Chapter 32: Do you know?

“What do you feel like doing now? Want to watch TV?” Xu’s mother continued to ask.

Xia Yu wasn’t sure how Xu Youxiang would normally respond, so he thought for a moment before saying okay.

Xu’s mother immediately smiled and turned on the TV, switching it to a romantic drama channel.

“How about this? You used to love watching this!” Xu’s mother confirmed with Xia Yu, somewhat nervously.

He was surprised that she liked idol dramas—it was such a typical girly preference. Xia Yu murmured in admiration and simply responded with a hum.

Xu’s mother became even more delighted and asked again, “Then should I warm up some porridge?”

“Okay,” Xia Yu agreed. He was indeed feeling a bit hungry.

So Xu’s mother walked toward the door, but after opening it, she turned back.

“Warming it in the microwave emits radiation. I’ll have your dad buy some porridge from a late-night snack shop outside—he’s always said there’s a place with great porridge, so I’ll have him bring you some to try.” Xu’s mother took out her phone and started calling her husband.

Xia Yu knew that the radiation from the microwave was just an excuse. Xu’s mother had reached the door and suddenly feared that her daughter might do something reckless when she was alone.

A mother who carefully looked after her daughter’s emotions like this could be considered very devoted.

The woman raised the hospital bed so Xia Yu could sit up better to watch TV.

“I’ll have your dad bring your laptop over so you can play some games. We’ll do some tests in the next couple of days to make sure everything’s okay, and then we’ll go home,” she said.

Xia Yu didn’t respond because, at that moment, another voice echoed in his mind.

It was Xu Youxiang’s voice.

“What do you think you’re doing!” Xu Youxiang’s words were filled with anger. She had regained consciousness after Xia Yu woke up and had been sorting out what happened yesterday.

“Where’s my phone?” Xia Yu asked Xu’s mother.

Xu’s mother looked tense: “I didn’t bring your phone. Can you use Mom’s phone for now? Your dad will be here in about an hour—he’ll bring all your stuff.”

Xia Yu took Xu’s mother’s phone, opened the notes app, and started thinking.

Xu Youxiang, who hadn’t received a response from Xia Yu, was now cursing furiously.

So, how should he reply to Xu Youxiang? Was it okay that he couldn’t move his legs? Could life still be enjoyable without legs?

Both of these phrases were classic examples of armchair commentary. Even Xia Yu himself, before acquiring the body-swapping game, would have felt the world darken instantly if he’d lost the use of his legs. Although he probably wouldn’t have committed suicide, he would definitely have felt a deep sense of despair.

After thinking for a moment, Xia Yu typed into the notes app:

[‘I might be able to cure your legs.’]

Medical skills were also an important ability. For himself and for his loved ones and friends, after getting some money, Xia Yu would definitely find ways to improve this skill. At that time, he could also cure Xu Youxiang.

It wasn’t an impossible thing. After all, if even a terrifying, unscientific skill like the one he had existed, then extraordinary medical skills should also exist.

However, Xu Youxiang didn’t believe Xia Yu: “You’re all lying to me. It can’t be cured—it’s all fake!”

[‘Can other doctors control your body like this?’]

“Then cure me right now!”

Xia Yu felt a headache coming on. Xu Youxiang clearly didn’t believe him at all.

Or rather, after repeatedly entering hospitals full of hope and leaving them disappointed, Xu Youxiang had simply stopped believing people altogether.

It was a self-protection mechanism. After being deceived too many times, any normal person would stop trusting others.

Since there was no immediate solution to this issue, he simply gave up on trying to convince her and turned his attention to the TV instead.

Although the idol drama’s plot was cheesy, the female characters were quite attractive.

According to An Siyao’s hundred-point scale, the female leads were probably worth around eighty points, occasionally reaching close to ninety when dressed appropriately.

They were far inferior to An Siyao, and even fell short of Feng Yujia and Feng Yumo’s sister duo, but still watchable.

“Turn it off! You’re still watching this crap! Turn it off!” Xu Youxiang shouted.

It was one of the rare moments when she spoke without cursing.

This might be a clue.

Picking up the phone, Xia Yu typed in the notes app:

[‘Your mom said you like watching this.’]

“I don’t like it! Turn it off!” Xu Youxiang’s voice became sharper.

“Why don’t you like it? Handsome guys and beautiful girls, isn’t that a good visual treat?” Xia Yu asked.

Xu Youxiang turned sarcastic again: “Do you think a cripple watching these lively, carefree people enjoying their lives would feel anything but pain?”

Xia Yu then picked up the remote control and switched the TV to a pet channel.

Seeing cats and dogs on the screen, Xu’s mother’s eyes lit up: “Xiangxiang, shall we buy a cat or a dog to keep you company?”

Xia Yu typed into the phone:

[‘What do you think?’]

“No!” Xu Youxiang said firmly and fell silent.

Xia Yu conveyed Xu Youxiang’s response to her mother, who lowered her head in disappointment.

Xia Yu thought Xu Youxiang would start cursing again, but this time she remained quiet.

Five minutes later, Xu Youxiang spoke up: “Ask her how much money she spent.”

“Huh?”

“Ask how much money my hospitalization cost!”

Xu Youxiang’s tone made Xia Yu frown. Although he could tolerate taking care of a disabled person, Xu Youxiang was being a bit too arrogant.

Forget it. Once you’re in my hands like An Siyao, I’ll figure out how to get back at you.

Xia Yu noted this in the little notebook in his mind.

He asked Xu’s mother: “How much did this hospitalization cost?”

Xu’s mother avoided eye contact: “Not much.”

“Not much means how much?” Xia Yu pressed.

Xu’s mother still didn’t answer. Tears were already forming in the corners of her eyes: “No matter how much it costs, we just want you to be okay.”

Xia Yu fell silent, and so did Xu Youxiang.

At 4:40 PM, a slightly overweight middle-aged man entered the ward. He brought porridge and Xu Youxiang’s electronic devices.

It was Mr. Xu.

Mr. Xu was a man of few words. He placed the items down, sat on the empty bed beside his daughter, looked at her for a while, and then left the ward.

After finishing the porridge, Xia Yu picked up Xu Youxiang’s phone and casually browsed through it.

[‘Where’s your QQ?’] Xia Yu noticed that Xu Youxiang had uninstalled the chatting app.

“Do you want me to keep listening to those fake, hypocritical consolations?” Xu Youxiang retorted.

Xia Yu could understand. He believed there were many people who pretended to be sympathetic but were actually clueless, repeatedly rubbing salt into Xu Youxiang’s wounds.

[‘Is your family short on money?’] He asked again. Otherwise, Xu Youxiang wouldn’t have asked him to ask.

“All the money’s been swindled away by people like you!” Xu Youxiang replied.

Xia Yu didn’t bother to explain that he wasn’t a fraud. He considered whether he could use money to entice her.

[‘How about if I pay you a reward? How would that sound?’]

“So, you finally want to take advantage of me? Just ten thousand, and you’ll get a freshly baked cripple!”

Xia Yu did a quick calculation. With his monthly salary of 8,000, he would need to save for thirteen months to get 100,000.

Money wasn’t the biggest issue. More importantly, Xu Youxiang always assumed he had ulterior motives. He needed to find a way to explain himself.

After thinking for two seconds, Xia Yu typed:

[‘I’m not a lesbian.’]

He decided to pretend to be a girl.

“You’re a girl?” Xu Youxiang’s voice carried doubt. “Then tell me, how do you use sanitary pads?”

Oh, my God.