“Sit down, Ailei.”
The courtyard was bathed in sunlight, vast and serene. After politely refusing the plate of food cubes, Xu Xi patted the spot beside him, gesturing for Ailei to sit.
From outside, the hum of construction machinery echoed continuously, yet the blazing sunlight seed to burn away the noise, leaving behind only a warm glow that gently draped over the girl’s head like a soft veil.
“Alright, Master.” The loyal chanical maid nodded slightly, delicately pinching the corners of her skirt and sitting beside Xu Xi with an elegant grace.
Xu Xi’s eyes were montarily dazzled. He noticed that tiny water droplets were still clinging to Ailei’s hair—leftovers from her earlier ti playing with water. They shimred under the light, creating intermittent flashes.
With a quiet chuckle, Xu Xi stood up and walked behind Ailei, undoing the neatly tied black-and-gold strands of her hair.
Ailei instinctively wanted to react but stopped when Xu Xi’s voice ca from behind. “Ailei, don’t move for now.”
The obedient and devoted maid followed his instructions, sitting quietly as Xu Xi’s warm fingers gently tended to her slightly damp hair.
“Ailei, if you feel uncomfortable, let know.”
“Yes, I will.”
The sunlight danced with the leaves, painting a tranquil picture. Xu Xi moved gently, lifting the silky golden strands with one hand while his other hand, infused with chanical energy, carefully removed the excess water droplets.
Once… twice…
Before long, the once-damp hair was dry and smooth again, free from any moisture.
Ailei sat still, waiting patiently as Xu Xi’s hands weaved through her hair, skillfully tying it back into its original style.
“All done, Ailei.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Ti in the sumr always passed silently.
Although Ailei had calculated the duration in her mind, the warmth of Xu Xi’s hands brushing through her hair, gently stroking the top of her head, made her forget the passage of ti—until his voice reminded her.
She looked at him and softly suggested, with a hint of apology in her voice, “For such trivial matters, please allow to handle them next ti.”
Ailei felt happy—very much so—but her sense of duty as a maid made her believe that such tasks should not trouble her master. The roles between them should remain clear.
“Alright, next ti for sure.” Xu Xi smiled.
He leaned back slightly, putting so distance between them to take in the sight of the delicate and serious chanical maid from a broader perspective.
“You’re really beautiful,” he remarked.
A flawless, beautiful girl, as if she had walked straight out of a fairy tale, without a single flaw.
Xu Xi reached out, gently brushing aside the strands of hair on Ailei’s forehead, revealing her clear silver-blue eyes.
Though, as a machine, Ailei could observe the world perfectly even without a physical body, Xu Xi believed that sotis, in so aspects, a touch of ritual was important.
“As long as… you like it,” Ailei whispered.
A sumr breeze blew past, strong enough to lift her hair into the air, making her voice montarily unclear.
She instinctively pressed her fingers lightly against her head, ensuring the carefully arranged strands wouldn’t be disturbed by the playful wind.
The golden sunlight, flowing hair, and slender fingers combined into a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
Xu Xi admired the view until the wind died down and her hair settled back into place. Then, he asked softly, “Ailei, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?”
Without hesitation, she replied, “Serve you.”
Xu Xi: “…”
That answer sounded… almost like a trap.
Cough.
He cleared his throat. “I an, besides that, is there anything else you’d like to do?”
His tone was gentle, not a casual inquiry, but a sincere curiosity.
Recently, Xu Xi had witnessed Ailei’s fascination with water and light, and it made him realize that her sense of humanity had grown significantly.
Even though she always prioritized his needs and followed his every command, small monts—like gazing at the stars before and marveling at water today—showed her growing self-awareness.
Once rely a household robot, Ailei was now evolving into sothing more—sothing closer to being “human.”
Wanting to understand her better, Xu Xi wanted to have a heartfelt conversation with her.
“I’m sorry, Master… I have no other desires—other than serving you.”
Ailei shook her head in confusion, her hair swaying with the motion.
“Not even a little?” Xu Xi gently encouraged, “Anything at all?”
Ailei thought seriously for a mont before responding.
“Cleaning, learning recipes, planting flowers, and eliminating all your enemies.”
Xu Xi was taken aback.
Once again, her answers revolved entirely around him, not from her own perspective.
“Is that not okay, Master?” She placed a finger on her chin, her expression adorably puzzled. “Ailei only wants to serve you.”
“It’s not about whether it’s okay or not, it’s just…”
Xu Xi sighed.
He understood why Ailei answered that way. As a dostic robot, serving her master was her primary function—there was no doubt about that.
However, this answer, though touching, wasn’t what Xu Xi truly wanted.
“If she always revolves around , with as her core, then… what will happen to her when I’m gone?”
Xu Xi closed his eyes slightly and sighed inwardly.
In this sci-fi simulation, his fate was either to exhaust his ten revival chances and die in battle, or to live out his life and et the inevitable end.
Either way, as a human, he was far more fragile than Ailei.
Seeing how human-like she had beco made Xu Xi worry about the future—one that had yet to arrive but felt closer each day.
“Master, did I do sothing wrong?”
Noticing his contemplative expression, Ailei asked with concern.
“No, not at all. You’re doing great.”
Xu Xi reached out and patted her head gently. “I’m just… a little tired.”
“Tired?”
Ailei imdiately presented the plate of food cubes. “Master, would you like to eat sothing?”
“I…”
Facing her sincere silver-blue gaze, Xu Xi found it difficult to refuse.
In the end, he picked up one of the specially flavored food cubes and took a big bite.
“It’s really good, Ailei.”
Hearing his words, Ailei’s face lit up with a bright smile—one that was filled with genuine joy, indistinguishable from that of a real person.
[After conquering the Sixth Satellite City, your life is no longer boring in this wasteland.]
[Brilliant sunlight, fresh air, and green plants—these precious elents now surround you.]
[You cherish these rare post-apocalyptic luxuries, but at the sa ti, you worry about Ailei’s growth.]
[You constantly wonder how to guide Ailei—to shape her into not just a better AI, but a better “human.”]
Reviews
All reviews (0)