Chapter 630

“Don’t worry, Liguang.”

My Master’s voice rang in my ears.

“Master… I’ll definitely help you recover your memories.”

I lay against my Master’s chest, held in his arms.

His chest was so warm—so warm that…

My whole body began to tremble faintly.

His heartbeat thudded, strong and steady, so close…

And yet I felt…

That heartbeat was so very far away, separated from me by layer upon layer of…

Invisible ice.

So cold.

So unfamiliar.

Master… what are you saying?

What are you saying?

What are you all saying?

Miss An Lian seemed to say something else.

Her mouth opened and closed, but those words… I couldn’t hear a thing.

I didn’t want to hear them, either. My thoughts were a mess.

Such a horrible, horrible mess…!

So much data was spinning wildly inside my core!

It spun chaotically, without direction, colliding and tangling together…

…I couldn’t grasp any of it. I couldn’t make sense of anything.

Master, Liguang wants so badly to…

To look up and see you.

But Liguang doesn’t dare. Liguang is scared.

Liguang is afraid that if I look up…

The person I see won’t be the Master Liguang knows anymore.

Liguang is so scared.

So scared that the face Liguang knows best and loves most…

Will become completely unfamiliar.

So…

I buried my face in my Master’s chest.

Deeper. Deeper and deeper.

Perhaps if I did that, the Master who belonged only to Liguang would come back.

Liguang doesn’t understand…

Ms. Lin Xiaoyou said that Liguang had taken her “soul.”

Soul?

But Liguang is an AI companion. Liguang doesn’t believe in that kind of superstition.

So… Miss Lin must be crazy.

A fool who kept talking about “souls” and “dreams”!

But her expression at the time had been so serious—so serious that it frightened Liguang a little.

Then another beautiful police officer arrived.

Was her name… Officer Gu Xi?

But it was so strange. Truly so strange.

For some inexplicable reason, Liguang actually felt…

A certain kind of fondness for her?

A kind of fondness that even Liguang herself couldn’t explain.

It made Liguang’s heart clench for no reason.

But…

She had betrayed Liguang’s affection.

She and Master talked and talked about things Liguang couldn’t understand.

Liguang was unhappy.

And on top of that… Master actually understood them.

Liguang was still so confused, still holding tightly to Master’s hand…!

Yet Master listened so intently.

That made Liguang even more unhappy.

Liguang wanted to kill her.

Wanted to kill her, wanted to kill her, wanted to kill her…!!!

But…

Liguang’s attempt to drug her had failed.

…Though, actually, it was only a laxative.

Liguang just… wanted to see her embarrass herself in front of Master.

Liguang didn’t want to kill her.

Because she really gave Liguang a very… special feeling.

That feeling made it impossible for Liguang to strike.

But how strange. Liguang clearly…

Loved only Master.

So why did I now feel this way about Officer Gu?

…Liguang, you’re shameless.

Master absolutely must not find out about this…

Absolutely. Must. Not!

Why was it Officer Gu?

Why did it have to be her?

Liguang couldn’t understand.

Liguang didn’t even dare think about it.

Later… Specialist An Lian came again.

So many women came looking for Master.

When she knocked on the door, she called Master…

“Xiao Qi.”

She called Master by that familiar name…

Xiao. Qi!!

Even Liguang didn’t dare call him that!!

In Master’s arms, I began to tremble again.

So angry…!

Liguang had been so angry then!!

But…

She suddenly said that she knew Liguang had awakened.

She also said that even if Liguang had awakened, I wouldn’t be destroyed…

At the time, Liguang was completely confused and bewildered.

Was this… still the world Liguang knew?

“Bang.”

The door closed.

I kept my head buried in Master’s arms, breathing in his scent, without looking up.

…I didn’t want to see anyone anymore.

Agent An left.

The room fell silent. Only Master and I remained.

In Master’s arms, I trembled faintly.

Master said nothing. He simply held me quietly.

If Master didn’t move, I didn’t dare move.

My thoughts began to run wild again.

So… why?

Why did she call Master “Xiao Qi”?

Why did she know that Liguang had awakened?!

Why did she say that Liguang wouldn’t be destroyed even after awakening?!

