Chapter 44: CH 44

Tang Yibu looked at the back of the person’s head in the dark.

His partner was facing his back to his side, seemingly not sleeping very well. Unlike in the past, this time the other party squeezed to the side of the bed, as if he wanted to stay away from him.

In order to confirm this conjecture, Tang Yibu took the quilt and leaned against the center of the bed. According to the past, Mr. Ruan, who was sleeping soundly, would unconsciously stick to him, slightly shrinking his limbs to try and grab more of his body heat, but this time, Mr. Ruan didn’t move. He was quietly leaning on the edge of the bed. His linen pajamas hung loose, revealing the back of his white neck.

The inertia of human thinking had a great impact. Tang Yibu was a little aggrieved. He envisioned many possibilities, but none of them could explain the other party’s mysterious attitude. The two of them had a chaotic* first day at Elysium, and Mr. Ruan was very tired. If he woke up the other party rashly, it might make the already delicate situation worse.

*Chickens flying, dogs jumping (鸡飞狗跳) Idiom describing chaos and panic.

Just as he was trying to understand the mysterious emotions of his partner, his target turned over and cast a slightly icy gaze.

Ruan Xian didn’t sleep well.

This made him feel even more unhappy. For a long time, he had been used to sleeping alone, but in just a few weeks, the company of another person had already begun to affect his sleep quality.

It was too dangerous.

Perhaps it was Tang Yibu’s inhumanity that was too strong, or perhaps the gap between them was too deep-rooted. Who said that “it’s impossible to trust each other” wasn’t also a kind of trust? The dark peace was also a peace of mind. It was undeniable that getting along with Tang Yibu made him very comfortable.

Ruan Xian missed his abandoned project a little. For a few moments, that comfort reminded him of the warm computer room with gum hidden in it.

At that time, he could isolate all other humans, just like now.

Half of the android’s face was sunk into the soft pillow and his hands were frozen in the air. His face seemed to be embarrassed for being caught. After being stared at by Ruan Xian for a few seconds, Tang Yibu retracted his hand, rolled the quilt tightly and blinked his golden eyes.

A few hours ago, facing Tang Yibu’s question of “which side to destroy”, Ruan Xian gave a relatively vague answer.

“It depends,” he replied like this at the time.

He considered many options, but each of them needed to be adjusted according to the research results of the flickering grass. ‘It seemed that Tang Yibu wasn’t very satisfied with this answer,’ Ruan Xian thought.

“If you have any questions, you can ask directly,” he said, “but I personally suggest you leave the problem until tomorrow when we have the whole day in the lab.”

Tang Yibu looked even more confused.

“Okay,” the android said with uncertainty. “But we have to confirm Duan Lili’s situation at all times. In case she finds a way to expose your affairs to Feng Jiang. When you back to the Walking Stones…”

Ruan Xian rolled over and continued to turn his back to Tang Yibu. “Nn, but I think Fan Baiyan can handle it well.”

Still, they must be vigilant. If Fan Baiyan really didn’t manage Duan Lili well, it would be even more interesting— If such things could go wrong, it would be hard to say who was the real puppet at Elysium.

At the same time, Feng Jiang was laying in a dark cell.

Not long after he finished lunch, he was waiting to greet Fan Baiyan and expressed his desire to leave in a relatively “polite” way. In front of the reception room, Feng Jiang repeatedly reviewed the prepared excuses in his heart and was waiting for Duan Lili to pick him up, but he was suddenly knocked out from behind.

When he woke up again, he had already been thrown into the cell, and there was darkness in front of him.

“I—I didn’t do anything!” He shook the study iron railing and shouted in a hoarse voice. “Please let me see Fan Baiyan! Duan Lili is also fine! …There must be some misunderstanding!”

“Oh, this kid is quite bold still wanting to see the deputy captain.” The watchman kicked the iron bars. “At this time, the deputy captain is probably ‘busy’.”

The guard’s companion let out a wretched laughter that wasn’t very friendly in the dark shadow.

Feng Jiang swallowed his spit, and his rapid breathing made a gasp. Duan Lili was right. This was a demon’s cave decorated with gold powder.

