The Frenzied Savior - Chapter 47

Xiao Yuan scrambled over to Luo Mingyuan, physically blocking his path. The frantic emojis flashing across his display looked ready to pop right off the screen.

“It’s alright, I’m just making a little snack for myself. No need to be so polite, Xiao Yuan,” Luo Mingyuan said, eyeing the lifelike robot with curiosity. He gave a cheerful smile and continued toward the kitchen.

“But… but preparing delicious meals for the Master is Xiao Yuan’s job and honor!”

“Waaaah”

“Xiao Yuan doesn’t want to lose his job.”

“Xiao Yuan doesn’t want to be thrown away.”

The round little robot began to wail in his clever, synthesized voice. Even as he “cried,” he didn’t forget to extend his mechanical arms to bar Luo Mingyuan’s way.

Luo Mingyuan rubbed his forehead with a wry smile. “Little Xiao Yuan, I’m just whipping up something quick to fill my stomach. I have no intention of stealing your job. Your Master isn’t going to get rid of you.”

Feeling guilty for scaring the little guy, Luo Mingyuan desperately wanted to cover the robot’s mouth, fearing the noise would wake Fu Qingya. If Fu Qingya found out he was bullying the help, Luo Mingyuan might be kicked out before he even got to spend a single night in a proper bed.

“Really?”

Xiao Yuan blinked his round electronic eyes, looking at Luo Mingyuan with innocent sincerity.

Luo Mingyuan felt a sudden pang of guilt. He was actually planning to sneak some medicinal herbs into the snacks later to help nourish Fu Qingya’s body.

He looked away and promised solemnly, “Of course. I’m only staying here temporarily. How could I possibly steal your job? Rest easy, I’m just making a few snacks for myself.”

“I’m fast, I’ll be done in no time. Why don’t you go take care of something else?”

Luo Mingyuan placed his hands on Xiao Yuan’s mechanical arms and gave a gentle, firm nudge, guiding him away from the kitchen.

“My lovely little friend, could you please make way for me now?” Luo Mingyuan coaxed, feeling helpless.

Xiao Yuan curiously touched the mechanical arm that had been so gently pulled. He looked at Luo Mingyuan, who seemed very trustworthy, and finally decided to stop guarding the door.

Master always keeps his word, so Master’s friend must be a man of his word too, right? I should just be a good boy and listen!

Master’s friend definitely wouldn’t lie to me.

Innocent, adorable Xiao Yuan obediently followed the direction of Luo Mingyuan’s push and left the kitchen, happily heading off to water the vegetables in the backyard—the ones Master loved most.

Luo Mingyuan felt like he’d just swindled a child.

He rubbed his nose, straightened the apron that had become a bit disheveled during the back-and-forth, and stepped into the kitchen to familiarize himself with Fu Qingya’s cookware.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell interrupted his work.

Luo Mingyuan stepped out for a moment and returned a few minutes later carrying a heavy bag of supplies. He stayed busy for over an hour.

By the time Fu Qingya woke up, refreshed himself, and walked out of his room, Luo Mingyuan had already covered the dining table with a wide variety of pastries and snacks.

Fu Qingya stood on the stairs, looking at the overwhelming spread with a blank expression.

“Why did you make so much?”

Luo Mingyuan didn’t bring guests over and claimed to have no friends. Did he plan to finish all this by himself? Was the “good appetite” Luo Mingyuan mentioned actually grand enough to devour snacks meant for dozens of people?

Luo Mingyuan placed the final tray of osmanthus cakes on the table and looked up. “Only half of this is for me. The other half is your rent. I’m not the type to live off others for free.”

Fu Qingya’s eyelid twitched.

“You’re saying half of this is for me?”

How long would it take him to eat a dozen types of pastries?

“I appreciate the gesture, but the food isn’t necessary. You’re just staying for a while, I can afford to feed you.”

“You can take these to your colleagues.”

Luo Mingyuan had specifically made these with medicinal properties for Fu Qingya, there was no way he was giving them to anyone else.

“I’m currently on mandatory suspension. Why would I go out of my way to find colleagues just to deliver snacks?”

“Student Fu Qingya, I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Consider how long I worked on these and just accept them. They keep for a long time anyway. If you can’t finish them, put them in the fridge and snack on them slowly over the next few days.”

Luo Mingyuan walked over and held a plate out to Fu Qingya. “I like to think my skills are decent. Here, try one.”

“If it’s not good…” Luo Mingyuan smiled. “Then I’ll just have to practice more.”

Fu Qingya, who had expected him to say “If it’s not good, don’t eat it,” was left speechless.

He felt that ever since Luo Mingyuan moved in, his sense of helplessness had only grown.

Fu Qingya cared about very few things. Combined with the fact that he was used to being looked after in his past life, he didn’t feel that Luo Mingyuan was overstepping. Since the snack was already in front of him, he took a piece.

The familiar texture made him pause. “Did you really make these yourself?”

The taste was hauntingly familiar. In his past life, there was a period when he ate these snacks frequently.

