Life is Like a Journey Against the Current

Life is Like a Journey – Chapter 111

by Little Panda

Volume 3: Transition

The Ring

No one can separate us

This was a well-established tourist scenic area in the suburbs of Jinzhou. Lu Qingshi had been here once for a company team-building event but didn’t know there was such a hidden gem halfway up the mountain.

The traditional-style building [buildings with classical Chinese architectural features] had a sign for “nongjiale” [nóngjiālè, farm-based tourism; rural tourism]. After Gu Yanzhi exchanged a few words with the owner, they were led to a brightly lit live ammunition shooting range behind the mountain.

Lu Qingshi was slightly surprised as the smell of gunpowder entered her nostrils. Gu Yanzhi held her hand while walking and explaining.

“This is a 22LR civilian handgun, these are the MP5 and AUG, and this is the Type 95 [Chinese military assault rifle], one of the most common automatic rifles in the military today.”

She weighed it in her hands, the cold metallic feel bringing back some memories, but ultimately put it down and picked up a civilian handgun instead.

“Want to try this one?”

Lu Qingshi shook her head and picked up the Type 95 she had just touched. It was so heavy…

As her wrist pressed down, Gu Yanzhi quickly steadied her: “Be careful. Even though they’re blanks, they still hurt if they hit you.”

The doctor pressed her lips together, somewhat defiant: “I want to try this one.”

Gu Yanzhi smiled: “Are you sure?”

Lu Qingshi nodded. A staff member came to check their IDs and register them. Gu Yanzhi took out a red credential from her jacket pocket and handed it over. The staff member in camouflage uniform looked at her with sudden respect and gave a military salute.

Gu Yanzhi returned the salute, and shortly after, a new rifle and a string of amber-colored live ammunition were handed to her.

Lu Qingshi watched her eagerly, swallowing hard. Holding the gun, Gu Yanzhi seemed like a different person, a sharp aura [killing intent] emanating from her expression. When she glanced at Lu Qingshi, the latter unconsciously stepped back.

“Step back a bit more.”

She retreated several more steps. Checking the gun, aiming, and firing happened in one fluid motion – Lu Qingshi couldn’t even see how she fired. The moving target ahead disintegrated, and the electronic display kept flashing: bullseye, bullseye, bullseye, bullseye…

Even with ear protection, her eardrums were still ringing. Lu Qingshi watched her in amazement as Gu Yanzhi stroked the hot barrel, slightly lowered her eyes, and when she turned back to look at her, her gentle smile returned.

The gentle fire instructor was back.

Lu Qingshi felt relieved and was inspired with competitive spirit: “I want to try too.”

When a staff member wanted to come forward to instruct, Gu Yanzhi waved them off: “No need, I’ll handle this.”

Since standing position wasn’t suitable for beginners, Lu Qingshi lay down on the sandbags. Gu Yanzhi took off her jacket, revealing her camouflage short-sleeves, and lay down behind her.

“Hold here, press the stock against your shoulder pocket, keep your elbow level with your shoulder…” Lu Qingshi’s forehead broke out in a light sweat as she bit her lip. Gu Yanzhi braced her hand against her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, aim here, I’ll help absorb some of the recoil.”

Everything was ready, position adjusted, breathing slowed. Her finger rested on the trigger, and Lu Qingshi felt quite confident.

“I should be able to hit it, right?”

Gu Yanzhi laughed near her ear, her warm breath brushing against her face. They were so close that her ears turned pink.

“You won’t hit it.”

The doctor retorted indignantly: “What if I do hit it?”

Gu Yanzhi looked at her: “What do you want to happen?”

Lu Qingshi turned to look at her too, lowering her voice: “You’ll be the bottom.”

The fire instructor raised her eyebrows indifferently, confident that she wouldn’t hit the target anyway. Back when she was training, it had taken her a week just to hit the target at all. She didn’t believe Lu Qingshi could be talented enough to get a bullet on target in just an hour.

“Alright, but I don’t think you’ll get that chance.”

“Is that so?” Lu Qingshi ignored her and focused on aiming. She took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The first shot missed, the second shot missed, and the third shot hit the wall beside the target, sending lime powder flying.

