Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Chapter 316: Your Backpack (1/2)
Chapter 316: Chapter 316: Your Backpack
Translator: 549690339
Xia Libing looked at the cake that suddenly appeared on the plate in front of her, not showing any surprise either, and took the cake.
She held the cake in her hand and observed it carefully, clearly realizing that the cake “co-manifested” by Xiang Kun was somewhat different from the one she “co-manifested”.
After observing it for over a minute, Xia Libing slowly brought the cake to her mouth.
Of course, just like Xiang Kun, she also couldn’t “taste” the cake.
After the cake disappeared, Xia Libing, in her usual composed demeanor, asked Xiang Kun, “Is there anything else?”
Then, a pork knuckle with crispy skin appeared on the plate, which disappeared after a minute. Xia Libing asked again, “Is there anything else?”
Xiang Kun shook his head, “No more.”
Xia Libing seemed lost in thought.
Xiang Kun, taking the initiative, asked, “Do you know what’s going on?”
Xia Libing replied seriously, “I’ve done the same thing in my dreams.”
“How did you do it in your dream?” Xiang Kun continued to ask. He knew that how Old Xia “co-manifested” those two things in the dream and how to “co-manifest” in reality is highly related.
With a pat, Xia Libing slapped her right hand on the table. When she raised her hand, three one-yuan coins were left on the table. She moved the coins and placed them in a row, “I did it with these.”
As she finished, Xia Libing lifted her head to look at Xiang Kun across the table. Although her expression hadn’t changed much, Xiang Kun could sense what she wanted to express: These coins are from you, you explain.
Xiang Kun looked at the three coins, nodded, and smiled, “Indeed, these coins are a bit special. But I’ve given these coins to many people. Nana and Xiao Pingguo have them too. However, only you could use them to conjure up a Napoleon Cake and a crispy pork knuckle. Old Xia, have you ever thought, why is that?”
Xia Libing didn’t speak, her right index finger lightly tapped on those three coins one by one. It seemed as if she were contemplating or trying to outlast Xiang Kun in patience.
Xiang Kun said again, “Old Xia, do you have a bit of a problem with empathic abilities and emotional cognition?”
Xia Libing counter questioned, “After you lost your job, did you experience anything unusual that brought about a huge change?”
Xiang Kun nodded, “Indeed, something did happen.” He touched his head and said, “I became bald…”
He could sense that Xia Libing was open to discussing her own situation.
However, just like him, Xia Libing was also trying to probe the other’s situation before deciding how much to reveal about her own.
So naturally, the two’s conversation turned into a continuous probing.
But Xiang Kun wasn’t worried, there was plenty of time today, and based on Old Xia’s attitude, he felt quite certain that he could break through in their conversation before the night’s meal. At worst, he could reveal some more crucial information first.
What he didn’t expect was, plans are always inferior to changes.
Just as Xia Libing was about to open her mouth to say something, Xiang Kun’s phone started vibrating.
He glanced at the phone’s incoming call display, his eyebrows instantly furrowed – the call was from his mom.
He knew very well that his mother was wholeheartedly convinced that he was pursuing Old Xia, and considering that she knew he was having lunch with Old Xia, she would only call if something serious had happened.
Picking up, Xiang Kun indeed heard his mom’s somewhat anxious voice, tinged with a hint of cry, “Kun, your dad fell. We are now at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical University. Come here as soon as you’re done with your meal.”
“I will go now… mom, keep calm, where did dad fall from, what’s his condition right now?”
“He finished eating, wanted to go out for a walk, and fell down the stairs as soon as he went out the door. I heard the noise and rushed out. His face was covered in blood and he couldn’t move… I didn’t dare move him and quickly called the hospital…”
“Mom, is dad conscious now?”
“He’s conscious, he told me not to tell you first… we’re in the emergency room, we’ll talk when you come over.”
“I understand, mom. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
While Xiang Kun was talking on the phone, his tone and facial expressions didn’t change much. He even deliberately kept his voice low to comfort his anxious mother. In his mind, he was swiftly evaluating his dad’s condition, judging from his mom’s tone, condition, and the details provided.
However, in reality, as Xiang Kun heard his mom’s first sentence, feelings of anxiety, tension, concern, and even some inexplicable anger welled up within him.
After ending the call with his mom, Xiang Kun quickly regained his emotional balance, realizing the reason – he was angry with himself.
He had always paid attention to his parents’ health conditions. By establishing cognitive models through infrared thermographic vision mode and other sensing modes, he believed he could detect any health issues of his parents in advance, enabling them to receive timely treatment. Surprisingly, his father had fallen down the stairs, an accident that could be very dangerous for someone already in their sixties. For Xiang Kun, it felt like he had let an oversight happen in something he thought he had under control.
However, Xiang Kun quickly realized that his anger stemmed from his overestimation of his own abilities. It was a display of arrogance. He couldn’t predict all circumstances completely, accidents could never be wholly foreseen, and many factors were beyond his control.
This sudden emotional reaction made Xiang Kun realize that, unconsciously, due to his superior sensory abilities and the powers provided by various evolutions and mutations, his desire for control and confidence had been continually growing, in turn, affecting his judgement and emotions.
Adjusting his emotions and self-discovery happened in an instant. It seemed like Xiang Kun didn’t pause at all after answering the phone, instantly getting up to bid farewell to Xia Libing, “Old Xia, my dad fell down the stairs and is now in the hospital, I need to rush over. We’ll discuss the ‘cake’ matter another time.”
However, Xiang Kun noticed that Xia Libing looked a bit lost. Then a memory suddenly flashed in his mind, the state of Xia Libing when he was on the phone.
Although his attention was entirely focused on his mom’s words and his dad’s injury earlier, by now, the collection of various sensory information from his surroundings had become instinctive. Therefore, even though he wasn’t paying attention to it before, he was still able to capture Xia Libing’s reaction and state.
On reflection, he realized that the emotional state he entered briefly, even though it was fleeting, it was strong. It’s highly likely that his ability of “Emotional Assimilation” had been activated momentarily, and Xia Libing was evidently influenced and manifested similar emotions.
Previously in Tongshi Town, when Xiang Kun used the “Twelve Portraits” he carried to indirectly induce emotional influence, everyone else was affected similarly to the effects of “Emotional Assimilation”, but only Xia Libing showed no emotional changes.
At that time, Xiang Kun pondered whether he should try to directly use “Emotional Assimilation” to affect Xia Libing to see if it would work, but an appropriate opportunity never arose.
Unexpectedly, this unintentional display of “Emotional Assimilation” verified his idea – the object induced with emotions, “Twelve Portraits”, was incapable of emotionally influencing Xia Libing only because his “ability” was not powerful enough.
And judging from Xia Libing’s current expression, she seemed surprised and puzzled by her sudden emotional change.
Normally, based on Xiang Kun’s previous experiences of using “Emotional Assimilation” on others, the person influenced by the assimilated emotions wouldn’t notice that they were being influenced. Xia Libing was most likely experiencing this type of emotion for the first time, leading to her current bewildered expression once the emotions dissipated.