“Haa… I can’t believe editing videos is this much trouble.” Dongxue lay sprawled on Ye Xiqiu’s bed like a starfish, completely without dignity, complaining about how exhausting it all was.
“What do you have to be tired about? I’m the one doing all the work here.” Sitting in front of the computer screen, Ye Xiqiu couldn’t help but retort. “You’ve been lying in bed playing on your phone this whole time, and you still say you’re tired… Have you no shame?”
“Boo hoo… Xiao Xiqiu saying that about me… so sad…”
“I’m not comforting you when you won’t even move and just slack off.” Even as she said that, Ye Xiqiu secretly glanced back.
The white-haired girl lying on the bed was smiling at her, as if she had long predicted this moment.
Ye Xiqiu immediately looked away, her face burning.
‘Ugh, she saw right through me…’
A vague sense of defeat welled up in her heart. No matter how she looked at it, she wanted to be the more assertive one in this relationship.
But with her thin skin, if she really had to take the lead, then the show “Little Cat Demon Dongxue Wants Me to Confess” would need at least seven or eight seasons.
“Alright, don’t be sad… More importantly, did the video get uploaded?”
It was as if Dongxue had some kind of magic—she effortlessly guessed what the girl was thinking. She got up from the bed, walked over to Xiao Xiqiu, and ruffled her hair.
Ye Xiqiu didn’t know why, but every time Dongxue patted her head, her mood improved significantly, as if Dongxue’s palm held some kind of enchantment.
But then, she became dejected again.
“Dongxue…” she said gloomily, “Do you think the audience will like a cripple like me…”
In truth, Ye Xiqiu had a good understanding of her own appearance. Though she was far from Dongxue’s level, she was still better-looking than most ordinary people.
But her legs, which couldn’t move, were a knot she could never untie.
If health and beauty were part of the scoring, Ye Xiqiu thought she was probably an ugly monster now.
A super ultra mega ugly monster.
“Relax.”
Dongxue pinched the girl’s cheek and comforted her.
“This is the internet. Looks are everything. Even if you were Sleeping Beauty with a disability, the audience would still accept you.”
“That’s way too perverted, isn’t it?”
Ye Xiqiu couldn’t help but retort.
“From the prince’s perspective, Sleeping Beauty is just a dead girl. I don’t know what kind of mindset he had to kiss her…”
The girl effectively ended the topic. Dongxue was momentarily unsure whether to compliment Ye Xiqiu on her vivid imagination or her unique way of thinking, so she fell silent.
Ye Xiqiu also didn’t know how to continue, so she kept quiet. The bedroom sank into an eerie stillness.
“Putting that aside… Xiao Xiqiu, how are your legs lately?”
Dongxue broke the silence first, stiffly changing the subject.
The girl breathed a sigh of relief. She was truly afraid of accidentally angering Dongxue. If Dongxue got upset and stopped coming, then she would lose all hope of living again.
She thought for a moment and answered honestly, “Same as always. No feeling, can’t move.”
“I see… Has Auntie found a way to treat them?”
“Hmm…” Ye Xiqiu recalled carefully.
“I remember Mom saying she made an appointment for a physical exam in about half a month. If I pass, they’ll do a small surgery. Maybe it can cure me.”
Then she added, “Honestly, I don’t think it’ll make much difference. It’ll probably be as useless as all the previous exams. Besides…”
She paused.
“Besides, it’s fine this way… At least I still have Dongxue with me.”
“…Don’t worry, Xiao Xiqiu. It’ll definitely get better.”
Dongxue didn’t know what to say, but she felt she should say something, so she repeated, “It’ll get better…”
“Maybe,” Ye Xiqiu didn’t deny it, just smiled helplessly. She knew her own situation best. Her legs weren’t incurable—they were just too expensive…
Two hundred thousand dollars for surgery was an astronomical sum for Ye Xiqiu, money she could never save in her lifetime.
Maybe Dongxue could do it, with her songs and looks, it wouldn’t be that hard.
But she had already taken so much from Dongxue, held her back, and couldn’t bring herself to say, “Please lend me two hundred thousand.”
So she would just stay paralyzed.
As for Dongxue, she didn’t even know that Ye Xiqiu’s legs could be cured with money.
After all, the manga hadn’t gone into detail, and Ye Xiqiu hadn’t told her. As for Ye Xiqiu’s parents—they were always out traveling, and Dongxue had only met them a few times.
Naturally, Dongxue assumed Ye Xiqiu’s disability was a terminal condition.
That meant there really was no way…
Dongxue lowered her eyes slightly, feeling a sense of defeat and regret.
If possible, she wished this girl could regain her vitality, could chase butterflies among the flowers.
At that time, a few white blossoms tucked into her cyan hair would make her look no different from a legendary flower elf.
“Alright… Dongxue, didn’t you say you needed to go back for lunch?” Ye Xiqiu reminded her.
“It’s almost noon now. You should head back.”
Normally, Dongxue would pretend to be wronged and say, “Xiao Xiqiu, are you chasing me away? Don’t you like me anymore?” But today, she really wasn’t in the mood.
She nodded, agreeing with the girl.
“Then… Dongxue, what about your clothes?”
The girl tugged at her sleeve. “Your dress is still in the wardrobe.”
Dongxue was wearing the sportswear Ye Xiqiu had bought for her. After all, wearing only the system’s default outfit all day would be a waste of this wonderful body.
“It’s fine,” Dongxue stood up. “When I leave, it’ll teleport back with me. No need to fetch it specially.”
“Oh, oh… Okay then…”
“…”
“…”
“Xiao Xiqiu… See you tomorrow.”
“Mm, see you tomorrow.”
“Goodbye.”
“Goodbye…”
A flash of light, and Dongxue vanished from the room.
With no one else around, Ye Xiqiu no longer had to pretend. She slumped back in her chair, her face full of exhaustion.
If she could… of course she wanted to stand up again.
But two hundred thousand…
She sighed and turned to pull her wheelchair over, but then she noticed…
Why was there a set of clothes on the floor?
She froze for two seconds before realizing it was the sportswear Dongxue had been wearing.
Oh, right. Dongxue said her dress would teleport with her, so now she must be wearing that dress. Naturally, she wouldn’t take this outfit along.
Doesn’t that mean…
Gulp.
Ye Xiqiu couldn’t help but swallow. She carefully picked up the light-colored sportswear from the floor and held it in her hands.
She quickly looked around to confirm Dongxue wasn’t coming back, then cautiously brought the sportswear to her face and sniffed it.
A fresh, slightly warm, faint fragrance.
It was Dongxue’s scent…
Ye Xiqiu blushed. Guiltily, she took off her own jacket and, as if handling a treasure, carefully pulled the sportswear over herself.
Dongxue’s figure was at least three or four sizes bigger than the girl’s. The sportswear hung on her like she was stealing her boyfriend’s clothes—far too big.
Ye Xiqiu felt like she was about to burn up and turn into a steam engine.
“S… Sorry, Dongxue…”
She whispered a penitent apology.
“Your clothes… Please let me borrow them…”