Chapter 31

The digital reading room was empty and quiet. There weren’t many beginner streamers coming to read, and most of them were just standing in front of screens browsing for information.

Xiyu, who had recently become obsessed with studying, was more than happy with the silence. He hid alone in a corner, placed his e-reader on a data pad, and kept selecting various textbooks.

He was deeply engrossed when, unexpectedly, the power suddenly went out in the reading room!

Although it was broad daylight, the windowless room instantly became pitch black—like hell.

Xiyu froze for a moment, then instinctively sensed something was wrong. Purely on reflex, he dove behind a bookshelf.

Holding his breath, he waited—he could vaguely hear footsteps getting closer and closer!

…What’s going on? Who was hiding in the dark and making a move? Why were they causing such a commotion again and again?

The more he thought about it, the angrier Xiyu became. He tensed, ready to fight back.

Completely unexpected, a red dot suddenly lit up in the darkness—aimed straight at him!

Even without much experience, Xiyu could guess that red dot came from a weapon. He instinctively raised the reader to block it.

Unfortunately, a searing force still pierced the reader and hit his abdomen, drawing blood.

The intense pain made Xiyu even more alert. His survival instinct surged, and though he could see nothing but pitch black, he relied on his excellent spatial memory and sprinted straight toward the reading room's exit.

Near the door, a security staff member was shouting, “Please stay calm! We’ve contacted the main control—power will be back any second!”

A large amount of blood gushed from Xiyu’s wound. Hearing the voice, he lunged toward the security worker: “H-help me…”

Caught completely off guard, the security worker shrieked, startled as the person collapsed limply into his arms. Panicked, he tried to hold him up: “Hey! Hey! What’s wrong?!”

After losing consciousness, Xiyu fell into an endless void. What remained of his awareness struggled, asking: …Am I dead? Where am I?

Dying in such a senseless, unclear way—it was just too unfair.

He refused to accept it. No matter what, he wouldn’t let go of his last breath!

In the middle of that pain, Xiyu suddenly opened his eyes wide—he was back in that same cozy, modern living room from the dream.

He was leaning against a soft sofa. Alarmed, he shot upright, only to see that same lively young man sitting next to him.The man chuckled. “Xiao Qi, how did you fall asleep?”

Xiyu stared at him. “W-why did you call me Xiao Qi?”

“What are you talking about?” The man instantly wrapped an arm around Xiyu’s shoulders. “I think you’re still groggy from sleep. Look at this game stream—it’s so interesting!”

Xiyu looked dazedly at the giant TV screen in the living room. Strange and dazzling images were playing on it, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t see them clearly.

The young man continued to hold Xiyu close, watching TV with great interest.

Xiyu felt very safe next to him—but the safer he felt, the more anxious he became. He couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you, really?”

The young man turned his face toward him, but suddenly even his features blurred deep in the dream. His voice became vague and unreal: “I—”

A sterile white room, thick with the smell of disinfectant.

Xiyu’s forehead was damp with sweat. He stared at the spotless ceiling for a long time, unable to collect his thoughts.

The nurse watching by his side quickly rushed out, calling, “He’s awake!”

Only then did Xiyu start checking his condition. He touched the bandages around his waist and abdomen, then struggled to sit up, trying to find a glass of water to moisten his parched lips.

Unfortunately, no water was in sight—instead, he was greeted by two unexpected visitors: none other than Director Lin and Section Chief Qin Yunshen, who had both appeared the night of his physical exam.

In a place like the Yuntai Campus, getting violently attacked naturally drew the attention of higher-ups.

Thinking this, Xiyu kept silent and quietly observed them.

Qin Yunshen pulled over a chair for Director Lin. After Lin sat down, Qin put his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and said, “You were hit by a laser gun. The wound’s already been stitched up. With your physical condition, you’ll be fine in a week.”

Xiyu nodded, still confused. “Then... who attacked me? This is the second time already.”

Qin Yunshen fell into an awkward silence.

Director Lin smiled slightly and smoothed things over. “The matter is still under investigation. Don’t worry, the company won’t tolerate this kind of thug.”

Xiyu didn’t press the issue. Instead, he said self-deprecatingly, “For someone like me—a synthetic—dying wouldn’t be that big a financial loss, right? Are you the boss or something? Why so serious?”

