the pleasure of travel.
They landed on the rooftop of the yellow language building at Los Angeles Foreign Language School. Class was in session, and the two of them sat leisurely on the edge of the rooftop.
Qingchen stared blankly at the campus: "It's been so long since I've been back, and it actually feels kind of familiar. Look at the little canteen in the southeast corner, they sell steamed buns for 50 cents each, with hot and sour shredded potatoes inside. It's the simplest meal. When I was at my poorest, I survived on just one steamed bun a day. Later, the canteen lady probably felt sorry for me, so she would give me a bowl of porridge for free every time."
"On the west side is the honor wall, which displays photos of the top students from each grade. Below each photo, you can write a motto. I was number one in my grade once, and then I made a deal with the clay pot rice noodle shop near the entrance to advertise for them: 'If you love her, take her to eat clay pot rice noodles.' That ad earned me over two thousand yuan, which covered a year's tuition and three months' worth of food expenses. Later, the school stopped allowing us to do that, and I never got number one in my grade again."
Yangyang laughed so hard she almost fell over: "Is there anything else?"
"I also helped my classmates write love letters, and I would give them a chicken leg for each one I wrote."
“I even helped a classmate cheat on an exam, and his dad rewarded him with a thousand yuan, which he gave me half of.”
“During the day I study chess scores, and at night I go to Wangcheng Park in the north to find old men to win money from. I will deliberately lose five yuan first, and then win 20 yuan.”
"Later I continued to study chess scores and calculate moves, just to make them feel that they were just a little short of winning."
"But I was young then, and it was the first time I experienced the joy of winning money. I didn't know how to control myself. After the old men discovered my tricks, they stopped playing with me."
Qingchen recalled with a smile that he had done many things for money over the years, both immoral and not immoral.
Looking back now, the financial difficulties we faced back then seem insignificant compared to the challenges we face today.
That's life. What you once thought was insurmountable may suddenly seem insignificant when you look back a few years later.
But this time, Qingchen doesn't know if he can get over this hurdle.
"Let's go, I'll take you to eat Tianfu Dan Dan noodles in Xiaojie," Qingchen said with a smile. "We also have Xiaojie potstickers, Luocheng water banquet, and tomorrow morning we'll go to the county to drink Tiexie mutton soup."
Yangyang smiled as she looked at him, thinking that it would be nice if time could just stand still at this moment.
"Qingchen!" Yangyang suddenly called his name.
Qing Chen turned his head and asked, "What's wrong?"
Don't leave me alone.
"good."
...
...
Day 5 of returning.
Qingchen took Yangyang to every place he had lived in.
The small house on Xingshu Road, the rooftop terrace, the place where we first met at Laojun Mountain.
Day six of returning.
Qingchen and Yangyang went to a photo studio to take a picture. They changed into white shirts, sat in front of a red backdrop, and took a picture with awkward expressions and stiff smiles. Like all wedding photos, they smiled happily, but also looked somewhat unnatural.
The photographer laughed and asked, "Your wedding photos look too stiff. Smile more naturally!"
Qing Chen: "I didn't have much experience the first time, but I'll probably be better next time!"
Yangyang laughed so hard she almost fell over: "There won't be a next time!"
On the seventh day after their return, the two finished lunch, wearing baseball caps and holding hands, and walked together toward Junmin Lane, the place where their story began.
A light rain suddenly began to fall.
A light drizzle fell from the gray sky, gently sprinkling onto the city streets.
Outside the awning, the whole world was gray and gloomy, the ground soaked black by the rain. Only the ground under the awning remained dry, as if this was the only piece of pure land left in the whole world.
An old man sat alone under the awning, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. A chessboard was laid out in front of him, but he had no opponent.