Chapter 468
Chapter 468
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 468
>Chapter Title: Happy
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Mom, is everything okay here?” Li Huowang swallowed the smooth and silky egg custard in his mouth and said to Sun Xiaoqin at the bedside.
“Good, everything’s good. As long as you’re fine, Mom’s fine with anything.” Sun Xiaoqin forced a smile as she spoke to Li Huowang.
Though she said that, Li Huowang could still detect a hint of something off in the finer details of her expression.
His mother’s smile was fake. She was only saying this to keep him from worrying.
“Mom, don’t worry. The electrotherapy at this mental hospital is working for me. I just need some time to recover. Give me a little more time.”
“Oh, Mom’s not worried at all. Really, not worried one bit. Our son’s definitely going to get better.” Sun Xiaoqin smiled and shook her head repeatedly in denial.
Li Huowang sighed inwardly. Cultivation was far more difficult than he’d imagined. Escaping his dire situation here was going to take a lot of time.
He’d already waited so long—he wasn’t afraid of waiting. But his mother would have to endure this agonizing uncertainty for what felt like an eternity.
“Should I spend more time with her? Pretend my condition’s improving?” Li Huowang ran through the idea in his head quickly before discarding it.
That would just be a waste of time. It would only make his goal feel even more distant. Those hours would be far better spent on cultivation.
Seeing Sun Xiaoqin’s forced happiness, Li Huowang thought for a moment before speaking. “Mom, once I get out, I want to play games. Can I play computer games for a whole year straight?”
Her eyes lit up at that. “Sure! Absolutely! When the time comes, I’ll sit right there peeling fruit for you! You can play as long as you want!”
“If you get bored playing alone, have your dad play with you! He’ll stay up all night with you!”
The corners of Li Huowang’s mouth curved up slightly. He nodded in approval and continued, “Once I’m better, let’s travel the world. We’ll go everywhere, bungee jump, skydiving—do all the things we never got to before.”
“Oh my, oh my, I wouldn’t dare with the bungee jumping. When the time comes, you two can go. I just watch videos of others doing it on Douyin, and my heart races.”
As Li Huowang steered the conversation toward dreams of the future after discharge, Sun Xiaoqin’s attention shifted. They chatted more and more happily, and a genuine smile finally appeared on her face.
Seeing his mother truly happy at last, Li Huowang let out a quiet sigh of relief in his heart.
There wasn’t much he could do right now. The only thing within his power was using a little Sitting Oblivion Dao trickery to cheer his mother up.
“Son, are you thinking about games? How about I bring that little handheld console you used to play with?”
“No need, Mom. Besides, I can’t play it right now anyway.”
“Oh, right. What about cartoons then? You used to love those. I hear there’s a really fun one lately. I’ll play it for you on my phone.”
As Sun Xiaoqin rummaged through her bag for her phone, a wry smile tugged at Li Huowang’s heart. He wasn’t that high school kid anymore. New anime held no appeal for him.
At that thought, Li Huowang paused slightly. He was only eighteen this year, wasn’t he? Why did he feel so world-weary?
Compared to this young body, he seemed better suited to an older one over there.
“But come to think of it, isn’t it because days over there are two hours shorter than here, so the body there ages a bit faster?”
“Wait... does that mean both sides could actually be real?”
Li Huowang furrowed his brow, pondering the question deeply. But without other evidence, the speculation was just a rootless ping-pong ball.
“Whatever. Since cultivation will make this side fully real, why overthink it?”
Seeing Sun Xiaoqin cradling her cracked old phone and trying to buy VIP access for some app, Li Huowang quickly stopped her.
“Mom, don’t tap that. It’s a waste of money. I’m heading back soon.”
The smile faded from Sun Xiaoqin’s face. “Already? We haven’t even finished one meal, and you’re leaving? Son, can you really control when you wake up now? Is this a sign of recovery?”
“Something like that, Mom. I’ll have dinner with you again three days from now.”
Sun Xiaoqin awkwardly put her phone back in her bag. “Alright then. I’ll be waiting. Don’t forget.”
“No way I’d forget. Oh, right, Mom—one last thing. Any news on Nana? Is her illness getting better?”
The image of that cute girl giggling mischievously at him surfaced in Li Huowang’s mind.
“Nana’s doing okay. I heard she didn’t need to be hospitalized. The doctor just prescribed some meds for her to take back at school.”
“Sigh, if it weren’t for your illness getting in the way, I’d love to have Nana as my daughter-in-law. I’ve liked that girl since she was little.”
“Mom, don’t worry. Once I’m better, I’ll win Nana back and make her your daughter-in-law!”
“Oh my, when did my son get so good with words? Good! Your mom’s waiting to drink the wine at your wedding!”
Sun Xiaoqin, whose face had held some worry just moments before, lit up with joy again.
As Li Huowang’s surroundings gradually solidified, he returned once more to that pitch-black world. Though he’d been blind for a while, he still couldn’t quite adjust.
“Li Sui?” Li Huowang reached out into the darkness ahead.
Soon, he touched a sticky hand with protruding joints and sharp nails. “Dad, I’m here.”
“Let’s go. Take me back to the village.”
“Dad, you just picked some up off the ground—”
“What I just ate was egg custard!” Li Huowang cut Li Sui off and repeated firmly. “What I just ate was egg custard.”
Li Sui thought for a moment before asking again, “Really? Where? I want some too.”
“Alright, back to the village first. Once we’re there, Yang Xiaohai can make you some. Mom, don’t watch anymore. I can’t stay awake right now. I’ll definitely be here for dinner three days from now.”
With Li Sui leading the way, Li Huowang navigated the rugged mountain path back to the Bai Family Courtyard.
Once back at his quarters, Li Huowang sat on a stool and called out to Li Sui, who was heading to the kitchen. “Take the bandages off my face. Let’s see how my eyes are healing.”
After Li Sui carefully removed the bandages, a ray of light pierced the darkness, forcing Li Huowang to squint instantly. Too bright.
When he slowly opened his eyes again, he found his world restored to normal. His blinded eyes had healed.
He glanced twice at the black-tiled rooftops outside the window before turning his attention fully to Li Sui.
She removed her conical hat and shrugged off her straw raincoat, allowing Li Huowang to take in her new appearance completely.
(End of chapter)