Pretending to Be Human, I Fell in Love with an AI - Chapter 6

On the way back, Yu Dengdeng sat obediently beside Yu Ting, twisting left and right as he curiously observed the surroundings.

He had been on Earth for less than a day, having only visited the landfill, the auto repair shop, and the hospital.

Earth was utterly novel to him, an extraterrestrial being, completely different from his home planet.

Yu Ting also noticed the child’s changed demeanor compared to earlier at the hospital. Perhaps the medication had taken effect—his complexion was no longer as flushed and had returned to normal.

“I’ll take you out for a stroll once you’re better,” Yu Ting said, glancing at Dengdeng, who was staring intently at the exercise equipment by the roadside.

Yu Dengdeng: !

“Okay,” he nodded without hesitation, mentally praising Yu Ting up and down once again. Truly worthy of being the human he had chosen!

At this thought, he inexplicably recalled what the doctor had said at the hospital and looked up at Yu Ting.

The young man gripped the handlebars with both hands, his gaze focused intently ahead.

His striking, well-defined features were captivating, and when serious, he even seemed somewhat unapproachable.

But that wasn’t the case at all, he thought.

Actually… it wouldn’t be so bad if Yu Ting became his human father.

But he absolutely wouldn’t be the first to bring it up.

If Yu Ting were to ask, he would agree after refusing a few times, Yu Dengdeng mused.

Seeing the familiar street ahead, Yu Ting rang the bell and turned the corner. He glanced down at the child who had been staring at him all along and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Huh?…” Realizing he had been fantasizing about their future father-son life while staring at Yu Ting’s face, Dengdeng jolted, abruptly shifting his body to the side.

Keeping an eye on Dengdeng’s reaction, Yu Ting reached out and pulled the child closer to him.

“Don’t space out, it’s dangerous,” Yu Ting said softly, his tone both soothing and slightly warning. Feeling Dengdeng’s hands instinctively wrap around his waist, he added, “We’re almost there.”

Holding onto the firm, slender waist, Yu Dengdeng nervously caught his breath. Hearing Yu Ting’s words, his ears quickly flushed red, and his hands unconsciously tightened their grip on Yu Ting’s white T-shirt.

He didn’t mean to… he was just thinking about their father-son life.

After Yu Ting’s reminder, Dengdeng remained in that position, quietly watching the scenery outside.

Very quietly…

Yu Ting glanced down at Dengdeng, who was still holding onto his waist. The child seemed calm, though still curiously looking around. Only then did Yu Ting relax slightly.

A few minutes later, the tricycle stopped at the familiar spot. The auto repair shop’s door was open, and the outer room was wide open but empty.

There were only two keys to the shop—one with Cheng Qiang and one with Yu Ting—so it had to be Cheng Qiang, who had disappeared yesterday morning, who had returned.

Yu Ting stopped the vehicle and turned off the engine.

At the same time, Dengdeng let go of his hands and sat obediently on the tricycle, watching the young man who had just stepped off and was now quietly looking at him.

But this time, he didn’t wait for Yu Ting to carry him. “I want to get down and walk by myself.”

Surprise flickered in Yu Ting’s eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he bent down, lifted the child off the tricycle, and gently set him on the ground.

Hearing the rumble of the tricycle outside, someone from the office inside walked out.

The man wore a black polo shirt that gleamed with an oily sheen, paired with black shorts that reached his knees. His short, thick black hair looked slightly greasy, as if it hadn’t been washed for two days. It was Cheng Qiang, who had been missing for the past two days.

Cheng Qiang tossed his cigarette butt onto the ground and ground it out with his slipper twice before lifting his chin to look at Yu Ting. “Where’ve you been? I noticed you weren’t around this morning.”

It was only then that he noticed the child beside Yu Ting.

The child was unfamiliar but fair and clean, the kind of kid anyone would find endearing. Even Cheng Qiang, whose expression had been sullen, softened slightly upon seeing the child.

“Hey, whose kid is this? I’ve never seen them before.”

Upon seeing Cheng Qiang, Yu Dengdeng instinctively took two steps back toward Yu Ting, leaning against him while curiously eyeing the man in front of them.

Noticing Dengdeng’s movement, Yu Ting subtly shifted to block some of Cheng Qiang’s line of sight. He looked at the man, whose smile now seemed a bit greasy, and replied, “I went to the hospital this morning.”

“The hospital? What… are you sick?” At this, Cheng Qiang’s brows furrowed like a small mountain.

“The child was sick,” Yu Ting explained, glancing down at the kid clinging to his waist.

Yu Dengdeng seemed to sense something and looked up at Yu Ting before tilting his head to gaze at the man again.

“This is Cheng Qiang, the owner of the auto repair shop. You can call him Uncle Cheng,” Yu Ting introduced.

“His name is Yu Dengdeng. He’s…” Yu Ting paused. What exactly was their relationship?

“He’s my dad!” Seeing that Yu Ting hadn’t spoken up, Yu Dengdeng clutched Yu Ting’s clothes, his nerves making his mind go blank as he blurted out their relationship loudly.

The child’s innocent voice echoed in the air, startling Yu Ting.

Cheng Qiang’s smile flickered like a faulty snowflake image on a screen before disappearing entirely. He exclaimed in disbelief, “Yu Ting, where did this kid come from? Weren’t you single??”

Although he was Yu Ting’s boss, Cheng Qiang didn’t know much about him.