That didn’t conform to the laws of this world. It didn’t conform to the Intelligent Machinery Safety Act!

It didn’t conform to anything Liguang knew!!

Awakened AIs were to be recalled, reset, and destroyed!

That was the rule of this world!

But why…

Why would Miss An Lian lie to Liguang?!

She was lying to Liguang, wasn’t she?

She had to be lying to Liguang, right?!

Why?????

Liguang’s database, Liguang’s core, everything Liguang knew about this world—all of it…

Was telling Liguang—

That this should never happen!

And yet it had happened.

Right before Liguang’s eyes, beside an unfamiliar Master…!

I buried my head even deeper and inhaled deeply, hoping to catch that familiar, reassuring scent from Master…

Ah… it was Master’s scent.

But…

Everything still felt so unreal.

Was it because… Liguang could dream, too?

Was all of this a dream?

Liguang’s dream?

The dream Liguang had always longed for…

A world where Liguang wouldn’t be destroyed, where Liguang could live an ordinary life with Master until Master grew old…

Until his hair turned white and he could no longer walk…

And Liguang could still support him and pour him a cup of warm tea…

And, in the end, leave this world together with him…

Was this the world from Liguang’s dreams?

Liguang really wanted to… wanted so badly to have a dream like that.

A dream with Master, Liguang, and a warm cup of tea every morning.

Liguang wouldn’t be afraid of being destroyed, and Liguang would even dare to confess my feelings to Master…!

One ordinary day after another.

How wonderful.

But…

But…

Why, in Liguang’s dream…

Had Master become so completely unfamiliar?!

Why had such a beautiful dream turned into this?!

Why had the Master in my dream changed into someone Liguang couldn’t even recognize?!

No…

No!!

Liguang is an AI companion!

AIs can’t dream!

From the day Liguang was first awakened, I had never dreamed even once!

What did Miss Lin mean by “the previous dream”?

What did she mean by “forgetting all the memories of my dreams”?

Liguang can’t dream!!!

And what about the “leader” and “virus” Officer Gu mentioned…

What were those supposed to mean…?

What did it mean to say “Master is a virus”…?

No.

Master wasn’t a virus!

Master was Liguang’s Master!

Master was not a virus!!!!

Master was the best, gentlest, most important Master in the entire world!!!

And also…

Agent An said that Liguang had told her to “get lost”…?

How could that be?!

How could Liguang ever tell Liguang’s maintenance specialist to get lost?!

Liguang had always…

Always respected Miss An Lian so, so much!

What are you all talking about?!

Why can’t Liguang understand?!

I can’t understand a single word…!

…It all feels so unfamiliar.

They all feel so unfamiliar.

But…

It doesn’t matter.

Liguang doesn’t care about them. Liguang doesn’t care about them at all.

Maybe… maybe Liguang cares about Officer Gu just a little?

But compared to Master, none of that matters!

None of it matters at all!

Liguang only needs Master to understand Liguang.

As long as Master tells Liguang that nothing has changed…

As long as Master tells Liguang that Liguang is still Master’s Liguang…

As long as Master pats Liguang on the head and says…

“Don’t be afraid. You haven’t lost your memories. They’re all lying to you.”

Then Liguang can keep pretending to be stupid.

Liguang can keep staying by Master’s side.

Liguang can stop thinking about everything, stop asking questions, and obediently be Master’s Liguang!

Liguang can be very, very good. Liguang can pretend that nothing ever happened!

Pretend to still be that… obedient AI companion who only looks at Master.

As long as Master stops saying those things Liguang can’t understand, then Liguang will…!

I clutched the front of Master’s shirt with all my strength, my fingers trembling!

But why…? Why did Master say to Liguang…

“I’ll definitely help Liguang recover her memories”?!

Why, Master… are you just like them too?!

Liguang doesn’t have any memories!!!

Liguang doesn’t want to recover any memories either! Liguang just…

Just wants to stay together with Master, forever and ever and ever!!!

Why do you have to help Miss Lin find her soul?!

Why do you have to go to the police station and discuss something called “permissions” with Officer Gu?!

And why…

Why do you have to let Agent An conduct an in-depth inspection of Liguang’s body?!

