What it Means to be Human

Mutual Salvation (1)

"Wuuaahh... wuuaah... wuuuahh"

Three consecutive cries were heard inside a delivery room of AB hospital. The obstetrician calmed down the bawling infant and observed a notable bluish tint to his nails and lips. However, before he could look deeper into it, the patient—the infant's mother once again cried out in pain. She was about to give birth once again.

The second child the woman gave birth to was quiet. He was very quiet that it frightened the doctors and nurses present at the moment. The obstetrician holding him immediately held him upside down, then slapped his butt with adequate force.

The baby was startled, then immediately started bawling as if he was wronged. Since the woman fell asleep from exhaustion, the doctor ordered the nurses to call in the husband waiting outside the door.

"Congratulations sir, your wife gave birth to dragon and phoenix infants."

The woman's husband showed a stunned expression, followed by joy and gratification. He first checked his wife's condition, making sure she was fine, before thanking the doctors and requesting them to move the three to a VIP room. After moving into a VIP hospital room, he immediately went to check on his two children who were sleeping peacefully, swaddled tightly in separate pink and blue blankets.

He placed them on separate hospital cribs beside their mother. He decided to wait for his wife to wake up before determining the babies' names.

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Xia Chao has never been this happy before. Not when he got first place in the whole grade when he was still in high school. Not when he got his father's approval. Not when the company he founded entered the top 50.

The moment he found out that his wife was pregnant and is expecting twins, he was ecstatic. He has always been wanting to feel what it is like to be a father. However, he still can't help but worry about Song Jia Li (his wife), after all, he wouldn't be able to sacrifice his wife, even if it's for the sake of their children.

He is a greedy man, he wants to indulge in profits and never suffer a loss. Xia Chao's love for his wife is able to forsake anyone and anything. His belief was that his children were replaceable but his wife was not.

Now, however, after meeting his children and finding out that his wife was fine, all of his previous negative thoughts were washed away like sand in a beach. His heart was filled with sunshines and rainbows, even more so when he found his wife waking up.

Song Jia Li's long eyelashes trembled. Her once red lips, which were now pale, curled into a frown. She groggily lifted her eyelids to reveal dark brown irises. She dazedly stared at her husband, after which she opened her mouth to ask, "The kids...?"

Xia Chao readily complied and moved the cribs closer to his wife. He was very patient, after all, this was the wife he has loved for the longest time—someone who spent painstaking effort in wooing.

Song Jia Li was once their country's national goddess. Being the beautiful princess of the chairman of the Song Company, as well as a famous first-rate actress with excellent personality and temperament, she was recognized as the most-desired woman by most men. Such a reputation earned her a lot of suitors and ires of some women. This made it really hard for Xia Chao to pursue her.

However, after a chance meeting at a banquet hosted by his family, the two developed an amicable relationship. Song Jia Li was saved by Xia Chao from a frivolous rich second generation. Later on, that friendship blossomed into love through Xia Chao's sincere and persistent effort. This love led them to where they are now.

Song Jia Li looked at her children with tenderness in her eyes. She gently picked up the slumbering infant wrapped in a pink blanket, after which she began to cuddle the child. Her eyes were full of love, and her face was showing a gentle expression. This scene was very beautiful, filled with motherly love and affections. That is, until Song Jia Li's face crumpled into horror. She tremblingly parted her lips, her tone that of panic as she spoke, "Ah Chao, A-Ah Chao... this child... our child's heart is beating too fast..."

Xia Chao's eyes widened at his wife's statement. He quickly ran out of the room and called the doctor.

The husband and wife were filled with panic as they thought of many possible scenarios. The doctor arrived and the atmosphere remained tense, completely wiping the harmonious atmosphere from earlier.

In the midst of this chaos was an infant neglected and forgotten by his own parents.

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Wang Fai immediately felt nausea after Caihong started the transfer process. After regaining consciousness, the first thing he did was to use the system's feature to gather information regarding the plot.

The system, after all, was a very useful thing. Even though its embodiment is quite unreliable, its features which are accessible by hosts regardless of the presence of the embodiment, are infallible.

Black lines started to appear on his face after reading the plot. He couldn't believe that a thing such as being transported into an unimportant cannon fodder would happen to him. Especially so after Caihong declared his 'special' status!

Almost instantly, Wang Fai regained his calm. His mind now full of questions, he tried to call his system.

'Caihong? Caihong. Caihong!'

However, noone replied. Just as he was wondering about his system's well-being, a reply hurriedly came. The tone was full of worry, yet it also sounded lethargic. [Host, are you alright ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ? Do you feel dizzy? Do you feel lethargic? Do you feel like puking? Do...]

Before Caihong could continue rambling, Wang Fai quickly cut him off, "I'm fine. I just felt a little dizzy earlier but it's inconsequential. I don't feel dizzy at all now. Anyway, care to tell me why I'm occupying a body whose death is imminent?"

[...ah? Did host already read the plot (；￣Д￣)? But it's my job, ah. What would I do if you did all of my job for me? (〃＞＿＜;〃)]

"Isn't it your fault for being so slow to arrive?"

[But... but I suffered from motion sickness, ah (」°ロ°)」! Anyways, it's my job and if you refuse to hand it back to me, I... I will... I will whine and cry!]

The threat Caihong mentioned was something only a child could possibly think of. However, it was something very refreshing for Wang Fai who has been surrounded by pretentious people all his life.

He helplessly replied to the worked-up Caihong, "Okay, but you should appear earlier next time. Where is your work dedication, ah? Now where is the answer to my earlier question?"

[Ah, right. The reason you are able to occupy a native body in a world is because the former owner left the world with everlasting regrets. Most of the bodies whose previous owners regretfully died belong to the category you call 'cannon fodder'. They either served as supplements to improve the sons and daughters of fate's lives, or they just lived a very miserable life in general. They would pass on, unwilling to reincarnate due to their regrets. The regret they have are then noticed by our administrators, who, perhaps due to compassion, perhaps they are just programmed that way, rewind the world's time. Afterwards, a host is sent to resolve the regrets of the old owner.]

"Oh, then what regret does the original owner of this body have?"

[(*°▽°*) According to the data provided, it seems that the owner's regret was letting his family fall apart.]

"Ho~ I see. Then I will do my best to fulfill his wish. (⌒‿⌒)"

After speaking with the system, Wang Fai began trying to open his eyes. After lifting his eyelids, he was immediately put into a daze. He tried to focus and refocus his eyes.

Yet, no matter how hard he tried, everything was black. He seemed to be surrounded by darkness, well, with the exception of a single speck of light.
...

He... can't seem to see anything?

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