The Secret of the Wooden Cabin

Inside the wooden cabin, the air smelled of wood and dust.

Fang Qi's gaze swept across the room.

A wooden bed sat against the wall.

The bed boards were completely empty, covered only by a thin layer of dust.

The wooden window was currently wide open. Next to it was a wooden table with two wooden chairs beside it...

Likewise, they had also gathered a thin layer of dust.

It was exactly the same as the wooden cabin in his memory.

He and Liguang had slept on that bed.

They had also sat on those two wooden chairs, working together at that wooden table to repair that little plastic star.

At this moment, the silver-haired girl had frozen stiff beside him.

Fang Qi looked at her.

That little star was trembling slightly on her earlobe.

She was staring blankly at that bed!

That empty, dust-covered bed!

The pupil of her amber left eye quivered slightly, while the crimson in her red right eye... was flashing at a slow and erratic frequency!

Fang Qi's heart clenched slightly, and he gave her small hand a firm squeeze.

Wifey...

If you can't remember, then don't force it!

Then, he feigned novelty as he examined the cabin, saying in a somewhat casual tone,

"Xiaoyou, what's so special about this cabin of yours?"

"Isn't this just... a very ordinary little wooden cabin?"

"Also, where is this good stuff you mentioned?"

Probe her first!

Lin Xiaoyou, meanwhile, stood in the center of the room, her hands behind her back, looking at him and Liguang with a beaming smile.

A mysterious smile hung on her small, round face.

"Senior... close the door first."

She reached out and pointed at the open wooden door behind Fang Qi.

"I'll show you right away, Senior!"

Fang Qi raised an eyebrow slightly.

...Close the door to show me?

Did this little cabin really hide some secret?

Could there be a trap?

Was she going to make a move against them after the door was closed?

He looked at the smiling round-faced girl in front of him, narrowing his eyes slightly in vigilance.

However...

What was there to be afraid of!

My wife and I both have the divine power to rewind time...

As if I'd be scared of you!

"Alright."

He grabbed the door handle and pulled it back.

"Creaaak—click."

The wooden door closed.

At the same time, Xiaoqing also reached out...

"Clack."

And shut the wooden window.

Now, the room plunged into complete darkness.

Only faint slivers of light seeped through the cracks in the wooden walls.

Fang Qi's eyes hadn't yet adjusted to such darkness, making him slightly tense.

Lin Xiaoyou, what exactly are you trying to...

"Slap!"

A crisp sound rang out.

...?!

Fang Qi's pupils instantly contracted as he looked toward the source of the sound.

In the darkness, he saw Lin Xiaoyou slapping both of her hands hard against her own cheeks!

Fang Qi: "..."

Oh, hitting herself.

Lin Xiaoyou maintained that hands-on-cheeks posture, eyes closed and motionless for a few seconds... then she opened her eyes.

Her almond eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Fang Qi.

The liveliness and playfulness had vanished from her small round face.

Her expression had now become solemn, formal, and serious!

"Fang Qi..."

Lin Xiaoyou's almond eyes stared straight at him as she spoke:

"Next..."

"I'm going to show you a secret that has been buried for many years."

Fang Qi's eyelids twitched slightly.

A secret... in this little wooden cabin?

He stared at her in silence, waiting for her next words.

"I hope that after you see it, you will be willing to cooperate with us."

She looked at him very seriously:

"Even if we can't cooperate in the future, I still hope..."

She took a soft breath... her tone sincere:

"That you can keep this secret."

Fang Qi looked at her silently.

So formal?

What kind of secret was hidden here...?

Then, without waiting for Fang Qi to answer, she looked at the silver-haired girl beside him.

Liguang didn't seem to be listening to what Lin Xiaoyou was saying.

She was still... staring somewhat absentmindedly at that dust-covered bed, lost in her own thoughts.

"Liguang, the same goes for you."

Lin Xiaoyou looked at her seriously, her tone equally solemn.

"I also hope that we can reach a cooperative agreement."

