"Come to think of it, we've known each other for half a year now. Elysia should know me pretty well by now, right? Whether it's my abilities or my personality."
Elysia nodded firmly. Not only Xu Qi, but everyone in the Golden Courtyard was quite familiar to her.
"But Bronya is different. She rushed over tonight on impulse, hoping to get my help. So, have you ever thought about what would happen if my abilities weren't a match?"
"But, Xu Qi..."
"Look, precisely because you know me well, you believe I'm capable of handling it. But she clearly doesn't know me..."
Xu Qi let out a long sigh.
"If I really agreed, the pressure would be immense. I'd want to live up to those expectations and respond to how highly she thinks of me.
"To be honest... I can't bear that."
"But, Xu Qi."
"Hmm?"
Elysia turned sideways and looked at Xu Qi seriously.
"Humans only ever need to live up to their own expectations."
Xu Qi froze. His mouth fell slightly open as he immersed himself in Elysia's words for a long time. In the end, he let out another long sigh. She actually taught me a lesson...
"What is it, what is it? You look like you've been thinking for a long time. Do you think what I said makes sense?~"
"Yeees, yeees." Xu Qi reached out and rubbed Elysia's head. "As expected of a famous online streamer. You really know how to talk. You almost convinced me."
"Hehe?~~"
Humans only needed to live up to their own expectations... That was all.
It was so correct that there was no way to refute it.
"All right, my teacher Elysia. It's already so late. Shouldn't we go to sleep?"
"Hmm?... Ah! It's almost midnight!"
"Staying up late is a girl's greatest enemy—that was something you said, wasn't it?"
"Hmph!... Good night."
"Good night, Elysia."
Xu Qi watched the girl go upstairs, then let out a long breath.
At that moment, his phone screen lit up. He opened it and took a look.
Xin An: I've already obtained the relevant investigation report on 914. It's in my USB drive. If you want it, find a time for us to meet. Don't do it at the company.
Xu Qi read the message expressionlessly, then silently turned off his phone.
Xia Ya...
Two-timing? Are you underestimating me?
"To be honest, if the character settings and plot really develop the way you designed them, then I think there wouldn't be any problem with removing the heroine and having the second male lead become the heroine instead."
"But unfortunately, they're both men, so they can only be best friends."
"Yeah... Extremely close friends. And yet, under your pen, they end up becoming enemies because of a war caused by an almost laughable reason."
"And..." Xu Qi said coldly, "they both killed each other's best friend."
Bronya crossed her arms. She was sitting on Xu Qi's bed, holding a laptop in her hands, and let out a long sigh.
"You really dared to write that... Their minds were completely taken over by hatred, leaving them with only one thought—to kill the other.
"No matter how close they had been before, all of it vanished in that moment... You're a demon, aren't you?"
Xu Qi shrugged.
"Compared with Z Alahato, I'm already quite merciful."
Today was the third day Bronya had come to the Golden Courtyard to discuss the project with Xu Qi. Needless to say, neither of them was the type who could sit around doing nothing.
They were both exceptionally capable, too.
Xu Qi had watched a brand-new Alahato project gradually take shape on Bronya's computer.
The feeling was... quite strange, to say the least.
"We also have to thank Little Griseo." Bronya pulled a drawing from beside her. It depicted a beautiful woman who looked like a princess.
"Long pink hair, delicate features, gentle, yet possessing an extremely strong sense of conviction and purpose..."
Bronya tilted her head and looked at Xu Qi with undisguised teasing. "Are you planning to... have two women at once?"
Xu Qi was sitting in front of his desk. He raised an eyebrow. "Two? Are you underestimating me?"
"Ah..." Bronya pressed one hand to her forehead and sighed as if to say, This man is beyond saving. "How did I not realize what kind of scumbag you were that day?"
Of course, the two of them were only joking around.
In fact, when Xu Qi got the original draft from Griseo, he also felt that... there could be no greater coincidence in this world.
"She's like a combination of Elysia and Mei..."
"It should be more like this: you had a son with Mei, then a daughter with Elysia, and that daughter ended up looking more or less like this."
"What kind of awful family-relations joke is that? That's enough!"
After setting the laptop aside, Bronya suddenly jumped off the bed and moved over to Xu Qi.
At the moment, Bronya was still wearing her usual office attire. According to her, changing clothes before and after work was too much trouble, so she might as well just keep wearing this.
She braced one hand against the desk and placed the other on the back of Xu Qi's chair. Leaning down, she let a few strands of silvery-white hair fall and brush across Xu Qi's cheek, making it slightly itchy...
Xu Qi immediately stiffened in his chair, not daring to move an inch.
He might sound bold enough to say anything, including all sorts of dirty jokes. But whenever he was teased by a sexy older woman, he completely surrendered on the spot.
"Oh? What if I just like playing around?"
Then go ahead and play... But he couldn't get the words out.
