After the soul swap, I became stronger (2): Meeting “myself”

Si Qi took a bottle of nutrient potion brought from the previous world out from the leaves of the World Tree, tilted his head back, and drank it.

As expected of a high-tech product from the Great Universe Era, its effects were outstanding. Si Qi felt much better soon, and his whole body felt very comfortable.

He crawled out of bed, and his field of vision became much broader than before. He immediately saw his bed—if a blanket spread on the floor could be considered a bed—next to it was another bed that was obviously much more dilapidated.

That was where the parents of this body slept.

It seemed that this family was really poor; otherwise, if they had even a little bit of means, the parents wouldn’t be sleeping with their seventeen or eighteen-year-old son who was already in high school.

Recalling the appearance of that couple, Si Qi felt somewhat puzzled. The couple neither had missing limbs nor did they seem like foolish people. How could they have let their lives become like this?

Unfortunately, the original owner, due to fear and anxiety, had no interest in caring about the situation of the parents after waking up, nor in understanding the historical environment of this family. As a result, Si Qi knows nothing about the current state of this family and can only explore it bit by bit on her own.

Getting up to stroll around the house, Si Qi found the layout particularly simple, so simple that it was almost absurd.

The living room also served as a bedroom, and opening the door leads directly to the hallway of a shared rental. The kitchen was surprisingly combined with the bathroom, and there were even bowls and chopsticks on the toilet seat.

Si Qi: “………………”

This was simply challenging his worldview and visual perception.

After taking a glance, Si Qi didn’t want to look again and turned back to the bedroom-living room-dining room-study. A table was placed in the corner, piled high with all sorts of items. Notably, Si Qi saw several bottles of formula that looked brand new. Each bottle cost at least two to three hundred, and several had already been emptied, with one bottle half-gone, clearly indicating that someone was eating it.

Si Qi smacked his lips, faintly tasting a hint of milk from his mouth. It seemed that this was the expensive milk powder his parents bought to supplement his nutrition, fearing that their son, who was in a coma, wouldn’t be able to swallow or chew.

Recalling how the original owner woke up, those parents showed him so much love. Not only did they not make him do any household chores, but they also let the child from a poor background attend such a good school…

Clearly, these parents had already done everything they could to love their child.

Si Qi shook his head.

It was a pity that the child who grew up being so loved by them, after becoming a child of a wealthy family, never thought of acknowledging them, compensating them, or helping them live a good life.

If they found out the truth, he didn’t know how sad they would be.

Not to mention, in the original timeline, the original owner was killed on the first day of school after waking up. Their world must have felt like it was collapsing at that moment.

After waking up, Si Qi felt a bit itchy and uncomfortable. Recalling the original owner’s terrified reaction upon learning that he had to bathe here—just taking a basin and filling it with water directly from the faucet on the street—was still fresh in his memory. Si Qi smirked, borrowed five yuan from the table, took some clothes and other items like the original owner did, and headed out to the nearby bathhouse.

As soon as he stepped out, he was met with the surprised gaze of the old lady downstairs.

“Ah, Xiao Qi, you’re awake!!” The old lady couldn’t help but step closer, looking up and down at Si Qi, who had just woken up.

Si Qi smiled and said, “Hello, Grandma, I’m awake.”

“Wow… this is really…” Seeing Si Qi’s unusual reaction, Grandma’s expression was clearly one of disbelief.

The original Child of the World, who was now Wang Jiu, had never had such a friendly attitude towards those around him. Being able to look people in the eye was already quite an achievement.

He was used to the wealthy scions and rich people at school, so he looked down on the middle-aged women around him who could argue endlessly over a few cents, and the useless men who drank beer and boasted in the yard with their shirts off in the scorching heat.

He always felt like a pearl lost among the common people, completely out of place with the surrounding dirt and decay. In the future, he was determined to fly out of this slum and become a proud figure overlooking the masses.

But he never thought that when his parents were so poor they couldn’t even afford to eat, it was the kind-hearted people around them, who were so stingy they wouldn’t even spare a dime, who helped him by sharing their food, so he wouldn’t have to go hungry at such a young age.

