Chapter 24

 Chapter 24 A custom-made game

Cheng Ting hesitated for a moment but then instinctively looked in the ten o'clock direction. At first, he didn't notice anything, but upon closer observation, he did see a small moving dot. 

He immediately got serious, found a rock nearby to hide behind, and waited for the person to show up. When they did, he swiftly eliminated them with a burst of shots.

The screen displayed a kill notification.

"He's so fat!" Cheng Ting exclaimed involuntarily, but he quickly quieted down and began looting the items.

Although Cheng Ting was trying to conceal his emotions, it was evident from the rare loot he collected and the slight trembling of excitement that he was genuinely pleased.

"The circle is closing soon. It's safer to enter the circle from the northeast, where there are mountains, rocks, and plenty of cover. You can also block people from behind," Lu Zhixing advised.

Cheng Ting didn't respond, but after looting, he headed northeast.

In this manner, with Lu Zhixing acting as a guide, Cheng Ting managed to eliminate two or three players and safely reached the final circle. However, due to his less-than-stellar marksmanship, he didn't survive until the end. Nevertheless, judging from his excited demeanor, it was one of his best performances in recent times.

Although Cheng Ting had not turned around, Lu Zhixing could sense that his attitude had softened somewhat. The game had brought them closer together.

Cheng's father, Mr. Cheng, also breathed a sigh of relief, sensing a change in his son's disposition. While it might not be ideal for a caregiver to play video games with his son, it was only for three days. As long as Cheng Ting could stay at home patiently waiting for his return from the business trip and play some games, it wasn't a significant issue.

However, Lu Zhixing's intentions went beyond just playing games.

After playing two rounds of games with Cheng Ting, Lu Zhixing casually suggested, "Xiaoting, playing games all the time isn't very exciting. How about I take you outside for a change? The air outside is so fresh today."

Unexpectedly, Cheng Ting's reaction became intense. "I'm not going! I don't want to go out! I don't want to use a wheelchair! You all keep forcing me! Do you know how people look at me like a freak? Why can't you just let me stay at home alone?"

Seeing Cheng Ting's strong reaction, Mr. Cheng hurriedly lowered his voice and said to Lu Zhixing, "Forget it, forget it, Lu, how about you stay at home and play games with him? If he doesn't want to go out, then so be it."

Lu Zhixing remained gentle in his approach. "What's wrong with using a wheelchair? Big brother also uses a wheelchair just like you. Big brother's wheelchair skills are excellent. He plays outside in his wheelchair every day, and he can even spin in place."

Cheng Ting turned around and retorted, "You're lying to a kid!"

He had used a wheelchair before, so he knew just how inconvenient it was to go out in one, not to mention enduring the stares of strangers. Whether from a physical or psychological perspective, he strongly resisted going out in a wheelchair.

"Didn't lie to you. If you don't believe me, come to the living room, and big brother will show you how to spin in a wheelchair."

Lu Zhixing went to the living room, and soon, Mr. Cheng carried Cheng Ting onto the wheelchair and wheeled him into the living room.

Cheng Ting had been reluctant and resistant, but when he arrived in the living room, he was stunned.

Because Lu Zhixing was indeed spinning in the wheelchair!

He skillfully grasped one wheel with each hand and exerted force in different directions, slightly tilting his body backward to maintain balance. It was like performing acrobatics, making the wheelchair spin fancily.

Cheng Ting's eyes widened in disbelief, his face showing an expression of sheer amazement.

Could you really spin in a wheelchair like this?

Lu Zhixing's performance didn't stop there. He could also lift the front wheels of the wheelchair off the ground, maintaining balance solely on the two rear wheels, swaying back and forth like a unicyclist in a circus, displaying remarkable agility.

Watching these fancy maneuvers, Cheng Ting's attention was completely captivated. Even Mr. Cheng watched in astonishment, unable to imagine that this young university student caregiver possessed such remarkable skills.

Is this what caregivers do nowadays?

"See, big brother didn't lie to you, right? If you feel embarrassed, we can go out together in wheelchairs. People will definitely be looking at me; no one will even notice you."

Lu Zhixing wheeled the wheelchair up to Cheng Ting, and suddenly, the two of them were almost at the same height, eliminating any sense of distance.

Cheng Ting lowered his head and said, "But... I still don't want to go out. Last time, when I went past the corridor outside the teaching building at school, it had five floors, and all my classmates' gazes followed me... When I walk on the street, everyone's eyes are on me, as if I'm a freak."

Lu Zhixing fell silent for a moment, then took out a face mask from his pocket. "Well, then, we'll wear these masks. No one will recognize us! Look, I wear one too." He put on his mask and helped Cheng Ting put one on as well.

"In this aspect, I have some experience. As long as I'm not embarrassed, others will be embarrassed. You see, once we put on these masks, no one will recognize us. I'll walk ahead, and you can follow behind me. I'll help divert the attention."

Cheng Ting was torn, and he glanced at his father.

Seeing that there was a chance, Mr. Cheng quickly chimed in, "That's right, this way no one will recognize you. Look, uncle isn't afraid either. What are you still afraid of?"

Lu Zhixing opened his phone and showed them, "Look, ice cream cones are on sale today, buy one get one free. Let's go eat them; after today, the offer will be gone!"

He waved his phone, displaying the promotional page in front of Cheng Ting.

After some hesitation, Cheng Ting finally nodded.

