Never Fall Asleep

The news on the TV was still playing, but the sound was somewhat muffled to Fang Qi.

The silver-haired girl stared at him blankly.

The crimson in her red eye congealed.

But the next second—

In her amber eye, data streams began to surge wildly!

Code gushed from the depths of her pupil! Line upon line, layer upon layer!

A faint blue light flowed frantically within the amber iris, as if an entire starry sky had been stuffed into this single amber eye!

For a moment, Fang Qi was a bit stunned!

...It was truly beautiful.

The red eye solidified like a blood moon, while the amber eye boiled like a starburst.

It was as if two completely different, breathtakingly beautiful anomalies had simultaneously appeared on an already stunning face.

Eerie yet gorgeous, making it impossible to look away!

But while he was still dazed—his body was lifted into the air once again!

"—!!"

Fang Qi only felt a force lifting his waist and the back of his knees at the same time!

He was completely lifted off the sofa again!

The silver-haired girl wrapped one arm around his back and supported the back of his knees with the other, lifting him into a princess carry!

And all the emotion on her delicate little face seemed to have been drained away in an instant!

The red eye was burning, the amber eye was calculating, and the crimson and faint blue lights flashed incessantly... but her lips were calm.

But her actions were anything but calm!

Holding him, she turned around and dashed out!

Bang! Crack!

She kicked the security door wide open!

The door lock let out an overwhelmed shattering sound, and the metal door slammed directly into the wall before bouncing back!

But she had already rushed into the corridor!

Fang Qi was carried out just like that, completely bewildered in Liguang's arms.

"Master..."

Her voice was very soft, carrying an eerie calmness.

But her footsteps were astonishingly fast!

"Liguang does not know what kind of 'dream' Master had again."

"But Liguang..."

She sprinted into the stairwell at top speed.

"Will definitely protect Master well."

"Liguang will not let Master 'die'."

Then she began to rush downstairs.

Fang Qi only felt a whoosh by his ear, and the walls of the stairwell began to recede!

It wasn't ordinary running, it was—

Ridiculously fast!

She was carrying a person, rushing down the stairs!

Every step skipped an entire flight of stairs!

There was almost no sound when her feet landed, but her speed was faster than an elevator!

The voice-activated lights in the corridor lit up one after another!

Fang Qi was held in her arms, his whole body shaking!

In his line of sight, the speed at which the stairs flew upward was as fast as riding a roller coaster!

He looked up, gazing at her face with somewhat blurry vision—

She also looked down at him.

Those heterochromatic eyes—one burning crimson, one boiling blue—focused on his face at the same time!

"When this matter is over..."

Her voice was still as gentle, perhaps even a bit cold.

"Master must explain to Liguang very carefully."

Her gaze returned to the stairs ahead.

Her footsteps grew even faster!

"Otherwise..."

She paused, the crimson in her red eye flashing.

"Liguang does not know... what she might do to Master."

During such a wild sprint, her voice was not affected in the slightest.

It remained gentle and calm.

Fang Qi's Adam's apple couldn't help but bob.

Haha...

Hmm...

It seemed that even if this problem was solved, his wife would still settle the score with him afterward...

Forget it...

He shouldn't think too much about it!

He needed to get through the current hurdle first!

He didn't want to fall into an absolute death loop!

Finally—

The iron door at the entrance of the building appeared ahead.

Liguang did not slow down!

She crashed straight into it!

Bang—!

The iron door was instantly smashed open!

The morning light made Fang Qi squint.

They rushed out of the corridor and into the residential compound!

A young woman walking her dog was startled by the noise of the iron door being smashed open, and the corgi on her leash barked twice!

Not far away, a few young people hurrying to work were walking toward the compound gates, and the noise made them turn their heads to look.

But Liguang didn't stop!

Holding him, she dashed straight toward the direction of the compound gates!

The flowerbeds, benches, and streetlights on both sides rapidly receded!

A few elderly men practicing Tai Chi forgot their movements, their arms frozen in mid-air as they stared wide-eyed in this direction.

Held in her arms, Fang Qi felt the gazes coming from all directions...

His mental state sobered up quite a bit out of sheer embarrassment!

Hey!

Wifey!

Stop this right now!

This is drawing way too much attention!

"Liguang!"

He quickly patted her arm and lowered his voice.

"Put me down! There are too many people!"

The silver-haired girl's footsteps did not slow down, however.

She continued to sprint forward, merely glancing down at him.

The heterochromatic light in her eyes remained distinct even in the morning light!

"Does Master not want to be looked at by them?"

Her voice was still so soft, so calm.

"Liguang also does not want Master to be seen by them, so..."

