Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Lou Sheng's struggles with English were gradually improved by 017.

During breaks, 017 would often play English shows for him at night, and when Lou Sheng had morning readings, 017 would help him correct his pronunciation.

The cold mechanical voice speaking English was unexpectedly pleasant.

Lou Sheng figured 017 must have been a top student when he was alive.

After starting his senior year, Lou Sheng never dropped from the top of his class.

That winter was Lou Sheng's last long holiday in high school, lasting just about ten days.

Chang Sheng, who had been pampered for a year, had turned into a shiny, chubby cat.

As 017 had said, the now chubby Chang Sheng was really cute. His once thin face had filled out a lot, and he mostly lounged lazily in the sun on Lou Sheng's bed, wagging his tail, not as skittish as he used to be.

However, Lou Sheng's rented room wasn't very big, giving Chang Sheng little space to roam.

Before the New Year festivities ended, the poor seniors had to head back to school early.

On the first day back, only the miserable third-year students were present, and they weren't fully focused on studying yet.

"Sheng bro," Zhang Antong took something out from his desk during the break, "Can you check this out? Does the packaging look good?"

Lou Sheng saw what he was holding—a box of chocolate wrapped with a pink ribbon.

"What's this?"

"It's Valentine's Day, and I'm giving this chocolate to my girlfriend. I was hoping to spend the holiday with her, but we had to return to school right after the sixth day of the New Year..."

After a quick look, Lou Sheng said, "Looks good."

Zhang Antong was relieved.

It was during a long break, and Lou Sheng instinctively reached into his desk for his candy, but his fingers touched something cold and hard.

He pulled out a palm-sized metal box with a pretty golden bow.

It was a box of chocolate, shaped like a heart.

As Lou Sheng was still processing, Zhang Antong also saw it and immediately exclaimed, "No way! Is it from that girl who always sent you snacks?"

The one who always sent snacks...

Lou Sheng suddenly started coughing violently.

Since he hadn't done any outdoor physical work for a year, his skin had become much fairer, and when his face heated up, it was completely obvious, turning red from the tips of his ears down to his neck.

Zhang Antong, who had been focused on the box, was stunned by Lou Sheng's reaction.

Seriously, dude, is it necessary to be so dramatic?

"017..." Lou Sheng pressed his lips together, "Did you... did you put this here?"

"Hmm?" 017 glanced at it and said:

"This one isn't."

"..."

Lou Sheng felt as if he’d been hit with a sudden jolt, instantly calming down.

The flush on his face slowly faded, and his erratic heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

Lou Sheng took a closer look at the packaging of the iron box and noticed text and a production date printed on the back. It wasn’t the usual unlabeled product 017 gave him.

He then dug through his desk compartment and found a piece of dark chocolate, wrapped in the usual packaging, heavy as a brick.

But it was rectangular, not heart-shaped.

"..."

"Lou Sheng, are you okay?" Zhang Antong asked with concern.

Just a second ago, he was all red—how’d he cool off so fast?

"I'm fine."

Lou Sheng put the flashy heart-shaped box back into his desk compartment, unwrapped the brick-like chocolate, and took a big bite. It felt a little awkward.

What was he even getting so worked up about...

He lowered his gaze, realizing something had been off for a while now. He just hadn’t wanted to dwell on it.

After school, Lou Sheng finally cracked open the box of chocolates and took a look. Inside were heart-shaped chocolates, with a love letter tucked underneath.

He read it. The letter was long, and the writer hoped he would visit the pavilion near the laboratory building after school.

Lou Sheng headed over, bag in tow. A girl was waiting for him. Lou Sheng had seen her around but couldn’t place her name. She wasn’t from Class 7.

He handed back the chocolates and the love letter, apologizing.

Lou Sheng’s response was direct and polite, though a bit cold.

By the time Lou Sheng got home, 017 hadn’t uttered a word.

"017, why aren’t you saying anything?"

017 replied quietly, "Just lost in thought."

He’d seen the girl tear up as she turned away.

Lou Sheng figured 017 was upset about him returning the love letter.

But a letter that long felt like too much for him. He didn’t have the heart to keep it.

"If I messed up, just say so."

017 paused, then said, "If it were me, I’d want to be let down more gently."

"...That’s not a fair comparison."

"Why?"

Lou Sheng thought to himself: If it were you confessing, how could I possibly say no?

But that was never going to happen. At best, one day he’d confess, and 017 would let him down gently in his own 'kind' way.

Be a little gentler...

Lou Sheng imagined how 017 would reject someone if he were alive.

