Stop Eyeing My Pretty Caretaker - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Jian Chen thought he had misheard.

Bennett.

The little robot?!

Hearing that familiar name—one he had given himself—caused Jian Chen to lose focus for a split second. But soon, he had no time for surprises.

The butler placed him in the passenger seat. With one hand, he started the car and steered, while the other smoothly and efficiently buckled Jian Chen’s seatbelt. The movements were fluid and flawless.

Jian Chen was stunned.

He hadn’t realized the butler was a robot at first. But after these brief thirty minutes, he had witnessed the man remain unfazed by a twenty-degree temperature drop, jump from a third-story window while carrying an adult man without a scratch, and now perform two different tasks simultaneously with incredible coordination. Compared to this android, Jian Chen felt like a “little piece of trash.”

The “little piece of trash” hesitated, looked back, and saw the people from Planet Mo Li catching up. He licked his dry lips and asked, “Bennett, what do we do now?”

Bennett started the car. It moved so fast that the tires left a blue trail of light in the air, the afterimage vanishing seconds later. The android replied, “Mr. Jian, we are going back to the Empire.”

Jian Chen wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt the butler’s tone was… perhaps a bit warmer than before.

He wasn’t certain if this Bennett was his own little robot. After all, the name wasn’t uncommon, and the tall android before him was vastly different from the small robot he remembered.

However, the sense of intimacy could not be ignored.

From the first moment Jian Chen saw this Mr. Bennett, he had a strange sense of familiarity that didn’t feel like it came from nowhere.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from behind the car.

Jian Chen was startled. Looking back, he saw the pursuing vehicles attacking them from the air.

Though it sounded like gunfire, there were no sparks. Instead, thin beams of light—like those in movies—shot out. When the light hit the car body, the destructive power was terrifying, the sound more deafening than bullets.

Bennett warned the youth in the passenger seat: “Don’t look back. Hold on tight.”

Jian Chen nodded. Hearing the back seat being pierced, his scalp tingled. Being unafraid of death was one thing; experiencing a high-stakes action scene was another. Jian Chen had lived peacefully for over twenty years; the idea that car chases and gunfights from movies would one day happen to him made him feel like his emotions had been on a non-stop rollercoaster since he crossed over.

Jian Chen gripped the seat handle. Although he had many questions, now was not the time to speak.

Bennett floored the accelerator. Just before crashing into a building, he swerved and drove vertically upward.

The cars behind couldn’t react in time. One was knocked away by an automatic protection device, while the other dove straight into the ground in an attempt to dodge.

Jian Chen observed the route, finding it increasingly familiar. Sure enough, after bypassing several skyscrapers, the sign for the “Transfer Station” appeared.

Jian Chen suddenly remembered: “Bennett, I haven’t bought a ticket yet.”

As soon as he spoke, Bennett produced two brand-new interstellar ship tickets from somewhere and handed them to Jian Chen.

Destination: The Federal Empire.

“…”

Whether it was the little robot from Earth or the butler before him, Jian Chen felt that Bennett was, and always would be, the GOAT.

The two jumped out of the car. Jian Chen had no time to grab his backpack or suitcase as he and Bennett sprinted toward the boarding gate.

People soon pursued them, shouting to stop them. Unless there is a formal arrest warrant, firearms are prohibited at the transfer station, which provided them a degree of safety.

However, Jian Chen checked his watch—there was only one minute left before the nearest ship departed.

The transfer station was massive, with over forty boarding gates and a distance of nearly a thousand meters from the entrance to the end.

Running a kilometer in one minute.

Thinking of the limits of human speed, Jian Chen realized they were probably doomed.

Unexpectedly, Bennett suddenly stopped.

Jian Chen: “?”

The android put an arm around his waist and warned, “Protect your neck.”

Jian Chen gasped and quickly put his hands behind his neck. Could Bennett be…?

Sure enough, after a short lead-up, Bennett’s speed increased exponentially!

It was so fast that Jian Chen couldn’t keep up. Eventually, the android simply picked him up, lifting him off the ground and sprinting toward their target gate.

Jian Chen: !!!

Aaaaah, is he the only normal human on this planet?! QAQ

The moment the flight attendant was about to close the hatch, the two made it onto the ship safely.

Feeling like a survivor of a catastrophe, Jian Chen crouched on the spot, breathing a sigh of relief. Seeing that the youth didn’t get up for a long time, Bennett didn’t take his seat either. He stood by Jian Chen for a while; despite the long sprint, he wasn’t even winded—his breathing hadn’t changed at all.

Then, he turned around and crouched down next to Jian Chen.

He didn’t say a word.

When the flight attendant came out, she saw the two of them synchronized in a crouch next to the restroom.

“…”

The flight attendant hesitated, then chose her words carefully: “Um, there are sixteen restrooms on this ship. If you two can still move, I can lead you to others.”

The implication: No matter how urgent it is, you can’t all squeeze into one, right?

Jian Chen was stunned at first. Then, he suddenly let out a soft, incredibly gentle laugh. Bennett’s gaze fell on Jian Chen’s face, looking slightly dazed.

After officially taking his seat, Jian Chen looked at the empty small table and felt a bit regretful. His backpack had been full, but it was left in the car during the escape.

Curious, Jian Chen tilted his head slightly and whispered, “Bennett, do you need to eat?”

Bennett lowered his eyes. The “No” that was at the tip of his tongue was swallowed back. He paused and replied, “I can eat.”

Jian Chen slowly pulled something out of his jacket pocket—a black object wrapped in plastic.

Bennett: “?”