Besides, Zhengyang Street had long since declined, with low labor costs. Most people working here were either dropouts or runaways.

If he started digging into everyone’s family backgrounds, half the employees would lose their jobs.

Still, even though he hadn’t seen much of the world, Cheng Qiang had sensed from the moment he met Yu Ting that the young man didn’t belong on this street.

With his cool, handsome face and icy, almost unapproachable demeanor, Cheng Qiang had initially thought Yu Ting was some celebrity or rich kid who’d wandered in for car repairs—until Yu Ting explained he was looking for a job.

It wasn’t until Yu Ting had been working there for a full week that Cheng Qiang realized he might have been wrong.

Despite his aloofness, Yu Ting was down-to-earth and hardworking.

When hiring Yu Ting, Cheng Qiang had laid out the terms: a monthly salary of 3,500 yuan, with 1,000 deducted for rent.

He never expected Yu Ting to actually agree.

Paying only 2,500 yuan a month, Cheng Qiang knew he was getting a great deal.

But now, looking at the child clinging to Yu Ting and staring back at him, Cheng Qiang suddenly felt the kid wasn’t quite as adorable anymore.

Yu Ting didn’t and had no intention to pay attention to Cheng Qiang’s facial expressions. Besides, everything the man was thinking was written plainly on his face, so Yu Ting didn’t need to guess what was going through his mind.

At that moment, he was looking down at Dengdeng, who had just boldly declared their relationship.

Shy and embarrassed, the child practically buried himself in the clothes behind him.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he looked down at the boy’s soft hair and the round whorl on his head. Unable to resist, he reached out and gently ruffled the boy’s soft black hair.

Yu Dengdeng hadn’t actually meant to say it that way. After all, he was sick—why not just treat it as nonsense he’d spoken while ill?

Or better yet, let a spaceship descend from the sky right now and take him back to his planet.

Lost in his wild thoughts, he suddenly felt a warm touch on his head. He looked up and met the young man’s gentle, melting gaze.

Nothing was said, yet it felt as if everything had been said.

“Dengdeng is my child.” Yu Dengdeng heard Yu Ting introduce him this way, and he instinctively straightened his back. On this planet, he now had a human who was connected to him.

It wasn’t a blood relation, but it was just as important.

Hearing Yu Ting’s words, Dengdeng instantly felt at ease.

So, when Yu Ting told him he needed to talk to Cheng Qiang, Dengdeng obediently stayed by his beloved tricycle, examining its setup.

But his ears perked up discreetly, pretending to be indifferent as he listened to their conversation.

“So, I want to take care of him,” Yu Ting explained the general situation to Cheng Qiang. “Until his parents come looking for him.”

He was currently staying in Cheng Qiang’s house, and even though he paid rent, he felt he should inform Cheng Qiang of the change.

“And what if his parents never come looking for him?”

Cheng Qiang, whose voice was naturally loud, glanced at the child nearby who was circling the tricycle as if he’d never seen one before and scoffed.

“Are you planning to raise him for the rest of your life? Not getting married or having kids of your own?”

Seeing Yu Ting’s calm expression, Cheng Qiang felt an inexplicable irritation, as if Yu Ting were some naive young master from a wealthy family who had no idea how expensive life could be.

Naive.

“I won’t get married, and I won’t have children of my own,” Yu Ting said.

Even back on Darkwater Star, he had been firm in his decision not to marry or have children, let alone now that he was on an unfamiliar planet.

Yu Ting’s tone was so resolute that Cheng Qiang was momentarily speechless. “What about money? Do you have enough to raise him? School tuition for kids these days isn’t cheap. Hey, we already agreed—I’m not giving you a raise.”

Yu Ting glanced at Cheng Qiang.

Cheng Qiang fell silent, afraid Yu Ting might snap at him, but instead, Yu Ting simply nodded.

Having grown up in the slums, Yu Ting’s adaptability could be rated S+. He just needed time to process the information he had gathered.

Of course, the most important thing was that he hadn’t yet given up on returning to Darkwater Star.

Seeing that Yu Ting had no intention of asking for a raise, Cheng Qiang couldn’t be bothered to say more.

After all, the child wasn’t his, and he wasn’t the one raising him—it had nothing to do with him.

“Then I have no objections,” Cheng Qiang said, running a hand through his hair. Since his own interests weren’t affected, he was happy to do Yu Ting a favor. “Alright, go ahead and do what you need to do. Uncle Liu just called—we’re short one person at the site.”

He turned and walked toward the door. Seeing Dengdeng stop in his tracks upon noticing him, Cheng Qiang waved. “Goodbye, kid.”

Although Yu Dengdeng had become human, his hearing remained sharp, and he had naturally overheard their conversation.

He silently watched Cheng Qiang, offering no response.

Cheng Qiang didn’t get angry either. He left with a cheerful smile, but just as he was about to reach the door, he stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and said, “Yu Ting, even after having a child, be mindful. Don’t let the child hear what’s going on outside…”

Before he could finish, he sensed that the previously gentle young man before him had become unapproachable. Those icy eyes fell coldly upon him, as if looking at some lifeless object, making him instinctively forget what he was about to say. He only felt the urge to flee from danger and quickly turned away, hurrying off.

Outside?

Yu Dengdeng caught the key word in Cheng Qiang’s words.

Yu Ting… her new father, what was going on outside?

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