Liguang's crimson eye flashed slightly.

She slowly withdrew her gaze from the bed and looked at Lin Xiaoyou.

After her eyes focused slightly, she took half a step back.

Standing half a step behind Fang Qi.

"Miss Lin, there is no need to ask Liguang about this matter."

Her voice was docile, as always.

"Master's choice..."

She raised her eyes slightly and glanced at Fang Qi.

The amber was gentle, the crimson calm.

"Will always be Liguang's choice. Liguang will always stand with Master."

There was not the slightest hesitation in her tone.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her hands folded in front of her lower abdomen, and coupled with her black and white maid outfit...

At this moment, she truly looked like a docile and obedient little maid.

Fang Qi pursed his lips.

Liguang's words instantly eased much of the tension he had just been feeling!

Wifey...

So wonderful!

Love you!

He couldn't help but firmly squeeze her small hand hanging by her side!

She gently scratched his palm.

"...It's redundant to ask her."

Xiaoqing's somewhat lazy voice sounded.

"As long as you convince the master..."

She was leaning against the wall by the window, arms crossed, casting a sidelong glance at Liguang, and then at Fang Qi.

"What AI companion would ever disagree."

Liguang smiled slightly without any rebuttal.

Fang Qi noticed that she and Xiaoqing, who had previously been somewhat like fire and water, now seemed to share a mutual appreciation.

Was this the tacit understanding between "their own kind"?

Lin Xiaoyou, however, immediately turned her head to look at Xiaoqing, her almond eyes glaring slightly!

"Xiao, Qing!"

Her tone grew a bit heavy.

"As a member of Twilight, and an omnic just like Liguang, how can you say such a thing!"

She looked at Xiaoqing, her small round face full of seriousness.

"We must give respect to any cooperative partner!"

"Even omnics have independent personalities!"

Glared at by her, Xiaoqing pursed her lips, a trace of discomfort flashing across her lazy face.

She turned her head away and muttered softly,

"You have the nerve to scold me... when you're always throwing yourself at her master, which is the greatest disrespect to her..."

The seriousness on Lin Xiaoyou's small round face instantly stiffened:

"I was just...!"

Xiaoqing continued to mutter:

"Besides, I haven't seen those omnics from Twilight show you much respect either, they're just a bunch of..."

"Xiaoqing!!"

Lin Xiaoyou's voice suddenly grew even louder!

Squinting at her!

Xiaoqing's lips moved, wanting to say something else, but ultimately she closed her mouth.

She turned her face to the side, crossing her arms even tighter.

Her whole being radiated a low-pressure aura of "I'm not convinced"!

Watching this scene, Fang Qi's eyelids twitched again.

...Did Xiaoqing have a problem with Twilight?

Lin Xiaoyou turned her head back to look at him again.

At this moment, the seriousness on her small round face... was already starting to crack!

But she still looked at him solemnly!

Waiting for his answer!

Fang Qi couldn't help but purse his lips.

My good teammate, your forced serious expression is a bit weird...

However, since the other party was being so solemn... he couldn't be impolite either.

So he met Lin Xiaoyou's eyes and nodded solemnly as well:

"As long as you don't do anything detrimental to me and Liguang, we naturally won't do anything unnecessary either."

Lin Xiaoyou fell silent for a moment, then nodded forcefully:

"Alright!"

"Then..."

She turned her head and looked at Xiaoqing, who was still leaning against the window, sulking.

"Xiaoqing, let's begin."

Her voice was very calm, yet carried a faint trace of tension.

Xiaoqing still wore a reluctant expression on her face, but she dropped her crossed arms and stood up straight.

"Yes."

She responded and walked toward the bed.

The wooden bed where he had once slept for a night with Liguang.

The wooden bed that Liguang had been staring at intently.

And Lin Xiaoyou... also walked to the other side of the bed.

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Was there something wrong with this bed?

He saw the two girls bend down simultaneously, reaching out... and grabbing the two bed legs on the side closer to the wall.

Then...

