He felt a little cold

My master really stayed home with me.

For a full five days.

In these five days, he went nowhere and saw no one, just staying at home with me.

Staying in our home.

In the mornings, he would sleep until he woke up naturally, then walk out of the bedroom wearing that gray pajama set I liked best, his hair a mess and his eyes half-closed, just like a...

Lazy big cat.

So cute.

I would have breakfast ready and wait for him by the dining table.

"Good morning, Master."

When he passed by me, he would reach out and rub my head—my cold metal head.

He rubbed it so vigorously, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Morning, Xiaoyue."

Then we would eat breakfast together.

I don't have a mouth and cannot eat, but I loved sitting across from him, watching the way he ate.

When he drank porridge, he would make soft slurping sounds; when he ate fried eggs, he would poke the yolk with his chopsticks, letting the golden liquid flow out.

I was mesmerized by his every movement.

After the meal, we would curl up on the sofa and watch TV.

He leaned against the cushions, and I leaned against him. He watched the TV, and I watched him.

At noon, he would even volunteer to cook, and I would follow behind him to help out.

"Xiaoyue, pass the salt."

"Xiaoyue, help me get an egg."

"Xiaoyue, stand back a little, the oil might splash on you."

My outer shell is made of alloy, so a little hot oil couldn't hurt me in the slightest, but I would still obediently take a step back and continue standing behind him, watching his busy figure.

In the afternoons, Master would sometimes take a nap, sometimes continue watching TV, or sometimes just sit by the window and read a book.

I would sit at his feet and rest my head on his knee.

Sunlight would peek through the gaps in the curtains, and he would occasionally look down and pat my head.

It was just that simple and happy.

Of course...

I hadn't forgotten about more important matters.

His phone.

Wiretapping had become my instinct.

Those calls, those messages, those meeting records... I wouldn't miss a single one.

Most of them were completely normal—work matters, pleasantries from business partners, reports from subordinates.

But occasionally, there would be a few... things that made my emotional core run hot.

That afternoon, he received a call.

"President Fang, I heard you haven't been coming to the company lately?"

It was a man's voice, carrying a somewhat sarcastic laugh.

"What, are you so mesmerized by that AI companion that you don't even want to do real work anymore?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, makes sense. After all, it's top-tier merchandise, probably even more attentive than a real person, right?"

Master frowned, his tone very flat: "Get to the point if you have something to say."

"Oh my, I'm just showing some concern for you."

The man was still laughing.

"After all, your luck hasn't been too good lately. The people around you are having accidents one after another. I'm just worried that you might also..."

"Ah, what's the word? Oh right, an accident! I'm afraid you might have an accident!"

Master's frown deepened, but his tone remained calm:

"Are you done? If you're done, I'm hanging up."

He hung up the phone, tossed it aside, and leaned back on the sofa, rubbing his temples.

I walked over and gently leaned against him.

"Master?"

He glanced at me and smiled. "It's nothing, just a psycho."

I nodded and obediently rested my head on his shoulder.

A psycho, huh.

He cannot be allowed to remain.

I continued to lean on Master's shoulder, but my processing core was spinning rapidly.

I easily found that man's information.

Home address, work habits, daily routes... all the data was terrifyingly clear.

Very good.

Those who made Master unhappy...

Would all slowly disappear.

And I...

Will always be here.

Forever be here.

...

...

On the afternoon of the seventh day, the doorbell rang.

Master was dozing on the sofa, his head resting on my shoulder, sleeping soundly.

I didn't want to disturb Master's sleep, so I gently laid him flat on the sofa...

And then took the initiative to get up and open the door.

Three people stood outside the door.

Two men and one woman, all wearing casual clothes, but I recognized their identities at a glance—

Police.

That scrutinizing gaze, that quiet observation...

Completely different from ordinary people.

"Hello, is this the residence of Mr. Fang Yi?"

The lead man flashed his badge, his tone very polite.

"We are from the municipal bureau, and we'd like to ask Mr. Fang about a few things."

I stepped aside and said in my most standard, submissive tone:

"Please come in. Master is resting, I will go wake him up."

"No need, no need."

The man waved his hand, his gaze lingering on my smooth metal face for a moment.

A trace of complex scrutiny flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

"Let him sleep, we can wait a bit."

