Qi Xiuyi didn’t know how much longer this dream would last.

So, he dared not waste a single moment. He called his father early on and explained his idea of building a museum.

In reality, the first time he faced such a situation, he was able to persuade his father, so it was even less of an issue for him now.

He easily obtained his father’s permission and funding for the construction. In less than two days, relying on his memories from reality, Qi Xiuyi found the architect and construction team he had ultimately chosen back then and rushed to start construction.

This dream was very, very, very long.

So long that it felt just like reality.

Summer passed, and then autumn, all within this dream.

As time went by, Qi Wendong’s health visibly deteriorated.

At first, he couldn’t eat solid food, reducing his meals to meat porridge.

Later, the meat porridge was further reduced to vegetable porridge.

Finally, the vegetable porridge turned into plain white porridge. Even this bowl of white porridge had to be eaten in several servings, and sometimes he couldn’t even finish it. He often had to rely on IV drips to maintain his body’s energy and nutrition.

Qi Wendong’s weight plummeted uncontrollably.

From three digits, it dropped bit by bit to two digits, dropping so much that Qi Xiuyi couldn’t bear to look anymore.

…No wonder, back when he video-called Qi Wendong, he was always eating porridge.

No wonder when Qi Wendong returned to the country and he carried him upstairs and into the house, the weight on his back was so light he could barely feel it!

Qi Wendong…

Qi Wendong!!!

How detestable, Qi Wendong.

He cheated him of so many tears back then, and now, even in a dream, he wasn’t willing to let him be happy for a moment longer!

How many years had it been… It was rare for him to have such a dream, yet Qi Wendong wouldn’t even give him a perfect dream!

Why, why couldn’t Qi Wendong have a healthy body and a long, beautiful future even in his dream?!

When he woke up from the dream, he would no longer have Qi Wendong.

But did he have to lose Qi Wendong again, even in a dream?!

“Clang!”

The crisp sound of shattering glass suddenly rang out.

Qi Xiuyi, who was lying in bed in a daze, was startled. He hurriedly rolled out of bed, and before he could even stand steady, he rushed anxiously towards the adjacent ward.

The ward was connected to the family room he was staying in. There was a door between the two rooms, but Qi Xiuyi didn’t like to close it.

Now, rushing two steps from his bed, he passed through this door and saw Qi Wendong.

When sleeping at night, the lights in Qi Wendong’s ward weren’t completely turned off; a dim small lamp was always left on at the bedside.

This small lamp didn’t affect sleep, but it also kept the room from being so dark that nothing could be seen.

Qi Xiuyi quickly saw Qi Wendong on the hospital bed.

He was half-propped up, his upper body leaning against the headboard, but unable to support himself fully, his entire body curled up uncomfortably on his side.

Since falling ill, Qi Wendong had no heart to groom himself. His hair had grown long enough to touch his shoulders. Now, it was draped loosely and extremely messy, covering most of his face.

Qi Xiuyi’s eyes stung. He immediately strode forward and asked anxiously: “Qi Wendong! What’s wrong, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?”

He bypassed the puddle of water and glass shards by the bed, sat next to Qi Wendong, held his shoulder with one hand, and swept all his messy hair aside with the other.

Qi Xiuyi: “…Qi Wendong.”

He called out softly.

Qi Wendong was low on energy, and his voice sounded uncomfortably hoarse.

Yet his words still sounded spirited: “Just didn’t hold the cup steady, what’s all the fuss about?”

Qi Wendong tried hard to lean back, glanced at him, and smiled.

This smile melted away all the haggardness and pallor. Those eyes, that smile, became bright again, just like always.

Qi Wendong: “If you ask me, instead of spending all your time here with me every day, you should go do something productive. Staying here with me all day, people who don’t know better would think you’re some amazing doctor, and without you, my illness couldn’t be cured.”

Qi Xiuyi: “…”

All of Qi Xiuyi’s melancholy and worry got stuck in his throat.

He stared eerily at Qi Wendong for three seconds before he stiffly straightened Qi Wendong’s body, and then slapped the nurse call button by the bed.

Qi Xiuyi: “Qi Wendong, please, I’m keeping you company! Can’t you have a conscience? …If you don’t tell me where you’re uncomfortable, I’ll ask the doctor to come and give you a checkup right now.”

Qi Wendong raised his eyebrows slightly, leaned his head back, resting completely against the headboard.

Qi Wendong: “Please, you’ve already pressed the call button, why ask me? …Sigh, really won’t let a person have a good sleep.”

Qi Xiuyi: “…Don’t slander me. You clearly woke up by yourself just now; I didn’t disturb your sleep.”

Qi Xiuyi picked up the quilt Qi Wendong had kicked aside and covered him properly.

He wiped the clothes Qi Wendong had wet with the spilled water with tissues. Seeing they couldn’t be dried, he rummaged through the room for a fresh set and changed Qi Wendong into them.

Next, he took a hair tie from the side, simply combed Qi Wendong’s messy hair, and tied it up, preventing it from falling freely over Qi Wendong’s forehead and eyes.