……

During that day, Lu Zhixing accompanied Cheng Ting outdoors.

Although Mr. Cheng pretended to see them off at the door, he was undoubtedly still worried and secretly followed them, fearing that the two wheelchair-bound individuals might encounter any inconvenience while traveling.

However, what he didn't expect was that Lu Zhixing seemed to have an excellent grasp of the surroundings. Whether it was taking public transportation, using the subway, or going to the mall, Lu Zhixing always found the best routes.

There were no problems with eating out or using public restrooms.

The two of them not only enjoyed ice cream at a fast-food restaurant but also visited a bookstore, an arcade, a movie theater, and various other places.

On the way, they still received many curious glances from others, but this time, Lu Zhixing didn't use the "I am a tree" skill. He positioned himself in front of Cheng Ting, shielding him from all those gazes.

After this day, Mr. Cheng's worries vanished, and he could trust Lu Zhixing to take care of Cheng Ting while he was away on his business trip.

Before leaving, he repeatedly reminded them to stay safe when going out and to make plenty of phone calls and video calls.

Over the next three days, Lu Zhixing took Cheng Ting on a tour of nearly half of Jinghai City, even making a visit to the city's largest amusement park.

For Lu Zhixing, this experience was quite novel. While he had sat in a wheelchair and ventured outside a few times before, he hadn't gone very far and had retreated when faced with some inconvenience.

However, this time, armed with knowledge of barrier-free travel, Lu Zhixing became an expert driver, and the obstacles on the road were no longer a hindrance.

Moreover, Lu Zhixing deliberately wanted to take Cheng Ting to more places during this opportunity, allowing him to experience the beauty of the outside world. He wanted Cheng Ting to understand that even in a wheelchair, there was no need to be ashamed, that he wasn't a monster, and that he had the right to embrace the sunshine and life.

Surprisingly, the most unforgettable part of their journey for both of them was their visit to the amusement park.

Initially, Lu Zhixing was concerned that it might be inconvenient for them to visit the amusement park. However, upon arrival, they discovered that the amusement park had more extensive accessibility features than the mall.

Almost every attraction in the amusement park had been specially designed for people with disabilities, and there were staff members providing services. The entire experience was incredibly comfortable.

Even the swimming pool had a specially designed pool lift for disabled individuals, allowing them to enter the pool and enjoy swimming.

However, during these three days, Lu Zhixing also noticed some areas of urban planning that were not quite reasonable.

Jinghai City, being a relatively developed city, had much more extensive barrier-free facilities than smaller cities. However, there were still many inconvenient aspects for disabled people.

Various obstacles, akin to impassable chasms for wheelchairs, often appeared along the way. Sidewalks and tactile paths on both sides of the road were frequently occupied by randomly parked shared bicycles. Some roadside shops had only steps without ramps, and certain malls didn't have accessible restrooms, not to mention the various long horizontal bars and upright bollards used to divide the roads...

Although in Beijing-Hai, these situations weren't particularly common, encountering one occasionally still had a highly discouraging effect.

If it hadn't been for Lu Zhixing constantly cheering on Cheng Ting, he would have found it nearly impossible to persevere.

In some places, the slopes were so steep that Lu Zhixing had to get off and push Cheng Ting up.

Although the surprised looks from passersby, akin to "medical miracles," made Lu Zhixing somewhat self-conscious, in order to set a good example for Cheng Ting, he made every effort to appear relaxed and composed, even chatting and joking with the people around him.

Even in Beijing-Hai, and especially in economically underdeveloped small cities, such situations were likely even more common.

At this moment, Lu Zhixing deeply realized why there were so many disabled individuals in China, yet they were not often seen on the streets. It wasn't because they didn't want to go out, but simply because going out was incredibly inconvenient for them.

...

Three days quickly passed.

Cheng Ting's father returned from a business trip, expressing his profound gratitude to Lu Zhixing.

After dropping Lu Zhixing off at the entrance of the residential area, Cheng Ting's fatherhesitated for a moment but ultimately made up his mind and shared his thoughts.

"Xiao Lu, I really want to thank you for these past few days. Xiao Ting has been having a great time with you, and his smile has increased a lot. Can I trouble you to continue accompanying him in the future? Or perhaps we can establish a long-term arrangement.

"Regarding the time and compensation, you don't need to worry; we can discuss it further."

Lu Zhixing shook his head slightly, "To be honest, Mr Cheng, I'm usually quite busy, and I just happened to have some free time recently. Long-term care might not be possible; I don't have that much time.

"But I have a question, it seems like Xiao Ting still cares a lot about his mother? It seems like he has a strong sense of guilt, what's the story behind that?"

Cheng Ting's father sighed, "Well...how should I put it, Xiao Ting has always felt guilty about his mother's death. That day, he insisted on going out to play, and that's when he had the accident on the road. Maybe he feels like he let his mother down."

"I've told him many times that it wasn't his fault, but he just can't seem to accept it."

Lu Zhixing nodded, "I understand, Mr Cheng."

He paused for a moment and then added, "I may not have much time to spend with Xiao Ting, but... I can give him a gift."

Cheng Ting's father was somewhat surprised, "A gift?"

Lu Zhixing, who had been playing the role of a "paralyzed patient who is optimistic, hopeful about life" for these intense three days, looked at himself and said, "Yes, I plan to give Xiao Ting a game, a game specially made for him."