Only then did Director Lin react. He pulled out a business card from his Tang suit, held it delicately between his long fingers, and handed it over. “I’m Lin Yuze, Vice President of Cyber Company. I oversee the entertainment live-streaming business in Haishi. Xiyu, that’s not the right way to look at it. In essence, synthetics are state property here in Huaxia. We only have the right to use you. So if a synthetic suffers a fatal accident, it’s a serious liability for the company. Rest assured—I’ll have Chief Qin investigate thoroughly why you were targeted.”Qin Yunshen nodded beside him. “The security facilities and personnel in the junior streamer residential area are indeed inadequate. I’ve already issued orders—the improvements will be completed within the month.”

Director Lin was generous. “Improvements are necessary, of course. But until the perpetrator is caught, I suspect Xiyu is still in danger. Why not have him move to the top-floor residential area? Security is tight there—not even a mosquito could get in without clearance.”

Qin Yunshen hesitated. “That... doesn’t align with the streamer promotion system.”

Director Lin replied, “It’s only a temporary arrangement. His promotion will still depend on his own merits.”

“Well, it’s naturally your decision. But those fifty apartments on the top floor are specifically set aside for expert-level streamers. Asking anyone to vacate will cause some discontent,” Qin Yunshen said helplessly.

Director Lin thought for a moment and looked at Xiyu. “I reviewed the surveillance footage. You seem to get along well with Luo Xi?”

Xiyu had been listening to their conversation with curiosity. At this, he quickly came back to his senses. “Him? He’s kind of my mentor. He’s a good person and has taught me a lot.”

“Luo Xi is indeed highly capable. I’ve even considered transferring him from streaming to the planning department,” Director Lin said with a warm smile—harmless on the surface, but distant underneath. “I’ll speak with him. You’ll temporarily stay in his apartment. With Luo Xi looking after you, I’ll feel more at ease.”

Xiyu found the direction of this conversation strange and wanted to speak, but didn’t know what to say.

Director Lin gently patted his arm. “Don’t worry. You getting injured was the company’s failure. This is a form of compensation. But there is one thing I need you to handle appropriately.”

Xiyu became alert. “What is it?”

Director Lin said, “Since the incident, a state department will be sending someone for an interview and investigation. When the time comes... we hope you can speak well of the company.”

…So this whole roundabout approach was to avoid a complaint from a synthetic?

Xiyu found it all a bit ridiculous and couldn’t help saying, “That’s not difficult—as long as you’re willing to answer one question.”

Director Lin’s expression remained utterly calm as he nodded. “Please go ahead.”

Xiyu frowned. “Why does such a horrifying system like brain resets exist? Do the outside viewers even know how miserable our lives really are?!”

“Hey!” Qin Yunshen’s expression changed instantly, as if ready to rush over and teach him a lesson.

But Director Lin elegantly raised his hand to stop him and looked calmly at Xiyu. “First, allow me to clarify. This process was in place before I took over Haishi Entertainment. I reserve judgment on it. But the reality is, the appeal of survival game shows lies precisely in the looming threat of death. Without that, they would hold little value. Only Haishi Entertainment in the entire world has the right to do this—hence our market dominance. Isn’t that true?”

Xiyu didn’t want to respond at all. Every muscle in his body tensed, and he almost threw a punch straight at the man’s face!

Director Lin remained unshaken. “You have a lot of negative emotions, but they won’t help the situation. Spending some time with Luo Xi will do you good. He’s a smart young man—he might teach you something more useful.”Xiyu's teeth were audibly grinding, but he couldn’t make a sound.

Director Lin stood up. “Alright, get some rest. Chief Qin will handle the rest as soon as possible.”

Qin Yunshen had no personal issue with Xiyu, nor did he care where he lived. He immediately responded, “Understood. I’ll call Luo Xi over right away.”

Director Lin nodded and glanced at his watch. “My flight’s tonight. Next time I’m back, it’ll be for the opening of the e-sports tournament.”

Qin Yunshen obediently assured him, “Don’t worry, Director Lin. Before the tournament ends, there won’t be any more problems at Yuntai.”

“You can save that explanation for the government,” Director Lin replied coldly, his expression sharpening as he left the room.

Qin Yunshen followed him out, clearly with a headache, and quickly disappeared as well.

Perhaps due to special treatment from higher-ups, Xiyu received excellent care in the hospital room—just shy of having two natural human nurses stationed on either side of him 24/7.

But his mind was preoccupied with the Christmas gathering, so after eating a simple meal, he insisted on leaving.

Luckily, Yuntai’s medical procedures were quite efficient. The overwhelmed Qin Yunshen had no desire to stop him and simply called Luo Xi to escort the ailing Xiyu out.

