Although Ji Meng agreed to eat together, he didn't talk much. If Ling Xiaolu didn't speak, the two would basically be silent.
But Ling Xiaolu's first goal was to eat together, he didn't care whether Ji Meng's attitude was good or not.
Thinking of Ji Meng's complete confession, Ling Xiaolu was very happy and watched him eat several more bowls.
Ji Meng felt a little uncomfortable when he saw him.
"Am I having dinner?"
"Yeah!" Ling Xiaolu nodded frankly.
"… "
Ling Xiaolu carried out his own point of view to the end, stared at him to finish the rice in the bowl, and someone else did this kind of thing, Ji Meng probably left with a dark face.
Ji Meng was in a complicated mood. He couldn't like others anymore, but he couldn't dislike Ling Xiaolu for some reason.
After dinner, on the campus of Yantai University, various activities were launched. Part-time promotions, club recruitment, although there is no square dance to add to the atmosphere, but also extreme sports enthusiasts shuttle among the crowd.
"Students, pay attention to the charity fundraising activities!"
A girl handed a flyer to Ling Xiaolu: "No matter how much you donate, it is your heart."
Ling Xiaolu took it and saw the title above: "Huh?"
Special disease research and prevention center, the name of this fundraiser is a bit familiar.
Ji Meng only glanced at it, the LOGO on it was very obvious, and he didn't have to read the introduction text below.
"Where to donate?"
The girl immediately happily guided him. The simple booth had donation boxes and barcode scanners.
Ji Meng swiped on it with his terminal and entered the amount.
"Wait a minute, classmates, I'll help you enter and issue a certificate of love."
Ji Meng wanted to say no, but suddenly exaggerated "Huh" there.
"Classmate, did you enter the wrong amount? If you make a mistake, we can refund it."
"There is no mistake." Ji Meng denied lightly.
"I want to donate too." Ling Xiaolu stretched out his hand from behind, scanned the terminal, and was taken aback by the account balance that popped up.
Xin Shan gave him a part-time fee and a seal fee, and Li Zheng also forced him to buy dragon money. Now Ling Xiaolu is also a little rich man who is not visible.
Thinking that he had so much money at his disposal - some of which was obtained by sacrificing his love - Ling Xiaolu also entered a considerable number in the transfer amount without hesitation.
The girl was surprised by the lavishness of these two, 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 showed him the transfer record, "Should a certificate be issued in this situation?"
Brother Yan looked at the record, raised his head in confusion, and was relieved after recognizing the donor.
"Ji Meng, why are you? What kind of money are you donating? You usually help the center so much, so why don't you donate money again?"
It turned out to be an acquaintance, the girl relaxed and looked at Ji Meng again - this classmate is handsome, rich, and kind-hearted, just perfect. Of course, the one behind him is not bad either. The two of them are a good match when they stand together.
What kind of love certificate is issued, she thinks it is very good to issue a marriage certificate.
Ji Meng didn't take it seriously: "I happened to meet it, and it's a lot of work.... The second donation just now was donated by my friend."
Ling Xiaolu noticed that Ji Meng did not use a classmate to introduce himself this time, but a friend, and gave him a surprise peek.
Ji Meng didn't know how much Ling Xiaolu had donated, but judging from the other party's reaction, the amount should not be low, which made him a little surprised.
Brother Yan: "Oh, your friends are just like you. They are very loving at a young age. They are really divided into groups."
He went to shake Ling Xiaolu's hand: "Thank you to this kind classmate for helping our center."
"No, no, it's a job." Ling Xiaolu imitated Ji Meng and said, "I've heard about your center for a long time, and I've always wanted to do something. Today, I was lucky enough to meet it."
"Really? Have you heard of us?" Young people of this age don't know much about them.
"Of course, you are an institution that provides free medical care for people with 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 casually, but he really understood, and even Ji Meng cast an unexpected look at him.
"That's fine," Brother Yan quickly classified him as his own like Ji Meng, no longer being rude and polite, "come to the center when you have time."
