The Boyfriends I Picked Up in Horror Games Are Bizarre - Chapter 137

Its clothes were torn, and the letters “SpR” were engraved on its waist. This was the mark of the “Paradise Island” project.

That project, which allowed synthetic humans to replace humans in bearing children, remained highly controversial even on the international stage. Yet profit-driven capitalists had continued to push it forward in secret.

This synthetic human, its belly swollen and now scraped, had very clearly been abandoned halfway through the process. As for the “child” it was carrying, that was naturally unimportant.

No one ever cared whether synthetic humans were willing to “bear” children, nor did anyone care what would become of the children they “gave birth” to.

After all, the technology of artificial womb factories was already extremely mature. As long as one could afford the cost, once the factory was running, hundreds or even thousands of fertilized eggs could be cultivated in a single day.

It was just that children produced on an assembly line like this were far inferior in physical condition compared to those born through natural conception.

Shi Jiu quickly withdrew his gaze. A cautious smile appeared on his face, and because he was being overly careful, it carried an obvious note of ingratiation. “Miss Bai, you should sit down and rest. I’ll go look for anything we can make use of. It might get very cold here at night. If I can find a heater, that would be good.”

Bai Yao was dressed lightly. When she entered the cave earlier, she was already so cold that goosebumps had risen on her skin. Now that Shi Jiu said he would look for anything that might be usable, she did not stop him.

Shi Jiu found a relatively clean spot, set down the flowerpot and her bag, then turned and walked deeper into the dim cave.

Bai Yao sat on the ground and emptied the food from her bag. Before long, Shi Jiu came hurrying back, holding a pile of items in his arms.

Happily, he said, “I found some parts. They should still be usable. I can assemble a lighting device with them, and also this heater…”

He took out a small, cylindrical object covered in rust. “The internal components aren’t damaged yet. I can fix it.”

That way, Bai Yao would not have to suffer from the cold environment.

The light inside the cave was poor. Being able to find so many things under such conditions meant he was quite capable.

Afraid that talking too much would annoy her, Shi Jiu said only these few words before going to a corner by himself, taking out the small tools he had found and starting to repair the items.

Though he was young, he was very familiar with the structure of mechanical components. He even scavenged replacement parts from the “corpses” of other synthetic humans nearby.

When a small lamp finally lit up, the cave instantly became much brighter.

Shi Jiu brought the lamp over to Bai Yao. Then he turned around, intending to return to his pitch-dark little corner.

Bai Yao said, “If you leave the lamp with me, won’t it be inconvenient for you to fix things?”

Shi Jiu stopped in his tracks. He turned back to look at Bai Yao, helplessness showing in his eyes. “I… I’m sorry…”

In truth, he had done nothing wrong, yet he still apologized instinctively.

Bai Yao said, “Come sit over here.”

He secretly observed her expression. When he saw no sign of impatience on her face, he finally smiled and softly replied, “Mm.” He picked up the pile of small items from the corner and returned to her side, sitting down next to her.

Bai Yao poured out everything in her bag. Aside from her compressed clothing, the only food she had was a packet of nutrient tablets. There were only ten cream-flavored little white pills in the packet, enough to provide an adult with the required energy for ten days.

She poured the tablets out, her brows knitting together as she cast a glance at the boy beside her.

Under the white light, he had his head lowered. His hands were dirtied further by rust from the components, but he did not mind at all. He focused intently as he removed a small metal plate from the heater, then replaced it with another metal piece he had found elsewhere.

This was delicate work that required full concentration. With his brows lowered, he looked obedient and well-behaved. Only occasionally did his eyelashes flutter slightly, like wings beating, stirring a faint and almost imperceptible breeze.

Bai Yao extended her hand toward him.

He raised his eyes and saw five nutritional tablets resting in her palm. His gaze trembled as he looked at her in confusion.

Bai Yao said, “This is all the food I have. There isn’t any more.”

After a long while, he blinked once. “I… I only need two.”

He reached out, then noticed how dirty his hands were and hurriedly wiped them on his clothes. Only then did he take two nutritional tablets, still wrapped in their plastic packaging, and slip them into his pocket.

Seeing that he only took two, Bai Yao did not insist. She casually put away the remaining tablets.

As time passed, the temperature continued to drop. Bai Yao could almost see the white mist of warmth every time she exhaled.

