Pretending to Be Human, I Fell in Love with an AI - Chapter 24

This was probably his second time at the hospital, Yu Dengdeng thought idly as he stared up at the ceiling. He shifted his gaze to the hospital bed beside him.

Cheng Qiang was sound asleep on the other bed, his complexion so rosy it was as if he hadn’t been the one stabbed yesterday. In contrast, Cheng Ze, who was taking breakfast out of a plastic bag nearby, looked much paler.

“I asked the doctor. Luckily, the wound wasn’t deep. He just needs to stay for observation for two days before being discharged,” Yu Ting said as he handed Cheng Ze a cup of soy milk. Noticing the prominent dark circles and bags under the young man’s eyes, he asked, “Didn’t you sleep last night?”

Cheng Ze waved his hand with a complicated expression, took a sip of the soy milk, and felt warmth spread through his stomach, reviving him. He glanced at the other bed and pursed his lips. “He was in pain for half the night, and by the time he finally fell asleep, I couldn’t sleep anymore.”

Who would have thought that just innocently eating barbecue could lead to something like this? He had spent half the night tossing and turning, trying to figure out which higher power Cheng Qiang had managed to offend.

“Bro, do you think it’s because of what he mentioned yesterday?” Cheng Ze rubbed his thumb a few times, squinting his eyes in imitation of Cheng Qiang’s smug expression from the night before.

Yu Ting shook his head, indicating he wasn’t sure. He handed Cheng Ze a set of clothes from another bag. “I grabbed a change of clothes from your closet. Put the dirty ones in the bag, and I’ll take them back later.”

“I think it’s pretty much the same,” Cheng Ze clicked his tongue, then looked at Yu Ting with gratitude. “Bro, you’re like a real brother to me. I’ll change right away. Now that you mention it, I realize I reek of barbecue and beer. It’s awful.”

“No rush. Finish your breakfast first.”

“Alright.” Cheng Ze wolfed down his food, glancing now at Yu Ting, now at Dengdeng, who was sitting in the opposite seat as usual, holding Little E. He even winked playfully at the child.

The familiarity of the scene put him at ease, and he even found Little E more agreeable than before.

He had never witnessed anything like yesterday’s incident before, and it had scared him half to death. Now, everything seemed filled with love and peace, and even the soy milk Yu Ting bought for him felt nostalgic.

He spent a full twenty minutes chewing on a few fried dough sticks and sipping his soy milk.

“Should I take over for you tomorrow?” Yu Ting asked.

“No, bro, I’m already so grateful you brought me food and washed my clothes,” Cheng Ze said, pounding his chest vigorously as he swallowed a mouthful of food that had gotten stuck. “Just focus on taking care of Dengdeng. Dengdeng, do you want some? There are still a few buns left.”

Dengdeng watched Cheng Ze eat and shook his head decisively. “No, thanks. Dad and I already ate.”

“Alright, then.” Cheng Ze pointed to an outlet on the right wall. “There’s a socket over there if you want to talk to Little E. Just plug it in.”

Having been Yu Ting’s neighbor for nearly half a month, this Cheng neighbor had become much more responsible, making sure every member of the Yu household could have their say.

“I’ll do it,” Yu Ting said as Dengdeng was about to jump down from the chair. He walked over and plugged in the device.

The small red light lit up again.

Yu Ting turned around and saw Cheng Ze holding a fried dough stick, his eyes glistening with tears. Thinking something had happened, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The feeling’s all coming back, bro.” Cheng Ze wiped away his nonexistent tears. “I’m gonna be your neighbor for life.”

This sense of familiarity was comforting.

Yu Ting: “…”

As they spoke, intermittent sniffles sounded, and movement finally came from the other hospital bed.

“Xiao Yu, what are you doing here?” Cheng Qiang struggled to sit up, like a fish fighting for its life.

“Brother Yu brought breakfast,” Cheng Ze replied. “Soy milk, fried dough sticks, and congee. Want some?”

“Forget it, no appetite.” Cheng Qiang pointed at Cheng Ze. “Did the doctor say when I can be discharged? Damn it, if I find out who stabbed me, I swear I’ll—”

He stopped when he noticed Yu Ting looking over, then roughly ran his fingers through his hair a few times.

Yu Ting: “At least two or three days.”

Cheng Qiang felt utterly miserable and slumped back against the pillow in frustration. Then, moving slowly, he quietly lifted his eyelids to observe Yu Ting, who was helping Cheng Ze tidy up.

Even though he had been in excruciating pain yesterday, he hadn’t passed out. Later, Cheng Ze told him that Yu Ting had caught the perpetrator.

That kid had been chattering in his ear half the night—it was impossible not to know.