After firing all ten rounds, Lu Qingshi’s back was soaked with sweat. Her elbows were so sore she couldn’t lift them, and her shoulder pocket especially burned with pain, even though Gu Yanzhi had helped absorb most of the recoil.

Looking at the motionless electronic display screen, she bit her lip dejectedly. Gu Yanzhi consoled her: “It’s okay, I was the same my first time shooting…”

Just then, a staff member ran over with the target paper, trying to suppress a smile: “Miss Lu hit the adjacent target.”

Lu Qingshi took a look – two seven-rings [scoring rings worth 7 points each]. Her face immediately lit up: “A promise is a promise, no going back on it!”

After all, she hadn’t specified which target she had to hit.

Gu Yanzhi gave an earth-shattering cough.

Lu Qingshi took out her phone, photographed the target paper, and casually posted an update:

“She’s really amazing. First time shooting, success!”

A while later, Qin Xuan commented: 【smile emoji】 “Those who flaunt their love die quickly.”

Lu Qingshi held her phone and laughed – a pure, genuine happiness. Gu Yanzhi leaned over: “What are you looking at? Let me see.”

“No…” She put away her phone as Gu Yanzhi reached to grab it. The two started playfully wrestling until both their stomachs growled simultaneously.

Lu Qingshi: “I’m hungry.”

Gu Yanzhi: “Me too.”

“Let’s go eat.”

“Okay,” Lu Qingshi obediently put away her phone and followed her.

“Senior, I’m here to pick up the scans for bed thirteen,” Yu Gui had just pushed open the door when she almost bumped into someone.

The doctor from the imaging department [medical department handling X-rays, CT scans, etc.] looked slightly relieved to see her, though anxiety still showed in his expression: “These are the scans for bed thirteen. Quick, call the family and arrange for a hospital-wide consultation as soon as possible.”

Yu Gui pulled out the scans for a look and broke into a cold sweat, turning to run: “I got it, thank you, Senior!”

“Guess how much I love you?” Fu Lei bent down and nuzzled her nose.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly guess.”

His stubble tickled and made the little girl giggle. Despite having an IV line in the back of her hand, she still tried her best to spread her arms.

“I love you as high as I can reach!”

Fu Lei smiled, turning away to wipe the corner of his eye, then opened the picture book to continue reading. Incredibly, this mature and composed corporate CEO, who maintained such a serious demeanor in public, was now animatedly reading a children’s story.

Yu Gui’s hand stopped mid-air as she was about to knock.

She saw Fu Lei stretching his arms as far as they could go: “I love you much, much more than that!”

“I love you as far as this little path goes to the stream,” came the little girl’s voice, clear as silver bells [traditional Chinese simile for a clear, bright voice].

“I love you far enough to cross the stream and over the hill,” said the Big Bunny.

Fu Lei gently turned a page in the book. Peipei was getting sleepy, yawning softly but still focused on the story.

“I love you all the way to the moon.”

In the book, Big Bunny tucked Little Bunny into a bed made of leaves, while Fu Lei tucked in her blanket.

“Good night, I love you all the way to the moon and back.”

Outside the window, the moon hung high, and the post-snow air was crisp and fresh. Peipei hugged her father’s neck tightly.

“Daddy, I don’t want to die. If I die, I won’t be able to hear you tell stories about Big Bunny and Little Bunny anymore.”

Fu Lei’s eyes grew hot as he kissed her forehead: “With daddy here, you won’t die.”

“Then will my pain go away too?”

Peipei touched her stomach, which was always misbehaving, hurting from time to time. She wanted to run and jump like other children, go to kindergarten, play football, roll in the sand, jump rubber bands [traditional Chinese children’s game with elastic bands], play jump rope, and eat delicious ice cream. She had never had ice cream because daddy said it would make her stomach hurt more.

“Yes, as long as you’re good and go to sleep, any wish can come true.”

Peipei obediently closed her eyes: “Good night, Daddy. Today my wish is to eat strawberry ice cream.”

Fu Lei stroked her head, patting her back rhythmically to lull her to sleep.

