The spicy mini hot pot that Su Yudiel wanted to eat was delicious and inexpensive, making it very popular among students. Each person had their own small pot, about twenty centimeters in diameter, heated on an induction cooker. The bright red broth boiled and bubbled in the pot, looking very appetizing.

Su Yudiel held the menu, constantly checking off items, muttering to herself, "Beef, tripe, thousand-layer tripe, lotus root, potato, enoki mushrooms, duck blood, shrimp dumplings, luncheon meat, sticky rice cakes, tangyuan, pineapple cakes..."

"Can you eat all that?" Zhuang Zi'ang asked, concerned.

"I have a big appetite. Besides, you're here too, aren't you?" Su Yudiel mumbled, her head down, focused on the menu.

Zhuang Zi'ang quietly sipped his lemon tea, not daring to say another word. As a guy, it would be embarrassing if he couldn't eat as much as a girl.

Before long, the waiter brought their dishes. Su Yudiel evenly divided each dish into two portions, putting them into their respective pots.

Then she asked, "Coke or Pepsi?"

Zhuang Zi'ang replied, "Coke."

Su Yudiel waved to the waiter and asked for two cans of ice-cold Coke. The dark brown cola was poured into glasses, creating a layer of fine bubbles.

Su Yudiel raised her glass and clinked it against Zhuang Zi'ang's. "Zhuang Zi'ang, I wish you to forget all your troubles and be happy every day."

Zhuang Zi'ang was touched. "Little Butterfly, thank you."

The carbon dioxide-filled Coke went down his throat, causing a slight tingling sensation.

Su Yudiel placed the first piece of cooked beef into Zhuang Zi'ang's bowl, and then she began to eat with gusto, offering commentary like a food critic as she ate.

"The duck intestines are supposed to be dipped seven times up and eight times down. These are a bit overcooked."

"The seaweed is too salty. It should have been rinsed a few more times."

"The beef balls weren't pounded enough. They're not bouncy enough."

...

Her little mouth seemed to never stop, always needing to say something.

Zhuang Zi'ang pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. "You have some oil on your mouth."

Su Yudiel took it and wiped her mouth haphazardly. "Thanks."

Generally, pretty girls are very conscious of their image. But Su Yudiel, despite her stunningly beautiful face, seemed to relish the simple pleasures of life. A girl like her easily made people feel comfortable and was truly likable.

"Little Butterfly, why are you always so happy?" Zhuang Zi'ang asked.

"Being happy is a day, and being unhappy is also a day. Why not be happy every day?" Su Yudiel asked with a smile.

Zhuang Zi'ang nodded silently. It made sense, and he couldn't refute it. If he continued to dwell on yesterday's sadness, he would be the one at a disadvantage.

"By the way, do you have a nickname?" Su Yudiel asked curiously.

Zhuang Zi'ang shook his head, bewildered. His classmates either called him "Class President" or his full name. Only Li Huangxuan called him "son."

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"Son" probably didn't count as a nickname, right?

"Then I'll call you Big Dummy," Su Yudiel said while涮ing some tripe.

"Why? That sounds awful," Zhuang Zi'ang protested.

"Because you lied to me this morning, and you did it so poorly," Su Yudiel said, still dwelling on it.

Zhuang Zi'ang thought to himself, I've been ranked first in the entire grade for two years in a row. If that's considered dumb, what are the other students?

The mini hot pot meal lasted about forty minutes. After fishing out the last piece of potato from the bottom of the pot and popping it into her mouth, Su Yudiel looked satisfied.

Zhuang Zi'ang signaled the waiter for the bill.

Su Yudiel hurriedly said, "I said I wanted to eat mini hot pot, so let me pay."

Zhuang Zi'ang smiled. "I'll treat you this time. You can treat me next time."

"Okay then!" Su Yudiel agreed.

Without realizing it, they had made plans for another time.

It was around one o'clock in the afternoon when they left the mini hot pot restaurant. Zhuang Zi'ang planned to go to his mother's two-bedroom apartment to tidy up and clean, as he would be living there long-term from now on.

When Su Yudiel heard this, she insisted on going with him, saying she wanted to help him with the chores.

When they were opening the door, the neighbor next door, an older woman, happened to come out. Zhuang Zi'ang had seen her a few times before and politely greeted her.

"Oh, you have a girlfriend now?" The neighbor's eyes lit up when she saw the beautiful Su Yudiel.

"No, she's a friend," Zhuang Zi'ang quickly explained, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's okay, no need to hide it from me. It's normal for young people to be dating," the neighbor said with the tone of someone who had seen it all.

Su Yudiel's face turned red at her words. Although she usually chattered non-stop, she was like a clam at a time like this, not knowing how to explain.

The apartment was a bit old, but it had good lighting. Xu Hui only stayed there for a few days each month. Sometimes, when she was too busy, she would just spend the night at a hotel near the train station.

There wasn't much furniture in the apartment, making it feel particularly spacious. There were also no plants, giving it a lifeless atmosphere.

Zhuang Zi'ang said to Su Yudiel, "Little Butterfly, for these three months, if you want to hang out, you can come here."

Su Yudiel blinked her big, watery eyes. "What about after three months?"

"We'll see then!" Zhuang Zi'ang evaded the question, his eyes dimming. He figured he would probably be in the hospital by then.

Not many people in this world would be sad because of his departure.

Su Yudiel's lips curved into a smile. "If you make me unhappy, I won't come hang out with you."

Zhuang Zi'ang blurted out, "I won't."

The next three months would undoubtedly be filled with loneliness and suffering, and his body would endure immense pain from his illness. He didn't want his dying life to lose this precious splash of color.

Su Yudiel, despite her pretty appearance, was a capable worker and probably did a lot of chores at home. The two worked together, and before long, they had transformed the small apartment, making it feel much more warm and inviting.

While taking out the trash, they also went to a nearby supermarket to buy some daily necessities. Zhuang Zi'ang specifically bought a tear-off calendar, the kind where you tear off a sheet each day.

He weighed it in his hand. Ninety days were just a thin stack of paper. These flimsy sheets of paper were the countdown to his life.

While they were checking out, Su Yudiel didn't want to wait in line, so she went outside to wait for Zhuang Zi'ang.

When Zhuang Zi'ang came out, he found her holding a round glass fishbowl with some pebbles and aquatic plants inside. Two red goldfish were swimming happily inside.

"Zhuang Zi'ang, this is my gift to you. Congratulations on your move."

"Why are you giving me two fish? I can barely take care of myself," Zhuang Zi'ang mumbled.

"I made you miss out on catching fish yesterday, so this is to make up for it. And to add some life to your new home. Promise me, don't let them die," Su Yudiel said seriously.

"Don't let them die?" Zhuang Zi'ang was taken aback.

"I mean these two fish. If you let them die, I'll never forgive you," Su Yudiel said, shaking her fist.

Zhuang Zi'ang looked deeply into Su Yudiel's eyes, as if trying to see into her soul.

It was a joyful thing to be friends with a girl like her. But why did he have to meet her when his life was about to end?

Little Butterfly, if only I had met you sooner!