Countdown

His life began counting down, and his body began to fade. Yet Chen Jinli opened his arms to Chi Yuran, who was running toward him, and smiled as he finally said the words he'd never dared to speak: "I... love... you." I've always loved you so much, so much. I hope I meet you sooner in our next life.

We'll keep meeting in our dreams.

Chen Jinli & Chi Yuran

Chapters one to three are memories in a dream. Please steer clear if that's a trigger for you.

An alternate world, an imaginative story, two male leads, mutual unrequited love, neither knows the other feels the same, regrets, a System, multiple arcs, partners, no rebirth.

Chen Jinli: The abandoned son of the Chen family. Nineteen at the start, twenty-six at the end. He has an emotional disorder. When he was ten, he was locked in a basement for six days and came down with a high fever during that time. Afterward, he became afraid of dark, enclosed spaces. The violence he suffered at the hands of the Chen family left him traumatized. Malnutrition left him slightly shorter than most men, and people often mistake him for being aloof. Chen Jinli is an excellent student who loves listening to music and reading. He and Chi Yuran were assigned to the same class at university. Chi Yuran always chased away the people who bullied him and went with him to see a doctor.

Chi Yuran: The adopted son of the Chi family. The Chis treat him well, though they can sometimes be extreme. As a child, Chi Yuran was mischievous and loved playing pranks. His grades were consistently above average. At university, he was assigned to Class 7. The first time he saw his classmates bullying a boy who never fought back, Chi Yuran's upbringing wouldn't let him stand by and watch. After driving them away, he took the boy to see a doctor. Seeing how malnourished he was, Chi Yuran worried his family was abusing him. He also stood up for him whenever people picked on him.

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