Chapter 116 The Reality of Them
Wen Chu woke up with a start, her whole body covered in sweat.
She looked around blankly at her surroundings. It was a small, cozy room with a photo of herself on the bedside table and a large, cute throw pillow on the bed.
She's back...
Wen Chu looked around in astonishment. Although it was a reassuring and familiar environment, her heart could not calm down for a long time.
Why?
Why are you back?
Why did you come back so suddenly?
Lu Ming's affection for her...is maxed out?
Wen Chu's body trembled slightly uncontrollably, as if she were still immersed in the cold seawater.
The next second, a voice came from above the room: "Congratulations, host, on successfully completing the mission! World 0814 will be permanently closed! We hope you will live well in the real world and actively eliminate any accumulated negative emotions!"
"Wait! Can I say a few more words to Lu Ming over there? How is he?" Wen Chu anxiously got up from the bed.
But after waiting for a long time, there was no sound from the room.
Wen Chu's eyes dimmed, and her heart emptied completely. It seemed she had no chance.
Lu Ming from that world simply disappeared.
She squatted down blankly, lost in thought for a long time, and warm tears flowed from her eyes, falling silently onto the sheets.
It was already daylight outside the window. To everyone else in the world, she had just had a deep sleep and a dream.
The dream is over, it's time to return to reality.
“If you want to cry, cry on my shoulder…” The phone on the bedside table suddenly vibrated, making Wen Chu’s heart skip a beat.
The familiar alarm clock sounded, but this time it heralded the end of the story.
It's 7:20. Today is a workday, so she has to get up and go to the company.
Wen Chu got out of bed listlessly, washing up while trying to calm herself down, and then took a taxi to the company—she was really not in a good state to drive.
On her way to the company, she felt inexplicably anxious and flustered, and even a little resistant. She was about to see Lu Ming in real life. How was she going to face him?
While aimlessly scrolling through her phone to relieve her stress, a caller ID suddenly popped up on the screen. Wen Chu glanced at it and saw it was the Big Devil.
The notification tone indicating the call was about to connect immediately made her panic.
Why would someone call her at this hour?
She hesitated for a while, recalling the tone of her voice when she spoke to the person earlier, and was about to reach out to answer the phone when it was disconnected.
Wen Chu's heart sank back down, and she couldn't quite describe how she felt.
Well, judging from their habits, if it's urgent, they'll probably call again in five minutes if they can't get through.
This person is a workaholic; he's probably already sitting in his office at this hour, probably wanting to talk to her about companion robots.
But she really didn't want to face someone first thing in the morning. She was thinking of taking the day off.
As always, Lu Ming wore a well-tailored black suit. As he walked into the company building, the employees who came towards him greeted him: "Good morning, President Lu!"
He absentmindedly hummed in agreement, staring at the red call log he had just hung up on, and pursed his lips.
The phone vibrated again, and Wen Chu's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and saw that this time it was her brother's phone that was displayed.
Her eyelids twitched, and she answered, "Hello? Brother."
Wen Heng: "Are you at work?"
"On my way. Why are you calling me so early?"
"Damn, I dreamt about you last night. It was a really long dream, but I can't remember exactly what it was about. It was like something happened to you, and I woke up crying. I had to call you right away to ask if you're alright."
Wen Chu smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern. I'm doing well."
"This is really weird. I reckon it's been a while since we last met. I'll treat you to a big meal this weekend."
"Okay, I'll definitely rip you off." Wen Chu joked around with the person for a while, chatted about their recent situations, and then hung up the phone.
A little while later, Yang Lan also sent a text message, saying that she dreamed about her and her father last night. In the dream, the man told her to take good care of herself before he passed away, so much so that she woke up with tears streaming down her pillow. She also asked Wen Chu when she was coming home for dinner. Wen Chu comforted her for a while and said that she would be back on the weekend.
Amidst layers of ripples in her heart, Wen Chuning gazed at the skyscrapers rushing past the window, then exhaled, her stiff shoulders relaxing.
The reality is still good; those who love her still love her, only one less.
Although that person originally held a very large place in her heart.
It's okay, it's okay. She can just open her eyes wide and try to find someone similar to him in real life, right?
Wen Chu didn't receive another call from Lu Ming until she reached the company building.
Looking at the familiar logo above the Baiyue Group building, Wen Chu still couldn't believe she had returned to reality.
She lowered her eyes, stood at the door for a minute, then concealed the emotions in her eyes and went inside.
As soon as she arrived at the technology department, she heard the employees greeting her familiarly, and the feeling of reality was instantly brought back. The year-long virtual experience began to fade away from her life.
