Chapter 4: Irreplaceable

The floor-to-ceiling window was wide open, and the north wind rushed in eagerly, making the curtains flutter and sway.

Ji Chenxuan’s face was like water—calm and expressionless—as he quickly walked to the window. He immediately saw a figure curled up in the corner of the balcony, hugging their knees.

“…”

For a moment, Ji Chenxuan heard the sound of a heavy stone dropping in his chest. Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, his brows furrowed tightly again. This guy, with a bed to sleep in, was crouching out here—who was he trying to scare?

“Wake up!”

Xiao Chi was jolted awake, his limbs feeling stiff and numb. A cold, iron-blue face filled his vision as he opened his eyes.

In the deep winter morning, the dew on the branches could freeze into ice crystals when blown by the wind.

Despite Xiao Chi’s body being unlike that of an ordinary person, he was still pale from the cold wind, his body chilled, as though he had just been pulled out of an ice cellar.

Seeing Ji Chenxuan, Xiao Chi smiled in delight, revealing two dimples. His face, which had been soaked in the cold wind all night, immediately came alive, glowing brightly in the faint morning light. “You’re still here.”

Without a word, Ji Chenxuan pulled him inside. The floor-to-ceiling window slammed shut, and the howling north wind collided with the glass, but it was futile—it was swept away.

The warmth of the room gently wrapped around them. Xiao Chi, belatedly aware of the comfort, shrank back into the bed, sinking into the soft covers, not wanting to move again.

“You’re not sleeping in bed but squatting out here. What are you doing?” Ji Chenxuan stared down at him, his lips pressed tightly together, making them seem thin and cold.

Xiao Chi didn’t quite understand the anger on his face. His gaze dropped to the floor, which was brightened by the morning light, and he murmured, “There’s light outside.”

Not expecting such an answer, Ji Chenxuan took a few seconds to process, his lips moving but no words coming out for a while.

Xiao Chi looked at him in confusion. “Is it not okay to go outside?”

“…No.” Ji Chenxuan’s voice was as deep as usual, but when he said Xiao Chi’s name, it almost sounded like a sigh. “Xiao Chi, are you afraid of the dark?”

He took two steps closer and sat at the edge of the bed. His gaze carried some reproach, but also frustration. “Why didn’t you say anything last night? There’s a light by the bed. Couldn’t you turn it on?”

Xiao Chi blinked but showed no extra emotion. He spoke as if explaining a simple fact. “I’m not afraid of the dark. I’ve just been locked in a dark room for so long that I got tired of it. That light is too bright. I only need a little bit of light.”

“What dark room?”

Xiao Chi thought for a moment, then gestured, trying to describe it with limited words. “It’s an endless place, infinitely high, no light, no sound. When someone needs me, I can go anywhere, no matter how far. But when no one needs me, I can’t go anywhere.”

Ji Chenxuan didn’t know how to respond, so he fell silent.

Their eyes met in quiet understanding, and a soft warmth seemed to spread between them, like a plush blanket held in Xiao Chi’s hand—gentle and comforting.

“You…” Ji Chenxuan was about to say something when an odd, long gurgling sound came from beneath the blankets.

Xiao Chi looked around curiously. “It seems like there’s a strange sound?”

Ji Chenxuan gave a half-smile, stood up, and walked toward the door. “Get ready, we’re going downstairs for breakfast.”

“Breakfast?” Xiao Chi’s dark eyes lit up—he could handle this!

Ji Chenxuan had taught him how to wash up and dress last night. Although Xiao Chi lacked common sense, his powerful processor allowed him to retain information effortlessly, learning just by seeing something once.

When Xiao Chi went downstairs, Ji Chenxuan had already prepared two sandwiches and two cups of soy milk. His wristband terminal was folded into an earhook and worn on his left ear, and he was in the middle of a call with his assistant, Zhou Tong.

“…Yes, children’s life guidance, any age range is fine, bring more books, make it more comprehensive… What? I don’t have a son, stop overthinking.” Noticing Xiao Chi’s footsteps, Ji Chenxuan quickly glanced at him and lowered his voice. “Alright, that’ll be all. I’ll go to the office later.”

Placing the breakfast on the table, Ji Chenxuan saw that Xiao Chi had already seated himself at the table, his gaze fixed intently on the food in Ji Chenxuan’s hands.

The soy milk was steaming hot, and Xiao Chi cupped the bone china mug and buried his face into it.

“Wait, it’s hot!” Ji Chenxuan couldn’t help but feel a sense of responsibility.

“So this is what hot feels like.” Xiao Chi murmured as he looked down, trying to blow away the rising steam before taking small sips.

The soy milk was perfectly sweet, fragrant and rich. His taste buds couldn’t wait to share in this sweet new experience, and he licked off the white liquid from the corner of his mouth, happily squinting his eyes like a satisfied kitten.

Is it really that delicious?

Ji Chenxuan noticed the subtle, almost suggestive gesture and paused slightly, quickly averting his gaze and taking a sip from his own cup—after all, it was just an ordinary cup of soy milk.

“Drink slowly, no one’s going to take it from you.” Ji Chenxuan sighed, his lips twitching.

