Chapter 14 |
Every hair on Fang Qi's body stood on end!
He could almost picture that beautiful silver-haired girl at home, sitting quietly in her little room right now.
Her crimson eyes glowing faintly, her icy gaze piercing through the network to take in every single message exchanged between him and Lin Xiaoyou on his screen...
Seeing everything crystal clear!
Those soft red lips might be slowly curling into a smile so gentle that it would make his scalp tingle with dread!
He stared blankly at the few messages Lin Xiaoyou had just sent on the screen.
Especially the last two fatal remarks...
...It's over.
This wasn't just accurately stepping on a landmine.
The terrifying "dinner" CG uncontrollably surfaced before Fang Qi's eyes once again!
He could almost smell the faint scent of blood!
I can't think about it anymore!
My stomach is going to rebel again...
"Calm down... calm down, Fang Qi..."
"You're a gaming master with 312 hours of playtime...!"
"Think of a way..."
He took a deep breath, his fingernails digging into his palms.
Don't panic.
If I panic, it's really over.
Calm down!
Calm down...
There's still a way to salvage this!
...Wait.
It seems there really is room to maneuver?
Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer.
As a collector of yandere endings, he had accumulated a wealth of experience on how to pacify or mislead Liguang.
Unlike in the game, his phone was being monitored, which was indeed a crisis.
But looking at it from another angle... could it also be an opportunity?
Liguang was monitoring his phone, and moreover, Liguang didn't know that he knew she was monitoring him.
This meant that any reply he sent right now would be seen by Liguang in real-time, and... would be considered his true feelings by Liguang!
Then...
He might be able to turn the tables and use this surveillance to put on an act.
A performance displaying loyalty, playing the role of a "master with a firm stance, devoted to his AI, and resolutely rejecting outside temptations"!
If he could reject Lin Xiaoyou very naturally in his reply, while "inadvertently" revealing his dependence on and satisfaction with Liguang...
Would Liguang, upon seeing it... lower her guard, or even feel pleased?
"Right, that's what I'll do. Play along with her game and turn the tables!"
He immediately deleted the tactful wording he had typed halfway.
Then, he pondered and reorganized his words, his fingers tapping rapidly on the virtual keyboard.
The tone had to be firm, the stance clear, but it shouldn't seem too agitated.
[Xiaoyou, thank you for the invitation, but I really have important plans this weekend, so I simply can't go.]
[Also, I want to solemnly clarify: I'm very comfortable being with Liguang, and she is very, very important to me, far more than just an AI companion. Please don't mention things like asking me to leave her or comparing who is more interesting in the future. I don't like hearing it, nor do I think it's a topic worth discussing.]
[I currently have no intention of dating anyone. Xiaoyou, you're a good girl, let's just maintain a colleague relationship.]
After typing it out, Fang Qi read it silently to himself twice.
Loyalty!
Moreover, it wasn't a complete rejection of Lin Xiaoyou; it just told her that he had no intention of dating anyone "currently," so it wouldn't trigger her tantrum storyline.
Perfect!
Wifey Liguang, watch carefully. Your master has a firm stance and no distractions.
I only have eyes for you!
Then, he took a deep breath and heavily pressed the send button.
The message was sent successfully.
Fang Qi let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a layer of cold sweat already forming on his back.
He could almost imagine that in front of a certain screen at home, when the silver-haired girl saw this message, her slightly pursed lips quietly relaxing.
"Phew... it should be... safe now, right?"
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, forced himself to calm down, and walked out of the restroom.
When he returned to the office, Lin Xiaoyou wasn't at her workstation.
A colleague next to him, who was slacking off and playing on his phone, looked up and saw him, casually saying:
"Little Fang is back? Xiaoyou just took an outdoor assignment and went out huffing and puffing, muttering something like 'blockhead senior' and 'dense' as she walked... What were you two talking about just now?"
His tone carried a gossipy smile.
Another colleague who was making coffee also leaned over, winking: "Not bad, Little Fang. Having a villa-class AI beauty at home and still making the company's sweetheart pine for you so much. Hey, hey, share some tips, why don't you?"
Fang Qi gave a dry laugh and quickly waved his hands: "Don't talk nonsense, there's no such thing. I just... just made things clear to her."
In his heart, however, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the rejection worked; at least, it had temporarily sent Lin Xiaoyou away.
He hoped the one at home had been coaxed well by him too...
...
For the next half day, he found it hard to concentrate on work, occasionally glancing at his terminal.