Immediately afterwards, someone said, "Director Wen, the boss came over early this morning and asked you to come over. He specifically emphasized that you should come over as soon as you arrive at the company."
There have been a lot of negative reviews about the robot lately, and the whole company is on edge, afraid of being implicated. Lu Ming's words only make people think he's about to lose his temper.
Wen Chuxin's heart tightened, and she nodded: "Okay."
She took the elevator to the thirteenth floor and knocked on the door of the president's office.
"Come in."
The familiar voice coming from inside made Wen Chu's heart skip a beat.
She took a deep breath, composed herself, and walked in, speaking in a very serious tone: "Mr. Lu, you wanted to see me?"
As soon as she entered, the man's gaze shifted to her.
The man held a pen in one hand, then after a moment, he looked away from her, lowered his head to look at the contract, and casually asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night? Why do you have such dark circles under your eyes?"
"Huh? Really?" Wen Chu subconsciously touched her face. "Maybe... I guess so. Weren't we worried about how to optimize the robot lately?"
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, take it slow."
Wen Chu nodded: "Okay."
The air fell silent for a few seconds.
Wen Chu stood in front of the man, who then looked down and flipped through the documents.
Wen Chu's mind was filled with thoughts like, "And then what? Why did you call me here? Just to give me a word of encouragement?"
"Is there anything else?"
Lu Ming finally stopped, looked up at her again, and asked, "You... don't have anything to say to me?"
Wen Chu thought he was asking her for ideas, so she said, "Well... I plan to hold a meeting with the technical department staff today to discuss the direction of future optimizations. I do have some ideas on how to make improvements. Do you want to come and listen? Or should I have someone take the meeting minutes and show you the final discussion results?"
Lu Ming lowered his eyes again, making it impossible to see his expression: "Let's go together."
"Okay, I'll go prepare first and let you know later."
"Um."
"Shall I head out now?"
The man was silent for a few seconds, then hummed in agreement.
Wen Chu tilted her head and looked at the person for a moment, then took a few deep breaths to make her lungs feel better before walking out.
A colleague walked towards her and greeted her. Wen Chu composed herself, nodded and smiled back, and returned to her office to continue her work.
She wants to optimize the algorithm further and then put it into production, as a way of mourning this false memory.
It was indeed a dream, but what they created together was real and tangible.
So, it seems Lu Ming didn't look too well just now. Based on her previous speculation, he probably had a long "dream" last night, and probably suffered a lot in it, which is why he called her so early in the morning, seemingly to encourage her but actually to urge her to get to work.
Let's cheer each other on!
She forced herself to work up a high and buried herself in preparing the materials for the meeting.
She ran into Lu Ming again in the elevator at lunchtime. She greeted him calmly, then fell into a long silence.
The meeting lasted three hours in the afternoon, and she did the whole thing, analyzing the current data and shortcomings. Lu Ming sat next to her, acting as a listener.
Wen Chu was so captivated by his gaze that she choked up several times and forgot what to say next.
The man's eyes were deep and sharp, but they would soften occasionally, as if he were lost in thought. Wen Chu really couldn't guess what he was thinking.
But it's probably possible to tell that the other party is satisfied with her views.
After the meeting, a group of employees followed Lu Ming and Wen Chu out of the conference room.
Employee A muttered under his breath, "Did you notice? I felt like the boss was going to eat Director Wen alive the whole time. He was so serious that I was on pins and needles the whole time, and I didn't dare to breathe."
Employee B was also puzzled: "Yeah, but what Director Wen said was really good. I think it's amazing that he could come up with such a brilliant improvement in such a short time. Usually, the boss would give Director Wen his praise, but this time the boss didn't say anything. It just feels weird."
Employee C sighed, "Why worry about this? When has the boss ever really made things difficult for Director Wen? Instead of worrying about this, we should think about what to have for dinner. I've wasted too many brain cells in this meeting, and it's only four o'clock and I'm already hungry again."
Wen Chu returned to her office, gulped down a large mouthful of water, slumped into her chair, and stared at the ceiling. Just as she was about to call out to that person, there was a knock on her office door. She quickly sat up straight and said, "Come in."
The door opened, and there stood Lu Ming.
Her heart skipped a beat, relieved that she hadn't spoken too quickly.
"Mr. Lu, is there something you need?" she asked, standing up.
"You've had a hard day. How about I treat you to dinner tonight?"
"Huh?" Wen Chu almost doubted her ears. Her workload was actually not that bad, was it?
"You don't want to eat?"
"Um." Wen Chu hesitated for a couple of seconds before finally declining, "No need, this is all within my job responsibilities. If there are problems with the project, a large part of the responsibility lies with me anyway, there's no need for you to spend money."