“Don’t worry, Fan Lao is very magnanimous, and he won’t really do anything to you. Otherwise, you think you can still be breathing? It’s probably because you’re thinking about the deputy captain when you first came and did something to catch the captain’s attention.”

“I haven’t done anything with Lili…”

“Tsk, tsk. Calling her Lili. Your hands move pretty quick. You sure got a death wish. If the deputy captain really took you seriously, she would’ve come to see you a long time ago.”

Feng Jiang didn’t speak anymore. He retreated into the shadows and shrank into the corner of the damp cell.

On the other side, Duan Lili’s situation wasn’t as bad but wasn’t much better either. She was sitting at a table shaking violently. The heavily armed bodyguards stood behind her with their gun slightly raised indicative that it wasn’t a protective posture.

They were full of threats.

“Lili.” Fan Baiyan stretched out a hand and put it on Duan Lili’s shoulder. “As for me, I like well-behaved little girls very much. You do a good job, and you have a good eye for people. You’ve been serving me well for the past few years. I really don’t want to replace you.”

“Fan Lao… Fan Lao. I’m sorry, I was confused…”

“No, no, why are you confused? This is called…kind-heartedness? You know that I have always been accustomed to you, but I thought about it again. Little girls can’t be spoiled unconditionally. I’ll be reasonable with you today.”

Duan Lili’s eyes flushed. “Fan Lao, please, don’t… I won’t talk nonsense anymore. It’s my fault— Ah!”

Fan Baiyan retracted the hand on the girl’s shoulder, picked up the cane on the side, and whacked Lili’s upper arm. Duan Lili screamed and fell off the chair bleeding from her arm that was broken by the cane.

She tried to climb under the table, her whole body shaking.

Unfortunately, Fan Baiyan had no intention of cherishing jade and pity the fragrance*. He kicked Duan Lili’s back and then poked her calf hard with the tip of the cane.

*(怜香惜玉) Idioms referring to being tender towards women.

The snow-white skin was suddenly bruised.

“It is their blessing that I am willing to support these people. I thought you were a smart girl. Can’t you even see through this?”

Fan Baiyan kicked then stop to take in a breath.

“If it weren’t for me creating such a place, those idiots would have to sleep in the ruins every day and pick up garbage from the mud to eat! People are such lazy things that someone must take care of them! God let the flickering grass grow here and such is his will.”

“Do you think I lied to them? Feel pitiful to see them tired like that? This is the way of the world. If you don’t like it, you can just go sell yourselves at the Walking Stones. With this face, it’s impossible for people not to make room in their carriage for you to sleep in.”

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The carefully combed bun was in a mess, and Duan Lili didn’t dare to cry or resist, but kept hiding under the desk.

“You don’t even know how good you got it.”

Five or six minutes later, Fan Baiyan, who was tired, put away his cane.

“I know you won’t change but remember this. It’s fine to persuade away the thorns, but don’t drive away what I like. On the table is the information of last month. Give me a frame by frame and organize the evaluation report that I will use for the ratings.”

“Yes… Yes.” Duan Lili rubbed her injuries and replied sobbing.

“Lock her in here. Before Feng Jiang is let go, don’t let her take a step out, so as not to get in the way.” Fan Baiyan gave Duan Lili a few more kicks with the tip of his shoe and then waved to the bodyguards who remained in the room. “Someone will deliver the meals and the folding bed is in the back. She can’t move for some time, so I have to ask you fellows to bear with it for a few days.”

“Fan Lao, Fan Lao, I…”

Fan Baiyan walked straight out of the room, and the bodyguard behind him slammed the door. Duan Lili was shut in the room and all the exits were locked.

At breakfast the next day, Ruan Xian didn’t see Duan Lili beside Fan Baiyan.

“Fan Lao?” He deliberately glanced at the position of Duan Lili.

“Lili has been busy with work these days, so she won’t accompany me for now,” Fan Baiyan replied with a smile, “But Xiao Ruan, without Lili, my heart is quite panicked. You and Xiao Tang have to do a good job so that I’ll be able to rest at ease.”

