Chapter 2: The Excited Ye Dali

"Go outside?" Ye Qinghe's words left Ye Dali rooted to the spot. He never expected Ye Qinghe to say something like that.

All this time, he had wanted to take Ye Qinghe out every day — to let him breathe some fresh air, to see people, to keep him from losing all connection with the world outside. But Ye Qinghe had always refused.

And now, not only had Ye Qinghe started talking and watching TV, but he actually wanted to go for a walk?

"No problem, no problem at all! We'll go out as soon as we finish eating! Let me go find the wheelchair!" Ye Dali snapped out of his daze after two seconds and nodded vigorously, beaming with joy.

With that, he went off to look for the wheelchair that hadn't been used in a long time.

He even forgot that he'd just been saying he wanted a drink.

"Dad, I'm hungry. Why don't we eat first, and then you look for the wheelchair?"

Ye Qinghe raised his voice to call out to Ye Dali, who was excitedly rummaging through a pile of clutter outside the room in search of the wheelchair.

"Right, right, right! We should eat first. You haven't eaten in so long, you must be starving. Dad's lost his head — eat first, eat first!"

Only then did Ye Dali realize how flustered he'd been. He hurried back, embarrassed, and resumed feeding Ye Qinghe.

After years of being bedridden, with no sensation or movement in his limbs, Ye Qinghe's body consumed very little energy. He didn't eat much — after just a few bites, he was full.

Only then did Ye Dali sit down to eat.

This had been his routine for the past three years.

Ye Qinghe ate first. Whatever was left, Ye Dali ate afterward.

"Let me give you a massage first, and then we'll head out!"

After finishing his meal, Ye Dali set the bowl aside and, rather than going to find the wheelchair, began working on Ye Qinghe's limbs.

After years of paralysis, if it weren't for Ye Dali massaging and rehabilitating him every day whenever he had a free moment, Ye Qinghe's muscles would have long since atrophied beyond recognition.

The whole session took over forty minutes. Ye Qinghe felt nothing throughout, while Ye Dali was drenched in sweat by the end.

"Dad, you've worked so hard these past few years."

Watching Ye Dali beside him, breathing a little heavily and wiping the sweat from his brow, Ye Qinghe couldn't hold back the words that the original owner of this body had long wanted to say.

Ye Dali's hand paused mid-wipe, then a smile spread across his face. "It's not hard at all. As long as you can get better, Dad doesn't mind one bit! I'll go find the wheelchair now — let's go out for a walk!"

Ye Qinghe's unusual behavior today had made Ye Dali incredibly happy. It had been a long time since Ye Qinghe had spoken to him, and even longer since he'd been outside.

He dug out the wheelchair, wiped it down inside and out, then carefully lifted Ye Qinghe and settled him into it, adjusting his posture before draping a thin blanket over his lap.

Even though it was June and the weather was fairly warm, Ye Qinghe wasn't like a healthy person — they still had to be careful not to let him catch a chill.

"Oh, Dali, taking Qinghe out for a walk?"

"That's right, just getting some air!"

"Good idea — staying cooped up inside all day isn't healthy!"

The compound was home to quite a few residents, and most of them knew about Ye Dali and Ye Qinghe's situation. Seeing Ye Qinghe out and about was a surprise to everyone, and while they chatted with Ye Dali, they couldn't help stealing glances at Ye Qinghe.

"Such a handsome young man, and yet struck down by an illness like this!"

"You're telling me. He hasn't been out in months, has he? What made him want to come out today?"

"If it were me, I wouldn't want to come out either. Coming out like this..."

"I heard there's no cure for what he has. They've spent a fortune and still can't figure out what's wrong."

Once the two had left, the neighbors began whispering among themselves.

[Detected that the host has begun moving. Please persist and complete five kilometres!]

[Distance moved: ten metres!]

Not long after stepping outside, Ye Qinghe received a notification from the dimwitted System!

It works after all!

Ye Qinghe couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

The System might be dimwitted, but it was still a System!

Maybe it actually had a way to restore his body to health!

"Son? What's wrong?"

In his excitement, Ye Qinghe hadn't even noticed that his head had swayed slightly.

But Ye Dali had noticed. He immediately bent down and asked with concern.

"Nothing, Dad. I'm fine. I just haven't been outside in so long — I'm a little excited, that's all."

There was still no telling what the System would give him from the Lottery Draw, so Ye Qinghe had no intention of telling Ye Dali anything yet.

He was afraid of giving Ye Dali hope, only to disappoint him later.

"If you like coming out, Dad will push you out every day from now on! The doctors used to recommend you get out more too. It's just that... never mind, the point is, as long as you're willing, Dad is always ready."

Ye Dali said with a smile, starting to mention what the doctors had once suggested, but catching himself halfway when he remembered that Ye Qinghe didn't like bringing those things up, and stopped.

"There used to be a restaurant over there with really good lamb skewers — that's where I used to buy the ones you liked. But for some reason it closed down not long ago."

"Over there is a one-yuan shop. We've bought a lot of things for the house from there. The owner's a good person."

"The third stall on the right side of that market — the woman who sells vegetables there is from our hometown. She often gives us vegetables that didn't sell."

Ye Dali's excitement was plain to hear in the way he kept pointing out the sights around them and chatting away to Ye Qinghe.

Ye Qinghe said nothing, just listening quietly to the notification chimes from the System.

[Distance moved: one hundred metres!]

[Distance moved: five hundred metres!]

[Distance moved: one thousand metres!]

......

"There aren't many houses up ahead. Shall we head back?"

After pushing Ye Qinghe for about two kilometres, Ye Dali stopped when the houses thinned out ahead and asked.

"Sure!"

Ye Qinghe nodded.

"It's getting late today. If you want to come out again, Dad will take you to a park tomorrow. Garden Expo Park isn't far from here — I've heard the scenery is quite nice, and it's a big place."

"Or if there's somewhere else you'd like to go, just say the word. Dad will take you out for a proper outing tomorrow."

It was rare for Ye Qinghe to be willing to come out, and Ye Dali felt that just strolling around near the entrance was a bit of a letdown.

"Can we walk a bit further that way? I don't want to go back so soon!"

When they were nearly back at the intersection near the compound, Ye Qinghe checked the System's distance counter — still over a kilometre short — and pointed in a different direction at the crossroads.

"Sure, no problem. Are you thinking of going to see Lugou Bridge? Let's go!"

Ye Dali nodded right away and pushed Ye Qinghe in the direction he had pointed.

When they were nearly at Lugou Bridge, Ye Qinghe suddenly spoke up: "Dad, let's stop here for today. I don't feel like walking anymore — let's go home."

"Huh?!"

Ye Dali was a little baffled. They were almost there — why turn back now?

But Ye Qinghe, staring at the Lottery Draw button that only he could see floating before him, was already growing impatient.