Meanwhile, at the Gu's Building.
Lin Ran sat blankly in the room, staring at the unchanging clear blue sky projected onto the holographic projection outside the window, her expression lost in thought.
This was clearly the room she had stayed in before, but for some reason, it felt incredibly unfamiliar to her when she moved back in.
Since she came to the Gu family, she has only met Gu Xi a handful of times. In the past, he was always the one who came to her and took the initiative to approach her, but now... she only occasionally bumps into Gu Xi when she pretends to go out for fun.
However, even if they do meet, it's just a brief exchange before it ends quickly.
Even everyone in the building looked at her with a subtle gaze, a gaze that held both scrutiny and a touch of... suffocating pity for others.
She stayed in her room every day, and even the person who brought her three meals a day was a robot. No one spoke to her; there was only boundless silence.
Lin Ran remained silent for an unknown period of time until the clear blue sky outside transformed into a dazzling starry sky, at which point she realized that night had fallen.
She pursed her lips, glanced at the time—this was usually the time Gu Xi would return. After mentally encouraging herself for a long time, Lin Ran finally got up and walked outside.
This is the floor where Gu Xi lives; all you can see is a desolate white.
Lin Ran originally wanted to go downstairs, but stopped when she saw the room at the end of the corridor.
—There is a room there, and the door is tightly closed right now.
She knew that it was the music room.
When I lived here before, the music room was always empty, and the door was sometimes only half-closed.
Now, the door seems to have never been opened again.
As if bewitched, Lin Ran stepped forward, opened the door, and found that the room was just as it had always been, with only a piano inside.
Lin Ran walked to the piano and lightly touched the keys with her fingers.
A clear and elegant zither melody rang out.
Suddenly, a series of footsteps sounded outside the door, the footsteps carrying a hint of panic and anxiety as they hurried toward this place.
Lin Ran turned to look at the door, which was then forcefully pushed open.
Gu Xi appeared at the door almost instantly, her eyes still brimming with anticipation and a hint of surprise. But those feelings froze when she saw who was inside. Her impeccably tailored suit was slightly disheveled, and it took her a while to say, "...Ranran?"
Lin Ran stared at him in astonishment, her face slightly pale. In that instant, she clearly saw disappointment in his eyes: "Who do you think it is?" she asked with a forced smile.
Gu Xi had calmed down, his voice flat: "No one," he said, turning around, "The glass here doesn't have holographic projections, it's too eerie, don't come here again."
The voice sounded more like a command than a discussion.
Lin Ran was startled by his tone, and followed him out of the music room in a daze. Looking at his indifferent back, her heart trembled: "Gu Xi..."
Gu Xi paused, her steps halting, but she never turned around.
Lin Ran bit her lip: "I wanted to find you."
Gu Xi remained standing in the same spot, without saying a word.
“I don’t know what’s different, but Gu Xi…” Lin Ran seemed to have mustered up her courage and said softly, “I want to start over with you, not because of a fit of pique or anything else.”
As she spoke, she looked at Gu Xi's back, which he never turned around, clenched her fists, walked forward, and hugged him.
Gu Xi froze upon noticing Lin Ran rushing towards her, her entire body tense like iron, and an uncontrollable feeling of rejection rose within her.
"Gu Xi, I don't know what happened, but, can we start from now on and face each other with a brand new self..." Lin Ran said softly, her hand timidly grabbing his arm, and she was about to walk in front of him.
But the moment her hand touched Gu Xi's arm, Gu Xi almost instinctively shook her hand off.
Lin Ran's hand froze in mid-air, her eyes filled with helplessness.
Gu Xi was also stunned for a moment, her hand instinctively touching the metal bones on her arm, her fingertips icy cold.
Looking at Lin Ran, whose eyes were filled with tears and whose figure was frail, he felt increasingly agitated and uneasy.
He himself didn't know what was wrong with him.
The woman he once longed for was now right in front of him, yet he felt utterly weary and exhausted.