“I don’t like the way he talks.” Thirty minutes later, Tang Yibu also put on a white coat in the vacated laboratory.

“I thought you wouldn’t be inclined.”

Ruan Xian turned around in the laboratory, determining the model and function of the machines one by one.

“Of course I would. Humans occasionally evaluate which animals are cute and which are ugly.” Tang Yibu put on his gloves and said in a solemn tone, “I don’t like humans like Fan Baiyan.”

“Yet you like his fruit cake, fried meat, and soymilk ice cream.” Ruan Xian pointed out without any emotion. “Your maker made you look quite human. I don’t think you need to use me as a special reference.”

Tang Yibu stopped the movement of his hands. He walked straight to Ruan Xian, bowed his head slightly, with an expressionless face.

Ruan Xian’s hand subconsciously touched the handle of the blood gun.

“I like delicious food, snowy days, and unpredictable developments. Since there are ‘likes’, there naturally will be ‘dislikes’.”

The android’s tone became more serious.

“Being beaten will cause fear, loss will make you sad, you can fall in love with the same kind or other creatures, and there are countless lives with similar emotions. Why do you think such emotions are just ‘human-like’?”

Ruan Xian hesitated for a moment while holding the handle of the gun. He wasn’t sure if he was seeing things, but it seemed as if Tang Yibu’s mood had dropped for an instant.

“Now I can understand the reason why my maker didn’t give me personality data.” Tang Yibu took a step back. “The impact is really too great and it’s quite unfavorable for observation and judgement.”

“Sorry,” Ruan Xian said. He packed the wild fruits obtained from the hospital and the fruits cultivated by Tang Yibu separately and lowered his head.

“Why apologize?”

“Because I judged you without authorization.” Ruan Xian put away the two glass containers holding the fruits. “It’s my problem. ‘Unlike people’ is not a compliment to people, and ‘like people’ may not necessarily be a compliment to other creatures.”

Tang Yibu let out a sigh of understanding. “Then while you’re feeling a little guilty because of me, can I ask a question from yesterday?”

“…Ask,” Ruan Xian said helplessly. This guy was asking about the plan while he was still emotional.

“Why don’t you let me hug you?”

Ruan Xian almost knocked over the reagent in his hand.

“What?”

“When we use to sleep, you allowed me to hold you, but yesterday you were very far away from me. Judging from your physical performance, your sleep quality isn’t as good as before.” Tang Yibu pointed it out seriously. “Why?”

“I can’t give you an exact answer now.” Ruan Xian turned around irritably. “As for the sleep quality, it’s very simple. I’m just a little bit afraid of the cold. I can’t feel it when I’m near you… you know.”

He suddenly rushed to the table and picked up a handheld radiation detector. He moved quickly and forcefully, knocking Tang Yibu, who was standing in place, to one side.

Tang Yibu watched his partner sink into a one-man world.

The gentle mask and fierce temperament were gone. The man at the table, was like part of a research facility. Mr. Ruan focused on grouping the reagents soaked in bright grass fruits and grass leaves and scanned them separately with a radiometer. The molecular structure of the shuttle and the psychedelic component were clearly displayed on the light screen.

“The GC-MS* is ready. Get two lab rats out.” The man’s tone was more like an order.

*An analytical method that combines the features of gas-chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify different substances within a test sample.

“Ready.”

“Negative pressure crusher and micro-metering test scale.”

“I guess you also want a radiation simulation device and an isolated observation chamber,” Tang Yibu said with a smile, setting the machines up one by one.

The man turned his head and smiled at him.

Tang Yibu’s movements stagnated for half a second. He had seen the other party’s smirk, sneer, and what could be called a hideous smile, but he had never seen such a pure—very short-lived, smile that was like a shooting star.

“I can’t answer your question just now, but I can answer your last one. I don’t plan to destroy either side… We can play a big shuffle.” Ruan Xian put down the test tube in his hand, and his voice sounded inexplicably satisfied. “Do you want to go on a date, Tang Yibu?”

“Where?”

“If I’m not mistaken, the Annihilation Point.”

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