Xiyu followed Luo Xi down an unfamiliar hallway, speaking quietly with a sense of melancholy. “Things are getting more and more complicated.”

“I don’t think it’s that bad. People who lash out recklessly are usually amateurs. And even with a laser gun, the guy didn’t manage to kill you. I’d say the mastermind behind him is just a useless nobody.” Luo Xi handed Xiyu a newly issued personal supply pack and raised an eyebrow as he sized him up. “Not bad—you’ve managed to take over my room in just a few hours.”

Xiyu still hadn’t recovered from the surprise. “That was Director Lin acting on his own—I didn’t say a single word about it. If you’re not okay with it, I won’t force it either.”

Luo Xi chuckled. “Guess it’s fate. I’m not that petty. But Lin Yuze’s no decent guy—he’s deeply scheming. This whole setup is probably just an excuse to use your protection as a way to plant someone to keep an eye on me.”

Xiyu followed Luo Xi toward the elevator. “But Director Lin’s one of the top leaders here. If he really didn’t like you, why go to such lengths?”

Luo Xi replied, “You’ll understand in time.”

Xiyu asked in a low voice, “Is Haishi Entertainment really that afraid of being held accountable by the government?”

Luo Xi nodded, then scanned his wristband and led him into the elevator. “Don’t keep talking about stuff like this. If the surveillance picks it up, that soldier-brute Qin Yunshen will go ballistic again.”

Only then did Xiyu fall silent.

He had originally been on high alert, overly cautious in his mindset.Letting his guard down so easily was probably due to spending too much time around Luo Xi.

Because of that, during the seemingly endless ascent in the elevator, Xiyu finally made up his mind and said, “My instincts often make me trust you. I hope we used to be friends.”

Luo Xi looked back at him with a half-smile.

The air grew a little thick, and Xiyu felt slightly awkward.

Just then, the elevator suddenly stopped, and the doors slowly slid open on their own.

Unfortunately, before Xiyu could even take in his surroundings, he suddenly came face-to-face with Xu Tu and Bai Qi.

Xu Tu widened her almond eyes and let out a startled shriek. “B-Boss! Did you kidnap someone and bring him up here?!”

The top floor of Yuntai’s circular building indeed had exceptional living facilities—worthy of being called the most luxurious accommodations a synthetic broadcaster could hope to enjoy in their career.

A 24-hour high-end cafeteria, training rooms, swimming pool, free paper book library, and even specialty rooms like an entertainment lounge and sauna were all available. If not for the fact that the doors were just as securely locked and escape was impossible, it would practically be a shut-in’s paradise.

Having finally gotten a glimpse of such privilege, Xiyu looked around as they walked, eventually following Luo Xi into his spacious suite. Once the door was shut, he said, “Did you know?”

Luo Xi turned back. “Hmm?”

Xiyu said, “I don’t remember anything about this place. If I used to live here, I should at least feel a sense of familiarity, right?”

Luo Xi let out a dry laugh, then went to the fridge and pulled out some fruit and drinks for him. “Those memories were wiped long ago. You really think you’re some kind of chosen one? Get your ass on the bed and rest.”

Xiyu declined. “No need, I’ll sleep on the couch. Once the government finishes their visit, I’ll probably be sent back to where I came from.”

Saying that, he sat on the couch, gently touching his injured waist and abdomen as he let out a shallow breath.

“Your internal organs were stitched up. Hurts like hell, doesn’t it?” Luo Xi looked him over.

Xiyu’s face was haggard, but his gaze was calm. “People like us—are we even allowed to be afraid of pain?”

Luo Xi replied immediately, “Of course we are. I’m terrified of pain. Anyone who dares hurt me—I’ll take their damn head.”

Xiyu: “……”

Luo Xi tossed him a pillow and a down blanket, then flung over a bottle of nutrient solution. “It’s already past midnight. Get some rest—we’ve got that gathering to attend tomorrow.”Xiyu had done a quick wash-up in the infirmary earlier, so upon hearing that, he casually pulled off half of his broadcaster uniform and started rummaging through the supply bag for his pajamas.

He usually looked quite slim, but his figure was lean and well-toned. His fair skin shimmered with a soft glow under the light, every cell exuding a kind of perfection that natural humans simply couldn’t match.

Just as Xiyu’s fingers touched the pajamas, he turned his head in confusion. “Why are you staring at me?”

Luo Xi: “Have you looked in a mirror?”

Xiyu: “…Is that really an appropriate thing for you to ask me?”

