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nEvery corner of the “Space Between Moments” glinted with the multicoloured gleam of metal, but when one looked closer, it was all data materialised as fluid, ultimately pouring into the Lord God’s brain at the centre.

nThe brain slowly pulsed. It was unknown from which fold sounded the low drone, “061, you’ve come.”

n061 stood before the gigantic brain. He bowed politely.

nThe Lord God said, “Is the task completed? Why are you here?”

n061 raised his head.

nHis facial features were naturally gorgeous. If not for his cold, clean temperament softening his garishly beautiful profile, it would be hard for him to avoid looking overly frivolous.

nHe said, “I’ve come to ask you, what exactly are you planning.”

n061’s tone was very mild, making it impossible to hear any intent to criticise from it, so the Lord God couldn’t use the excuse of “attitude problems” to drive him out.

n“The plan has not yet been fully formed. It’s currently still in its secret stages and needs not be disclosed to you,” the Lord God said.

n061, “Then I think it would be more reliable to have people participate in it after it’s been formed instead.”

n“What do you mean?”

n061’s attitude was mild yet resolute, “I mean, I refuse to continue participating in this project.”

nThe Lord God fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice turned cold and even contained faint traces of anger, “061, I gave you this opportunity, because I thought you worthy of it.”

nThis was saying that 061 was refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.

n061 said, “The opportunity is for me, but the risks are being borne by Chi Xiaochi. I refuse to do this kind of thing.”

nThe Lord God, “……What do you mean by that?”

n061 said mildly, “Would you like me to say it again? You’ll really lose face that way.”

nThe Lord God didn’t speak.

nAnd this silence, indirectly confirmed 061’s suspicions.

n—— That plan that “couldn’t be disclosed” was closely related to Chi Xiaochi being forced into a world with an A grade difficulty for his second task.

nHe said, “I’ve gathered all the data in our database. As of right now, the number of hosts that have been able to clear a world of A grade difficulty, is 4; those able to clear a world of S grade difficulty, is 0. In worlds of A grade difficulty and above, the host’s risk of dying increases by 69%. Once they are ejected as a result of dying, the host’s consciousness will suffer severe injury.”

n“This is a test,” the Lord God said, “Host no. 1198 is a subject with infinite possibilities.”

n061 nodded.

nThat was something he had to admit.

n“It is precisely because of the clear rate of worlds of A grade difficulty and above is too low, that this project has meaning. Host no. 1198 has the ability to clear A grade worlds. From him, I can collect a lot of valuable data.”

n061, “May I ask what data that is?”

nThe Lord God said, “That is beyond your jurisdiction.”

n061, “But rejecting this project is still within my jurisdiction.”

nIn the Regulations on the Protection of System’s Rights, systems also had the right to make their own choices. The moment those rights were infringed upon, they had the right to file a complaint to a higher supervisory body.

n“No. 1198 executes his tasks very well.” After a repeated rejection, the Lord God’s voice turned even more chilly. “I think that since he has the ability, there should be no lack of willingness to accept a further challenge.”

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n061 said, “Pardon my presumptuousness, but I have to ask. Before throwing Chi Xiaochi into an A-grade world, did you ever ask what he thought about that? ‘Willingness to accept’, is about his willingness, not yours.”

nA threatening chilliness permeated the Lord God’s words, “061, you——”

nBefore the Lord God could erupt in anger at his rudeness, 061 took the initiative to apologise. “My apologies. It was I who went too far.”

nThe Lord God, “……How do you know if he’d be willing? If he knew what this project would get you……”

n061 said, “He’s my host. I won’t allow it.”

nBefore the Lord God got angry, he politely apologised once more, “My apologies.”

nApologising after having said his piece. The Lord God simply had no way of venting his anger.

n061 said, “That’s all I had to say. Is there anything else?”

nThe Lord God didn’t speak, so he turned around and began to walk out of the “Space Between Moments”.

