The truth

Jiang Nian finished her last shift before lunch and as she was about to go, her phone rang.

"Mom?"

"Nian Nian," her mom's voice sounded sorrowful with some sniffling.

Jiang Nian stopped walking and stepped to the side. "Mom, what happened?" she asks worryingly.

"Nian Nian… Tang Yuan…. Come see Tang Yuan for the last time." Her mom said it while crying.

Jiang Nian's hands start shaking and find it hard to believe what her mom just told her. Jiang Nian ran out of the ER and went to get her car.

"Jiang Nian!" Zhang Ruo Han calls her. He just came back from a meeting and noticed Jiang Nian in a rush.

"Where are you going? Lunch is only thirty minutes." He said reminding her.

"I have an emergency. Can I take the remaining day off?" she asks in a hurry.

Zhang Ruo Han could feel that she's a rush. "Fine, but let me drive you." Before Jiang Nian can refuse him, "your hands are shaking. You think you can drive like that?"

Jiang Nian couldn't think of anything else and agreed. She told him where to go and he starts driving.

In twenty minutes, they arrived outside the vet clinic.

"Zhang Xin!" Jiang Nian calls out to her and Zhang Xin brings her to where Tang Yuan is.

Tang Yuan is laying on the bed and he seems to be waiting for Jiang Nian the whole time. Her parents are sitting by the chair next to Tang Yuan, while her mom is sobbing.

"Tang Yuan." Jiang Nian said in a soft voice while patting his head. She could feel how cold Tang Yuan is and he was slightly shaking.

Tang Yuan seems to hear her, but because his organs are starting to fail, Tang Yuan doesn't have much energy.

Jiang Nian couldn't help but tear up. She knew this day will come, but she doesn't want to let Tang Yuan go.

"Tang Yuan, thank you for staying with me for fourteen years. I know that you are tired and want to sleep. It's okay, I'll be right here. You can finally sleep in peace…"

Tang Yuan slowly closes his eyes and Jiang Nian hugs him.

Zhang Ruo Han stood by the door as he watches Jiang Nian saying her goodbyes to Tang Yuan.

Jiang Nian went home with her parents and has been staying in her room since. Her parents worry for her but don't know what to say. Tang Yuan has been part of their family for so long and now he's gone, it has had a big impact on Jiang Nian.

Liang You Jin who's at the military base doing training got a call from his brother.

"What is it?" he asks Liang Chen Yu.

"Tang Yuan passed away. Jiang Nian has gotten a fever since then and it's still not gone yet."

Liang You Jin knows how important Tang Yuan is to her. He tightens his fist and ended the call. Liang You Jin is in training so he can't get out. He then dials her number. After a few calls, when he's about to end, it got picked up.

"Jiang Nian?" he said.

Jiang Nian who's laying on the bed puts the phone on speaker. She didn't say a word but just listen.

"Jiang Nian? I know you're there… I know that the death of Tang Yuan hits you hard, but you can't be like this! If Tang Yuan knows this, I don't think he wants to see you like this. You'll make him very disappointed for not taking good care of yourself. Do you hear me?" he asks her.

"Is that how you comfort people?" Jiang Nian finally speaks up in her hoarse voice.

Liang You Jin smiles, "I guess you're getting better. When I come back next week, I'll bring you to go eat at your favorite cake place."

"Is that a lie? I don't trust you on that."

Jiang Nian doesn't trust him because he promised her before too but didn't keep his promise.

Liang You Jin knows what she's referring to. "You just got to wait and see. Now, go take some rest."

"Liang You Jin. I can't fall asleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see Tang Yuan."

He felt a sharp pain in his chest. Liang You Jin sits by the stairs and stares at the dark sky. "Want to hear a story?" he asks her.

Jiang Nian didn't say anything.

"Ten years ago, when I decided to join the army, my parents opposed it. They said it's too dangerous and gives various reasons to try and talk me through it. But in the end, it didn't work. Do you know the reason why I want to be a soldier? When I was younger, I was saved by my uncle. My uncle was a soldier but died. He died from saving me."

There was a long silence on both ends.

"Then what happened?" Jiang Nian asks.

"Later, when it's time to fill out where I want to go for college, I chose the military school. But at that moment, a girl came up to me and told me that she liked me. I rejected her. Not because I don't like her, but because of the career I chose. I know the danger of this career and didn't want her to wait."

Jiang Nian suddenly felt so awake. He didn't reject her because he doesn't like her, but because he doesn't want to make her wait. She doesn't know what to say anymore. The best way is to fall asleep and pretend to not hear this.

Liang You Jin knows that she didn't fall asleep, but didn't say anything.

"Good night." He said in a soft voice.

While he was talking on the phone, he notices his comrades hiding behind the wall.

"Are you guys done listening? No need to train?" he said and turns to look at them.

"Everyone go run twenty laps!"

"Yes!"