Chapter Forty: Visiting an Old Friend

Chapter Forty: Visiting an Old Friend

Shen Ce had never imagined he would find himself fleeing in such panic, especially for such an absurd reason. When his consciousness returned to reality, he slowly opened his eyes, still unsettled by the events in the game. He pressed his lips together and finally opened the blue nutrient pod above him.

As soon as he emerged, he saw Arno cleaning the living room. The plump Arno wore a bright red scarf, looking both comical and endearing.

Arno was an intelligent robot Shen Ce had purchased last month. Accustomed to living alone, Shen Ce had initially found it difficult to adjust. Yet he had to admit that since Arno arrived, he’d been spared a great deal of tedious chores—cooking, laundry, and all such tasks were now Arno’s responsibility.

“Master, why are you up so early?” Arno was a top-tier domestic intelligent robot, bought at a hefty price. Its performance was exceptional, equipped with a data recording and analysis system. Shen Ce was a creature of habit, so Arno knew his online and offline schedules by heart.

Shen Ce shook his head, indicating nothing was wrong, still brooding over Selos’s flirtatious behavior and uninterested in conversation. Arno, expressive as always, pouted in disappointment. Since Shen Ce was unwilling to speak, Arno obediently resumed mopping.

It was nearly dinnertime, but Shen Ce had no appetite. He rubbed his brow wearily and sank into the velvet sofa. He turned on the TV to watch the news, but the noisy hosts quickly made him lose interest, and before he knew it, he slipped into a light sleep.

Even in slumber, Shen Ce’s body remained tense, his breathing uneven, as if trapped in a nightmare.

Arno, ever dutiful, paused its work to observe its master on the sofa. Though Shen Ce was usually reserved, Arno sensed something unusual today, though it couldn’t quite articulate what. Quietly, Arno picked up the remote and turned off the TV, then carefully draped a thin blanket over Shen Ce.

Arno worried about Shen Ce’s state—he hadn’t eaten dinner—but dared not wake him, and could only stand by anxiously. Fortunately, Shen Ce woke on his own, and Arno breathed a sigh of relief, bringing out the meal it had prepared.

Shen Ce was surprised to find the blanket over him. He glanced at Arno emerging from the kitchen, his expression softening—a sense of home had gradually settled here since Arno’s arrival.

For some reason, the word “home” brought Selos’s image abruptly to mind, and Shen Ce’s face darkened. He rubbed his forehead in frustration—being affected by Selos in the game was one thing, but now that the shadow extended into the real world, the discomfort was hard for anyone else to understand.

Shen Ce reflected on all that had happened since he met Selos. He was certain that this situation was not simply because of Selos’s kiss; it seemed he had been under Selos’s influence for a long time. Selos possessed a peculiar charm that unsettled the heart.

Seeing Shen Ce’s troubled expression, Arno hurriedly set out the dishes, softly reminding, “Master, dinner is ready. Please eat.”

Shen Ce appeared not to hear, his brow deeply furrowed, hand supporting his forehead. Arno repeated its reminder, and at last, Shen Ce rose to the table. Arno’s cooking was superb, but tonight Shen Ce ate listlessly, barely touching his food before setting down his chopsticks. Arno assumed he didn’t like the meal and, disappointed, cleared the dishes and slowly returned to the kitchen.

Shen Ce paid no mind to Arno’s feelings. He turned on his computer, and for reasons unknown even to himself, began browsing the official forum for “Heaven’s Dominance,” searching for the post Shui Linglong had mentioned.

The public’s appetite for gossip was astonishing. Several hours had passed, yet the livestream post Shui Linglong referenced was still among the top threads. Given the immense traffic on the forum, where new posts appeared every second, Shen Ce was surprised.

Opening the thread, Shen Ce found it hard to look directly at it. Both the livestream and the replies seemed determined to be sensational. Yet he resisted the urge to close the page, for as he scrolled, he found someone digging into the identities of himself, Selos, and Han Qishao.

Disappointingly, the informant seemed adept at uncovering details about him and Han Qishao, but when it came to Selos, it devolved into vague speculation, with no useful information to be found.

Although Selos had admitted to being an insider at “Heaven’s Dominance,” Shen Ce wanted to know more about him, even trivial details. Unfortunately, after combing through the entire post, he found nothing of value. The only consolation was that Selos’s forceful kiss had taken place in a deserted alley, with no one around, and the livestream thread contained no mention of it. Apparently, no third party knew.