The old lady was initially just surprised that the unfortunate child who had been hit by a car suddenly woke up. Now, seeing how polite Si Qi had suddenly become after waking up, her eyes couldn’t help but show a bit more affection, and she couldn’t help but murmur, “It’s good that you woke up. You child, sleeping for so many days, you don’t know how heartbroken your parents were… Your mother cried so much those few days that her eyes were swollen, and your father borrowed money from everywhere to pay for your medical treatment, even bowing to people several times…”

If the original owner heard this, he would probably feel embarrassed and think that the person in front of him was mocking him. Si Qi pursed his lips, nodded, and said, “I understand, Grandma. I will be filial and take good care of them.”

“You know it, that’s enough.” The old lady sighed, knowing full well that this child had always been secretly blaming his parents for being too poor to give him a good life, and he really hated his parents.

Right now, he agreed readily, but in reality, she didn’t even know what he thought.

She didn’t even know if he’ll come back after going to university and becoming successful.

Children were all a burden…

After watching Si Qi leave, the news of the Si family’s child waking up quickly spread through the neighborhood via the old lady’s mouth, and then it swiftly reached the ears of Si Qi’s parents.

The two of them were so excited that they couldn’t even focus on their work, and they both ran home, panting and staring at each other.

At this moment, Si Qi had just finished taking a shower and came back. He pushed open the door and saw two faces that immediately turned around with surprise upon hearing the sound. He paused for a moment and then walked in.

“You child, you wake up and run around everywhere.” Mama Si covered her face and cried a couple of times, then stood up and held Si Qi’s hand, unwilling to let go no matter what.

Dad Si carefully looked at Si Qi and saw that he didn’t, as the doctor had said, wake up feeling weak and unable to speak. He was a bit puzzled.

However, because it was a good thing, he didn’t bother to think too much about it. He just assumed that the milk they bought with so much money was indeed very nutritious. He smiled broadly, showing two rows of teeth, and the wrinkles that were supposed to be filled with sorrow on his face turned into a beautiful chrysanthemum.

The emotions left by the original owner made Si Qi somewhat unaccustomed to this family affection filled with a sense of unfamiliarity. He smiled and said, “Sorry to worry you.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the parents clearly froze for a moment, and then the mother cried even more sadly, “Good child, good child.”

After being sick for so long, he suddenly became sensible after waking up!

He actually knew how to be considerate towards his parents.

Dad Si wasn’t very good with words, fidgeting with his clothes. In the end, he decided to turn his emotions into action and said, “Dad will go cook, to properly nourish you!”

Mother Si quickly said, “Yes, yes, Mom and Dad bought fish and meat today. Eat more, you’ve lost weight these past few days!”

Si Qi suddenly remembered the stove built next to the toilet, and his scalp nearly exploded. He quickly said, “Let’s eat out.”

When Mother and Dad Si heard this, the corners of their smiling mouths stiffened slightly, and they looked at Si Qi with some embarrassment.

“Do you want to go out to eat…?”

Mother Si lowered her head in slight embarrassment, but after a moment, she lifted it up again and said with a smile, “Alright, let’s go out to eat.”

Dad Si was a bit unhappy and muttered, “The fish has already been killed, if you don’t eat it, it’ll go bad!”

Their house didn’t have a refrigerator to store meat.

Si Qi possessed the original owner’s memories and knew the situation of the Son of the World. He explained gently, “Well, our school has scholarships…”

The original owner, as the president of the student council, personally handled many matters related to daily study subsidies for birthdays, and knew that the original owner could receive 100,000 yuan in scholarships a year, which was definitely enough for a family of three to have a good meal outside.

Dad Si lowered his head with a pained expression, not daring to face Si Qi, and muttered, “That money has all gone to pay off debts. We still owe them several million, so don’t even think about it.”

Mother Si looked at Si Qi with a pleading expression and said in a low, humble voice, “Xiao Qi, those debt collectors will hit people. This money has to be given to them. Please understand your parents, okay? Mom and Dad really didn’t mean to take your money. Even if the money is in your hands, those people will still come to trouble you. Mom and Dad are just afraid you’ll be bullied, so we asked you to give the money. In the future, when Mom and Dad have money, we will pay you back. Didn’t you take the IOU we wrote? Trust Mom and Dad.”

Si Qi was taken aback and suddenly felt that this Son of the World was too bizarre.

Still making your parents write IOUs???

What kind of magical operation was this?

Then why don’t you write an IOU saying that you gave birth to me, took care of me for over ten years, and didn’t let me starve to death, so I owe you my life?

Si Qi was somewhat puzzled: [How did they end up owing money?]

