Chapter Fifty-Nine: Formed by Love

"Miss Xu, this is not a game. Forgive me for being blunt, but Young Master Sheng cannot accompany you," the old butler advised earnestly, his tone almost pleading. "Do you have an imperative reason to go? You shouldn't risk yourself like this..."

Though he did his utmost to dissuade the young master, deep down the old butler didn't believe Xu Nuo would truly set out for Blue City. Based on his understanding of her, he was certain Xu Nuo was anything but reckless or impulsive.

The old butler continued his heartfelt persuasion, and 007, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but feel sympathetic toward him. How could he presume to guess what Xu Nuo was thinking? Her thoughts were never something they could predict.

He recalled the words Xu Nuo had said when she finalized the plan: "Well, that's settled. Once this job is done, it's time to call it quits. It's about time I left this world behind."

In the end, Sheng Ming agreed to Xu Nuo’s request. To be precise, he barely hesitated or deliberated. While the old butler was still exhausting himself with arguments, Sheng Ming suddenly spoke up and consented.

The young master Sheng was a man of strong will; once he made up his mind, he rarely changed it. If he decided to leave, no amount of persuasion would sway him.

Xu Nuo's departure was a shock to Lin Qisheng. "Why?"

Xu Nuo replied, "There’s something I must accomplish."

Lin Qisheng pleaded helplessly, "What is it, exactly? Can’t you tell me? Sister, I’ve called you 'sister,' can’t you just tell me?"

"Gentle," Xu Nuo said, tenderly ruffling Lin Qisheng’s hair. "Be a good brother."

"Xu Nuo!" Lin Qisheng was genuinely angry now. "Don’t brush me off!"

"Have you ever really regarded me?" His tone grew despondent. Whether it was his early provocations toward Xu Nuo, his rivalry with Gu Xingze, or even now, he felt he was nothing in Xu Nuo’s eyes—a dispensable presence, like a dog, something to play with when happy, but otherwise ignored. Who gives special attention to a little dog?

The gentle hand atop his head pressed down with more force, compelling him to look up. Lin Qisheng saw the earnestness in Xu Nuo’s gaze, and something inquisitive in her expression.

"Little Seven, this AI’s intelligence and realism are astonishing—the expressions on his face are so vivid and lifelike." Xu Nuo murmured to herself, "Can all this really be constructed from data?"

Lin Qisheng didn’t catch what she said; the forced posture was uncomfortable, but he didn’t pull away. "Constructed from what?"

Xu Nuo answered offhandedly, "Constructed from love."

007 mused that Lin Qisheng, Gu Xingze, and Sheng Ming all existed within this romance game—simply groups of data created for love. The host said they were made of love; perhaps that was not so far from the truth.

Xu Nuo was a person of decisive action. Once Sheng Ming agreed to her request, she packed her bags that very day. Lin Qisheng grew frantic, like an ant on a hot griddle; seeing his attempts to persuade her fail, he insisted on accompanying her.

Lin Qisheng’s protests, the old butler’s and servants’ exhortations, and the cacophony of voices stirred Sheng Ming’s annoyance.

"Why can’t I go?" Lin Qisheng argued righteously. "An extra person means extra strength. I’m an esper, too!"

Sheng Ming scoffed, "And what are you, exactly?"

Lin Qisheng retorted, "And what are you?"

The old butler was even more exasperated. He had hoped that young Lin could help dissuade Xu Nuo, but instead he stoked the fires, never considering the consequences. Their young master Sheng would at least think about what supplies were needed, but Lin’s mind was solely on accompanying them, without any thought as to what dangers lay ahead.

Lin Qisheng pressed, "Xu Nuo, why do you always leave me out?"

In the end, Lin Qisheng's persistence was futile.

Compared to the clamor of the others, Gu Xingze was astonishingly calm. He showed no particular reaction to Xu Nuo’s departure.

"These are for you, for the journey..." Gu Xingze, usually sparing in words, broke his habit to give several ordinary, heartfelt reminders: to stay safe, and not to neglect herself when it came to food.

Xu Nuo saw that everything was packaged meals. Gu Xingze tacitly understood her secret space; the food she stored there would not spoil, so he had prepared plenty—almost excessively so.

Luckily, the streamer’s backpack space was limitless, allowing her to carry all the provisions Gu Xingze had readied.

"Thank you."

Her gratitude was wholly sincere.

"As long as you like it." Gu Xingze hesitated, then smiled. "Go early, come back early."

"Goodbye, then." Xu Nuo waved to them.

Sheng Ming nodded at the butler as well.

This time, only the two of them were leaving, with none of Sheng family’s mobile bases in tow. Their means of travel was provided by Xu Nuo—a hot air balloon.

If not for the system’s assertion that hot air balloons were more romantic than helicopters, Xu Nuo would have preferred the latter; she’d never had the chance to fly a helicopter in reality.

Speaking of which, 007 was curious. "Host, where did you learn to pilot?"

Xu Nuo replied, "I played similar games before."

007’s curiosity deepened. "And shooting, combat, artillery—did you learn those in games as well? Daily training alone couldn’t possibly bring you to this level." After all, it had never seen a delicate host so skilled in these areas.

Xu Nuo was suspiciously silent for a moment, then laughed, "Of course, yes. I played all sorts of games before. No choice—had to survive."

007 sensed something amiss, though it couldn’t quite pinpoint what.

High above in the balloon, the view was vast and beautiful. After drifting for some time, they landed safely.

Throughout, 007 monitored Sheng Ming’s affection level, but saw no change. It was vexed; previously, when the host rode the hot air balloon with Gu Xingze, the effect was significant. Why didn't it work on Sheng Ming?

"Is it not romantic enough?"

Xu Nuo mused, "I think Sheng Ming is rather insensitive to romance." Otherwise, he wouldn’t have confessed with rapeseed flowers.

007 wasn’t discouraged; this was just an appetizer—there were still heroic rescue scenes to come.

They landed in a forest not far from Blue City. Before descending, Sheng Ming had scanned the area with instruments; there was no sign of zombies below, likely because the forest, reverting to its primitive state, was inhospitable for human habitation.

Dinner was ready in advance, needing only to be heated. Xu Nuo savored the familiar flavors, surrounded by an unfamiliar nightscape, silent and still, the breeze carrying a slight chill.

Away from the warm, bright villa, Xu Nuo felt out of place. After dinner, she wanted a few slices of fruit, though Gu Xingze had packed some for her. Now she had to dig them out of her backpack, unlike the convenience at the villa; even the taste seemed less fresh.

"What are you thinking about?" Sheng Ming noticed Xu Nuo lost in thought.

"Nothing, just wishing I could take a bath." Even in the game, Xu Nuo kept her habit of bathing daily. But here, there wasn’t so much as a stream, let alone a pond or lake. She had brought water, but it was for drinking, and she was reluctant to use it for washing. In the apocalypse, finding a clean water source was no easy task.