Chapter 3 Shocking News

"Answer me this," Lin Yuqing smiled. In that moment, she seemed to radiate youth, wild and fervent, "Who has prettier eyes, you or I?"

"Why, why are you asking this?" Su Ran's palm was soaked in sweat.

"Answer me! No dodging the question!" Lin Yuqing's gaze stayed fixed on Su Ran, who was struggling to meet her eyes. She found it quite cute how flustered Su the Talented was.

"Uh…" Su Ran was panicked for the first time in all his academic battles, "You are beautiful, everything about you is beautiful."

"Pfft…", Lin Yuqing broke into laughter, "Who's talking about looks? I'm asking about our eyes, dummy!"

"Your, your eyes are beautiful," Su Ran stuttered.

"What part of my eyes is beautiful?" Lin Yuqing persisted.

"They twinkle and they curve like a crescent moon when you smile. I can't help but keep looking at them," Su Ran let it all out. He shut his eyes as he spoke. He was so nervous that he feared his heart might give out.

"You pass," Lin Yuqing's smile was content as she looked at Su Ran, who was blushing. Her happiness was evident, "I've read a joke online about a couple who had this conversation. The boyfriend answered that his eyes were prettier because they held the reflection of his girlfriend. Do you know? My eyes hold your reflection too, Dummy Su!"

"The way you attentively listen in class, the sincerity with which you treat your classmates, the cheerfulness you show despite the agony of illness, the indifference you show when ridiculed by classmates…" Lin Yuqing cherished every bit of Su Ran, "I constantly think about you, at school, at home, on the streets. No matter what you think right now, I have the right to tell you. But don't get too cocky, I'm not looking to make you my boyfriend."

Su Ran was taken aback. Right, how could someone like me, someone on the brink of death, talk about love? Su Ran looked down at his stiff, shrunken left arm and felt disheartened.

"Idiot, what are you thinking?" Lin Yuqing quickly straightened his head, covered Su Ran's ears with her soft hands, and looked him in the eyes, "I'm waiting for you to recover, then you can pursue me, and make me your girlfriend!"

Recover?

Su Ran gave a bitter laugh. For the first time, he rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, took off his glove, and self-mockingly said, "Yu Jing, thank you, thank you for still having a cute girl who could like me. Look, this is my condition. The medical term for it is 'Zombie Syndrome.' It's one of the rarest incurable diseases in medical history. Ugh, just like a mummy. Also, you see these corpse spots on my hand? They appear on the dead. The stench emanates from them, it's getting harder for me to cover it up."

"I've been to numerous hospitals. To be honest, I don't have much time left," Su Ran sincerely said to Lin Yuqing, "I appreciate your kindness, and I will always remember it. But I only wish for a few more days of life right now, not the even more extravagant love. You would only hurt yourself by getting attached to me, maybe even for the rest of your life."

Lin Yuqing looked at Su Ran's arm, her eyes filled with tenderness as she gently stroked his withered left arm, "You've been under so much pressure. How much suffering have you endured to become who you are now, Dummy Su? As the saying goes, 'to suffer first is to enjoy later.' How blessed would your future be? I don't care, I want a share of that happiness!"

"Future? Do I have a future?" Su Ran was reminded of his grief and his eyes reddened.

"Yes!" Lin Yuqing answered with conviction, "Believe in me, believe in yourself. That's why I brought you here today."

Lin Yuqing took out a stack of documents from her backpack and handed them to Su Ran, "Here, take a look!"

What's this?

The title of the document was strikingly clear——Massive Medical Discovery in The Online Game 'Battle of Gods and Demons'

…

A groundbreaking breakthrough in global medical research!

…

As long as you have a master stroke of luck in the game, then in reality, even cancer is no longer unbeatable!

…

As long as you obtain the legendary "Dream Mirror", bringing game props, divine objects, divine pets, and elixirs into reality is no longer a dream!

…

Eternal life?

As long as you play——'Battle of Gods and Demons'!

Everything, anything is possible!

...…

"Is, is," Su Ran read through the materials carefully, his breathing grew heavy, "Yu Jing, is this real or fake? Can an online game really possess such power? Is this a joke?"

"Keep going, the key points are on the following pages." Lin Yuqing seemed to enjoy Su Ran's surprised expression, her gaze never leaving him.

"Top Secret Document——Real Life Cases!"

Upon seeing those characters, Su Ran nearly stopped breathing. He looked up again at Lin Yuqing, as sweet and cute as ever. That she apparently had such formidable connections and could produce top-secret documents shocked him! But right now wasn't the time to focus on that. He immediately dove back into the documents.

A player from Haimian City obtained a 'Resurrection Pill' from the game and brought it into reality. The pill was auctioned for 20 million yuan with the advertised effect: bringing the dead back to life!

After verification, the effect was confirmed to be true: bringing the dead back to life!

A player from Sushi City obtained a bottle of 'Flesh-growing and Bone-healing Ointment' from the game and brought it into reality. The advertised effect: regrowth of muscles and bones!

After verification, the effect was confirmed to be true: a severed leg regenerated!

…

"Ssh…" Su Ran looked at the scarlet stamp at the bottom——'Central Intelligence Agency'!

This is real, not a dream!

Dream Mirror!!

Su Ran held these documents in his shaking right hand. He saw a path, a path to survival. Although the journey would be treacherous and difficult, it gave him a glimmer of hope!

"Yu Jing, thank you!" Su Ran said solemnly to Lin Yuqing, "Thank you for showing me hope, I will definitely continue to live! Even though obtaining the 'Dream Mirror' is extremely difficult, but if others can do it, I have confidence that I can too!"

He suddenly thought of his parents, who had spent all their savings and exhausted themselves for his illness in their desperate attempt to keep his vanishing life. Now, he had one more person to worry abouth.

"This is the Su I know, tough and unyielding!" Looking at Su Ran with his eyes gleaming with determination and confidence, Lin Yuqing playfully stuck out her tongue, "You can't forget me after you recover!"

Su Ran, relieved, tousled Lin Yuqing's hair: "Alright, alright, the day I survive this will be the day I pursue you!"

"Cut it out! Su the Talented, once you're all fit and healthy, all the girls will be rushing toward you. How will you even remember this chubby little girl?" Lin Yuqing's eyes were full of sweetness, "Selective forgetting is an illness, you know!"

"Silly girl, quickly drink your coffee, it's already getting cold!"

"Yeah, yeah, diverting the topic as always!" Lin Yuqing looked down, gripping the still warm cup of coffee. In a whisper almost inaudible she said, "I promise to wait for you, for a lifetime."

…

That night, Su Ran had an indulgent dream for the first time. In the dream, he and a chubby girl held hands and ran across a sunny meadow, laughing joyously and lovingly embracing each other.