Reborn After Divorcing The Obsessive Genius Heiress - Chapter 4

Why would Luo Bai want to get married?

Qiu Wu couldn’t think of a single reason.

The Luo Family wasn’t the Qiu Family, and Luo Bai wasn’t her. Judging by Luo Bai’s demeanor, there was no possibility she was being forced into marriage.

But Luo Bai also didn’t seem like the type to suddenly crave the warmth of family after years of casual relationships.

“It’s a requirement in my mother’s will,” Luo Bai explained, tapping her screen again. “My primary research focus is on developing intelligent machines. Recently, my work has hit a bottleneck. While every other aspect of robotics has advanced, the thinking system remains stagnant, hindering further progress.”

“I remember your mother… was she an expert in this field?” Qiu Wu recalled from her textbooks. Luo Hua had been a pioneer in artificial intelligence research.

“Yes,” Luo Bai nodded. “After her death, all her research findings were transferred to FutureTech’s research institute, except for one thing she sealed away.”

“And that’s exactly what you need?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“A method for optimizing thinking systems. If her experimental reports are genuine, combined with the advancements in intelligent machine technology over the years, it might allow robots to think like humans.”

Qiu Wu inhaled sharply, recalling her sophomore year when she had visited a robot destruction factory with her club. The massive incinerator pit was filled with countless dismembered limbs of humanoid machines, and occasionally, she would spot a mangled head with missing facial features.

Though devoid of flesh and blood, they remained terrifying.

First, the reusable components were salvaged. Then, the machines were dismantled and finally tossed into the scorching flames to be melted down into raw materials.

If these machines could think like humans, wouldn’t destroying them be equivalent to murder?

Such a research breakthrough, with its grave ethical implications, should rightfully remain sealed.

But Luo Bai seemed to disagree.

“I tried to lift my mother’s seal and found this will instead.” Luo Bai opened a video.

“Xiao Bai? Only you would dare open Pandora’s Box.” The woman on screen bore a striking resemblance to Luo Bai, yet her demeanor was her complete opposite. She rested her chin in her hand, her eyes sparkling with a flirtatious charm. “Oh well, do as you please. Those fools only spout empty moral platitudes anyway. It might be fun to stir up some trouble for them. But I have one condition.”

The woman in the video smirked, as if she had just pulled off a prank. “If you want this technology, find someone you like and marry them. With your personality, you wouldn’t try to trick your mother, would you? If you still haven’t changed your mind after a year of marriage, my lawyer will tell you how to lift the seal.”

The video ended there.

Luo Bai closed the screen and turned to Qiu Wu. “That’s the situation.”

Qiu Wu: “…You’re going to marry someone just for this?”

Luo Bai: “Yes. I don’t understand why my mother believes marriage will change my mind.”

Are you two really mother and daughter?

Because so many absurd things had happened that day, Qiu Wu found herself calmly accepting this utterly ridiculous reason.

“You came to me because… you find me agreeable?” she asked, seizing on another key point.

“Yes,” Luo Bai replied, meeting her gaze without hesitation. “I reviewed photos of all the candidates, and you best fit the criteria.”

Qiu Wu: “Thank you.”

Her earlobes flushed. If she hadn’t already gotten a sense of Luo Bai’s character, she would have assumed the woman was flirting with her.

She was quite susceptible to this kind of approach.

The two exchanged WeChat contacts. Qiu Wu’s profile picture was a photo of a wheat field her sister had sent her earlier, the golden stalks gleaming warmly in the sunlight. Luo Bai’s profile picture was a silver bearing, its cold metallic sheen stark against the dark background.

Qiu Wu watched, wide-eyed, as Luo Bai saved her contact as “Qiu Wu (Girlfriend).”

Tit for tat, Qiu Wu could only reciprocate by saving Luo Bai’s contact as “Luo Bai (Girlfriend).”

She had never witnessed such a minimalist and straightforward ritual for establishing a romantic relationship.

The two left the private room, walking downstairs one after the other.

Should I be more proactive now?

Qiu Wu’s gaze drifted to Luo Bai’s hand, which swayed slightly with each step.

A thin, opaque white glove encased her slender, well-proportioned palm.

It looks so easy to hold.

According to the rules of romance, she should first ask for consent.

Miss Luo, may I hold your hand?

No, you haven’t provided a reliable medical report yet.

She mentally answered her own question, her lips twitching involuntarily.

What a nerve.

“Ah!”

Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, a scream pierced the air. Qiu Wu turned to see a robotic server convulsing violently, an entire plate of hot food spilling onto a guest.

The guest shrieked and jumped up, while the server continued to twitch uncontrollably, its limbs flailing and its mouth opening and closing, repeating in a glitched, mechanical voice, “Error! Please correct! Error! Please correct!”

Every guest in the hall stood up, some trembling with fear, others tense with anxiety, but none dared to approach. The restaurant manager, the only human staff member present, frantically pressed the remote control, aiming it at the malfunctioning robot.

“What’s wrong? It’s not working!” she cried, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead.

“Wait here, I’ll handle it,” Luo Bai said to Qiu Wu over her shoulder.

Without waiting for a response, she strode to the robot, seized its flailing arm, and slammed its head onto the table with a resounding thud.

The entire hall, including Qiu Wu, flinched at the impact.

The black-haired, black-eyed woman remained expressionless as she firmly restrained the struggling robot with one hand. With her other hand, she retrieved a slender, key-shaped tool from the utility pouch at her hip and precisely inserted it into the robot’s nape.

