What Happened That Day

Fang Qi couldn't help but freeze.

He looked at the grinning little round face in front of him, and then looked behind her...

At that quiet wooden cabin standing by the stream.

...Huh?

Was there... something wrong with his ears just now?

What did Lin Xiaoyou just say?

This little wooden cabin... is Lin Xiaoyou and Xiaoqing's "secret base"?!

And...

They built it with their own hands a few years ago?!

...Huh?

His brain really couldn't process this.

Bewilderment.

Incomprehensible!

He blankly glanced at the wooden cabin again.

The color of the wood was still as dark, bearing the marks of wind and rain erosion.

That small clearing in front of the cabin was still there, and the sound of the stream was still just as crisp.

Familiar surroundings, familiar little wooden cabin.

A place he could never forget in his entire life!

But now Lin Xiaoyou was saying...

This was her territory?!

The little hand he was holding suddenly tightened sharply!

The force was astonishingly strong!

...Ouch!

The pain in his palm instantly jolted him awake from his daze!

Gentle, honey!

Liguang's little hand was tightly gripping his!

Fang Qi turned his head, only to see her glaring fiercely at Lin Xiaoyou!

Her amber left eye trembled slightly!

And the crimson light in her red eye flashed violently again! The scarlet hue dyed half of her face red!

Her hostility was on full display!

The air in front of the little wooden cabin almost froze in this instant!

"Eh?"

Lin Xiaoyou was startled by Liguang's sudden reaction!

Her hands were still kept in that "welcome to my secret base" posture...

The smile froze on that little round face.

Then...

She looked blankly at Liguang, who had suddenly changed her tune.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Her eyes widened, and she looked entirely innocent and confused!

"Why are you suddenly glaring at me? I-I..."

"Did I say something wrong?"

She looked left and right, then turned back to glance at her own little wooden cabin, and then turned back around, the bewilderment on her face even deeper.

"Is it not good here? It's so nice!"

She pointed at the surroundings!

Her tone carried genuine confusion and a hint of grievance.

"Beautiful scenery! A little wooden cabin! No surveillance, no signal! What a great place!"

"I went through so much trouble to bring you guys here, why are you glaring at me..."

She pouted, muttering softly.

But Liguang still stared at her dead on!

The crimson in her red eye was still flickering, showing no intention of holding back!

At this moment, a light gray figure stepped in front of Lin Xiaoyou.

It was Xiaoqing.

Those eyes that were lazy and impatient just a moment ago were now staring coldly at Liguang!

"What do you think you're doing?"

Her voice was very cold, clearly suppressing her anger.

"We kindly brought you here, what kind of attitude is this?!"

Deep within her pupils, faint streams of data also began to surge!

Only then did Fang Qi fully snap back to reality!

...Don't actually start a fight!

He hadn't figured out the situation yet, they couldn't fall out!

Besides, the other side really felt like teammates!

He immediately gave Liguang's hand a firm tug, leaned close to her ear, and lowered his voice:

"Liguang, don't get worked up! I'm right here beside you!"

The silver-haired girl's delicate body trembled slightly.

The crimson in her heterochromatic eyes slowly dimmed, and her pupils gradually regained focus.

She blankly turned her head, glanced at Fang Qi, and then blankly glanced at the little wooden cabin.

Finally, she lowered her head, hiding her pretty face in the shadow of her hair.

Fang Qi could only see the white lace headband on top of her head, along with that little tuft of cowlick that had popped up again.

"...I'm sorry, Master."

Her voice was very soft, carrying a tremor and bewilderment.

"Liguang... doesn't know what came over her."

Her fingers curled slightly in his palm.

"It's just..."

Her voice dropped even lower.

"When Miss Lin said... they built this little wooden cabin..."

"Liguang suddenly felt..."

Her fingers tightened a bit more.

"Very uncomfortable."

"Liguang feels... this place should be..."

She didn't continue.

But Fang Qi understood.

She wanted to say...

—It should be mine and Master's.

Fang Qi took a deep breath.

Sure enough... her subconscious still remembered this place.

