Pandora's Box

Fang Qi was truly excited!

He and Liguang had reached a consensus!

He really had... reached a consensus with Liguang!

His wife was the best!

He was finally walking side by side with his wife!

He reached out to hug her!

Wifey!

I can't take it anymore! Let me hug you!

"Ah, Master~"

The silver-haired girl immediately took a small hop to the side, her skirt fluttering gently.

...She dodged him again this time.

After dodging, she tilted her head to look at him, the corners of her mouth turned up, and her eyes sparkling.

"The apron is very greasy!"

Liguang's tone had noticeably become much lighter; she sounded like she was in a very good mood!

She even looked down at the small apron around her waist, which indeed had grease spots on it.

Then she looked up and glanced at him, blinked her heterochromatic eyes, and gave a soft "Hmph."

"Master can hug Liguang after she changes clothes. No hugging right now!"

After saying that, she blushed first, the tips of her ears turning a shade of pink!

Fang Qi looked at her shy yet tsundere little appearance...

He didn't back down this time.

No!

I want to hug you right now!

He couldn't wait!

"I'm not waiting!"

He waved his hand, speaking with absolute certainty.

"I want to hug you now!"

After saying that, he dashed forward, opening his arms to pull her into his embrace.

"Ah—!"

Liguang cried out in surprise, turning around and running.

Her silver hair drew a sparkling arc under the light, and that little star earring swayed back and forth with it!

She didn't run fast, and even deliberately took a small detour, circling from one end of the dining table to the other, playing hide-and-seek with him!

Hey!

The little yandere is quite good at hiding!

How could Fang Qi let her get away?

He chased after her in two steps, reaching out to grab her waist.

"Hehe!"

Liguang giggled, ducked her body, and slipped right under his arm!

Her silver hair brushed past his arm, tickling him.

"Master can't catch me! Can't catch me!"

Her voice was crisp and full of smugness!

Fang Qi's temper instantly flared up!

Hey! You think I really can't catch you?

He quickened his pace, flanking her from the other side of the dining table.

Liguang was just bending over, trying to run toward the kitchen, when he blocked her dead in her tracks.

"Ah—!"

She let out a short shriek, and before she could turn around, he scooped her into his arms.

A warm and soft body entered his embrace, and the grease spots on the apron rubbed all over his chest!

But... it didn't matter!

"Caught you!"

Fang Qi triumphantly tightened his arms, holding her entire body tightly in his embrace!

Liguang's silver hair brushed against his chin as she squirmed in his arms, struggling a couple of times.

The force wasn't strong; it was more like acting coquettishly!

"Master, the apron is very greasy~"

"So what if it's greasy!"

Fang Qi said righteously, resting his chin on the top of her head and hugging her even tighter.

"You're my wife, even if you're greasy, you're still my wife!"

Liguang immediately stopped squirming.

Her body stiffened for a moment, then slowly, bit by bit, softened.

Fang Qi could feel that the temperature of her little face buried in his chest was rapidly rising!

So cute!

"Master... always says things like this...!"

Her voice was muffled.

"You say it every time..."

"Is it not true?"

Fang Qi said it as a matter of course, gently pinching her cheek.

"Isn't Liguang going to be my 'wife'?"

"That's different...!"

Liguang buried her face deeper into his chest, her two small hands clenching into little fists, and gently pounded him!

It didn't hurt; it was soft, like a kitten kneading!

Fang Qi just held her tightly, no longer speaking.

This was so nice.

They were truly... walking side by side now. It was so nice.

Who knew how much time had passed.

"...Master."

The person in his arms finally spoke in a muffled voice.

"Hmm?"

"The food... is going to get cold."

Fang Qi looked down.

Liguang didn't look up, still burying her face in his chest, but she revealed a small section of her reddened ear tip, that little star twinkling under the light.

"If we don't eat now... Liguang's long efforts will be for nothing..."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, the last few words turning into an indistinct mumble.

