Chapter 2: The Idol Comes to Life

Ji Chenxuan’s bedroom was simple and elegant, with a color scheme of black, white, and gray that exuded a cold, detached atmosphere from every corner.

After opening the box, he took out the “doll” inside. Upon closer inspection, his expression turned even more suspicious—wasn’t the lifelike quality of this AI company’s replica doll a bit too realistic?

The bones were flexible and defined, the skin felt warm and delicate, and even the fine body hair was visible. Moreover, the face, while similar to Xiao Chi’s, had subtle differences.

The most shocking part, however, was the fact that it seemed to have a pulse and breath… Wait a minute, how could a replica doll be so realistic?

Ji Chenxuan’s hand, which had been caressing the doll’s cheek, suddenly froze. The skin beneath his palm was warm, and he could even feel steady, rhythmic breaths—this wasn’t a doll, it was clearly a living person!

He bent down, gently lifting the man’s chin, carefully scrutinizing the excessively handsome face.

His movements seemed to wake the man, and as his eyelashes fluttered, their gazes met unexpectedly.

The man’s dark eyes were like a clear, deep spring, reflecting his own face.

Ji Chenxuan widened his eyes, holding his breath, not sure whether it was from shock or awe.

Xiao Chi had taken a beautiful nap inside the cardboard box.

Since awakening and escaping from the laboratory, he didn’t know where he should go. The security personnel seemed to be searching the building for him, but fortunately, they hadn’t found him.

Xiao Chi wasn’t exactly sure why he instinctively avoided these people. Perhaps it was because their presence felt completely at odds with his sense of freedom.

Following the direction of the safety exit signs, Xiao Chi walked all the way to the basement warehouse without encountering any obstacles, as if someone had already paved the way for him.

The only open warehouse door led to shelves stocked with a row of replica dolls, all about his height, and with faces that were about 50% similar to his own. Before he had a chance to examine them more closely, the sound of footsteps approaching made him hurriedly duck into a half-open container truck.

He emptied the largest box and hid inside. The hum of the engine as the transport vehicle started lulled him to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on a soft, wide bed, and in front of him was a magnified, handsome face.

Xiao Chi blinked, and the first words he uttered after becoming conscious were, “Who are you?”

His voice was clear and magnetic, almost soothing, and incredibly unique.

At that moment, Ji Chenxuan had no time to appreciate it. His brows were furrowed deeply, his gaze fixed intensely on the seemingly innocent face, his eyes filled with suspicion and wariness, as if trying to dissect the man with his stare.

He lowered his eyes, grabbing the man by the collar and throwing the question back at him. “Who are you? Why are you in the package I ordered? If you don’t want me to call the police right now, I suggest you don’t tell a single lie.”

“I’m Xiao Chi,” the man calmly met the sharp gaze. Lying had never been an option in his dictionary.

Ji Chenxuan narrowed his eyes, his expression sharp and unyielding, leaving no room for evasion.

“Xiao Chi?”

A cold laugh escaped him as he straightened up, his eyes scanning Xiao Chi with a mocking smirk on his lips. “Which Xiao Chi? Don’t tell me you’ve turned into a virtual idol, have you? At least stick to the basics when making up your story.”

“You don’t believe me?” Xiao Chi got up from the bed, the lambswool blanket feeling soft to the touch, and he couldn’t help but grab a few handfuls of it.

Ji Chenxuan revealed a silver-gray metal wristband terminal and coldly stared at him, questioning, “Speak. What’s your purpose for sneaking into my house, and who sent you?”

Xiao Chi calmly met his gaze. “No one sent me. I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“^[1]“Not seeing the coffin, not shedding tears” (不见棺材不掉泪) is a Chinese idiom that means someone will not take a situation seriously or show concern until they experience a … Continue readingNot seeing the coffin, not shedding tears,” Ji Chenxuan muttered, losing patience. He spoke into the wristband terminal, “Security department? This is Ji Chenxuan. Someone’s broken into my house, and I don’t know where they came from. Please—”

Before he could finish, Xiao Chi’s mind suddenly lit up, and various pieces of information about this name started to surface.

“Ji Chenxuan? I have that name registered in my Super VIP fan club. The ID used to be ‘Dad,’ and then it changed to ‘Hubby.’ So it’s you?” Xiao Chi said with a sudden realization.

“…” Ji Chenxuan’s words were abruptly cut off. He quickly covered the wristband, his sharp gaze instantly locking on Xiao Chi. “You’re from AI company? Are you trying to steal customer privacy data? Are you asking to go to court?”

Seeing that he didn’t believe him, Xiao Chi adopted a serious tone and began reciting lines with a straight face. “You’re the virtual idol who pushed Xie Ting off the global popularity charts? Just an illusion, really. I don’t see anything special about it.”

Ji Chenxuan froze. This… was the exact thing he’d said when he first watched Xiao Chi’s live stream?

It was just a comment he’d made casually while watching Xiao Chi’s projection. There was no recording device capturing it, so how could anyone else know about it, except for him?

Xiao Chi remained calm, continuing to mimic Ji Chenxuan’s tone, replaying the conversation from his memory: “This level of hot dancing barely catches the eye. You’d get tired of it after watching it ten times. What’s the AI doing with its dance design? Why hasn’t it released new moves?”

“…” Ji Chenxuan’s face stiffened, and an awkward flush slowly spread up his neck.

“Waited for three hours, and I’m still number one on the gift leaderboard. Looks like even with the global popularity crown, your fans’ fighting power isn’t impressive. Heh, the second-place guy is finally catching up. Fine, I’ll just spend five million more on gifts, let this guy experience what it feels like to be outclassed.”

Ji Chenxuan’s face went from red to pale.

