Chapter 2: Two Women Bound by the Same Fate
The hospital was unusually quiet at night.
A gentle breeze blew through the garden, bringing with it a refreshing coolness.
Chen Nanxing walked through the garden with heavy, exhausted steps. She looked up at the sky, which was unusually clear of clouds. Countless stars twinkled brightly overhead.
She wondered whether, after she died, she would become one of those stars, just as Hongdou had said.
Thinking about the old woman in the neighboring bed who had passed away just like that, the long, continuous sound of the medical machine still seemed to echo in her ears.
And then there had been the heart-wrenching cries of the woman’s family.
That woman had lost her mother.
At least that was an ordinary case of a child having to say goodbye to an elderly parent.
But what about her?
She could clearly feel that her own life was coming to an end.
Thinking about how, before long, her parents would have to endure the pain of losing their own daughter, Chen Nanxing felt terrified.
So very terrified…
She was afraid that she would never see such a bright night sky again.
She was afraid that after death, her soul would leave her body.
She was afraid that she would have to witness with her own eyes the scene of her parents crying themselves unconscious in unbearable grief.
She was even afraid of seeing Hongdou reduced to tears every day.
But there was nothing she could do to change any of it.
She regretted it so much.
She had always been too busy with work before, never spending enough time on family, friendship, or love…
Suddenly, she felt the world spinning around her.
Her body collapsed uncontrollably onto the ground.
Her final thought was—
Looks like this is the end…
Chen An slept very restlessly.
In a daze, he suddenly heard what sounded like something falling beside him.
Irritated, he reluctantly opened his eyes and sat up.
After glancing around, he quickly spotted someone lying on the ground several meters away.
It was a person wearing a hospital gown, a beige vest over it, and a hat.
Chen An looked around.
He had no idea what time it was, and there was no one else around.
He suddenly couldn’t help laughing.
With the way he looked right now, was he really afraid of someone trying to frame him for money?
The fact that he wasn’t extorting people himself was already the greatest kindness he could offer.
He walked over and helped the person up.
Under the dim light, he saw a woman’s face that somehow seemed strangely familiar.
“Miss, miss, are you okay?”
There was no response.
Chen An was just about to try again when a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
Ding!
“Detected that the host meets the conditions for system binding. System activation in progress… 1%… 100%.”
The system completed its activation in just a few seconds.
“The Freewheeling Life System is sincerely at your service.”
“Detected that the host possesses an intense desire for good health. The beginner gift package will now be issued.”
“Congratulations, host. You have obtained one Universal Healing Pill. It has been stored in the system space.”
“Congratulations, host. You have obtained the Eye of Insight.”
Chen An was stunned for quite some time by the succession of notifications.
Was this what it meant to be saved at the very last moment?
Not only had he been given a second chance at life, but he had even gotten a system!
He quickly checked the Healing Pill inside the system space.
His emotions were complicated.
In his previous life, Chen An had died from pancreatic cancer.
He had never expected that after being given another chance at life, something this precious would become available to him so easily.
Thinking back to that year or so, when he had spent money like water and lived a life of endless revelry, he couldn’t help wondering—
She must have been very sad back then, right?
During the final stage of his life, she had stayed by his side every day, watching TV shows with him and laughing foolishly.
She had put down all the defenses and disguises she had built around herself, all just so that he could be happy.
She had still been that older sister who was gentle only toward him.
Unfortunately, by the time he finally realized it, it was already too late…
Suddenly, a painful groan came from the woman in his arms, pulling Chen An back to reality.
He looked down at her.
Her brows were tightly knitted, beads of sweat covered her forehead, and faint traces of blood could be seen on her tightly bitten lips.
There was a fragile yet heartbreaking stubbornness in her expression.
Chen An cautiously asked,
“What’s your name? Which ward are you in? I’ll take you back now. Miss, miss…”
“I…I…”
Chen An immediately leaned closer to the woman’s lips.
Her faint voice reached his ears.
“My name… is Chen… Nan… Xing… Room… 6…”
Suddenly, her body went limp and she fainted again.
Chen An froze when he heard her name.
He carefully examined the woman’s face.
No wonder she had seemed familiar.
So it was her.
Was she about to die?
Chen An understood that feeling all too well.
He knew exactly how painful it was.
In such a short amount of time, sweat had already soaked her clothes.
This woman was truly strong…
Chen An now understood.
He had transmigrated into the world of a television series.
The woman in front of him was very likely the female protagonist of this world.
And he had awakened the system after encountering her.
If that was the case, then she must be extremely important to the system.
Looking at the woman in his arms, her pale and haggard face and dry lips, Chen An stopped hesitating.
“System, can she still be saved?”
“Scanning with the Eye of Insight.”
Name: Chen Nanxing
Age: 30
Appearance: 85 points
Figure: 80 points
Favorability: Unknown
Lifespan: 3 days and 4 hours
“Host, please note: the Universal Healing Pill can cure any disease that exists in this world.”
Hearing this, Chen An’s face darkened.
Sure enough, it was just as he had guessed.
This woman was indeed different in the eyes of the system.
Chen An took the small box out of the system space.
When he opened it, there was a single pill inside, emitting an enticing fragrance.
At that moment, Chen An suddenly hesitated.
This was the only precious thing he possessed right now.
But when he looked at the woman whose fate seemed so similar to his own, he simply couldn’t bring himself to watch her die right in front of him.
“System, if I split the pill into smaller portions, will it still work?”
“Anything produced by the system is guaranteed to be of the highest quality. Even a tiny portion will have a crucial effect.”
Hearing the system’s answer, Chen An breathed a sigh of relief.
He carefully broke off roughly one-tenth of the pill.
Then he gently opened Chen Nanxing’s mouth and placed the medicine inside.
At first, Chen An had been worried about how she would take it without water.
But the pill melted the moment it entered her mouth.
He watched Chen Nanxing’s throat move as she swallowed.
The medicine had gone down.
Her life should have been temporarily saved.
Sure enough, when Chen An looked at the lifespan column again, the three days and four hours had changed.
190 days.