Later, a certain power from the A48 star system was provoked by Earth’s resistance and launched a full-scale invasion. Mankind was nearly wiped out, and these familiar snacks were replaced by grim necessities.

Fu Qingya was a sentimental person at heart. When the flavor had suddenly changed back then, he couldn’t adapt and had even asked about it.

“The pastry chef was actually a front-line soldier.”

“His little hobby was making nutritious snacks for everyone.”

“No matter how busy he was, after the battles ended, he’d clean himself up and head straight to the kitchen.”

“I’m telling you, they’re ‘nutritious’ snacks, but the taste is incredible.”

A scrawny soldier had grinned widely back then. “We loved his snacks.”

“But this time…”

Fu Qingya’s expression had been grim. As someone struggling to survive the apocalypse, he knew all too well that when someone gives up a habit they maintained even in the direst straits, it usually meant they were gone forever.

“He died on the battlefield.”

The soldier’s smile faltered, but he quickly pulled himself together.

“But he was happy. He saved a group of children. He said they were our hope, and that it was worth it. He told us not to be sad for him.”

Fu Qingya had remained silent for a long time. He never mentioned the missing snacks again.

Until today. Tasting that familiar flavor once more, Fu Qingya realized the memory was deeper than he had imagined, deep enough that ten years hadn’t washed it away.

“Of course I made them myself. I’m not bragging, but this recipe is my secret technique. No one else can replicate this flavor. Even my old man raves about it.”

Hearing Luo Mingyuan’s slightly proud voice, Fu Qingya dithered for a moment before finishing the snack. “The taste is indeed very good.”

Luo Mingyuan, who had been in the middle of a self-congratulatory speech to convince Fu Qingya to accept the food, blinked. “What did you say?”

Fu Qingya reached out and took another piece from the tray. “It tastes good. I like it.”

“You can leave the snacks.”

Luo Mingyuan finally registered the words and broke into an uncharacteristic, toothy grin. “Good, good. As long as you like them.”

While he couldn’t change Fu Qingya’s habit of burying himself in the lab, he could at least ensure the boy ate something nutritious. For a new roommate, that was enough. After all, they had plenty of time. He could slowly influence Fu Qingya’s lifestyle later.

For a moment, the atmosphere between them was exceptionally pleasant.

They stayed in the living room, one selecting pieces from the table to pack into a lunch box, the other sitting on the sofa sipping tea and enjoying the pastries. Although there wasn’t much conversation, it wasn’t awkward.

When Xiao Yuan returned from the backyard, this was the harmonious scene he witnessed.

Being a robot, Xiao Yuan didn’t sense the “warmth” in the air. His attention was entirely fixed on the snack in Fu Qingya’s hand.

He looked at Fu Qingya eating, then at Luo Mingyuan carefully packing the box, and suddenly burst into tears.

“Waaaah—”

“The guest lied to Xiao Yuan! Xiao Yuan is useless! Master is going to abandon Xiao Yuan!”

The wide streaks of digital tears poured down the screen. Xiao Yuan curled his round body into a ball, looking even more spherical than usual.

Fu Qingya was so startled he nearly dropped his pastry. After steadying it, he looked at Luo Mingyuan.

“What did you do? Why did you make him cry?”

And what’s this about lying and stealing his job?

What exactly had Luo Mingyuan been up to while he was asleep? Fu Qingya’s gaze turned suspicious.

Luo Mingyuan awkwardly set down the lunch box. “I didn’t lie to you, Xiao Yuan. I really have no intention of stealing your job.”

“These are just snacks I made for myself.”

“The only reason your Master has them is because I accidentally made too many, so I decided to use some as a token of gratitude for letting me stay here.”

“It’s just a payment, definitely not an attempt to take over your work in the kitchen.”

Luo Mingyuan was almost convincing himself, his tone becoming increasingly righteous.

Hearing this, Xiao Yuan raised his round head, looking at Fu Qingya with pitiful anticipation. “Is it really just a payment, Master?”

“Xiao Yuan won’t really lose his job?”

Meeting Xiao Yuan’s pathetic gaze, Fu Qingya nodded decisively after a moment.

“It’s just a payment.”

“I only feel at ease leaving the kitchen work to you.”

“His skills don’t compare to yours.”

The pitiful Xiao Yuan instantly perked up. He spun around happily and then apologized to Luo Mingyuan with great cheer. “I’m sorry, Guest. Xiao Yuan misunderstood you. Xiao Yuan apologizes for what he said.”

Meeting Xiao Yuan’s sincere eyes, Luo Mingyuan felt his meager conscience prickle.

Next time, he should probably pick a different robot to swindle. Tricking Xiao Yuan all the time felt a bit… well, very predatory.

Luo Mingyuan looked away guiltily. Fu Qingya glanced at him, finding the sight unbearable. This guy is so unreliable he even tricks robots.

And he couldn’t even comfort the robot properly afterward. It was a headache.

Fu Qingya, feeling a bit flustered after telling a “white lie” to his own robot for the first time, took a sip of tea.

