1. [para. 1][para. 2] On April 18, the author learned via WeChat from a childhood friend that her brother, Mei Shan (Mei), had died at 78 in Beijing from complications after a 16-hour surgery for acute aortic dissection, including multiple chest openings and life support; the prognosis was grim, deeply heartbreaking. 2. [para. 3] Mei, second oldest brother in his family, read and thoughtfully replied to the author's memorial for his younger brother who died in January, marking their last interaction.