Chapter 396 |
"What did you say?!"
Gu Xi glared at him fiercely!
"Uh... ahem..."
Fang Qi let out a few light coughs, seeing Gu Xi staring at him with shock and irritation.
Alright, he'd suddenly gotten a little cheeky there...
Mainly because he was truly too stunned.
But...
He sank back into the sofa, crossed one leg over the other, and winked at her.
"Officer Gu..."
But as for how to do it...
"Let me tell you a story."
He couldn't say it directly. The eyes of the world were watching.
But he could use a story to reveal the truth to her!
Gu Xi's expression stiffened at his words. She stared at him, her brow furrowing.
Her look became even more wary!
Ignoring her gaze, Fang Qi gently patted the head of the silver-haired girl kneeling beside him to ease his own mood...
Then he began speaking as if to himself:
"This story is about a brave knight and an evil dragon."
"Once upon a time, there was a brave knight."
He began the tale:
"He had to defeat an incredibly powerful evil dragon."
Gu Xi stared at him, her brow furrowing deeper, but she still didn't interrupt.
Fang Qi pinched the cheek of the girl named Liguang gently and continued:
"The brave knight had a group of companions."
"These companions trusted him completely, trusted him so much that..."
He looked at Gu Xi:
"They were willing to offer him their very souls."
Gu Xi's fingers tightened slightly.
Adopting the tone of a storyteller, Fang Qi went on:
"Then came the final battle. The brave knight and his companions finally stood before that evil dragon!"
"They clashed fiercely!"
"But that evil dragon... was way too strong!"
"The knight's team simply couldn't defeat it!"
"So..."
Fang Qi locked eyes with Gu Xi and said in a low voice:
"The knight's companions offered up their souls."
Gu Xi's eyes trembled.
Fang Qi continued with rising passion!
"The knight gained immense power from their sacrifice!"
"He cut and slashed, and in no time, he conquered the evil dragon!"
"But then..."
Fang Qi tilted his head, looking into her eyes:
"The knight killed the evil dragon, but after winning, he wasn't happy at all."
"Seeing his companions, now lifeless, he was heartbroken, utterly heartbroken."
"He knelt before his companions, staring intently at their unconscious bodies..."
"Then he suddenly looked up and roared!"
Fang Qi took a deep breath, then raised his hand in an exaggerated gesture of shouting!
"Rise again!! My companions—!!"
This sudden loud outburst made Gu Xi jump!
Her eyes went wide, and she leaned back!
"And then..."
Fang Qi lowered his hand, spread his palms, and shrugged at Gu Xi.
"Those souls that had already been offered actually gathered together again."
"One by one, the souls flew back from all directions, returning to their companions' bodies."
"The companions woke up on the spot, every one of them full of energy!"
He clapped his hands together with a smack and laughed:
"The ending! A perfect story!"
"Joy and celebration! Joy and celebration!"
"...Pfft."
A suppressed laugh came from beside Fang Qi.
He looked down. The silver-haired girl was kneeling on the carpet at his feet, her pretty face flushed red.
It was that laugh that had slipped through her slightly pursed lips.
"Master."
Liguang lifted her little face to look at him, her amber left eye glistening:
"This story is so ridiculous~"
She tilted her head, silver hair sliding off her shoulder, and that little stray strand of hair swayed gently.
"The knight yelled 'Rise again,' and they all came back to life?"
"Isn't that just forcing a happy ending?" It can't be that easy..."
Fang Qi looked down at her playful, smiling face and gave her head a gentle pat!
"Master loves happy endings! Not bad endings!"
He said it with righteous confidence!
"This is Master's story, so Master gets to decide!"
"What, does Liguang have a problem with that?"
The silver-haired girl didn't flinch at his touch; instead, she rubbed her head into his palm.
Her phoenix eyes curved into crescent moons, and her lips curled into a playful, satisfied smile.
"Liguang has no problem with it."
Her voice was soft and sweet.
"Master's story is, of course, for Master to decide."
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze flicking sideways at the policewoman, who was now completely stunned on the opposite sofa.
A gleam of red flickered in her crimson eyes, and the curve of her lips deepened by just a fraction.
At that moment, Gu Xi's posture was frozen exactly as it had been...
