Chapter 381 |
Fang Qi stared blankly in the direction of the tremor.
Beneath his feet, the metal floor was quivering faintly.
The walls of the archive room were also gently vibrating with the low, humming noise.
His mind was a mess right now.
A com-plete mess!
That notebook left behind by his so-called cheap mom really contained way too much stuff.
Those densely packed, delicate handwriting strokes, those childhood memories about Qi, those secrets jotted down one by one...!
Right now, he barely had time to sort through his thoughts!
He tilted his head slightly, glancing to his side.
In the dim light of the archive room, her silver hair gleamed with a soft luster.
Her heterochromatic eyes—amber and crimson— were even more beautiful than what the notebook had described!
In the amber eye, a faint blue glow flowed steadily; the crimson eye flickered faintly.
On her ear, the little plastic star swayed gently.
Silver hair. Heterochromatic eyes.
She was the final gift left for him in this world by his parents, modeled after the "silver-haired big sister" he had drawn as a child.
They had done it.
And Liguang was still staring in the direction of the tremors.
She must be dazed too, right? Shocked as well?
What was she... thinking about right now?
Fang Qi's gaze trembled slightly as he looked at her.
Liguang pulled her gaze back from the direction of the tremors, turned her head, and met Fang Qi's eyes.
Then, the corner of her mouth rose slightly, offering a gentle and obedient smile.
"Master."
Her voice was soft.
"It seems... it really is your 'first crush' that has arrived."
Fang Qi: "...?"
"Pfft!"
Next to them, Lin Xiaoyou, who had been lying on the desk, couldn't hold back her laughter!
She remained in that pose, not daring to sit fully on the chair, her little pale legs swinging beneath the desk.
Her black hair spilled across the tabletop, and her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Didn't I tell you so, Liguang?"
Lin Xiaoyou propped her chin on her hand and tilted her head toward Fang Qi. Her voice was still a bit hoarse, but playful nonetheless!
"Senior was quite the heartbreaker when he was little—so many girls around him!"
"I was stunned reading the notebook! One after another, like they were lining up!"
Fang Qi: "..."
Lin Xiaoyou, you damn...!
The round-faced girl stretched out her fingers and began counting:
"An Lian, Xiao Ting, and at school, the whole bunch of little girls who were completely charmed by senior... tsk tsk tsk!"
She turned her almond eyes toward Liguang:
"Oh, right, and me! Even I almost got roped in by Aunt Su to be Senior's 'reserve wife'!"
Fang Qi's face was expressionless.
Right now, he felt... that the urge to give Lin Xiaoyou a thorough beating surpassed the chaos in his head!
Lin Xiaoyou giggled on:
"Don't even get me started! Aunt Su really liked me back then! She almost wanted to arrange an engagement between me and Senior—was just that close—!"
The silver-haired girl's eyes shifted. Without moving her head, she cast a side-glance at the round-faced girl before her.
A flash of scarlet light swept through the archive room for an instant!
Lin Xiaoyou's expression froze!
Her hand quickly dropped from her chin and moved to cover behind her own back!
"Hey, don't glare at me..."
A flattering smile instantly spread across her small, round face as she blinked at Liguang:
"I'm just trying to lighten the mood, joking around a bit...!"
She raised her hands in a surrender gesture and flopped onto the desk, looking at Liguang pitifully:
"I wouldn't dare touch your master now—!"
"Boom—!"
The vibrations coming from basement level 1 suddenly erupted with a much louder noise!
Fang Qi squinted.
This time, the cutting sound seemed denser and more urgent than before.
Right now, even though they were deep in basement level 2, everything around them continued to shake.
On the table, the files and documents were shivering.
He took a deep breath and looked down...
At the yellowed notebook in his hand.
He really, really wanted to read on.
Why did Xiao Qing lose her memory back then?
Who exactly was Gu Xi?
And what he wanted to know most...
Was how Liguang had been created by his parents!
That "Silver-Haired Big Sister Plan"—how had it gone from blueprints to the lively person standing before him now?
He had so much he wanted to know!
