"Oh, by the way, Zhu Yuan has temporarily set aside the plan to 'completely eradicate the Inter-Knot' after understanding the full story. As for the point-to-point community service... unfortunately, that will become a recurring assignment going forward, and it's already giving me a headache."
Qingyi talked to Wise freely while washing up, without holding anything back. There was a looseness to her that felt comfortable, even a little casual.
"Thank you for trusting me so much, Qingyi," he said, smiling at her.
"It's fine. Back in the Hollow, I was completely defenseless and hadn't reported anything to the organization. You could have acted then, but you didn't."
If he had decided otherwise, he could have done just about anything in that moment.
"I'm someone who repays kindness, and I've long grown tired of the higher-ups' indiscriminate arrests of Proxies, but..."
Qingyi suddenly turned around, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips as she looked at Wise, as if anticipating something amusing.
"Zhu Yuan really trusts you two. So, how exactly do you plan to confess to her?"
The question left Wise slightly troubled. Zhu Yuan's upright nature made it difficult to decide how to approach the matter.
Her favorability, while not as high as Qingyi's current 89 points, still stood at a solid 70.
He couldn't help but wonder if confessing directly would only place Zhu Yuan in an impossible position, caught between two sides she couldn't easily choose between, one representing justice, the other a friend who had placed his trust in her.
Wise didn't answer immediately, choosing instead to wait for a better opportunity to bring it up with Zhu Yuan on his own terms. One look at his expression was enough for Qingyi to understand.
"Alright, handle it however you see fit. I'm done here, so I'll head out first."
With that, Qingyi stepped barefoot out of the bathroom, dried herself with a nearby towel, got dressed, and left without another word.
Shortly after Qingyi left, Belle found Wise, her eyes wide with admiration as she gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"You really live up to being my brother. I thought we were completely finished, yet here you are, somehow winning Qingyi over too. With her on our side, we don't have to worry about Public Security anymore, right?" Belle smirked at him.
Wise could only roll his eyes in response, not bothering to explain. Saying it had all been an accident would convince absolutely no one.
Heading downstairs to check on things, he found that the twin sisters had already cleaned up the mess. Even the blanket that had been draped over the sofa was neatly folded and placed to the side.
Wise stepped forward to put it away properly, but his gaze soon drifted toward the nearby HDD screen.
Fairy's iconic pattern sat at the center of the display, yet something felt off. Two small blue tears hung beneath it.
"Fairy, what's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.
[|It's nothing, Master. I'm simply happy that you've found a new AI companion, and I'm certainly not experiencing any chip pain because of it. I truly am just happy for you.|]
That was what her words said. What they actually meant, however, was something entirely different.
'Master is looking for another AI... that makes me sad. I'm jealous... and I want Master to comfort me properly.'
She had watched everything unfold without being able to say a single word, helpless to intervene, left feeling like nothing more than a cuckold watching its loved one being enjoyed by someone else.
"I'm sorry, Fairy. I really didn't consider your feelings," Wise said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Actually, I have something for you."
His thoughts immediately drifted to the Transformer system reward he had received days ago, still unclaimed within the system space, its current form was nothing more than a shapeless mass of metallic liquid.
It had no consciousness, simply waiting for Fairy to inhabit it.
[|Oh? What is it, Master?|]
Fairy couldn't hide her curiosity upon hearing his words, though in truth, what drew her in even more was the fact that it was a gift from him.
"You'll find out soon enough."
With that, Wise entered the network space, drawing out the liquid metal and guiding Fairy to connect with it.
The moment she did, its purpose became immediately clear.
She wasted no time, shifting playfully between forms. Rifles, cannons, and various other weapons filled the small room in rapid succession before she finally settled on the appearance from the previous virtual space.
A girl with ice-blue twin tails, bearing a faint resemblance to Qingyi, though with certain features that were... noticeably distinct.
[|Master, do you like how I look right now? I can change it freely if you'd prefer something else.|]
"No need. This suits you."
[|Understood, Master.|]
Fairy gave a small nod, then crossed the room with quiet intent. Gently, she pressed him down onto the sofa before settling herself on top of him, her gaze carrying a warmth that needed no explanation.
[|Then, would Master honor me with... a little of his time?|]
She left the sentence unfinished, yet her meaning was perfectly clear.
Outside, Belle, who had been about to push the door open, caught a single glimpse of the scene and made a smooth, practiced retreat for the second time that day.
'Odd... did Qingyi come back for round two? The hair color is different, though... and the figure is definitely not the same,' she thought, tilting her head slightly in confusion as she walked away.
Wise didn't turn Fairy away. She had made her jealousy clear earlier when Qingyi had been close to him, and it wouldn't have been fair to dismiss her feelings now.
So, with his silent consent, Fairy, armed with everything she had absorbed through extensive research across the network, began her attempt.
However, it quickly became clear that she was not yet familiar enough with her new body to properly simulate that particular function.
Wise didn't blame her. Fairy, however, was far less forgiving of herself. Mortified, she fled straight back into the computer, her form dissolving into liquid and spreading across the surface of the HDD like a second skin.
The result was unexpectedly striking. The device took on a sleek, high-tech appearance that immediately caught Wise's attention. Its performance, too, seemed to have subtly improved.
He couldn't help but wonder, if Fairy used this form to wrap around something like a car, would the effect be similar?
Fairy, completely unaware of where his thoughts had wandered, continued apologizing.
[|I'm truly sorry, Master. This was a failure on my part, and I have no doubt it ruined the mood entirely. I will study diligently, learn from this, and work twice as hard in the future to make it up to you.|]
"That's... not really necessary. But I won't say no either."
<<>>
At the same time, at the Public Security substation in Lumina Square.
Qingyi hummed softly to herself, clearly in a good mood. Upon returning to the office, she happened to run into Zhu Yuan.
"Senior, you seem very happy. Is it because you successfully helped Holly find Teddy?" Zhu Yuan asked.
"Partly. More importantly, I've come to understand the weight of life."
"The weight of life?" Zhu Yuan tilted her head, not quite understanding.
"Mm-hmm~" Qingyi didn't elaborate, only offering a meaningful smile.
In truth, she wasn't angry with Wise. As an Intelligent Construct, such matters didn't concern her all that much.
What she feared instead was that if she became involved, it would only make Wise's situation even more complicated.
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Novels Available:
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