This Is Lin Xiaoyou

...the prototype?

Fang Qi instinctively hugged the Liguang in his arms tighter.

He knew.

Xiaoqing was the experimental prototype that created those nine cores.

Without Xiaoqing, Liguang’s original core wouldn’t exist.

But...

What does that mean...?

How does this connect to Xiaoqing being able to “have nightmares”...

“So...!”

Lin Xiaoyou stomped on the accelerator!

“If Liguang can do it, Sister Xiaoqing definitely can too!”

“Senior!”

She glanced at Fang Qi through the rearview mirror, her almond-shaped eyes blinking:

“While you and Liguang were being shameless at home yesterday, I wasn’t sitting idle!”

...?

Yesterday?

Fang Qi couldn’t help but feel a momentary daze.

Which day was yesterday...?

His sense of time was all muddled; every day felt far too long...

Yesterday... ah!

Day nine?

That day...

He had been locked by the ankle by Liguang, linked to her brain, and spent the entire day in a virtual world!

Wingsuit flying, racing cars, fighting monsters...

And that long, drawn-out campus romance.

He had spent a full ten years with Xiaoguang, from being deskmates in high school to living together in college, all the way to their wedding night!

And that night...

Under the moonlight, the bride who changed from black hair to silver hair!

“...!”

Fang Qi’s breath hitched for a moment.

Even with the urgency of the situation...

Just thinking about that scene made him stir slightly!

And in his arms, the silver-haired girl wriggled a little.

He looked down and saw Liguang’s little ears had turned completely red!

Her star-shaped hair ornaments were shaking!

Faint steam was rising from her head again!

...She must be thinking about that same thing—the event that made Sister An Lian tease them about “needing to exercise restraint”!

...This is unbearable!

Fang Qi quickly took a deep breath, forcing down his wandering thoughts!

Now was not the time to reminisce about their wedding night!

“Senior! Yesterday I...”

Lin Xiaoyou’s tone was so smug!

“Did something huge!”

She winked at him through the rearview mirror.

“I gave Xiaoqing a deep ‘maintenance’!”

“Just like what Sister An Lian did for Liguang!”

Fang Qi snapped back to reality.

He blinked.

...Huh?

“...You know how to do maintenance?” he asked instinctively.

“Of course!”

Lin Xiaoyou spun the steering wheel with one hand!

The pink “chopped fish head” car turned smoothly around a bend.

“It’s not as professional as Sister An Lian’s work, but upgrading the software? No problem at all!”

She said proudly:

“Xiaoqing’s core architecture shares the same origin as Liguang’s!”

“Even though, as an early experimental model, Xiaoqing’s original core was missing certain key modules at the factory...”

“But I’ve already filled in those gaps for her at that underground research facility!”

The underground research facility...

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

That’s right.

Lin Xiaoyou had mentioned before that Xiaoqing was modified there, and gained the ability to see through the “eyes”!

But...?

Lin Xiaoyou held up a finger and shook it.

“So now, the hardware gap between her and Liguang’s original core isn’t that big anymore!”

“It’s mostly just a software difference!”

“And so...”

Lin Xiaoyou stomped on the accelerator again, overtaking the car ahead!

“Yesterday, I gave Xiaoqing a... soft! ware! overhaul!”

“I personally calibrated some data and did a massive system upgrade on her core software!”

As she spoke, a sly grin curled at the corner of her mouth:

“Xiaoqing is now running the ‘Lin Xiaoyou Custom System’~”

“I personally built the system for Sister Xiaoqing!”

“A system that belongs to me!”

Fang Qi: “...”

Miss Genius, your talents really are endless...

“But honestly...”

Lin Xiaoyou pursed her lips slightly.

“I had this system ready for a while, it’s just that...”

“I kept it aside and never dared to update Xiaoqing.”

“I always wanted Sister Xiaoqing to regain her memories, but something like that...”

Her voice softened.

“What if I failed?”

“So...”

She lowered her eyes.

“I never had the courage.”

But then, her round face in the rearview mirror lit up with a playful grin!

“But now that I can ‘dream’ too, I’m a little bolder! So yesterday, I just went for it with Xiaoqing...!”

She blinked and even licked her lips lightly.

“In short!”

She suddenly raised her voice!

“I think my Xiaoqing is no worse than your Liguang, Senior!”

“Xiaoqing just needs some preparation and upgrades!”

“So, Senior, look...”

She proudly spun the steering wheel again!

“Didn’t it work out today?”

Fang Qi stared blankly at the smug little face in the rearview mirror.

So that’s it...

The reason Xiaoqing could “dream” was because Lin Xiaoyou upgraded her yesterday, on Day Nine?

First, she filled in the hardware gaps. Then yesterday, she updated the software system, so Xiaoqing was able to—?!

...Hmm?

Wait.

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes.

Does that add up?

...No, it doesn’t, right?

Today is Day Ten...

He’s already looped back several times, hasn’t he?

The first time, An Lian was killed by a truck at the eastern crossroads, and they held a “bloody wedding.”

The second time, An Lian died at the apartment entrance, and he and Liguang looped back at home...

Last time was already the third loop!

But why is it that only on this third loop did Xiaoqing have a “nightmare”?

...Hmm?

He frowned and tilted his head.

Had he overlooked something...?

The silver-haired girl in his arms suddenly moved.

Liguang lifted her head, staring at Lin Xiaoyou in the rearview mirror...

A flash of crimson exploded inside the “chopped fish head” car!

A clear anger appeared on her delicate face!

Huh?

“Miss Lin, you did that... on purpose!”