Jian Chen tore open the wrapper to reveal a still-warm food item. Upon closer inspection, it was a rice ball!

Jian Chen held a corner of the rice ball to Bennett’s lips. “Want some?”

Bennett was visibly confused.

Jian Chen said, “It’s food from Ancient Earth. I saw it was small, so I put it in my clothes. There were many others in the backpack, but the backpack was left in the car.”

Bennett didn’t open his mouth.

Jian Chen finally understood the feeling of feeding a cub—worried he wouldn’t eat, yet worried he wouldn’t like it if he did. Even if this Bennett wasn’t his little robot—and even if he was, having transformed from a tiny machine into an android larger than himself—in Jian Chen’s subconscious, he was still the little guy who could change electronic expressions.

That sense of familiarity never faded. Back then, technology wasn’t advanced; the little robot only knew how to power on, standby, serve its master, and power off. It never had the chance to enjoy food. Since he could eat now, Jian Chen couldn’t help but want to feed him.

Thinking Bennett didn’t want it, Jian Chen began to pull the rice ball back. Just as he moved to retract it, the other party suddenly moved. Using the position of Jian Chen’s hand, he leaned in and took a bite.

A corner of the rice ball vanished, revealing the sweet and salty meat sauce inside.

Teeth meeting food, chewing, the tongue discovering flavor, swallowing. A simple set of actions, yet it was Bennett’s first time trying them.

Deeply gratified, Jian Chen handed the rice ball to Bennett. Bennett looked at the remaining piece and silently finished it.

Jian Chen handed him a tissue to wipe his mouth. Bennett wiped his mouth clean. However, he silently thought that the subsequent bites weren’t as good as the first one.

The ship returned from Planet Mo Li to the Federal Empire. This journey was longer and passed through several more polar zones than the first trip. However, this time, it was Bennett who helped him put on his winter coat.

Tucked inside the coat, Jian Chen was drowsy. Bennett’s gaze remained fixed on the youth, lasting for several hours.

By the time the ship reached the Federal Empire, it was late at night.

Jian Chen and Bennett headed straight out of the station. It was the complete opposite of Planet Mo Li; even in the dead of night, the Federal Empire shone with its proudest brilliance. Rigor, iron fists, and order—these were the synonyms for the Empire.

Jian Chen was somewhat speechless. Although he knew a country that could unify the galaxy would be spectacular, the monarch of the Empire must be a man of immense decisiveness.

Jian Chen and Bennett hailed a taxi and gave the address of the zoo.

After a moment of silence, Jian Chen whispered, “So, that high-end car you drove on Mo Li…”

Bennett answered truthfully, “Stolen.”

Jian Chen: “…”

He asked, “Whose was it?”

Bennett: “Chen Jianshang’s.”

The “lecture on child-rearing” that was about to escape Jian Chen’s lips was forced back down.

The taxi drove for over an hour and stopped precisely in front of the zoo’s main gate.

Jian Chen stepped out. Looking at the sign “Starlight Zoo” in front of the gate, his eyes slowly widened. The zoo was much… better than he had imagined. It was even a pleasant surprise. Why would such a good place be sold? How could such a nice zoo end up going bankrupt?

Jian Chen walked toward the gate, with Bennett following closely behind. He placed his hand on the left side of the gate, about to push it open.

In an instant, the iron frame detached and slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.

Jian Chen: “…”

He reached out to push the other side. That frame also detached upon contact, lying side-by-side with the left fence.

Jian Chen: “???”

He had a very bad feeling.

Bennett silently propped up the two iron fences and used a hand to rip off an iron rod to support them from below.

After entering the zoo, a small villa was visible nearby. According to the original owner’s memory, the villa was where the zoo director usually lived. Jian Chen felt he shouldn’t jump to conclusions; a director who owned a small villa might not be as destitute as he imagined.

Jian Chen walked to the door of the first floor, scanned his fingerprint, and turned the handle.

In the next second, the handle came off, left clutched in Jian Chen’s hand.

Jian Chen: “…”

Jian Chen motioned for Bennett to come inside. It seemed not having a handle or a lock didn’t matter; given the situation, Jian Chen seriously doubted a thief would even enter—they’d probably just sigh and leave 200 Star Credits out of sympathy.

Jian Chen entered the villa. On the first floor, he saw a sofa, a kitchen, a bathroom, some basic electrical appliances, and a dining table. Fortunately, the house was warm. Jian Chen shed his coat, and Bennett took it, hanging it on the rack with practiced ease.

Jian Chen looked at him thoughtfully. He sat on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow, and patted the spot next to him. Jian Chen said to Bennett, “Bennett, can we talk?”

Bennett nodded.

He sat where Jian Chen had patted, but Bennett intentionally sat a bit further away, leaving half a single sofa’s distance between the man and the machine. It was a sign of slight resistance toward his master.

Jian Chen was silent for a moment but didn’t mind. He looked into Bennett’s eyes and asked seriously, “Are you Bennett?”

The android was visibly stunned. He replied, “Of course. Bennett is my name.”

Jian Chen shook his head and asked word by word: “What I mean is, my name is Jian Chen. I once raised a little robot. Later, it followed my orders and entered a hibernation pod, and I couldn’t find it anymore.”

Bennett’s pupils dilated.

As if a chip had blown a fine wire, his palms trembled slightly. His eyes, which were indistinguishable from a human’s, even began to lose focus.

“Are you that little robot?”

Perhaps the villa’s lights were too bright, but in Bennett’s eyes, the youth’s gaze seemed to shimmer with fragmented light.

Jian Chen whispered:

“Are you my Bennett?”