Chapter 658

Fang Qi sat on the beige fabric sofa, looking somewhat bewildered.

This was his first time setting foot in this living room.

Several cups of freshly brewed tea sat on the coffee table, steam curling gently upward.

And right before his eyes…

“Ling'er” was wearing that same black-and-white maid outfit, making trip after trip to serve them tea and water and arrange the snacks.

Her jet-black twin tails were tied up with two pink hair bands, swaying lightly. That familiar, exquisite face was still lowered in demure obedience…

Even the angle at which she bowed was perfectly calculated!

Fang Qi: “...?”

He was truly bewildered…!

The silver-haired girl was sitting beside him.

This time, Liguang was Lin Xiaoyou’s guest, so she had naturally been arranged to sit beside him as a “guest.”

She sat with her legs together and tilted slightly to one side. Her moon-white dress made her look exceptionally elegant, and with both hands resting on her lap, she appeared gentle and well-behaved at first glance…

But that gaze of hers was…

“Gently stalking her like a tiger”!

That crimson eye kept flickering ever so slightly, never once stopping as it silently observed the black-haired maid before them!

Fang Qi spaced out for a moment before lifting his tea and taking a small sip…

Hiss! It was a little hot!

Still, that was enough to clear his head. His eyes sharpened.

What exactly was going on here?

“Senior! Senior!”

Lin Xiaoyou plopped down onto the sofa opposite him, her round little face brimming with smug pride.

“See? My Ling’er is pretty amazing too, right?”

“Although Ling’er isn’t a custom model like Liguang, most of her functions are absolutely no worse than Liguang’s!”

Fang Qi: “...”

He stared at her with the corner of his mouth twitching.

Your Ling’er? Since when did she become your Ling’er?

No… Miss, what exactly have you been up to these past two days?

In the end, he couldn’t hold back any longer and asked directly:

“...So where’s Xiaoqing?”

Your Sister Xiaoqing is about to cry herself to death over here!

As a staunch believer in true love, he simply couldn’t tolerate something like this!

Lin Xiaoyou looked momentarily confused.

“Huh? Xiaoqing? What happened to her?”

Then she raised a finger to her lips and murmured, “Hmm…” as she thought it over.

“Xiaoqing… should have gone to work at the milk tea shop by now, right?”

Fang Qi: “?”

What?

Lin Xiaoyou blinked her almond-shaped eyes and looked at him in surprise.

“Senior, you actually still remember Xiaoqing!”

This silly young lady didn’t even bother wondering why Fang Qi had suddenly asked about Xiaoqing.

Instead, she chattered on all by herself:

“Then you definitely remember Xiaoqing’s milk tea shop, right, Senior? I took you and Liguang there before! It was that…”

“Coco Milk Tea Shop!”

Fang Qi: “...!”

His eyelid twitched slightly.

Of course he remembered that place. It was… not exactly a legitimate milk tea shop!

“I heard that old shopping mall that was on the verge of closing has suddenly become incredibly popular these past few days. I don’t know why!”

Lin Xiaoyou had found another topic and immediately became animated, waving both her little hands as she spoke.

“I heard that old mall is absolutely bustling now. There are lines every day, and tons of people are going there to take pictures and check in!”

“So Xiaoqing has been especially, especially busy these past two days!”

“She told me her hands are practically ruined from making milk tea!”

Lin Xiaoyou giggled.

“Senior, don’t you think it’s strange? How did a place that was about to close suddenly become so popular?”

“...It is pretty strange.”

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly and went along with her.

Suddenly becoming wildly popular, huh?

“Exactly!”

Lin Xiaoyou clapped her hands.

“So maybe everyone finally discovered how amazing my Xiaoqing’s milk tea-making skills are!”

Fang Qi: “...”

All right. It seemed she still cared about Xiaoqing after all. Xiaoqing probably wouldn’t cry herself to death.

He turned his head slightly to look at the girl beside him.

For a brief moment, the silver-haired girl’s gaze lost focus. She looked bewildered for an instant.

Then she cast Fang Qi a light glance. There was actually a hint of faint resentment in her eyes!

A moment later, she lowered her brows and eyes and fell silent.

Fang Qi pressed his lips together.

It was obvious that she had realized it…

The matter concerning this milk tea shop was yet another memory she had lost, while everyone else still remembered it.

She was sulking again.

Adorable!

But then again…

Fang Qi lowered his eyes and thought quietly.

That old shopping mall, that abandoned cinema… weren’t they the headquarters of Twilight?