In the past, tranquilizers had suppressed all his surging emotions, but now that there were no tranquilizers, his heart was even more stagnant than before.
He could no longer bring himself to expose all his secrets and weaknesses, and could only find a moment of relaxation when he returned to his room each day.
No one touches his deformed body and asks him, "Does it hurt?" No one gets up early every day just to have breakfast with him; no one waits at the door to give him a smile no matter how late he comes home; and no one tells him, "Don't be so lonely in the future." He seems... very lonely.
It feels like there's a huge hole in my heart that I can never fill.
“Gu Xi…” Lin Ran’s anxious voice came through.
Gu Xi turned around, finally managing only a hoarse "Excuse me" before getting up and returning to his room. Once the door was locked and he was alone in the large room, he took off his suit jacket and looked at the bones embedded in the flesh, and the slightly raised, purplish bloodstains around the bones, like bulging, terrifying veins...
He longed for someone to watch all this and then tell him that there was nothing to be afraid of.
Gu Xi couldn't fall asleep for a long time that night.
As soon as he closed his eyes, the sound of the piano pierced his eardrums.
In the dead of night, Gu Xi suddenly got up and, as if possessed, went into the music room. Looking at the empty piano in the center of the room, he quietly stepped forward, placed his hands on the keys, and played the extremely simple piece that he had taught Jiang Fei that night.
As the music began, Gu Xi's eyes glazed over for a moment.
He played the piano three times in front of Jiang Fei.
The first time, she overheard him and told him he didn't have to be lonely anymore. That time, he hugged her and almost kissed her.
The second time, she asked him to play a piece for her, and he agreed. This time, she sat barefoot on the piano and kissed him.
The third time, in that dilapidated tin shack, she asked him to teach her to play the piano, but after a kiss, she got engaged to someone else…
In a hazy vision, Gu Xi seemed to see a woman in a white short skirt, barefoot, sitting on the piano, her toes swaying back and forth, smiling brightly at him.
Despite her simple attire, her eyes held an exceptionally alluring charm.
Gu Xi's Adam's apple bobbed; it was just a thought, but her heart felt as if someone were gently tickling it with a peacock feather.
Perhaps he was thinking too much, because he didn't hear the door open or footsteps behind him until a soft voice said, "Gu Xi, why are you here so late..."
The woman's words were cut short before she could finish speaking.
The sound of the piano suddenly increased in volume, and then abruptly disappeared.
Gu Xi sat stiffly in her seat for a long time before slowly turning around. Her body, clad only in a silk nightgown, revealed a pale chest slightly exposed, showing two metal bones and deep purple, vein-like scars squeezed out along the edges of the bones.
Lin Ran covered her mouth, a soft gasp escaping from her fingertips.
Gu Xi only saw Lin Ran's terrified eyes and her trembling voice as she asked, "You, you're not human..."
Gu Xi glanced at her exposed bones, which looked particularly eerie in the night. The net-like bloodstains resembled extremely long, bright red leeches, which certainly didn't look like a human's.
He took a step toward Lin Ran.
Lin Ran quickly took two steps back.
Gu Xi stopped walking, looking at her expressionlessly without saying a word.
Lin Ran remained silent, her breathing becoming heavy. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out a single word from her fingertips: "I'm sorry." Then she turned and ran out quickly.
Gu Xi remained standing in the same spot, watching as the door to the music room was kicked open and then slammed shut.
"Gu Xi." It was as if someone was calling him from the piano behind him.
Gu Xi turned around, and the piano was empty; there was nothing on it.
He sat back down at the piano, but didn't play anything. He just sat there calmly, his light-colored long hair hanging messily over his forehead.
Sadness or anger?
It seems like none of them exist.
He suddenly remembered that there was once a woman who always seemed indifferent to the terrible marks on his body.
That night, Gu Xi didn't get up and leave until dawn, changing into a suit and going downstairs.
The staff quickly caught up: "Mr. Gu, Lin Jiu has escaped, and the research lab is still unable to contact him."
Gu Xi paused slightly, recalling Lin Jiu's situation that day.
