Need a Reason

Lin Xiaoyou sat there blankly.

Her round face was covered in tears, and her almond eyes looked at him without focus.

Her lips were slightly parted, repeatedly murmuring something.

"Do I deserve to like Senior..."

"Do I deserve it..."

The voice was so soft it could barely be heard, like an injured little animal whimpering.

Fang Qi looked at her like this... and felt a slight tightness in his chest.

He had originally wanted Lin Xiaoyou to think—

Whether her feelings for "Senior" were because she truly understood him and needed him, or simply because of her setting.

But looking at it now...

She hadn't thought in that direction at all!

What she thought was—

If I can't find a reason to like Senior, then... do I not deserve to like him?

...What is this?

Fang Qi sighed in his heart.

Would a normal person think like this?

...She was still trapped too deeply in her setting.

In her subconscious, she still believed she was supposed to like "Senior"!

Not being able to find a reason didn't mean she shouldn't like him... it meant she didn't deserve to like him.

This kind of thinking...

It really left one at a loss.

...Is this a setting? Is this the fate of an NPC?

This directive to "like the player" was probably just like Liguang's initial directive of "not exposing her awakening in front of the player"...

Equally deeply rooted!

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the silver-haired girl beside him.

Liguang was sitting very obediently right now, a submissive smile on her pretty face.

One small hand rested obediently on her lap, while the other was gently held by him.

He lightly squeezed the soft little hand in his palm.

That little hand moved slightly but remained quietly in his palm.

Such a good disguise.

It was just like... the Liguang he first met.

But he knew that Liguang had already broken free from that directive.

...The price was an unforgettable "nightmare."

Fang Qi withdrew his gaze, refocusing on the dazed girl across from him.

He truly wanted Lin Xiaoyou to see herself clearly.

But he couldn't exactly tell her directly—"You don't really like me, you're just a game NPC, and your feelings are written in your code"—could he?

So...

He could only phrase it differently!

"Xiaoyou."

His voice softened a bit:

"I'm not saying you can't like me, nor am I saying your feelings are wrong."

"I just mean, if you can't even articulate why you like me, then this kind of liking..."

He paused...

And said something a bit harsh:

"Could it just be a momentary impulse?"

Lin Xiaoyou's eyelashes fluttered as she stared blankly at Fang Qi.

Her whole body instantly stiffened, as if she had been struck hard by something!

She sat there blankly, like a kitten abandoned in the rain...

Exuding an air of helpless wretchedness.

Her lips trembled slightly, and the light in those red, teary almond eyes... slowly dimmed.

Seeing her like this... Fang Qi felt a pang of pity.

He knew his words just now were indeed a bit harsh.

But he gritted his teeth and continued:

"This kind of impulsive liking comes fast and goes fast."

"When that impulse passes and you look back, you might find that you actually don't feel that way about me..."

"Bang!"

His words were interrupted by a muffled thud!

Across the coffee table, her ponytail-wearing best friend suddenly stood up!

She didn't roar like before, but just leaned her hands on the table, her head lowered... her shoulders trembling slightly!

"Enough...!"

Her voice trembled, every word seemingly squeezed through her teeth!

She just kept her head down, her voice trembling more and more:

"Really... enough...!"

"Do you know... how Xiaoyou has spent these past few days...!"

"During the days you were missing, she held her phone every day waiting until two or three in the morning... then got up at six to check for messages..."

"During lunch, she would just stare blankly at her phone, not even touching her food after it got cold..."

"When I asked her what was wrong, she just smiled and said nothing... and then kept staring at her phone..."

She raised her head, her eyes red, glaring fiercely at Fang Qi!

That originally somewhat introverted face was now filled with anger and heartache!

"Do you know how happy she was to finally see you today?!"

"When she ran over from the other side of the mall, she almost tripped! Just to see you sooner!"

"But you... but you..."

Her voice choked up, she sniffled hard, staring fixedly at Fang Qi:

"Why would you ask her that?!"

"Even if you don't like Xiaoyou... even if you just reject her directly!"

"Why... why make her feel like she... doesn't deserve to like someone?!"

Fang Qi opened his mouth.

That wasn't what he meant...

His meaning was... was...!

Sigh...

Why is it so hard even to reject someone...!!

The best friend was still glaring at him:

"You are really too much!"

With that, she grabbed Lin Xiaoyou's wrist!

"Xiaoyou, let's go!"

"Stop wasting time with this kind of person!"

Lin Xiaoyou was pulled up just like that!

She stumbled, her whole body leaning forward.

Then, her steps unsteady and her eyes vacant...

Like a puppet on strings, she was passively led away, staggering behind her best friend.

But after a few steps, she suddenly stopped...

And forcefully pulled back on her best friend's hand!

Bringing her best friend to a halt as well.

"Xiaoyou?"

The best friend turned around, looking at her with heartache.

There was also a trace of... frustration at her foolishness in her eyes!

The expression seemed to say...

How could I have such a love-struck best friend!!

With so many men in the world, why must she cling to this one!!