It couldn’t be that they lost their son’s scholarship to gambling, could it? Such a thing would make everyone furious!

If that was the case, then perhaps the actions of the Son of the World were not wrong and could be accepted.

Xiu Xiu followed this lead and checked online, and the response was: [Ten years ago, the couple started a business but failed, accumulating over ten million in debt. They sold their company and all their properties, and over the years, they have gradually paid back over a million through working, but they still owe over three million.]

Si Qi raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that if they could pay off over 10 million through working, this couple’s moral character must be quite good. At least they weren’t giving up and becoming deadbeats. He asked, [Has the Son of the World opened the original body’s bank account recently?]

Xiu Xiu answered very quickly: [Yes. At first, he didn’t know the password, so he took his ID to the bank and changed the passwords for a few accounts he had already discovered. He looked at the amounts inside and spent quite a bit of money on luxury goods. However, there are still many assets he doesn’t even know about, and he hasn’t touched them.]

Si Qi, upon hearing this, recalled a few saving methods from memory, borrowed a phone from Si’s parents, and logged in.

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million.

Just this one account had several million in savings, all from the original owner receiving red envelopes from parents and relatives during the New Year, or from pocket money received in daily life.

Si Qi couldn’t help but let out a “huh.”

It seemed that this Son of the World really didn’t act like a human.

He had money to buy luxury goods but no money to help his own parents pay off their debts.

No wonder this guy was reluctant to give up his current identity, stubbornly refusing to admit that he was not the real Wang Jiu.

As long as he didn’t admit it, he could easily get tens of millions in savings and property, and even company shares worth over a hundred million in the future.

It was normal to have greedy thoughts.

But having so much money and still pretending to be deaf and mute, not helping one’s biological parents, and letting them continue living in hardship, this behavior was a bit disgraceful.

After all, the Si family’s parents were not the kind of people who would deliberately mistreat their son; in fact, you could say they doted on him.

Si Qi glanced at his parents, who looked both troubled and embarrassed, thought for a moment, and then spoke in a softer tone, “I don’t blame you. I’ll tear up those IOUs later.”

The parents were taken aback and looked at Si Qi in surprise.

Si Qi: “I was immature before and made you sad. As for the debt…”

Directly using Wang Jiu’s money to pay off the debt would easily lead to economic disputes with just a little investigation. After all, on the surface, Wang Jiu had no connection with the Si family, and Wang Jiu, the Son of the World, would never admit that this money was used to pay off the debt. He might even call the police to demand its return.

If they investigated further and found out that it was Si Qi who returned the money, it would be even more complicated. Who knew what the Child of the World would think upon learning this? He would definitely be terrified that “his” things were taken by someone else and would be unable to resist the urge to kill again.

Si Qi said, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you sort out that money soon.”

The Si family parents stared blankly at Si Qi, feeling that their son had changed too much after waking up. Whether it was his tone of voice or his expressions and demeanor, everything was so different from before that it was as if he were a completely different person.

In their hearts, rather than feeling happy, they actually had more concerns.

“Son, you…”

Mom Si opened her mouth, but when it came to speaking, she didn’t know what to say.

How to put this? Should she just say, “Son, you’ve changed so much that you’re not even yourself anymore”?

Wasn’t this mocking their own son for being so clueless in the past, and now finally willing to act like a decent person?

Si Qi comforted, “Trust me, money is really not an issue. Anyway, let’s go eat out today, we have many good days ahead of us.”

With Si Qi’s urging, their parents were completely preoccupied with thoughts of their son not needing to pay them back and how much he had changed. For a moment, they didn’t care whether they ate at home or outside. Just like that, they were tricked out of the house by Si Qi, and the whole family ordered a few dishes at the restaurant.

They just sat down at the dinner table, and as soon as the parents saw Si Qi pick up his bowl and quietly eat his meal, with his straight posture and the gentle, noble look in his eyes, chewing his food slowly and steadily, they felt increasingly uneasy.

This, this, their son wasn’t like this before!

If the changes were a bit smaller, it would be fine, but the original owner was used to a life of luxury and had learned etiquette for so many years under his parents’ supervision. Eating was a pleasure to watch, and every detail of their gestures and movements revealed a certain sophistication.

Did you see how the guests at the tables next to him couldn’t help but glance over at Si Qi repeatedly? They’ve never seen anyone eat so beautifully before; this was truly a feast for the eyes!