Without a word, Luo Xi grabbed his slender wrist and forcibly dragged him into the bathroom, then turned him around to face the mirror.

Xiyu felt utterly baffled—until he caught sight of himself in the mirror and saw a scar on his lower back.

Luo Xi said softly, “Looks like a burn.”

Xiyu returned his gaze to Luo Xi’s eyes, then glanced at the scar on Luo Xi’s face and asked quietly, “What happened? Do you have scars too?”

“I’ve got a lot of wounds,” Luo Xi murmured, lowering his head. “But I can’t find any records. I don’t know what happened in the past. Broadcasters only get injured inside the game—in real life, they’re 99% unharmed. This is… suspicious.”

Xiyu tried to calm the storm in his heart, slowly put on his pajamas, then gave a weary smile. “Isn’t everything suspicious? I feel like every pore on my body is suspicious.”

With that, he pushed Luo Xi aside and curled up on the couch to rest.

Luo Xi casually turned off the light for him and gave the scarred figure in the mirror a bitter smile.

The once-bustling internal mall had, overnight, changed into a new festive look with the arrival of Christmas.

After resting until the afternoon, Xiyu finally followed Luo Xi into the market. He noticed that all the broadcasters picking out tokens in the holiday atmosphere looked elite, and he couldn’t help but tone himself down a bit more.

Unfortunately, no matter how low-key he tried to be, his status as the only one wearing a beginner’s uniform still stood out like a sore thumb.

Fortunately, Luo Xi paid zero attention to the glances around them and spent the entire walk explaining the various functions of different tokens to Xiyu.

Xiyu couldn’t help pulling out the only one he had. “So… this one isn’t too bad, right?”

“Yeah. It lets you act as the dealer in gambling-type games. Bai Qi loves collecting those,” Luo Xi said. “He’s a math genius. Loves crunching all those little numbers.”

Xiyu nodded. “What about Xu Tu? She’s an expert-level broadcaster too—she must have a specialty, right?”Luo Xi said, “She’s pretty well-rounded, has a great sense of spatial awareness—basically a walking GPS—and she’s got excellent audience appeal. If she weren’t a broadcaster, she could totally do stand-up comedy.”

“…You probably don’t have much audience appeal. The way you talk is infuriating,” Xiyu said bluntly.

Luo Xi was speechless. “Yeah, the last time I got a gift was on Lunar New Year. A viewer sent one with a message asking how I was still alive.”

Xiyu couldn’t help showing a bit of sympathy.

Luo Xi gritted his teeth. “Hey, you really believed that?!”

As the two of them disappeared around the corner while chatting, Xu Tu’s pretty face peeked out from beside a shelf. She sighed and said, “Notice anything? Boss actually seems to get along really well with that little broadcaster.”

Bai Qi crossed his arms beside her. “Like a dead tree coming back to life.”

“You think everyone’s as romance-brained as you?” Xu Tu couldn’t help but scold him. “It’s probably just that he thinks Xiyu has important information.”

Bai Qi snorted. “Plenty of people know—Boss may have been reset, but before that he was just a pitiful low-level broadcaster. Who knows what divine blessing he absorbed during the reset to get so powerful. There’s no way he and someone star-level like Xiyu could’ve known each other before.”

Xu Tu narrowed her eyes. “And it’s exactly because the gap is so wide that people love to imagine the possibilities.”

Bai Qi thought about it, then shook his head. “Can’t imagine a thing.”

Xu Tu immediately stomped on his foot. “That’s because you have no imagination!”

Meanwhile, Xiyu followed Luo Xi around the corner of the market and finally spotted their target behind a giant Santa Claus—a lady broadcaster with a “first love” kind of face.

Unfortunately, the lady wasn’t very gentle. She frowned slightly and looked at Xiyu like he was some kind of parasite.

“This spot’s a blind spot from surveillance, don’t worry,” Luo Xi said simply. “She’s called Xu Rou, and she’s the longest-running broadcaster in Yuntai—she’s been at it for nearly three years.”

Xiyu nodded and greeted politely, “Hello. I know it’s presumptuous to ask for a meeting.”

Xu Rou studied him for a moment longer, then sneered coldly. “Wow, you really were reset. Heaven does have eyes.”

Luo Xi crossed his arms, his gaze cold. “I bought the token you wanted. So talk properly.”

“Don’t argue,” Xiyu stopped him, then said sincerely, “It’s clear you really dislike me, and that’s okay. I just want to learn about my past—anything at all. Even if I was a total scumbag, you’re welcome to curse me and tell the truth about what I did.”