But her expression had completely transformed!
Her lips were slightly parted, and that usually sharp, determined face was now full of shock!
Her eyes were wide, pupils trembling slightly, fixed straight on Fang Qi!
Her hands were clenched into fists!
"You... you...!"
Her voice quivered.
But she kept stammering "you" without getting out another word!
Fang Qi leaned back against the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, watching her with a smile.
He wasn't in a hurry, and he didn't rush her.
He knew this "senior" needed time to digest.
Though he'd dressed up his words as a fairy tale, as long as she wasn't stupid, she'd understand what he meant.
Gu Xi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling sharply.
She raised a hand and rubbed her brow forcefully, her finger pressing against the bone.
She opened her mouth again, seeming to have finally organized her thoughts, about to speak...
"Ding-dong!"
The doorbell suddenly rang.
All three of them paused at the same time.
"Senior~"
A clear, cheerful voice came from outside the door.
"Open up! I've come to make it up to you~"
The crisp voice was perfectly clear even through the security door.
Fang Qi's eyelid twitched.
It was Lin Xiaoyou.
She was here.
And pretty fast too; he and Gu Xi hadn't even talked that long!
Then he noticed...
Gu Xi's reaction was off!
The moment she heard that voice from outside, Gu Xi froze completely!
Then she shot up from the sofa, whirled toward the door, her eyes locked onto the closed security door.
Her body went rigid, and the confusion and shock in her eyes froze into coldness!
"Lin You..."
She hissed through clenched teeth, the words forced out.
Her shoulders were tensed straight, her whole posture like a leopard sensing danger!
Then she whirled back around, glaring at Fang Qi!
The look in her eyes was clear to him.
Disappointment bordering on disgust!
"You're hanging out with people like this again!"
Her expression seemed to say just that.
Fang Qi was completely baffled!
"Huh?"
He blinked innocently, pointing at himself and then at the door, his face full of confusion.
Wait...
What was that supposed to mean?
What was wrong with Lin Xiaoyou?
Sure, she was annoying at times and had a reckless streak...
But wasn't she an ally?
In the last timeline, she'd helped him guard the notebook...
Gu Xi's expression made it seem like he'd fallen in with some shady crowd...
Just then, a flash of crimson light flared beside him.
The silver-haired girl was still kneeling on the carpet at his feet, but her crimson eyes had lit up, staring straight at Gu Xi.
Tilting her head slightly, a gentle and obedient smile curling at the corners of her lips, her crimson eyes flickered slowly, casually.
It was almost like... a warning?
Don't be disrespectful to the master.
Gu Xi clearly noticed that flash of scarlet.
Her body stiffened for just a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
She didn't look at Liguang again. Instead, she straightened up swiftly, raised a hand, and smoothed the collar of her leather jacket.
The movement was sharp and decisive!
"Since there's a 'guest' here, I won't disturb you any longer."
Her voice suddenly turned cold.
Deliberate detachment!
She looked at Fang Qi, chin lifted slightly, a chill in her eyes.
"But, Mr. Fang."
She pulled a police ID from her pocket and flashed it at Fang Qi with practiced ease.
"According to the relevant provisions of the 'Intelligent Machinery Safety Act,' your AI companion..."
Her gaze shifted slightly, glancing at the silver-haired girl still kneeling at Fang Qi's feet, and her tone dropped another few degrees.
"Has been suspected of awakening self-awareness. Please come to the municipal bureau at three o'clock this afternoon to cooperate with us for a detailed discussion."
Fang Qi: "...?"
He stood there, completely stunned.
Wait, seriously, lady?
If you want to talk to me, can't you come up with a better excuse?!
This is such an ancient setup, I almost forgot about it!
Who doesn't know Liguang has already awakened by now?
And besides...
He frowned and stood up from the sofa.
"You're leaving now?"
He stared at Gu Xi, puzzled.
"Why are you treating Lin Xiaoyou like that? That attitude? What did she do to make you so—"
"Dingdong dingdong dingdong!"
The doorbell rang again, three times in a row, accompanied by Lin Xiaoyou's drawn-out, coaxing voice:
"Senior, why aren't you opening the door yet~"
Her voice suddenly turned playful.
