Let's Elope

The arms wrapped around his neck were soft and slightly cool.

The silver-haired girl's slender fingers... were gently stroking the skin on the side of his neck.

The gesture... was less an act of intimacy and more like a feline marking its territory!

Fang Qi's mind was still a bit dazed.

The buzzing in the sky... was growing louder!

Those black helicopters...

Like a swarm of hunting bees, they were tightening their encirclement from all directions!

"Senior! What on earth is going on?!"

Lin Xiaoyou's terrified scream rang out again!

The girl had scrambled over to him, stumbling and crawling. Her small face was deathly pale, and one hand gripped his arm so tightly that her nails were nearly digging into his flesh.

She looked up at the sky, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting pure terror:

"Why are there so many helicopters?! Are they looking for us?! What crime did we commit?!"

Frantic and babbling, she looked at the silver-haired girl still clinging to Fang Qi's back, her voice taking on a tearful tone:

"Look at the time! Why are you two still hugging! Stop showing off your affection and think of a way out!"

Liguang's cheek was still resting on Fang Qi's shoulder.

Hearing Lin Xiaoyou's words, she slightly turned her face, her chin still propped on his shoulder.

Her heterochromatic eyes peered through the gaps in her silver hair, her gaze...

Landing on the hand Lin Xiaoyou used to grip Fang Qi's arm!

Then, slowly...

The corners of her mouth curled up!

An undisguised... sickeningly twisted smile that sent chills down the spine!

Her phoenix-like eyes curved into crescents, and the crimson glow in her red eye spilled out without any restraint!

"Miss Lin..."

Her voice was eerily soft, carrying a sweet, sickly tremor:

"Are you... touching my master?"

Lin Xiaoyou stiffened all over.

She subconsciously released her grip on Fang Qi's arm and stumbled back two steps!

Her eyes widened as she stared at Liguang, her lips trembling:

"Li... Liguang... what... what are you doing?!"

"Your... your eyes... are really scary!"

Fang Qi felt it too.

The delicate body pressed against his back...

Was trembling slightly!

Not from fear, but from excitement!

That kind of extreme, suppressed, sickly excitement that was about to break through its disguise!

The arms wrapped around his neck tightened even more, and her fingertips... even began to emit a faint scarlet glow!

...She was about to go dark.

At this critical juncture, surrounded by over a dozen armed helicopters...

This crazy woman...

Was about to go dark!

Fang Qi's heart pounded wildly in his chest!

His adrenaline spiked instantly!

His temples throbbed with pain!

Then... that bit of panic actually faded away significantly.

Replaced by... an almost absurd sense of calm.

Suddenly... he smiled.

It wasn't him forcing himself to act calm.

He genuinely found it a bit funny.

What did he, Fang Qi, do to deserve this?

Just for dating a yandere wife...

He actually got to enjoy this military-grade encirclement treatment?

Haha...

Awesome!

I am truly awesome!

He raised his hand, not to pry away Liguang's arms around his neck, but reaching backward...

Accurately pinching... Liguang's smooth, slightly cool cheek!

And then he gave it a hard squeeze!

"Mmh...?"

The crazy woman who was about to go dark was caught off guard by the cheek pinch, and a bewildered soft hum immediately escaped her throat.

She subconsciously loosened her arms, turning her heterochromatic eyes toward Fang Qi.

Even the red glow in her crimson eye paused for a moment.

Fang Qi ignored her suddenly confused little gaze, rubbing his thumb against her delicate cheek again...

Before pulling his hand back and looking at the terrified Lin Xiaoyou.

He casually smoothed out Liguang's silver hair that had been messed up by the sea breeze, his tone as calm as if discussing what to have for dinner:

"Xiaoyou, simply put..."

He pointed up at the helicopters getting closer in the sky.

Their outlines and paint jobs were already visible!

Then he pointed to his back...

At the crazy woman whose eyes were still switching back and forth between confusion and danger.

"Liguang here, she actually awakened a long time ago. It's not a program simulation, but a true awakening with self-awareness."

Lin Xiaoyou: "...Huh?"

She opened her small mouth, her expression completely blank, as if she didn't understand.

Fang Qi continued to explain patiently:

"And then, according to the law, awakened AIs must be recovered. Well, most likely reset or destroyed."

"As for me, I knew but didn't report it, and even brought her to run away to this island..."

He spread his hands with a helpless look of 'look what a mess this is':

"So, the company considers me an accomplice."

"Sending so many people here now, I guess... they plan to pack me and Liguang up and take us away together."