An AI has developed its own consciousness and is delusional about becoming a human.
He, a human being, was told that he was "not human."
That's really funny.
He didn't say anything, got up and was about to leave, but then he seemed to remember something and looked towards the research lab next to him.
The experiments Jiang Fei conducted for him were done there.
Gu Xi got up and went into the research room, pulled up the data from that time, and looked at the video. Jiang Fei was lying in the experimental chamber. As the pain level gradually increased, her face turned pale and her body trembled slightly, but she still tried her best to stay awake and tell the researchers about the subtle changes in her body parts.
Later, even the researchers couldn't bear to tell her that she could talk about the pain.
But she remained silent throughout.
In the end, the researchers shook their heads, but couldn't help asking, "Ms. Jiang, why?"
Jiang Fei seemed to pause as well, and only when the researchers thought she had fainted did she whisper, "Because I like it."
Gu Xi suddenly stood up, her eyes darting frantically to the woman's weak face on the screen. Her hands, hanging limply at her sides, clenched tightly, yet she could not stop trembling.
He couldn't bear that kind of pain, so how did she endure it? How did she endure it for five whole days?
Because you like it?
If you like her, why did you get engaged to Ji Wei?
The next second, Gu Xi suddenly thought of something, her gaze darkened, and then she quickly walked outside.
He wanted to see her.
I really want to.
...
After several days of dramatic fluctuations, Gu Xi's favorability rating finally rose to 90.
When Jiang Fei received the news, she was preparing dinner for herself in the tin shack.
She suggested the tin shack herself, after all... whether it was the Gu family or the Ji family, all their houses were a ghastly white.
She grew tired of looking at it.
He thought Ji Wei wouldn't agree, but to his surprise, he actually agreed.
Even when Lin Jiu came along, he didn't object.
Jiang Fei neither welcomed Lin Jiu's arrival nor refused her.
Why not take advantage of a "free housekeeper"?
Although this free butler has lost an arm, he can still provide three meals a day.
However, Lin Jiu left after receiving a video call this evening, so dinner naturally fell to Jiang Fei.
When Gu Xi arrived at the tin shack, it was already late.
The door to the tin shack was tightly shut. Gu Xi stood at the door, her heart pounding with a strange mix of nervousness and secret delight.
—She did not live in the Ji family home.
After a long silence, Gu Xi finally raised her slightly sore hand and knocked on the door.
But after waiting for a while, there was still no movement inside.
Gu Xi paused, looked down at the fingerprint lock in front of him. For him, breaking into this was extremely easy. In just a moment, the fingerprint lock opened.
Gu Xi walked into the house and looked at the decor and the sofa in front of her.
The last time, it was right there, they were kissing each other.
The last time we were intimate.
There was a noise coming from the kitchen.
Gu Xi turned her head and looked at it, her gaze immediately fixed on it.
The kitchen was illuminated by only a dim yellow light bulb, a stark contrast to the bizarre blue-purple holographic images in the distance outside the window. The warm light bathed the room.
Jiang Fei, bathed in lamplight, stood there, scooping up the simple rice porridge with a spoon.
She was very quiet.
The lights seemed to dance on her hair, giving her skin a rosy glow.
At that moment, Gu Xi felt the empty hole in her chest being filled little by little.
Seemingly hearing the noise at the door, Jiang Fei didn't turn around, but casually said, "Help me get the canned food."
Her voice was low and husky, as if she were speaking to her husband.
Gu Xi was stunned for a moment before noticing a can of vegetables on the side.
He was silent for a few seconds, then actually took the can and handed it to her.
Jiang Fei smiled and accepted it, turning to say, "Thank you..."
She stopped speaking before she could finish, and the can in her hand fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Gu Xi's throat tightened.
This is the first time the two have met since their engagement party. How will she start the conversation?
But to his utter surprise, after the initial panic, Jiang Fei quickly calmed down and said calmly, "Mr. Gu."
A chill suddenly ran down Gu Xi's back.
Mr. Gu.
