It was a chaotic bar.
Holding a tray full of drinks, I weaved through the crowd of dancers.
Even the heavy makeup couldn't hide the pallor of my face.
But the next second, I grabbed a glass of alcohol and threw it at the camera, my expression full of impatience.
"Can you stop interrupting my work?"
"Your name is Jiang Yuexia, right? Hello, I'm Tian Yao, a journalist for an anti-cancer organization. We're working on a documentary about leukemia patients."
"If you're willing to cooperate with us, we can cover all your medical expenses."
The woman's voice was gentle and sincere.
I stared into the camera and asked,
"If I cooperate with your filming, can you just give me the treatment money in cash?"
There was silence from the other side of the camera.
I curled my lips into a smirk, picked up my tray, and continued working.
It wasn't until 2 AM that I dragged my exhausted body out of the bar.
The woman approached me again.
"Jiang Yuexia, do you need the money for something else? Maybe I can help."
The moment I lifted my head, blood suddenly gushed from my nose.
A gasp came from behind the camera.
"Jiang Yuexia!"
[June 2, 2024 – Filming Log]
"Jiang Yuexia, are you working so hard to earn money for your father's treatment?"
I bit into my popsicle, looking annoyed.
"Did you investigate me behind my back?"
Tian Yao patiently answered my question.
"You're the subject of our documentary. We had to gather some basic information about you in advance."
"But are you sure you don't want to tell your parents about your illness?"
I shook my head firmly.
"No."
"Why not?"
Tian Yao's gaze hesitated slightly.
I opened the memo app on my phone and placed it in front of her.
4:00 – 7:30: Part-time job at a breakfast shop
8:00 – 5:00: Sales company
8:20 – 9:30: Tutoring
10:00 – 2:00: Part-time job at a late-night food stall
Suppressing the turmoil in my heart, I spoke bitterly.
"This is my mom's daily schedule—five different jobs—to earn money for my dad's treatment."
"If she finds out that I'm sick too, what will she do?"
Tian Yao's eyes turned slightly red.
I sniffled.
"The only two hours she has to rest each day… would disappear."
"If this continues, she'll die."
Talking about my mom, I couldn't hold back my tears.
"My mom was supposed to be a doctor, saving lives. But she gave up her dream and used her small shoulders to support our entire family."
"My dad was diagnosed with leukemia when I was in my senior year of high school. He didn't want to burden me and my mom, so he tried to run away in the middle of the night and jump into the river."
"My mom and I cried and begged him to stop… Only then did he give up on suicide."
Tian Yao handed me a tissue.
"Jiang Yuexia…"
I took it and hastily wiped away my tears.
"If my dad finds out that I'm sick too…"
"What choice do you think he would make?"
"We already have one cancer patient in our family. We can't have a second one."
Tian Yao patted my shoulder, as if wanting to give me a hug.
I shook my head at her.
"The day my bone marrow match results came out, I was diagnosed with leukemia at another hospital."
"I was so scared my dad would find out… I ran away immediately."
"Dad thought I didn't want to save him. But instead of blaming me, he cried and begged me to stay. He said it was okay, that as long as I could live happily, he would be satisfied."
"I had always been healthy in my previous check-ups, but on that exact day, I was diagnosed."
"If it had just been a little different… I could have saved him…"
I raised my hands to cover my face, unable to hold back my breakdown as I burst into tears.