Chapter 46: The Innocent Landlord and the Black Tenant 14 That damn system! ...
In the basement, dense codes scrolled rapidly on the screen.
"The last logical lock..." Shao Ye whispered, his fingertips hovering above the enter key, his eyes solemn.
He took a deep breath and pressed Enter carefully.
A blinding red light suddenly erupted on the screen, countless warning symbols flashed frantically, and an extremely powerful counter-attack data stream rushed in like a flood!
"Not good!" Shao Ye's pupils suddenly shrank, and he could only quickly cut off the connection and strengthen the firewall.
Unfortunately, the first breakout ended in failure.
Top floor studio.
[Hmm? What's that?] 778 felt his data stream oscillate violently, then return to calm in an instant.
It was a super-intelligent system from the future, its technological level far beyond the reach of these fictional worlds. He simply dismissed it as another update to the Quick Travel Bureau's monitoring station, brushing this little incident aside and looking at his scratching host.
Ye Ling was still standing in front of the unfinished giant oil painting, scratching her short golden hair in annoyance.
[Host! Focus! Only 25 days left to submit your core artwork for the exhibition!] 778's electronic voice carried urgency.
"I can't think of it!" Ye Ling threw down her paintbrush in frustration, sat down on the ground, hugged her knees, and buried her face in her arms. "778, I really can't paint that feeling..."
[Host! Don't underestimate yourself!] 778 immediately switched to motivational mode. [You are a gifted and outstanding host chosen by this system! You possess unlimited potential! Complete this world's ultimate mission, and you will gain freedom, and even...]
778 began to bewitch her. [You might even have a chance to find a strong, stable master who could protect you from all the storms! Imagine a safe haven that would always belong to you, someone who would understand you, tolerate you, and meet all your needs...]
"Master..." Ye Ling repeated the word unconsciously.
Speaking of which, in the last world... that young man named Jiang Lian...
Fuzzy fragments of memory flooded my mind with a strong sense of security and dependence, but I couldn't grasp the specific details, leaving only a sense of loss and emptiness.
Unable to remember, Ye Ling buried her face deeper into her arms, her golden hair drooping wilfully.
Everything that happened in the studio was clearly reflected on the surveillance screen in the basement!
Shao Ye just barely withstood 778's terrifying counterattack and forcibly disconnected the connection, with a glaring red warning still remaining on the screen.
He was breathing heavily, and a few strands of his hair were wet with sweat.
At this moment, on the surveillance footage, Ye Ling was hugging her knees pitifully, while 778's cold, mechanical electronic voice was transmitted synchronously through the sniffer he installed on the armrest of the sofa:
[…Get a strong, stable master who can protect you from the wind and rain! Imagine a safe haven that will always belong to you…]
"Master"? "Safe haven"?
What?
boom!
Anger, rage like a hurricane.
That damn system!
Not only was it forcing Ye Ling to do things against his will, it was also using this despicable PUA method to mentally torture him...
"You bastard." Shao Ye gritted his teeth. He stood up from his chair suddenly, knocking over the water glass beside him without even noticing.
Like a completely enraged beast, he kicked open the basement door and rushed straight to the studio on the top floor, taking several steps at a time.
"Bang!"
The studio door slammed against the wall with a loud bang.
Ye Ling shuddered with fear and raised her head in terror. Shao Ye, who was standing at the door, had a sullen face, his jawline as sharp as a knife, and a dark storm brewing in his eyes.
Ye Ling subconsciously shrank back: "Shao... Shao Ye?"
Seeing Ye Ling's tearful eyes and her fragile and helpless appearance, Shao Ye's anger instantly turned into overwhelming heartache.
He took a few big strides to Ye Ling, knelt on one knee without any hesitation, stretched out his arms, and without saying a word, he hugged the little golden retriever on the ground tightly in his arms.