It was Mr. Gu again, a complete stranger, just like at the engagement party last time.
Jiang Fei waited a while but received no response. She bent down to pick up the can from the ground: "I didn't know Mr. Gu was coming today, so I didn't prepare anything. If there's nothing else..."
"Jiang Fei, if you keep talking like that, I'll really get angry," Gu Xi interrupted her expressionlessly.
Jiang Fei was taken aback, pursed her lips, and did not respond.
Gu Xi also quieted down, her gaze falling on the can in her hand.
Jiang Fei followed his gaze, smiled, and said, "Go out." With that, she turned off the electric heater and placed the canned food aside.
Gu Xi's Adam's apple twitched slightly.
She treated him as if he were a guest.
As Jiang Fei walked out of the kitchen and asked Gu Xi to sit on the sofa, he paused for a moment, as if he had remembered something, but quickly regained his composure.
Gu Xi, who had been paying close attention to her emotions, had a slight twitch in her eyes.
She was still bothered by everything that happened that night, that kiss...
“I haven’t told anyone your secret,” Jiang Fei suddenly broke the silence.
Gu Xi was taken aback, then her face darkened.
Did she think he came to see her because he wanted her to keep a secret?
Seeing that he remained silent, Jiang Fei added fuel to the fire: "If you don't believe me, you can completely erase that part of my memory..."
"Jiang Fei!" Gu Xi's voice suddenly rose.
Jiang Fei's eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at him, puzzled.
Gu Xi felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He wanted to ask, "What happens after that memory is deleted? As if nothing happened?" But when he met her gaze, he couldn't bring himself to ask.
Because of what he had done before: swapping her memories with Lin Ran's memories.
He did it.
"Besides that, don't you have anything to say to me?" Gu Xi looked at her.
Jiang Fei paused for a moment: "Now that I'm engaged to Ji Wei, it would be inconvenient for you to come again..."
"Jiang Fei!" Gu Xi felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. She looked directly at her and said in a hoarse voice, "About that experiment on my body, you really have nothing to say?"
Jiang Fei was stunned, and was about to shake her head.
"Who was the person who endured pain and torment for my sake?" Gu Xi abruptly interrupted her denial. "Who was the person who said 'because they like me' in the experimental pod?"
Jiang Fei's face paled, and she quickly lowered her gaze, looking guilty.
But she couldn't help but sneer inwardly. She only said "like," not "like him."
"Do you really think I don't know, Jiang Fei?" Gu Xi stood up. "Why don't you want anything? You've given so much, why don't you want even the slightest bit in return? Just ask for it."
"Even the engagement, right? For what? To make Lin Ran and me be together? You heard what Lin Ran and I said that day..."
"Gu Xi!" Jiang Fei interrupted him loudly, her eyelashes trembling nervously.
Inside the simple tin shack, only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
Just then, a knock on the door broke the silence.
Jiang Fei turned around as if she had been saved, quickly opened the iron gate, and then paused in surprise.
She never expected that Lin Jiu would disappear today, and the person who came would be Ji Wei.
He seemed very tired and weak, his eyes lifeless, only flickering with a hint of light when he saw her: "Feifei..."
Before Ji Wei could finish speaking, Jiang Fei stepped forward and took his arm, her voice affectionate: "You're back?"
Ji Wei was taken aback, her eyes filled with wild joy, but that joy froze when she saw Gu Xi inside the room, and then she looked at Jiang Fei.
He knew very well that he was being used again.
But he still gently took her hand: "Sorry I'm late today."
Watching the two behaving intimately, Gu Xi felt a burning rage in his chest, his hands clenched tightly, only the pain of his nails digging into his flesh allowing him to barely maintain his composure.
Unmarried couple.
From then on, they were a legally married couple.
But just watching them hold hands was unbearable for him.
"It smells so good, did you make dinner?" Ji Wei's voice came with a hint of surprise.
Jiang Fei scoffed inwardly, thinking, "This isn't for you to eat," but smiled sweetly on her face, "Yes, I'm waiting for you to eat together."
