Ch 7: My Disabled Virtual Lover’s Healing Diary

The garbage truck slowly pulled away, and the vagrants scattered.

Zhang San wiped the sweat from his forehead, plopped down on the ground, and pulled a bottle of nutrient fluid from his oversized pants pocket. He drained it in one gulp.

One of his men sneaked a glance at the bottle in Zhang San’s hand. Something flickered in his eyes—a smirk he couldn’t hide—before he casually looked away and said, “Boss, today was lucky. We found some good stuff, should fetch a decent price.”

“I heard a few military academies in the Imperial Capital had a competition today. There are more off-world visitors around. Business will drop off in a few days.”

The underling rambled on, but Zhang San wasn’t interested. After a short rest, he hefted the bag and prepared to head to the black market.

Then he froze.

—The bag felt lighter.

Zhang San’s brows snapped together. He hurried under a streetlamp, yanked the bag open, and rifled through it. When he saw what was inside, it was as if lightning had struck him clear out of the sky. He stiffened, eyes wide in disbelief.

His men noticed the sudden change in his face and exchanged uneasy looks. One stepped forward, asking, “Boss, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?”

Zhang San let out a furious laugh, then flung the bag of worthless junk down in front of them.

…

Qian Yuan returned, clutching her little backpack.

Quest complete. She opened the pack and saw a 【Sell】 button at the bottom. Without hesitation, she tapped it.

【Items in backpack:

• Fabric from an old dress — 1 Star Coin
• Wind-up spring from a toy — 1 Star Coin
• Medicine bottle cap — 2 Star Coins
• Torn scrap of cloth — 1 Star Coin
  …

Total: 15 Star Coins

[Tap to confirm sale]】

Qian Yuan: “…”

She stood frozen, thunderstruck.

Her dumpling head was filled with question marks.

The backpack only held ten slots. She’d collected ten items. How was that worth only 15 coins?!

Those villains had been noisy while scavenging, shouting “This looks great!” and “Big money tonight!” like their bag was brimming with treasure.

She didn’t want to believe they’d actually filled it with one-coin scraps.

After a long silence, she sighed and hit confirm.

—Fine. Fifteen wasn’t bad. After all, daily sign-in only gave her ten.

The confirmation screen faded. A little robot appeared.

Its shell was battered, joints rusted, limping as it waddled forward.

Qian Yuan stared curiously as it picked up her backpack. The thin arms looked frail, but they lifted the load steadily. The robot gave her a bow, then vanished into the void.

【Congratulations, you have gained: 15 Star Coins!】

Selling the scraps and completing the side quest netted her 25 Star Coins. With her daily sign-in bonus, her total funds now stood at 35 Star Coins and 1 Gacha Coin.

She used the coin right away.

The capsule machine appeared, just like before. Insert coin, twist the knob, and a colorful ball rolled out.

【Congratulations! You obtained: Braised Beef Instant Noodles · Four-Pack!】

Braised beef noodles—delicious!

The thought barely formed before she pressed it down. Too pitiful. Even her little boy had to suffer her own fate: living off instant noodles.

Her dumpling avatar quietly placed the pack on the desk.

She still had 35 coins, but not enough stamina to visit the store. To pass the time, she opened the in-game community and browsed posts.

By the time her stamina recovered to 10, she bought one bottle of low-grade nutrient fluid and spent 5 coins on a pair of wall hooks.

She had wanted to buy a wardrobe, but it was too expensive and there was no space in the tiny room. The hooks would do. She hung them low on the wall.

Comfort +3%. Progress: 63/70.

She saved the remaining 25 coins, eyeing a thick quilt for 90 coins. One day she’d buy it, but not yet.

…Why was she poor in-game too?

Qian Yuan muttered to herself, then logged off, satisfied after draining her stamina.

…

At dawn, before the alarm rang, Cen Han opened his eyes.

He had lived in this small room for three years. Even without his optic membrane, he could move through daily routines with practiced ease.

As if avoiding something, he left the bathroom carrying the case that held his membranes, and headed straight for the junkyard.

Most garbage trucks arrived at night. In the mornings, the junkyard was quiet, just a few recycling robots drifting between the annihilation containers.

The Imperial Capital’s junkyard had two levels: one above ground, one below. Broken mecha scraps, aircraft parts—things like that could all be found here.

For most, useless junk. The vagrants wandering here couldn’t make use of it.

But Cen Han was different.

Returning home, he moved himself to the shower stool and bathed. In the dark, he didn’t have to see his powerless legs. He no longer raged at the sight as he once had.

When it was almost time for school, he hesitated.

His wet black hair fell across his brow, softening the gloom in his features. He pressed his dry lips together, then placed his hand over his eyes.

The rough calluses on his fingers rasped against the skin around his sockets. He slid in the cool membranes, and light surged back into his vision.

Cen Han froze.

…Something new was on the desk.

Yesterday, nothing had been there.

He licked his lips, glanced past the nutrient fluid, and focused on a brightly colored bag.

Square and neat, covered in strange letters he couldn’t read.

He stared at it for a long while before exhaling softly.

This time, instead of wary suspicion, he drank the nutrient fluid of his own accord.

When he left, his gloom was strangely absent. His thoughts were fixed only on the inexplicable events of the past few days.

—That peace lasted until he saw the boxes piled on the school’s ramp.

His classroom was on the second floor. He always took the ramp. But now, crates blocked the path.

There was plenty of empty space nearby. Yet the boxes had been placed here—deliberately.

From a nearby window came mocking laughter. Cen Han turned his head slightly. Several unfamiliar faces crowded at the sill, watching him with glee.

ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🦋་༘࿐