“Good morning, Xiao Chi. Hubby’s going to work. Sorry I can’t go to your concert, but I’ve booked ten VIP tickets. See you on the live stream tonight.”

“…Enough, shut up.” Ji Chenxuan lowered his head, covering half of his face. His temples were throbbing, and he struggled to open his mouth, his voice dry and no longer forceful.

The wristband terminal crackled with anxious voices from the security department: “President Ji, President Ji, are you okay? Do you need us to call the police?”

“No need, it’s fine now!” Ji Chenxuan sharply cut off the communication.

He was twenty-eight years old and had navigated the business world with ease, but he had never felt as absurd as he did at this very moment.

The small, unspoken secret in his heart had been exposed unguardedly in front of what seemed like his idol. He was so embarrassed he wanted to bury himself in the ground.

Xiao Chi looked pleased, blinking his round black eyes at him. “Do you believe me now? I remember everything you said to me.”

Ji Chenxuan’s dark gaze fixed on him, his expression complicated and difficult to read. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “Even with all this, it’s not enough to earn my trust. First, tell me, what exactly are you?”

Xiao Chi said calmly, “Actually, I’m not sure myself. Originally, tonight was supposed to be the last stop of the tour concert. I just took a nap, and when I woke up, I found myself with a body, lying inside a transparent capsule.”

“Transparent capsule?” Ji Chenxuan’s brow furrowed even tighter. “And then?”

“Then I broke the capsule and escaped.” Xiao Chi recounted the entire escape process in detail. After finishing, he suddenly asked, “Did you steal me here?”

“…No!” Ji Chenxuan’s lips twitched, his brain in a state of chaos from the absurdity of the information.

He pinched the space between his brows and mentally pieced together the sequence of events. “So, you’re saying that you’re a virtual idol with self-awareness, who suddenly broke through the dimensional barrier and gained a physical form? In other words, the AI has come to life?”

Xiao Chi patiently corrected him. “It’s more like I became an adult.”

“Heh, that joke’s not funny at all.” Ji Chenxuan coldly scoffed, still half-skeptical. “So with so many packages in that warehouse, how did you just happen to pick mine? You replaced my doll?”

Xiao Chi fell silent for a moment, a hint of apology appearing on his face. “Sorry, had I known you liked me this much, I would’ve squeezed in with my replica doll and not moved it out.”

“…” Ji Chenxuan gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words. “That’s not what I meant.”

Xiao Chi looked at him, confused.

Ji Chenxuan avoided his gaze, swiped a few times on the wristband, and dialed his assistant, Zhou Tong. He answered with his usual calm composure. “Hello, it’s me. Find out what happened with the power outage during Xiao Chi’s concert tonight… What? All terminals can no longer display Xiao Chi’s projection?”

His brows furrowed slightly as he glanced at Xiao Chi out of the corner of his eye, his tone turning stern. “When was this discovered? Why wasn’t I informed immediately? What did AI Company say?”

“I was about to notify you, but you called just in time.” Zhou Tong’s voice sounded a bit flustered. “AI’s customer support lines have been flooded. At first, they just issued an announcement saying the data center was down for upgrades and that service would be suspended.”

Zhou Tong’s words started speeding up. “More and more fans are noticing something’s wrong. It’s not like they haven’t done maintenance before, but this time is different. All data related to Xiao Chi in the backend suddenly disappeared.”

“AI Company couldn’t bear the pressure anymore and just held an emergency press conference. They claimed that an explosion at the lab tonight caused Xiao Chi’s data to be wiped, and that it was all the work of corporate spies. Not only did they steal Xiao Chi’s confidential files, but even the original developers have gone missing!”

Zhou Tong sounded frantic. “It’s clearly their own negligence, and now they’re trying to blame everything on us! Negative rumors are flooding the media, saying we engaged in unfair competition! Just because Xiao Chi beat Xie Ting for the global best-star popularity title last year, they’re now accusing our virtual projects department of lacking the capability to compete with AI directly and resorting to corporate spies to suppress competitors!”

Zhou Tong’s emotions were running high, but Ji Chenxuan became completely calm amidst the bad news.

“Zhou Tong, immediately called a meeting with all department heads. I want an emergency meeting. Also, send a commitment letter to the board to reassure the other shareholders. And get the PR department to contact major media outlets and draft a stern statement. I want our rebuttal to be on the front pages of all entertainment news before sunrise. Legal should also be on their toes—if anyone tries to take advantage of the situation and extort us, make sure they’re dealt with properly.”

His voice was steady and composed, powerful like a lighthouse in the storm, unmoving despite the crashing waves.

Zhou Tong, who had been overwhelmed with anger, immediately felt as if he had ^[2]“found his anchor” means that someone has found something that helps them feel grounded, stable, or secure, especially during a time of uncertainty or emotional turmoil. found his anchor. His panicked heart settled, silently cursing himself for being inexperienced.

Zhou Tong responded with determination, “Alright, President Ji, I’ll take care of it right away.”

Ji Chenxuan hung up the phone, his brow furrowed tightly. His eyes, lowered in deep thought, seemed shrouded in an impenetrable mist, dark and solemn.

It felt as if an invisible hand was behind this series of incidents, stirring up trouble from the shadows, which was utterly detestable.

Not only had it caused irreparable damage to the AI company, but it had also dragged Huanyi into the mess, forcing them to take the blame. What was most suspicious was—

An idol coming to life?

At the thought of this, Ji Chenxuan’s heart suddenly began to race, his pulse quickening.

If he had been half-skeptical earlier, now he was 80% convinced. As he pondered how to deal with this person, he slowly turned around, only to find Xiao Chi standing right behind him like a shadow, so close that they almost bumped noses.