Ji Wei smiled happily; even if it was fake, he was still pleased.
I went into the kitchen, took out the rice porridge and canned food, and prepared the tableware.
Gu Xi swallowed the surging emotions in her throat, her eyes cold and sinister, with a faint red tinge at the corners.
Just now, she had never thought of having dinner with him, but now, seeing Ji Wei's practiced movements, the two of them were just like... a newlywed couple.
"Mr. Gu..."
Just as Jiang Fei was about to speak, Ji Wei interrupted her: "Dinner is simple, so we won't keep Mr. Gu."
Gu Xi stared intently at the two of them, her body as cold as ice, before finally turning around and striding towards the door.
The door slammed shut with a "bang," then quickly bounced back open.
Gu Xi walked out without daring to stop for even a second, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would be unable to resist destroying everything.
"Gu Xi." At this moment, Jiang Fei's two very soft words easily stopped him in his tracks.
Gu Xi stood frozen in place, a spark of fire rising inexplicably in her heart.
"Gu Xi, this is already very good," Jiang Fei said softly.
Gu Xi felt a sudden pause in her back, but did not respond, and continued walking briskly forward.
He didn't think it was good at all.
It is absolutely not allowed.
Gu Xi's favorability rating: 99.
Behind her, Jiang Fei leaned lazily against the doorway, watching Gu Xi's figure disappear into the alleyway. She smiled faintly to herself, and when she returned to the dining table, her expression had turned cold: "Where's Lin Jiu?"
Ji Wei paused slightly, staring at the dinner in front of her, and after a while whispered, "Can I stay here tonight?"
Jiang Fei was taken aback: "Ji Wei, we..."
"Just tonight." Ji Wei looked up, her eyes showing a hint of eagerness.
Only tonight, he wanted to look at her carefully and attentively.
Jiang Fei pursed her lips, then remained silent and sat back down.
Ji Wei looked at her with eyes full of surprise; he knew she had already tacitly agreed.
The two ate their dinner in silence, listening to the news broadcast from the black-and-white television, and watching the gloomy weather outside gradually turn to rain.
As night deepened, Ji Wei poured a glass of water and handed it to Jiang Fei: "Get some rest."
He watched as Jiang Fei drank the water without a second thought, her eyes becoming confused and then wandering before she finally fainted in his arms.
Ji Wei held her close; it seemed that only at this moment would she trust him completely and show no coldness.
After a long while, Ji Wei gently placed her on the bed and quietly stood by her side, gazing intently at her face: "Don't blame me for drugging you."
"You treated me the same way back then, didn't you?"
While he was unconscious, they concealed the fact that they had given him a new eye.
Jiang Fei, who was in a deep sleep, was unable to respond to him.
Ji Wei stayed by the bedside the whole time, and the lights in the room stayed on all night.
...
Outside the tin-roofed house.
Lin Jiu quietly curled up in the corner, her gaze fixed on the dim yellow light emanating from the tin shack. Her white clothes were already soaked by the rain, and her soft hair hung down over her forehead.
Even though he didn't feel cold, he felt a chill rising from the inside out.
Deadly cold.
His teeth chattered uncontrollably from the cold.
Today, Ji Wei contacted him.
He said he only needed one night to take a good look at Jiang Fei, because he might never have the chance to see her again.
He said he didn't want to stay by Jiang Fei's side at all, but he couldn't bear to leave her.
He also gave him a reason he couldn't refuse: he was Jiang Fei's fiancé, the only one qualified to spend his whole life with her.
Lin Jiu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes felt a little sore.
If he were a human, this would be a sign that he was about to cry.
But he didn't shed tears, so his eyes just felt sore and swollen.
A faint noise came from the alleyway next door.
Lin Jiu looked over there and saw a black sedan parked there in the night rain, its lights flashing.
It's very familiar.
Lin Jiu withdrew his gaze and looked back at the window of the tin shack.
He really, really likes Jiang Fei.
Lin Jiu's favorability rating: 99.
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