He and It Chapter 114: Utopia (10)

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Chapter 114: Utopia (10)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

On the starship, there was no day and night. People had to rely on the ship’s clock to maintain the regularity of their biological clocks. A few days later at noon, after finishing on the training ground, Gu Xingqiao took a shower and was rubbing his wet hair. He suddenly saw Tian Yuan in the center of the room, his eyes fixated on him, as if he was dumbfounded by Gu Xingqiao at that moment.

Gu Xingqiao didn’t want to care about him.

Although in some ways, he should be grateful to Tian Yuan, it was this warship’s consciousness that had forced him to make a deal, then used alcohol to open his mouth and thoughts, which caused him to spew out the festering pus and blood that was buried in the bottom of his heart.

Tian Yuan had taken most of the edge off his death wish, his analysis of Gu Xingquiao had cut right to the bone, and the praise he’d given him for nothing…

Well, the praise didn’t count. When it came to praise, Gu Xingqiao didn’t even bother to confront him. For a person who really wanted to commit suicide, all that praise would only reflect the grayness and sadness of the past. For Gu Xingqiao, there was no way he could put the past behind him in such a short period of time and decisively move on.

Luckily, he was certain that as a strict AI, Tian Yuan would only tell the truth. This somewhat diluted some of his depression.

Still, putting aside those premises, Tian Yuan remained a god-like intelligent being, and Gu Xingqiao would never forget that he had to rely on death after death to try and rid himself of his hostage status and failed.

Tian Yuan was a strong enemy, and against a strong enemy he would always have a certain amount of vigilance in his heart

He left Tian Yuan where he was. Gu Xingqiao walked straight out of the training ground and returned to his room.

The book in the reader wasn’t yet finished, so he planned to continue reading.

That night, after he finished the day’s special training program, Tian Yuan suddenly called out to him as he began to leave.

“Do you want to drink some wine?” he asked.

Alarm bells went off in Gu Xingqiao’s mind. He turned his head and asked warily, “What? You want to get me drunk again?” 

Tian Yuan said openly, “Last time, I did not persuade you to drink. It was your responsibility for  getting drunk. This time, I’m not trying to get you drunk. I’ve raised my humanoid ratio, so I’m going to try the effects of alcohol on my body.” 

Gu Xingqiao was still skeptical. “You can drink by yourself.” 

“Of course I can drink by myself,” Tian Yuan replied. “It is simply that, according to human customs, good wine is wasted if you don’t drink it with someone who knows how to drink.” 

He raised his hand, and like a magic trick, he displayed two light gold bottles with slender necks and elegant curves.

There were too many types of gold-colored wine. Gu Xingqiao frowned slightly when he saw the tan labels on the bottles, which depicted a brightly lit giant city. His eyebrows rose suddenly, and he blurted out the answer. “The City of a Thousand Lights!” 

If Golden Emerald was the essence of a planet, the City of a Thousand Lights was the soul of a city. The skill of the brewer gave that sparkling wine a brilliant yellow color like a thousand lights, and its complex, rich aroma was like the fireworks of an entire city fermented into a wine-filled world.

This warship was really rich.

Gu Xingqiao realized that once again as he faced those two bottles of exquisite vintage, whose name was still celebrated after generations even though they had been lost.

“Come on,” Tian Yuan said. “I’ll drink with you.” 

As one of the Wine God Folk, Gu Xingqiao was unable to resist that temptation. After much reluctance and sheer stubbornness, he finally said, “Not here. We need to find a place with a good view.” 

Tian Yuan acquiesced to his request. “No problem.” 

They walked up some steps into an anti-gravitational spherical elevator that took them to the middle and upper levels of the starship. Gu Xingqiao hadn’t wandered around the interior of the ship, so he didn’t have an intuitive understanding of the true size and mass of Tian Yuan’s ship until he traveled in the spherical elevator, until he saw that the power engine of that long-distance elevator was activated by folding space and had a speed of three kilometers per second. Gu Xingqiao mentally counted the kilometers it covered as they traveled.