A hint of obvious teasing and sarcasm crept in:
"I think I heard the voice of another woman~ Eh? Eh eh?"
She exaggeratedly pitched her voice higher, that infuriating tone almost piercing through the security door!
"Senior actually dares to fool around with other women right in front of Liguang!"
"Amazing, oh! So amazing!"
"Hurry up and open the door, I want to see what your lover looks like~"
Fang Qi: "..."
Damn it.
Lin Xiaoyou, you freaking...!
"Crack."
The crisp sound of knuckles cracking.
The silver-haired girl smiled gently as she cracked her fingers.
Fang Qi: "..."
Lin Xiaoyou, you're on your own.
You didn't take painkillers before coming here, did you?
Gu Xi obviously heard Lin Xiaoyou's words too.
Her lips tightened into a thin line, then...
"Psycho!"
She muttered under her breath, cursing.
Then she spun around abruptly, glaring fiercely at Fang Qi.
In that look... anger, worry, irritation.
And a hint of something else, something complicated that Fang Qi couldn't begin to read.
Finally, she squeezed out through gritted teeth:
"Watch out for that psycho!"
With that, she grabbed the cup of black tea still sitting untouched on the coffee table, tossed her head back, and gulped it down in two big drafts!
Then she slammed the cup back onto the table, turned, and strode toward the door!
Fang Qi was taken aback by her actions. Before he could say anything, Gu Xi had already reached the door.
She grabbed the handle and yanked it open.
The door swung open.
Outside stood Lin Xiaoyou, her right hand raised, index finger extended, clearly ready to ring the doorbell again.
Pink jacket, denim skirt, white canvas sneakers. Her usual getup.
The door suddenly flying open caught her off guard, her hand freezing mid-air. As she looked at Gu Xi inside, her almond-shaped eyes went wide.
The policewoman inside stared back at her with cold, light brown eyes.
They locked gazes.
Gu Xi looked down at her from above.
"Hmph."
A snort of contempt.
She sidestepped and squeezed past Lin Xiaoyou!
Her shoulder brushed against Lin Xiaoyou's, making her stagger slightly to the side.
The sound of black boot heels faded down the hallway.
Lin Xiaoyou didn't turn around.
She stood at the doorway, frozen in that slightly tilted position, her ponytail draped over her shoulder, motionless.
She stared blankly in that direction, as if processing something.
Fang Qi stood in the living room, watching the scene, his eyes narrowing.
Something was off.
Way off!
The way Gu Xi looked at Lin Xiaoyou—that coldness, that tension, that undisguised hostility...
Was it a "cop's attitude toward a suspicious person"?
Or was it personal?
But Fang Qi didn't have time to think it through.
Because the moment Gu Xi disappeared into the elevator bank, Lin Xiaoyou whipped around!
The look she shot at Fang Qi...
It was like a starving wolf spotting meat!
Her eyes practically gleamed!
And in the next second, she charged straight in!
Fang Qi: "?!"
What are you doing?!
You're not going to jump into my arms again, are you?!
Don't you want your butt anymore?!
But just as she was mid-sprint, her center of gravity suddenly dropped!
"Thud!" Her pale knees hit the floor!
Momentum carried her forward, sliding!
Her bare knees, under that denim skirt, scraped across the wooden floor with a "shhh" sound!
The sight made Fang Qi wince!
Even his knees hurt sympathetically!
But Lin Xiaoyou didn't seem to feel a thing!
Like a soccer player sliding into a victory knee slide after scoring a goal, she glided from the entrance right past the coffee table!
Heading straight for Fang Qi on the sofa!
Whoa!!
Fang Qi was so startled he jerked back, his back slamming into the sofa cushions!
What the hell is she doing now?!
Beside him, a crimson flash burst out!
But Lin Xiaoyou came to a perfect stop right in front of him.
Her knees skidded another half-inch on the wooden floor.
Without missing a beat, she lifted her head, raised both hands high, holding that white card above her:
"Lord Fang Qi!!"
"Please accept my tribute!!!"
Her voice rang out loud and clear!
Echoing through the entire living room!
Fang Qi: "..."
...Huh?!
This girl...
What is she doing?!
