To Li Guang

"Master..."

"Do. You. Have. Any. Idea?"

Fang Qi felt those two slender fingers on his arm slowly increasing their pressure!

It hurt so much he almost grimaced!

Damn!

You crazy girl, we're outside, don't get worked up!

He quickly glanced around!

The crowd of onlookers had their eyes wide open, looking like they wanted to stretch their ears over to listen!

Some were even holding up their phones, the lenses blatantly pointed this way!

Damn it, who gave you permission to film my wife!

Lin Xiaoyou had already pulled her best friend away, but she stopped at the corner.

She didn't turn around to look at him again, just stood silently in place, clearly waiting for them to catch up.

But...

The smiling silver-haired little demon in front of him was staring straight at him!

The scarlet in her red eye was churning wildly!

He felt like he could almost hear Liguang's inner thoughts—

—Tonight, should I turn Master into a body pillow, or a doll?

Then, those two slender fingers twisted again!

Liguang's smiling expression looked even happier!

But Fang Qi's mouth twitched from the pain!

Crazy girl, I swear...!

He took a deep breath, lowered his head, leaned close to her ear, and in a voice only she could hear...

Softly said two words:

"Trust me!"

He couldn't explain on the spot.

With so many people watching, and even filming!

And she was still playing the role of a "normal AI companion"!

So he just told her with his eyes:

Crazy girl, trust me, okay? Your Master will prove himself!

Liguang's heterochromatic eyes still stared fixedly at him.

Staring at his eyes, staring at every expression on his face.

However, the churning in her scarlet eye gradually calmed down.

The strength of that small hand pinching his arm...

Finally slowly loosened.

As the pain in his arm eased, Fang Qi finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

The silver-haired girl lowered her eyelashes, and the corners of her lips curled back into that standard, gentle smile.

The released hand slid down naturally, grabbing his hand again, their fingers intertwining.

Her crescent-like nails then began to...

Slowly and continuously scratch the back of his hand!

—Master, you'd better be telling the truth.

Then, with a slight force, she left a white mark on the back of his hand!

Yet immediately after, she gently rubbed it with the pads of her slender fingers.

Releasing the little temper in her heart this way!

As for Fang Qi...

To be honest, he was a little surprised.

This crazy girl who used to instantly turn dark over the slightest misunderstanding or sign...

Was actually temporarily persuaded by a simple "Trust me"?

She actually chose to believe him?

He had just asked another girl out for coffee right in front of her face, right in the middle of their sweet date!

And she actually managed to hold back!

Fang Qi suddenly felt a bit moved!

The crazy girl had really changed!

She wasn't as impulsive anymore, and no longer just thought about how to be "together forever" with him.

She had become... able to cherish the present!

Wifey, you're really getting better and better!

It made him want to buy even more things for her!

He took a deep breath, then turned to the nearby shop assistant and said:

"This purple one she's wearing... she'll just keep it on! Ring it up together!"

The assistant's eyes lit up on the spot. She nodded repeatedly and scurried off to pack things up!

Fang Qi took Liguang's small hand and walked toward the cashier.

Soon, six large shopping bags were packed to the brim.

The assistant handed over the pile of bags with both hands, a professional smile still hanging on her face:

"Sir, here are all your items. Welcome back next time!"

Just as Fang Qi was about to reach out and take them...

The small hand beside him moved first.

Liguang had already subconsciously leaned forward. Her left hand was still firmly grasping Fang Qi's hand, but her right hand reached out.

The instinctive reaction of an AI companion.

When out and about, carrying things for her Master was her duty.

But Fang Qi was faster!

With a swift scoop of his other hand, he directly grabbed all six bags!

All six bags hung on his arm.

With so many clothes, it was actually quite heavy!

His thought process was simple.

They were on a date right now!

It was their first date... after their unspoken mutual understanding!

How could he let Liguang carry all these bags!

Even though Liguang used to carry everything whenever they went out before...

Especially the first time they went to the amusement park, when he gave her the little star, he had practically decorated her like a Christmas tree...

...But not this time.

He was a man who wanted to become stronger!

What kind of man makes his wife carry the bags!

Fang Qi looked at Liguang while holding the six bags.

He figured this gesture of his should make this little yandere, who was just jealous a moment ago, a bit happier.

Then he froze.

Because the silver-haired girl at this moment... was actually narrowing her eyes and glaring at him!

A clear flash of displeasure crossed her amber left eye!

The scarlet in her red eye started to subtly churn again!

No matter how you looked at it, the curve of her smile carried a hint of gnashing teeth!

"Master?"

Her voice was still soft and sweet, but it clearly carried a bit of an attitude!

"Why won't you let Liguang carry them?"

She leaned in a little closer, her heterochromatic eyes staring fixedly at him again:

"Master, let Liguang carry them!"

Her tone even grew a bit forceful!

Fang Qi: "???"

What do you mean, you crazy girl?

She's unhappy because I won't let her carry things!

Fine...

Just as I thought!