At times like this, Qi Wendong was always a bit quieter.

After he tied his hair and the doctor came in, Qi Wendong became even quieter—in front of others, Qi Wendong always acted like a well-behaved child.

The doctor quickly finished checking Qi Wendong.

The results were obviously not great. The doctor quickly wrote a prescription, called a nurse, and immediately put Qi Wendong on an IV drip.

Qi Wendong didn’t like IV drips.

Or more accurately, Qi Wendong didn’t like the feeling of a needle piercing his skin.

Whenever this happened, Qi Wendong would always secretly clench the quilt with one hand. When Qi Xiuyi first noticed this, he couldn’t help but cover Qi Wendong’s hand, wanting to comfort him, but was surprised to find Qi Wendong’s hand trembling slightly.

Qi Wendong was a person who cared about saving face.

Over the half-year spent in this dream, Qi Wendong’s body had been constantly weakening, but he had never seen Qi Wendong cry, grieve, or show fear in front of him.

Qi Wendong always wanted to deceive him with a facade of calm composure.

He had once truly believed that Qi Wendong wasn’t in pain, that Qi Wendong’s illness wasn’t severe.

Until Qi Wendong’s life was truly taken by this “not severe illness,” until he had the chance to accompany Qi Wendong through this period of illness for the first time in the dream, until he discovered time and again in the dream that Qi Wendong, who was sharp-tongued and retortive one second, might be “caught in the act” like this the next second because he couldn’t bear the physical pain.

Qi Xiuyi: “…Qi Wendong.”

The doctor and nurse had left. Before leaving, they cleaned the floor and brought a new water cup for Qi Wendong.

Qi Wendong lay back on the bed, the braid behind his head untied again.

The needle prick had taken away most of Qi Wendong’s energy. Now, lying on the bed with his eyes closed, he looked like he didn’t want to say anything.

But Qi Xiuyi inexplicably didn’t want to leave.

He sat quietly by Qi Wendong’s bed, staring fixedly at the face on the bed, as if every extra second he looked was a gain.

Qi Wendong ignored him. Qi Xiuyi thought Qi Wendong wouldn’t respond to him.

But after waiting for three minutes, Qi Wendong slowly opened half an eyelid: “You called me, so say something?”

Qi Xiuyi felt aggrieved: “Can’t I call you if there’s nothing? I just wanted to call your name.”

Qi Wendong opened the remaining one and a half eyelids.

Qi Wendong turned his head slightly, half his cheek sinking into the pillow as he looked at him, and smiled inexplicably: “No. Since you called me, you have to think of something to say now.”

Qi Xiuyi: “…”

If he really had to say something, did he need to think?

The things he wanted to say to Qi Wendong were too many, too many, too many!

For example, every day he wanted to tell Qi Wendong about the museum’s construction progress, wanted to watch the live stream of the museum’s construction with Qi Wendong, wanted to introduce in advance what would be placed where in the museum.

For example, every day he wanted to tell Qi Wendong how much he cherished the time they could meet again, wanted to tell Qi Wendong how he spent every single day after he left.

There were too many words he wanted to say to Qi Wendong, so when Qi Wendong suddenly asked, these complicated thoughts fought in his throat.

After fighting for a long time, Qi Xiuyi finally said slowly: “I… had a dream these days.”

Qi Wendong perked up a bit and asked: “Hmm?”

Qi Xiuyi looked away slightly.

He tried hard to keep his voice calm and said: “I dreamed of us in another world. In that world, you… couldn’t make it. In the dream, I held a funeral for you, sent you underground, and then…”

Qi Xiuyi regretted starting this topic. He had overestimated himself.

He couldn’t keep his voice steady. He immediately squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and tried hard to swallow the bitterness in his throat.

After quickly adjusting his state, he opened his eyes again and said rapidly and blurrily: “But that was all in the dream, a situation in another parallel line. Since it’s a parallel line, it means the result in our world will definitely be different from that world. So, Qi Wendong, your illness can definitely be cured!”

He didn’t know if it was his illusion.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt Qi Wendong’s eyebrows and expression seemed to become gentler.

Qi Wendong smiled calmly: “I think what you said makes sense. Did the me in your dream fail to see your gift in the end? Since he didn’t see it, then I will definitely be able to see it, right?”

Qi Xiuyi: “…He didn’t completely miss it. Before he passed away, the museum had just finished renovating the first floor, so I took him to see the first floor of the museum.”

Qi Wendong: “Oh, saw one-fifth. That means I can see at least four-fifths, rounding up means I can see the entire museum.”

Qi Xiuyi thought, how does that calculation work? And Qi Wendong’s grades were so much better than mine!

Qi Xiuyi lowered his head, unconsciously picking up two strands of hair and gently stroking them with his fingertips.

He said softly: “You will definitely see it. The renovations are almost completely done now. Putting the antiques in is just a matter of two days…”

“I’m much faster than I was in the dream. Qi Wendong, just wait. This month… no, within next week, I will definitely take you to see your gift. The complete version!”