nSuddenly, behind him, the Lord God sneered coldly, “Don’t you remember what benefits this project will bring you? Don’t you want to return to your original world?”

n061 stopped.

nThe Lord God patiently guided him along, “There’s a difference in the passage of time between the different worlds. You’ve cleared 100 tasks and worlds and nearly 13 years have already passed in your original world. Host no. 1198 is just a test subject. If you take on this assignment, other than his tasks, you’ll only have 10 tasks and worlds left to clear; but if you refuse, you’ll still have a full 90 worlds left. Think about it, how long will it take you? How long will the person waiting for you have to wait?”

n061’s back faced the Lord God. He was silent.

nThe Lord God’s mood gradually became happier. Just as he was about to say a little more to strengthen his point, he heard 061 speak, “He’s not a test subject.”

nThe Lord God, “&#k2026;&#k2026;”

n“I will not risk his safety.”

n061 turned around and looked straight at the slowly pulsating human brain bathed in brilliance. “&#k2026;&#k2026;In the next world, I hope that everything will return to normal.”

n……Of course it would.

nThe Lord God feared the supervisory body, and what’s more, this time it was him that had violated the rules.

nBut as 061 walked out of the “Space Between Moments”, he felt a kind of disappointment and frustration, as if he’d lost.

nHe bought a few trinkets in the shopping centre, then knocked on 023’s office door.

nBoth 089 and 023 were inside.

nWhen 061 entered, 089 was bickering with 023.

n089, “Why’d you delete my hard drive.”

n023, “If I could I’d have deleted you along with it.”

n089 said, as if in pain, “That was my treasure, okay! It was a good few hundreds of Gs.”

n023, “Yes, much bigger than your kernel of a brain.”

n089 sobbed despairingly, “You don’t love Daddy anymore.”

n023, “I don’t, ** off.”

n089 said, “But Daddy still loves you.”

n023, “……Are you looking to be peeled.”

n089 suddenly became animated, hopping up and bouncing around, “Yo ho, you’ve grown up, still want to peel me? Then come chase me.”

n023, “……” Idiot.

nJust as 089 was getting cocky, the back of his shirt collar was caught by someone.

n061 pushed him over to 023, “Here you are, sir.”

n023, “Thank you.”

nWhen he was pressed down on the table by 023 and beaten, 089 felt the whole world’s malice.

nWhen he was finished beating him, 023 asked 061, refreshed, “It’s been a long time since I last saw you. How are you and Chi Xiaochi?”

nWhen Chi Xiaochi was brought up, 061 couldn’t help but let out a small smile. “He’s doing very well.”

n023, “Have you asked the Lord God? That experimental plan where your 200 tasks are reduced to 120, when is it going to start?”

n061 said, “I’m not participating in that anymore.”

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n023 was astonished. “……Why?”

n061 explained everything clearly, including his own concerns.

nHe’d personally seen a host with a damaged psyche, their reactions were slow, they were sluggish, like a puppet, with incredibly strong emotional fluctuations, making it difficult for them to suppress either laughter or tears, so he had no way of accepting this kind of damage happening to Chi Xiaochi. He couldn’t even think about it.

nHowever, 023’s reaction was rather fierce, “Since Chi Xiaochi has the ability, why not do it?”

n061 said, “Too dangerous.”

n023, “With rewards, comes danger. There’s still someone waiting for you, have you forgotten?”

n061 thought, hadn’t he forgotten everything.

nTo him, everything in the past had already become fuzzy. Only occasionally, when he recalled two or three fragments, would his heart shake slightly.

n061 laughed bitterly, “Letting an person who has nothing to do with this take risks just for my own benefit isn’t something I can do.”

n“Who says this has nothing to do with him? He……”

nJust then, 089 cut 023 off just in time, “You can’t say for sure that he wouldn’t be willing.”

n061 said, “It’s exactly because he’d be willing that I won’t say it.”

n089 understandingly patted him on the shoulder.

n061 said, “……Besides, it’s already been more than ten years. That person might not be waiting for me anymore.”