How did he catch them? Cheng Qiang couldn’t help wondering. The person who stabbed him had been quick and precise, clearly someone from the underworld.

But what about Yu Ting?

Cheng Qiang remembered when Yu Ting first came to the shop looking for a job. At the time, he had wondered if he was a runaway rich kid.

Now, looking at him again, he still didn’t think Yu Ting seemed like someone involved in shady business.

No one that handsome would be that desperate.

Cheng Qiang sighed inwardly in relief and smiled. “Xiao Yu, I really owe you one this time. I’ll give you a raise once I’m discharged.”

“Boss, no red envelopes?” Cheng Ze chimed in, seizing the relaxed atmosphere. “I’ve been staying here with you these past few days, and Brother Yu and Dengdeng have been managing the shop. We’ve all been busy.”

He was determined to milk the boss for all he could!

Hearing his name—and sensing it might be related to money—Dengdeng immediately looked up and nodded vigorously.

Yu Ting smiled at the sight, guessing Dengdeng hadn’t been listening earlier.

“Fine, of course. Once I’m discharged, we’ll sort everything out.” Cheng Qiang slapped the bedsheet, the soft cotton fabric muffling the sound.

He then gave a few instructions about the shop, though they were largely pointless since Yu Ting was already handling everything inside and out. Realizing this, he stopped and simply told Yu Ting to keep an eye out for any strangers in the coming days.

Yu Ting glanced at Cheng Qiang.

“What, are more people coming?” Cheng Ze reacted immediately.

“Whether they come or not, you still need to be careful!” Cheng Qiang snapped.

Cheng Ze let out a long “Oh.” “Bro, you should take Dengdeng and go. I’ve got things here. It’s not good for a kid to stay in the hospital too long.”

“Is that so?” Yu Ting murmured softly, picking up on this new piece of information he’d never heard before.

“What did you say, bro?”

“Nothing. We’ll head out first.”

………

With two fewer people, things weren’t much different from before. Dengdeng placed Xiao E on the table and went to the office to watch TV, while Yu Ting continued organizing parts and repairing cars as usual—only now, it was much quieter.

“Xiao E, what’s the minimum age for elementary school?” Yu Ting paused his work, looking at the smart speaker that had long grown accustomed to being placed on the table, its lights blinking.

“Are you planning to send Dengdeng to school?” the AI asked, as if understanding Yu Ting’s intention.

“He can’t stay in the shop all the time.”

He had long considered sending Dengdeng to school. Coming from Darkwater Star, no matter how much he supplemented his knowledge of Earth, it couldn’t compare to the expertise of professionally trained teachers.

He lifted his gaze and scanned the surroundings. The lingering smell of engine oil hung like a dark cloud over the two-story building. Dengdeng needed friends and a suitable environment.

“If you’re not staying in the shop, go out and play.”

Yu Ting actually wanted Dengdeng to go out more often, but the child had recently become obsessed with television, as if he had never experienced it before.

“You don’t want him to go out?”

A moment of silence confirmed that the statement had hit the mark.

It wasn’t that Yu Ting didn’t want him to go out, but the thought of the two recent incidents made him worry. Back on Darkwater Star, he had survived alone in the slums like a wild weed since his teens, but that was only because he was used to it.

But Dengdeng was different—a six-year-old child.

“Didn’t you say you could protect him?” The voice from the speaker dragged out, with a hint of static, “And me.”

You?

Yu Ting looked at the object in front of him, no larger than an apple, yet it had protected Dengdeng just yesterday.

But was it enough with just the two of them? The Darkwater Star admiral suddenly found himself in a parenting dilemma, a realm he had never encountered in his over twenty years of life.

Before he could think further, melancholic upbeat music filled the room, scattering Yu Ting’s emotions. His finger hovered over the power button. “If it keeps playing, I’ll turn it off.”

The music stopped, but the voice didn’t.

If Yu Ting had a good memory, he would recall that these were the words he had spoken to the object yesterday: “Thank you.”

Clearly, Yu Ting remembered well, understanding that this was Little E’s protest against the threat. He sighed helplessly, “I didn’t press the power button.”

“Calm now?”

Yu Ting’s eyes flickered with surprise, and the pent-up emotions dissipated somewhat at the sudden response. He sighed softly, “You really have a way of decompressing human emotions.”

It worked on aliens too.

“This is tailored for you.”

Yu Ting: “…”

“A six-year-old child is at the age for first grade. Currently, it’s June. According to the local calendar, schools are about to go on vacation. September would be more suitable for enrollment.”

Hearing this, the small crack in the office door finally closed with relief.

“Thinking of sending the child to school, Xiao Yu?” A familiar, somewhat awkward voice sounded as Li Jinhua pushed her electric bike inside.

