Chapter 22: Chapter 22: My Love

Shen Zhiyao didn’t accept the connection from the handsome, cheerful guy, instead choosing to draw again.

A moment later, a woman in her twenties appeared on the screen. Her username was “Qianqiu.”

Before Shen Zhiyao could speak, Qianqiu said anxiously, “Host, I want to ask for your help in finding my boyfriend. We promised to get married and never be apart. But he suddenly disappeared, and his family moved away. I have no way to contact him. I’ve checked with all his friends, and no one knows where he went. Host, I really want to see him so badly. Please, help me!”

Shen Zhiyao said calmly, “He must have had a reason for leaving. Since he doesn’t want you to know, why must you be so insistent?”

[I don’t even care if this is a fortune-telling anymore. Verdict’s in: definitely a scumbag.]

[I’ve noticed all the guys you call out in this stream are scumbags. Either a husband kills his wife for his mistress, or a husband uses his wife’s life to change his own luck. I’ve been enjoying so much drama I’m starting to get scared of men. Now I finally have a reason not to go on blind dates.]

[Hey beautiful, if a scumbag who doesn’t love you runs off, just forget about him! I’m still single! Why don’t you check me out?]

[Damn, to the person above, I can hear you scheming from here.]

[If you want to break up, just say it. Why play the disappearing act? Total scumbag!]

Seeing the comments in the chat, Qianqiu felt wronged and tried to defend him. “Please don’t talk about him like that. Even if every other man in the world was a scumbag, he definitely isn’t. You have no idea how good he was to me!”

“We were middle school classmates. Because I have a congenital heart defect, all the students in our class avoided me. I was always alone at school, and no one wanted to get close—they were all afraid they’d accidentally upset me and I’d have a heart attack.”

“Then he transferred to our class and became my deskmate. He never minded my illness or worried that I’d be a burden. When we went shopping, he would carry me on his back. If I took time off school for a doctor’s appointment, he would help me catch up on my lessons every day. He was also incredibly thoughtful, bringing me breakfast every morning just so I wouldn’t go hungry.”

“When my pet rabbit died, he cried even harder than I did…”

“He’s a kind, cheerful, and sensitive person. He told me he liked me and that no matter what happened in the future, he wanted to be with me. I had very low self-esteem at first, but he told me I was special and had no reason to feel that way.”

“He said he wanted to be with me forever and never be apart…”

“Later, his family found out about our relationship. His family was well-off, and his parents were relatively open-minded, but even the most open-minded parents couldn’t accept their son bringing home a girl with health problems…”

“After that, my condition worsened, and several times I almost didn’t make it. I couldn’t bear to hold him back, so I suggested we break up.”

“He couldn’t stand to lose me. He stayed in my hospital room, trying all sorts of things to cheer me up, terrified that I would give up. In the end, his family finally relented. They agreed to let us be together, even if it was only for a short time.”

“Then, the hospital found a suitable heart for me. The day before the surgery, he took me to many places and told me with a smile, ’I love you. We’ll never be apart! Once your surgery is successful, we’ll be together forever…’”

“That day, we were both so happy, eagerly anticipating that after the successful surgery, we would never have to be separated again.”

“The surgery was a success, and my body recovered very well. But from that moment on, I could never reach him again.”

“Host, can you help me find out where he is? I want to see him. I want to ask him in person why he left without a word, why he left without saying goodbye. I don’t believe his feelings changed—how could so many years of love just disappear like that? Even if he really doesn’t love me anymore, I want to hear him say it himself. Otherwise, how can I ever be at peace and let this go?”

As she spoke, tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Eight years of knowing and loving each other. She had thought they’d weathered every storm and could finally be together forever, only for him to suddenly vanish.

Everyone told her to let it go, but how could she?

The heart she had given, the promises that were made—how could she just let them go?

The viewers in the livestream were moved by the girl’s deep affection and began to feel sorry for her, offering words of comfort.

But most of them still thought the man had probably had a change of heart. Even if his initial feelings were real and his promises were sincere, feelings can fade with time.

When someone loves you, they’d give you their life. When they don’t, they can ignore your pain, no matter how much it hurts.