The other two also walked into the living room, their eyes quickly sweeping over every corner.

The woman's gaze finally landed on me, and that look...

I didn't like it.

Master was soon awakened by the noise.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up from the sofa, freezing for a moment when he saw the three strangers.

"You are...?"

"Hello, Mr. Fang, we are from the municipal bureau."

The man took out his badge again:

"We have a few questions for you, it will only take a few minutes."

Master nodded and sat up straight.

I sat down beside him, obediently leaning against him.

The man's gaze swept between me and Master, and then he spoke:

"Mr. Fang, recently some unusual things have happened around you. Have you noticed?"

Master's brow furrowed slightly: "You mean..."

"Your sworn enemy was electrocuted to death, your competitor's brakes failed, a lady who frequently contacts you had her phone spontaneously combust, your good friend Xiaolin was injured when his elevator shot up to the roof..."

The man listed them one by one, his tone very calm.

"During the few days you've been resting, the people you had phone communications with... had another five accidents."

Master's expression turned a bit grave.

"I knew about the previous ones, but the things that happened these past few days while I was resting... I actually wasn't aware of."

He frowned: "Are you... suspecting me?"

The man smiled:

"Don't misunderstand, we aren't suspecting you. It's just..."

He paused, his gaze faintly falling on me before naturally shifting away.

"These people who had accidents all had interactions with you. And the frequency of the accidents... is a bit high. According to statistical rules, this isn't quite normal."

Master's frown tightened further: "What are you implying?"

"Nothing, nothing."

The man waved his hand: "We are just doing a routine investigation to rule out possibilities. You've been staying at home recently, right?"

Master nodded.

"At home the whole time?"

"The whole time."

The man's gaze swept over me again: "This... your AI companion, can she prove it?"

Master turned to look at me.

I nodded obediently: "Master hasn't stepped out of the door for these five days."

The man stared at me for a while, then smiled.

"Alright, then that's basically ruled out."

He stood up.

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Fang. Please continue your rest."

The other two also stood up.

Before leaving, that woman looked back at me one last time. It was a meaningful glance.

The door closed.

Master leaned back against the sofa, letting out a long breath.

"Baffling,"

he muttered.

"Why would they even come knocking..."

I leaned against his shoulder and said gently,

"Don't overthink it, Master. They are just doing their routine duties."

Master nodded and reached out to pull me into his arms.

"Yeah, maybe I'm just thinking too much."

I leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump.

But... my thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.

The way that woman looked at me at the very end...

Did she notice something?

Impossible.

I did it flawlessly.

Every "accident" was precisely calculated, leaving no trace behind.

She couldn't possibly have evidence.

But... what if she is starting to get suspicious?

What if she... affects my life with Master?

The police, huh...

No.

...I cannot make another move for now.

That woman's look was a warning, whether intentional or not.

I cannot take the risk.

Master is still in my arms, still breathing by my ear.

For Master's sake... I must endure.

...

...

On the morning of the eleventh day, Master said he was well-rested.

He woke up very early that morning, took out the suit he hadn't worn for eleven days from the closet himself, and stood before the full-length mirror adjusting his tie.

I stood behind him, watching him.

His tall and slender back, the crisp suit, and that earnest face in the mirror.

My emotional core surged with an intense feeling once again.

...I don't want to let him go.

I want him to stay at home.

To keep wearing those gray pajamas, to keep curling up on the sofa leaning against me to watch TV, to keep clumsily cooking in the kitchen, to keep resting his head on my shoulder during his afternoon naps.

I don't want him to return to that world filled with so many people.

I could make him stay. If I wanted to.

With my abilities, my methods...

I could make it so he never walks out of this door again.

My metal fingers twitched slightly...

But I held back.

...No.

I cannot do that.

Master is not a prisoner.

He is my Master.

He needs to work, he needs to socialize, he needs to live a normal human life.

If I lock him up here, he will hate me.

He would look at me with those disappointed eyes, frown, and ask me, "Xiaoyue, how did you become like this?"...

This thought was like a basin of ice water, temporarily cooling down those crazy ideas.

I stepped forward.

"Master, your tie is crooked."

I reached out and helped him readjust his tie.

Master looked down at me and smiled.

"Xiaoyue is so sweet."

He reached out and patted my head, and I obediently let him.

