Three Months Left to Live, Please Let Me Die with Dignity - Chapter 4

Zhuang Zi’ang walked side by side with Su Yudie, a girl he had just met, down the busy street. Every day at noon, when school ended, this street became lively. On both sides, there were many food stalls, and the smell of all kinds of snacks filled the air.

After going through strong emotions, Zhuang Zi’ang finally felt calmer and started to notice that he was hungry. He asked Su Yudie, “Why did you skip class?”

With an innocent look, Su Yudie said, “I didn’t skip class. I went to pick ginkgo leaves.”

“Nonsense. It was class time. Why weren’t you in the classroom?” Zhuang Zi’ang asked.

“We had PE class,” Su Yudie explained with a smile.

Zhuang Zi’ang was speechless. He had been too sad earlier to notice if there were students on the sports field. He only remembered that it had been really quiet under the ginkgo trees.

“Then what about you? Why did you skip class?” Su Yudie asked.

“I didn’t skip either. I asked the teacher for leave. I just didn’t want anyone to see me cry,” Zhuang Zi’ang said, sounding very wronged. He thought he had hidden it well and no one would notice.
Who would have guessed that a girl was hiding in a tree, seeing all his sadness?

Su Yudie was a little confused but didn’t ask more. Then suddenly, she said, “Let me take you to eat something yummy. That will make you feel better.”

The “yummy” food Su Yudie meant was fried potatoes. Potatoes are truly nature’s generous gift to humans—they can be the main dish or a side, and there are endless ways to cook them, creating
countless delicious flavors.

The lady at the food stall cut the potatoes into small pieces, fried them in hot oil until golden, then sprinkled chili salt, cumin, chili powder, green onion, and sesame seeds. The outside was
crispy, and the inside was soft and chewy.

Su Yudie, who called herself a foodie, kept saying that fried potatoes had to be really spicy to taste right and asked the vendor to add more chili.

“Zhuang Zi’ang, wait here for me. I’ll go buy some cola. Coke or Pepsi?”

“Coke.” Everyone knows Coke has more fizz, and Pepsi is sweeter. Right now, Zhuang Zi’ang wanted more fizz.

A few minutes later, the two of them sat on a marble step, eating fried potatoes. The vendor had been generous with the chili. Zhuang Zi’ang’s tongue was going numb, and sweat appeared on his
forehead.

Su Yudie didn’t look much better—her cheeks were red from the spiciness, and she drank her cold Coke in big gulps.

“Tell me your sad story so I can feel happy!” the girl suddenly said, blinking her bright eyes.

“You just want to rub salt in my wound?” Zhuang Zi’ang replied, annoyed.

“No, I think sometimes when you talk about sad things, they don’t feel as sad anymore,” Su Yudie said, biting on her straw.

Zhuang Zi’ang turned to look at her side profile. She looked harmless and pure, someone easy to trust. He hesitated, then slowly began to speak.

“When I was twelve, I graduated from elementary school. One summer night, my dad said we’d go on a trip to the beach together. I’d never seen the ocean before. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep and
packed my luggage right away…”

“Wow, your dad sounds so nice. I’ve never seen the sea either,” Su Yudie said, full of longing.

“But when I woke up the next day, they were already gone. Turns out, when my dad said ‘the whole family,’ he didn’t mean me.”

Zhuang Zi’ang’s eyes suddenly dimmed.

Su Yudie: “…”

The mood became awkward. She wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how. So she picked up a piece of potato with a bamboo skewer and held it up to Zhuang Zi’ang.

“Do you want to try mine?”

“Aren’t they all the same?” Zhuang Zi’ang was confused.

“No, this one is special—I’m feeding it to you.” Su Yudie’s eyes were clear like a lake after spring rain.

Zhuang Zi’ang took a bite. It tasted just as spicy as before—but now there was a hint of sweetness rising from his heart.