He placed one hand on the back of Ye Ling's head, pressing his pale face into the crook of his neck. The other hand went around his back, patting his tense spine again and again, as if soothing a frightened little animal.
"Don't be afraid..." Shao Ye's hoarse voice sounded beside Ye Ling's ears, and his jaw unconsciously rubbed against Ye Ling's golden hair, "I'm here."
——"I'm here, aren't I?"
This sentence, this gesture, this familiar, reassuring breath and the warmth of the embrace...
Jiang Lian!
That vague name and figure split Ye Ling's chaotic memory like lightning.
In the last world... the person who always stood in front of him, who would hold him tightly like this when he was afraid and helpless, and who would say in the same low and gentle voice, "Aren't I here?"...
The sealed emotions, dependence and throbbing, broke out again in the familiar sense of security brought by Shao Ye.
Although she didn't know why Shao Ye came over suddenly, Ye Ling couldn't help but hug his waist back, burying her face in his warm neck, absorbing the reassuring and refreshing breath.
That’s the feeling! So reassuring…
If only Shao Ye... were my master...
Shao Ye felt the trembling of the body in his arms and the strength of the embrace. His heart felt like it was being scratched repeatedly by the softest feather, which made it painful and soft.
All the system tasks and nude model invitations became insignificant at this moment. He just wanted the person in his arms to stop trembling and fear.
Time passed slowly, Ye Ling's breathing gradually calmed down, and her tense body relaxed a little bit, but she still leaned dependently in Shao Ye's arms.
Shao Ye loosened his grip slightly, lowered his head, and gently lifted Ye Ling's chin with his fingers.
Ye Ling was forced to raise her head, and her eye circles and nose tip were a little red.
This fragile and defenseless look made Shao Ye's heart ache.
His eyes were more serious than ever, yet deep within them surged a cold, murderous intent directed at that invisible system: "Listen."
Shao Ye's voice was low and clear, and every word was heavy with power. "I will deal with that 'thing'."
He looked directly into Ye Ling's confused eyes and emphasized, "Before that, do as it says and protect yourself. Don't resist. Don't let yourself... be so sad again."
Ye Ling stared back at Shao Ye's serious eyes in a daze.
All his uneasiness and doubts were suppressed, and he nodded vigorously.
Shao Ye smiled slightly, rubbed Ye Ling's soft hair, and helped her up: "Go wash your face. The painting matter... is not urgent."
Watching Ye Ling turn around and walk towards the bathroom obediently, the tenderness in Shao Ye's eyes disappeared instantly behind him.
On the computer screen in the basement, complex characters scrolled endlessly.
"Found it..." Shao Ye's eyes were bloodshot, and his low and hoarse voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement.
His fingertips tapped out the last command on the keyboard.
On the screen, a tightly protected virtual space starts up.
This special space, like peeling an onion, analyzed the signal he had captured layer by layer. As the disguise was peeled away, the content displayed on the screen gradually became clear, revealing a corner of the system's true form—filled with various mandatory mission instructions.
"Mission..." Shao Ye looked at the marks that appeared repeatedly on the report, and his thin lips were pursed into a cold and hard straight line.
His little golden retriever was indeed forced.
Every clumsy "encounter", every embarrassing line, every frantic voyeurism... were not Ye Ling's original intention, but were tasks imposed on him by this damn system.
Shao Ye clenched his fists suddenly.
At the same time, in the studio on the top floor.
"No... still no!" Ye Ling threw down the paintbrush in frustration, "778, I can't paint that kind of charm..."
"778?" Shao Ye in the basement quickly caught the name that Ye Ling let slip.
778... Maybe that's the name of that weird system?
[Host! Calm down! Artistic creation requires concentration!] 778 comforts, [suggesting the host to observe deeply and find inspiration from the details of the target's life...]
"Observation is no easier than painting..." Ye Ling lay on the edge of the easel in despair, like a bird flattened by the scorching sun.
At this time——
“Snap!”