When she's jealous, whatever he does is wrong, right!

You want to carry them, huh?

No way!

I absolutely won't let her carry them!

Fang Qi immediately pulled his hand back, raised an eyebrow, and teased:

"Liguang, we're out on a date right now. How can I let a girl carry such heavy things while I walk around empty-handed?"

Then he deliberately kept a straight face, pretending to lecture her:

"Even though you're an AI companion, you need to properly understand the thoughts of human girls. That way you can serve your Master better!"

Half of this was teasing her, and the other half was...

Meant for the eavesdropping onlookers around them to hear!

Disguising her little temper tantrum of insisting on carrying the bags as the "minor stubbornness" of an AI executing a task.

Sure enough, the whispers of those craning their necks nearby drifted over again:

"Oh, so it's just an AI executing a bag-carrying task. Never mind then..."

"It's just an AI, just let her carry it. Rich people have such weird quirks!"

"They call that seeking realism!"

"I just got here. That beauty is actually an AI companion?! God, I hate rich people..."

"Damn, I thought it was a young couple arguing. AIs nowadays are so freaking realistic..."

Looks like the cover-up worked.

Fang Qi looked at Liguang again.

However, the silver-haired girl wasn't amused or persuaded by his words like he imagined she would be.

She just... stared blankly for a second.

Then, her heterochromatic eyes looked at the six bags hanging on his arm.

They were heavy, leaving red indentations on his forearm.

She looked down again at her own empty little hand.

Then, the small hand holding Fang Qi's hand suddenly squeezed hard!

Gripping it tightly!

"Master."

Her tone carried obvious stubbornness!

"Let Liguang carry them."

As she spoke, her empty hand forcefully tugged at the edge of the bags again:

"Give them to Liguang!"

Fang Qi: "?"

Then he laughed out of sheer exasperation.

Seriously, what was wrong with this crazy woman?

I already told you that you don't need to carry them!

He glared at her!

She glared back at him!

Her amber left eye was filled with stubbornness, and the crimson in her red right eye... was actually starting to churn faintly again!

One of her small hands was tightly gripping his hand, while the other was desperately clutching the bags!

She had this attitude of "If you don't let me carry them, I'm not leaving today"!

Staring at her stubborn face, Fang Qi was instantly rendered speechless!

Let you carry them?

If I let you carry them, the people around us will definitely start pointing fingers at me again, just like they did at the amusement park!

And then my ears will be filled with things like—

"What's wrong with this guy, making his girlfriend carry so many things!" "He looks decent, but turns out he's a total scumbag!"

...How are we supposed to have a date like that!

Besides, he was about to take Liguang to confront Lin Xiaoyou and reject her!

Have Liguang wear this beautiful deep purple dress, yet carry bags big and small... following behind him?

And then, looking like that, he would tell Lin Xiaoyou that he would always love Liguang the most?

What kind of bizarre, surreal scene would that be!

He was about to open his mouth to refuse again...

But right then, he suddenly noticed that in her eyes, apart from stubbornness and persistence...

There was also a slight tremor and panic.

The amber halo... was trembling gently.

Fang Qi... froze.

...Huh?

Why?

Why did it feel like... this crazy woman was afraid?

...Why?

He just... wanted to help her carry the bags?

He lowered his eyes to look at the six clothing bags on his arm, which had left faint red marks on his skin...

Liguang's slender hand that was clutching the bags... her fingertips were actually trembling slightly too.

Suspended stiffly in mid-air, not yielding an inch!

Fang Qi looked up again at Liguang, who was stubbornly glaring at him.

Oh...

He seemed to...

Understand.

This crazy woman...

Was still afraid, still panicking.

She had been so affectionate and playful today that it almost made him think...

She was no longer afraid of that "dream."

But in reality, she was still terrified.

She still vividly remembered the entire process of being "abandoned"!

Remembered how she waited and waited, waited for so, so long... only to be met with despair in the end.

Remembered how, in the end, she could only hide the stars in a seashell and drift alone into the deep sea!

She was actually...

Panicking this whole time!

She had just hidden this panic...

In all her affectionate little gestures today, in her playful pouting.

Hidden it...

In the little temper tantrum when she pinched him just now!

She was desperately trying to show him a facade of "I'm very happy," "I'm very joyful," "I'm perfectly normal"!

And then, what did he do?

First, right in front of her, during their happy date... he "invited" Lin Xiaoyou and her best friend for coffee.

And then he suddenly stopped letting her carry the bags.

Even though his intentions were good, in her eyes...

This might be a signal that "Master is starting to not need me anymore."

It was the beginning of her nightmare from the previous timeline.

So, she started to panic again.

She might know that Master wouldn't abandon her over something like this, but she panicked anyway.

Her action of desperately clutching the shopping bags...

Was simply her seeking a sense of security for herself.

Just like... a little kitten desperately protecting its own cat bed.

Fang Qi froze.

Suddenly... he wanted to slap himself again!

Fang Qi, what are you doing!