Chapter 155: The Day the Code Fell in Love (25)

Perhaps this gang of bandits had not come specifically for Bai Yao, but having stumbled upon her as an unexpected prize, they had no intention of letting her go.

Bai Yao’s vision was not as sharp as Shi Jiu’s, but she could still see the silhouettes closing in around them, and the lecherous gazes made her feel nauseated. She knew their situation was dire, yet she forced herself to remain calm. She whispered to Shi Jiu, "If you find a chance, go on without me."

Shi Jiu cradled her face in his hands, his black eyes completely overtaken by a dark, crimson hue. Looking at her with his battered and fractured face, he gave a faint smile. "Yaoyao, trust me. You will be just fine."

As if to validate his words, a hand suddenly pressed against the back of her head, burying her face into his chest.

Immediately after, Bai Yao was lifted off the ground. In the heartbeat before she could react, she heard the whistling of the wind, followed by a relentless barrage of gunfire. The shots echoed right beside her ears, bullets embedding themselves into his body one after another. The sound of metal clashing rang out alongside the grinding of broken internal components. A sudden, chilling illusion took hold of her—she felt as though she could hear his body emitting continuous error warnings.

"Shi Jiu, stop!" Bai Yao screamed.

Shi Jiu ignored her, instead pressing her head even more firmly into his chest. He had only two hands, and he used them both to shield her body like an impenetrable wall, tucking her into the safest corner possible. He had no intention of fighting back. His only goal was to carry Bai Yao away from this dangerous place, even if it meant he would be destroyed and rendered scrap.

In the dim, pouring rain, the black monsters lurking nearby dared not approach, wary of the bandits who were numerous and heavily armed. No matter how many times the android in the shape of a boy was shot, even as his balance system failed and his steps faltered, his hands never loosened their grip.

He seemed to pour all his remaining power into his legs. His forward momentum was relentless; in the gloom of the sky and the shroud of the rain, the dark glow in his right eye bled into the mist, looking like a meteor burning through its life in the night.

The bandits did not cease their fire, shouting obscenities over their wireless channels.

"Is this android insane?"
"Don't hurt the woman! Aim for his head!"
"A model like this—his power source must be in his head!"

Shi Jiu was moving too fast, making it difficult to land a shot on his head, but a stray bullet successfully crippled one of his legs. He staggered, and just as he was about to collapse, his red eyes scanned a nearby warship. He forced himself to steady his frame and lunged straight toward it.

His back was riddled with holes, and the scent of scorched metal hung in the air, signaling that the reaper’s verdict was imminent. His arms were made of steel, and Bai Yao could not break free. Trembling, she tried to convince him while keeping her voice steady. "Shi Jiu, leave now. They won't kill me. You can find a chance to save me later. You can't die—as long as you don't die, we can see each other again."

Shi Jiu whispered, "Yaoyao, I won't die."

Another gunshot rang out. His other knee was shattered, and he lost all power. The moment he knelt into the mud, he used his last reserves of energy to push Bai Yao forward. The roar of the wind and rain muffled the gunfire, signaling that the distance between them was growing.

Shi Jiu looked up, his red eye fixed intently on her, his lips moving softly. "Don't be afraid."

*Bang.* A bullet pierced his right eye.

The boy’s head shattered. Metal fragments and synthetic fluids fell onto the muddy ground in the cruelest of ways, swallowed by the filthy water. Right before her eyes, his body collapsed, no different from the broken androids in the junkyard.

"Shi Jiu!"

Bai Yao lunged forward, but suddenly, a powerful hand gripped her waist and hauled her onto the warship. The hatch slammed shut, and the ship soared back into the sky.

Bai Yao stared only at the silhouette outside the window. She pounded on the hatch, crying and screaming in a breakdown of emotion. "Open the hatch! Let me down! Let me down!"

A man turned her around to face him. "Yaoyao, it’s me!"

Bai Yao clutched his black uniform. "Let me down! Shi Jiu is still there!"

The black-haired young man’s expression was cold and rigid, though his habitually indifferent face now held an unfamiliar emotion. His strong hands slowly pried her fingers open to keep her from hurting herself. He gripped her hands and pressed them against his chest. "I am Twenty-three."

Bai Yao, acting like a madwoman, pushed his hands away, grabbed his collar, and shoved him down beneath her. Her eyes were still streaming with tears, but her face held the frantic, irrational look of someone who had lost their mind. "I know you're Twenty-three! I'm looking for Shi Jiu! I can't leave him behind, I have to take him back, I can find someone to fix him!"

A single tear fell onto his face.

Twenty-three’s eyelashes fluttered. He stared blankly at Bai Yao, his focus so intense it seemed like an obsession.

The moment she saw Shi Jiu fall, only one thought remained in Bai Yao's mind. She could strike a deal with the bandits; she only needed them to give her Shi Jiu’s body. The Bai family company had so many brilliant engineers—they would surely be able to repair him. It was a naive thought, but it was the only solution she could conceive.

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped his collar with excessive force. Her face was bloodless as she stared at the man beneath her. "Open the hatch and let me down. Maybe they haven't scrapped his body yet."

It was her only hope.

Twenty-three reached out and touched her cheek, which was colder than normal, gently wiping away the mud spots. He slowly curved his lips upward and spoke in a soft, gentle voice: "Yaoyao, I am Twenty-three, but I can also be Shi Jiu."

He said, "I am him, and he is me. I told you, I will not die."

Bai Yao could not process these absurd words. "Twenty-three, let me down!"

He sat up, placed a hand on the back of her head, and pulled her toward him. As his lips parted, he pressed them against hers, his tongue slipping inside. The moment she struggled, his other hand locked firmly onto her back, forcing her to press tightly against him. The more she tried to pull away, the tighter his grip became.

Bai Yao’s body was squeezed between the hatch and the man. Her hands left creases all over his black uniform, but he did not care—even if she tried to bite him, it wouldn't matter. His body was forged of metal; a girl could never break him.