Chapter 149: The Day the Code Fell in Love (19)

The cycle of time on the desolate planet is not particularly slow compared to other worlds. Here, a day-night rotation lasts 36 hours, which is reasonably compatible with human circadian rhythms.

This was precisely why Gu Mohan brought his team to this planet—to survey the conditions and determine if it would be suitable for building an interstellar prison. Choosing this location was a multi-faceted decision; beyond the fact that the environment was easily adaptable for human physiology, the planet’s accessibility was poor. Within the transit hub of the Andromeda Galaxy, only one safe shipping lane leads to this desolate world, and outside this route, frequent meteor storms make it impossible for anyone to approach. Moreover, there are no developed planets in the surrounding area, making this place sparsely populated—"remote" is a fitting description. It is an ideal site to build an isolated prison to house dangerous individuals.

Gu Mohan knew the spacecraft required time to recharge its energy before it could jump, but he was in no rush. He took his team out to survey the planet’s environment. Aware of the dangerous creatures inhabiting the planet, they had fully equipped themselves with weapons before departing. They had faced worse situations during past missions, so a few man-eating monsters were not enough to deter them.

Ruan Jiaojiao was deeply worried about Gu Mohan. "Can't you just stay? It's so dangerous out there."

Li Shenjue domineeringly reached out and pulled Ruan Jiaojiao to his side. "Jiaojiao, don't mind them."

Gu Mohan cast a provocative glance at Li Shenjue. The two men had fought all night yesterday, and both bore injuries on their faces. He spoke intentionally to Ruan Jiaojiao, "I will be back soon, but I still hope you can worry about me a little more. After all, for a man, a woman’s concern is a motivation for him to return home."

Gu Mohan’s features, full of exotic charm, occasionally revealed a touch of tenderness beneath his usual flippant tone, which only made him seem all the more captivating. Being placed in such a special position by such a handsome man caused Ruan Jiaojiao’s heart to skip a beat.

Li Shenjue blocked Gu Mohan’s line of sight. "Get lost!"

Gu Mohan shrugged and left the spacecraft, accompanied by Hua Xin, Si Dezao, and Twenty-Three.

Not long after, Bai Yao walked out of the room with Shi Jiu, yawning. Li Shenjue and Ruan Jiaojiao had spent the night entangled in their own intimacy; the moment he saw Bai Yao’s languid posture and how closely she walked with Shi Jiu, he could tell exactly what they had done the night before.

Bai Yao didn't spare a glance for Li Shenjue or Ruan Jiaojiao. She sat on the blanket laid out in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the two small potted flowers. Shi Jiu sat behind her, reaching out to gather her long black hair. A pink hair tie was wrapped around his wrist; the color, full of girlish charm, looked unexpectedly harmonious against the youth’s strong and vibrant wrist.

It was truly strange. Shi Jiu was a synthetic human; he should not be capable of human emotion. Yet, as he held Bai Yao’s hand and lowered his head to speak to her with a gentle smile, his every movement carried a subtle, decadent air—the aura of someone who had been fiercely and thoroughly loved. There was no sense of boundaries between the young girl and the youth.

Li Shenjue’s brow furrowed deeper. Although he disliked Bai Yao, from the perspective of a normal person, he deeply disapproved of those who indulged in the virtual pleasure created by machines. This was depravity. There should naturally be a boundary between humans and synthetic beings.

Ruan Jiaojiao, watching Shi Jiu, also lowered her head in sadness.

Li Shenjue said, "Bai Yao, don't you find it disgusting?"

Bai Yao looked back at him. "What did you say?"

Li Shenjue glanced at the synthetic human behind her. "You aren't his first owner, are you? Have you never thought about the fact that he has been used by others?"

Shi Jiu, who had been brushing Bai Yao’s long hair, paused. He was so close to her that as he braided her hair, it was as if he were holding her; he could see every shift in her expression.

Li Shenjue continued, "If you are so self-deprecating that you want to play with a synthetic human, you could have your family’s company custom-make one that no one has ever used. But this one, this Shi Jiu—there’s no telling how many of this series exist or how many people they have served. As the eldest daughter of the Bai family, don't you find it disgusting to use the same thing as others?"

Unless one was wealthy enough to commission a custom order, synthetic humans were mass-produced. They shared identical appearances before being taken home by different buyers. Every person who bought a synthetic human claimed they only wanted a tool for household chores. Yet, the existence of an "adult mode" was an open secret. Given Bai Yao’s arrogant nature, Li Shenjue could not believe she wouldn't feel repulsed at the thought of others using the same model of synthetic human as she did.

Shi Jiu’s hand, holding Bai Yao’s hair, trembled slightly. He looked at her with an urgent gaze, whispering in his own defense, "Yaoyao, only I escaped from the factory on planet M42. There is no other like me in this world. Please—" *Don't despise me.*

Before he could finish, Bai Yao stood up and walked forward two steps.

Shi Jiu lifted his eyes to watch her back. She stood against the light, her long, slightly wavy hair cascading down like a waterfall, blurring the light and shadow between the strands, making her white dress look less monotonous.

She countered with a question: "Don't you find it disgusting?"

Li Shenjue frowned. "What do you mean?"

Bai Yao glanced at Ruan Jiaojiao, who was clinging to Li Shenjue’s side. She let out a laugh, looked at Li Shenjue, and said unhurriedly, "If it hadn't been you who went to M42 that day, but Gu Mohan instead, surely this Miss Ruan would be pampered like a little princess by Gu Mohan now. Just like you, Gu Mohan would demand everything from Miss Ruan every night, saying that if she called him 'husband,' he would give his life for her."

Ruan Jiaojiao shouted, "You're lying! I wouldn't be like that!"

Bai Yao: "I am speaking to your owner. What right does a pet have to interrupt?"

A lump formed in Ruan Jiaojiao's throat.

Li Shenjue: "Bai Yao!"

Bai Yao continued her assault: "Perhaps Miss Ruan would even be pregnant with Gu Mohan’s quadruplets by now. Li Shenjue, don't you find it disgusting?"

Li Shenjue’s expression was ghastly; the chill in his eyes was sharp enough to kill. "None of what you’re saying exists. I met Jiaojiao first, and the one who loves Jiaojiao is me. What right do you have to insult her like this?"

Bai Yao: "The one in front of me now is Shi Jiu, not Seventeen, nor Eighteen. What right do you have to insult him in front of me?"

She laughed softly. "Li Shenjue, if you dare to insult my man, I dare to insult your woman."

Shi Jiu looked up, staring blankly at Bai Yao.

Li Shenjue was stunned, unable to react for a moment.

It wasn't until Ruan Jiaojiao, unable to bear the humiliation, felt her eyes turn red. Like a wronged little kitten, she tried her best to suppress her sobs, not wanting to be made a spectacle.