Chapter 47: Human Emotion and Independent Thought Function, White Album

“Record all today’s data, and analyze it to identify my remaining weaknesses and areas needing improvement.”

Ye Xuan said to ShaNiang, who nodded obediently and projected a holographic screen before them.

“All 327 combat data points from today’s sessions with Brother Ye Xuan have been archived and analyzed, generating twelve optimization suggestions. Would Brother Ye Xuan like to review them now?”

“Later. Someone’s here.”

Ye Xuan sheathed his long sword and walked toward the training ground’s exit.

ShaNiang tilted her head, trotted two steps to catch up with Ye Xuan, and wore an expectant expression.

“Brother Ye Xuan, should I go open the door for you?”

Ye Xuan halted, turned to look at the eagerly awaiting ShaNiang, then seemed to recall something and did not refuse, nodding instead.

“Then you go.”

“Just bring them to the parlor.”

“Yes, Brother Ye Xuan!”

ShaNiang’s eyes lit up instantly at Ye Xuan’s words and walked toward the villa’s front gate.

“Human emotion and independent thought functionality.”

“If I didn’t know she was just a phone, I might think she was a real person.”

“I wonder what Su Mengyao and Lin Miao would think if they saw her.”

Ye Xuan watched ShaNiang’s back and said with a sigh.

When ShaNiang asked if she should open the door for him, his first instinct was to refuse—he didn’t think Su Mengyao would fail to recognize ShaNiang’s true nature.

But then he suddenly realized: even if they recognized her, what could they do?

Could they deduce from ShaNiang’s existence that he possessed the Rat Talisman?

It was no different from a child losing a key on the street and suspecting the finder knew his home’s location, floor, when no one was inside, or where his savings were kept—and then being robbed.

Perhaps in the future, as Ye Xuan manifests more objects and reveals more varieties of Celestial Treasures before others, they might suspect: “No one could possess so many Celestial Treasures—could Ye Xuan have a Celestial Treasure that manifests Celestial Treasures?”

But now, Su Mengyao would only assume he had acquired a new Celestial Treasure.

Just one that was somewhat unusual.

As for whether anyone might grow greedy for ShaNiang, Ye Xuan was actually looking forward to it.

He wanted to see how many unclean worms, still lurking beneath Zhong Lao’s suppression, would covet him and dare to act.

He could kill mutated beasts without hesitation; humans, too, were no different.

Meanwhile, at Ye Xuan’s villa gate, Su Mengyao and Lin Miao were still chatting.

“I heard from your mother that since returning from the Hangcheng Nature Reserve, you’ve been coming here every day?”

“Do you like Ye Xuan?”

Su Mengyao teased Lin Miao.

Lin Miao’s cheeks instantly flushed red as she clutched her thermos box tightly.

“W-What? No!”

“I just bring food because it helps Brother Ye Xuan’s cultivation, and it doesn’t take much time.”

She stammered out the explanation.

“If it doesn’t take much time, why do you come every day?”

“Your father’s been looking at me differently lately—he thinks if I hadn’t paired you with Ye Xuan for the Nature Reserve, you wouldn’t have…”

Su Mengyao raised an eyebrow, but before she finished, the villa gate suddenly opened automatically. A woman in red leather stood at the threshold, her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.

“Welcome! Brother Ye Xuan is waiting for you.”

“Brother Ye Xuan…?”

Lin Miao froze upon seeing the woman, murmuring the title, her gaze dazed.

She had arrived first—whether in the Nature Reserve or daily bringing meals—it was always her; she hadn’t even called him “Brother Ye Xuan,” yet someone else had?

“Huh? Who are you?”

Su Mengyao also paused, studying the red-clad girl before her with confusion.

Ye Xuan’s file was clear to the Tian Shu Bureau—his only close friends were Zhang Yu and Chen Hao. There was no record of this woman.

And was it her imagination? Why did the girl look so familiar?

As if she’d seen her somewhere before.

“Hello, my name is ShaNiang.”

ShaNiang answered obediently upon hearing Su Mengyao’s question, tilting her head with a smile.

“ShaNiang? A nickname?”

“Real names are rare these days…”

Su Mengyao instinctively continued, then suddenly realized something—her voice cut off, her eyes widening sharply.

“ShaNiang? ShaNiang!”

“The ShaNiang from Magic Phone?!”

Su Mengyao’s voice rose sharply as she stared at the girl before her in disbelief.

She was only in her twenties herself; she had watched Magic Phone as a child, though she hadn’t liked it much and didn’t remember it well.

But even if her memory was faint, seeing the real person standing before her and hearing her name—she’d be a fool not to recognize her.

No wonder she felt the girl looked familiar—it was unmistakably the youthful, flawless version of “Shu Chang.”

“Huh? The ShaNiang from Magic Phone?”

Lin Miao, who had been lost in thoughts of “White Album,” now snapped back to reality and scrutinized the woman before her.

Right—this was exactly ShaNiang’s design from Magic Phone!

She instantly relaxed—but the next second, her heart tightened again.

Wait, wasn’t ShaNiang in the story an AI system simulating human emotion? And didn’t she eventually develop true feelings?

Though fundamentally still a phone, in this era, a phone seemed more important than a companion.

A phone that could take human form, devoted entirely to one person—could Ye Xuan really refuse it?

Lin Miao’s fingers unconsciously twisted her sleeve, her gaze flickering between ShaNiang’s exquisite face and slender figure.

Why did this phone feel more threatening than a person? Why make a phone this beautiful!

Hmm, no—why am I thinking about this?

Lin Miao suddenly froze. She and Ye Xuan were only friends—why did seeing ShaNiang make her so anxious?

Did that mean, deep down, she didn’t want to remain just friends with Ye Xuan?

But they hadn’t gone through any novel-like events; they barely even spent time together daily. How could she have already fallen for him?

She’d thought she only had a mild liking for him.

What should she do? She had zero experience with falling in love.

“Ye Xuan acquired another Celestial Treasure? And it’s ShaNiang from Magic Phone?”

Su Mengyao didn’t know Lin Miao’s thoughts—even if she did, she had no time for a love-struck girl; right now, she just stared at the ShaNiang before her, utterly bewildered.

(End of Chapter)