Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

The doctor put his hand to his lips and coughed twice and only said after a while, “Miss Xia, you’re in quite a bad shape. Based on the tests you’ve undergone, you’ve tested positive for early stage syphilis, herpes, and HPV.”

Xia Yuwei’s hands that were placed on the arms of the chair suddenly started to tremble and her face was as white as a sheet. She had assumed that she had only contracted syphilis but she hadn’t expected to have contracted three different diseases and they were all chronic illnesses.

The doctor quickly tried to comfort her and said, “Don’t worry. These three illnesses are all curable. I’ll prescribe some medication and you should take them in accordance to the stipulated schedule. You will also need to return for routine examinations. Also…”

The doctor took out another report and this was the report that frightened most people.

If there was a problem with this report, it was the equivalent of a death sentence for that person.

“Doctor, are there any other issues…” Xia Yuwei felt as though her heart was about to burst out of her chest and this was the first time she felt so consumed by fear. It seemed like someone had gripped her tightly by the throat and she was finding it hard to breathe.

The doctor frowned and said, “This is the HIV report but we wouldn’t be able to detect it during its dormant period so we’ll need you to return three months later for another examination to confirm that the results are negative. We will only be able to ascertain whether you’ve contracted that three months later, so please refrain from having any sexual relations during this period to prevent transmitting this disease to others because that would be illegal.”

The doctor explained in detail. This patient had contracted so many diseases that he could guess what her occupation was, or how many sexual partners she must have had since all the diseases that she had contracted were sexually-transmitted illnesses.

Xia Yuwei bit her lips so hard that they were about to bleed. This overwhelming fear and shock that threatened to consume her seemed like a fate worse than death. She hadn’t been able to sleep well recently and since those rashes had appeared on her body, she had been feeling very uneasy.

The sun was shining brightly outside and the autumn air was crisp and clear as she left the Communicable Disease Center but she felt cold all over and even her heart felt icy.

She suddenly rubbed at her eyes and before she knew it, tears rolled down furiously. She used a piece of tissue to wipe her tears but they flowed out again and she didn’t even know how many tears she shed.

She was terrified that she would find out that she has contracted that incurable disease three months later because this would be the equivalent of her death sentence. The doctor even said that she would probably no longer be able to bear children in the future.

She was only 25 years old and this was the first time she felt so terrified and afraid. She felt as though she might no longer have a future. Despite all the money she had, it wouldn’t be able to buy her health.

She walked along the streets aimlessly, as though her soul had left her.

She unlocked her phone and looked through the numbers in her contact list but after some time, she realized that she didn’t know who she could speak to, so she ultimately decided to call her mother.

“Mum…” She said through sobs the moment her mother picked up on the other end of the line. She acted like a bullied child and stooped down by the roadside and sobbed loudly.

Chen Xueru was surprised by her sudden reaction.

“What’s wrong? Yuwei, are you alright? Where are you?” Chen Xueru asked in concern.

Xia Yuwei only continued to sob and she kept crying. She sobbed so hard that she didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t have the courage to tell her mother what had happened and how many illnesses she had contracted, or say that she might have even contracted an incurable disease. The doctor had told her earlier that the black man who she had sexual relations with had already registered with the center and that he had contracted AIDS. She didn’t even know what had happened between them because that was the night that she had taken drugs.

She had brought this upon herself and now she deeply regretted her actions.