Of course.

Not only did his plans for the day already include a large block of time for “accompanying Little Uncle,” but even if they hadn’t, he rarely managed to refuse when his Little Uncle came knocking.

Hearing his agreement, his Little Uncle cheered with delight and pulled on him, saying, “Then, Nephew, pick out the most beautiful outfit for me!”

His Little Uncle looked good in everything. Cheng Huanzhen was in a bit of a predicament. “But all your clothes look good, Little Uncle. I can’t choose.”

“I’ve been teaching you how to pick clothes for so long, how have you not learned yet?” his Little Uncle said, dissatisfied. With that, he took on the heavy responsibility of choosing the clothes himself.

His Little Uncle couldn’t see, so Cheng Huanzhen reported which clothes were what color and style, and his Little Uncle chose from them. After the difficult task of picking an outfit was done, his Little Uncle then had to pick pants, shoes, and perfume, and also find a place on his body to hang the scented sachet he had once given him.

After painstakingly selecting his Little Uncle’s ensemble, Cheng Huanzhen thought, Surely we can go out now? But then he heard his Little Uncle continue, “Come, Nephew, you also pick out your favorite outfit to wear!”

Cheng Huanzhen: “…Me? But Little Uncle, I like a lot of my clothes…”

“Then I’ll pick,” said his Little Uncle.

And so—shirt and pants, belt, cologne, leather shoes. His Little Uncle selected them for him, one by one. Sometimes, when he came across new clothes bought after he had lost his sight, his Little Uncle would show a surprised smile and make a point of touching the clothes to feel what they were like.

It was a very complex process of getting ready. It was as if… everything had returned to how it was before his Little Uncle’s illness, when he had endless energy and vitality to spend each day.

An irrepressible sliver of special hope bloomed again in Cheng Huanzhen’s heart. He thought, although his Little Uncle’s eyes were still covered, could this be a sign of his condition naturally improving?

Cheng Huanzhen hoped. The despair that had been a dense, dark cloud clinging to his heart for days now had a small chance of scattering.

“Nephew, is there anywhere you want to go?” his Little Uncle asked.

Cheng Huanzhen thought for a moment, and a list of the world’s top 10 brain tumor hospitals appeared in his mind. “No,” he said. “You decide, Little Uncle.”

And so, with a clap of his hands, his Little Uncle decided to take him to a nearby cultural relief sculpture corridor.

Not many people usually came here. Today, with the heavy snow, there was no one else in sight along the entire corridor. It was very quiet.

His Little Uncle, bundled into a ball by his down jacket and scarf, shivered the moment he got out of the car and shoved his hands into his sleeves. “Heavens, it’s so cold today… it’s even snowing!” he muttered.

Seeing his Little Uncle’s face turn red from the cold, Cheng Huanzhen dug a thick mask out of his bag and put it on for him. “Yes, Little Uncle. If it’s too cold, maybe we should head back early.”

His Little Uncle shook his head forcefully. “No, no, today definitely has to be spent outside.”

The reliefs on the corridor seemed to depict mythological stories. Cheng Huanzhen hadn’t heard many myths, but he could see the fantastical and magnificent beauty of the carvings. They were very beautiful.

It was a pity his Little Uncle couldn’t see them and could only rely on touch.

Cheng Huanzhen quietly followed beside his Little Uncle, silently watching him joyfully stroke the reliefs on the wall, letting his Little Uncle’s brilliant red color fill his entire field of vision.

He suddenly thought, if things could stay just like this forever, that wouldn’t be bad either. Even if he couldn’t be cured, as long as his Little Uncle’s condition didn’t continue to worsen, then… he could accept it. At worst, it would just mean he would take care of his Little Uncle.

“Nephew!”

His Little Uncle’s call pulled his attention back. He looked over and saw his Little Uncle, eyes covered, very earnestly pressing a spot on the reliefs, and then saying to him, “I think the carving here must be exceptionally beautiful. Nephew, let’s take a picture together here?”

The spot where his Little Uncle stood was exactly the conclusion of a mythological story. Above his Little Uncle’s head, a resplendent phoenix raised its head high amidst fierce flames, its wings spread wide with abandon, as if about to fly towards the sun and become one with it.

It was a very suitable spot for his Little Uncle.

Cheng Huanzhen walked up, brushed off the layer of snow that had accumulated on his Little Uncle’s hat and shoulders, and said, “It’s very beautiful. Okay, Little Uncle.”

Cheng Huanzhen didn’t know why his Little Uncle was suddenly in such high spirits, so energetic, and so eager to take a photo with him today. It wasn’t until they had wandered on, and the sun began to set in a cake shop where the staff brought them a very large cake.

His Little Uncle beamed at him. “Ta-da! Nephew, happy birthday! Happy 21st birthday!”

Only then did Cheng Huanzhen abruptly realize: Oh, so today was his birthday. His Little Uncle was celebrating his birthday for him!

His Little Uncle sat to his left, propping his head on his hand. The gentle evening sun slanted across his cheeks. The orange sunset seemed about to set his red clothes ablaze, burning him into the image of a phoenix.

His Little Uncle didn’t know what he was looking at or thinking.

“I heard from Big Brother that your family never had the habit of celebrating birthdays,” his Little Uncle chattered. “But how can that be? A birthday is the first gift heaven and earth give us, and it’s the most important anniversary in a person’s life. You can skip any holiday, but how can you skip a birthday?”

“Do you know the procedure? Put in the candles, close your eyes and make a wish in your heart, blow out the candles, and then cut the cake. Come on, Nephew, you try it.”

These steps were somewhat unfamiliar to Cheng Huanzhen. He had celebrated his birthday once, on his eighteenth, because it was his coming-of-age ceremony, and his grandfather had thrown him a grand birthday banquet. He had done similar things at that banquet.

But today, in this small private room in the cake shop, Cheng Huanzhen felt that every step, whether listening to it or doing it, seemed completely different from the feeling at that grand party years ago. His mood felt light for the first time in a long while.

He made a wish with great earnestness, listened as his Little Uncle clapped and sang the birthday song, then opened his eyes, blew out the candles, and placed the first cut piece of cake on his Little Uncle’s plate.

“Little Uncle, do you want to know what I wished for?” Cheng Huanzhen asked.

His Little Uncle shook his head vigorously and told him seriously, “Wishes don’t come true if you say them out loud.”

Cheng Huanzhen nodded. “Then I won’t say it.”

His Little Uncle smiled.

“Little Uncle, when is your birthday?” Cheng Huanzhen asked him.

“March,” his Little Uncle said after a thought.

“When in March?” Cheng Huanzhen pressed.

The soft light fell on his Little Uncle, and his smile became gentle with it. The high, straight ponytail swayed lightly as he tilted his head, and Cheng Huanzhen’s eyes followed its movement involuntarily.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes,” his Little Uncle said.

February was the “two-month” deadline the doctor had pronounced. March was another month after that.

…Could his Little Uncle wait that long?

Cheng Huanzhen’s buoyant mood once again grew heavy. He clenched a napkin expressionlessly, staring down at the pale light on the table. “Don’t worry, Little Uncle,” he said in a low voice. “Everything will be alright.”

Because he had made a wish. He hadn’t said it out loud. Therefore, the wish was supposed to come true.

The despair that had accumulated over the past few days seemed to loosen its grip again at this moment. He looked at his Little Uncle’s energetic and brilliant appearance and thought that a cure must exist somewhere in the world. What being could bear to let someone as wonderful as his Little Uncle fall into hopeless despair? Surely, heaven and earth couldn’t bear it either.

His heart, which had grown numb and weak from all the rejections these past days, seemed to start beating again.

Cheng Huanzhen thought seriously: He could still search. He could definitely search. He could definitely find it.

Tomorrow, he would go to school and request a leave of absence. In the remaining month, he would spend all his time with his Little Uncle and continue to search for the possibility of a cure!

The day passed in a flash. His Little Uncle swept away the dejection of the past few days and once again imprinted his bright image on his heart.

Brilliant. Fragrant. Spirited.

That was his Little Uncle.

He took his Little Uncle home, carefully put on his sleeping cap for him, and said goodnight. His Little Uncle said goodnight back.

But just as he was about to leave, his Little Uncle suddenly opened his arms, a smile on his face. “Want to give me a goodnight hug, Nephew?”

…A goodnight hug?

Such a foreign phrase.

Cheng Huanzhen didn’t know where his Little Uncle suddenly got such an idea. But it seemed there was an explanation. After all, his Little Uncle had spent the whole day celebrating his birthday. Perhaps this goodnight hug was one of the gifts his Little Uncle had prepared for him?

Cheng Huanzhen sat back down on the bed. He opened his arms and gave his Little Uncle a sincere hug. His Little Uncle was already on the thin side, and after his illness, he hadn’t been well. His spirit weakened, his movements lessened, and he ate less, so his body had become even thinner.

Now, in his embrace, there was a slight emptiness, which Cheng Huanzhen felt very clearly. He couldn’t help but stroke his Little Uncle’s head and say in a low voice, “Okay. Thank you for celebrating my birthday, Little Uncle. I will also celebrate Little Uncle’s birthday this year, so don’t you worry too much. I wish you a good dream, Little Uncle.”

“Mm, happy birthday, Nephew,” his Little Uncle said softly. “I wish you a good dream too.”

Cheng Huanzhen accepted the blessing, pulled the covers up for his Little Uncle, turned off the light, and returned to his room. He was heavy with sleep and fell asleep quickly. It was the first time in days he had slept so fast, so soundly, so well.

However, for once, he didn’t sleep through the night.

At five in the morning, the sky was still dark. Cheng Huanzhen suddenly startled awake, a weightless falling sensation throwing him from his dream. He stared at the ceiling, panting, a sudden sense of dread in his heart for no reason.

His heart was pounding.

Strange. Strange. Such a strange feeling.

What had happened?

Cheng Huanzhen’s mouth was dry, his mind restless. He frowned deeply, got up from the bed, and sat on the edge for three seconds. What could make him so uneasy?

There seemed to be many possibilities. Maybe he had just slept on his heart, or maybe he had drunk water before bed. But…

Cheng Huanzhen’s gaze subconsciously drifted towards the door.

Go and see.

Maybe Little Uncle had kicked off his blankets again?

---