Fortunately, Shi Jiu’s skills were quite good. The small heater flickered to life, its dark red glow radiating warmth and driving away the lingering chill around them.

Bai Yao leaned against the wall, curling herself into a small ball. Hugging her body, she stared at the heater placed in front of her and said with admiration, “Something that’s been broken for so many years, and you can still fix it. You’re really impressive.”

Shi Jiu said, “I only know how to do these small things.”

Bai Yao lifted her face to look at him.

He was also hugging himself, curled up against the wall. This clumsy posture was exactly the same as hers, to the point that Bai Yao almost wondered whether he had copied her movements.

In the warm glow of the light, the lines of his profile softened a great deal. Bathed in that light, it was as if a thin veil had been draped over him, the hazy play of light and shadow making him seem half-real, half-illusory.

Shi Jiu’s dark, glossy eyes rested on her. He looked obedient and well-behaved as he softly said, “Jiejie, could you not leave me behind?”

Bai Yao propped her chin on one hand and replied casually, “You are not some kind of tool. There is no such thing as me leaving you behind or not.”

Shi Jiu’s eyelashes trembled lightly, his gaze flickering. He also propped his chin with one hand, tilting his head as his quiet eyes settled on her face.

It was as if he were observing her, and as if he were imitating her.

Bai Yao added, “Also, don’t call other people ‘Jiejie’ indiscriminately. Not everyone likes being addressed that way.”

Shi Jiu lowered his head, his back hunched. He tugged at the corner of his clothes, like a child who had done something wrong. “I’m sorry, Miss Bai.”

Bai Yao responded perfunctorily. She tore open the plastic wrapping and swallowed a nutritional tablet. The energy provided by this kind of thing was enough to keep her feeling full for twenty-four hours, without hunger.

She still felt cold and reached out to move the heater a little closer. At the very instant she extended her hand, it unexpectedly met the boy’s hand, and their fingers clasped together.

He did not let go.

Bai Yao looked at him.

Shi Jiu carefully held her fingertips, his body inching a little closer. In those clean, clear eyes was nothing but her reflection. Still young, his refined features carried the youthful innocence of a high school student.

With naive innocence, he said, “Judging from the natural environment here, the nights on this planet are very, very long. I am of no use at all…”

He seemed extremely nervous. Even the hand gripping her fingertips was trembling. His lips pressed together slightly as he spoke softly, “But if it’s just to pass the time, I can do that.”

Shi Jiu raised his other hand and slowly lifted the hem of his clothes.

Bai Yao pressed down on his hand. “What are you doing?”

Shi Jiu looked at her uneasily with a pair of pure eyes. “I-I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what else I can do.”

She did not want him to call her “Jiejie”.

The so-called method of strengthening bonds through familial affection was useless here. He could not satisfy her need for emotional superiority or self-moved sentimentality, so there was only this last option left.

Bai Yao frowned deeply.

Shi Jiu also knew she was unhappy. He hurriedly let go of her hand, his movements slow and stiff as he retreated. Curling into a ball, he lowered his head and kept repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

The value of his existence had always been limited to two things. If he could not satisfy their psychological needs, then he would have to satisfy their physical needs.

So he was trying hard to please her.

This was a rule branded into his very bones. Only by pleasing them could he survive.

If neither of these methods worked, he would fall into helpless panic. Apart from endlessly saying “I’m sorry,” he did not know what else he could do.

Bai Yao finally spoke. “Why are you apologizing?”

He raised his mist-clouded eyes.

Bai Yao said, “Bringing you along was my own decision. It has nothing to do with you. So you don’t need to feel like you owe me anything, and you don’t need to exchange anything for it.”

The fact that she had saved him had nothing to do with him.

Shi Jiu curled up in the corner, his expression dazed and blank.

Bai Yao continued, “You’re sitting so far from the heater. Aren’t you cold? Do you want to come a little closer?”

The emptiness in Shi Jiu’s eyes finally regained a trace of light. He shifted his body and cautiously moved to her side, yet did not dare to touch her.

Bai Yao lowered her head to organize the items in her backpack, not looking at him.

Shi Jiu bent his legs and hugged his knees, resting his chin against them. In the play of light and shadow, the arc formed by the white hem of her dress folding against the ground was inexplicably beautiful and interesting.

The boy slowly extended one hand and quietly grasped that small corner of her dress, holding it tightly in his palm.