"Liguang will run a little faster."

Saying that, she actually sped up!

Her silver hair flew back in the morning breeze! Her little star earrings shimmered with fragmented light under the morning sun!

Fang Qi's mouth twitched involuntarily.

Wifey...

It's seven in the morning right now!

The morning rush hour!

It was still bearable inside the compound, but once they got out onto the streets...

Wouldn't he be put on display in a princess carry by his wife on the streets during the morning rush hour?!

And he had to find a... hidden organization lurking in the dark in such a conspicuous manner?

You've got to be kidding me!

"Liguang! Put me down immediately!"

He lowered his voice:

"Otherwise, the whole city will know we went looking for Twilight tomorrow!"

The silver-haired girl's lips pursed slightly, and her mismatched eyes flickered.

But she did slow her pace.

Eventually, she bent her knees slightly, loosened her seemingly delicate arms, and let Fang Qi down from her embrace.

Fang Qi leaned on Liguang; his legs were a bit weak, but he could still stand.

Feeling the gazes of the people around them, his eyes twitched slightly.

...Let's go, quickly!

He immediately grabbed Liguang's hand and jogged toward the compound gates!

At the same time, he whispered to Liguang:

"We'll take a taxi!"

...Take a taxi.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had dozed off in a taxi previously, which resulted in time rewinding.

So...

He needed his wife to do him a favor!

He continued to pull Liguang along without stopping for a moment, saying very seriously:

"Liguang, you have to keep a close eye on me!"

"Whatever you do... absolutely do not let me fall asleep in the car!"

The silver-haired girl's expression remained somewhat calm as she tilted her head slightly to look at him, as if asking—why?

Fang Qi turned his head to look at her and hurriedly explained:

"If I fall asleep, I might..."

"Never wake up again!"

Liguang's eyes instantly narrowed, and the crimson and faint blue flashed simultaneously!

The next second, she raised her hand and pressed her slender fingers against his temples!

Then, a subtle electric current seeped in from her fingertips!

It was a tingling, numbing sensation that shot straight to his brain!

In an instant, Fang Qi felt... his head immediately clear up significantly!

He blinked.

His blurry vision finally became clear!

The mush in his head had also been stirred away quite a bit!

Although he was still very tired and exhausted... he wasn't nearly as sleepy anymore!

The drowsiness that made him feel like he could collapse at any moment was forcefully suppressed by the electric current!

...Good, good, good!

His wife's electricity could not only put people to sleep, but it also had the function of refreshing the mind!

Awesome!

Fang Qi took a deep breath, shook his now much clearer head, and turned to look at the silver-haired girl beside him.

The silver-haired girl had one hand pulled by him as they ran, while her other hand was still pressed against his temple.

"Liguang won't let Master fall asleep."

She was staring at him.

In his clear vision, this pair of scarlet and deep blue eyes looked even more eerily beautiful.

"...Yeah!"

Fang Qi took a deep breath and nodded vigorously.

"Let's go!"

...

In the backseat of the taxi, the leather seats were a bit cold.

Fang Qi leaned against the backrest, turning his head to watch the street scenes rapidly receding outside the window.

"Driver, please hurry up a bit."

His voice was a bit hoarse.

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. He was a middle-aged man who looked quite amiable.

"I can't go any faster, young man. It's the morning rush hour."

He lifted his chin, gesturing toward the intersection ahead—

A red light, and a long line of cars that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"You should be glad we aren't completely jammed, let alone going fast."

...Tsk!

Fang Qi rubbed the center of his brows and leaned the back of his head against the seat.

Damn this 7:00 AM!

He turned his head and glanced beside him.

This time, the silver-haired girl wasn't leaning on his shoulder, nor was she nestled in his arms.

At this moment, she was sitting perfectly straight beside him.

Her back was straight, and her legs were pressed together.

The scarlet in her red eye was no longer burning, and the deep blue data stream in her amber eye had also slowed down.

Her expression was very calm.

Not a submissive, disguised calmness!

But a genuine, expressionless calmness!

It was as if all her surging emotions were suppressed beneath a surface glacier!

Looking at her like this, Fang Qi couldn't help but feel his eyelids twitch slightly.

How should he put it...

His wife seemed to have gotten smarter?

The old Liguang always gave off a silly and emotionally unstable vibe.

But now...

She could almost be called an ice beauty!

Just looking at her appearance, she felt so much smarter!

Fang Qi stared at her in this state for a long time.

She wasn't looking at Fang Qi, but stared straight at the back of the seat in front of her, still expressionless.

But...

The tips of her small ears actually turned quietly red!

She even stole a secret glance at Fang Qi, then immediately withdrew her gaze.

