Chapter 152: The Day the Code Fell in Love (22)

Gu Mohan had been in a foul mood, but now he felt somewhat cheered. He still remembered that Bai Yao was Li Shenjue’s fiancée; if word got out that she was being affectionate with a synthetic human, Li Shenjue would become the laughingstock of the century.

Bai Yao still cared about her reputation, so she straightened up, looked at the three people who had just walked in, and asked, "Where are your other two companions?"

Hua Xin replied, "We split up, and we didn't find them on our way back."

Gu Mohan said dismissively, "Twenty-three was with Si Dezao. With Twenty-three protecting him, there shouldn't be any issues." When they had split up, it was precisely because Si Dezao was not the cautious type that they had sent Twenty-three with him. Twenty-three’s combat capabilities were formidable; as long as Si Dezao didn't intentionally court death, he would be safe.

Speak of the devil, Twenty-three returned to the spaceship. But he returned alone.

Gu Mohan frowned and asked, "Where is Si Dezao?"

Twenty-three answered, "We were attacked by alien creatures. During the escape, Mr. Si fell from a cliff. When I found him, he had already lost all vital signs; he had been torn apart by the creatures."

In a flat, emotionless tone, Twenty-three added, "I am sorry. I failed to save him. I did not fulfill my duty to protect Mr. Si. Mr. Gu, please punish me."

Twenty-three was covered in dirt, and there were scratches on the synthetic skin of his face; it was clear he had been through a fierce battle to make it back.

Shi Jiu lifted his eyes slightly. Twenty-three lowered his gaze. The two synthetic humans’ eyes met for a fleeting second before shifting away.

Shi Jiu’s eyes curved into a smile, his expression innocent and pure, his fingers deftly weaving Bai Yao’s long hair into a perfect fishtail braid. Finally, he tied a black hairband at the end, accented with two tiny cherries that complemented her dark hair, looking exceptionally cute.

Bai Yao touched her braid and looked at him with a radiant smile. Shi Jiu smiled back, taking her hand and rubbing it affectionately against his cheek.

Fan Gu had not dared to make a sound. He watched the pair by the window, feeling that the atmosphere surrounding Bai Yao and Shi Jiu was completely different from the rest of them. They were stranded on this desolate planet, facing the constant threat of death from alien lifeforms—it was like living in a horror story. Yet, for Bai Yao, nestled in this spaceship every day, listening to the rain and flirting with a synthetic human, life felt remarkably leisurely. It was as if she were in a teen romance.

Fan Gu’s mind kept replaying the scene of Li Shenjue getting beaten up. He still felt that the synthetic human Shi Jiu was abnormal, so he couldn't help but look at the other synthetic human present. Twenty-three was gently touching his own cheek, as if wiping away dust, his expression serene and beautiful.

Fan Gu froze, thinking he must be seeing things. How could a military-grade synthetic human possess something like an expression?

Although Si Dezao was usually unreliable, they had been colleagues for many years, and both Gu Mohan and Hua Xin felt a sense of melancholy. However, in their line of work, they had seen enough death to be mentally prepared for it; they wouldn't allow themselves to dwell on such negative emotions.

Gu Mohan said, "If we can return, I will apply for the maximum possible pension for the team members we lost."

Bai Yao felt no emotional fluctuation regarding Si Dezao’s death. She hadn't even remembered his face; at most, she felt a vague sense of "Ah, another person died." She stood up and asked, "I forgot to ask earlier, did any of you bring nutrient tablets or gel?"

Gu Mohan replied, "Our supplies were burned when the ship crashed."

Fan Gu nodded, "Same here."

Shi Jiu said, "The food on this ship only provides enough energy for one adult for one month."

There were currently six humans on board, and it would be another twenty days before the ship could launch. Shi Jiu smiled innocently, "The five of you should be able to try not to eat for a month while staying on the ship, right?"

What kind of nonsensical thing was he saying?