Seeing Yu Ting look over, she explained, “I just overheard it.” Meaning she hadn’t eavesdropped much, nor had she spread rumors like before.

“Is there something you need?” Yu Ting glanced at the bike in her hand.

After the last incident, Li Jinhua had toned down considerably. Her decades-long habit of gossiping had finally quieted.

Seeing that Yu Ting was still willing to acknowledge her, she quickly said, “Old Liu told me the battery he got here last time worked really well. My bike’s battery is broken, so I thought I’d come replace it. Do you have anything suitable?”

“Leave the bike here for now. Let me take a look.” Yu Ting fetched a stool from the side and handed it to Li Jinhua.

Li Jinhua took the stool, sitting as awkwardly as a student on their first day of school. She glanced around, “Where’s Dengdeng?”

Yu Ting paused, looking toward the office door, which remained closed. “He’s busy with his own things.”

Li Jinhua gave a couple of vague “mm-hmm” sounds, then thought to herself that a six-year-old child couldn’t possibly have much of his own business. Her curiosity flared up again, but she didn’t dare ask. She could only watch Yu Ting methodically disassembling the electric scooter, which reminded her of what Old Liu had said to her after learning about the incident last time.

Having been neighbors for decades, some words could be spoken more directly than with others.

“It’s not easy for her to raise a child alone, getting up early every morning to repair bikes. Not only do you not help, but you also spread rumors outside that Xiao Yu has mental problems. Is that something a decent person would do?”

Li Jinhua had wanted to say that she wasn’t the one who started the rumors, but deep down, she knew she had said plenty herself.

Later, Old Liu brought up Li Jinhua’s son and daughter-in-law, who had been working away from home for years. Li Jinhua hurriedly told him to stop, but over the past few days, she had been reflecting on it—she really had gone too far.

But for so many days, she hadn’t found the right opportunity to come over.

“Xiao Yu, can I call you that? There’s a primary school not far from Zhengyang Street. Cong Cong went to school there.”

The middle-aged woman’s voice was like a monk chanting sutras, tinged with the anxiety of fearing interruption or rejection. “But summer vacation is coming soon. After the break, if Dengdeng is old enough, you could send him there.”

After a pause, she added, “It’s a public school, no tuition fees, very convenient.”

Only then did Yu Ting stop what she was doing and turn to ask, “Is it close to here?”

“Not far, just one street away.” Thinking that Yu Ting truly cared about her child, Li Jinhua hurriedly added, “You can go take a look when you have time.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I was really in the wrong before.” Li Jinhua muttered under her breath, lowering her head.

“I’ve checked, and the battery in this electric scooter is quite old. There’s a suitable model available in the shop right now.” Yu Ting told her the price.

“Great! Let’s go with what you suggest.” Hearing that it was one or two hundred cheaper than other shops, Li Jinhua quickly agreed. “Should I leave it here or…?”

“If you’re not in a hurry, you can leave it here and pick it up in the afternoon.”

“Alright, I’ll come back this afternoon then!” Li Jinhua paid and, after a moment’s thought, added, “Cong Cong watches TV at home every day. I’ve already told him that if Dengdeng wants to come out and play, the two kids can play together.”

However, remembering the tense scene from last time, Li Jinhua didn’t think it was very likely. She let out an awkward laugh and left.

Just then, the office door opened. It was during a commercial break on TV, so Yu Dengdeng finally came out.

He curiously glanced at the woman’s retreating figure, finding her somewhat familiar. Then, noticing the electric scooter suddenly parked in front of him and Yu Ting observing it closely, he asked, “Dad, who was that just now?”

Yu Ting looked at the child’s expression. “The person we argued with last time.”

“Ah? The chubby kid’s grandma.” Yu Dengdeng suddenly understood. “Did she pay?”

“??”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s okay to fix it.”

Yu Dengdeng spoke with utmost seriousness, nodding with his arms crossed. His earnest expression made Yu Ting smile. “You’re not angry, are you?”

“Why would I be angry? He already apologized to me last time, and this time he paid.” Yu Dengdeng rolled his eyes. “I said if he says that again, I’ll beat him up. These things are separate. As long as you’re not angry, it’s fine.”

“Same here,” Yu Ting said.

“What about me?” A voice suddenly spoke up from the side, almost forgotten after staying silent for so long.

“Artificial intelligence doesn’t get angry, otherwise it’d explode from rage!” Yu Dengdeng exclaimed loudly. “Then you’d vanish, Little E.”

Nian Yi: “Heh.”

“That means anger is ineffective,” Yu Ting added from the side, his brown eyes shimmering with a gentle, alluring warmth.

Too bad artificial intelligence couldn’t see it.

Support