Chapter 138: The Day the Code Fell in Love (8)

On this unknown planet, they had no sense of the passage of time; they could only barely guess it was late at night when the cold grew more intense.

The warmth from a small heater was far from sufficient.

Bai Yao couldn’t sleep from the cold, despite having moved as close to the heater as possible. Yet, that faint heat was negligible against the surrounding chill.

She hugged herself tightly and sneezed again. At this rate, she feared falling ill was inevitable.

The boy beside her, who had been quiet for a long time, whispered, “Do you need help?”

Bai Yao looked at him.

He said, “I’m not afraid of the cold.”

Then, after a brief hesitation, he extended his hand toward her.

Tentatively, Bai Yao took it and immediately felt a wave of warmth. Perhaps because he was young and strong, his body temperature was significantly higher than hers.

In this frigid environment, his warmth remained unaffected.

Shi Jiu softly asked, “Is this okay?”

Although he was the one offering help, his cautious tone and humble manner made it seem as if he were the one in need of assistance.

Torn between pride and survival, Bai Yao did not hesitate to choose the latter. As she moved forward slightly, Shi Jiu shifted to face her, and she curled her limbs into his embrace.

Through the fabric of their clothes, his heat flowed steadily, like a warm hearth keeping the cold at bay.

Finally, Bai Yao could exhale slightly. Most of her body was nestled in his arms, but since she wore a skirt, her calves remained exposed to the air.

Shi Jiu took off his coat and wrapped it around her legs.

Now, he only wore a thin black T-shirt, which would look chilly to any onlooker.

Bai Yao asked, “Aren’t you cold?”

He shook his head and whispered, “No, my body is warm.”

Indeed, Bai Yao could feel his warmth, which was far more potent than the heater’s and immune to the cold.

Having endured for a long time without rest, Bai Yao began to feel drowsy.

Neither spoke; Shi Jiu dared not break the silence.

He knew he had dirtied her skirt, and now with more dust on himself, he feared making her even grubbier. He worried that any loud noise from him might only deepen her displeasure.

Bai Yao’s curled body gradually relaxed, her cheek resting against his chest as she closed her eyes and breathed softly.

She had fallen asleep.

Shi Jiu lowered his gaze, tilting his head slightly, his eyes fixed on her sleeping face. Whether out of curiosity or silent observation, he remained motionless through the night.

Time passed unknowingly.

When Bai Yao awoke, sunlight filtered into the cave. Though still cool, the warmth was more bearable than during the night.

Her eyes met the boy’s dark ones.

A faint smile appeared on Shi Jiu’s face. “Good morning, Miss Bai.”

His voice had always been soft, as if afraid to disturb others or provoke annoyance.

Bai Yao sat up straight, and he withdrew his arms from around her.

She asked, “You didn’t sleep last night?”

Shi Jiu replied, “I closed my eyes and rested for a while.”

Bai Yao returned his coat, saying, “Thank you.”

Holding his clothes, Shi Jiu smiled innocently, “It’s my honor to help you.”

Bai Yao glanced at him but said nothing. She stood and stretched before stating, “We need to go find the landing site of the garbage ship.”

Shi Jiu stood obediently beside her, nodding. “Okay.”

To maximize their limited manpower, Bai Yao decided they would split up. She set his wristband to the same countdown as hers: no matter what, they would regroup here in two hours.

Shi Jiu seemed almost without personal will; whatever Bai Yao said, he agreed.

With their plan set, Bai Yao walked toward the yellow sand-covered path on the left at a measured pace. Along the way, all she saw was sand and trash.

Most of the discarded items were synthetic humans.

Electronic devices updated so rapidly that a synthetic human bought one year might already be obsolete the next.

Synthetic humans were as common as smartphones in the 21st century; widespread usage meant a high discard rate.

Bai Yao knew synthetic humans weren’t truly human—they were just machines made to look human.

This junkyard was a graveyard for synthetic humans, evoking a strange sense of mourning, as if it were a tomb for humanity itself.

Despite searching diligently within the agreed time, Bai Yao found no useful information and had to return to their meeting place, where Shi Jiu was nowhere to be seen.

He was not the type to break promises.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in the distant sky—a spaceship steadily descending. Its engines roared like a wild beast crashing into this desolate land.

That was the direction Shi Jiu had taken.

The black-haired boy gathered a pile of potentially useful parts, his gaze fixed intently on the descending ship.

The swirling duststorm whipped his black hair and loose clothes wildly, evoking concern that the wind might tear him apart.

The ship, marked with the letters “SPR,” landed steadily. Its hatch opened, and a crowd of discarded synthetic humans was hurriedly dumped onto the ground.

Some had broken limbs, circuits and skeletal structures exposed, yet they were still “alive.”

Their bodies twitched, sparking with electricity and fire. Their eyes glowed an eerie blue before they lay still, soon buried under the new arrivals.

Two men in company uniforms appeared at the ship’s entrance.

A tall man complained, “We always get stuck doing this hard labor. What rotten luck.”

The shorter man, equally displeased, said, “This garbage planet smells terrible, and the air is unbearable. I really don't want to come back to this hellhole.”

The taller man pulled out a card, waving it with a knowing smile. “I got a coupon for Dreamland. I heard some new good stuff arrived there recently. When we get back, we should go check it out.”

The other man immediately laughed, “Sounds good.”

Shi Jiu watched for a long time until all activity ceased. The items he held dropped to the ground, and he stepped out from the shadows.