Shi Jiu blinked innocently, "Or perhaps the five of you could go into the forest to hunt for food to supplement the energy your bodies need?"

In short, he had no intention of sharing the ship's supplies—he wanted to keep them all for Bai Yao! Gu Mohan and Fan Gu looked at Shi Jiu with disbelief.

Hua Xin, however, asked with great curiosity, "Miss Bai, how did you train him to be so attentive? Can you share your training strategy with me?"

A synthetic human who put her above everything else—wasn't that far better than those garbage men? There were many young people who enjoyed feeding vast amounts of data into synthetic systems, constantly guiding them along set paths to foster a unique "personality." Hua Xin felt certain that Bai Yao’s synthetic human was definitely different from the ones out there.

Bai Yao smiled, "Shi Jiu is just Shi Jiu. He doesn't need training."

Hua Xin wanted to ask more, but Fan Gu quickly interjected, "Synthetic humans aren't like humans. If they malfunction, it can be very dangerous!"

Gu Mohan nodded in rare agreement, "He's right."

Twenty-three spoke up, shifting the topic, "Mr. Gu, please punish me."

Gu Mohan waved his hand, "The environment here is too harsh, and accidents are normal. We still need you for many things, so forget the punishment." He thought it was simple: while synthetic humans had superior physical functions compared to humans, they weren't omnipotent and couldn't protect everyone's safety in every aspect.

Bai Yao made a decision: many unnecessary systems in the ship were shut down to save energy, hoping that by conserving power, the ship might be ready to fly again in about ten days. The climate control was turned off, but the nights on the desolate planet were freezing. Bai Yao had Shi Jiu keep only the main cabin at a comfortable temperature, and she told the others not to be difficult—if they were cold, they could come to the main cabin and sleep on the floor.

Ruan Jiaojiao felt that Bai Yao was intentionally targeting her. Li Shenjue was injured, and with the temperature control off, their room had become ice-cold. Since Li Shenjue was a patient, not getting the best care was essentially harming him! Besides, with so many people in the main cabin, how was Li Shenjue supposed to get proper rest?

Late at night, the room grew colder. Ruan Jiaojiao watched the unconscious Li Shenjue, her heart tightening. Li Shenjue had started running a low fever, which only added to her anxiety. Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Twenty-three. He was holding a cup of water and said to Ruan Jiaojiao, "I have a medical emergency system installed. Mr. Gu said you needed help."

Ruan Jiaojiao was overjoyed, "Please, help me check on Li Shenjue!"

To save resources, the main cabin's lighting was turned off at night, and everyone had to sleep whether they wanted to or not. The sleeping arrangements were strictly delineated. Hua Xin stayed far away from the men, and Gu Mohan lay between Hua Xin and Fan Gu, blocking Fan Gu’s line of sight. Bai Yao and Shi Jiu slept on mats right by the window, side by side.

Gu Mohan and Hua Xin were exhausted from the day and fell asleep almost instantly. Bai Yao had stayed up late because she and Shi Jiu had been "playing" quite intensely, so she was the third to drift off.

Shi Jiu kept his eyes open, his focused gaze never missing a single breath she took. After a long while, a tall, slender figure approached silently. Shi Jiu stood up quietly. He exchanged glances with the newcomer; in both their eyes, dark, flickering lights shimmered. Then, Shi Jiu walked steadily toward the maintenance room—his service cycle had arrived, and he needed his synthetic fluid replaced.

Deprived of the familiar feeling of being held, the sleeping girl frowned, stirring in her sleep. But soon, someone slipped into her blankets, wrapped their arms around her, and pulled her into their chest. A large hand gently stroked her back, occasionally pressing soft, dense kisses to comfort her. Over this time, she had grown accustomed to being touched and kissed in her sleep by the youth—it was as if he were telling her he was guarding her, and that she was safe. Bai Yao settled down immediately.

The two floor mats by the window were effectively redundant.

Fan Gu clamped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from crying out in shock. He had been lying