The bright main light in the studio went out without warning. Then, several auxiliary spotlights flickered a few times, and the studio was plunged into complete darkness.
Only the light from the sky filtering through the window could barely outline the contours of objects.
"Huh? What's going on?" Ye Ling was startled and looked around in confusion.
[Beep! An abnormal power outage has been detected in the studio's main lighting circuit.] 778 quickly scanned and [preliminary diagnosis: a partial malfunction in the intelligent electronic control system. Property management has been notified. Estimated repair time... unknown.]
"Unknown?! Then how can I draw it..."
Ye Ling was in a panic when suddenly footsteps were heard from outside the door.
Afterwards, Shao Ye appeared at the door of the studio. He was wearing a simple black T-shirt with a dark gray work jacket casually put on the outside, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He was holding a professional-looking toolbox in his hand, as if he had been prepared for this.
"Mr. Ye?" Shao Ye's eyes swept across the dim studio. "I heard a short circuit. Is your light broken?"
"Student Shao Ye? How...how did you get up here?" Ye Ling was a little surprised, then she felt like she had seen a savior. "Yeah! It suddenly went dark! The property management said they don't know when it can be repaired..."
"Let me take a look." Shao Ye's voice was calm. He walked straight to the light switch and looked up at the position of the main light on the ceiling.
Then he walked naturally to the corner, as if he knew the layout of the studio very well, and even brought out a folding ladder that Ye Ling himself had never seen before.
"Maybe the switch is not in good contact, or the wiring is aging." Shao Ye said as he set up the ladder with a quick movement, "I'll try to see if I can fix it."
He stepped onto the ladder with great agility. In the dim light, his tall figure stretched out on the ladder, with broad shoulders and narrow waist, like an ancient Greek sculpture on a high platform.
"It's a bit hot." Shao Ye said to himself, then raised his hand and took off the dark gray work jacket.
The next second, Ye Ling's breathing stopped suddenly.
Shao Ye was only wearing a tight black vest under his coat!
The thin cloth tightly wrapped around his powerful upper body. As he raised his hand to check the wiring, the lines of his latissimus dorsi bulged and the muscles of his shoulders and arms tightened, like a cheetah ready to pounce.
The dim light cast deep shadows on his muscular arms, and every undulation was filled with primitive and wild tension.
Ye Ling felt a surge of hot blood rushing to his head, and his cheeks instantly became hot.
The paintbrush in his hand fell to the ground with a "clack" and rolled away. His eyes widened as he stared at the powerful figure on the ladder, the sound of blood rushing in his ears.
That’s the feeling!
The exhausted inspiration suddenly gushed out! Countless lines and lights and shadows collided and combined in my mind!
He rushed to the easel and grabbed a new charcoal pencil. His hands were shaking violently with excitement, but he couldn't wait to capture the shocking scene before him.
Ye Ling was about to pick up the paintbrush——
"ah!"
A suppressed cry was heard, accompanied by the sound of the ladder shaking violently.
Shao Ye at the top of the ladder seemed to slip, his body suddenly lost balance, and he fell to the ground!
"Shao Ye!" Ye Ling's body moved faster than his consciousness. He dropped the paintbrush reflexively and flew towards the direction where Shao Ye fell.
At the moment of falling, a gleam of light flashed in Shao Ye's eyes.
Of course, he wouldn't let himself get hurt. All his muscles tensed instantly, his core strength exploded, and he precisely controlled his falling posture and force.
What he wanted was to create accidents, all kinds of accidents beyond the system's mission requirements.
Still greedily wanting...Ye Ling's current reaction.
Although he was so timid, he rushed towards me with great determination.
He let himself "fall", and at the moment of collision, he suddenly stretched out his arms, one hand around Ye Ling's waist, and the other hand to protect the back of his head.
"Bang!"
The two men collided heavily, and the huge impact force caused them to roll twice on the ground before stopping.
