Chen Hao's arm was still aching, but he dared not shout again. His earlier "Damn it!" had almost attracted attention from outside the cave. Now, he could only grit his teeth and watch Nana squatting beside him, holding gauze and medicine in her hands.
"It'll be a little chilly," she said.
The cold liquid poured onto the wound, and Chen Hao gasped, shrinking back as the back of his head slammed against the rock wall.
"Don't move," Nana said. "The risk of infection has increased by eighteen percent."
"Can you please stop talking about percentages?" Chen Hao frowned. "I get nervous just hearing that now."
"This is objective data."
"Objective my foot! Are you hoping I'll say I'm in excruciating pain so you can include it in your report?"
Nana didn't answer, but continued bandaging. Her fingers were steady, her movements gentle, wrapping the bandage layer by layer. Chen Hao stared at her and noticed that the blue light in her eyes had dimmed slightly compared to before.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
“The system is working normally,” she said. “It’s just that the energy efficiency has decreased, but it doesn’t affect the functionality.”
"What you're saying sounds just like leftover food from the cafeteria—it sounds edible, but it's actually spoiled."
Susan, sitting on the other side, looked up when she heard this: "You still have the energy to talk back, which means you're not going to die."
"If I were really about to die, I'd definitely shut up," Chen Hao grinned. "I'd save my breath."
Susan ignored him, stood up, and walked to the cave entrance. The sky outside was gray, the wind was light, and the woods were very quiet. She looked around for a while, then turned and took a flat metal can from her backpack, followed by a cloth.
"I'll go get some water," she said.
"The wolves outside haven't gone far yet," Chen Hao said. "It's too risky for you to go alone."
"If I don't go, will you drink my urine?"
"...Then I'll wait for it to rain."
Susan stuffed the water bottle into her coat and casually grabbed the dagger, tucking it to her waist. She glanced back at Nana: "Raise the alert level. Notify us immediately of any suspicious activity."
"Understood." Nana nodded. "I will monitor moving heat sources within a 300-meter radius."
“Don’t just look at what’s hot,” Susan said. “Sometimes what’s cold is more dangerous.”
After saying that, she walked out, the vines were gently parted and then closed again, and her figure disappeared into the night.
The cave fell silent. Chen Hao lay back down, resting his arms on his stomach, staring at the crack above his head. The moonlight was still there, but its position had changed, shining obliquely on the rock wall like a silver thread.
"Do you think she can find water?" he asked.
“Based on the topographical analysis, there is a 73% probability of groundwater seepage downstream of the riverbed,” Nana said. “She chose the right direction.”
"Couldn't you just say 'it should be fine'? You have to give me numbers."
"The numbers are more accurate."
“But I don’t want to hear the exact words, I want to hear some comforting words.” Chen Hao turned over, “like ‘don’t worry’ or ‘it will be alright’.”
Nana was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Don't worry, it will be alright."
Chen Hao was stunned, then burst out laughing: "Your tone sounds like an automatic reply."
"This is the result of my simulation of human comforting behavior."
"Then try saying 'You are important' again?"
Nana turned her head, the blue light reflecting on his face: "You are important."
Chen Hao suddenly stopped laughing. He stared at her for a while before whispering, "Did you secretly level up?"
"No," Nana said, looking away. "I'm just studying."
A gentle breeze rustled outside, and the temperature inside the cave slowly dropped. Chen Hao felt cold and huddled further into a corner. Nana noticed and went over to place his backpack behind him.
"Thank you," he said.
“You need to keep your body temperature stable,” she said. “The body’s ability to regulate itself decreases after blood loss.”
"It's data again."
That's just how it is.
Chen Hao sighed and suddenly asked, "You mean Susan... did she never walk with anyone before?"
“She once said she had survived alone for three years,” Nana said. “Her social behavior patterns suggest she has reservations about teamwork.”
"But she carried me all the way here."
That was a tactical decision.
"Bullshit." Chen Hao shook his head. "That's not a tactic, that's trust."
Nana didn't say anything.
“You two are different.” Chen Hao looked at the rock wall. “One is as cold as ice, and the other is as hard as a metal bucket. Yet you are both willing to stop for me.”
"We are a team."
"The team doesn't necessarily have to take care of Fatty's injury." He smiled. "Maybe in your eyes I'm just a burden."
