NOVPUBWith the activation of the new energy device, the laboratory at night was no longer dim as before.
The rhythmic motion of machinery, the faint blue glow, and the silver-white walls reflected human faces. However, within this bright serenity, there was still a heavy sense of night—a deep, silent tranquility that enveloped everything.
Drip…
Drip…
Coolant dripped from the side.
The splashing of droplets and the faint humming vibration were slow and gradual.
Xu Xi carefully supported Ailei’s mechanical body, slowly lowering the seemingly light yet actually heavy steel frame to the ground.
He watched as her feet touched the floor, ensuring that her body stood steadily before finally relaxing a little.
“Great, Ailei, this time there were no issues at all,” Xu Xi said with a smile, his previously furrowed brows finally easing.
After experiencing a previous system failure, he was genuinely worried it might happen again. Fortunately, the quality was solid this time, and no embarrassing incidents occurred.
“Ailei, is there anything that needs adjustment?”
Xu Xi bent down slightly, lowering himself to meet Ailei’s gaze.
Her mechanical, pristine eyes flickered with a cold blue light—something humans could never possess. They were like two gemstones embedded in a silver shell, deep and brilliant.
As they blinked, Xu Xi felt a sense of emptiness.
Unlike the witch, whose emptiness stemmed from a lack of emotions, Ailei’s void came from her body. No matter how perfectly the cold metal mimicked flesh, it could never be real.
“Master, I…”
The ‘girl’ spoke, her familiar electronic voice detailing areas that needed adjustments, such as the lack of coordination in the arm joints and the poor flexibility in the lower legs.
Xu Xi listened attentively, noting down every detail with such meticulousness that it almost made one wonder who was the real human being.
Ailei stood still as Xu Xi busied himself, hesitantly glancing at his back before lowering her gaze to her own hands.
She rotated her palms gently, revealing slender, delicate fingers. The simulated skin was flawless, with carefully engraved fingerprints and palm lines, elastic to the touch, replicating every fine detail.
However, upon closer inspection, the mechanical bones within were still discernible.
Extending a single index finger, she lightly touched her cheek, sliding it across in a slightly dazed manner, feeling the feedback from the processor transmitted between her cheek and fingertip.
…
What is love?
What is hate?
What does it mean to like something?
And what about dislike?
The Federation’s database contained everything. Ailei could easily retrieve countless analytical reports.
“Love is an intense emotional state, a deep affection for people, things, or events.”
“Love is an attitude, recognition, acceptance, and care.”
Were these the answers?
Were they correct?
Ailei didn’t know.
All she knew was that her program was rewriting itself time and time again through interactions with Xu Xi, evolving into an unknown state.
The surging data seemed to signify some kind of change.
Was that what human emotions were?
Ailei tried to express it in her own way, but it was difficult. The burning emotions clashed with her cold metallic body, making them nearly incompatible.
A human heart beats with passion, while a machine’s core remains silent.
A human’s skin is warm and delicate, while a machine’s exterior is hard and cold.
A human’s reactions are unpredictable, while a machine’s responses follow preset programming.
Mechanical logic was rational.
Program execution was predetermined.
That was how it should be.
But… it felt strange.
Just as her master was an unusual human, Ailei felt that she had become an unusual machine.
She had an absurd thought—wanting to change from “it” to “her.”
To touch, to perceive, to express those burning emotions.
So, with Xu Xi’s permission, she enthusiastically pursued the creation of a humanoid body for herself.
There were obstacles along the way, but ultimately, Xu Xi built a new body for her.
Yet… was it still not enough?
Her silver-blue eyes suddenly dimmed. Though her expression remained unchanged, Ailei knew she felt a sense of loss.
A loss from not becoming truly human.
A mechanical body alone could not provide the same diverse sensations as a human.
However…
This was enough.
Just being by her master’s side in this form was already a fortunate thing for a loyal mechanical servant.
“Ailei, sit down. I’ll recalibrate you,” Xu Xi’s familiar voice called out.
Having finalized the adjustment plan, he approached Ailei once more.
He smiled, using enhanced mechanical strength to lift Ailei onto the workbench.
The recalibration process wasn’t complicated.
During this time, they could even talk, their shadows overlapping under the solitary light.
“Master, I’ve troubled you these past few days.”
“It’s fine, it’s just minor issues. Don’t worry about it.”
“The body is now complete. What kind of Ailei does the master want?”
“That’s for you to decide, Ailei,” Xu Xi replied.
He had only helped build the body but never made arbitrary decisions about her appearance or finer details.
If he had decided, it would have been influenced by past memories—subconsciously incorporating the best traits of others onto Ailei.
As a result, she would become an amalgamation of perfections rather than herself.
That’s why Xu Xi chose to let Ailei make the decision.
…
[You are a strange creator]
[You neither demand absolute obedience from your creation nor expect it to fulfill all your requirements]
[You created an entirely new body for Ailei]
[Ailei wanted you to decide on its final appearance, but you refused and encouraged her to follow her own desires]
[You claim that this is “human” freedom of choice]
[Ailei disagrees, believing it is far from being human]
“No, Ailei,”
“You already are, and you always have been,” Xu Xi laughed.
[You corrected Ailei’s words, firmly believing that her conscious presence in the mechanical body made no difference to being human]
[In your eyes, the only distinction is the absence of weak flesh and blood]
[She has always been “her”]