Only after the little one fell into deep sleep did Fu Lei quietly get up. Yu Gui had been waiting outside the door for a long time. She was about to hand him the imaging folder, but he pushed it back.

Fu Lei smiled, his face showing exhaustion: “No need to show me. The test results are the same regardless of which hospital they’re from.”

Based on her experience so far, Yu Gui only knew that this little girl’s abdomen was full of tumors, large and small, severely compressing her internal organs. They affected almost all organs in both the abdominal and thoracic cavities, even reaching the edges of her heart, not to mention the pancreatic mesenteric artery [blood vessel supplying the pancreas and intestines]. In other words, her body had become an incubator for tumors, and conventional surgery couldn’t remove them all.

She had never seen any related reports in domestic or international literature, case studies, or textbooks.

That’s why Yu Gui was so shocked, gripping the scans tightly: “Is there… really no other way?”

Fu Lei took out a lighter intending to smoke, but put it away when he saw the no-smoking sign on the wall: “Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drugs… we’ve tried every method available both domestically and internationally.”

Yu Gui’s face fell. She’d forgotten that the man before her wasn’t just a medical group CEO, but also an excellent surgeon. If even he had no solution, then… why had he come to Renji Medical University?

“Has Qingshi ever mentioned Lele to you?”

Yu Gui shook her head: “She never talks about her affairs.”

Fu Lei smiled, though somewhat bitterly: “That’s just like her character.”

“Who is Lele?”

“Peipei’s half-brother, same father but different mother.”

Yu Gui was suddenly stunned, a great fear rising in her heart: “Could it be…”

Fu Lei violently crushed his unlit cigarette against the railing: “He died from the same disease. Qingshi performed that surgery, and of course, the result—”

He gave a bitter laugh. Even now, remembering that scene was unbearably painful. He clutched his hair, his voice heavy with grief. At this moment, he wasn’t a CEO or a doctor, just a father who had lost his beloved son.

“Lele died, and Qingshi and I went our separate ways. She went overseas, and I gave up practicing medicine to focus on research. All these years, my research has focused on conquering neuroblastoma [type of cancer that forms in nerve tissue], not just for Lele and Peipei, but for all children suffering from this rare disease.”

Neuroblastoma – a tumor name she’d never heard before was now deeply etched in her mind.

At four in the morning, the last doctor on duty went to the rest room for a brief rest.

Yu Gui’s computer remained lit, with cold coffee beside it.

In an open space, a large iron pot was set up over a blazing bonfire. The wild game [wild-caught meat] was particularly good this season. After removing the fur, cleaning, and draining the blood, it was rubbed with salt, seasoned with spices, and doused with fine baijiu [báijiǔ, Chinese white liquor]. After a quick stir-fry over high heat, the intense aroma immediately burst forth.

Lu Qingshi sniffed the air, wrapped in a military coat while sitting around the bonfire. She added another piece of firewood, and the crackling flames cast a golden glow on her profile.

It wasn’t tourist season, so the nongjiale was mostly filled with hospitable locals and some long-term volunteers who worked in the area.

Someone started playing music, and people began to dance. Young men and women swayed their hips to the beat around the bonfire, freely expressing their youth and dripping with sweat.

A hand extended before her. She looked up to see a young man in his twenties gazing at her with sincere, passionate eyes.

“Miss, may I have this dance?”

Lu Qingshi looked slightly embarrassed: “Well…”

Someone pulled her up from the hay bale – Gu Yanzhi wrapped an arm around her shoulders: “She’s dancing with me.”

The young man shrugged and went off to find his next target.

“I don’t know how,” she mumbled against Gu Yanzhi’s shoulder.

Gu Yanzhi feigned confidence: “It’s okay, I don’t either.”

Shoulders bumping and colliding, stepping on each other’s feet countless times, they held hands and danced an awkward dance under the moonlight.

But it didn’t matter. Who would remember? Even many years later, on the distant eastern shore of the Mediterranean, what Lu Qingshi remembered was the cool evening breeze of that night, Gu Yanzhi’s gentle amber eyes, the faint smile on her lips, and the song she sang while playing guitar for her.

She had found a guitar somewhere, and someone accompanied her with a hand drum.

