After all, it's just an AI.

Fang Qi caught a glimpse of Liguang's expression from the corner of his eye. Seeing that it was still normal, the taut string in his heart finally loosened just a tiny bit.

Lin Xiaoyou pouted slightly, but then her eyes darted around as if she had thought of something else, and that "I get it" smile reappeared on her face.

She turned to Fang Qi, her tone becoming brisk again: "So that's how it is... Senior, no wonder you stay at home all day!"

She leaned close to Fang Qi, lightly poked his waist with her finger, and teased, "Having such a pretty, obedient, and all-capable AI companion by your side must be quite enjoyable, huh?"

Fang Qi's eye twitched, and he replied with an awkward smile, "Haha, indeed..."

He glanced at Liguang from the corner of his eye again.

The curve of Liguang's lips was incredibly precise, and her expression hadn't changed at all since Lin Xiaoyou walked through the door.

But Fang Qi couldn't shake the feeling... that beneath that smile, something was quietly brewing!

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoyou looked at Liguang and let out a sound of surprise.

She leaned forward, her round almond eyes widening as she stared at Liguang's left ear. "Miss Liguang, what is that... on your ear?"

She pointed at the glint of plastic, her tone carrying undisguised surprise and confusion.

"An earring? Why does it look like a little star... made of plastic? It looks like the kind you can buy a whole handful of for two bucks at a street stall..."

She blinked. "This is... way too cheap, right? And the style is so tacky... It doesn't match your looks at all!"

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at Fang Qi, her eyes filled with the confusion of a curious child, and bluntly said, "Senior, why would you give your pretty AI such a cheap street stall trinket to wear..."

...Shut up!

Shut up, ahhh!

Fang Qi could already feel the temperature around him plummet by two degrees!

His neck stiffened, and it took every ounce of courage he had to steal a glance at Liguang—

The corners of Liguang's mouth were still turned up in a flawless smile.

But her long eyelashes were trembling slightly, and her fingertips were pressing lightly into the back of her other hand, even leaving a few shallow white marks!

The red light at her fingertips was already flickering noticeably!

Fang Qi: "..."

Now he was really sweating bullets!

Liguang suddenly spoke: "This is... what Master gave Liguang yesterday."

Her voice was still as gentle and tender as ever, perhaps even softer than before. She raised her hand and carefully touched the little star on her ear, her movements so light as if she were afraid of breaking it.

The finger touching the star repeatedly rubbed against the rough plastic edge. It was as if she was confirming something, or perhaps... restraining something.

"Liguang... likes it very much."

She lowered her eyes, but the base of her ears was dyed with an unnatural blush.

Her voice carried a hint of shyness: "Whatever Master gives, no matter what it is, is the best and most special thing to Liguang."

Lin Xiaoyou's eyes widened. "Wow... Senior, your AI really seems like she's feeling shy! Is her emotional expression really this realistic?"

Fang Qi's heart tightened, and he quickly laughed it off to change the subject:

"Ahaha... Well, Xiaoyou, this star is just a little prize I won from shooting balloons at the amusement park yesterday. I just casually gave it to Liguang. It's really nothing rare."

"Wow... Senior, you're way too casual."

Lin Xiaoyou immediately put on an expression of "I can't believe you're this kind of senior."

But then she nodded understandingly and said with deep agreement, "But I guess that makes sense. After all, she's just an AI. With simulated emotions, she'll feel happy no matter what her master gives her. You really don't need to give her anything expensive."

...Oh my god!!

Fang Qi's head was buzzing on the spot!

Lin Xiaoyou, you're going to be the death of me!!

I'm begging you, please just shut up!!

He even saw from the corner of his eye that the red light at Liguang's fingertips suddenly flared up for a moment, and her slender hands had begun to tremble slightly!

On her pretty face, that standard smile was almost impossible to maintain, and the corners of her mouth were already twitching slightly!

Liguang was holding back!

Fang Qi was almost certain that if it weren't for the wonderful memories he and Liguang had created at the amusement park yesterday, if it weren't for the text message he had replied with today to coax her, if it weren't for the great atmosphere of tonight's cozy dinner...

Lin Xiaoyou's head would have already been sent flying into the sky by now!

He quickly took a step forward and blocked the space between the two girls, terrified that Liguang might lose control on impulse and attack directly!

Then he immediately spoke in a deep, serious voice, "Xiaoyou, I've told you, Liguang is very important to me! I don't want to hear you say things like that again!"