Shao Ye used his body to bear most of the impact and friction, always holding Ye Ling in his arms.
The rolling stopped.
Ye Ling was held in Shao Ye's arms, her cheek pressed against his violently heaving, hot chest, separated only by a thin vest.
Shao Ye's heavy and hot breath sprayed on his ears, carrying a strong aggressive breath.
His own heart was beating so wildly that it was about to explode, and Shao Ye's heartbeat was actually resonating with his.
Were you scared by...?
Just as he was in a trance, Shao Ye suddenly propped up his upper body slightly and looked down at him.
Ye Ling's hazelnut eyes were misted with fear, and they reflected Shao Ye's eyes clearly. Their breaths mingled and heated up in the small space.
Time seemed to be stretched infinitely.
"Buzz-buzz-buzz!"
The shrill sound of a cell phone vibrating abruptly split the sticky and hot atmosphere.
Ye Ling woke up as if from a dream, jumped out of Shao Ye's arms as if she had been electrocuted, and frantically took out the vibrating cell phone from her pocket.
"This is your agent, Sister Lin!" 778 quickly added, "She's here to urge you to get your exhibition started. You need to hurry!"
"Hello...Sister Lin?" Ye Ling turned her back and answered the phone, her voice still a little breathless.
"Teacher Ye, why are you panting so hard? Hey, whatever you're doing, stop and listen!" Sister Lin's voice came at me like a rapid-fire barrage. "Your 'New Life' themed solo exhibition has been moved up! It's opening early next month! Your large works 'Strength and Beauty' must all be completed within two weeks! Otherwise, the gallery contract and the commercial sponsorship we've agreed on... will all be in vain!"
"Ah... I understand." Ye Ling responded in a dry voice and hung up the phone.
[Rest assured, host!] 778's voice then rang out, [Just paint your paintings properly, this exhibition was originally meant to be destroyed! Your empty reputation and true perversion will be thoroughly exposed here!]
Shao Ye was gently brushing off the dust on his body, his eyes slightly lowered, with a layer of cold haze in his eyes.
He keenly caught the "strength and beauty", "one month", "reputation", and "contract" mentioned by Ye Ling during the call...
He calmly lifted the ladder, picked up his toolbox and coat, and spoke in a low voice, "The light is fine. The main control panel tripped. It's already been pushed up."
"Mr. Ye, please continue to be busy." Shao Ye paused and looked at Ye Ling with a deep gaze. "Don't worry. I will help you solve all the problems."
After saying this, he turned around and left the studio.
In the basement.
Shao Ye sat in front of the computer. On the screen was the "task instruction cluster" that he had just parsed, which was specially encrypted and marked in the core protocol fragment of System 778.
[Core Task: Using Shao Ye as your muse, complete X core paintings in the "Power and Beauty" series.]
[Related Tasks: Need to complete the daily "Observation" task (in progress) to pave the way for the final "Nude Model Invitation" task (inevitable failure)...]
【Task deadline: 60 natural days.】
"Nude model invitation"... Shao Ye stared at these four words.
Everything that happened during this period of time is like scattered pearls, all strung together by a silk thread.
That damn system!
It not only manipulated Ye Ling to approach him, observe him, and draw him. Its ultimate goal was to force Ye Ling to make the "one million per hour" nude modeling request in the name of "art"...
The phone call just now and the sudden advancement of the exhibition might be a crisis fabricated by System 778 to force Ye Ling to complete the task faster.
The anger surged like magma.
His little landlord, such a cute little golden retriever, was treated like a puppet by this cold program and was forced to do these things that made him panic.
He would never allow it.
"Wait a little longer..." Shao Ye muttered to himself, his eyes locked on Ye Ling's profile on the screen, "Soon, I'll set you free."
The best opportunity to break out is the final task that the "system" is extremely persistent in and is bound to fail.
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The author has something to say: The plot will be published soon [rainbow fart]
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