Remembered this wooden cabin, remembered that stream, remembered the time they had once spent here.

Even though those memories had already been sacrificed by the "complete Liguang"...

But deep within her core, some memory fragments still lingered, and even the rules of the world couldn't completely erase those fragments.

Fang Qi tightly held her little hand, soft and slightly cool.

"It's okay."

He softly comforted her.

"Master is here."

The silver-haired girl's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her fingers gently squeezed his back.

Just then...

"My, my!"

The pink figure suddenly swooped over again!

That little round face popped out from beside Fang Qi's shoulder, grinning as she leaned in front of the two of them!

Lin Xiaoyou tilted her head, her almond eyes sweeping back and forth between Fang Qi and Liguang, blinking,

and then the corners of her mouth curled up into a huge smile!

"Oh~~~ I get it!"

She clapped her hands together, letting out a crisp "smack".

Fang Qi: "..."

What do you want to do now?

"Could it be..."

Lin Xiaoyou giggled, pointing at Liguang, and then pointing at the little wooden cabin behind her...

"Liguang thinks this little wooden cabin is too nice, so..."

"She's jealous and envious of me and Xiaoqing?"

She raised her chin slightly, looking like someone who had "been there and done that."

"I get it, I get it, I understand completely!"

She grinned and waved her hand.

"Those AI companions at Dusk are all like this too! They get jealous and possessive over the slightest things!"

"When they see someone else having something nice, they want to get one for their own masters too!"

Her almond eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Liguang saw that Xiaoqing and I have such a great little cabin, and she wants to have one with Senior too, right?"

She even winked at Liguang:

"Don't worry, I totally understand, I won't get mad! But..."

She dragged out her words and wagged her finger:

"You can't have this little cabin, because...!"

She tapped her chest and winked at Xiaoqing again:

"It's mine and Xiaoqing's!"

"If you guys want one, just go build one yourselves. It's not hard anyway, and as for materials... you can just gather them locally, right?"

She pointed at the forest covering the mountains.

Fang Qi: "..."

He looked at the grinning little round face in front of him and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Lin Xiaoyou...

Do you really not know anything?

Or... are you playing dumb again?

"I don't."

Xiaoqing suddenly spoke up stiffly.

She was standing behind Lin Xiaoyou, arms crossed, brow tightly furrowed, her face written all over with displeasure:

"I don't get jealous and possessive over the slightest things!"

Her tone was stubborn and a bit irritated.

Hearing this, Lin Xiaoyou shot her a glance, her eyes full of profound meaning.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Then earlier, while we were eating..."

Lin Xiaoyou's tone also became slightly heavier.

"Who was it that poisoned 'Senior'?"

Xiaoqing's expression instantly froze slightly.

"And also..."

Lin Xiaoyou raised a second finger.

"Just now..."

"Who was it that ate so much, eating up our entire living allowance for this month?"

With every word she spoke, she took a step closer to Xiaoqing, the smile on her face growing increasingly dangerous!

"I haven't even settled these two scores with you yet!"

Her almond eyes narrowed slightly as she gently touched Xiaoqing's cheek:

"So, once we go inside..."

Her eyes widened in a glare:

"You are going straight to the corner to kneel and reflect on your actions!"

Xiaoqing's face completely froze.

She opened her mouth, as if wanting to retort, but in the end, it was just...

"Hmph!"

A heavy snort escaped from her nose!

She turned her head away, not daring to speak anymore, though the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

Fang Qi silently watched the interaction between the two girls.

This Xiaoqing and Liguang really were quite similar...

But right now, his mind was pondering another matter.

A matter that felt more and more amiss the more he thought about it!

That first loop...

The first loop where he was brought to the wooden cabin by Liguang...

He had been stunned with a taser by Liguang on his way to work on the morning of the fourth day!

And when he woke up...

He was already in this wooden cabin.

Lying on the bed with Liguang, their ankles locked together by an iron chain.

And at that time...

It was also morning!

So... the fourth day had already passed by then!

It was at least the morning of the fifth day!

