So much depends on what a man makes of things. Fine words, easy to say -- and yet there come times when nothing can be done at all.

Wei Zhao bent down and pressed a kiss to Feng Xiaoxiao's cheek. She seemed to sense it; a sweet smile touched the corner of her mouth, her eyes fluttered open just long enough to glance at him, and then she drifted back into her hazy sleep.

Wei Zhao did not disturb her further. Instead he picked up her phone from the bedside, intending to see what wishes of Feng Xiaoxiao's still lay unfulfilled. In the days ahead, he would see to it that every one of them was granted first, before anything else.

For this episode had been a warning as well: Feng Xiaoxiao's time was truly running short. Preparations had to be made on both fronts. While he went on seeking every means of healing for her, he must also do all he could to make her happy -- so that even if no cure was possible, she would spend the final stretch of her life in joy.

Lifting Feng Xiaoxiao's phone, Wei Zhao opened the note-taking app he had found before, located the private folder called "My Wishes," and opened it in silence.

Peering into Feng Xiaoxiao's privacy was perhaps not the most moral thing to do, but morality was no longer the question. Wei Zhao meant well; all he wanted was to learn her wishes and grant them, one by one.

As matters stood, of all the wishes he had read earlier, only "Seduce the superstar Xu Shilan" was so shocking and outlandish that Wei Zhao could not possibly help her bring it about. Every other wish had already come true.

As for that "seduce the superstar" wish, Wei Zhao could only abandon it. He could hardly drag Feng Xiaoxiao and that Xu Shilan into some sort of threesome, could he? The mere thought of it made him blush with embarrassment.

Opening "My Wishes," Wei Zhao found the place he had reached last time and read on.

Directly after the "seduce the superstar" wish came one that was somewhat connected to it.

"When will Xu Shilan finally come to Songshan City to hold a concert? I want to go so badly! Best of all with my best friend and my boyfriend! And even better, get a photo with Xu Shilan!"

Beneath this wish were two annotations.

The second annotation, however, had been written only a few days ago, and it said: "Best friend -- got one. Boyfriend -- got one. All that's missing now is Xu Shilan!"

Reading that second annotation, Wei Zhao was a little lost for words, though he could not help wondering: could Xu Shilan really not hold a concert here in Songshan City? If worse came to worst, he could have Fatty Lai put up the sponsorship and stage one himself.

Yes -- this wish actually stood a chance of coming true.

Having filed that wish away in his mind, Wei Zhao turned to the next one in Feng Xiaoxiao's list.

"I hope that when my time comes, Wei Zhao, Tang Yun, Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and my father will all be far from my side. Let me slip away quietly, alone. I don't want them grieving for me..."

Wei Zhao checked the date of this entry, and his expression hardened. It had been written the day before yesterday.

For a long moment a flood of feeling swept through him. It seemed Feng Xiaoxiao had already sensed that her life was drawing to its close. Perhaps her body had grown wretchedly ill, yet she had said nothing of it -- sitting quietly at home on her own, telling no one.

Had Feng Tianlong not discovered it by chance, Xiaoxiao might truly have been gone this time.

Wei Zhao sighed softly. Feng Xiaoxiao, oh Feng Xiaoxiao -- if you were to leave me just like this, I would die of self-reproach!

Wei Zhao shook his head. This wish would bear thinking over. He would look to the ones that followed.

But the wishes ended right there. This was the last entry, and the newest one as well; it seemed Feng Xiaoxiao had not added anything further.

Which left only two wishes unrealized: going to see superstar Xu Shilan's concert, and having a threesome with her!

The concert might be worth looking into. As for the threesome -- they could forget about that.

Wei Zhao switched off Feng Xiaoxiao's phone, set it carefully back where he had found it, and decided to get up and go look in on Tang Yun.

Coming from Feng Xiaoxiao's room into the living room, Wei Zhao crept toward Tang Yun on tiptoe. But soft as his tread was -- carrying not a whisper of sound -- some sort of instinct must have stirred in her, for Tang Yun woke all the same.

Wei Zhao, after all, was a man trained in special operations; not even assassination assignments were beyond him. The sound of his footsteps could not possibly be detected by an ordinary person.

Yet Tang Yun opened her eyes and looked at Wei Zhao in a drowsy haze. "What is it? Is it morning?"

"No. Go back to sleep -- I only came to see you." Wei Zhao smiled ruefully. Would Tang Yun take him for some pervert, sneaking over in the middle of the night?

"Oh... different place; I don't sleep all that soundly." Tang Yun stretched and asked, "How is Xiaoxiao? Is she asleep?"

"Mm, asleep." Wei Zhao nodded. "Then you sleep as well. Shall I go back?"

"Don't... don't go. Stay with me a little while, will you?" Tang Yun hesitated, then called him back.

Tang Yun had no desire to fight Feng Xiaoxiao over anything, but Feng Xiaoxiao was plainly asleep now, so there was surely no harm in letting Wei Zhao keep her company for a while.

"Heh... alright!" Wei Zhao laughed and nodded. So long as Tang Yun did not take him for a pervert, that was all that mattered.

He walked over and sat on the edge of the sofa where Tang Yun lay, and took her hand.

Tang Yun smiled faintly and closed her eyes. This time her heart was at ease, and before long she had sunk into a deep, heavy sleep.

Fresh from his breakthrough, Wei Zhao was brimming with energy and not sleepy in the least. Holding Tang Yun's hand, he closed his eyes and quietly savored the warmth of the moment.

At heart Wei Zhao was not a conventional man, but neither was he the sort given to dalliance. Finding himself suddenly possessed of two girlfriends had caught him somewhat off guard -- yet now that he truly had them, living together with them day after day, there was a warmth to it unlike anything else. Especially since the two girls neither squabbled nor competed, but got along in perfect harmony; it left Wei Zhao with a profound sense of happiness.

In the blink of an eye morning came. Feng Xiaoxiao's body clock was true enough: at half past six she clambered out of bed. Not seeing Wei Zhao, she started in alarm -- had she been dreaming last night after all? Had Wei Zhao never come?

Feng Xiaoxiao stumbled out of the bedroom, only to find Wei Zhao sitting on the sofa, holding Tang Yun's hand. Only then did she know that last night had not been a dream -- though a little disappointment crept in as well. So it seemed that after she had fallen asleep, Wei Zhao had come back to sit with Tang Yun.

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