It was only after my boyfriend, Julian Mercer, received his HIV diagnosis that he finally understood what his childhood friend, Luna Sullivan, truly meant by "life and death together".

In my previous life, after Julian collapsed from anemia, Luna insisted on donating blood to him.

I fought with everything I had to stop it. I told him that Luna had already contracted HIV. If she donated blood to him, he would be infected as well.

He refused to believe me.

Luna cried and swore that she had never even had a boyfriend. To prove her innocence, she climbed onto the rooftop and pretended she was going to jump to her death.

However, she slipped. She missed her footing and fell to her death from the building.

To avenge her, Julian conspired with our classmates to kidnap me. He strangled me with his own hands.

I still remember his furious roar.

"This is all because of your slander! You killed Luna! I will make you pay for her life!"

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the blood transfusion. I watched as Julian lay there, already receiving blood from his beloved Luna.

I smiled faintly.

HIV?

Fine.

"Quinn Lawson, I know you don't like me, but this is a matter of life and death. Can you please stop blocking me from donating blood to Julian?"

The moment I heard Luna Sullivan say those words, it hit me like a bolt of lightning.

I had been reborn.

I looked up, and my eyes met Julian Mercer’s displeased gaze. Because of anemia, his face was deathly pale.

"Quinn, if you are too selfish to donate blood yourself, then fine. But now you are even trying to stop Luna from saving me. How did I ever go blind enough to fall for a shrew like you?"

His insults sent a chill straight through my heart.

In my previous life, Julian had suddenly collapsed from anemia while competing in a national competition.

The emergency blood plasma requested from the blood bank would take far too long to arrive.

In order not to delay the competition, Luna, the class beauty, suggested that she donate blood to Julian herself.

I fought with everything I had to stop Luna from donating because I had once overheard her talking to a group of street thugs in an alley.

"I'm infected with HIV. As long as I pass it on to Julian, he will be tied to me forever."

I immediately stopped Luna’s blood donation and warned Julian that her blood carried HIV. Not only did Julian refuse to believe me, but he also thought I was deliberately slandering her.

Luna broke down on the spot, crying in humiliation, accusing me of smearing her name. She said she would jump off the building to prove her innocence. While pretending to jump, she accidentally slipped. She lost her footing and fell from the eighteenth floor to her death.

Later, the autopsy report confirmed that her blood indeed contained a massive viral load.

I thought the matter would end there.

Unfortunately, on my birthday, Julian joined forces with our classmates and kidnapped me.

Even now, I still remember what he said as he strangled me to death.

"This is all because of your slander! You killed Luna! I will make you pay with your life!"

Snapping back to the present, the classmates’ insults were still ringing in my ears.

"Quinn, how can someone be as disgusting as you? Julian’s anemia is so severe. You refuse to donate blood yourself, and now you are even stopping Luna from donating."

"Exactly. Luna is beautiful and kind. I really don't know what you think you have over her."

"She is just jealous. Jealous that Luna is loved by everyone, so she deliberately tried to stop her."

This time, I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

Then I stepped aside, clearing the way to the transfusion bed, and smiled. "Go ahead and donate. If 400 cc is not enough, take 600. Don't delay Julian’s transfusion."

One always had to bear the consequences of one's own choices.

Luna held the syringe, frowning slightly as she pushed the needle into her vein.

The classmates all praised her for being kind and selfless. In Julian’s eyes, there was nothing but concern.

Only I noticed it.

On her fair skin, there were several tiny puncture marks that had already scabbed over. They were traces left behind by long-term, improper injections and were ironclad proof that she was carrying a virus.

After half a bag of blood was drawn, Luna began to feel dizzy. Her body swayed, unable to stay steady.

Julian immediately pulled the needle out of her arm and gathered her into his embrace, carefully protecting her.

She stubbornly insisted on standing up. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she spoke, "No one is allowed to stop me. I must finish drawing the blood."

As soon as she finished speaking, her body swayed again.

Watching her clumsy performance, I could already guess what she was planning.

Sure enough, the next second, a girl spoke up, "How can we let Luna draw so much blood alone? Julian needs more. Let us all donate a little each. When everyone gives a bit, it adds up!"

The words were immediately met with agreement.

"Yes, keep using this syringe to draw! We are not as selfish as some people. Everyone, quickly take turns!"

"Exactly. Luna isn't afraid, so what are we afraid of? This bit of blood is nothing compared to our unity and friendship!"

Listening to their passionate, righteous speeches, I could not help but laugh inwardly.

What great classmates.

They even shared a syringe used by an HIV carrier, and in turn, the virus itself. In this life, they would finally fulfill their wish of "living and dying together".