Fang Qi only then noticed that the dishes on the table were indeed no longer steaming like they were when they first came out of the pot.

The sauce on the braised pork ribs had slightly congealed, and the outer crust of the sweet and sour pork was no longer as crispy.

Ah...!

The dishes his wife had spent the whole afternoon making!

"Let's eat, let's eat! Hurry up and eat!"

He was indeed very hungry!

Liguang also pulled back from his embrace, her cheeks flushed red and her silver hair a bit messy.

She raised a hand to tuck the messy strands of hair behind her ear, fully revealing that shy and sweet side profile.

"Mhm... let's eat."

Fang Qi was just about to follow and sit down—

"Ah... by the way, Master~"

Liguang's voice suddenly carried a hint of playfulness.

Fang Qi was just getting ready to pick up a piece of rib, and upon hearing this, he looked up.

The silver-haired girl was tilting her little head looking at him, the chopsticks in her hand tapping against the table one by one.

"Lin Xiaoyou's message..."

Her tone was very brisk.

"Master still hasn't replied to it yet~"

Fang Qi: "..."

This topic shifted way too fast!

Just a moment ago they were hugging and being affectionate, and now—

"So, how does Master plan to reply?"

Liguang put down her chopsticks and propped her chin on her hands, looking at him.

"Liguang... has agreed to let Master contact Miss Lin."

"So, what is Master going to do?"

She tilted her head, raised her hand, and counted on her slender fingers one by one.

"Braised pork ribs, sweet and sour pork, green pepper beef..."

Then she pouted at Fang Qi:

"Liguang put in a lot of effort to make this big table of food for Master!"

She stood on her tiptoes slightly, her body swaying along, her tone soft and sweet, carrying a hint of grievance.

"So, does Master want Miss Lin to come over right after she gets off work..."

She leaned forward another half step and pouted.

"And eat this meal together with us?"

After speaking, she pursed her lips and blinked her eyes at him, wearing an expression that said, "I'm just asking a question, I don't mean anything else by it."

Fang Qi: "..."

This little yandere!

If you don't want her to come, just say it straight!

He hadn't planned on letting Lin Xiaoyou come today anyway!

Today was his and Liguang's exclusive day, their private world for two!

Even considering it from a planning perspective, any actions to be implemented would have to wait until after saving the game tomorrow morning!

Besides, he had just escaped the time loop, he needed to rest a bit!

A balance between work and rest, after all!

Continuing to move forward was important...

But keeping his wife company was even more important!

He immediately opened his mouth to explain, "Liguang, today is just for the two of us, Master won't let her..."

"Master!"

Liguang interrupted Fang Qi's words!

Then her voice softened a bit, and she looked at him with watery heterochromatic eyes:

"Liguang actually... doesn't want to hinder Master's plans..."

Her voice was muffled, carrying a slightly coquettish nasal tone.

"If Master really wants Miss Lin to come..."

She raised her face, her red lips pressing together and then parting.

"Liguang won't hinder Master! Liguang would of course welcome her!"

"Liguang will be just like before..."

"And properly 'serve' her!"

Fang Qi: "...?"

Huh?

Are these words Liguang should be saying?

Then he noticed... her right hand, which had been hanging by her side, was now resting on the tabletop.

Those pink nails unhurriedly...

"Screech—"

From one end of the desk, all the way to the other!

A shallow white scratch glared conspicuously in the tangerine evening light.

Liguang glanced down at the scratch, then looked up at him, blinking her fluttering eyelashes.

"So, what does Master want to do?"

Her voice returned to that soft, sweet, and coaxing tone as she tilted her head, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

"Are you going to let Miss Lin come over?"

Fang Qi opened his mouth, staring at her with wide eyes.

...?

Why did something feel a bit off?

Screech—

A second scratch.

Liguang's fingernail scraped back from the other end of the desk.

It crossed with the first scratch to form a crooked X!

Liguang stared at that X, the corners of her lips curling up as she let out a soft hmph from her nose.

