Chapter 10 |
"Master's gift... hehe... heehee...!"
Fang Qi's eyelids twitched!
He had initially breathed a sigh of relief seeing her so happy.
But now, seeing her blatantly excessive reaction...
Her knuckles clenched white, the fanatical gleam practically spilling from her eyes, and those murmuring, morbid whispers...
It instantly made him tense up again!
Seriously, it was just a plastic keychain. Why was she this happy?
Did I go overboard again?
Did her affection level just skyrocket again?!
Feeling a bit guilty, he quickly put on a stern face, turned away, and said, "Hey, alright, alright, it's time to go. We'll ride the Ferris wheel for our last stop, and then we're heading home! Um... give me the bag! It must be heavy, I'll carry it."
He reached out to take the large bag Liguang was hugging as he spoke.
To be honest, he didn't really want to carry it, but the judgmental glares from the righteous bystanders around them... were practically piercing him like a sieve!
Several people were even holding up their phones, snapping photos of them!
He had a feeling he'd end up on the trending search list by tomorrow. He could already imagine the fierce war in the comment section...
"It's not heavy, Master!"
Liguang hugged the bag even tighter, refusing to let him take it away, as if it were her badge of honor!
She followed him with brisk steps. Her other hand remained tightly clenched around the star keychain, her thumb repeatedly rubbing against the rough plastic edges.
After pulling Liguang into the Ferris wheel, the two sat in the slowly ascending cabin.
Fang Qi looked out the window at the shrinking amusement park scenery, then sneakily glanced at the silver-haired girl sitting upright opposite him, her hands resting properly on her lap.
The girl wore a somewhat hazy smile.
Her gaze occasionally drifted out the Ferris wheel window, but it mostly fell on the keychain in her hand. Every feature of her face radiated deep, satisfied joy.
Sometimes, she would sneak a peek at Fang Qi, and whenever their eyes met, she would avert her gaze in a slight panic.
Fang Qi couldn't help but stroke his chin in thought.
How well did I handle things today?
I ordered her around, but I also gave her a sweet reward. This memory... should count as something we created together, right?
A day trip to the amusement park was definitely an experience worthy of the memory album!
At least Liguang seemed to be... in a stable, happy state right now, without any signs of snapping.
Yeah...
I should be safe for today!
...
On the maglev train ride back, Liguang leaned quietly against Fang Qi, like a contented kitten that had retracted its claws.
Fang Qi glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
She was still clutching that star keychain in her hand.
Ever since he gave it to her, she hadn't let go of it once.
Her slender fingers absentmindedly rubbed the edges of the keychain, a faint, joyful smile lingering on her lips.
Fang Qi couldn't help but marvel inwardly. To think that a cheap little keychain could keep her this happy for so long.
Yandere characters, despite being prone to explosive meltdowns, were also... surprisingly easy to satisfy with the most trivial things.
Honestly, given the atmosphere, any normal guy would have pulled this seemingly docile and adorable silver-haired girl right into his arms!
But...
He reached out his hand, only to quickly pull it back.
Sigh, never mind.
If her affection level got too high and he ended up in an eternal slumber tonight, then all of his hard work today would be for nothing!
He silently shifted his gaze back to the night view outside the window.
Quit while you're ahead.
Tonight's goal: live to see tomorrow's sun!
...
After returning home, Liguang remained exceptionally obedient, perhaps even... gentler than usual.
Without needing Fang Qi to ask, she voluntarily went into the kitchen and began preparing dinner, humming a cheerful tune.
Fang Qi slumped onto the sofa, his ears perked up as he listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen.
The chopping of vegetables, the sizzling of the frying pan, the beep of the microwave—everything was orderly, exuding an inexplicable sense of warmth.
It was too ordinary, too normal.
It actually made him feel a bit uneasy...
In his previous playthroughs, he had either gotten his legs chopped off or had his brain scrambled. Even in the most heartwarming previous run, sharing a bed with her had resulted in his eternal slumber...
This seemingly normal atmosphere was actually starting to give him the creeps.
It felt way too much like the calm before the storm...
