An Nuannuan paused for a moment, her fair and delicate face forming a slight curve: "Sometimes it's just like that, pretty despicable."
It was rare to see An Nuannuan with such a tone and expression, and Yao Mingyue was momentarily taken aback.
Yao Mingyue couldn't help but laugh with tears in her eyes, laughing very happily: "Yes, he's like that. He looks honest and upright, but he's actually despicable deep down. Sometimes if you don't deal with him, he feels uncomfortable. Let me tell you, he's really ticklish. Just scratch his lower back and thighs..."
As Yao Mingyue spoke, she suddenly felt that her words might be inappropriate. After all, who talks about their ex's sensitive spots in front of their current partner...
But An Nuannuan's smile remained unchanged. Instead, she nodded seriously: "Alright, I'll bully him like that too."
Yao Mingyue looked at her and, after a long time, shook her head: "An Nuannuan... it seems I'll never see you angry in this life."
"I think you wouldn't really want to see me angry." An Nuannuan's eyes twinkled.
Of course, Yao Mingyue knew what she meant, and she fell silent for a moment.
"Yes, it's best not to see it again. Honestly, it's really hard for me to connect the woman who once grabbed my collar and questioned me with the person you are today."
Yao Mingyue looked at An Nuannuan carefully, recalling their first meeting in the past life.
Back then, An Nuannuan stormed into the hospital and grabbed her collar, her frantic and domineering demeanor silencing Yao Mingyue.
It's really hard to connect that image with the naturally silly and naive girl standing before her now.
"We've all grown up, we're no longer who we used to be."
An Nuannuan reminisced, in her memory, Yao Mingyue at this moment had completely transformed.
She used to be unreasonable, willful, and would go to any lengths to be with Xu Musen.
But now, she could smile and bless the person she loved the most.
"Nuannuan, I actually always wanted to ask you something…"
Yao Mingyue took a deep breath: "A while ago, when I fainted and was hospitalized, during the coma, I seem to remember some things. I remembered Xu Musen was seriously injured...
The doctors said a heart transplant was the only way to save him, but waiting for a heart match takes a long time, and he couldn't wait.
I also remembered, at that time, you had even done the organ matching tests..."
Yao Mingyue covered her aching chest and looked at An Nuannuan. She was really grateful, even though in the past life An Nuannuan could have completely stayed out of it.
After all, at that time, Xu Musen didn't even know An Nuannuan's name...
Yet, facing Xu Musen, she could really disregard everything, even if it meant never having a chance to be with the person she liked.
This is also what allows Yao Mingyue to bless them willingly.
An Nuannuan didn't speak, just silently looked at her, her clear eyes quietly becoming deeper.
"But I knew, I couldn't let you do it. After all, I was his wife at that time. If anyone was to a heart, it should be my responsibility."
Yao Mingyue covered her chest, feeling her slow heartbeat: "So, my final memory stops at the surgery table… He protected me for a lifetime, and in the end, it counts that I repaid him once."
Yao Mingyue revealed a heartfelt smile.
Yao Mingyue looked at the always silent An Nuannuan: "You're so good at taking care of people. I guess… you learned it from taking care of him after his surgery."
If he could live on with her heart and meet An Nuannuan… perhaps he could start a new life.
This might be the best ending.
An Nuannuan looked at her, and suddenly spoke: "If that's true, would you regret it?"
Saving the one with your heart, only for them to end up with someone else.
Yao Mingyue shook her head with a smile: "Regret? Maybe a little, but only that the person walking with him in the end wasn't me.
But I don't regret saving him. Even if I had to do it a hundred times, I wouldn't regret it."
Yao Mingyue's weak voice was unyieldingly firm.
An Nuannuan didn't respond, but her bright eyes now hid emotions undetectable by others.
"But… he must find it hard to accept, wanting so badly to get rid of me, yet having to follow my heartbeat for a lifetime."
Yao Mingyue laughed to herself, thinking that this isn't a complete failure.
"So, I always wanted to ask you something…"
Yao Mingyue gently held An Nuannuan's hand.
An Nuannuan came to herself, noticing the hope in Yao Mingyue's eyes. She spoke first: "You want to ask me if he would be with me if he really survives?"
Given Yao Mingyue's personality, it's impossible for her not to want to know, nor to care.
Yao Mingyue froze for a while, but eventually smiled and shook her head: "Saying I don't care, even I wouldn't believe it. I have such a small heart; it can't hold even a grain of sand.
So, I won't torture myself. I won't need to know if he has moved on or not… I just know that I will live for him forever, staying with him till my heartbeat stops, and that's enough."
Yao Mingyue's tone still carried a hint of stubborn pride, but moreover, it was warm after letting go.
She held An Nuannuan's warm hand: "Nuannuan, I remember you're very good at painting?"
An Nuannuan didn't expect her to ask this suddenly.
"That's great." Yao Mingyue's weak eyes lit up: "Then, could you draw me a picture… of Xu Musen when he's old?"
An Nuannuan's body trembled, unable to answer immediately.
Yao Mingyue looked at her expectantly: "My deepest regret… is not seeing him grow old… I'm afraid this time I won't be lucky again. Could you, having seen him old, draw me a picture, let me see it, just once, and I'll have no regrets…"
This nearly became Yao Mingyue's obsession.
At this moment, her words seemed so humble; she tightly held An Nuannuan's hand.
Now she had no jealousy or ulterior motives, just a desire to see him old, imagining them old together, with white hair and hunched bodies, still being seen as matching.
But facing Yao Mingyue's hopeful gaze, An Nuannuan's hand trembled, her lips parted without knowing how to speak.
"Is it not possible?"
Yao Mingyue asked softly again.
An Nuannuan snapped out of it, looking at Yao Mingyue, her rosy lips slightly parted: "Sorry, I don't know what he looks like."
Yao Mingyue's cold hand trembled a bit too.
An Nuannuan didn't answer, just continued: "Yao Mingyue, have you considered what he would think when he found out that you gave him your heart without his consent?"
Yao Mingyue's mouth twitched, bitter but firm: "I don't know… but this is the best result, it's what I owed him...
He always said that being with him was out of habit, dependency, and possessiveness.
But he underestimated me. What you did for him, I can do too. I love him, I would restrict and control him, but never harm him.
I know he'd find it hard to accept my decision.
But even if he blamed me, I'd still choose this. At least... one of us can survive, there's still hope."
Yao Mingyue clenched her other trembling hand on her chest.
An Nuannuan held her cold, trembling hand: "What if it was him, if he gave you his heart without your consent?"
Yao Mingyue's breath nearly stopped, her heartbeat stalling, feeling her body temperature drop: "…What…"
An Nuannuan held her hand to comfort, but continued: "I told you before, he died, and before dying, he left you this…"
An Nuannuan's finger lightly touched her chest, to that weak heart, nearly stopped. Yao Mingyue's mouth opened, wordless.
An Nuannuan sighed, a rare trace of frustration and defeat appeared on her face as she bitterly smiled.
"Yao Mingyue, you underestimated his love for you. If you're a patient, then he's a madman, someone whose eyes only had you in the past life…"