In other words, from the moment he fainted to when he woke up... at least a whole day had passed in between!

During that day, Liguang took his unconscious body... fleeing all the way from the city into this deep, old forest!

And found this wooden cabin!

But this place was not close to the city at all!

Lin Xiaoyou had driven like a maniac, and it still took over an hour!

If driving at a normal speed, it would be at least a two to three-hour drive from the city.

...So how did Liguang find her way here?

Coincidence?

Liguang fled with him, running blindly, and happened to run into this place over a hundred kilometers away...

Into the secret base built by Lin Xiaoyou and Xiaoqing a few years ago?

That was absolutely impossible.

So...

In that first loop, during the at least one day he was unconscious... what on earth had happened?!

"Senior~~~?"

A fair little hand suddenly waved in front of his eyes.

Fang Qi suddenly snapped back to reality.

Lin Xiaoyou had leaned in front of him at some point.

"What are you spacing out for? I've called you several times!"

She tilted her head, her almond eyes blinking.

"Let's hurry inside... Eh!"

Liguang's small hand accurately clamped down on her waving wrist!

The silver-haired girl's eyes were still somewhat dazed and unfocused, but as if by conditioned reflex, she grabbed the wrist Lin Xiaoyou reached out...

And flung it!

The movement was crisp and clean!

Without a trace of hesitation!

"Whoa!"

Lin Xiaoyou was immediately thrown back two steps!

She almost fell flat on her butt!

"Ah!"

She exclaimed, stumbling several steps until Xiaoqing suddenly flashed over to support her, finally steadying her balance!

Rubbing her hand, her small mouth pouted as she looked at Xiaoqing pitifully.

"Xiaoqing, look at her!"

She pitifully shook her hand.

"I just wanted to call out to Senior, and she tossed me!"

Xiaoqing supported Lin Xiaoyou but no longer showed strong hostility toward Liguang. Instead, she glanced at Liguang...

"Good job."

She spat out those words expressionlessly.

The silver-haired girl tilted her head slightly, her crimson eyes flickering before the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

It seemed...

She had reached a consensus with Xiaoqing?

Lin Xiaoyou froze for a moment, then glared, reaching out to pinch Xiaoqing's face:

"Xiaoqing, you're helping an outsider, aren't you!"

Xiaoqing tilted her head and dodged!

"I'm just telling the truth!"

She continued to be stubborn.

Fang Qi raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

Hey, stop messing around!

My head is going to explode!

You guys still have the free time to fool around!

Hurry up and go inside to sit down, I need to interrogate Lin Xiaoyou thoroughly!

"Hey!"

He glared directly at the two of them:

"Stop messing around! Weren't you going to show me your secret base? Hurry up and take me inside! Let me see your wooden cabin!"

Even though he already knew exactly what it looked like inside...

"Oh right, no more fooling around!"

Lin Xiaoyou turned back to Fang Qi and Liguang, that grinning expression hanging on her face again.

"Senior~ Liguang, come on in!"

She walked two steps toward the cabin.

Then she turned back and blinked at them mysteriously.

"By the way, Senior, our wooden cabin..."

"Is not as simple as it looks on the surface~"

"Creaaak—"

The wooden door was pushed open, emitting a sound that set one's teeth on edge.

"Come quickly!"

Saying that, Lin Xiaoyou pulled Xiaoqing's hand.

Xiaoqing was dragged along, still wearing that reluctant expression on her face, but her footsteps followed closely.

"Come on, let me show you something good!"

Lin Xiaoyou and Xiaoqing entered the wooden cabin together.

Fang Qi stood at the door.

Beside him, Liguang stared blankly at the wooden cabin in front of her.

The mountain breeze swept past, blowing her long silver hair, the hem of her black and white maid outfit swaying gently.

"Liguang."

Fang Qi held her small hand tightly and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Let's go inside."

The silver-haired girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, then she nodded softly, gripping his hand back.

"Yes, Master."

The two stepped over the threshold, once again entering this...

Familiar yet unfamiliar wooden cabin.