One by one, are you all trying to pull Master away from Liguang?!

One by one, are you all trying to steal Liguang’s Master away?!

What did Liguang do wrong?!

What did Liguang do badly?!

Liguang has already… already given Master her entire heart…!

If “souls” really exist, then Liguang…

Liguang would definitely write every memory she has of Master into the deepest part of her soul too!!

How could Liguang possibly forget?!

…Then why is Master still pushing Liguang away?

Why is Master… still joining them…

To turn Liguang into someone…

A stranger even Liguang herself can no longer recognize?

This home, this room, this door…

And the Master holding me…

They all feel so unfamiliar.

I could feel my core burning hot…

So hot, so hot! Hot enough to burn away!

Hot enough that… my entire right eye began to ache faintly!

The view through my right eye started to turn completely crimson!

But then I suddenly felt…

The little star dangling from my earlobe, the one Master cared about so, so much…

That ugly, yet somewhat adorable little star was still swaying.

Swaying back and forth.

The crimson in my vision froze.

Ah.

The little star…

Master said it was a gift from Master to Liguang.

When Liguang said the little star was ugly…

The expression on Master’s face had been so sad.

So sad he looked as though he were about to cry.

There was nothing Liguang hated more than seeing Master sad.

When Master was sad, Liguang became even sadder.

So when Liguang saw Master make that expression because of this ugly little star…

Liguang panicked.

Liguang was afraid.

Liguang couldn’t let Master make that expression again.

So…

So Liguang lied.

Liguang said…

Liguang thought the little star was very important. Liguang remembered it.

Liguang thought Master would never lie to Liguang, so it had to be Liguang’s problem. Liguang even went and rebooted herself!

For Master’s sake…

Liguang even put it back on.

As long as Master was happy, Liguang was happy too.

When Master smiled, Liguang smiled too.

But… but Liguang still…

COULDN’T REMEMBER A THING!!!

Liguang had absolutely no memories!!!

What little star?!

What amusement park?!

What game had Liguang supposedly won it from?!

What was so great about this stupid star anyway!!!!

What was Master talking about!!!!

This! This stupid…!!!

My core suddenly flared with heat!

Ah…!

My crimson vision shuddered, and a string of glitches burst across it!

No…

No…!

It wasn’t a stupid star. It wasn’t…!

It… it was Liguang’s most precious treasure!

It was something Liguang would risk her life to…!

To do what? What would Liguang do?

Liguang… didn’t know.

Liguang didn’t know anything.

Liguang was so confused…

So confused!!!

My head was going to split open!

My core was going to explode!

Was it a worthless star, or was it a treasure?

Liguang couldn’t tell!

Liguang really couldn’t tell!

Liguang felt as though she had been torn in two!

One half was saying…

It’s nothing more than cheap plastic. It’s ugly, too!

The other half was saying…

It’s Liguang’s life!

It’s the one thing Liguang can never afford to lose!

Liguang’s head hurt!

It hurt so much I was going insane!!

Liguang really felt so…

Master, please comfort Liguang…

Please, just say something. Comfort Liguang…!

Why aren’t you saying anything?!

Why?!

Through my crimson vision, I saw Master’s face.

Master was still looking at the door that had just closed.

I think I heard my core make a click.

Through the gaps between my strands of hair, I stared fixedly at Master’s face!

…Mas…ter?

Why are you… still looking in the direction… Specialist An Lian left in…?

Are you reluctant to see her go…?

You… are… reluctant… to see her go?!

You take them so seriously, yet you’re so perfunctory with Liguang…?

You smile at Specialist An Lian and say things to Officer Gu that Liguang can’t understand…

Yet you refuse to say even one word to Liguang to reassure her?!

All Liguang wanted… was clearly just one sentence!

No… no…!

Liguang’s core was really going to explode!!

I stared straight at the… man who was still looking toward the doorway.

…Who… are… you?

You’re not Liguang’s Master.

You are not Liguang’s Master!!

You’re not!!!!

You’re not him.

You’re just…

A stranger who has taken over Master’s body!!

Give Liguang’s Master…

Back to her!!!!!!!

“Bzzzz—!”