“Your weight does increase the burden of movement,” Nana said, “but you blocked two dives in the fight and prevented the formation from breaking down. Your contribution is assessed as positive.”
"So I was kept because I was useful?"
“You’re a companion,” Nana said, looking at him. “Not a number.”
Chen Hao paused for a moment, then a slow smile crept onto his lips. He was about to say something when he heard soft footsteps outside the cave.
Both of them became alert at the same time.
Nana quickly moved to the cave entrance, crouching slightly with her mechanical arm outstretched. The footsteps grew closer, their rhythm steady, accompanied by the crisp sound of footsteps crushing pebbles.
It's Susan.
When she returned, she was carrying two things: a military water bottle filled with water and another wrapped in cloth, bulging with contents.
“Wild fruits.” She put the cloth bag on the ground. “Three kinds. I’ve checked them all. They’re all edible.”
Chen Hao sat up straighter: "You're a real lifesaver."
“I didn’t get this for you.” Susan unscrewed the water bottle and handed it to you. “You’re the one who needs to stay hydrated.”
Chen Hao took a sip; it was so cold it made him shiver. He handed it to Nana: "Want some too?"
“I don’t need to ingest any liquids,” she said, “but I can help you test for harmful substances.”
“Look, she even tests the water for poison.” Chen Hao turned to Susan. “Don’t you think she’s being a bit too meticulous?”
“If she hadn’t taken it so seriously, you would have a fever by now.” Susan opened her cloth bag and took out a few small, dark red berries. “Eat them, and stop talking nonsense.”
Chen Hao grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his mouth; it was so sour he squinted. After chewing a few times, he suddenly said, "The way we're sitting here actually looks quite proper."
“What does it look like?” Susan asked.
“Like…a family.” He said with a smile, “Although one is a robot, one is a female warrior, and the other is an injured fat man, so we can’t make a family photo.”
Susan glanced at him, but instead of scolding him, she gave a soft snort: "Your analogy is awful."
"But my heart is warm." Chen Hao leaned back against his backpack. "Really."
Nana looked down at her hands and suddenly said, "I've looked up cases of human friendship. Data shows that after experiencing a crisis together, the emotional connection between individuals increases by an average of 61%."
So you're calculating how deep our feelings are now?
“It’s not about calculation,” she said. “I’m trying to understand. Why did you come back to save me when you could have escaped? Why did Susan carry you rather than abandon you? Why did you call my name even when you were being knocked down?”
She looked up and her gaze fell on the two of them.
"These behaviors cannot be fully explained by logic."
The cave was quiet for a while.
Susan lowered her head, her fingers stroking the hilt of the knife. She spoke after a long silence: "I've lived alone for three years. The first thing I did every day when I opened my eyes was to see if anyone was approaching, and the second thing was to decide where to hide that day. I never thought that one day I could stand back to back with someone and still trust that they wouldn't stab me in the back."
She paused.
"You guys... are actually quite reliable."
Chen Hao laughed, a slightly hoarse laugh: "If you say another soft word, I might burst into tears right here and now."
"If you dare to cry, I'll kick you out."
“Threats are ineffective.” Chen Hao shrugged. “I’m injured now.”
Nana looked at them, the blue light in her eyes softening. She walked back to the cave entrance and sat down, facing outwards, her hands resting on her knees, like a statue standing guard.
Chen Hao finished the last fruit and licked his fingers. He looked up at the moonlight and found that it had moved to the opposite rock wall.
"How many more days do you think we have left to live?" he asked.
“I don’t know,” Susan said, “but at least I’m alive today.”
"That's enough." Chen Hao yawned. "We'll talk about tomorrow's problems tomorrow."
He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming deeper. Before long, soft snoring began.
Susan took a sip of water and put the kettle away. She leaned against the rock wall, still holding the dagger in her hand, her eyes half-closed, but she wasn't asleep.
Nana remained motionless. Her system alerted her to insufficient lubrication in her left shoulder joint, dust buildup on her right eye sensor, and 57% remaining energy.
She didn't clean it.
The wind outside the cave stopped, and the forest fell completely silent. A bird called out in the distance, then fell silent again.
Susan opened her eyes, glanced at the sleeping Chen Hao, and then looked at Nana.
"Do you really think we can make it?" she asked in a low voice.
Nana turned her head, and the blue light shone on her face.
"As long as you are still in action, I will not stop running."
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