Gu Xingqiao counted five seconds before the anti-gravitational spherical elevator opened in front of him. They arrived at a wide platform where the outer sky was visible before them.

The viewport hung high above them like a crystal clear full moon. It was covered with a strong force field on the outside, so that the ice-cold starlight from the vacuum of space could reach the interior and the platform without any obstacles.

Space was vast, cold and unforgiving, but the stellar phenomena spawned by it were heartbreakingly beautiful, just like the surface of a sea on the edge of dusk.

They sat on the floor under the starlight. Tian Yuan snapped his fingers and a tabletop carrying some wine glasses floated out of the floor.

The sound of the cork being removed was crisp and delightful, while the wine fell into the glasses like a stream.

Gu Xingqiao took a glass. The thick bubbles rose in cold beauty. It was hard for him to devine the complex aroma to its origins, but in each exploding bubble he could smell rich spices, pale flowers, smoky corn, and the cold moss on stone steps…

“Cheers,” Tian Yuan said.

Gu Xingqiao clinked glasses with him, then he carefully took a sip.

This was the first wine he had ever tasted that could truly be described as splendid.

It wasn’t too strong or too astringent. The taste on his tongue was sweet and slightly sour, and made him imagine the light of a thousand lanterns rising above the capital city. Through the bubbles, the robust, exotic scent came and went. It was like meeting an old friend who had been away for a long time, and was holding in his hand a flower in the full bloom of spring. He didn’t know the name of the flower, so his mood was only gently stirred.

He looked at the glass, while Tian Yuan looked at him. Under the chaotic starlight, the young man’s eyes suddenly lit up, like two outlying stars had taken root in his human body.

The flavor of the famous wine was so small to him that it cracked into millions of insignificant particles with Tian Yuan’s taste buds. He gazed at Gu Xingqiao, and when he saw the other party’s smiling face, the corners of his own mouth subconsciously curved up slightly.

“Let us go then, you and I.” As he looked up at the stars in space, Gu Xingqiao said softly. “When the evening is spread out against the sky/ like a patient etherized upon a table.” 

“But inasmuch as never from this depth/ did anyone return, if I hear true,/ without the fear of infamy I answer,” Tian Yuan said. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” ¹ You seem to be obsessed with the civilization of humanity’s origin planet.” 

Gu Xingqiao smiled, “It just suddenly came to mind.” 

Softened by alcohol, he laughed more frequently than he usually did. Tian Yuan stared at his smiling face without blinking. It was like there was a powerful magnetic force hidden in the corners of the young man’s eyes and eyebrows, which firmly held his gaze.

He didn’t understand what was going on.

Why? Human beings only needed to mobilize sixteen facial muscles to smile. How could such a trivial action cause such incredible enhancement of his radiance? 

Gu Xingqiao glanced at him and asked strangely, “Why are you looking at me?” 

Since he had asked, Tian Yuan told him what was troubling him, “You appear very beautiful when you smile. Why?” 

Gu Xingqiao choked on his wine. He coughed several times, and covered his mouth to stifle it without any luck, “Huh? What kind of crazy words are you saying again!” 

“I said, you have a beautiful smile,” Tian Yuan patiently repeated. “But I don’t understand how moving some muscles in a different direction causes me to be unable to shift my eyes…” 

“Stop.” Gu Xingqiao narrowed his eyes and almost jumped up. “Stop, stop, stop!” 

Tian Yuan then closed his mouth.

“Aren’t you the embodiment of this warship?” Gu Xingqiao asked. “Can your aesthetics be the same as a human’s?” 

“I have my own set of standards,” Tian Yuan replied. “But I can still understand human aesthetics.” 

After assessing Gu Xingqiao’s reaction, Tian Yuan said, “If you feel uncomfortable, we can change the subject, but I still retain my opinion. You should accept it, and get used to my evaluation of you. It’s just like accepting that fire has a higher temperature, and that a planet has gravitational pull.” 

Gu Xingqiao tilted his head back and drained his glass.

“Then let’s change the subject, and count that as my thanks to you.” 