n023, “How would you know?! What if he…… he’s still waiting? You’re just going to let go of this opportunity for nothing and make him wait another ten plus years?”

n“A system needs hope in his life, doesn’t he?” 089 patted 061 on the shoulder. “Anyways, no matter what decision you make, Daddy will always support you.”

n061 laughed, “Thank you.”

nAfter another round of idle chatter, 061 left. Before leaving, he also copied a few videos of Chi Xiaochi from his time as a model.

nThe moment he left, 023 immediately reproached 089, “Why not tell him? If he were to know that no. 1198 was Chi Xiaochi……”

n089 looked towards 023. His usual undisciplined, frivolous gaze gradually settled down, “What good would it do him if we let him know?”

n023 stared back at him in surprise, unable to understand the meaning of his words.

n“Do you think that, according to 061’s character, upon knowing that Chi Xiaochi is the person he’s waiting for, he would be willing to gamble his safety in worlds of A grade, or even S grade difficulty?”

n023 immediately reacted.

n“……After completing 10 tasks, Chi Xiaochi will immediately leave the system, and then, like you said, would we have another Wang Baochuan staying alone in the cold kiln, would he remain chaste and wait for 061 for another ten years?”

n023 objected, “Chi Xiaochi has a cherished desire. If he were to know that 061 was Lou Ying, he would definitely choose to stay.”

n089 laughed.

n023, “……What are you laughing for?”

n089, “Do you know why 061 was reformatted in the first place?”

nAt the mention of this matter, 023’s eyebrows twisted. “He broke the rules. He secretly left his host during a task and was reported by his host.”

n089 said, “He left his host to go see someone. Who that someone was, you know as well as I do.”

n023 fell silent.

n089 said, “The moment he comes across something related to Chi Xiaochi, he can’t think rationally. What if he breaks the rules for Chi Xiaochi again? The punishment for last time was reformatting. What will it be next time?”

nHowever, there were some things 089 didn’t explain to 023.

nThe last time 061 returned to the Lord God’s space, before being reformatted, he’d privately found 089 for a talk.

nTill today, 089 still remembered that brief conversation.

nThat year, when he found him, 061’s expression was very strange.

nHe said, “089, how many more tasks do you have to clear before you can leave the system?”

n089 took a look at his counter. “I just need to crank out 3687 more numbers, and Daddy can become a human once more.”

n“……Become a human once more……”

n061 repeated 89’s words, thoughtful.

nSoon, he then asked, “Say, for those hosts who completed all their tasks, do you think they’re living happily in their chosen worlds? Did their wishes really come true?”

n089 looked up from his game and gave him a look, “……You’re being a little strange today.”

n061 seemed to just casually let out an emotional sigh, then said calmly, “I’m fine, just wondering if we would still be able to adapt to life as human beings after we complete our tasks.”

nBefore leaving, he left 089 a few gifts, as usual.

nAfter knowing him for so long, 089 knew that 061 was this polite with everyone, and naturally didn’t bother with politeness, simply accepting the offerings.

nNot long after that, 061 was forcefully brought back by the Lord God during a task and underwent a reformatting.

nA day or two after the reformatting, 089 opened up a bag of melon seeds that had been given to him by 061, and unexpectedly found a set of backup data in it.

n……Data which was firmly sealed behind a 32-digit password.

nWith this set of data, 089 was originally going to go find 061, but after some thought, he didn’t do it in the end.

nFirstly, the reformatted 061 wouldn’t necessarily remember the password.

nSecondly, 089 had a kind of premonition that 061 being wiped of his memories may not have necessarily been because he’d sneakily ran off to see Chi Xiaochi.

n089 didn’t say anything, not even trying to decode the password, before writing the data into his own root file.

nAs a competent father, he would protect this little father-son secret well, and wouldn’t lightly divulge it to anyone, not even his child’s mother.

nUpon returning to the bedroom in Zhou Kai’s villa once more, 061 found that Chi Xiaochi actually wasn’t lying on the bed.