The parents had a meal that tasted like chewing wax, paid the bill, and walked home with their heads down. Once they got home, they looked at Si Qi with complicated expressions, unable to figure out what had happened to their son.

But whenever they wanted to ask, seeing Si Qi’s gaze upon them, that obviously much gentler look than before, their hearts would tremble, truly afraid to speak up, and that the sensible child would once again become the way he used to be.

Even if Si Qi was pretending now, they would still be more than willing; even if it meant drinking poison to quench their thirst, they would gladly take the poisoned cup.

Their son had a hard time coming back from the brink of death. Even if his personality had changed, so what? As long as their son was still alive, that was all that mattered. Not to mention, their son had actually become better than before.

With complex and unspeakable feelings, the family fell asleep in the narrow living room.

The next morning, Si Qi went to school.

“How about resting at home for a few more days? The doctor said that after you wake up, your body won’t be very good, you’ll be weak, and you need to take good care of yourself…”

Si Qi smiled and said, “I feel pretty healthy right now, don’t worry. If I really feel unwell, I’ll take a leave and come back.”

The parents thought for a moment and felt that their son sitting in class at school wouldn’t be too tiring, so they advised him, “Then remember not to go to PE class, sit and rest more during breaks, don’t walk around too much, and don’t mess around with others.”

“Okay, I understand.” Feeling the concern from the two, Si Qi smiled even more gently.

Compared to the exploitative parents in the ABO world who took advantage of their son, and the original owner Wang Jiu’s terrible parents who didn’t even want to acknowledge him, these two in front of me truly deserve the title of parents.

Si Qi’s gentle and faint smile instantly struck a chord with Si family’s parents. Their expressions clearly showed they were touched, their lips trembled slightly, and their voices, tinged with suppressed sobs, feigned nonchalance as they said, “Okay, you go to school.”

Clearly, after being tormented by that unfortunate son for so many years, being treated so gently all of a sudden now made their hearts melt.

Si Qi felt that if he said a few more heartfelt words, these two people would probably start crying right in front of him.

So, he smiled at them, turned around, and left, giving them space.

Xiu Xiu, using the nearby surveillance camera, said to Si Qi: “They cried.”

Si Qi fell silent for a moment.

Hmm

After taking the bus to school, when Si Qi returned to the classroom, the classmates in the class were obviously taken aback.

“Ah, Si Qi, you’re back!”

“The teacher said you were in a coma after the car accident, and the class monitor even wanted us to visit you at the hospital. But then we heard you were discharged soon after.”

“Are you okay now?”

These students in front of Si Qi were all somewhat unfamiliar to him. They should all know the original owner, Wang Jiu, but the original owner did not know them. Apart from the class monitor and the discipline committee members, as well as a few individuals with some connections in the family business, Si Qi was truly in the dark, not knowing who was who.

He could only smile and nod, treating it as an answer. That demeanor, as refreshing as a spring breeze, made many of the surrounding classmates’ eyes light up, and they couldn’t help but say, “Si Qi, you’ve changed so much since you came back this time!”

How should they put it? The face was still the same, but it just felt like it had become a lot more attractive. Before, they could only say it was “not bad-looking,” but now one could definitely say it was “eye-catching.”

If it weren’t for the preconceived impression left by the “Child of the World” on those around him, and they were seeing Si Qi for the first time, they would definitely think that Si Qi was good-looking and had a great demeanor, just like a noble young master. Standing among these wealthy students, he would be the most eye-catching one.

Some things, he really couldn’t fake.

He just heard someone next to him say, “Maybe after being seriously ill, their whole demeanor has changed!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Much better than before!”

“I think Si Qi, you are better just the way you are now.”

Si Qi smiled, said a few more thank-yous, and seemingly casually added, “By the way, do you know where the student council president is? My parents and the school have given me leave, so I need to go check in with him.”

Everyone was chattering, saying, “The president should have just arrived at school by now.”

“Are you going to check out his class?”

A few classmates hadn’t seen Si Qi for a long time. Seeing him looking so different after recovering from his serious illness, they found him indescribably handsome and were very curious, so they stood by his side and didn’t want to leave.

A group of people followed Si Qi and arrived at the next classroom. The guy who had taken over the original owner’s body was indeed in the classroom. Hearing the noise outside the door, he casually turned around and was taken aback to see the “himself” who should have been in a vegetative state standing outside the door, almost getting scared out of his wits.