"You? Am I very old?"
"Oh? No, no. It's polite language."
"Didn't you always call me 'you, you, you' before?"
"Um, it seems so..." Wen Chu's mind was actually a bit confused. She couldn't quite adjust to the change in their relationship and was afraid that her attitude towards people would be unusual.
But it seems like they've gone too far in trying to correct this.
She gave an awkward laugh: "You work so hard every day, is it wrong for me to show you some respect? I really can't go, it looks like it's going to rain today, I want to go home early, maybe next time?"
Lu Ming clenched his fists silently at his sides, then nodded, said "okay," and walked out.
The door closed again, and Wen Chu let out a heavy sigh. She looked at the various parameters on the computer screen, sat down again, and irritably held her head, letting out a low groan.
Everything is in chaos.
Why does she feel inexplicably nervous and have her heart pounding when she sees Lu Ming in real life?
This is a very bad situation.
She couldn't let her feelings for Lu Ming affect her work or reality.
She kept saying she wanted to go home early that night, but Wen Chu was incredibly annoyed. She could only numb herself by working with intense focus, and ended up working until 9:30 p.m.
Her fingers were still frantically typing on the keyboard until the sound of rain hitting the windowpane outside created a pattering, desolate sound. She glanced at the time and realized how late it was.
I also felt hungry.
Looking at the raindrops falling on the window, a wave of sorrow flashed through Wen Chu's eyes again. She stopped her work, packed up, and prepared to go home, but after searching for a long time in the office, she still couldn't find an umbrella.
She thought about it carefully and then remembered that she had carelessly left it in the car before, and she happened not to be driving today.
Wen Chu hissed, looking at the torrential rain pouring down outside the window with regret.
I checked the weather forecast, but I was still careless and didn't take it seriously.
She sighed, went downstairs, borrowed a small umbrella from the front desk, and prepared to walk to the intersection to hail a taxi.
She had only taken a few steps outside when a black car flashed its hazard lights. She glanced at it, and the window rolled down, revealing the driver's face.
"Didn't you say it would rain and we should go home early?" Lu Ming looked at her and asked in a low voice.
Wen Chu, her small figure huddled under the small umbrella, smiled shyly: "Once I get into work, I lose track of time. You—why are you only getting off work at this hour?"
Lu Ming glanced at Wen Chu's wet trouser legs: "Get in the car first."
"Um, are you going to give me a ride?"
Lu Ming stared at her with his dark but handsome eyes: "It's not the first time."
Wen Chu hesitated for a moment, then closed her umbrella and sat in the passenger seat. She took out a few tissues to wipe her hair and trouser legs. The temperature inside the car was very comfortable, keeping the heavy rain out and making her feel warm.
"Just drop me off at the next intersection, I'll take a bus home myself."
Lu Ming didn't respond, but simply turned the car around.
Wen Chu immediately knew that the other party meant to take her home directly.
She sighed inwardly and sat up straight, behaving herself properly. Knowing him as she did, Lu Ming disliked wasting time on trivial matters and wasn't one for formalities, so she didn't refuse.
She had hoped to end the day in silence, but unexpectedly, her stomach protested at an inopportune moment, growling loudly.
Wen Chu pressed her lower abdomen, feeling a strong hunger. She had only eaten two ounces of rice at noon and drunk a little water for dinner. She didn't really have much of an appetite, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own.
"Didn't you eat dinner? I already said, there's no rush for the rectification, no one's putting pressure on you." Lu Ming said calmly.
In the blink of an eye, the other person conjured up a small cake from nowhere and handed it to her.
Wen Chu paused for a moment, her mind racing. Had she accepted the cake or not? She thought she had. She took the cake and said thank you, "I'm impatient; I just want to get results quickly."
She was just about to open the cake box when she suddenly remembered that Lu Ming didn't like people eating in his car. Should she be more careful?
Seeing her hesitation, Lu Ming looked at her from a distance: "Don't you like it?"
"Don't you dislike people eating in your car?"
"Don't you completely disregard what I think?"
"Uh..." Wen Chu coughed.
Yes, she clearly knew it was a bad thing before, yet she still did it, making enemies and causing them pain as if it were a win. Now she's suddenly lost her mind, wanting to leave a gentler, more sensible impression...
Are you crazy?
"Wen Chu, what are you worried about?"
The man's words reached Wen Chu's ears without any apparent cause, yet they stirred up a great deal of turmoil in her heart.
She lowered her head and remained silent for a while before smiling, opening the cake box, and saying, "Then I'll eat it. Drive slowly, I'm afraid I'll get your car dirty."