They twisted them at the same time!

Click.

The soft sound of a mechanical structure.

...Huh?

Watching their actions, before Fang Qi even had time to be surprised, he suddenly felt...

A slight tremor beneath his feet!

The ground was vibrating slightly. It was so faint that if he hadn't been paying close attention, he might not have noticed it at all.

He slowly widened his eyes!

...A hidden mechanism?

Underground?

Lin Xiaoyou and Xiaoqing took half a step back, and then...

Rumble...

Accompanied by the low sound of rolling gears...

The wooden bed began to move!

It slowly slid to the side!

The legs of the bed seemed completely connected to the floor; the entire section of the floor was moving along with the bed!

Then...

A gap appeared between the floor and the edge of the bed!

A pitch-black gap.

A chill seeped out from the gap!

Wind.

Carrying the unique damp scent of deep rocks and soil!

This gust of wind brushed past Fang Qi's ankles and gently lifted a corner of Liguang's maid skirt.

Fang Qi felt the small hand holding his grip a little tighter.

And he...

Was also stunned by the scene unfolding before him!

The wind continued to pour out from the opening.

Carrying a low whistling sound!

Woo... woo...

It sounded like... someone crying!

It was somewhat hair-raising to hear!

...Wait?

He stared blankly at the edge of the bed, at this suddenly appearing and ever-widening gap!

Huh?!

The presence of wind... meant it was very deep down there!

Very large!

Holy crap?!

There was a massive underground space down there?!

But last time...

How come he and Liguang didn't discover this underground space?!

...Ah!

He suddenly realized.

At that time, Liguang's crimson eye was damaged!

Her crimson eye had been hit by a bullet, covered in cracks, and occasionally sparked with electricity!

With her crimson eye broken, her scanning, detection, and analytical abilities were all greatly compromised!

Just like when they eloped at sea!

Back then, she hadn't awakened the abilities of her native core!

Moreover...

The malfunction of the crimson eye would drive her crazy! Would it... suppress the native core?

In short, just maintaining her sanity back then was already a huge struggle for her!

How could she have had any spare energy to scan for some hidden mechanism under the bed?

Therefore...

Clunk.

With a soft sound like something locking into place, the bed finally stopped moving.

The rumbling also ceased.

The wooden cabin returned to silence.

And on the floor that was originally covered by the bed board... a pitch-black entrance had appeared!

Stone steps extended downward from the entrance...

Step by step, disappearing into the darkness!

He couldn't see clearly what was down there!

Because...

It was bottomless at a glance!

It was truly deep!

Fang Qi stared blankly at the dark entrance.

...It really is so deep.

Could this be...

A secret passage leading into the interior of this mountain?!

No wonder they called it a secret base...

...It really is an actual base?!

Then this small wooden cabin...

Was actually just the entrance to your secret base?!

Did you guys dig out everything down there too?!

"Master..."

At this moment, a murmur suddenly came from beside him.

Fang Qi immediately turned his head to look at Liguang!

The silver-haired girl had taken a step forward at some point!

She tilted her head slightly, her heterochromatic eyes staring fixedly at the entrance leading underground.

"The feeling this place gives Liguang..."

She murmured.

"Is so strange..."

In her amber left eye, a faint blue light seemed to flash and disappear.

And that crimson eye... was flashing at a frequency he had never seen before!

Fang Qi: "?!"

What did that mean...?

"Master, this place seems..."

Her lips were slightly parted, as if she were talking to herself.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and on her breathtakingly beautiful face... was an expression he couldn't quite understand.

It was like...

She was being drawn by something?

Huh?!

Fang Qi's pupils suddenly shrank.

As if subconsciously, Liguang took another step toward the opening.

Fang Qi also subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand immediately!

"Liguang!"

He called out in a low voice.

The silver-haired girl's eyelashes fluttered gently...

But she didn't turn back to look at him!

Her gaze remained firmly locked onto that gloomy opening!

...What was going on?!

What was wrong with his wife?!

