Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Fourth Episode of "Yearning for Life" Airs

Jiang Yun and Mao Yi walked side by side up to the third floor, where a modest young woman stood in the corridor, glancing anxiously in all directions.

However, she didn’t notice the two men approaching.

Both Jiang Yun and Mao Yi wore masks and sunglasses as they walked up to Xiao Li. Even then, her gaze remained fixed elsewhere, not on them. She stood at the entrance to the hospital room, stretching her neck to peer toward the elevator.

“You must be Xiao Li, right?”

She looked at the two heavily disguised men before her. “And you are?”

Jiang Yun slowly removed his mask and sunglasses, revealing a resolute and sharply defined face.

Xiao Li gasped, “Mr. Jiang Yun?”

Jiang Yun nodded.

Xiao Li grew excited and glanced at the other man. “And this is...?”

“You needn’t worry about him.”

“Alright!”

Xiao Li led Jiang Yun and Mao Yi into the room.

There were two beds within, white walls, white bedding, white curtains, the windows sparkling clean—a sight that soothed the soul.

“Brother, look who’s come to see you!”

On the bed lay a boy around eighteen, his face pale, an oxygen tube affixed to his nose, looking rather frail.

When he recognized Jiang Yun, he sat up abruptly.

“Jiang Yun! Is it really you?”

Jiang Yun smiled.

“My sister told me before that it was Jiang Yun who helped us, but I couldn’t believe it!”

“Jiang Yun, have you eaten yet?”

“Would you like some water?”

The boy rambled on.

Jiang Yun kept smiling.

“What’s your name?” Jiang Yun asked.

“My name’s Ding Le!”

“Ding Le…” Jiang Yun repeated the name softly.

“That’s a fine name. What’s your sister’s name?” Jiang Yun asked again.

“My sister’s name is Ding Li!”

“The names of both brother and sister are lovely!”

Ding Le blushed and smiled shyly.

“Oh, right!” Ding Le pulled a sketchbook from beneath his pillow. “Jiang Yun, could you sign your name for me? I admire you so much—I want to be as talented as you!”

Jiang Yun took the sketchbook, leafing through it. “Did you draw these yourself?”

“I did!” Ding Le looked to Jiang Yun, hopeful. “What do you think?”

His eyes brimmed with expectation, awaiting Jiang Yun’s approval.

“You’ve turned the figures into cartoon characters—very creative, very clever!” Jiang Yun encouraged.

“Hehe!”

“Ah—”

Something seemed to cross Ding Le’s mind, and he sighed.

Jiang Yun asked gently, “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been on leave from school for two months already. I don’t know when I’ll get better…”

Jiang Yun reached out to tousle Ding Le’s hair. “You’ll recover soon, and then you can return to school!”

“Alright, I believe you!” Ding Le extended his right hand, forming a fist, and held it out to Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun paused. “What’s this?”

“A fist bump!”

Jiang Yun laughed. “Alright then!”

He extended his own right hand, made a fist, and bumped it against Ding Le’s.

Jiang Yun, along with the siblings, chatted from noon until afternoon.

“Rest well. We’ll be leaving now. Next time, we’ll come visit you again!”

“Ah?” Ding Le looked disappointed.

Ding Li scolded gently, “Le Le, Mr. Jiang Yun has work to do!”

“Alright then…”

Jiang Yun and Mao Yi walked out of the room.

Ding Li followed them.

Jiang Yun looked at Ding Li and said, “Ding Li, I heard from Le Le that you like singing?”

Ding Li was taken aback. “Mr. Jiang Yun, when did he tell you that?”

“While you were out getting lunch.”

“Oh!” Ding Li nodded.

“Ding Li, if—just if—you truly like singing, you could try out for ‘The Voice of Huaguo’!”

Ding Li stood quietly, staring at the tips of her shoes. “Alright, Mr. Jiang Yun.”

Jiang Yun smiled. “Very well, I’ll be waiting for you at the ‘The Voice of Huaguo’ challenger round!”

Jiang Yun and Mao Yi left.

Ding Li watched their departing figures, a determined expression on her face.

“Teacher, where to now?”

“Just take me home, then you’re free to enjoy yourself!”

Mao Yi smiled. “Alright, teacher!”

After Jiang Yun returned home, Li Lulu had not yet finished work.

Jiang Yun decided to cook dinner himself.

He prepared a tofu egg soup and a dish of chive shrimp.

Then he ate alone.

It was only six o’clock.

Jiang Yun turned on his computer, uploaded today’s chapter, then shut it down. By then, it was seven o’clock.

At that moment, Li Lulu arrived home.

“There’s rice in the pot—heat it up. There are dishes in the fridge, just put them in the microwave!”

“Alright, boss!”

Jiang Yun sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. “Don’t forget to wash the dishes and the pot! And mine as well!”

“I knew you had ulterior motives!”

By the time Li Lulu finished tidying up, it was nearly half past seven.

She came out from the bathroom, drying her wet hair with a towel. “Boss, isn’t tonight the broadcast of the fourth episode of ‘Longing for Life’?”

“Yes, it is!”

They settled together on the sofa to watch TV.

At seven thirty, the show aired simultaneously on TV and online.

Right at seven thirty, ‘Longing for Life’ began on schedule.

The broadcast reached the segment where Jiang Yun answered the phone and Shen Luo ordered onion juice.

This instantly ignited the enthusiasm of online viewers.

Comments poured in:

“Onion juice? That’s just bizarre!”

“Every time there’s an ordering segment, they come up with something new.”

“Looking forward to it!”

“Looking forward +1”

“Looking forward +10086”

The scene shifted to the director whispering with He Ling and four others.

Jiang Yun had no idea this was happening.

“Today your task is to keep Jiang Yun from discovering our ultimate purpose,” the director said onscreen. “If you fail, there will be consequences. Can you manage it?”

“Don’t worry, director!” He Ling replied.

Thus, Jiang Yun was left completely in the dark.

The show proceeded to the scene where Cai Duofen and others sat at the dining table, and Jiang Yun brought out curry fish balls.

Everyone began eating.

Then the production team issued a task. Jiang Yun participated earnestly, unaware of the others’ secret mission.

When it came time to guess song lyrics, Zheng Ling shone.

Viewers commented enthusiastically.

“Sister Ling has a whole song library!”

“She can even sing the new releases—is there any song she doesn’t know?”

“Sister Ling is yyds!”

“+1”

“+10086”

Finally, midnight arrived. Jiang Yun remained oblivious all along, noticing nothing unusual.

The show moved to the camera crew leading everyone to an open space.

Jiang Yun, still immersed in the program, was suddenly startled by fireworks lighting up the sky.

He jumped in surprise.

Then Li Lulu appeared holding a cake.

Jiang Yun was completely bewildered.

The viewers commented:

“Haha, Jiang Yun, were you surprised? Was it unexpected?”

Jiang Yun had a meaningful birthday.

The program continued.

The next morning, viewers saw everyone waking up under the cameras, six people displaying their usual routines.

The rest showed Jiang Yun recording the show, following the five as they picked apples—no rest, even on his birthday.

Then came the afternoon’s recording.

Huang Kang cooked, while Jiang Yun and the others chatted.