The Devil’s Smile

For dinner, they had porridge and cold noodles that Zhou Yaoyun made himself.

Perhaps because he cooked often, Zhou Yaoyun’s culinary skills were quite good, and the food suited Ji Chenai’s taste perfectly. The cold noodles weren’t too spicy, but they were refreshing, and paired with mung bean porridge, Ji Chenai ate a lot.

Seeing Ji Chenai’s good appetite, Zhou Yaoyun’s mood improved as well. While washing the dishes, he hummed a little tune and even asked Ji Chenai what he’d like to eat tomorrow.

Ji Chenai said he didn’t mind and that he didn’t have any particular food preferences. As long as the food was delicious, he liked anything.

After washing the dishes, Zhou Yaoyun stood in the living room, untying his apron as he said, “Brother, I feel like you’ve changed a lot.”

Ji Chenai was watching TV when he heard this, his brow furrowed slightly, but it quickly returned to an expressionless face. He responded, “How have I changed?”

Zhou Yaoyun sat down next to him. “You used to never talk to me.”

“Mm,” Ji Chenai replied.

Zhou Yaoyun continued, “I used to worry about you so much.”

Ji Chenai glanced at him, remaining silent for a long time. How could he tell him that the brother he had worried about was no longer in this world?

The next day, Ji Chenai went out for a walk by himself again. This time, he made sure to ask Zhou Yaoyun to prepare a pair of gloves so he could continue picking up trash…

Ji Chenai seriously considered whether he should just bring a bag and start collecting plastic bottles to sell for some extra cash. But then he worried that if he actually did this, Zhou Yaoyun would break down in front of him, tearfully lamenting that he had made his brother suffer.

He was probably right—if he really started bringing home trash, Zhou Yaoyun would most likely react that way.

It was another sunny day. As Ji Chenai stepped out, he grabbed an umbrella out of habit. He spent the morning wandering around the neighborhood, gathered over thirty energy points, and then decided to head back home.

Ji Chenai had thought it would be another calm day, but just as he was about to head home, something unexpected happened.

The area around his home was filled with parks, and a peaceful environment. As he leisurely wheeled himself along, he suddenly felt a strong force slam into his back, knocking him over along with his wheelchair. Lying on the ground, he heard the sound of children laughing behind him. He lifted his head and saw a group of elementary school kids running past. One of them picked up the soccer ball that had struck him, then turned and yelled, “Sorry, cripple!”

Ji Chenai stared coldly at the child, saying nothing.

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