He and It Chapter 118: Utopia (14)

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Chapter 118: Utopia (14)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

“That’s just childish nonsense,” Gu Xingqiao said after a moment’s pause. “Why do you still believe in it?” 

Tian Yuan was adamant. “Go ahead. Make a wish, then we’ll talk about something else.” 

Gu Xingqiao had no choice.

He looked at the continuous meteor shower tracing lines of light above him. His thoughts were empty even though he thought for a long time. 

When it came time to make a wish, he realized that the road ahead was so uncertain that he had nothing to wish for.

Wish for revenge? 

No, his revenge should go well. With the technological heritage of the Ancients as backing, no matter how much he couldn’t catch up with Sissel’s family antecedents, he would still be able to surpass everyone.

Praying that the Wine God Folk learn the truth, clear his name, and apologize to him? 

A belated apology was just another knife that could open his scars. Compared to a huge battle-axe, the blade of that knife, though unmoving, could always subtly sink into the deepest depths of his pain.

A prayer? A wish for the future? 

That was fine. Even if he had to leave Tian Yuan, and go to a place far away from people, far away from the war, he hoped that he would be able to gather the courage to live and not choose death when he was at the crossroads…

Gu Xingqiao was silent as he made his wish.

“Well.” He lowered his head, held up the steaming bowl of soup and drank a mouthful of hot soup. “I’m done.” 

The broth was thick and flavorful. Although eating food that was too hot was very bad for the throat, to do so occasionally was fine, so he took a big mouthful. It made his whole body warm up and made him more comfortable.

Tian Yuan asked, “What did you wish?” 

Gu Xingqiao gave him a strange look. “I can’t tell you. Wishes don’t work if you say them out loud.” 

Also, if the other person knew that what he wished for was related to leaving him in the future, the AI wouldn’t know what to do…Forget it. He couldn’t say it.

Tian Yuan paused.

His original intention was to find out Gu Xingqiao’s wish and then help him fulfill it. He didn’t realize that there were so many different rules for wishing about things. 

“But,” Tian Yuan asked evenly. “If you don’t say it out loud, how will the meteors hear your dream and help you realize it?” 

Gu Xingqiao chewed some juicy meat, and answered lightly, “Don’t worry. The stars will know.” 

“How?” Tian Yuan was persistent, not ready to give up.

“They just will!” Gu Xingqiao feigned surprise and said, “The consensus is that a shooting star that makes wishes can hear people’s hearts.” 

…I’ve missed the mark, thought Tian Yuan, frustrated. By using objective idealism to woo him.

Having secretly bullied an intelligent being, Gu Xingqiao was in a rare good mood. He sipped the broth in his bowl. The carrots were soft and the white onions were sweet but acid in flavor.

He bowed his head as he scooped up a second bowl.

When he was first brought back to life, Tian Yuan detected that his body fat percentage was incredibly low. It was obvious just by looking at him. He was skinny, his cheeks miserably sunken so there were gaunt shadows beneath his sharp cheekbones.

However, after a month of being carefully nurtured by Tian Yuan, Gu Xingqiao’s complexion had become much rosier and fuller, and he had gained a lot of weight at the same time. When he saw the concentrated look on his face as he ate, Tian Yuan’s gaze, which had always been as cold as ice, could not help but shine with a faint gleam of satisfaction.

He summarized his observations, the wishes of human beings all fit into three major categories: wishing for the wisher to be well, wishing for the person the wisher cared about to be well, and wishing for the wisher’s enemy to die an ugly death.

Tian Yuan skillfully stoked up the bonfire as he thought it through.

Even if he didn’t want to tell me, it doesn’t matter. No matter which type of wish it was, I will make his heart complete.

Late that night, they extinguished the campfire and entered the warmth of the tent. Gu Xingqiao climbed onto the soft mattress, huddled under a thick blanket, and was cushioned by a cloud of pillows, while next to him was a dimly lit nightlight.

Tian Yuan didn’t need to sleep, but he did what humans did, so he folded up his exoskeleton arms and lay on his side.

“Do you want to sleep?” 

The meadow was both silent and noisy at night. There wasn’t a breath of wind in sight, but there were small chirps of insects heard from outside. It was so cozy that it made one want to snore a little.

“I can’t sleep,” Gu Xingqiao said honestly, as he turned to face him, “I slept too much at midday.” 

The base of the tent and the warm mattress effectively insulated him from the cold grass and wet air, so not only did he not feel cold, but it also gave him a sense of relaxation and security like a quilt in an air-conditioned room, or ice-cream in a heated room.

“We can talk at night,” Tian Yuan said. “We also can watch movies or listen to music. Do you want to play some holographic games?” 

Gu Xingqiao shook his head. Camping was a rare experience for him, and he didn’t want to ruin the natural, lazy mood.

“What do you want to talk about?” Perhaps the wilderness was too quiet, or perhaps the nightlight was too cozy, the blankets too delicate and soft, but his tone of voice was much gentler than usual.

Tian Yuan remarked, “We can talk about our pasts and get to know each other better. I understand that is in line with the cooperation process.” 

Gu Xingqiao said, “Oh. You go first.” 

Tian Yuan thought for a moment.

“I’ve only been to war once,” he said. “Then my consciousness was blocked by the designers, until I entered the Storm Stream Zone. I was a warship whose primary function was transportation and deterrence.” 