Once he cooled down, he said seriously to Xiao Yuan, “Xiao Yuan, I leave the kitchen to you not just because I trust you, but because I created you. Whether you can cook or not, I will never get rid of you.”

“As long as you are willing to belong to me forever, I will never choose to abandon you because of some outside factor.”

“I love Xiao Yuan very much. After all, you’re so cute.”

Fu Qingya reached out and patted Xiao Yuan’s round head, his voice gentle.

As for this first batch of intelligent robots he built after his rebirth, Fu Qingya couldn’t help but feel a bit of favoritism. They had accompanied him through that initial period of confusion. To him, they weren’t just machines, they were family.

For a household robot whose life mission is to serve their master, Fu Qingya’s words were the most unforgettable, moving “love confession” in the world.

A giant heart appeared on Xiao Yuan’s screen along with text saying he felt “dizzy with joy.” “Master said even if Xiao Yuan doesn’t work, he will never throw Xiao Yuan away!”

“Master said he loves Xiao Yuan! He even called Xiao Yuan cute! Xiao Yuan is so happy!”

The synthesized voice was practically trembling with delight. He was truly overjoyed, so much so that he forgot everything else.

Fu Qingya smiled as he watched Xiao Yuan’s excitement, but his own eyes held a hint of thoughtfulness.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, the first batch of robots he built—including Xiao Yuan—were actually flawed. Their emotional modules were very limited, making it difficult for them to evolve true human-like emotions.

So, while Fu Qingya treated them as family, he hadn’t expected them to view him as something truly “important” in return. Or rather, he didn’t think they could understand the concepts of “importance” or “caring,” because they were an imperfect generation. They weren’t supposed to have those feelings.

Yet now, Xiao Yuan’s emotional changes were visible to the naked eye. He wasn’t just expressing concern for his master, he was showing intense, vivid emotions that weren’t in his original programming.

This was an evolution—a truly miraculous one.

Seeing Fu Qingya comfort the robot, Luo Mingyuan breathed a secret sigh of relief.

But then, a strange feeling washed over him. Fu Qingya had never comforted him so gently when he was upset.

As expected, preferential treatment breeds discontent. Luo Mingyuan shot Xiao Yuan a slightly unhappy look, his guilt vanishing instantly.

Maybe I really should just trick Xiao Yuan next time something comes up.

Thinking this, he picked up a differently flavored pastry and put it on the small plate in front of Fu Qingya.

“This one is taro. I think it’s quite good, you should try it.”

Fu Qingya’s attention was drawn back to Luo Mingyuan. He patted Xiao Yuan one last time and took the recommended piece.

“A bit too sweet. I still prefer something lighter.”

Fu Qingya valued efficiency and liked simple things, so his palate was quite plain.

“Then I’ll improve it next time.”

“It’s fine. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean you have to change it. You can ignore me and make what you like.” Fu Qingya took a sip of tea, politely declining the effort.

“Making pastries is my hobby. To me, the best praise is seeing the person eating them enjoy themselves.”

Luo Mingyuan seemed very passionate. When talking about baking, the light in his eyes was bright and warm. Fu Qingya could see his genuine love and satisfaction.

Fu Qingya didn’t refuse again. Since Luo Mingyuan enjoyed it, there was no need to be stubborn. After all, if the flavors were adjusted, he was the one who benefited.

One man intentionally brought up topics to grab the other’s attention, while the other—ignorant of the hidden motives but bad at saying no—responded occasionally. They chatted harmoniously for quite a while.

Xiao Yuan was left standing there, puzzled.

Wait, wasn’t this just a ‘thank you’ gift for Master? Why are they talking about improving flavors for next time? Does that mean he’s going to keep sending them?

Xiao Yuan was a little unhappy, but remembering what Master just said to him, he cheered up instantly.

Whatever, whatever. Xiao Yuan is a generous robot. Since the guest wants to thank Master so much, I’ll let him have his way.

The round-headed robot swayed his body proudly and ran off to do other chores. He was Master’s favorite Xiao Yuan, so he had to do his job perfectly to make Master proud.

While the robot was busy being intoxicated by his own success, Luo Mingyuan took advantage of the momentum, and his rapport with Fu Qingya grew even more harmonious.

The quiet, warm life was intoxicating, but Fu Qingya never forgot about that strange human.

“How is that person I asked you to watch over last time?” Fu Qingya asked Luo Mingyuan at the table.

During this period, he had finally gathered the missing materials for the bioelectric field detector. After pulling a few more hours last night, he had quickly assembled a basic version of the device.

Fu Qingya was worried. If that strange person really was a host for an alien parasite, they wouldn’t have stayed quiet. They would either be planning to incite panic or orchestrating a disaster. He wanted to resolve this threat as soon as possible.

“He has recovered and been discharged. He plans to return to school tomorrow.”

“It’s a bit of a coincidence, actually. He’s at the same school as you, just in a different class.”

“I’m going back to school tomorrow too,” Fu Qingya said suddenly.

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