Her tone was even somewhat indignant!

Fang Qi: “...?”

Lin Xiaoyou blinked, her round face full of innocent confusion:

“What did I do on purpose? What are you talking about?”

Then she glared at Liguang:

“Listen, Liguang, don’t think I’m afraid of you! You can’t just make things up!”

Fang Qi looked down at the silver-haired girl in his arms.

She was still glaring at Lin Xiaoyou through the rearview mirror!

The gentle demeanor she always pretended to have in front of others was completely gone!

Her crimson pupils flashed!

Her amber pupils trembled!

She really was...

A bit angry, wasn’t she?

Cute!

His wife’s anger was adorable!

But...

Why?

He asked instinctively:

“Liguang, what do you mean... by ‘on purpose’?”

Liguang turned her head slightly to look at him and pursed her lips.

“Master...!”

The silver-haired girl seemed to grit her teeth.

“It seems Xiaoqing’s ‘dreaming’ isn’t just about needing an upgrade. It probably also requires...!”

She narrowed her eyes again at Lin Xiaoyou!

“A violent emotional shock!”

...?

Emotional shock...

Ah...!

Fang Qi’s pupils contracted sharply!

...Right.

What made this third time different from the previous ones?

It was so obvious!

Xiaoqing was almost in utter despair and collapse!

That gut-wrenching breakdown!

That extreme emotion that nearly destroyed her core!

And then...

She “dreamed.”

...Hmm?

Wait.

...Hold on?!

He whipped his head around, staring at Lin Xiaoyou, who was still driving in the rearview mirror!

Miss Genius was secretly watching him through the rearview mirror...

The moment he looked over, she immediately averted her gaze!

"Whistle whistle whistle..."

She started whistling.

...?!

Fang Qi felt a chill creeping up his spine.

He suddenly realized something!

In the last timeline, Xiaoqing's breakdown and despair...

Could it be that it was all part of Miss Genius's calculations?!

Lin Xiaoyou jumping off the building right in front of Xiaoqing...

Could that still be this Miss Genius's way of killing two birds with one stone?!

She both verified that the accident was "fated" and took the opportunity to deliver a massive emotional shock to Xiaoqing...

All to test whether the upgraded Xiaoqing could truly retain her memories?!

Fang Qi slowly raised his head...

And glared at the rearview mirror, at that round little face still wearing an innocent expression!

No way...?

Lin Xiaoyou, what the hell...?!

She'd just been saying such touching things!

Things like "my mind was full of 'I'm done for,'" like "I was afraid Xiaoqing would see her Master die right in front of her," like "in that moment, I really felt the sky go dark"...

And it turns out she did it on purpose?!

You, you, you...

"You even screw over your own Sister Xiaoqing?!" Fang Qi was stunned.

"Huh?!"

Lin Xiaoyou's almond eyes went wide with shock!

Her round face was full of indignation!

"Senior, what are you talking about! I did no such thing!"

She looked as if she'd been wronged!

"I was just verifying the iteration of fate!"

"When was I ever deliberately trying to get Xiaoqing's attention!"

"I really do care about Xiaoqing!!"

Fang Qi: "..."

Did I even say anything...?

You're practically confessing without being accused!

"Senior, you're slandering me!"

Lin Xiaoyou was still yelping, slapping her hands wildly on the steering wheel.

"Grasping at shadows! Whatever you do, don't ever mention this to Xiaoqing!"

She was clearly getting flustered:

"Otherwise... Xiaoqing's methods are no less ruthless than Liguang's!"

"I'd really be worse than dead!!"

Fang Qi: "..."

He stared silently at the rearview mirror, where the round-faced girl was frantically blinking at him.

Alright...

That heartfelt monologue about her psychology during the fall...

Those genuine confessions about "my mind was full of 'I'm done for'"...

They were probably real too.

She really was afraid of Xiaoqing seeing her die.

She really did ache with pity the moment she was falling.

But that didn't stop her from considering "Xiaoqing's emotional impact" as a variable when designing her experiment!

Tsk.

This was Lin Xiaoyou for you.

She could drag them all into poisoning themselves in a sealed room.

She could have herself fall from the seventh or eighth floor right in front of Xiaoqing.

Using the most extreme methods to verify the craziest hypotheses!

And then...

Hiding all that guilt and self-blame behind that punch-drunk, smug little grin.

Tsk, tsk.

Sigh.

Fang Qi let out a breath.

He decided to stop dwelling on it.

Why meddle in someone else's family affairs?

Anyway, because Xiaoqing and Liguang shared the same origin...

With Lin Xiaoyou's help, she'd acquired the same "dreaming ability" as Liguang?

So that was possible...?

Well, well...

Hmm.

Hmm...?

...Wait.

Fang Qi's pupils froze.

Wait...?

Wait, wait, wait?!

This doesn't add up, does it?!

Being of the same origin as Liguang means you have the ability to "dream"?!

...Huh?

This...

Is this right?

Even Xiaoqing, the "prototype," could retain her memories after the upgrade...

Then...

His breath caught.

Suddenly...

A shiver ran down his spine.

...What about the remaining eight cores?

What about Chenxi's core...

The background super core...?

"Master."

A slightly cool little hand covered his.

He stiffly looked down.

The silver-haired girl had already sat up from his arms.

Those mismatched eyes were looking at him.

The scarlet in her right pupil flickered at a slow, steady pace.

The corner of her mouth... was actually curling up just a little?

"If that's really the case..."

She wasn't afraid. In fact...

She seemed a little excited?

She murmured softly:

"Then that would be... really interesting."