How did this guy end up here?!

Wasn’t he a vegetable, lying in that damn little house, never waking up for the rest of his life?!

The heartbeat instantly reached its peak. The Child of the World adjusted his expression, mimicking the original owner’s demeanor, and walked to the door with a smile on his face.

As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw the very person he had been desperately trying to imitate, with a smile on his face that was a hundred times more beautiful and a hundred times more natural than his own, staring straight at him.

That indescribable sense of guilt surged up, and the Child of the World forced himself to calm down. He provocatively glanced back at Si Qi and deliberately said, “What do you all want with me? — Who is this?” He pretended not to know Si Qi at all.

Si Qi said, “I am Si Qi.”

The Child of the World couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, wondering if there was something wrong with his ears.

How could this person not only not come to question him, but also brazenly show his face and say his name? It was really…

The Child of the World couldn’t help but frown and stare intently at the boy across from him, trying to figure out what he was really up to from his expression.

Si Qi, however, appeared completely oblivious, continuing with a smile, “I took a leave of absence for over two months before, and now I’m back to cancel it. After all, I still need to get the scholarship, and taking too long of a leave isn’t acceptable.”

The Child of the World was confused and couldn’t believe that after Wang Jiu woke up, he didn’t come to cause trouble for him, but instead said this inexplicable thing. wasn’t this a joke?

This person wasn’t even a little bit anxious? Not even a little bit angry? How did he just naturally inherit his identity and adapt so well?

The overly unreasonable situation left him feeling flustered, and he remained silent with a stern face for a long time.

The people around them found it a bit strange and couldn’t help but say, “President? Si Qi is talking to you?”

Who was Si Qi? He was Si Qi!

The Child of the World couldn’t help but frown and glare at the person, who looked utterly baffled. With a somewhat unfriendly tone, he said to Si Qi, “What exactly do you want to do?”

Si Qi asked in confusion, “I want to cancel my leave?”

Cancel leave, cancel your damn leave, you came here just to provoke, didn’t you!

Come over to warn me, observe me, and then take the opportunity to steal everything from me. That’s your plan, isn’t it!!

Since inheriting the original owner’s identity, the Child of the World no longer wanted to return to the past life of poverty. He wanted to hold on tightly to everything in front of him, not wanting to let go of even the slightest bit.

Moreover, to put it in his shoes, a person who had been used to a hard life wouldn’t be willing to go back to the past. So, someone who had lived a life of luxury for over ten years, suddenly being brought to rock bottom, how could they willingly accept such a change? They would definitely want to take back everything that once belonged to them, definitely!!

In his heart, he completely regarded Si Qi as an enemy. The Child of the World, with a cold face, was filled with vigilance and anger, directly exposing the matter he cared about the most: “I know what you’re thinking. Let me tell you, ‘Si Qi,’ no way! No one will believe your nonsense. You’re dreaming!”

As the words fell, the surroundings instantly fell silent. A group of people looked in bewilderment at the usually graceful, gentle, and friendly president, who had suddenly turned into this state, feeling somewhat incredulous.

Some people, based on the perfect impression the original owner left on others, couldn’t help but wonder if Si Qi had done something wrong to make even the usually easygoing president angry. For a moment, their gazes towards Si Qi unconsciously held a bit more disdain.

Si Qi said with an innocent face, “President, what’s wrong with you? I just came to cancel my leave, why are you suddenly saying this?”

A few classmates nearby couldn’t help but say, “Yeah, President, Si Qi was hit by a car a while ago and has been lying at home for over two months. He finally managed to come back to school. How can you say that about him… If you don’t excuse him from class, how can he come to school? He still needs to receive his scholarship.”

“I!” The Child of the World said irritably, but once the words were out, he didn’t know how to continue. He forcefully held back his frustration. Mimicking the original owner’s gentle demeanor, he ended up looking quite awkward, baring his teeth and saying, “I got it, Si, Si Qi, come to the student council office after school, and I’ll take care of the paperwork for you.”

This morning, when he called his own name, why did it feel so awkward?

Si Qi looked at the Child of the World with a half-smile, hummed, and deliberately said nothing.

But that deeply meaningful gaze made the Child of the World feel uncomfortable all over, with a belly full of words wanting to roar, wanting to assert dominance, yet in front of so many people, he couldn’t say a word.

He was really pissed off.