"Lin Xiaoyou!"

He abruptly turned to look at Lin Xiaoyou!

"What exactly is this place of yours...!"

Then he froze!

Because Lin Xiaoyou's expression was also a bit strange.

She was... smiling?

But it wasn't a smile of a successful conspiracy, but rather...

A smile of relief?

Her small, round face that had just been tense was now completely relaxed!

Her brows had also completely smoothed out!

Then, she suddenly raised her hands again...

Smack!

And slapped her own cheeks!

She rubbed her cheeks with both hands a couple of times before lifting her head again.

The solemnity and seriousness on her round face had been rubbed away by her.

"Oh my, oh my~"

She actually reverted to that playful and shrewd smile!

Her almond eyes curved, the corners of her mouth turning up!

"My bad, my bad, it's all my fault!"

She waved her hand with a grin.

"How did I make the atmosphere so heavy, honestly!"

She walked two steps forward, stopping in front of Fang Qi and Liguang, put her hands on her hips, tilted her head slightly, and her ponytail swung behind her head again!

"Fang Qi—"

She dragged out the syllables, her almond eyes looking straight at Fang Qi.

"I'm certain now, you..."

She raised her right hand, pointing a finger straight at Fang Qi's nose!

"Will definitely choose to cooperate with us!"

Then she tapped her lips, giggling, smiling incredibly radiantly!

"As for the conditions to join, let me think... just buy me a hoverbike!"

...?

Fang Qi looked at her with a bewildered expression.

Wait...?

What was this girl talking about now?

You were only serious for a few minutes! How did you change back again?

Lin Xiaoyou...

Are you schizophrenic or something?!

Who the hell is going to buy you a hoverbike!

He glared at Lin Xiaoyou!

Xiaoqing, standing to the side, didn't seem to find anything wrong with this at all.

She leaned against the window, arms crossed, looking outside with her eyes slightly narrowed, as if observing something.

Right at this moment...

The silver-haired girl next to him took another step toward the entrance!

...?!

Fang Qi quickly pulled her back again:

"Liguang! What exactly is wrong with you?!"

Liguang stopped in her tracks, but... she continued to stare blankly at the entrance.

She murmured, "Master... this place really seems..."

Damn it...!

Fang Qi abruptly turned to glare at Lin Xiaoyou:

"Lin Xiaoyou! What the hell did you do to my Liguang?!"

If you dare to do anything you shouldn't...

I'll kill myself right now and reload my save!

In the next playthrough, I'll end you!

He glared daggers at Lin Xiaoyou's smiling, round little face!

"Oh my~ don't be in such a rush. I already told you..."

Lin Xiaoyou just looked at him with a grin.

"You'll definitely choose to cooperate with me! For Liguang!"

She tilted her chin up slightly and waved her small hand...

Her finger pointed straight at the pitch-black hole beneath their feet!

"Because this place—"

Her voice was clear, her eyes brimming with excitement!

"—is a secret research facility established by your parents before they died!"

...?

Huh?

The anger in Fang Qi's heart faltered for a moment.

Who?

Established what?

"Wait a minute, you...!"

He raised a hand to his forehead, wanting to say something more...

"Furthermore...!"

Lin Xiaoyou shifted her finger and pointed at Fang Qi once again!

Her fingertip practically touched the tip of his nose!

The corners of her mouth curled up as she stared straight at him!

"You will definitely cooperate with me, too!"

"Because..."

As she spoke, her finger shifted again!

This time, it pointed at the silver-haired girl beside him, who was still staring blankly at the hole!

Lin Xiaoyou's almond eyes narrowed into crescent moons from her wide smile!

The sheer excitement and fanaticism on her face were completely unconcealed!

She looked just like a mad scientist who had discovered the perfect test subject for her experiments!

"The core of your Liguang!"

"Was right here..."

"...where it was ultimately modified and activated!"

"This place..."

She placed both hands on her hips and excitedly announced:

"Is Liguang's..."

"Birth. Place!"

...Huh?!