The robot froze. Luo Bai then pulled out a small knife, pried open the skin at the robot’s nape, and exposed the hidden processor beneath.

Connecting the processor to her portable computer, her fingers flew across the keyboard. Within a minute, she closed the laptop, restored the robot to its original state, and turned to the restaurant manager. “The conflict arose from an incompatibility between the old system and the newly imported commands. I’ve updated the system. It will automatically reboot in three minutes and return to normal operation.”

“Thank you, thank you so much,” the restaurant manager said repeatedly, wiping sweat from his brow.

“You’re welcome. However, your company’s failure to update the Type 5 Humanoid Intelligent Machine’s system according to the usage instructions constitutes a breach of the purchase contract. FutureTech’s legal department will contact you shortly.” She then turned to the anxious-looking guests, most of whom were wearing the same uniform as Luo Bai. Though her voice was soft, it carried clearly. “As FutureTech researchers, we are obligated to address issues with company products proactively, provided the situation is not life-threatening. Please submit a written explanation of this incident to your respective research institute directors within three days.”

No one dared to object. Even the restaurant manager, who had been about to plead for leniency, wisely kept his mouth shut.

The FutureTech researchers quickly and silently withdrew from the restaurant.

Qiu Wu noticed many of them stealing glances at the golden “VII” embroidered on Luo Bai’s left arm.

The other researchers wore similar emblems on their left arms, numbered from one to six, but none bore the number seven.

It seemed the Seventh Research Institute held a higher status than the others.

Humans truly are creatures of the senses, Qiu Wu thought, pressing a hand to her forehead.

Just like now, she was simultaneously worried about being caught in the crossfire and thinking Luo Bai was quite handsome.

“It’s taken care of. Let’s go,” Luo Bai said, her expression remaining calm throughout.

The two women reached the underground parking garage.

“Do you need a ride home?” Luo Bai asked.

“No, no need. There’s a car waiting,” Qiu Wu replied hastily, pointing toward the Qiu Family’s vehicle, not daring to trouble Luo Bai further.

“Alright, then I’ll get back to work. Goodbye,” Luo Bai said with a polite nod, getting into her own car.

The white sports car purred to life and sped away, leaving no trace of lingering affection.

Qiu Wu slumped like a deflated balloon. The past hour had been overwhelming, leaving her utterly drained just from processing the information.

As soon as she climbed into the car, the driver handed her the phone.

On the other end, Qiu Qi’s voice cracked with forced composure. “How did it go?!”

Such genuine concern, Qiu Wu thought with a wry smile. “Luo Bai said we should date first. If things go well, we can consider marriage later.”

“Good job. Come home and rest early,” Qiu Qi said, sounding relieved.

“No, have Sister Wang take me back to school. It’s Monday tomorrow, and I have classes in the morning.”

“Alright. Let the family know if you need anything. Behave yourself and don’t mess things up.”

“Mm, I know,” Qiu Wu replied.

She had just experienced a taste of what it felt like to be the family’s favored daughter.

Clutching her head, Qiu Wu returned the phone to Sister Wang, pulled out her own, and texted her “girlfriend.”

Qiu Wu: If the Qiu Family asks about us, could you please not tell them I was the one who wanted to date? Pretty please?

If Qiu Qi found out she had rejected Luo Bai’s proposal of marriage, her status as the current favored daughter would quickly turn her into the dead daughter.

*****

It wasn’t until six in the afternoon that Qiu Wu received a reply from Luo Bai.

[Luo Bai: Just got off work. Sure.]

Five simple words, yet they filled Qiu Wu with a sense of security. Luo Bai didn’t even ask why; perhaps she considered it Qiu Wu’s right to make such requests.

Having just dozed off against the car window, Qiu Wu felt refreshed. She raised her hand, snapped a photo of the sunset outside the window, and sent it to Luo Bai.

The clouds were dyed orange-red by the setting sun, piled high between the towering skyscrapers.

[Luo Bai: ?]

[Qiu Wu: Isn’t sharing daily life with your lover a normal thing? But I don’t see it in your dating rules. Should we add it?]

Luo Bai didn’t reply for a full minute, and Qiu Wu, who had acted on a whim, grew anxious.

She’s not angry, is she?

[Luo Bai: Photo.]

[Luo Bai: You make a good point. I’ll add it later.]

The photo showed a simple dinner: a glass of milk and a sandwich.

[Qiu Wu: Is that all you’re having for dinner?]

[Luo Bai: Yes, it provides sufficient energy.]

[Qiu Wu: That sounds like something a robot would say.]

[Luo Bai: ? Then I should say my battery is sufficiently charged.

Qiu Wu couldn’t help but laugh, drawing a sidelong glance from Sister Wang in the front row.

She was genuinely starting to like Luo Bai, though not in a romantic way.

Luo Bai lacked emotional depth and didn’t care about others’ feelings—a person cold both inside and out.

But this very trait also made her remarkably stable. She wouldn’t discriminate, mock, take out her anger on others, be moody, or harm you based on her personal likes or dislikes, even though she could crush you with a casual gesture.

As long as you didn’t violate her principles, she was absolutely safe and trustworthy.

Among the people Qiu Wu had met since being brought to Luodong, Luo Bai was one of the easiest to get along with.

Qiu Wu put down her phone, a slight smile curving her lips.

Even I have my lucky moments.

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