“When I was fourteen, I got first place in the whole grade. During the parent-teacher meeting, the teacher wanted my parents to speak about how they raised me. My dad told my mom to go, and my mom
told my dad to go. In the end, neither of them showed up,” Zhuang Zi’ang recalled, his eyes slowly turning red.

That was the most embarrassing afternoon of his life. On his desk were nearly perfect test papers, but no one cared. Surrounded by praise, not a single family member was there to cheer for him.

He felt like a child abandoned by heaven—after so long without his parents’ love, he started to lose hope. Now that he had a terminal illness, he didn’t even know whether to tell his dad or his mom.

This pain had always been a thorn in his heart. He had never told anyone.

But this girl in front of him somehow made him feel like he could trust her.

“Zhuang Zi’ang, your nose is bleeding! I’m so sorry, it must be because the potatoes are too spicy!” Su Yudie panicked and pulled out a tissue to stop the bleeding.

She gently supported the back of his head and carefully wiped away the warm bl00d.

Zhuang Zi’ang felt a soft warmth flowing from her fingertips into his skin. The sorrow in his heart slowly faded away.

After the bleeding stopped, Zhuang Zi’ang said gratefully, “Thank you. I’ve been getting nosebleeds often these past six months. It’s not because of the potatoes.”

Su Yudie pulled a handful of cash from her pocket, counted it, and handed two small bills to the vendor. She stuffed the rest into Zhuang Zi’ang’s hand and said softly, “I’ll keep just enough for
the bus. You can use the rest to eat. When I feel sad, I eat a lot of good food, and it makes me feel better.”

Zhuang Zi’ang smiled. “In this world, love and good food must never be wasted. But I’m a guy—I should be the one treating you.”

“No, I’m treating you today. Next time I’m sad, you can treat me.” Su Yudie pouted stubbornly.

“Okay, I’m not shy—I never say no to kindness.” Zhuang Zi’ang agreed cheerfully.

After finishing the potatoes and cola, the two of them went on another food adventure.

Su Yudie bounced along as she walked, her skirt fluttering behind her. She looked like a real butterfly dancing through the air. But whenever she saw something delicious, she would stop right away,
eyes sparkling, drooling like a true foodie.

They wandered and snacked all the way—from lamb skewers to hand-grabbed pancakes, from oden to spicy hotpot.

When Su Yudie ran out of money, Zhuang Zi’ang bought her a cup of strawberry milk tea. He was already too full and didn’t want anything more.

“Wow, Zhuang Zi’ang, this tastes amazing!” Su Yudie praised dramatically.

“Keep your voice down. Don’t act like it’s your first time drinking milk tea,” Zhuang Zi’ang teased.

“It’s really good. Do you want a sip?” Su Yudie held out the cup.

“How can I drink it?” Zhuang Zi’ang looked at the straw, which had bite marks all over it. Even if she hadn’t chewed it like that, they had just met an hour ago—boys and girls shouldn’t be too
close.

Like a magician, Su Yudie pulled another straw from behind her. “I asked for an extra one when I bought the Coke.”

Pop—she poked it into the cup. “Here, take a sip.”

Zhuang Zi’ang stared into her clear eyes, hesitated for a moment, then gave in and took a sip.

The rich flavor of the milk tea spread across his tongue with a long-lasting aftertaste. It was just an ordinary strawberry milk tea, but somehow it tasted better than usual.

Two people drinking from the same cup with two straws—usually only couples did that.

Was she doing it on purpose? Or was she just that innocent?

Zhuang Zi’ang thought to himself, I’m not bad-looking, but I don’t think I’m charming enough for such a pretty girl to fall for me at first sight.

So maybe… she was just naturally silly.

“Zhuang Zi’ang, I think we’re friends now, right?”

“Of course. You’re the first friend I made since I came here.”

Su Yudie said it seriously, but Zhuang Zi’ang didn’t understand.

What did she mean by first friend?