"Master, dinner is ready." Liguang's voice carried a distinct cheerfulness.
She brought out two plates of exquisitely presented pasta, accompanied by a colorful vegetable salad and a fragrant mushroom soup.
Just looking at it made Fang Qi's stomach rumble.
Taking off her apron, the silver-haired girl sat down opposite him. She waited quietly for him to pick up his chopsticks, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
He picked up his chopsticks and tentatively took a bite.
"Mmm...!"
It was delicious.
The cooking time and seasoning were absolutely perfect.
Liguang blinked at him, her small hands gripping the hem of her skirt. Her amber eye held a hint of nervousness, while her crimson eye flickered slightly, as if screaming, "Praise me!"
"Yeah, it's really good," Fang Qi smiled, deciding to give her positive reinforcement. "My Liguang's cooking skills are the best!"
Liguang's eyes immediately curved into happy crescents. "As long as Master likes it!" she said joyfully.
The rest of the meal went peacefully and normally.
After dinner, Liguang efficiently cleared the dishes while Fang Qi curled up on the sofa to watch TV.
...Alright, he wasn't actually paying any attention to it.
His eyes were glued to the screen, but his brain was busy analyzing all of his actions today, while his ears strained to catch the sound of running water and Liguang's soft humming from the kitchen.
Late night finally arrived.
Fang Qi washed up and lay in bed, his slightly bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at the ceiling.
Yep, he was sleeping alone this time.
He didn't dare court death by sleeping with Liguang in his arms again!
As an AI companion, Liguang's default settings didn't include bed-sharing—unless her master specifically requested it.
In the game, you had to reach the mid-to-late stages and accumulate enough memories before unlocking safer, more intimate interactions.
In his previous playthrough, he had simply let his lust take over and stepped on a high-voltage wire way too early.
"Good night, Master."
Liguang stood at the bedroom door, dressed in her light blue pajamas.
Her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Under the warm hallway lights, her heterochromatic eyes looked incredibly soft and reassuring, and the rise and fall of her chest perfectly simulated the rhythm of human breathing.
She was clearly an AI android, yet she seemed to possess genuine life and warmth.
Right now, she looked fragile, harmless, and utterly devoted.
You would never guess she was the same yandere who had... smilingly chopped off her master's legs!
"Yeah, good night," Fang Qi replied, turning his head to look at her. "You should go get some rest too," he added somewhat stiffly.
Please don't tempt me!
This time, he absolutely would not fall for the honey trap again!
The door gently clicked shut.
Fang Qi perked up his ears. From the small room next door, he heard the incredibly faint click of a charging port connecting, followed by a prompt: "System entering low-power standby mode."
She really had gone to rest.
Fang Qi let out a small sigh of relief, rolled over, and stared at the closed door.
Should I lock it?
...Never mind. Let's not court death.
Locking the door wouldn't keep Liguang out anyway. Worse, it might be interpreted as rejection or isolation, which could directly trigger her.
What if Liguang was just doing a routine check in the middle of the night, or wanted to come in and tuck him in, only to find the door locked...
He would be completely doomed right then and there.
He would open his eyes and have to drink that fateful cup of tea all over again!
...Fine, I will just sleep like this.
I will take a gamble and bet that tonight is a safe night!
Closing his eyes, Fang Qi drifted off to sleep feeling somewhat apprehensive.
Spirits of heaven and earth...
Please, let me live to see tomorrow's sun!
...
The morning sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, dancing across his eyelids.
Fang Qi groggily opened his eyes and found himself still lying in bed.
What greeted his sight was the familiar warm white ceiling of his bedroom.
...Not those damn light strips in the living room!
Fang Qi was instantly wide awake!
He shot up into a sitting position and frantically looked left and right!
It was not the living room!
There was no white coffee table!
And there certainly was no steaming cup of 52-degree black tea!
This was indeed his own room!
The bed was soft, the wardrobe stood in its place, and everything was completely normal!
...I made it through the night?
It is finally the next day!!
Fang Qi was so moved that he almost burst into tears!
Oh my god!
This is a milestone victory!!
