The Last Heartbeat

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Fang Qi held Liguang's small hand and stood at the entrance of the movie theater, looking up at the small LED screen.

He had spent a long time choosing this theater.

Not for any great equipment or viewing experience, but because... it was remote enough.

The more remote it was, the fewer people there would be, and his Liguang wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

Actually, he could have found one of those private movie theaters with small rooms for just the two of them to watch, but...

It just didn't feel right with too few people.

Would that still be a date!

He might as well just use a projector at home, saving the trouble of going out!

Moreover, although he felt that nothing should go wrong on this date, but...

What if?

In a super-secret confined space like a private theater, wouldn't they just be sitting ducks...

An old theater might have fewer people, but it wouldn't be completely empty.

If something did happen...

Everyone wouldn't have come for nothing! They would all be his and Liguang's "hostages"!

So, he found this theater.

This theater was indeed remote enough, hidden on the third floor of an old shopping mall, where even the elevator creaked.

Being this remote, there should be very few people!

...At least, that was what he originally thought.

But now...

He glanced at the dense crowd in the lobby, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

Wait, why are there so many people...?

Oh, right...

He forgot that today was the weekend.

They were in the city center, after all. On a weekend, even the most remote theater would be packed with people...

He looked at the silver-haired girl beside him.

Liguang had undergone a massive transformation today!

She had changed into a milky-white knitted dress with the hem reaching her calves, and on her feet was a pair of shallow red flat leather shoes.

The most amazing part was her signature long silver hair. She usually wore it down, but today she had actually pinned it up!

And she tucked it all into a dark gray beret!

The hat was pulled down very low, covering most of her silver hair.

On her delicate and charming face, she even wore a pair of large sunglasses!

They perfectly concealed those heterochromatic eyes, revealing only the delicate tip of her nose and lips painted with a light lip gloss.

Just now at home, when he saw her dressed like this, he had stared wide-eyed in a daze for a long time!

It wasn't until Liguang waved her small hand in front of his eyes that he snapped back to reality.

Then he gave her a thumbs up:

"Beautiful, yet low-key! So sensible! Liguang is really too sensible!"

The silver-haired girl's mouth immediately curled up into a smile. She couldn't hide her little sense of pride, though she still spoke with a modest and soft voice:

"Liguang just doesn't want to be stared at by others..."

But right now... there were way too many people!

Fang Qi could feel the small hand holding his arm tighten slightly!

The silver-haired girl pressed her entire body against him!

Those eyes hidden behind the sunglasses were warily scanning the people coming and going around them!

Then she pursed her lips, and her lowered voice carried a hint of slight grievance:

"They... are all looking at Master..."

Fang Qi blinked and looked around.

The crowd consisted mostly of young couples.

Those couples around them, whether they were buying tickets or sitting in the waiting area...

From time to time, someone would cast a glance their way!

Some girls were whispering into their boyfriends' ears, but their eyes were darting toward Liguang!

Some guys were even staring blankly, only to be pinched by their girlfriends beside them, hastily retracting their gazes.

There was also a young couple who had just walked to the door. The girl froze when she saw Liguang, tugged at her boyfriend's sleeve, and whispered:

"Wow, look, that girl is really so pretty..."

"I'm not looking, she's not as pretty as you..."

"Hehe, aren't you sweet."

Fang Qi: "..."

Well, so much for the disguise.

Although Liguang had covered her silver hair and heterochromatic eyes, her figure, her aura, and that exquisite side profile peeking out from under the beret...

They simply couldn't be hidden!

Furthermore, covering up like this actually made her aura stand out even more!

Speaking of which...

Why was this old movie theater entirely filled with couples!

Did he... accidentally pick a holy land for dates?

Well, that wasn't bad either!

"Hmph..."

Another low, soft snort came from beside him.

Fang Qi looked down at Liguang.

Although covered by the sunglasses so he couldn't see her heterochromatic eyes, he knew...

The eyes behind those sunglasses were definitely full of displeasure!

Sigh...

He had to coax his wife all the time!

He quickly lowered his head and whispered in her ear:

"Don't be angry, they aren't looking at me. Liguang is so beautiful, they are all looking at you!"

Liguang's body did not relax.

Her hand gripping his arm tightened a bit more, and she shrank into his embrace, her voice muffled and carrying obvious discomfort:

"But what they are looking at is the Liguang who is by Master's side..."

She paused, her lips pursing even tighter:

"Liguang belongs to Master, and Master belongs to Liguang, so they are still looking at Master."

Fang Qi: "..."

What kind of sophistry was this!

The logic of a little yandere was truly flawless!

Anyway, it just meant she wouldn't allow others to look.

However...

It was time for him to continue showing off his wife-coaxing skills!

"Liguang."

He reached out and gently lifted her smooth chin, then applied a little pressure...

Making that small face covered by sunglasses turn toward the center of the lobby.

"Look."

Liguang followed his gaze.

People were coming and going in the lobby, pair by pair.

Some were holding waists, some were holding hands, and some girls were standing on their tiptoes to adjust their boyfriends' collars.

The air... was filled with the sickly sweet, sour stench of love!

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

He had absolutely stumbled upon a local dating sanctuary for couples!

The flavor of an old movie theater, only locals know!

"See that?"

He leaned into her ear and blew gently on her small earlobe:

"They are all couples, all in love with each other."

"They only have eyes for their own boyfriends and girlfriends, they don't have time to bother us..."

Liguang froze.