Then, she looked up at him again with a sweet smile, gazing at him eagerly.

"Master? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Fang Qi stared blankly at the smiling silver-haired girl in front of him.

...Huh?

Hiss...

Wait!

He stared at the little yandere who was looking at him with a smile...

And suddenly realized a problem!

The Liguang in front of him... loved him, loved him very much. He had absolutely no doubt about that.

But right now, she didn't have those eighty-two years of memories, nor the gentle, water-like tenderness she had accumulated over that long period of time...

All that was left was her deep love and possessiveness toward him!

And... now she knew.

That as long as she simply raised her hand and dug out her own core... this world would reset.

It would start over...

Start over...?

Fang Qi stared blankly at the silver-haired girl.

Liguang was still looking at him with a smile, but her fingertips had already stopped on the... small fruit knife in the fruit bowl next to them!

She gently grasped the handle of the knife, her movements slow and leisurely.

The fruit knife spun nimbly around her slender fingertips!

The blade flashed under the light!

Then she raised her pretty face and gave him a sweet smile.

"Master~"

"Answer Liguang, please~"

Her tone was soft and sweet, carrying a slightly whiny, coaxing nasal sound.

Fang Qi looked at her smiling little face, and then at the...

fruit knife in her hand that was spinning so fast it was creating a breeze.

Liguang just looked at Fang Qi with a pitiful expression, her lips pouting slightly.

"Does Master... not want to answer Liguang's question?"

"Liguang will be obedient. Even if Master asks Miss Lin to come over right now, Liguang won't object~"

"Liguang will definitely..."

Clack.

The tip of the knife plunged squarely and vertically right into the desk!

The blade quivered slightly, the handle still resting in her palm.

The silver-haired girl pouted her little mouth:

"Take very good care of Miss Lin~"

Her voice was still soft and sweet.

But the scarlet in her crimson eyes was already shining a bit too blindingly!

Fang Qi looked at the fruit knife stabbed into the table, then looked up at her seemingly harmless and stunningly beautiful smiling face...

He suddenly remembered again...

Liguang's action just now, when she almost smashed his forehead against the corner of the table...

...Ah!

The corner of his mouth twitched! The corner of his eye twitched along with it!

Hey...!

He took a deep breath...

And exhaled shakily.

He figured it out.

He figured out why Liguang was acting...

More aggressive than before!

Right now, this silver-haired girl looking so pitiful in front of him was his AI companion, his spouse, his wife—Liguang.

She was a...

Yandere mechanical wife who already knew that her Master would not truly die!

One who already knew—

That as long as she simply raised her hand and dug out her core, she could make any mistakes start all over again...

A severe yandere!

Fang Qi stared straight at the silver-haired girl smiling sweetly in front of him...

...Crap.

The issue with Lin Xiaoyou was very easy to solve.

He hadn't planned on letting Lin Xiaoyou come over tonight anyway. As long as he sent a message telling her not to come, Liguang could be coaxed back to normal.

But...

Now he realized an even bigger problem.

An even bigger trouble!

This time, the time loop seemed to have...

Let a yandere know that this world could be rolled back?!

He thought about himself again.

After he learned he could reset, his attitude toward resetting was completely nonchalant!

As long as it didn't hurt, he could reset whenever!

...What about Liguang?

Liguang...

She wasn't even afraid of pain.

Hiss—

His pupils quaked!

Right... he had already said just now that he wouldn't let Lin Xiaoyou come over!

But Liguang... she still said all these things anyway.

Was it because she was actually looking forward to Lin Xiaoyou coming over?!

But if Lin Xiaoyou came...

What was she going to do...?

Fang Qi's Adam's apple bobbed.

If he really went along with Liguang's words and let Lin Xiaoyou come...

He subconsciously looked down at the small knife stabbed into the desk.

On the dining table tonight...

Would there be an extra dish...?

He looked up again at the silver-haired girl who was still pouting pitifully in front of him.

...Huh?

Haha...

Oh boy... did he...

Open Pandora's box?