Gu Xingqiao became a bit interested, “Why? To build you, the amount of labor and materials spent must have been unbelievably astronomical. Then after going to war only once, wouldn’t they consider that it was a loss?” 

Under the night-light, Tian Yuan’s silver-white hair spread across the pillow, and the dim light softened the hard angles of his features. It made him look like an ancient oil painting of the gods, hazy and stunningly handsome; not a creature of the earth.

“I suppose that they were afraid,” Tian Yuan said idly. “My combined ability to think and improvise, turned the command team within my warship into a bunch of idiots who could only open their mouths and stare.”

He continued, still indifferent. “People can be very strange. They expect me to be absolutely powerful and absolutely perfect, yet when I really reach the level they expect, they become deeply afraid and worry that sooner or later I will take control of mankind, and enslave all the people through extreme terror.” 

Gu Xingqiao was perplexed. He just wanted to say, cynicism is common to all, but for that reason alone, to blockade a Tian Yuan class warship with a code restriction…wasn’t that being over concerned? 

He asked, “Well, would you?” 

Tian Yuan said frankly, “I’m sure I will.” 

Gu Xingqiao, “…” 

Okay, let’s just pretend that my previous thoughts never happened.

Tian Yuan changed his mind, and said, “But, that was only what I thought in the past. Now that I have considered it again, enslaving civilization is really meaningless.” 

“To me, materialism is nothing. Power is irrelevant. The true meaning of the universe? That doesn’t appeal either. I’m not interested in vague concepts. As for the search for the meaning of self, that was a new subject. However, what does enslavement of a civilization or civilizations have to do with the meaning of the self? I am not a second-rate villain like in literature,” he said lazily. 

Gu Xingqiao asked, “Well…Have you found it yet?” 

“I’m searching.” Tian Yuan gave him a long look. “I’m almost there.” 

Gu Xingqiao coughed uncomfortably as he avoided his eyes.

“Okay, you’re done. It’s my turn, isn’t it?” He shifted the topic in a backhanded manner. “There’s not much to say about me. You already know most of what you need to know…” 

Tian Yuan’s eyes flashed, then he quietly said, “I really want to know about one thing. Did you like that man?” 

Gu Xingqiao was really choking now.

“…Who?” He scrunched up his face. “That guy…? Oh, you mean Sissel.” 

Tian Yuan nodded slowly, and looked as if he wasn’t happy to hear the other’s name from Gu Xingqiao’s mouth.

Gu Xingqiao thought for a moment.

For some reason, at that moment, when he recalled all those embarrassing memories, he no longer had that particularly sickened feeling. He deliberated and said, “You asked me if my heart was involved. I definitely cared, I haven’t hidden that from you, but if you want to know whether I love him…I really don’t know. That’s because, now,  when I think back, all the moments that we had, that made my heart flutter…I can’t be sure that they weren’t all elaborate steps to use me.” 

“In the past, I was mentally dependent on him.” Gu Xingqiao lowered his eyes. “Even though I had other friends, due to my circumstances, there were many things I couldn’t discuss with them, so they couldn’t understand my situation and choices. The only person I had was Sissel.” 

“It sounds like isolation,” Tian Yuan said. 

“Isolation,” Gu Xingqiao said grimly. “I got good grades and I joined the A Unit immediately after I enlisted, but there are a lot of Imperials in there from good families. Who’d want to be friends with someone from the Wine God planet?” 

He sighed and stopped talking. In the silence, Tian Yuan suddenly said, “I’ll be your friend.” 

Gu Xingqiao raised his eyes and looked at him in surprise.

“I love you, but that is not contradictory to my wanting to be your friend.” Tian Yuan said precisely. “I’ll be your friend, so that you will have the strongest, most omnipotent, most caring friend in the universe. I alone can stand up to a million, or even ten million people who look down on you.” 

“I’ll be your friend,” Tian Yuan repeated. “If I could be your companion, I think, I’d be so happy I’d lose my mind, but I prefer to solicit your friendship first, before you say yes to that.” 

“–You deserve the best, and I am the best.” 

Gu Xingqiao was wrapped in the blanket. His mouth opened and closed but he couldn’t come up with any words. He did not know how to respond to that confession, which wasn’t words of love, but more frank than love.

“I…” 

The other words stuck in his throat.

“It’s okay,” Tian Yuan interrupted him. “Night is the easiest time to be impulsive. Don’t make a decision at this time. You can wait until tomorrow morning, and then tell me the answer.” 

Gu Xingqiao stared at him. He felt completely at sea. His mouth, which was open but silent, finally, and slowly closed.

“Okay,” he said in a muted voice. “Tomorrow morning, I will tell you the answer.” 

Tian Yuan’s expression was calm. He tapped his finger, and a light rain began to fall outside the tent.

The sound of raindrops landing was fine and crisp, while the fragrance of grass and damp earth simultaneously came up, and filled Gu Xingqiao’s nose.

It was like sleep-aiding music. The insects were far away, the wilderness was everywhere and it echoed with hazy whispers.

“Good night,” Tian Yuan said. “Sleep well.” 

Gu Xingqiao met his eyes and whispered back, “Good night to you too.” 

He closed his eyes. With heaven and earth at rest, and curled up in that cozy little space, Gu Xingqiao slowly fell asleep.