"Our teacher said that forgetting is the real kind of death," he said softly. "Big brother just went to another world. As long as we always remember him, he'll live happily in that world too."
"I… I won't forget big brother…" the little girl sobbed.
The boy clenched his small fists, his eyes full of determination. "Me neither. Don't worry, Qiaoqiao. I'll take care of you and Mom from now on, just like Big Brother did."
Watching his little brother and sister speak so maturely made Rong Xingyu's heart ache and soften all at once. Tears finally spilled down his face uncontrollably.
Then, from an outsider's point of view, he saw everything that had happened after his death.
The wealthy young man who caused the accident had been drunk driving, leading to a massive chain collision with one dead and thirteen injured. Rong Xingyu was the only one who had lost his life.
When the news broke, it caused a huge public outcry. As the only victim who died in the crash, the world quickly learned about Rong Xingyu's life and his poor family's hardships.
People online were moved by the kindness and strength he had shown during his short life and many mourned deeply for him.
Donations poured in from across the country. The compensation and charity funds helped his mother receive proper medical treatment and with the help of kind strangers, his younger brother and sister were able to attend university.
Their lives were now completely different from the poverty and struggle they once knew.
But just as they had promised, neither of them ever forgot about Rong Xingyu.
They both remembered that everything they had now came at the cost of their beloved brother's life.
Years later, when his younger sister stood on her wedding stage, she choked back tears and said the person she missed most was her big brother. She wished he could see her happy and grown-up now.
Tears rolled silently down Rong Xingyu's cheeks. Something heavy inside him finally cracked and broke apart. For the first time, he felt a deep and peaceful relief.
It was the burden he had been carrying on his shoulders for so long and finally lifting away.
At that moment, he felt countless points of light drifting toward him wrapping around his fading body until it slowly began to regain its form.
A voice rose gently within his heart, whispering to him—Go back…
But… where should he go back to?
Back… to where?
"Xingyu."
Hmm… Who was calling him? Was it Dr. Ding?
Rong Xingyu's eyes flew open.
He stared up at the crystal chandelier above him, gasping for breath.
A single tear slipped from the corner of his eye, tracing down his temple and disappearing into the pillow beneath him.
When Rong Xingyu finally calmed down, he realized that his pillow was soaked through and wet from the tears he had shed in his sleep. The dampness had spread into a large dark patch.
Just two rooms down was the open-air balcony. After thinking for a moment, he decided to quietly take the pillow outside to dry before anyone noticed.