"Hmph~" The corner of Bronya's lips curled upward. She seemed to sense the stiffness in Xu Qi's body. It was, indeed... an exceedingly clear response.
She didn't push things too far. After only a moment, she backed away and returned to sit on Xu Qi's bed.
Xu Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Her big-sister aura is way too strong...
Bronya rolled up her sleeve and glanced at her watch. "All right, I won't disturb you any longer. There's still a meeting at the company this afternoon, so I have to head back."
Xu Qi tilted his head and gestured for her to go ahead.
"By the way..." Bronya stood up and swept her long silver hair behind her. Her handsome appearance made it impossible for Xu Qi to look away.
"Although it's a little strange for me to say this, I'm actually quite pretty, and my figure isn't bad either."
Xu Qi: ...
"You've been staying in your room these past few days. Don't start having any improper or misguided thoughts about me, understand?"
Xu Qi copied Bronya and covered his forehead with one hand, letting out a despairing sigh.
Of course I won't...
"But..." Bronya opened the door. Just before leaving, she suddenly winked at Xu Qi. "If you use sheets that smell like me to masturbate, there's nothing I can do about that."
"That's enough! I really wouldn't do something like that!"
This was the first time since Xu Qi's mind had matured that another woman had teased him to this extent—what utter humiliation!
This woman... She's actually this unrestrained once you get to know her!?
As expected of an old auntie. A pure, innocent virgin like me never stood a chance against her...
Xu Qi shook his head. After resting for a while, he tidied up the drawings in the room and walked out.
In the living room, Chef Qian was preparing dinner, while Kevin and Kosma were playing a game. It was rare to see Kevin at home on a Saturday.
But come to think of it... Bronya had to go to the company for a meeting even on Saturday?
She was a workaholic just like Kevin.
The screen showed two people playing Street Fighter IV. Ryu versus Ryu. Kevin had gained a huge advantage and was probably about to win this round.
Kosma, especially, clearly couldn't stay calm or settle down. How are you supposed to beat Kevin like that...
Xu Qi shook his head, calculated the time briefly, and asked, "Where is everyone else?"
Just as he finished asking, Kevin punched Kosma out.
Winner—Programmer!
"Ah!!... I lost again!!!" This might have been the only time anyone could see Kosma go completely berserk.
Kevin put down the controller, his face filled with satisfaction.
"Fu Hua is accompanying Alysia on an outdoor livestream. Yae is still working overtime. Aponia seems to be going to church to pray today. The others should all be upstairs."
Everyone's really living full lives...
"I'm going out to meet someone. I won't be eating dinner at home tonight, so don't wait for me."
"Okay."
The door closed. Kevin glanced at Kosma, who was still replaying the match in his mind and muttering to himself. He's really persistent...
······
Sparkling Qiqi: I'm heading to Xujiahui now.
Xin An: Okay.
After the brief exchange, Xu Qi took a deep breath.
Let's go.
There was a famous long corridor in Xujiahui's subway station. A bronze statue of the Father of Mode Capital Metro stood inside, and that was where they had agreed to meet.
Xu Qi looked at the statue in the distance and couldn't help laughing. How much must I love the company to choose this as our meeting place?
"You're more punctual than I expected, Engineer Xu."
A familiar voice came from behind. Xu Qi turned around. As expected, the person he saw was someone familiar from the company—and an extremely unexpected one at that.
Xin An.
"You brought all the 914 documents, right? This time... don't disappoint me."
20—It's decided! Pardofelis!
Inside a Starbucks that could be found almost anywhere, Xin An held a Frappuccino of unknown flavor and leaned against her chair, looking outside through the enormous floor-to-ceiling window in front of her.
It was impossible to tell whether her expression held any joy or other emotion. In fact, there was even something faintly strange about it.
Across from her, Xu Qi was using his laptop to examine the files on her USB drive.
The man was extremely focused and serious, but this was also a side of him Xin An rarely saw.
Her appearance was already quite outstanding. Back in university, she had been considered the campus beauty of her department, and even after entering the workforce, she had never lacked admirers.
Very few people could remain so calm and continue working when alone with her...
Even the older supervisors couldn't do it. The way they looked at her made Xin An feel disgusted.
But... Xin An didn't like people who treated her like air either.
In this girl's world, she was naturally supposed to be the protagonist. No one could ignore her or disregard her—no one!
Of course, Xu Qi had no idea what this woman was thinking. His entire mind was focused on the materials Xin An had compiled regarding the 914 brake failure incident.
Although this woman had once been part of his project team, after Li Fucong took over, she had thrown herself into the other man's arms without even bothering to maintain appearances.
Still, there was no denying that her professional abilities were solid.
With Xin An involved, all those worthless reports had long since been filtered out. What appeared before Xu Qi could be described as nothing but useful information.
As for why she was willing to help him...
Before you continue