"Okay!" Ling Xiaolu readily agreed.
"Is everyone okay?" Ji Meng asked.
Brother Yan hesitated.
"What happened?" Chu Ya's words flashed in his mind, "How is Nanxun?"
"Nan Xun?" the girl next to her interjected, "I know, is that 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 see her. That girl is happiest every time you go."
"I'll go too!" Ling Xiaolu said immediately.
Afraid 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 Lubi asked him for something, he would make this small gesture, and even the position of the grab was very consistent.
"If your friend wants to come, let him come with him." Brother Yan said, "Nan Xun is also happy to have a new friend."
"Yes, yes." Ling Xiaolu quickly agreed.
Ji Meng wanted to say that this was not a trip, but with the glittering expectations in Shangling Xiaolu's eyes, he made a compromise.
"… when are you free?"
…
After visiting the Special Disease Research and Prevention Center in person, Ling Xiaolu realized firsthand that what Nan Xun said to him at the beginning was by no means 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 over to please him, maintaining a comfortable intimacy.
Ling Xiaolu understood why Ji Meng came here often.
Passing through the ward, the door was open, Ling Xiaolu subconsciously looked in, the independent hospital bed, the patient lay motionless on it, surrounded by high-tech equipment that Ling Xiaolu could not understand.
"Don't look." Ji Meng reminded him without turning his head.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Ling Xiaolu quickly followed, thinking that his behavior violated the patient's privacy, but in fact he didn't see anything.
"Watching too much," Ji Meng hesitated, "would be in a bad mood."
So Ji Meng was thinking of him? Ling Xiaolu misunderstood him.
"Is that why you don't want to bring me here?"
Ji Meng stopped in front of a door and was silent for a while.
"Every time I come here, I only have one idea...
"If only it didn't exist here."
He pushed open the door, and inside was a research room. The doctor in white uniform is a foreigner, but he speaks fluent Chinese.
"Ji Meng? Have you been here for a while, how was your holiday?"
"fine."
"Nan Xun often tells me about your game status. Thanks to you, her physical indicators have been good some time ago."
"I heard her condition is unstable these days."
Nanxun's attending doctor's hand holding the information froze obviously: "This... is more complicated, and it can't be said to be a matter of the past few days. You should go and see her first. The one behind you is...?"
"My friend. He also wants to see Nanxun."
The doctor was quite surprised: "It's rare, you will bring friends here."
Ling Xiaolu stretched out a hand to say hello: "Hello doctor, my name is Ling Xiaolu."
"Have a heart, Nanxun likes people to come to see her, so you can 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 Nan Xun lived in an isolated environment, but he didn't expect that the requirements for the environment outside the sterile room were so high.
"Before entering, the whole body needs to be disinfected once. The resistance of the children inside is very weak, and the steps are rather cumbersome."
"Even if it's so troublesome, I listen to the doctor outside, and you come here often." Ling Xiaolu said, "I think you are very caring, and some people donate money very well. Those who donate money and do their best are the best. rare."
Ji Meng wouldn't exaggerate like him. While waiting for ultraviolet disinfection, he finally came up with a sentence: "You are not the same."
Ling Xiaolu still wanted to blow him a few more words, the door opened, he followed in and saw the "hood" in Nan Xun's mouth.
The hood will not exceed the size of the capsule dorm they currently live in. Although the space for them to rest is only so large, after all, there is an infinitely vast world that can be entered and exited at will, and Nan Xun can only live in such a palm-sized space for the rest of his life. Hearing with one's own ears and seeing with one's own eyes are two concepts. No matter how many times you have heard it or imagined it, there is no more shocking picture that you have actually witnessed.
Put yourself in the shoes and imagine that if the person inside was Ling Xiaolu, he would go crazy within a month.
"Why," Ling Xiaolu asked subconsciously, "isn't the isolation area bigger?"