Lin Xiaoyou stood in place.

With her back to Fang Qi, her frail shoulders trembled slightly.

Fang Qi watched her trembling back and instinctively tightened his grip on Liguang's hand.

In his palm, that soft little hand gently squeezed back.

And Lin Xiaoyou...

She finally turned around slowly to look at him.

Her eyes were red, there were tear tracks on her cheeks, and the tip of her nose was red too.

On that round little face... she squeezed out a somewhat forced smile.

Trembling slightly, with tears still falling, she desperately pulled the corners of her mouth up.

She just looked at him with that smile, then sniffled hard.

"Senior..."

Her voice was hoarse, thick with a nasal tone.

But every word was spoken very clearly:

"Even though you asked me that, even though you said it might just be a momentary impulse..."

"I still feel..."

She sniffled again, and that smile was forcibly maintained for another second.

Her voice also took on a bit of forced vitality:

"Liking someone is just a feeling!"

"Feelings don't need a reason anyway!"

Fang Qi looked at her without speaking.

The little hand in his palm rested quietly, its slender fingers no longer tapping the web of his hand.

It just curled obediently in his palm, gently allowing him to hold it.

Lin Xiaoyou sniffled again, another tear falling down, but she was still smiling.

"I will think about it carefully after I go back... think carefully about what you said, Senior."

"But—"

She looked at him, her red, teary almond eyes unexpectedly carrying a hint of stubbornness.

"I won't agree with your way of thinking!"

"I feel... liking someone just doesn't need a reason!"

"If you must have a reason to like someone..."

She tilted her head slightly, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Then perhaps there is no true affection in this world?"

After saying that, she didn't wait for Fang Qi to answer and immediately turned around.

Supported by her best friend, she walked away step by step.

Her ponytail still bobbed behind her head, her steps a bit messy, a bit weak... and somewhat hurried.

It was as if if she didn't leave quickly, that forced smile would completely collapse.

Fang Qi sat in his seat, silently watching her somewhat stumbling figure from behind.

Until the backs of the two girls disappeared at the entrance of the cafe.

Then he withdrew his gaze, his eyes falling on the cup of coffee that had already gone cold in front of him.

...Does it really not need a reason?

He picked up the cup and took a sip.

Bitter.

Awful.

Not as good as the tea brewed by Liguang.

He put down the cup, leaned back in his chair, and sighed softly.

Loving someone doesn't need a reason?

He didn't agree with that.

He had always believed that even the most selfless love needed a reason.

Like parents' love for their children...

The reason is blood ties.

If this blood connection wasn't there, he didn't think his parents would always love someone like him...

A bastard who, since childhood, only knew how to spend money, ask for money, and throw tantrums, who only knew how to take and not give, and who lived so far from home after growing up, only visiting once a year.

...And now, this bastard had decided to immerse himself in this world and didn't plan to go back.

The love between a man and a woman...

That needed a reason even more!

If it was just a vague feeling, it was nothing more than a momentary impulse, just the rose-tinted glasses of the honeymoon phase.

That kind of emotion would only fade under the wash of time, ultimately...

Most would choose to break up or get a divorce.

Well, this was a very common situation, many people had experienced it, or were currently experiencing it.

You couldn't say it wasn't true feelings and affection.

Humans are creatures that live in the present; an impulsive crush is also the truest emotion of the moment.

Liking someone's personality, liking someone's gentleness, even liking someone's face, liking someone's money...

How could you say that wasn't liking them?

There was nothing wrong with it.

From a macroscopic perspective, these were all just foreplay for the reproduction of the human race.

It's just that...

Compared to the memories and feelings between him and Liguang... these were indeed too far apart.

He now felt that he was just...

It's hard to go from luxury to frugality.

After experiencing Liguang's love, he now felt that young couples dating was like playing house...

Not to mention Lin Xiaoyou's affection, which was a clear setting from the very beginning.

It couldn't even be considered a momentary impulse; it was just an obsession with the player bestowed upon her by the program.

It was just... a line of code.

So he couldn't respond to her.

So he wanted her to wake up and truly pursue her own happiness.

It's just...

Sigh...

Trying to break through an NPC's underlying logic was still too difficult; it simply wasn't something he could achieve with just a few words!

He shook his head, pulled his thoughts back, and turned his head to look at the silver-haired girl beside him.

Liguang was currently sitting quietly.

That small hand was still obediently held in his palm, and her heterochromatic eyes were looking at him.

Her amber left eye held a soft light, while the data stream in her crimson right eye flowed smoothly.

Docile, obedient, and harmless.

Since just now, she hadn't had any unnecessary reactions.

No jealousy, no pinching him, and none of those little actions.

She just sat quietly beside him, letting him hold her hand.

Now that Lin Xiaoyou had left, he looked at her...

She even tilted her head slightly, her lips pursed into a standard gentle smile, like an AI companion who had never awakened.

This made Fang Qi pause for a moment.

...Huh?

Crazy woman...

Why are you suddenly being so good?