Back then, he and Liguang had even watched The Last Heartbeat there!

They had been watching it perfectly well, only to discover at the very end that…

Every other audience member around them had been a member of Twilight in disguise!

They had all been mechanical intelligences and modified humans!

And that had also been the first time he and Liguang had gone to the movies together.

It was just a pity that Liguang had forgotten it all. She had forgotten that movie, and the hands they had held together the entire time.

Sigh…

Still, the old shopping mall had suddenly become popular?

Fang Qi gradually understood.

Come to think of it, Gu Xi had sent him a message before leaving that morning, saying that Twilight had been acting up lately!

...Didn’t that line up perfectly?

That old shopping mall was Twilight’s base. Of course it would have suddenly become “popular”!

The people going in and out of there now… probably weren’t normal people at all!

And Xiaoqing had always been a member of Twilight!

He remembered that in a previous cycle, his uncle Fang Yi had said that he wanted Fang Qi to go to Coco Milk Tea Shop to make contact!

Xiaoqing’s “Coco Milk Tea Shop” had always been a contact point for Twilight!

And besides…

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Come to think of it, hadn’t the ditzy sweetheart who hadn’t yet become completely foolish in the previous cycle said something like…

“Xiaoqing has forgotten everything again”?

...He couldn’t make sense of it.

In any case, Xiaoqing’s “busyness” these past few days probably had nothing to do with any legitimate business, did it?

She had probably had more than a little involvement in whatever Twilight had been up to these past few days!

That would explain it. It was just that…

“Senior! Senior!”

Lin Xiaoyou interrupted his thoughts again, grinning at him.

“Do you want to go visit Xiaoqing later? It’s really lively over there now!”

...Huh? Fang Qi froze.

“I can drive you there, Senior!”

She giggled, then raised her little eyebrows.

“Ah, but we should eat lunch first! After all, we can’t go on an empty stomach!”

As she spoke, she patted the arm of the black-haired, twin-tailed maid standing obediently nearby.

“Senior, you’ve come all this way, so you have to properly try Ling’er’s cooking!”

The black-haired, twin-tailed maid obediently bent at the waist and said softly:

“Ling’er shall do her utmost to satisfy our guest.”

Lin Xiaoyou nodded in satisfaction, then turned back to Fang Qi with a smile.

“Although Ling’er isn’t a custom model like Liguang… she might not be any worse than Liguang, you know?”

She then turned to Liguang and blinked at her, giggling again.

“Liguang won’t mind, right? Today, I’m going to have Ling’er win over your master’s stomach!”

Fang Qi’s mouth twitched at that.

Beside him, Liguang smiled, her red lips parting…

It felt like she was about to say something sarcastic again!

Fang Qi reacted quickly and gently nudged her foot beneath the coffee table.

Wife, watch what you say! This place is hardly safe!

Liguang immediately faltered. Her red lips remained half-open, and her phoenix eyes widened slightly…

Then she lowered her head and smiled.

“Liguang is merely her master’s AI companion.”

“What would Master like to eat today? Whose cooking would Master like to try? That all depends on Master’s wishes.”

“And what right does Liguang have to say whether she minds? As long as Master is happy, that’s all that matters.”

With that, she let out a soft, gentle sigh. Her amber eyes even looked a little misty.

Fang Qi: “…”

“Hehe, as long as you don’t mind!”

Lin Xiaoyou, who was standing nearby, had completely failed to understand the exchange and cheerfully chimed in.

Fang Qi’s body stiffened slightly.

This was getting truly unbearable!

He hurriedly reached out and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Wife, your cooking is always the best!

Then he steadied himself…

And looked once more at the “Ling’er” standing obediently before him, still showing no unusual reaction. His brows furrowed slightly.

Something was wrong. Really wrong.

He had said so much just now, all the while observing her reactions without letting it show, but…

The girl who had still been S-02 last night and had become Ling’er today now really seemed like a completely unawakened AI companion!

A gentle gaze! Respectful movements! Appropriate replies!

There wasn’t the slightest sign that she recognized him!

And her current “Master,” Lin Xiaoyou… Tsk.

He might as well ask her directly!

Fang Qi immediately turned to Lin Xiaoyou with a smile.

“Xiaoyou, I really didn’t expect you to have an AI companion too! But I’m curious…”

He glanced at the black-haired maid with her eyes lowered beside them.

“When did you buy this ‘Ling’er’ of yours?”

“…Huh?”

Lin Xiaoyou clearly looked confused.