Especially since she was someone who’d had a heart transplant; she could be abandoned at any moment.

What man would want to spend his life with someone who’s had a heart transplant?

Shen Zhiyao looked at her and said softly, “Actually, he never left you. He’s been by your side this whole time.”

Qianqiu froze. “He’s by my side? But why can’t I feel him at all? Host, where is he?”

Shen Zhiyao pointed to her own heart. “Here.”

Qianqiu didn’t understand at first, her face filled with confusion.

Shen Zhiyao explained, “The heart inside your body is his. He never left. He gave his heart, and all his love, to you.”

Qianqiu’s tears fell like beads from a broken string, but she still shook her head in denial. “No… that’s impossible… This heart, I was on the waiting list for years before a match was found. How could it be his… If this heart is his… then he…”

“He’s gone,” Shen Zhiyao’s voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible sigh. “Your boyfriend was diagnosed with severe depression in middle school but never received treatment. After graduation, he spent every day taking care of you, trying to find ways to make you happy. When your condition worsened and you were gloomy all the time, he stayed by your side, trying to make you laugh. As a result, his own depression worsened, and his suicidal thoughts grew stronger. In the end, he chose to have his heart transplanted into you, giving you his hope for life as well.”

Qianqiu was already sobbing uncontrollably. She clutched her chest and asked through her tears, “Will… will I ever have a chance to see him again?”

Shen Zhiyao gently shook her head. “After his heart was given to you, he passed away with no regrets.”

[I thought it was a scumbag ditching his girlfriend, but it turned out to be a tragic life-and-death romance… This is making me cry so hard!]

[I’m sorry, I was shouting too loud earlier. To think such a deeply devoted man still exists in this day and age.]

[Miss, please don’t cry. You have to live a good life and see the world for him!]

[His heart is inside you, don’t let him be sad for you anymore. True love does exist in this world. This is what love should look like.]

With tears in her eyes, Qianqiu thanked Shen Zhiyao. As was customary, she sent a “Douyin Number One” gift and then quickly disconnected from the stream.

After logging off, the first thing she did was ask her parents for the truth about her heart surgery.

Everything was just as Shen Zhiyao had said.

Her parents had known the truth all along but had hidden it from her, afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle the blow.

Her mother handed her a hard drive.

With trembling hands, she plugged it into her computer. An image slowly lit up the screen—

The background of the video was a hospital room. Her boyfriend appeared on camera, his smile as radiant as when they first met.

A ray of sunlight fell on his face, making the young man’s eyes look exceptionally bright.

“Hello, Qin Qin. I want to tell you a secret: I’ve actually liked you since the first time I saw you. During the two years I was your deskmate, I was always afraid you wouldn’t accept me, so I never dared to say it.”

“By the time you see this video, I’ll probably be gone. I wasn’t going to record this, because I was afraid it would make you sad. But I was also afraid you’d resent me for leaving without saying goodbye…”

“Qin Qin, you must be crying right now, aren’t you? Okay, I’ll allow you to cry for just a little while. Please don’t cry so much you hurt your body.”

“Qin Qin, you always say your health is bad and that you’re not good enough for a ’sunny, handsome guy’ like me, but I don’t think so. In my eyes, Qin Qin is the most outstanding and beautiful person in the whole world.”

“It’s such a shame… I had planned to wait until you got your new heart, then hold your hand to see the deserts, and then the waters of Jiangnan. We were supposed to never be apart…”

As the boy in the video spoke, he suddenly started to laugh. But as he laughed, tears began to fall. He covered his face, his body wracked with sobs.

After a long while, he slowly composed himself and forced another smile. “Qin Qin, I’m sorry. I promised you a lifetime, but I have to break my word. I can’t walk with you any longer, but my heart will be with you—with you until you’re old, with you until you die. For the rest of your life, please take care of yourself. I will love you forever…”

In the video, he blew a kiss to the camera, as if kissing the person he yearned for day and night.

Outside the screen, Qianqiu was already beside herself with grief.

She desperately wanted to follow her love in death, but the beating heart inside her body reminded her that she couldn’t.

This was their unique mark. She had to live on with this heart, to let this love remain in the world a little longer, even if just for one more day.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep