A Race to The Top

Although Ji Meng agreed to have a meal together, he didn't talk much. If Ling Xiaolu didn't speak, the two would basically be silent and opposing each other.

But Ling Xiaolu's first goal was to eat together, and he didn't care if Ji Meng's attitude was good.

Thinking of Ji Meng's complete confession, Ling Xiaolu was very happy, watching him eat several more bowls.

Ji Meng looked a little uncomfortable by him.

"Am I ready to eat?"

"Yeah!" Ling Xiaolu nodded frankly.

"..."

Ling Xiaolu carried out his point of view to the end, staring at him to finish the rice in the bowl, and doing this by another person, Ji Meng estimated that he had already left in a dark face.

Ji Meng was in a complicated mood. He couldn't like others anymore, but he couldn't dislike Ling Xiaolu inexplicably.

On the Yanda campus after dinner, various activities are vying to start. Part-time promotions and recruiting new clubs, although there is no square dance to add to the atmosphere, but also extreme sports enthusiasts shuttled in the crowd.

"Students, care about charity fundraising activities!"

A girl handed a flyer to Ling Xiaolu: "No matter how much you donate, it's all your heart."

Ling Xiaolu took it and saw the title above: "Huh?"

The Special Disease Research and Prevention Center, the name of this fundraiser is a bit familiar.

Ji Meng only glanced at it. The LOGO above was very obvious, and he didn't need to read the introduction text below.

"Where to donate?"

The girl immediately led him happily. The simple booth had a donation box and a barcode scanner.

Ji Meng scanned it with his terminal and entered the amount.

"Student wait a minute, I will help you enter and issue a certificate of love."

Ji Meng wanted to say no, but there was a sudden exaggerated "Huh" over there.

"Classmate, did you enter the wrong amount? If you make a mistake, we can refund it."

"There was no mistake." Ji Meng faintly denied.

"I want to donate too." Ling Xiaolu stretched out his hand from behind and scanned the terminal. He was taken aback by the account balance that popped up.

Xin Shan gave him a part-time fee and a hush fee, and Li Zheng also forced him to transfer the dragon money to him. Now Ling Xiaolu is also a little rich man.

Thinking that he had so much money at his disposal—some of which was obtained by sacrificing love—Ling Xiaolu also entered a considerable number in the transfer amount without hesitation. His love cannot be sacrificed in vain, he must die well.

The girl was surprised by these one or two lavish shots, and hurriedly found the person in charge of the public welfare activities of the center who distributed flyers on the other side.

"Brother Yan, what should you do if you come to see this?" She was excited but also helplessly showing him the transfer record, "Should I issue a certificate of merit in this case?"

Brother Yan looked at the record and raised his head in confusion, his expression relieved after recognizing the donor.

"Ji Meng, why are you? What kind of money do you donate? You usually help the center so much, so how good is it to let you donate money again."

It turned out to be an acquaintance, the girl relaxed, and re-examined Ji Meng—this classmate was handsome, rich and kind-hearted, and was perfect. Of course, the one behind him is not bad, and the two of them are a good match when standing together.

What kind of love certificate is issued, she thinks it is good to issue a marriage certificate.

Ji Meng didn't take it seriously: "It happened by chance, so it's easy.... The second payment just now was donated by my friend."

Ling Xiaolu noticed that Ji Meng introduced him not with classmates but with friends, and gave him a surprise peek.

Ji Meng didn't know how much Ling Xiaolu had donated, but judging from the response of the other party, the amount should not be low, which made him somewhat unexpected.

Brother Yan: "Oh, your friends are like you. They are very caring at a young age. They are really divided into groups."

He went to shake Ling Xiaolu's hand: "Thank you for this kind student's help to our center."

"No, no, just do it." Ling Xiaolu imitated Ji Meng's words, "I have heard about your center a long time ago, and have always wanted to do something. I was lucky enough to meet it today."

"Really? Have you heard of us?" There are not many young people like this age who know them.

"Of course, you are an organization that provides free medical care for people suffering from congenital diseases. I also know that you will provide job opportunities for people with inconveniences, which will be of great help to society."

"Yo!" Brother Yan didn't expect that Ling Xiaolu didn't say it politely, but really understood something, and even Ji Meng cast an unexpected look at him.

"That's OK," Yan Ge quickly classified him as his own person like Ji Meng, and he was not polite, "Come to the center when you have time."

"Good!" Ling Xiaolu readily agreed.

"Are everyone okay?" Ji Meng asked.

Brother Yan hesitated to speak but stopped.

"Did something happen?" Chuya's words flashed in his mind, "How is Nan Kaoru?"

"Nan Kaoru?" The girl next to her interrupted, "I know, isn't it the girl who can't go anywhere? She's so pitiful."

Brother Yan sighed: "She may be in a bad mood recently, which has affected her body. If you have time, go and see her. That girl is happiest every time you go."

"I'll go too!" Ling Xiaolu said immediately.

For fear that Ji Meng would not take him, Ling Xiaolu shook his arm without thinking: "I really want to go, can you take me there?"

Ji Meng looked down his arm. In the game, whenever Lu Bi asked him for something, he would make this small action, and even the position of the grasping was very consistent.

"If your friend wants to come, let him come with him." Brother Yan said, "Nan Xun is also happy to have new friends."

"Yes, yes." Ling Xiaolu quickly agreed.

Ji Meng wanted to say that this was not going to travel, but he had to compromise with the bright expectations in Shangling Xiaolu's eyes.

"…when are you free?"

…

At the Special Disease Research and Prevention Center, Ling Xiaolu experienced firsthand that what Nan Xun said to him was not an exaggeration.

Almost everyone here recognizes him. The medical staff who met along the way would smile and nod when they saw Ji Meng, but no one took the initiative to come and courteously to please him and maintain a comfortable intimacy.

Ling Xiaolu somewhat understood why Ji Meng would come here often.

After passing the ward, the door was open, Ling Xiaolu subconsciously looked in, and the patient was lying motionless on the independent hospital bed, surrounded by high-tech instruments that Ling Xiaolu could not understand.

"Don't look." Ji Meng reminded him without looking back.

"Oh, sorry." Ling Xiaolu quickly followed, thinking that his behavior violated the patient's privacy, but in fact he didn't see anything.

"I've seen too much," Ji Meng hesitated, "will be in a bad mood."

Did Ji Meng think for his sake? Ling Xiaolu misunderstood him.

"Is that why you don't want to bring me here?"

Ji Meng stopped in front of a door, silent for a long while.

"Every time I come here, I only have one idea...

"It would be great if it didn't exist here."

He opened the door, and inside was a research room. The doctor in the white uniform is a foreigner, but he speaks fluent Chinese.

"Ji Meng? You haven't been here for a while, how's your vacation going?"

"It's fine."

"Nan Kaoru often tells me about your recent games. Thanks to you, she has good physical indicators some time ago."

"I heard that her situation is unstable these days."

Nan Kaoru's doctor's hand holding the data was obviously stiff: "This... is more complicated, and it can't be said that it is the matter of the past few days. You should go and see her first. This is behind you...?"

"My friend. He also wants to visit Nan Kaoru."

The doctor was surprised: "It's really rare, you will bring friends."

Ling Xiaolu stretched out a hand to say hello: "Hello doctor, my name is Ling Xiaolu."

"I'm interested, Nan Xun likes people to see her, so let's change your clothes."

A few minutes later, Ling Xiaolu and Ji Meng were fully armed, with hats, masks, gloves and shoe covers, and isolation gowns. Only their eyes were exposed.

He knew that the environment where Nan Xun lived was isolated, but he did not expect that the environmental requirements outside the sterile room would be so high.

"Before going in, the whole body needs to be disinfected once. The resistance of the child inside is very weak and the steps are more complicated."

"Even if it's so troublesome, I listen to the doctors outside, and you often come here." Ling Xiaolu said, "I think you are very caring. Some people donate money very well. The people who donate money and practice personally are the most rare."

Ji Meng would not just open his mouth and boast like he did. While waiting for the ultraviolet disinfection process, he finally came up with a sentence: "You are not the same."

Ling Xiaolu intentionally blew him a few more words, the door opened, he followed in and saw the "cover" in Nan Xun's mouth with his own eyes.

The size of the cover will not exceed the capsule dormitory they currently live in. Although the space for them to rest is only that big, after all, there is an infinite space where they can go in and out at will, and Nan Kaoru can only live in such a palm-sized space throughout his life. Hearing it with my own eyes and seeing it with my own eyes are two concepts. No matter how many times I heard it or imagined it, there is no actual scene that is more shocking.

Imagine that if the person inside was Ling Xiaolu, he would go crazy in less than a month.

"Why," Ling Xiaolu asked subconsciously, "Isn't the isolation area made larger?"

"Because this disease requires extremely high air purification, the larger the space, the higher the risk. For the same patients, some can only live in closed capsules, and they can't even stand upright. The medical environment here is already the best. That's it."

When the girl in the glass heard the movement, she sat up from the bed and saw Ji Meng, her big eyes immediately glowed with longing.

Ling Xiaolu was startled and stopped uncontrollably.

Nan Xun said that he was twelve years old, but the girl Ling Xiaolu saw was also eight or nine years old. Long-term malnutrition and restricted activities have frozen her time in this space, and her development is far less than that of her peers.

Her limbs were surprisingly thin, her large medical gown concealed her shrinking muscles, and the most striking thing about her whole body was the special metal collar worn on her neck.

It's no wonder that Ji Meng didn't recognize it when she first saw it in the game, how much imagination she used to perfectly portray what she looked like when she was 16 years old and healthy.

"Brother Ji Meng?" The immature voice came from the speaker, "Is that you?"

"it's me."

It was embarrassing that Ji Meng was wrapped up like a zongzi, but Nan Xun could recognize him at a glance.

"You came to see me."

Nan Kaoru struggled to get out of the bed, her legs like thin bamboo poles supporting her as she approached the glass cover.

Ji Meng looked at Nan Kaoru first, and saw that she was in good spirits, but he didn't know if it was the only way to see him here.

"Chuoya said you haven't been online these days, I'll come over and take a look."

"Brother Ji Meng is very busy starting school, just make a phone call."

"Why isn't it online?" Ji Meng was rare and gentle in front of Nan Xun, "Dou Kou bullied you?"

Nan Xun hurriedly shook his head: "Dad is very good to me, I don't want to go online because..."

She struggled for a long time, and finally raised her head: "Brother Ji Meng, they won't let me mention it to you, saying that you will be sad to hear Brother Lubi."

Ji Meng was stunned.

There was a faint cry in Nan Kaoru's voice: "Is Brother Lubi really never coming back?"

"No!" Ji Meng said immediately, "There is no such thing."

Nan Kaoru did not show the expression of believing him.

"He will be back."

Ji Meng was so eloquent that Ling Xiaolu believed that what he said was true.

"Not only will he come back, I will also bring him to see you."

"That's good." Nan Xun burst into a smile, "I believe Brother Ji Meng."

"Don't worry about it."

After Ji Meng said comforting Nan Xun, he realized that Ling Xiaolu was not in front of him.

He looked back and found that the man was still at the entrance in a daze.

This guy clamored to come, but hid behind when he came.

"Why don't you come?"

"...Oh." Ling Xiaolu raised his foot and walked towards him as if he had just woken up from a big dream.

"...Brother Lubi?"

Ling Xiaolu's movements froze halfway, and Ji Meng was also astonished.

Nan Xun could only see the outline of Ling Xiaolu's whole body and the eyes exposed outside through the glass cover.

"Are you Lubi brother?" she asked again uncertainly.

Ling Xiaolu and Ji Meng exchanged a confused look at each other.

"He is not…"

"It's me!" Ling Xiaolu suddenly interrupted him super loudly, "You guessed it, it's me."

Nan Xun also froze for a moment, and suddenly smiled like a flower: "Brother Ji Meng, you obviously brought Brother Lubi, why didn't you tell me?"

"..." Ji Meng looked at Ling Xiaolu winking at him uncertainly, "I...want to surprise you..."

"Then you lied to me just now!" Nan Kaoru pouted.

"I didn't lie to you," Ji Meng continued faintly, "I said I would bring him to see you, isn't that here?"

Nan Xun giggled, "Okay, forgive you."

Ling Xiaolu finally faced Nan Xun across a transparent wall.

"Brother Lubi," Nan Kaoru yelled again, looking at him seriously, "You look exactly like I imagined."

Ling Xiaolu laughed: "With only one pair of eyes, can you see exactly the same?"

"I imagined Brother Lubi's eyes like this." Nan Kaoru insisted, "Brother Lubi, can I take a look at your face?"

Ling Xiaolu glanced at Ji Meng subconsciously, and the look made Ji Meng's heart move.

He nodded.

Ling Xiaolu bowed and stared directly at Nan Xun from close range.

"Just one look!" He held out his index finger.

Nan Kaoru nodded desperately.

Ling Xiaolu held his breath and took off the mask in front of her, fearing that the air he exhaled would pollute the environment.

Nan Kaoru stared at him blankly, his index finger subconsciously drew his outline on the glass.

Ling Xiaolu couldn't hold his breath anymore and took the mask back.

In fact, it was not serious enough to even breathe, but Ji Meng was touched by his careful care of Nan Kaoru.

"Did you see it clearly?"

"It's the brother Lubi I imagined!"

"Your imagination is awesome!"

"Brother Lubi, are you back?"

"I never left."

"I'm worried if I can't see you."

"Then you see me now, don't you worry about it?"

Nan Xun pursed her mouth, the corners of her mouth turned upward.

"Brother Ji Meng, Brother Lubi is back, so don't always be aggressive with him in the future."

Ji Meng's eyes showed an extremely uncomfortable emotion: "Who, who is always attacking him?!"

"You have it!" Nan Xun categorically retorted, "I've seen it many times! Sister Chuya said that this is your way of getting along, but Sister Chuqing said that Brother Lubi made it to you because he liked you. If he doesn't like it, he will despise you very much."

Ling Xiaolu: Puff—

Ji Meng was on the verge of madness: "The two of them are instilling something messy with you all day long!"

"Don't worry," Ling Xiaolu could imagine Ji Meng's head with his toes. "Even if your brother Ji Meng is fierce, I am used to it."

"I didn't!" Ji Meng said fiercely.

"And I won't dislike him."

"Will you always like it?"

Ling Xiaolu's voice was soft: "I will always like it."

Ji Meng: "..."

Nan Xun was finally relieved: "Brother Lubi, when will you be online? Why do they all say that you have been deleted?"

"I have been busy recently at the beginning of school, and it may take some time before I can go online."

"Brother Ji Meng is starting school, are you also starting school?"

"Yes, the school start time is uniform."

Nan Kaoru blinked: "I haven't been to school."

"I can tell you about the fun things in school."

"Okay, okay!"

"When you get better, I'll talk to you online."

"A word is settled!"

Ji Meng interrupted: "Let's do that for today, Nanxun, take a good rest."

Nan Xun nodded hard, and Ling Xiaolu also saw her exhaustion.

"I will see you next time!"

"You must come!"

Nan Kaoru watched the two people leave with an eye-opener, her reluctance on the glass cover was unbearable for anyone to look at.

The heavy door closed behind him and Ling Xiaolu felt a momentary sense of powerlessness.

When he was inside, he was all about making Nan Xun happy, and he hadn't felt so strong yet.

After coming out, all the voices and pictures came up at once, and Nan Kaoru's eyes lingered in front of him.

Ling Xiaolu regretted not seeing her earlier, regretted not donating more money...

It took a while for Ji Meng to speak, "Thank you."

"what?"

"Willing to cooperate with her in acting."

Ling Xiaolu glanced at him without emotion, and said in his heart that I could be acting as a true character-I would play myself.

"Anyone who sees her will do this." But he said something different, "Nan Kaoru is really distressing."

"She's not always like this," Ling Xiaolu saw that something was bothering Ji Meng. "Don't look at her as pitiful. In fact, she has always been very optimistic."

Ling Xiaolu thought, yes, of course he knows.

But today's Nanxun has inadvertently revealed a fragile side.

"Can you," Ji Moncarton, "wait for me outside for a while, I want to talk to Nan Kaoru's attending doctor alone."

Ling Xiaolu leaned against the wall outside the research room, kicking his right foot unconsciously.

Two people walked to the left, both wearing hospital gowns. Ling Xiaolu remembered that Ji Meng should not look at it casually, and deliberately lowered the first class two to pass by.

However, when they passed by, the people nearby turned their heads and glanced at him, Ling Xiaolu raised his head reflexively, and the two looked at each other.

The half of that person's face was exactly the same as a normal person, and there was no difference at all. On the other half of the face, something like a sarcoma was born, and it collapsed until it reached the collarbone.

Seeing Ling Xiaolu looking at him, the man nodded his head very naturally, showing an unusual smile on his healthy half of his face.

Ling Xiaolu's heart was turbulent, but on the surface, he tried his best to keep the waves calm, and he nodded politely at the other party.

The exchange ended here, and the two walked away side by side. Ling Xiaolu watched them leave, his eyes fell on the two wrists, the looming metal bracelets.

The door finally opened and Ji masked and came out blankly, and the doctor followed him to see him off.

"Long waiting, let's go."