And the answers were likely hidden somewhere in the later pages of this notebook.
But his fingertip stopped at the corner of the page.
The ground was trembling.
The walls were shaking.
Danger was closing in.
He couldn't afford to keep leisurely flipping through the notebook now.
So, he closed it.
The leather cover felt rough yet warm beneath his palm.
"...Liguang."
He looked up at the silver-haired girl beside him.
"...Listen. Those guys are back again."
Beside him, the silver-haired girl's heterochromatic eyes narrowed slightly; the faint blue light in her amber eye flowed steadily.
Fang Qi looked at the notebook in his hand and pursed his lips.
"After we deal with this matter... we'll keep reading."
"But for now..."
He turned his head and stared at the entranceway.
"Let's go meet them! Let's go face these..."
His eyes slowly narrowed!
...Spies?
Right.
Spies.
Gu Xi.
The 'World Rules" .helping hand.
Her 'powerful deputy'?
To verify with these eyes of the world...
Hmph. Talk about...
Ab-so-lute-ly ri-dic-u-lous!
His mind was too chaotic!
He really couldn't think about it anymore!
Since they had already come to the door...
Then he would go meet them in person!
Meet Gu Xi in person! Ask her directly what the hell all this was about!
One by one, each and every last one of them, had kept him and Liguang in the dark!
He really...!
"Boom—!"
Another heavy impact!
This one was unprecedentedly loud!
Was that—?!"
"Master."
Liguang's voice was steady.
"The first door—the door on B1—has been breached."
...Breached?!
Fang Qi's pupils contracted sharply!
...That's off!
The speed was way faster than last time!
He remembered that in the previous round, that alloy blast door had held for quite a while.
Back then, the metal security door hadn't even been cut through before they opened it themselves.
But this time... it had only been a few minutes, right?
Thankfully, they were now on B2, and there was still another door between B1 and B2.
But at this rate...
That door wouldn't hold much longer either.
Finally, he gently placed the notebook on the table.
"Liguang, let's go."
He straightened up, eyes narrowing.
"Let's go meet them right now!"
The silver-haired girl promptly stood upright. The hem of her white short skirt swayed lightly, and she clasped her hands in front of her abdomen, bowing slightly.
"Yes, Master."
Her voice was gentle, and a trace of blue flashed through her amber eye.
Fang Qi watched her obedient demeanor, momentarily dazed.
...Wife-to-be, you're really calm.
Even after finding out all of this, you can still stay so serene...
Yeah, it gives me a real sense of security.
But...
His gaze faltered as he looked away.
Wife...
I still wish you'd rush into my arms all worked up!
Why is this primal core so composed?!
"I—I'm not coming!"
Lin Xiaoyou's words cut through Fang Qi's thoughts.
He turned to see her supporting herself on the desk with one hand, the other covering behind her, grinning at them from ear to ear.
"Ouch, my butt is killing me! I really can't walk another step! I'll just wait for you guys here!"
She tilted her head and gently tapped the yellowed leather notebook on the table with her finger.
"I'll make sure to keep the notebook safe for you! Don't worry! We..."
Then she winked at Fang Qi.
"See you later?"
"Or maybe..."
The corner of her mouth curled into that familiar, playful grin:
"See you after I wake up?"
After waking up...
This girl.
...Wait?
Fang Qi frowned.
"You're not coming?"
He stared at Lin Xiaoyou's round, smiling face, his eyelid twitching.
...Something's wrong, right?
"Those people outside—they're the 'spies' you talked about!"
He immediately reminded her:
"I told you before, I saw your... among those 'spies'!"
"Ah, enough, enough!"
Lin Xiaoyou cut him off on the spot!
Her hands flailed wildly in front of her chest, her loose black hair swinging:
"It hurts so much, it hurts! I'm not going, I'm really not going! You guys go ahead!"
"I'll just wait here for you! When you come back... Shh—"
She sucked in a sharp breath, clutching her rear as she slumped over the table, grinning at Fang Qi:
"Senior, you go on now!"