After considering several possibilities, Lou Sheng felt that being gentler wouldn't help.

No matter how tactfully 017 rejected him, his heart would still ache.

If that day came, Lou Sheng knew he couldn't endure it as well as that girl.

"Who could say no to you?" Lou Sheng collected his thoughts and answered 017's question.

017 was surprised, finding the statement a bit odd.

Before he could think further, Lou Sheng interrupted him.

"If there's a next time, I'll be more careful."

017: "...Okay."

*

Lou Sheng struggled to sleep.

He was an adult but still figuring some things out. Without a phone, internet, or dorm mates to guide him, Lou Sheng had to learn on his own.

It wasn't spring yet, but he was unbearably hot at night.

He tossed and turned, then sat up to go to the bathroom, but 017 asked, "Can't sleep?"

Lou Sheng reluctantly lay back down.

The system wasn't always on, but 017 was reliable and usually stayed with Lou Sheng.

When Lou Sheng changed or showered, 017 would shield himself for as long as Lou Sheng wanted.

Showers were limited to thirty minutes.

But Lou Sheng needed more time.

After days of insomnia, his focus in class dropped.

With the exam in a hundred days and some needs pressing, Lou Sheng decided to act.

"017."

"Yes?"

Lou Sheng sat up and said, "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Okay, I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Lou Sheng replied, "Make it an hour."

017 paused, then said, "Okay."

He gave Lou Sheng two hours of privacy.

Two hours later, 017 found Lou Sheng asleep on his side.

Lou Sheng's cheek brushed the pillow, and his fingers lightly held the sheet, lost in a dream.

Zero Eight suddenly realized that secretly watching Lou Sheng sleep was impolite.

He was annoyed with himself for not realizing that Lou Sheng, now a man, had normal physiological needs.

From then on, every night after 11, Zero Eight would shield himself for the entire night.

Lou Sheng was eighteen now.

Zero Eight stopped calling him "little host."

*

As the college entrance exam drew closer, time seemed to fly by.

The last hundred days flew by as the temperature in Beiyang steadily climbed.

The day before the exam, Zero Eight was even more nervous than Lou Sheng. He had Zero Eight prepare light meals, worried that Lou Sheng wouldn’t sleep well, and didn’t dare to talk much with him at night.

On exam day, other students had their parents drop them off. Lou Sheng didn’t, so he had to take a taxi to the exam center. The taxi drivers taking him to the exam center wondered why Lou Sheng was alone. They worried their questions might affect Lou Sheng’s focus, so they held back from asking throughout the journey.

Zero Eight wished he could sit beside Lou Sheng and keep him company. But he was just a system; at most, he could borrow a cat or dog’s body to nudge him.

As soon as Lou Sheng entered the exam hall, Zero Eight shut down all his functions. He stopped speaking to avoid disturbing him, didn’t even glance at Lou Sheng’s exam paper, and stayed completely shielded.

Only after an exam ended would he reappear to talk with Lou Sheng.

When Lou Sheng emerged after the first day of exams, Zero Eight scanned the crowd around him. All the examinees Lou Sheng’s age had adults with them, but his host was alone.

Back in class, with friends around, it hadn’t been so obvious. But now, alone in the vast exam hall, he seemed especially lonely.

Zero Eight’s heart ached a little.

His host was so good; he deserved to be loved.

The last exam was English, the subject Lou Sheng had struggled with the most.

The listening section played over the broadcast, and Lou Sheng was briefly distracted by the female voice reading the questions, thinking of Zero Eight’s voice when he corrected his pronunciation.

He found Zero Eight’s voice more standard and pleasant than the one on the broadcast.

...

The bell rang, signaling it was time to collect the papers.

Lou Sheng set his pen down gently and joined the crowd leaving the exam hall. The summer sun was still blazing at five, making the road beneath him painfully bright.

Zero Eight’s voice chimed in right on time, its cool electronic tone seeming to dispel the summer heat.

"Congratulations, host."

Lou Sheng smiled. In the sunlight, his smile was almost blinding.

It was over.

Zero Eight stared at the curve of his lips and was also infected, smiling slightly.

The weather was really too hot, and Lou Sheng felt dizzy from the sun.

He remembered Zero Eight’s promise to stay and accompany him for a lifetime.

"Zero Eight."

"I'm right here."

"017..."

017 patiently responded to him, "Host, I've always been here."

The students who left with Lou Sheng were all led away by their parents, arms around their shoulders.

Lou Sheng also raised his hand, reaching out faintly into the air.

017, I wish I could hug you.