She blinked several times, opened her mouth, and then…

She actually turned to Ling’er and asked,

“Hey, Ling’er, when did I buy you again?”

Fang Qi: “…?”

Ling’er merely smiled obediently. She showed no surprise or doubt whatsoever and answered softly,

“Ling’er has served Master for many years.”

Just like an ordinary AI answering a question honestly, she continued,

“Master’s father purchased Ling’er back then.”

“After Master’s father passed away, he left Ling’er to Master.”

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Why had Lin Xiaoyou’s father suddenly been dragged into this? Had Ling’er been left behind by Lin Zhouyuan?

No. It was probably just an excuse…

Lin Xiaoyou blinked, then suddenly looked enlightened.

“Ah, right, right, that’s how it was!”

Only then did she look at Fang Qi with a grin.

“Senior, you didn’t know? My dad used to be a member of Dawn Corporation!”

“I got an AI companion even earlier than you did, Senior!”

“Maybe my dad even took part in developing Liguang back then!”

She puffed out her not-so-impressive chest, looking terribly proud.

Fang Qi: “…”

No, wait. Ditzy sweetheart, you had that “Oh, now I remember” look just a moment ago. How am I supposed to believe you?

It was as if she were making up the setting on the spot…

Let’s test her.

His eyes shifted, and he deliberately softened his tone.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up such painful memories.”

Lin Xiaoyou, however, waved her hand carelessly.

“Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine! My parents passed away a long time ago. I’m used to it!”

Following her lead, Fang Qi tentatively added,

“Even so, it must not have been easy to remain so cheerful.”

Lin Xiaoyou giggled, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescents. She gave the black-haired maid beside her a gentle glance.

“Maybe it’s because… Ling’er has always been there with me!”

The corner of Fang Qi’s mouth twitched.

Hey!

Xiaoqing was really going to cry this time!

If Xiaoqing found out about this, you’d probably end up in a basement with all four limbs broken too!

He looked at that guileless little face before him and helplessly shook his head.

Fine.

That confirmed it completely. The person standing before him…

Was nothing more than a complete ditzy sweetheart whose brain had somehow developed a problem!

“That’s why!”

Lin Xiaoyou gave a smug little hum.

“That’s why I’ve always been telling you, Senior—AI companions can never compare to real people!”

“Because I speak from experience!”

As she said this, she even patted her not-particularly-generous chest.

Fang Qi’s mouth twitched.

What experience do you have, exactly?!

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the increasingly pleasant smile on the silver-haired girl’s face.

…This was giving him a real headache!

But what gave him an even bigger headache was…

He glanced toward the “Ling’er the maid.”

I’m saying, Miss S-02, Lin Xiaoyou is this stupid right now…

Could this have something to do with you?

Did you deliberately “hijack” the ditzy sweetheart and bring her here to put on this act for me?

And come to think of it…

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Lin Xiaoyou should still be in a state of “soul deprivation,” right? Even her normal intelligence was difficult to maintain.

If this clearly extraordinary Miss S-02 had somehow “hypnotized” her on top of that…

Wouldn’t that mean she could be manipulated however she pleased?

Fang Qi lowered his gaze slightly.

If that really was the case, it would explain everything.

If S-02 truly was Dawn Corporation’s backend AI, then even without her permissions… something this minor should still be within her capabilities, right?

But…

He glanced at Liguang, who was clearly beginning to act up beside him, then looked at the utterly obedient Ling’er.

It was truly strange.

She still looked exactly like a flawless AI companion. There was not the slightest sign that she had awakened. Not a single crack in her facade.

By comparison…

Liguang really did seem a little clumsy!

…Ahem. He absolutely couldn’t let Liguang hear that.

But…

“…Miss Ling’er…”

Fang Qi looked at her and spoke softly.

“Have we met before?”

The situation was delicate. He had no idea what would happen if he revealed everything outright, so it was better to test the waters first!

“Huh?”

Lin Xiaoyou blinked in confusion. Liguang merely smiled and remained completely still.

As for Ling’er…

She put on a perfectly measured expression of bewilderment.

“This gentleman… Ling’er has never met you before. Ling’er has never met Master’s senior before.”

She lowered her head slightly.

“Ling’er doesn’t even know your name, or… what she should call you.”

Every word was flawlessly polite, yet carefully guarded.

Her tone was soft, her expression innocent—so perfect that Fang Qi couldn’t find the slightest fault with it.

Fang Qi frowned as he stared at her.

This was truly strange.