When the team medic, Lauren Whitby, rushed in and saw a classmate picking up the used needle, about to stab it into their own vein, she immediately shouted to stop them.

"Are you all insane? Stop right now! So many people using the same needle… what if there is cross-infection?"

Instead of being frightened, the classmates frowned in displeasure.

"What kind of medic are you? Who are you cursing? All of us are perfectly clean. How could there be any infection?"

"I suggest you mind your own business. If Julian’s transfusion is delayed and the competition is affected, are you going to take responsibility?"

"I think you are working together with Quinn and trying to make Julian miss the competition!"

The classmates mocked Lauren relentlessly until her face turned pale. With teary eyes, she stomped her foot and ran out of the lounge.

After she left, the classmates continued drawing blood.

One person.

Then another.

Then another.

I stood outside the crowd, watching that deadly syringe pierce different people’s skin again and again amid cheers filled with so-called friendship.

Every single draw was a fatal cross-infection.

The blood bag was soon filled. Just then, Luna suddenly held the syringe out in front of me.

"Quinn, it's your turn."

Staring at the syringe stained with the blood of different people, a wave of nausea rose in my chest.

I rejected it coldly. "I'm not donating."

"Quinn, I know you don't like me," Luna said softly, "but Julian is still your boyfriend. At a time like this, if you don't donate even a little blood, does that really make sense?"

Her words instantly ignited our classmates’ anger.

"Yeah! Everyone else donated. Why do you get to refuse? A selfish woman like you doesn't even deserve to be Julian’s girlfriend!"

"Quinn, are you going to draw the blood yourself, or do you want us to help you?"

They held the syringe and advanced toward me step by step. Julian looked at me with a warning in his eyes.

"Quinn, you have disappointed me enough today. As long as you donate blood for me, I will give you a chance to stay together with me. If you keep being this selfish, you don't deserve my love!"

Listening to his domineering, CEO-like speech, I almost laughed in anger.

Had he forgotten? He was nothing more than a poor student living off my family’s financial support. If I had not paid for his education, he would still be herding cattle in some remote mountain village.

Back then, he had said he was grateful. He had promised to protect me for the rest of his life.

Then Luna appeared.

From that moment on, he became cold and sharp toward me, while showering her with care and devotion. Again and again, he wronged me for her sake, forcing me to lower my head. He had even strangled me to death for her with his own hands.

I truly did not know how I could have been blind enough to fall for such a man who was human on the outside but a beast within.

He wanted to break up?

Fine.

I looked at him coldly. "Julian, we are done."

The moment I said it, his face went pale.

He had never imagined that, as the one who loved him so desperately, I would be the one to initiate the breakup.

After speaking, I turned and pushed open the ward door.

Just as I was about to leave, he grabbed my wrist tightly and stared at me viciously.

"Don't think I don't know what you are doing. You're just playing hard to get. Everyone donated blood. You must donate today!"

As soon as his words fell, the classmates rushed forward, pressing me down and forcing the needle, which had been used by countless others, toward my vein.

He stood to the side, his expression cold.

"If you keep being this disobedient, don't blame me for never forgiving you."

Watching the needle draw closer and closer, I struggled wildly, resisting with everything I had. Cold sweat soaked through me.

Could it be that even after being reborn, I still could not escape a tragic death?

In a moment of desperation, I kicked the emergency alarm.

Just as the needle was about to pierce my vein, security finally rushed in.

In front of so many people, my classmates could no longer force me. They could only glare at me, their eyes filled with disgust.

Only then did I finally breathe out in relief.

So close. I had almost been killed by this group of idiots.

A flash of fury passed through Luna’s eyes. Then she lifted the blood bag and handed it to Julian.

His eyes were full of emotion. The two of them exchanged lingering looks, so cloying it was almost sickening.

Once the virus-tainted blood was transfused into his body, he excitedly pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

The surrounding classmates immediately began to cheer.

"Julian and Luna really are a perfect match."

"Exactly. Luna is so much better than that selfish Quinn. Their mindset alone cannot even be compared!"

"Good thing you dumped that poisonous girl. Now that you have Luna, you really struck gold!"

Surrounded by everyone, Luna smiled sweetly. Julian raised his brows and spoke smugly, "Good thing I got rid of that ungrateful woman. Otherwise, how would I have a girlfriend as wonderful as Luna? I am going to win today’s championship and dedicate it to my darling Luna!"

Watching their harmonious little scene, I curled my lips into a cold smile and looked away.

'Laugh while you can. The more excited you are now, the more miserable you will be later.'