Songkran Festival

When Fang Zhou woke up again, it was already daylight. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden lines across the room.

He sat up, confused. How did he end up in the hotel? Wasn’t he still at the bar?

Fang Zhou only remembered a sudden pain at the back of his neck before he blacked out, as if he had been struck.

He raised his hand to gently touch the back of his neck, and sure enough, there was still some lingering pain.

He glanced outside the window in a daze, where a large swimming pool was visible, with someone swimming in it.

A long, slender body moved gracefully through the water, like a mermaid, so captivating that it was hard to look away.

It wasn’t until the person stopped, removed their goggles, and revealed a cool, beautiful face that Fang Zhou realized it was Han Xi.

She sat by the poolside, her long, white legs exposed, looking like a meticulously crafted figurine, incredibly beautiful.

Han Xi noticed Fang Zhou’s gaze and raised her hand to beckon him over.

Fang Zhou had countless questions he wanted to ask her, so he opened the door and walked out.

The large palm trees provided shade from the sun, and the path was lined with blooming flowers. The shimmering pool beside them made it clear that this would be a perfect place for a vacation.

“Care to join me for a swim?” Han Xi asked, looking up at Fang Zhou. Water droplets dripped from her fair chin, making her look like a delicate flower freshly drenched by rain, exuding a subtle allure.

Fang Zhou wasn’t interested in swimming, so he shook his head and asked, “What happened last night? Why did I pass out?”

Han Xi avoided his gaze, scooping up some water with her hand and watching it drip back down.

“Maybe you didn’t eat and had low blood sugar.”

This flimsy excuse was obviously a lie, and Fang Zhou didn’t need to think hard to know it.

He took a deep breath and sat down beside Han Xi, speaking seriously, “Han Xi, don’t treat me like a child.”

“You had someone knock me out, didn’t you? Did you make a deal with the scar-faced man?”

Knowing Han Xi, there was a high probability that she would do something like this.

She likely found his indecision frustrating and decided to take matters into her own hands, playing the villain herself.

But what Han Xi didn’t know was that Fang Zhou’s sister had a kind heart. Even as a child, she cried her eyes out when their family had to kill a rabbit. She would never accept harming someone else to save herself.

Han Xi remained silent, staring at the water in her hand.

One of the unspoken rules of adulthood is that silence often means agreement.

Fang Zhou grew anxious and couldn’t help but grab Han Xi’s hand, holding it tightly to force her to look at him.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Give me the scar-faced man’s contact information. I’ll tell him to cancel everything.”

Seeing Fang Zhou’s distressed expression, Han Xi finally told him the truth.

“No, I told him we’d think about it.”

After a night of careful consideration, she had changed her mind.

Even if his sister underwent a kidney transplant, there could be rejection, meaning she might not survive.

Moreover, with current technology, a transplanted kidney would only extend her life by about ten years.

Who could say what would happen after those ten years?

And Han Xi was planning to marry Fang Zhou and spend the rest of her life with him. Wouldn’t those decades together be more valuable than the ten years his sister might have?

If her stubbornness led to Fang Zhou and his sister resenting her and distancing themselves, as they had before, what future would they have?

So Han Xi decided not to force the issue and let Fang Zhou make his own choice.

He would have to bear the consequences himself.

An adult should be able to take responsibility for their decisions; only then could they be considered a true man.

Han Xi reached out with her other hand, gently touching Fang Zhou’s face, and softly told him,

“As long as you don’t regret your decision, I won’t force you.”

Of course, except for leaving me.

Fang Zhou nodded lightly after hearing this.

“We still have six months. Maybe something unexpected will happen.”

And if things didn’t work out with Qin Yun, he planned to take his sister abroad for treatment.

He had heard that artificial kidneys in a certain country had reached cutting-edge levels, capable of partially replacing human organs. This was great news for patients.

Han Xi smiled slightly and leaned her head on Fang Zhou’s shoulder, a rare moment of dependence on him.

“As long as you can think it through, that’s good.”

For her, this trip was worth it as long as she didn’t make a mistake that would cause Fang Zhou to resent her.

“Fang Zhou, I want to go out for a walk. Do you want to come?”

Han Xi pointed outside the hotel, her eyes filled with hope that he would join her.

Since they were already here, it would be a shame not to explore a bit before heading back.

Fang Zhou wasn’t in the best mood, but he didn’t want to dampen Han Xi’s spirits, so he nodded in agreement.

By the time Han Xi finished changing and they left the hotel, it was mid-morning.

Posters of a famous local actress were plastered all over the streets, and the ubiquitous motorcycles were a local specialty. The constant greetings of “Sawasdee ka” made it easy to feel immersed in the culture. (tln : oh ,they were at Thailand)

They had arrived at just the right time, coinciding with the local Songkran Festival.

The festival had expanded from the central street, with several streets filled with people participating in the water festival. Even passersby were pulled in to join the fun.

Fang Zhou and Han Xi found themselves drenched in water in this chaotic scene.

They had originally planned to avoid it, but the scene was so chaotic that they couldn’t, and before they knew it, they had become targets.

At the Songkran Festival, no one could walk away dry. According to local customs, the water splashed on you was a blessing—the more water, the more blessings.

Fang Zhou shielded Han Xi as they tried to move to the outer edge, but then something unexpected happened.

A man suddenly rushed out of the crowd, carrying a bucket of water, and drenched them both. Then, he pulled out a silver object from under the bucket.

The sharp tip of the knife was aimed at Han Xi, who was defenseless. The screams around them were drowned out, and hardly anyone noticed the danger.

At that moment, Fang Zhou’s instincts kicked in, and he turned around to see another knife!

Author’s Note :

(Seeing a lot of people discussing, let me explain why this is so awkward. If the protagonist dared to accept the kidney, this story would likely be shut down due to poor moral guidance, and the author would have to rewrite it while crying. Given that it’s a critical review period, it might not even get published. So, if there’s any fault, it’s the author’s. I didn’t write it well, and that’s my fault.)