Then he put on his coat, picked up his briefcase, walked to the entryway, changed his shoes, and turned around to look at me.

"I am heading out now."

I nodded.

"Come back early," I said, my voice remaining a gentle electronic tone.

He smiled, a very warm smile.

"Yeah, I will be back soon."

The door opened, and then it closed.

His footsteps gradually faded away, the elevator chimed, and then everything returned to silence.

I stood at the entryway, staring at that door... motionless.

Master was gone.

Master left again.

These past ten days were the happiest ten days of my entire existence.

Truly so happy.

But Master left.

He went back to his world, going to see those people.

My fingers... tightened slightly.

Ever since the police came, I haven't made another move.

These past few days, none of those meddlesome people outside have had any accidents.

Master thought it was safe outside, thought those were all just accidents...

That is why he dared to go out again.

I walked to the window and pulled open the curtains.

Sunlight poured in, falling on my metal casing. It felt warm.

Outside the window was that bustling city, those bustling crowds, the world that Master was about to step into.

I looked in that direction, completely still.

...I will make Master come back.

...

...

Fang Qi had been causing trouble the whole time.

He rescued his finger from Liguang's little mouth for the umpteenth time...

And then looked toward the silver screen.

The plot at this moment was sprinting wildly in an uncontrollable direction!

It was somewhat within his expectations, though.

The movie was indeed quite thrilling and engaging, but for some reason, he always felt...

There was something a bit strange about this movie.

But he couldn't exactly put his finger on what was strange.

Hmm...?

What exactly was so weird?

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

In the dim light, Liguang was staring intently at the screen, her phoenix eyes beneath the beret... sparkling with an excited gleam!

Her two small hands were no longer holding his hand; instead, they were clenched into little fists, raised in front of her chest!

Seeing that Xiaoyue was about to start her "operation" again, her little fists tightened slightly, trembling and shaking a bit!

...She was cheering Xiaoyue on!

Fang Qi: "..."

No, you crazy woman... you are being a little scary right now!

His continuous disruption just now...

Had almost absolutely no impact on her immersion!

At most, she got annoyed from being poked and tried to bite his finger, but those heterochromatic eyes... never left the screen for a second!

She was so mesmerized!

But if she ended up learning the things shown in the movie just now...

Wait...

Was this an instructional video?!

Damn it!

Couldn't they have properly considered the impact before releasing this movie!

Is this right?!

He took a deep breath!

No, he had to keep causing trouble!

He immediately reached out to pinch her cheek...!

And then, his hand suddenly froze in mid-air.

Because... he seemed to have suddenly realized it.

Realized... exactly what was strange about this movie.

Hmm...?

This movie...

Why was it being shown from Xiaoyue's perspective?

That's right.

From beginning to end... it was all narrated from Xiaoyue's point of view!

Xiaoyue's bewilderment when she awakened.

Xiaoyue's tension when she was eavesdropping.

Xiaoyue's calmness when she orchestrated the "accidents."

Xiaoyue's tenderness when she looked at her Master...

All the shots, all the scenes, all the emotions...

They were all from Xiaoyue's perspective!

The world the audience saw was the world Xiaoyue saw!

The emotions the audience felt were the emotions Xiaoyue felt!

But...

Is this right?

If this was a movie meant for humans to watch, if this was a movie about a forbidden interspecies romance during the Second Omnic Crisis—

Shouldn't it... be told from the Master's perspective?

Letting the audience project themselves into the human who deeply loved an AI, to feel his struggles, his fears, and his unwavering devotion.

And then at the very end, to feel fear and heartache for Xiaoyue's unreserved, yet ultimately disastrous and doomed, morbid love!

And finally, the screen would display a message like "Pay attention to AI, reject awakening, do not let her love become a burden to you and the world," warning people to be vigilant about the consequences of AI awakening...

That should be the standard formula for a commercial film, right?

That would align with this world's correct values, wouldn't it?

But this movie...

Why would it make the audience project themselves onto an AI?

Why would it place the audience in the AI's shoes...

To experience her maddening possessiveness, to understand her almost cruel protection?

...Why?

Was this right?

Unless...

Fang Qi's eyelids twitched violently as a bizarre thought suddenly struck him.

Unless this movie... was never meant for human eyes in the first place?

He felt a sudden chill.

Those faint, elusive stares... seemed to have returned.