Chapter 49: It Was Shen Lu Who Healed Him
Shen Lu wasn’t surprised by this result. If it had been gray, she would have thrown him out without a second thought.
She fed him well every day, bought him medicine, and changed his dressings. Even if she was using him as a Lucky Cat, it wasn’t like she was making him do anything. ’Isn’t he just lying in a different place, after all?’
Fu Cheng could feel Shen Lu staring at him.
’What is she looking at?’
Fu Cheng thought, ’In my current state, there’s nothing worth looking at.’
’Or is she looking through me at someone else?’
The moment the thought appeared, his heart clenched violently.
’Probably... probably not.’
That’s what Fu Cheng told himself, but he couldn’t stop his mind from racing.
’It’s understandable, though.’
’A young girl, pampered since childhood, was suddenly thrown into a place like this. Even if Shen Lu was managing to build a life for herself now, she must get tired sometimes.’
’It’s only normal that she’d want a shoulder to lean on.’
’So, does she want someone to rely on?’
Fu Cheng silently clenched his jaw. A sharp pain suddenly shot through his left hand, which had been numb all this time.
After enduring the stabbing pain that made him grit his teeth, Fu Cheng discovered he could control his left hand to a small degree.
He could perform simple actions, like grasping and gripping.
’My body is actually getting better, despite the lack of proper medical care?!’
Fu Cheng was stunned by this realization.
Back in the hospital, he’d heard countless doctors conclude that his condition was incurable. Although he was unwilling to admit it, he knew deep down that even if he didn’t die, he would be confined to a bed for the rest of his life, without sensation or awareness.
But now, he could actually feel his left hand.
His left hand had sustained the lightest injuries—only a few superficial wounds that had already healed completely—but because of the interference from the mental toxins...
Fu Cheng’s racing thoughts came to a halt. He thought he’d discovered the crucial piece.
It was because Shen Lu fed him food every day that could suppress and neutralize mental toxins; that’s why his body was getting better bit by bit.
’It was Shen Lu. She was healing him.’
In that moment, Fu Cheng was overcome with an intense will to live.
’I’ll get better. I will definitely get better!’
’Once I’m better, I’ll do whatever it takes to become strong and be someone Shen Lu can rely on.’
Fu Cheng’s awareness returned to the young woman beside him.
At some point, Shen Lu had fallen into a deep sleep. Her lips were unconsciously pouted, and her cheeks, which once had a bit of baby fat, had thinned out considerably. She looked less childish and more elegantly beautiful.
Her right hand slipped down, resting on Fu Cheng’s left hand.
This wasn’t the first time.
But after a few minutes, Shen Lu would unconsciously draw her hand back and rest it on her stomach.
Fu Cheng turned his palm upward, catching Shen Lu’s hand securely in his own.
His fingers curled, easily enveloping her entire hand.
’So her hand was this small, and so soft.’
Fu Cheng felt his heart fill with an indescribable sense of peace and joy.
’Having her by my side is my greatest fortune. I hope... I can be hers, too.’
...
Shen Lu’s internal clock had her waking up early. Her eyes snapped open right at six.
The first thing she saw was the old, rusty tin ceiling. A lone incandescent bulb hung from above, a pathetic sight.
Shen Lu heaved a long sigh. Every time she opened her eyes, a small part of her still hoped she would be back in her original world.
’Sure, I have a cheat system, but I was living a great, carefree life in my original world even without one. And it was safe.’
After her moment of reflection, Shen Lu prepared to get up, only to find her right hand being held by something.
She looked down and saw that it was Fu Cheng.
’Huh? What the—?’
Shen Lu was bewildered for a moment. ’Isn’t Fu Cheng paralyzed everywhere but his eyes? How did he manage to grip my hand?’
’Maybe it was just a fluke?’
’Just like how I somehow ended up grabbing Fu Cheng’s hand yesterday morning.’
Shen Lu pulled her hand free without much effort, then got out of bed to wash up and eat breakfast.
She had stored the rice she cooked yesterday in a large stainless steel basin inside the System Warehouse. The warehouse had a temperature and freshness preservation function, so the rice was still faintly warm when she took it out.
She scooped out a bowl of rice, grabbed a chicken leg and a few pieces of dried tofu from the rice cooker, ladled a spoonful of braising liquid over it, and breakfast was served.
After she finished eating, she fed Fu Cheng some fruit puree.
Fu Cheng was getting much better at swallowing now, so Shen Lu could feed him a lot faster.
Although she wasn’t a doctor, these signs showed that Fu Cheng’s condition was indeed improving bit by bit.
After feeding Fu Cheng, Shen Lu prepared to head out to scavenge.
She had just opened the door when she was startled by someone suddenly appearing right in front of her.
"Boss Shen, good morning." Cai Su wrung her hands, her expression a mixture of ingratiation and anxiety.
"Uh... you’re here so early?" Shen Lu was a little caught off guard; she hadn’t expected Cai Su to be so eager.
"I know you go to No. 3 Landfill in the mornings, so I came down early."
It wasn’t a secret; anyone who paid attention would know.
’Does she mean she wants to start working for me right now?’ Shen Lu wondered.
Shen Lu asked the system in her mind, ’What do I do now? Do I have her sign a contract?’
[The Host only needs to extend a personal invitation, and for the other party to accept.]
’That’s it?’ Shen Lu thought.
[Yup.]
Shen Lu cleared her throat and said to Cai Su, "Well then, Sister Cai, would you like to be my employee? I sincerely invite you to join Little Deer Cuisine and become a part of our team."
This was the first time in her two lifetimes combined that Shen Lu had said something so formal to anyone, and she felt surprisingly shy.
Cai Su froze for a second before nodding. "I’m willing. I-I’m honored."
[DING! Employee detected: 1/1. Mission complete. Reward: 500 popularity value.]
Shen Lu quickly pulled up her panel with her mind and saw her popularity value instantly surge by 500, going from 1921 to 2421.
The corners of Shen Lu’s lips curled up uncontrollably.
’More simple side quests like this, please!’
Shen Lu took Cai Su’s hand. "Sister Cai, as long as you work hard and are willing to learn, I won’t treat you unfairly."
The two of them walked toward No. 3 Landfill together.
Shen Lu suddenly remembered something and asked the system, ’Now that Sister Cai is my employee, does the trash she collects also count for exchanging ingredients?’
[Yes, it does.]
Shen Lu felt relieved. She had a feeling her business was about to kick into high gear.
As a native of this place, Cai Su had certain natural advantages over Shen Lu.
For example, she was extremely familiar with No. 3 Landfill.
"Before, when Xiao Lang was healthier, I used to come to the landfills often," Cai Su said softly. "No. 3 Landfill is the closest, so I come here the most. I’ve also been to the No. 2 Landfill, which is farther. There’s more stuff over there, but that also means more people, so it’s more dangerous."
Shen Lu understood. More people meant more conflict. Fights probably broke out daily at the No. 2 Landfill.
"Will Xiao Lang be all right at home by himself?" Shen Lu couldn’t help but ask.
"He’ll be fine." Cai Su forced a smile. "Nothing will happen. I’ll take him to get his shot when I go back."
Without the medicine, all she could do was watch her son die.