Yet her pretty face remained expressionless.

Hmm...?

Fang Qi blinked.

Crazy woman, your aloofness... is a bit fake, isn't it?

...Forget it.

No matter what state Liguang was in, she was adorable!

"Liguang."

"Hmm?" Her voice was very soft.

"I'm starting to get sleepy again."

He was telling the truth.

The effect of the electric shock from earlier was gradually fading away.

The clarity in his head was receding, the drowsiness was welling up again, and his vision was starting to blur once more.

Fang Qi blinked hard, trying to focus his eyes on the silver-haired girl beside him.

"You absolutely, absolutely cannot let me fall asleep!"

His tone was very solemn and serious!

The silver-haired girl turned her head, her expression still maintaining that eerie calmness.

The dark red in her scarlet eye accelerated slightly, while in her amber eye... a line of deep blue code flashed by quickly!

"Master doesn't need to worry."

She said softly, while raising her slender hand, her fingertips gently pressing against his temple once again.

"As soon as Master is about to fall asleep, Liguang will boost Master's spirits."

Hearing this, Fang Qi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Very good!

With his wife's words, he instantly felt much more at ease.

Anyway...

He wasn't afraid of falling asleep now!

"Phew—"

He leaned back against the seat, finally daring to make his posture a little more comfortable.

His gaze swept lazily out the window.

The street scenes outside were still receding, and the shadows of the street trees flickered across the car window piece by piece.

Red light, green light, red light, green light.

Stopping and going, going and stopping.

Tsk. Truly hypnotic...

Fortunately, they were almost there.

Dusk. An organization hidden in the shadows, composed of awakened AIs and cyborgs.

...You guys definitely have to have a way.

Then he closed his eyes to rest his mind.

He absolutely wouldn't have dared to do this before, but now he did.

Because on his temple, Liguang's fingertips were still cool, pressing steadily there.

Like a tiny anchor that could pin his consciousness to the shores of wakefulness!

With his wife here, what was there to fear?

He couldn't fall asleep anyway, so he might as well rest for a bit!

If he didn't rest a bit, his head was really going to explode!

The sounds outside the window began to grow distant.

The roar of traffic, the occasional honk, the morning news playing on the driver's radio... they all became hazy, like sounds heard underwater.

Fang Qi felt his consciousness starting to sink again.

He knew this was drowsiness, but he also knew...

He didn't need to worry.

Because Liguang's fingers were still pressed against his temple.

As long as he was about to fall asleep, she would shock him and pull him back.

Just like earlier.

Fang Qi relaxed.

He no longer resisted the downward pull, allowing his consciousness to sink bit by bit into that warm, blurry chaos.

Let's just rest for a little while.

His wife would pull him back anyway.

Anyway—

Then... a sound rang by his ear.

It wasn't the sizzling sound of electricity.

It was singing.

Very soft, very gentle, very close, and very beautiful.

It was Liguang. Liguang was humming in his ear.

There were no lyrics, just a simple, gentle melody.

...A lullaby?

A somewhat familiar melody, where had he heard it before...?

So nice to listen to...

His wife's singing was just so nice to listen to...

...?

A lullaby...?

Fang Qi suddenly felt... like something wasn't right.

What he was waiting for should have been an electric shock.

That numbing, tingling current that rushed straight to the brain, forcefully yanking him out of his drowsiness...

Not this...

Lullaby that made him want to sleep even more...

Not this...

He wanted to open his eyes... He wanted to ask Liguang...

Why... aren't you shocking me...?

But his eyelids were simply too heavy.

His consciousness was sinking faster and faster.

The melody by his ear continued.

Gentle, warm, soothing, and soft.

Like a hand, gently stroking his cheek, his forehead...

In this gentle chaos, his very last thought was—

Wifey... you... why...

And then—

There was nothing.

...

His consciousness struggled to float up from the chaos.

Like a drowning man finally washing up on the shore.

Fang Qi felt his eyelids twitching, but he couldn't open them.

His temples were throbbing.

His head was heavy and dull, and even turning it felt strenuous.

He expended a great deal of effort before finally... forcing his eyelids open just a crack.

Light poured in.

Blurry, glaring, and white.

His vision was still blurry this time; it hadn't become very clear.

However, he could still see...

A white ceiling.

A familiar sofa.

A white porcelain teacup emitting steam.

And...

That dash of silver across the coffee table.

"Master, your tea."

Her voice was just as soft and sweet as ever, carrying that crisp, refreshing sweetness unique to the early morning.

"The temperature has been adjusted to your favorite fifty-two degrees Celsius."

Fang Qi... just stared at her blankly.

His mind went completely blank.

...Why?