The rain was still falling outside, constantly pattering against the car window. The passing cars were blurry, and the people inside the car were silent for a moment.
Throughout the journey, Lu Ming kept wondering why the other person could remain so calm, why she could be so indifferent when he stood in front of her, and even bear to refuse his invitation.
Clearly... the moment he sees her, he can't help but want to hug her tightly; the moment he can't see her, he becomes restless and can't do anything right. He has so much to say to someone, and that person almost fills his mind, while the woman can concentrate on holding a meeting in a very short time.
When he returned to reality and regained all his memories, a strong sense of loss overwhelmed him. He thought it was just an absurd but beautiful dream. Now that he was awake, he would have to continue his unrequited love that seemed to have no end in sight.
He was overjoyed when he saw the USB drive containing the optimized robot project in his pocket.
But after the initial joy, he quickly fell into fear. He learned about the system's purpose and Wen Chu's mission, and thus became even more confused about whether Wen Chu was sincere or not.
And does everything between them even count?
Could it be that her feelings for him were all fake from beginning to end, that she didn't love him in reality, nor did she love Lu Ming in that world, and was only doing it to go home and complete the tasks given by the system?
Now that it's all over, the woman didn't care at all.
Should he admit it? What if he does, and the status quo can't even be maintained?
Would he dare to gamble that Wen Chu has even the slightest different feeling for him in reality?
Now that Lu Ming has regained his memories of reality, will he be accepted by people? Will he be the kind of person they like?
But at this moment, he really wanted to pull the person closer to his arms, feel their real body temperature, and ask for a comforting kiss like before.
In reality, Lu Ming is a coward; he needs to think twice before he takes any action.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at Wen Chu's building.
The rain continued, and the temperature dropped a bit.
After finishing her cake, Wen Chu turned to Lu Ming and said, "Thank you for tonight. I'm leaving now."
Lu Ming did not respond.
Wen Chu didn't intend to wait for someone's permission. She just wanted to escape this cramped space as soon as possible. The perfume she was used to smelling filled her body, making her emotions surge.
So she picked up her umbrella, grabbed the car door handle, and tried to get out, only to find that the door was locked.
She turned her back to the person, took a silent breath, and then smiled and turned around to say, "Drive the car for a bit."
"It's still raining heavily outside. Let's wait for it to stop before we leave."
"No need... this distance is fine."
"Something's up," the man said suddenly, somewhat domineeringly.
Wen Chu was a little confused, but her own selfish desires prevented her from saying anything, "Okay..."
She wanted to get away from people, but then she felt that... staying here would provide some relief from the anxiety and soreness that kept welling up inside her.
After all, they are too similar.
Wen Chu was scrolling through her phone when she heard Lu Ming laugh out of nowhere, as if he was laughing in anger, or as if he was really helpless and had no other choice.
Wen Chu looked up, puzzled: "What are you laughing at?"
"Wen Chu," the man suddenly called her, his voice low and soft.
Wen Chu's heart skipped a beat: "Huh?"
"Has anyone ever told you that if someone is excessively nice to you, it's very likely that they have ulterior motives?" Lu Ming turned to look at her.
The man's voice was so calm and even, but Wen Chu's heart felt like it was being struck by lightning, and her soul trembled as well.
She stared blankly at the person, her breathing slowing down.
After a long pause, she stammered, "What... what kind of heart..."
"This heart."
The person in the driver's seat suddenly unbuckled their seatbelt, pressed against her, grabbed the back of her head without a word, and kissed her lips.
The cake box that was on her lap fell to the ground, eventually soiling the other person's car.
Lu Ming kissed her carefully and restrainedly, his hands holding the woman trembling slightly, as if afraid that she would be violently pushed away at any moment.
Wen Chu's cheeks were being cupped, her beautiful eyes wide open, as she blankly processed this enormous amount of information.
After the kiss, she tried to speak, but Lu Ming interrupted her urgently, saying, "Don't speak yet."
He pressed his head against her forehead, his Adam's apple bobbing, and asked in a tight, hoarse voice, "Before you ask anything else, can you tell me first, do you... dislike me like this?"
Wen Chu's eyes were misty, making them shine like black gemstones. She slowly, very slowly, shook her head.
His heart pounded so loudly it was deafening. Lu Ming's eyes flickered, and the corners of his mouth turned up in uncontrollable joy. He lowered his head again and deepened the kiss.
He tightened his grip on the person, as if trying to meld them into his own body.
Wen Chu felt breathless and gradually came to her senses. She let him kiss her for a while before pushing the man away, unable to believe it: "You..."
"It's me."
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Author's Note: Please, considering how hard the child has worked, give me some nutritional supplements! [Please][Please][Please][Please]
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