"Because this disease has particularly high requirements for air purification, the larger the space, the higher the risk. Some of the same patients can only live in closed capsules and can't even stand upright. The medical environment here is already the best. yes."
The girl in the glass cover heard the movement and sat up from the bed, seeing 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 clearly eight or nine years old. Long-term malnutrition and restricted activities have frozen her time in this dimension, and her development is far below that of her peers.
Her limbs were surprisingly thin, and the wide hospital gown covered her atrophied muscles. The most striking thing about her body was the special metal collar she wore around her neck.
No wonder Ji Meng didn't recognize her when she first met in the game. How much imagination did she use to perfectly portray her healthy sixteen-year-old appearance.
"Brother Ji Meng?" A tender voice came from the loudspeaker, "Is that you?"
"it's me."
It was difficult for Ji Meng to be wrapped like a zongzi, but Nan Xun could recognize him at a glance.
"You came to see me."
Nan Xun struggled to get out of the bed, and her thin bamboo-like legs supported her as she approached the glass cover.
Ji Meng first looked at Nan Xun and saw that she was in good spirits, but he didn't know if he was here.
"Chuya said that you haven't been online for a few days, I'll come and take a look."
"Brother Ji Meng is very busy at school, just make a phone call."
"Why aren't you online?" Ji Meng showed rare tenderness in front of Nan Xun, "Dou Kou bullied you?"
Nanxun shook his head hurriedly: "Dad is very kind 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 when you hear Brother Lubi."
Ji Meng was stunned.
There was a faint cry in Nan Xun's voice: "Is Big Brother Lubi really never coming back?"
"No!" Ji Meng said immediately, "There is no such thing."
Nanxun didn't show any expression of believing him.
"He'll be back."
Ji Meng's words were so convincing that Ling Xiaolu believed that what he said was true.
"Not only can he come back, but I will bring him to see you."
"That's good." Nan Xun burst into tears and laughed, "I believe Brother Ji Meng."
"Don't worry about it blindly."
After Ji Meng finished comforting Nan Xun, he realized that Ling Xiaolu was not in front of him.
He looked back and found that the man was still in a daze at the entrance.
This guy is clamoring to come, but when he comes he hides behind.
"Why didn'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 stunned.
Through the glass cover, Nan Xun could only see the outline of Ling Xiaolu's body and a pair of eyes that were exposed outside.
"Are you Brother Lubi?" she asked again uncertainly.
Ling Xiaolu and Ji Meng exchanged confused looks.
"He is not… "
"It's me!" Ling Xiaolu suddenly interrupted him super loudly, "You guessed it, it's me."
Nan Xun was also stunned 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 uncertainly at Ling Xiaolu who winked at him, "I... want to surprise you..."
"Then you lied to me just now!" Nan Xun pouted.
"How can I lie to you," Ji Meng continued sloppily, "I said I would bring him to see you, so it's coming."
Nan Xun giggled: "Okay, forgive you."
Ling Xiaolu finally faced Nan Xun across a transparent wall.
"Brother Lubi," Nan Xun called out again, looking at him seriously, "You look exactly like I imagined."
Ling Xiaolu laughed: "With only one pair of eyes, can you see the same?"
"I imagined Lubi's eyes like this." Nanxun insisted, "Lubi, can I take a look at your face?"
Ling Xiaolu glanced at Ji Meng subconsciously, and Ji Meng's heart moved with that look.
He nodded.
Ling Xiaolu bowed down and looked directly at Nan Xun from a close distance.
"Just a glance!" He stretched out his index finger.
Nanxun nodded desperately.
Ling Xiaolu held her breath and took off her mask in front of her, for fear that the gas she exhaled would pollute the environment.
Nan Xun stared at him with wide eyes, her index finger subconsciously traced his outline on the glass.
Ling Xiaolu couldn't hold back any longer, and took the mask back.
In fact, it wasn't so serious that he couldn't even breathe, but Ji Meng was touched by his carefully caring behavior for Nan Xun.
"Did you see clearly?"
"It's the brother Lubi I imagined!"