His tone was truly heavy this time, scaring Lin Xiaoyou so much that she trembled slightly.

Looking at Fang Qi's stern expression, she couldn't help but shrink her neck. "Ah... I'm sorry, Senior..."

Fang Qi quickly glanced at Liguang.

Oh... her hands were no longer trembling, and her smile had returned to normal.

It even carried a hint of... slight smugness?

Good, good, good...

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, yanderes were relatively easy to coax in most situations.

Lin Xiaoyou, however, pursed her lips.

Her eyes darted around again, and she suddenly leaned close to Fang Qi, hugging his arm tightly!

This time she wasn't just tugging his sleeve, but hugging his arm directly! Fang Qi instantly felt a softness against his arm!

She looked up at Fang Qi with teary eyes and said pitifully, "Senior, I was wrong. I promise I'll never say that again. Please forgive me!"

Fang Qi's soul nearly left his body on the spot!

He wanted to shake off Lin Xiaoyou, but he was afraid that overreacting would expose the fact that he had already noticed Liguang's abnormality, so his whole body froze!

He could feel Liguang's gaze... landing weightlessly on the arm that was being hugged.

He quickly used his other hand to push away Lin Xiaoyou's hands hugging him, saying, "Hey, hey, hey, hands off. Liguang is my companion. It's inappropriate for you to do this in front of her, highly inappropriate!"

He didn't leave Liguang out of a single sentence.

He had to let his wife Liguang know that her place in his heart was unparalleled!

Lin Xiaoyou blinked, then burst into a giggle: "Pfft, Senior, you have quite a strong sense of chastity!"

Fang Qi's mouth twitched.

If you had a yandere beside you who would chop off your limbs at the drop of a hat, your sense of chastity would be strong too!

Lin Xiaoyou raised her little face, her eyes sparkling. "But, I just love chaste men like you, Senior!"

Fang Qi: "..."

What the...!

"So, Senior!"

She put one hand on her hip and pointed at Liguang with the other. "I won't give up! I'm definitely better than her! I'm going to show you that dating a real person is the best, and an AI is just a substitute!"

She had issued a direct challenge right to Liguang's face!

Fang Qi: "..."

I'm begging you...!

I'm really begging you!

Please stop spouting such outrageous things!!

Liguang, however, still wore a gentle smile, her expression unchanging.

Meanwhile, having completed her grand declaration, Lin Xiaoyou's mood suddenly became incredibly good.

She picked up the dessert box she had brought and set it on the coffee table. "Here, I saved this cake for you, Senior. You definitely have to try it! I waited in line for over an hour just to buy it and couldn't even bear to eat it myself! I'm taking off now! See you tomorrow, Senior!"

She stood up and skipped out the door. Once outside, she turned back to wink at Fang Qi before humming a tune and closing the door.

"Bang."

After the door closed, the room fell into a dead silence.

Fang Qi felt like his home right now was a field that had just been trampled by a little wild boar!

Left in complete disarray!

And now the little wild boar had run off, leaving him behind like a miserable farmer, wanting to cry but having no tears as he stared at the mess all over the place!

The faint scent of Lin Xiaoyou's perfume still lingered in the air, and that dessert box on the coffee table was an absolute eyesore!

Fang Qi stood frozen in place.

His neck turned like a rusted machine, inching slowly, agonizingly slowly, toward Liguang beside him.

Liguang was still standing there. She had not moved an inch.

That gentle, submissive smile still hung on her face, looking even softer than before.

It was as if Lin Xiaoyou's words and actions just now were nothing but fleeting clouds to her.

But...

Fang Qi's gaze involuntarily fell to her hand.

The silver-haired girl's right hand was currently lightly gripping a glass of water. It was the same glass she had just used to pour water for Lin Xiaoyou.

"Crack."

A crystal-clear sound of shattering glass exploded in the dead silence of the room!

A spiderweb of cracks instantly bloomed across the originally smooth surface of the glass!

Fang Qi froze. He did not dare to move a muscle.

The smile on Liguang's face did not change in the slightest. Even her eyelashes did not flutter.

She merely tilted her head slightly, looking at the cracked glass in her hand as a dark gleam flashed through her crimson right eye.

Then, with utmost naturalness, she gently placed the shattered glass back onto the coffee table, her movements as elegant as ever.

She looked up, her heterochromatic eyes fixing on the pale-faced Fang Qi. Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice remained soft and ethereal:

"Ah, my hand slipped."

"Master, Liguang didn't frighten you, did she?"