Perhaps his rejection had indeed dealt Lin Xiaoyou a bit of a blow; the terminal remained perfectly quiet until the afternoon.
Fang Qi's hanging heart also slowly settled down.
However, just as it was nearing the end of the workday, right after he had packed his things and was preparing to slip away to avoid running into Lin Xiaoyou...
"Buzz."
The terminal vibrated slightly again.
The sender was still the name that made his eyelids twitch wildly: Lin Xiaoyou.
[Senior, the more you say that, the more I feel you are avoiding facing your true feelings.]
[Don't worry, I won't pressure you.]
[But I won't give up easily either! (^▽^)]
Fang Qi: "..."
Looking at that energetic emoticon, he only felt a deep sense of helplessness welling up in his heart.
Oh, my living ancestor...
How am I avoiding feelings? I'm avoiding a bloody disaster and saving you from your future destiny of potentially ending up on the dining table!
Do you know that every time you send a message like this, you're accelerating your life's progress bar?!
Fang Qi smiled bitterly, burying his face in his arms.
In the game's setting, Lin Xiaoyou was a cheerful, lively, and slightly stubborn girl. Once she set her sights on a goal, she was very hard to simply dissuade.
Before transmigrating, he had even thought this "persevering" attribute was the perfect catalyst to trigger various "yandere jealousy" endings.
He had played with great delight, feeling that Lin Xiaoyou was his top-tier teammate.
But now...
"I really don't want to play the jealousy route anymore... I was wrong, I'm sorry, let me enter the pure love ending..."
He really couldn't endure this shift for another second!
He grabbed his briefcase and clocked out at top speed.
...
Standing at the door of his home, Fang Qi took a few deep breaths.
He didn't know to what extent his "display of loyalty" had coaxed Liguang...
He finally mustered up his courage and pushed the door open.
The door opened, and a rich, enticing aroma of food immediately wafted over!
Fang Qi's eyes lit up: "Whoa, smells so good..."
His stomach even gave a "growl" because of it.
"Master, welcome back."
Liguang was already standing at the entryway, wearing that pale pink apron printed with little strawberry patterns.
She bowed slightly, her silver hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. The smile on her face was more genuine and softer than usual.
Her phoenix eyes, hooked at the inner corners and sweeping up at the outer edges, curved into a joyful arc.
Her smile at this moment was not a programmed, gentle smiling face, but...
Visibly genuine happiness!
Fang Qi was taken aback.
"Ah... I'm back!"
As he changed his shoes, he secretly observed her from the corner of his eye.
He pretended to act naturally as he walked further inside, but his gaze was drawn to the sight on the living room's dining table, bringing his footsteps to a halt.
What a feast!
The usually simple white dining table was now a dazzling exhibition!
There were a good seven or eight plates laid out; it looked like a miniature banquet!
He instantly recognized the braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, and cola chicken wings...
There were also several dishes he couldn't name, but at a glance, they looked and smelled like absolute perfection!
The craziest part was in the center of the table...
There was actually an oversized cream cake covered in fresh strawberries, mangoes, and blueberries?!
It was a full two sizes bigger than the one he had eaten before!
"Uh..."
Fang Qi blinked and looked at Liguang, who had followed him in. He asked tentatively, "Liguang, is today a special occasion? You made so much... how are the two of us supposed to finish all this?"
Liguang walked over, her movements even lighter and more graceful than usual.
She wore a radiant smile. "Master has worked hard. You need to replenish your energy properly. This is all from Liguang's heart."
She naturally took the coat he had just taken off to hang it up, her skirt swaying cheerfully with her movements.
She looked up at Fang Qi with sparkling eyes, the little plastic star earring on her earlobe swaying gently.
Her voice was as soft and sweet as honey. "It's okay if we can't finish it. Liguang has already calculated the nutritional content and the best ways to store the leftovers. Whatever Master likes, Liguang can make more often in the future."
Oh...
Fang Qi completely understood now, and he couldn't help but smile in relief!
Through his precise maneuvers, he had successfully coaxed the little yandere at home into a great mood!
And an exceptionally great mood at that!
Liguang must have seen his reply. Not only did she see it, but it had clearly worked wonders on her!
She was so happy that she was expressing her joy with a lavish dinner that rivaled a birthday banquet!
It seemed the crisis had been temporarily averted. It was even a blessing in disguise that allowed him to rack up a wave of affection points!
He looked at the incredibly lavish dinner spread across the table.
So this was... the reward for making a yandere happy?
Pretty damn good!