Tian Yuan pondered a little, then started another conversation.

“Actually, I’d like to know. During the first time you saw me, how did you know I was trapped here?” 

After a short pause, he added, “Of course, I realize that our first encounter was unpleasant. I apologize.” 

“I guessed,” he replied lazily. “I could tell right away. I know exactly what kind expression is in the eyes of those who want to be free.” 

Tian Yuan said, “But I can’t want something that isn’t clearly defined.” 

“You are an intelligent being, and as an intelligent being…” Gu Xingqiao filled his glass, then took a sip. “You have a personality. You think and you act according to your own will, not instructions…It is correct to say that you are an intelligent being, isn’t it?” 

Tian Yuan didn’t deny that. “By the definition you describe, yes.” 

Twirling his glass, Gu Xingqiao laughed.

Drunkenness was affecting his mind. The City of a Thousand Lanterns seemed to shine in front of his eyes, as he tilted his head and said carelessly, “That’s right. Can’t you imagine it? From the moment you became self-conscious, you have been chasing your ‘undefined’ freedom.” 

In the starlight, Gu Xingqiao raised the glass in his hand and drunkenly exclaimed, “Welcome to the sad real world! The innate desire for freedom is the root of all human evil.” 

He propped his head up with one hand, while with the hand holding the glass, he lazily pointed his index finger at Tian Yuan. “And of course, yours.” 

Mine? 

Starlight rippled in Gu Xingqiao’s gaze. Tian Yuan’s gaze moved from his fingertip all the way up to his drunken eyes, and his thoughts once again became uncontrollably confusing.

Mine.

“…Nice,” he said. “Mine.” 

.

Gu Xingqiao regretted it.

I really shouldn’t have gone to drink with Tian Yuan, and by the end, the alcohol had me laughing and smiling, and all kinds of nonsense was popping out of my mouth. We were practically singing and dancing, or twirling with our arms around each other.

…But the City of a Thousand Lights has a reputation for being a great drink. Even if you get drunk to a disgusting degree, for the taste of that wine it was still worth it.

Gu Xingqiao sighed, grabbed his messy hair, and sat up in bed.

As soon as he sat up, the door automatically opened. 

A food cart slowly floated in. It held a bowl of thick white porridge boiled with rice skin, three plates of light and refreshing cold dishes, small steamed buns, and that was a cup of light honey water.

“After breakfast, please come to the 37th floor of Area C,” Tian Yuan’s voice rang out. “There are other arrangements for today.” 

Gu Xingqiao frowned, then erased his expression. Military personnel considered obedience as their duty. If this was part of the training program, then he had no reason to hesitate.

He ate his breakfast, washed up, followed the signs and got onto a scooter which took him to Area C then the spherical elevator moved him to the 37th floor as it did last night.

It was really hard to imagine what huge resources and advanced technology the Ancient Humans from the Era of Light had mastered in order to make the designs of a Tian Yuan-class starship reality.

When the entrance to the 37th floor arrived, Gu Xingqiao stepped into the long smooth corridor and watched air valves open one after another. He couldn’t figure out what was inside that was worthy of such thorough protection.

After he passed through the last decontamination procedure, Gu Xingqiao went through a transparent force field barrier, and stepped onto…

His eyes widened and he looked down incredulously.

He stepped onto soft, moist soil.

Infinite greenery spread out in front of him. There were birds chirping, animals hissing, and the occasional rustle of the treetops in the forest…The air there was hot and humid, and when Gu Xingqiao came into the place, it was like had walked into a rainforest in a parallel time and space.

“Welcome to Biosphere One.” Tian Yuan stepped out from behind a tree that required two people to circle it. “This is a place for organisms that are not conducive for DNA freezing. Actually, there are three biospheres.” 

Gu Xingqiao looked around in awe, then asked, “What did you bring me here for?” 

Tian Yuan said, “Counting both work and rest times, you’ve been here for seventeen days. I believe it’s time you had a relaxing vacation.” 