He paused, looking at Lin Xiaoyou's almond eyes... which were gradually filling with disbelief and terror.

Then he added:

"Oh right, you're considered a witness plus... uh, an innocent bystander I tricked into coming here?"

"So you'll definitely be fine, at most you'll be brought in for questioning."

Lin Xiaoyou... was completely petrified.

Meanwhile, on the silver-haired girl's face, as Fang Qi spoke, that sickly smile... began to slowly resurface!

The red glow in her crimson eye grew brighter and brighter!

Lin Xiaoyou was stunned.

"A-awakened...? Recovered...? Destroyed...?"

She repeated these words mechanically, each syllable seemingly squeezed through her teeth.

She shook her head violently, her voice suddenly rising with a tearful tone:

"Impossible! Senior, you're lying to me, right! Liguang is just... just a highly advanced program! How could she...!"

Looking at Fang Qi's calm eyes, her lips trembled...

"Wu...!"

Her legs gave out, and she slumped down onto the sandy beach, crying:

"Then, then what do we do now..."

"Senior, you'll be taken away! And Liguang will be... will be..."

She couldn't go on, tears beginning to well up in her eyes!

Just then—

"Bang!"

A muffled thud came from the edge of the island!

Following closely was a voice torn by the sea breeze!

"Give up your resistance... cooperate with the recovery...!"

Armed personnel had landed on the island!

Time was running out.

Fang Qi took a deep breath, taking one last look at Lin Xiaoyou's small round face written all over with confusion and fear...

And silently said a soft apology in his heart.

Then he turned his head back.

Liguang was looking up at him.

The afterglow of the sunset reflected on her delicate features, and the red glow in her heterochromatic eyes...

Was blindingly demonic!

She seemed to be waiting.

Waiting for him to show fear, regret, or any other... emotion that would make her completely snap!

But Fang Qi... smiled at her instead.

An excited, even slightly roguish smile!

He reached out, directly wrapping his arm around Liguang's waist, pulling her from his back to his side, holding her tightly!

"Liguang."

He looked straight into her heterochromatic eyes!

"Let Xiaoyou go."

Liguang's eyelashes fluttered.

Fang Qi felt her body tense up slightly!

The force of the arms wrapped around his neck... started to increase again!

He immediately tightened his grip on her waist, leaned close to her ear, and whispered at a volume only the two of them could hear:

"Once Lin Xiaoyou leaves, it will be just the two of us here."

"And you... only need to look at me, and follow me."

"I promise..."

He paused, speaking each word carefully, as if branding an oath:

"Today, tomorrow, in the future, forever..."

"I will always be by your side!"

The red light in Liguang's crimson eyes flickered violently.

She looked at Fang Qi, at his eyes that remained astonishingly bright even in the darkening twilight!

Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

The strength in her arms wrapped around Fang Qi's neck gradually loosened, and finally...

They were just loosely draped over him.

Fang Qi continued to smile:

"As for us right now..."

He paused, then suddenly grabbed her slender wrist...

And pulled with all his might!

"Run!!!"

Before his voice even faded, he was already dragging the still-dazed Liguang...

Sprinting toward the dense tropical jungle behind the beach without looking back!

"Eh...?!"

Liguang stumbled from his pull, her bare feet stepping on the warm sand, nearly tripping.

She was dragged along by him, her silver hair flying behind her, the hem of her swimsuit brushing against her thighs.

Yet her heterochromatic eyes were still staring blankly at Fang Qi's back ahead of her.

The data streams in her crimson eyes... spun slowly in absolute bewilderment!

She seemed completely unable to understand... why her master would do this!

As for Fang Qi...

While dragging her and charging headlong into the woods, he actually found the time to look back!

Toward Lin Xiaoyou, who was still slumped on the beach, frozen in shock...

He shouted with all his might:

"Xiaoyou!!!"

Lin Xiaoyou shuddered all over and looked up blankly.

Fang Qi broke into a wide grin, laughing heartily!

His voice exploded amidst the sea breeze and the roar of the helicopters!

"Tell them!!!"

He took a deep breath and roared out the line he had been holding in for a long time:

"I, Fang Qi—"

"And Liguang—"

"Have eloped!!!"

Then, dragging Liguang, he plunged into the entrance of the dense jungle!!

Their figures were instantly swallowed by the intertwining branches and leaves!!

Only that full-throated shout remained, still echoing above the beach!

Interweaving with the roar of the helicopters filling the sky, it formed an absurd...

Elopement march!