"Your imagination is amazing!"
"Brother Lubi, are you back?"
"I never left."
"I'm worried about not seeing you."
"Then you won't be worried when you see me now?"
Nan Xun pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth upturned.
"Brother Ji Meng, brother Lubi is back, don't always kill him in the future."
Ji Meng's eyes showed extremely uncomfortable emotions: "Who, who always murdered him?!"
"You have it!" Nan Xun retorted firmly, "I've seen it many times! Sister Chuya said this is how you get along, but Sister Chuqing said that Brother Lubi accommodated you because he liked you. If he doesn't like it, he will dislike you very much."
Ling Xiaolu: Poof—
Ji Meng was on the verge of going crazy: "The two of them are instilling some nonsense in you all day long!"
"Don't worry," Ling Xiaolu could use his toes to imagine that Ji Meng's head was big at the moment, "Even if your brother Ji Meng is fierce, I'm used to it."
"I didn't!" Ji Meng said fiercely.
"And I wouldn't dislike him."
"Will you always like it?"
Ling Xiaolu's voice was soft: "I will always like it."
Ji Meng: "..."
Nan Xun finally felt relieved: "Brother Lubi, when will you be online? Why do they all say that your account has been deleted?"
"I have been busy with school recently, and it may take some time before I can go online."
"Brother Ji Meng starts school, are you also starting school?"
"Yes, the school starts at the same time."
Nan Xun blinked: "I didn't go to school."
"I can tell you fun things about school."
"Okay, okay!"
"When you feel better, I'll go online and tell you."
"It's a promise!"
Ji Meng interjected: "That's it for today, Nan Xun, you have a good rest."
Nan Xun nodded her head hard, and Ling Xiaolu also saw her exhaustion.
"I'll see you next time!"
"You must come!"
Nan Xun eagerly watched the two leave, and no one could bear to see her reluctant appearance on the glass cover.
The heavy door closed behind the two of them, and Ling Xiaolu felt a momentary sense of powerlessness.
When he was inside, he only wanted to make Nan Xun happy, but he didn't have such a strong feeling.
After he came out, all the sounds and pictures came up together, and Nan Xun's eyes lingered in front of him.
Ling Xiaolu regretted not seeing her earlier, regret not donating more money...
Ji Meng said after a long while, "Thank you."
"what?"
"I am willing to cooperate with her in acting."
Ling Xiaolu glanced at him without emotion, and said in his heart that I can be regarded as my true character - I will play myself.
"Anyone who sees her will do that." But he said something else, "Nan Xun is really distressing."
"She's not always like this," Ling Xiaolu saw that something was bothering Ji Meng, "don't look at her poor, in fact, she has always been optimistic."
Ling Xiaolu thought, yes, of course he knows.
But today's Nan Xun inadvertently showed a vulnerable side.
"Can you," Ji Meng Caton, "wait for me outside, I want to chat with Nan Xun's attending doctor alone."
Ling Xiaolu leaned against the wall outside the research room, kicking his right foot unconsciously.
Two people came to the left, both wearing hospital gowns. Ling Xiaolu kept his head down and waited for the two to pass by, remembering Ji Meng's words not to look casually.
However, when they passed by, the person nearby turned to look at him, Ling Xiaolu raised his head in a conditioned reflex, and the two looked at each other.
The half of that person's face is exactly the same as that of a normal person, and there is no difference at all. On the other half of his face, a sarcoma-like thing grew, and it collapsed all the way down to the collarbone.
Seeing Ling Xiaolu looking at him, the man nodded his head very naturally, with a normal smile on his healthy half face.
Ling Xiaolu's heart was turbulent, but he tried his best to keep calm on the surface, and nodded politely at the other party.
The exchange ended here, and the two walked side by side. Ling Xiaolu watched them leave, and his eyes fell on the looming metal bracelets on their wrists.
The door finally opened, Ji came out with a blank face, and the doctor followed behind to see him off.
"It's been a long time, let's go."