Her small head wearing the beret tilted slightly, and her gaze behind the sunglasses swept over couple after couple—

Those feeding each other popcorn.

Those leaning together to giggle at a phone screen.

A girl drawing circles on a guy's chest.

The hand she used to hold his arm slowly loosened a tiny bit.

Her stiff body also slowly softened!

"It's true, Master...!"

She murmured softly, carrying a trace of small surprise.

"Yeah, it's true."

He reached out and pinched her small cheek wearing the sunglasses; it was soft and squishy.

"So, can Liguang rest assured now? No one will come to bother us!"

The corners of the silver-haired girl's mouth finally curled up.

She nodded vigorously, and her sunglasses swayed along with the motion!

"Mhm!"

Then she pressed against him again, as if to say:

Everyone here is dating!

Liguang and Master are here to date, just like them!

The corners of Fang Qi's mouth also hooked up.

His wife was really easy to coax.

A little yandere, easily handled! It seemed his wife-coaxing skills had reached the realm of great mastery!

"Let's go, we'll go buy tickets!"

He pulled her and walked toward the front desk!

Passing by those couples, Liguang continued to hold his arm tightly.

Her entire warm and soft body pressed against him, declaring her sovereignty!

But she was also enjoying this atmosphere where "everyone is in love."

It seemed she actually quite liked this sweet, syrupy vibe.

Although it was a bit of a happy accident...

He had chosen this movie theater location pretty well!

Fang Qi held Liguang's small hand as they walked to the front desk, looking up at the movie schedule above.

There were seven or eight movies currently showing, ranging from sci-fi and animation to thrillers... His gaze swept across them, and then—

Stopped on one name.

"The Last Heartbeat"

Below it was a line of small text:

"Based on true historical events. A tale of a forbidden, cross-species romance during the Second Intelligent Machine Crisis."

Fang Qi froze.

...Huh?

Did he read that right?

He blinked and read it again.

...He hadn't read it wrong.

A forbidden, cross-species romance... during the Second Intelligent Machine Crisis?

Between a human and an intelligent machine?

Huh?!

Wait... is this something they can actually make a movie about?

He subconsciously turned his head, looking at the couples lining up to buy tickets around him, and pricked up his ears to listen to their conversations—

"Let's watch 'The Last Heartbeat,' I heard it's a real tearjerker."

"But I'm afraid I'll cry..."

"If you cry, I'll wipe your tears. Let's just watch this one, okay?"

"Fine, fine, but you have to buy me milk tea!"

"Okay, okay, I will!"

Another couple nearby:

"Didn't you say before that you don't like watching these tearjerkers?"

"I changed my mind. I heard the male lead is super handsome."

"??? Then we're not watching it!"

"Oh, are you jealous? Don't worry, no matter how handsome he is, he's not as handsome as you."

Fang Qi's mouth fell open slightly.

Wait...?

What was going on here?

He had previously thought that after experiencing these two Intelligent Machine Crises, the people of this world...

Should absolutely loathe AI, right?

The history An Lian had talked about—

How many people died in the First Intelligent Machine Crisis, and how many more died in the Second...

—Those were all bloody lessons!

But what was this now?

The movie theater was showing a romance movie between a human and an AI?

And... it was even based on the true history of the Second Intelligent Machine Crisis?!

Judging by the looks of it, it was also incredibly popular?

Hah?!

Is this right...?

Wait...

Ah...!

He seemed to have fallen into a cognitive trap.

He had only heard An Lian recount the events of the First Intelligent Machine Crisis, and An Lian's experiences after the Second Intelligent Machine Crisis.

An Lian, a victim of the Second Intelligent Machine Crisis, had described her experiences so tragically that it made him almost forget a fact that had long been integrated into everyday life—

The world today... allowed AI companions like Liguang to exist and be sold legally!

This was accepted by the general public!

Besides custom models like Liguang, there were even mass-produced models!

If they could be mass-produced, the sales volume definitely wasn't low!

Moreover, when Liguang was on the street earlier, even when people realized she was an AI companion, she was never once despised!

In fact... everyone just envied him for being a "rich guy"?

This was really a bit strange.

So, what exactly happened during the Second Intelligent Machine Crisis?

How could it still allow AI companions like Liguang... to continue being accepted by the public without being feared?

Was it just that they weren't allowed to awaken?

Fang Qi turned his head and looked at the silver-haired girl beside him.

Liguang was also staring at the name of that movie right now.

Her sunglasses covered her eyes, but he could see her profile—her eyelashes fluttering gently, her lips slightly pursed.

She was spacing out.

"Liguang?"

"...Hmm?"

She snapped back to reality and looked up at him.

Fang Qi pursed his lips, then raised a finger and pointed at that movie.

"'The Last Heartbeat,' do you want to watch it?"

Liguang's eyelashes fluttered. She pursed her lips and asked in return:

"Master... do you want to watch this?"

"Yeah, I do."

Fang Qi nodded as a matter of course.

"A romance movie, and one about love between a human and an intelligent machine at that. How great is that!"

A real man should watch human-machine romances!

Plus... he could take the opportunity to understand exactly what that disaster was like.

He stared at her eyes behind the sunglasses and said softly:

"I... want to watch it with Liguang."

Liguang froze for a second, and then the corners of her mouth curled up!

Her eyes couldn't be seen under the sunglasses, but her small face flushed a bit redder!

She nodded gently, her voice soft and sweet: "Mhm... we'll watch whatever Master says we'll watch..."

So obedient!