"Don't worry about me, I really can't walk anymore...!"
Fang Qi: "..."
She's really not going?
Is she... running away?
Hiding?
Why?
...Who cares why!
He couldn't think about that right now!
If she doesn't want to go, fine!
The floor was still shaking!
The sounds of cutting were getting denser!
He turned and looked at the silver-haired girl.
"Liguang, let's go!"
"Yes, Master."
A flash of deep blue light flickered in the silver-haired girl's amber pupils.
...
In front of the alloy door on Level B2.
Fang Qi and Liguang stood side by side.
The entrance door to Level B2 was heavier and thicker than the blast-proof alloy door on Level B1.
The silver-gray metal surface gleamed with a cold light.
It looked safe, very safe.
But now...
The metal door was letting out a grating "crack-crack" sound—the noise of mechanical structures being forced together!
"Master."
Beside him, Liguang's tone remained as calm as ever:
"They're installing the fixing brackets for the heat-cutting machines on the door."
"From the sound of it... there's more than just one."
Fang Qi glanced at her sideways.
The silver-haired girl's eyes were flashing simultaneously, deep blue and blood red intertwining, casting shadows and light across half her face.
A hint of crimson was already flickering at her fingertips.
"...At least four," she added, her lashes trembling slightly.
"Estimated time to breach the door: 3.48 times faster than the last attempt."
Fang Qi was silent for two seconds.
Four heat-cutting machines running at the same time?
No wonder...
No wonder the blast-proof alloy door on Level B1 had been breached so quickly last time!
This time, the people outside were clearly prepared!
They had everything ready!
They came to break down the door!
Double the firepower!
His fingers tightened slightly!
In his palm, Liguang's cool little hand gripped his back.
"Liguang, how many people are outside?"
He asked in a low voice.
Liguang's pupils momentarily defocused, the deep blue light surging in the depths of her amber eyes.
"...I can detect nine people."
Her brows furrowed slightly:
"Very disciplined... all undetectable by the Crimson Eye. They're like..."
She tilted her head slightly to look at Fang Qi, blinking:
"They're like Master's 'first crush.'"
Fang Qi: "..."
Seriously, can we not talk about that right now?!
And she's not even my first crush!
He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead amidst the deafening noise, asking: "Is Gu Xi out there?"
"...Can't identify faces through the metal door," the silver-haired girl replied softly.
"Buzz—"
The cutting sound suddenly erupted!
A spot on the door began to change color!
The silver-gray metal surface gradually turned a dull red. The scorching heat came blasting through the thick alloy!
The ground under their feet kept trembling, and the low-frequency vibrations numbed his calves slightly.
...The cutting had begun.
Here they come again, those guys.
"...Liguang," he said, staring at the reddening door.
"What do you think..."
His voice was soft, almost entirely drowned out by the vibrations.
But he knew she could hear him.
"Will we survive this time?"
Will we avoid the reset this time?
Can we take on these spies?
Or will we... have to live this day all over again?
His emotions were tangled.
The silver-haired girl didn’t answer right away.
Fang Qi turned to look at her.
She was smiling.
A faint, subtle smile curved at the corners of her mouth.
That soothing blue light was flowing softly, rhythmically.
"As long as I'm with Master..."
She said.
"Liguang doesn't mind anything."
Amid the rattling of the door panel, her voice still reached Fang Qi's ears clearly.
"Even death..."
Before Fang Qi could respond, she suddenly turned around and grabbed his hand!
She pressed his palm hard against her own cheek!
Her soft, cool face was pushed into his hand by her own will!
She stared straight into his eyes!
The deep blue in her amber pupils was trembling violently!
And that crimson eye was suppressed, dimmer now. The scarlet glow had shrunk into a thin, thin ring.
Her simulated breathing was becoming rapid and fierce amidst the shaking of the metal door!
Her light purple sweatshirt rose and fell quickly with each breath!
"It's good... to die together with Master!"
She held his hand and pressed his palm firmly against her face!
"This way, everything about Liguang..."
"From beginning to end, belongs only to Master!"