Her deep, magnetic voice carried far on the night wind. Lu Qingshi heard her singing, as if a beam of light was shining upon her.

“You are the scorching wave of a September summer”

“You are the yearning of sudden, pouring rain”

“You are a grand dream flying over mountains and rivers”

She strummed the strings, her gaze piercing through the crowd to look at her from afar. Her girl was resting her chin in her hands, looking back at her gently across the firelight.

Her voice suddenly turned tender and melodious.

“You are the youthful scenery of the Southern Hemisphere”

“Your name is…”

“Unforgettable”

Lu Qingshi’s eyes sparkled with moisture. Though she hadn’t been drinking, she felt somewhat intoxicated, her chest flowing with waves of warmth.

Gu Yanzhi kept singing, and she kept listening, until the night faded and people, satisfied with food and wine, returned to their rooms to sleep.

The bonfire still burned in the clearing as Gu Yanzhi packed up the guitar. Someone gently tapped her shoulder – it was the girl who had played the hand drum with her.

She recognized her as one of her own kind.

“Can I add you as a friend? Your singing was beautiful.”

Gu Yanzhi zipped up the guitar case: “I’m sorry, my girlfriend is waiting for me.”

“Someone was hitting on you,” Lu Qingshi said, still looking back.

Gu Yanzhi wrapped an arm around her shoulders, turning her head towards herself: “Not as beautiful as you.”

“What if someone more beautiful than me comes along?”

“That’s impossible. You’re the most beautiful in my heart.”

“Smooth talker.”

“Don’t you know just how smooth?”

Lu Qingshi elbowed her, and Gu Yanzhi laughingly held her tighter, lowering her voice near her ear: “Let’s go back quickly to shower. We still have things to do.”

The suggestive tone made Lu Qingshi blush instantly: “But just last night…”

“Hmm…” Gu Yanzhi pondered: “But I still want to…”

Unable to resist her persistent coaxing, what was meant to happen happened. She was always gentle and patient. The curtains swayed softly in the breeze, and Lu Qingshi closed her eyes, hearing what seemed like the sound of flowers blooming.

She loved seeing her like this, but didn’t want to exhaust her too much, so after just one round, she carried her to drink water and shower.

When she returned with wet hair, Lu Qingshi was kneeling on the bed searching for something. As she got into bed, Lu Qingshi came closer, and something sparkly flashed between her fingers. Before she could react, she felt something cool on her little finger.

She had been given a ring.

Lu Qingshi showed a gentle smile, her eyes bright like stars in the sky.

“It fits perfectly.”

Gu Yanzhi examined the diamond ring in the darkness, touching it repeatedly, looking at it again and again, finally feeling a sense of belonging, like fallen leaves returning to their roots [Chinese idiom meaning finding one’s true home].

“Ah… looks like I won’t have a chance to give you mine now.”

She had been carrying hers all along too, planning to give it tonight, but was beaten to it.

“Eh? You too?” Lu Qingshi looked at her with slight surprise.

Gu Yanzhi nodded, pulling her into an embrace: “Mm-hmm, I bought it a long time ago.”

Their little fingers intertwined, rubbing against each other, and the doctor smiled with half-closed eyes at the smooth feeling of the metal and her warmth.

“Hearts connected by spiritual understanding [a Chinese idiom expressing deep mutual understanding].”

“Mm.” She knew Lu Qingshi was sleepy, already starting to yawn with her fist against her mouth, so she kissed her forehead.

“Sleep now, good night.”

“Gu Yanzhi, will you ever take it off?”

She asked drowsily.

She answered seriously.

“Never.”

“Not even if we break up?”

“Never.”

“Not even if I die?”

“Never.”

“I…”

Gu Yanzhi sealed her lips: “Hush, sleep.”

After her breathing became steady, Gu Yanzhi opened her eyes in the darkness.

Whether you’re here or not, whatever becomes of us in the future, I’ll always wear it. When I’m old, it will be buried with me in my grave, and in the next life, I’ll wear it to find you again.

No one can separate us.

No one.

LP: They’re spoon feeding dog food!

Volume 3: Transition

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