“You weren’t exactly a scumbag, but cold-blooded and ruthless? That’s not an exaggeration,” Xu Rou replied bluntly. “You were basically two-faced—one side charming viewers to throw money at you, the other raising a gang of lackeys who obeyed your every word. On Yuntai, any broadcaster who crossed you got eliminated quickly. Honestly, if you hadn’t had that incident, I would’ve thought you were about to start manipulating the win rates in high-end games.”Xiyu listened to all of this as if he were hearing someone else’s story. He asked in surprise, “What happened to me?”

Xu Rou frowned. “I don’t know the exact details. Upper management kept changing, and the company banned all discussion about past incidents. I just remember that you were doing a regular livestream, and then you never came back. On the fourth day of your stream, the company suddenly shut down operations. It only reopened a week later—and none of the broadcasters who were streaming with you that time ever came back.”

Luo Xi looked like he wanted to say something but held back.

Xu Rou immediately added, “If it weren’t for you, no one would’ve even known where you were hiding two years ago.”

Luo Xi fell silent.

Xiyu quietly mulled it over, then asked, “That’s it?”

Xu Rou replied, “I’m just a broadcaster. That’s all I saw. After that, the number of livestreams dropped dramatically. If this company weren’t the only one of its kind globally, it probably wouldn’t have survived this long. You disappeared for two years—by now the broadcaster roster’s been replaced several times over. Trying to dig into the past? Pretty much impossible.”

Xiyu nodded. “Got it. Thanks for taking the risk to tell me all this.”

“You being this polite is really throwing me off,” Xu Rou said, softening at his attitude and sighing. “Let me give you some advice—being reset means a fresh start. Your past wasn’t exactly glorious, so you might as well forget it and start over. Alright, I’m leaving.”

Xiyu thanked her again and watched her walk away.

Luo Xi clicked his tongue beside him. “Why are you so polite to her but treat me like crap?”

Xiyu didn’t respond. “How much did you give her?”

“What, you want to keep tabs and pay me back? Not telling you—sit with that frustration.” Luo Xi said, then added with rare seriousness, “But if, like me, you’re not content with how things are, then for now, we’re allies.”

Discussing escape or betrayal in Yuntai was extremely dangerous. Xiyu didn’t say anything reckless—he simply nodded quietly.

Only then did Luo Xi step aside. “Let’s go. It’s a long road ahead. Before changing the world, you need to learn how to survive.”

Xiyu pulled out the token he’d won. “Oh, give this to Xu Tu for me. The gift she got for me before was a big help.”

“No need—gifts in low-tier games are dirt cheap,” Luo Xi refused.

Xiyu still firmly shoved it into his hand. “One thing has nothing to do with another.”

Luo Xi had no choice but to take the token and toy with it in his hand. “Then thank her for me.”

This time, being dumped without warning into a top-floor temporary residence—at the end of the day, it was Director Lin intentionally lifting him up.Xiyu didn’t want to attract unnecessary trouble, so he tried his best to avoid appearing in public places, even eating all three meals hidden away in his room.

That night, just after finishing a bowl of porridge, he developed a slight fever from his surgical wound. Drowsy and weak, he curled up under the blanket, barely able to move.

Luo Xi came out of the bathroom, still damp, and casually passed by, wiping Xiyu’s forehead. “It’s okay, it’s just the healing phase.”

Xiyu murmured a faint response, his already slender face looking a little pitiful.

Luo Xi sighed, then suddenly asked, “Once your stitches are out, want me to take you into ranked matches? The harder ones score higher.”

“I don’t need you to carry me… winning while lying flat with you…” Xiyu muttered stubbornly, but in the end, he succumbed to the medication and stopped responding altogether.

Luo Xi turned off the light, then half-sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the small player beside the pillow. It was currently playing the livestream recording of Xiyu’s session in Greedy Guesthouse.

On screen, the dreaming Xiyu wore a gentle, blissful smile—almost nothing like the aloof and proper young man lying in the room now.

In truth, the name Xiyu mumbled in his sleep, though dreamlike, was clear enough for Luo Xi to hear.

Ayü. The lover Xiyu dreamed of was called Ayü.

It was a name Luo Xi had never heard before—a completely ordinary one.

But the moment he heard it, it was like an arrow shot from the far shore of the river of life, piercing deep into his heart.

Cold sweat beaded on Luo Xi’s forehead. He instantly turned off the video and hid his expression in the darkness.

Volume Three: Childlike Innocence