nFor a moment, he panicked.

n……Where had he gone?

nBy the time he’d come up with a wild plot about how Zhou Kai had hired a killer to harm Chi Xiaochi, he spotted Chi Xiaochi downstairs in the living room.

nThe television was set to entertainment news, casting a flickering blue glow on his body, wrapping him in a translucent cocoon of light.

nIn that moment, 061’s heart softened to an unimaginable extent.

nWithout Lou Ying, without Dog Meat, in his original world, was he all alone like this?

nDepending on sleeping pills to fall asleep, and when he woke up in the middle of the night, he would watch television until he fell asleep again……

n061 walked down the stairs step by step. He walked up to him, reached out and stroked his hair.

nChi Xiaochi reacted, with a low voice, “……Wu.”

nIn his half-asleep, half-awake state, 061’s voice was so gentle it made his entire body go weak. “……Why are you sleeping here?”

nChi Xiaochi tried to raise his eyelids, but his already half-asleep mind made him unable to see anything clearly.

nHe mumbled, “Liu-laoshi, you’re back.”

n061 turned off the television, and the room fell into complete darkness once more.

nWith a snap of his fingers, the lights in the corridor lit up.

n061 asked, “Can you walk on your own?”

nChi Xiaochi gave a token struggle, unable to sit up.

n061 couldn’t help but laugh. He turned around and the corridor lights turned off once more.

nHe said, “Don’t move, I’ll take you back to bed.”

nIn the darkness, Chi Xiaochi was wrapped in a warm embrace.

nChi Xiaochi immediately woke up a lot more, instinctively panicking a little. “Don’t……”

n061 knew that Chi Xiaochi had an aversion to physical contact, but this was, after all, an ailment. Invariably avoiding it was never a good thing, it would be best if he could get him to slowly adapt.

nIn the darkness, unable to see the other’s face, with only simple contact, perhaps it could eliminate his tension through his senses.

nHe advised gently, “I don’t hold any malice. I’m just holding you for a moment.”

nEven in his half-asleep, half-awake state, this ‘blessed’ mouth of Chi Xiaochi’s exhibited its function without suffering any hindrance, “……So just the tip?”

n061, “……”

nChi Xiaochi, “Ha, men.”

nA gentle laughter sounded by his ear, “……So would you like this man to take you to your bed?”

n“You may proceed.”

nHowever, as he carried him up the stairs, 061 felt every muscle in Chi Xiaochi’s body be pulled taut. When he put him down, his toes instinctively curled, grasping the sheets, looking like an alarmed rabbit. It took him half a day to relax completely.

nAfter helping Chi Xiaochi into bed, 061 touched his stomach. It was soft and warm, no spasming.

n061 breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t rush to dematerialize and re-enter Chi Xiaochi’s body, rather, he lay down about ten centimeters away from Chi Xiaochi’s body and looked at his sleeping face. His heart felt a little empty, but after carefully thinking it through, it once again became full.

nA short while later, he closed his eyes.

nBeing in this dangerous world for so long, 061 had always been keeping watch by Chi Xiaochi’s side, keeping close, making sure there wasn’t even a hair out of place.

nThis was 061’s first time being able to close his eyes without worry.

n—— Very good.

nIn the future, Xiaochi would at least not have to be dragged down for his own sake.

nThe author has something to say:

nFan Liuyuan greeted her on the pier amongst the misty drizzling rain. He said her glass green raincoat was like a bottle, then added a line: “Medicine bottle.” She thought he was trying to mock her weakness, but he then added by her ear: “You are my medicine.”

n——《Love in a Fallen City》

nXiaochi is Lou-ge’s medicine, and Lou-ge is also Xiaochi’s medicine.

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nbaum: ughhhhhh they’re so sweet T T and 061 was really cool standing up to that stupid pig brain!!!

nand hmm… the plot thickens.

nthank you to Moon bunny and Somebody for the ko-fis~

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