That suited Shen Ce best. He was certain he liked girls, yet could not explain why Selos’s actions hadn’t repulsed him, nor why he hadn’t retaliated. He was sure that had any other man dared behave so brazenly, he would have responded in kind.

Confused, Shen Ce lowered his eyes and decided to sleep early—better not to dwell on what he couldn’t understand, lest he add to his worries. For the next three days, he scarcely logged into “Heaven’s Dominance,” determined to give himself a proper break.

Arno was surprised by Shen Ce’s behavior, but mostly delighted; more time with its master was a blessing.

Taking advantage of his free time, Shen Ce contacted Cheng Qinglan, the head of the orphanage he hadn’t seen in years. “Hello, is this Director Cheng? This is Shen Ce.” His voice was low and steady, tinged with nostalgia.

“Ah Ce? Is that you, you rascal? Have you forgotten me already? It’s been ages since you called this old lady.” The voice on the other end was elderly, kind, and familiar.

Thinking of the director’s expression, Shen Ce felt a softness in his heart and couldn’t help but smile. “How could I dare, Director? Why don’t I come visit you tomorrow?”

There was a long silence before she replied, “Ah Ce, have you run into some trouble?”

Shen Ce was startled by her concern—was his mood so apparent? He hesitated for a moment, then quickly composed himself. “No, don’t worry, Director. I just missed you, that’s all. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Director Cheng responded with a stream of gentle, rambling words. Though she sounded a bit long-winded, Shen Ce listened warmly. She had raised him since he was six; though he’d always been solitary, distant from others, he felt a childlike dependence on her, a maternal bond not diminished by time.

After the call, Shen Ce bought tickets for the journey and informed Arno of his plans, asking it to look after the house. Arno’s eyes turned red, as if reluctant to be parted, but Shen Ce patted its round head and left. The security in his community was excellent, and with Arno there, he had no worries.

It had been years since Shen Ce returned to Qinglan Orphanage. He stepped off the bus to find the sunlight pleasant, and the old plane trees on either side rustled in the breeze, their lush shade enveloping the house and shielding the orphanage from the outside world’s noise.

Shen Ce remembered times when he’d been mischievous, once climbing a tall plane tree after a quarrel, making Director Cheng search for him with a group. He knew they were looking but stubbornly kept silent, watching from the branches. Whether Director Cheng’s sharp eyes or intuition led her to his hiding place, Shen Ce never acted out again, and from then on, obeyed her implicitly.

Children’s laughter echoed from within the walls, pulling Shen Ce from his childhood reverie. He quickened his pace toward Qinglan Orphanage.

Inside, he saw many children playing the Butterfly Weaving game. Sweat shimmered on their innocent faces, but their bright eyes were filled with excitement. Some noticed Shen Ce, stopping the game in surprise, pointing and giggling, but none dared approach.

Realizing he appeared too stern, Shen Ce quickly softened his expression, bent down, and asked a girl in a floral dress, no more than seven or eight, “Little sister, do you know where Director Cheng is?”

The girl looked at the tall young man in a dark gray shirt, shyly mumbling, “Are you asking about Mama Cheng? She’s in the garden.”

Shen Ce gently patted her head, thanked her with a smile, and walked on. The girl twisted her dress in a daze, wondering who this handsome big brother was. Surely not a bad person—bad people don’t look so nice.

Entering the garden, Shen Ce found Cheng Qinglan watering flowers. Her face, etched by time, was no longer young, yet her kindly features hinted at a once elegant beauty.

“Director, it’s been a long time,” Shen Ce said softly.

At the sound of his deep voice, Director Cheng’s hand trembled slightly. She set aside the watering can, her tone calm, “Ah Ce, you’re back.” It sounded as if they saw each other every day, not after a long absence.

Beneath the gentle midday sky, the two sat on the garden’s wooden bench and chatted leisurely about daily trivialities. Yet they found joy in the conversation, and Shen Ce’s recent restlessness slowly settled.

Author’s Note: [I’m about to take the second part of my driving test, a bit nervous (:3ゝ∠）]
[By the way, what do you all think about putting the boss into the robot…?]