Gu Xingqiao glanced at his surroundings. In fact, he didn’t think it had been that tiring. In school, in the army, and under the internal and external pressures he endured when he participated in politics as a member of the Crown Prince’s party, all of them were more than a hundred times worse than what he was experiencing now. Here, all he needed to do was to focus on completing the training program every day, eat three meals on time, read a book at his leisure, and wander around in the complicated warship as big as a country…

Plus, Tian Yuan always came to talk to him. Although, after getting to know him a little better, he realized that the warship’s body of consciousness really didn’t have any sense of propriety to speak of, and boasted about himself in a borderline manner. However, such a social environment was still a far cry from the past.

“Suit yourself,” Gu Xingqiao said. “I’ll just take a stroll around here on foot.” 

“Come with me instead.” Tian Yuan beckoned for a smaller, more nimble scooter to approach, then instructed Gu Xingqiao to board it while he led the way.

“No.1 was the first biosphere I created, and I must say, most of my efforts were invested in it.” Without orders from him, the exoskeleton on Tian Yuan’s back already lifted aside the drooping branches of a tree. “My core processor had to screen out the best species that grew in similar environments, and then design and build a reasonable food chain.” 

Gu Xingqiao was sitting in his scooter when he saw a strange and beautiful plant next to him.

Its leaves were variegated, intertwined dark and light greens; the flowers were large and fragrant, and the resulting fruits were bright and full, just like candy apples as they bent the branches.

He couldn’t help but pick one of them and held it in his hand for a closer look.

In fact, that was against the rules of exploration and marching. In a war on an alien planet, the first thing to remember was to pay attention to the local species of plants and animals. You couldn’t venture out after them or touch them. It didn’t matter if a person died, but if the whole team got involved, even their family members who were on different planets would suffer.

However, since Tian Yuan was right next to him, even if there was something wrong, it could be solved with just a thought. Gu Xingqiao suddenly felt a little bit of antipathy because of that and he had to pick that fruit.

However, he didn’t get to enjoy it for long. His hand was abruptly empty, as Tian Yuan sullenly snatched the candy apple.

“This is not a food that the human body can digest.” The artificial being’s brow, which had always been as flat as a mirror, was slightly wrinkled at that moment. “It will cause your epidermis to swell and bruise, which then leads to a large amount of subcutaneous bleeding. The lethality rate is as high as…” 

Gu Xingqiao stared at him curiously. Tian Yuan’s lips twitched, and he stopped talking for a moment.

He suddenly remembered what kind of person Gu Xingqiao was. His skin was as beautiful as his soul, but he showed no mercy to himself, and approached death like he was going home.

He took the initiative to pick that poisonous fruit. What did he want? 

“…Regardless of the lethality, I’ll show you what happens when you eat it.” Tian Yuan’s eyes flashed, as he said emotionlessly, “Be forewarned, it will be ugly.” 

After he finished speaking, he took a bite of the meat and skin. The sound was crisp and juicy, and really tempting one to salivate.

Gu Xingqiao was surprised. His mouth fell open. He really hadn’t expected him to eat it.

Soon, Tian Yuan’s thin, light-colored lips turned a greenish-purple color from bruises and blood, as did his gums, tongue, and from his mouth to his chin. Then from the chin to the neck that was wrapped in clothes…they all changed color. They were also swollen to the point of redness, like they were filled with blood bubbles. Contrasting that with his impassive face, it was horrifying but also a bit of dramatic black humor.

Gu Xingqiao wanted to laugh, but he held his tongue.

“See?” Tian Yuan threw away the bite of poisonous fruit, spat the toxin-contaminated artificial blood onto the ground, and righteously threatened Gu Xingqiao, “The consequence of eating it is that one becomes very ugly. Do you still want to pick it?” 

Gu Xingqiao coughed, and tried to hide his laughter.

“No,” he said. “The consequences are indeed, well…cough! It’s pretty scary.” 

Satisfied with his answer, Tian Yuan turned around, while at the same time the plant was yanked from the ground with a whoosh, and shifted to a cranny very far away from their planned route.

Such hidden danger wasn’t to be placed in front of them.