Xiao Chi finished the soy milk completely, leaving not a drop behind, and then turned his attention to the sandwiches and fruit salad.

What would have been an ordinary breakfast for anyone else seemed like a feast to him. Every bite was savored slowly, and just watching him eat made Ji Chenxuan feel hungrier.

Ji Chenxuan ate without much thought. Normally, breakfast was just something he needed to get through, but today, it seemed to taste a little different.

His gaze lingered on Xiao Chi’s face. He couldn’t help but wonder—what kind of life had he led before becoming a virtual idol with self-awareness?

It seemed like Zhou Tong had timed his arrival perfectly.

Ji Chenxuan placed the plates in the cleaning and sterilizing cabinet, then sent Xiao Chi back upstairs while he went to open the door.

The cold wind was sharp, and the withered branches dropped their last curled yellow leaves, swaying alone in the breeze.

The poor assistant, carrying two large stacks of books, shivered in the cold wind. However, the cold and indifferent Ji Chenxuan only took the books and left the poor assistant waiting in the flying car, suffering in silence.

After a while, Ji Chenxuan, dressed in a coat, hurried out of the villa, carrying a vintage black briefcase and getting into the car.

He sat upright in the backseat, placing his briefcase on the small table in front of him. The table raised a translucent display screen, which rolled through the agenda for today’s meeting.

He didn’t browse it as usual but instead gazed faintly through the black car window towards the direction of the villa’s second-floor balcony.

Zhou Tong, curious, asked through the rearview mirror, “President Ji, are you still waiting for someone?”

“No, let’s go,” Ji Chenxuan replied softly, withdrawing his gaze. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, resting for a moment.

The sleek black body of the car reflected a cold gleam in the sunlight. As the car started, the side wings slowly extended, and in the blink of an eye, it lifted into the air, soaring like a large wild goose flying across the sky.

—

Second-floor bedroom.

Xiao Chi was nestled in the lounge chair, reading a book. In this day and age, paper books were nearly extinct, with only beautifully crafted, collectible picture books left.

The magazine spread out beside him had a colorful children’s cartoon illustration on the cover. Each page contained basic life knowledge, including common household appliances and other technological devices.

Even though it was a children’s book, Xiao Chi read it with great interest. This was his first true experience of reading in his life.

He was like a curious child who had just learned to walk, holding the book, touching this and looking at that, trying out every electronic device depicted in the book. Soon, the giant screen in the living room caught his attention. The vivid, colorful 3D images kept coming, even the advertisements were fascinating to him.

Being alive felt so good.

Xiao Chi lay comfortably in the soft velvet-upholstered leather sofa, squinting his eyes, feeling drowsy.

But he didn’t want to sleep at all, even though the lack of sleep last night had him yawning continuously. He struggled to keep his eyes open, wanting to see more of this fascinating new world.

“Breaking entertainment news: At 8 o’clock last night, an accidental explosion occurred at the AI Entertainment Group’s experimental building, damaging the data center and severely corrupting the data of virtual idol Xiao Chi. The damage has not been repaired, and the Beijing Capital stop of last night’s world tour was also forced to cancel…”

Hearing his name suddenly, Xiao Chi’s spirit was instantly awakened, and all sleepiness vanished.

He perked up, ears straining as he focused intently on the reporter’s broadcast.

“Last night, AI Company held an emergency press conference, claiming that a corporate spy had orchestrated this malicious attack on the company’s virtual idol, hinting that a competitor may be behind it. The case has been formally reported to the police, and further investigation is underway. In addition, due to the disappearance of Xiao Chi’s developer, the backup data was destroyed, and it is uncertain whether it can be fully restored. Whether fans will be able to see their idol again remains unknown.”

“AI Company’s spokesperson promised that, even if they can’t fully restore Xiao Chi, they will quickly launch a new virtual idol of the same type. Now, let’s hear what netizens have to say.”

“A netizen named Xiao Chi’s Little Tail commented, ‘Either give me Xiao Chi back, or refund me.’“

“A netizen with the handle Cold-Person commented, ‘No matter how perfectly you create a virtual idol, in the end, it’s just a pile of fake data. It can be copied at any time, mass-produced on an assembly line. If one is lost, ten identical ones can be created right away. It’s never irreplaceable. Within three days, his fans will forget him and embrace the new idol.’“

Xiao Chi stared at the reporter’s mouth as he suddenly became lost in thought.

So, he was just a pile of fake data that could be copied and replaced at any time?

In just three days, he would be forgotten by the entire world?

What about all those people who once screamed that they would love him for a lifetime? Were they all lying?

Or perhaps, humans were just such forgetful and fickle creatures?

Xiao Chi looked around, the vast villa feeling empty, with only him left alone. He hugged the carrot-shaped cushion tightly, as if trying to draw some phantom warmth from it.

If it was true that virtual beings didn’t deserve unique love, then now that he was a person, was there a tiny hope that he could become someone irreplaceable in someone’s heart?

As his thoughts scattered and wandered, the broadcast continued in the screen:

“Huanyi Entertainment Company held a press conference this morning to debunk rumors about the commercial espionage case. In addition, Huanyi’s annual National Star Show Competition has officially begun today…”

Huanyi?

The name Ji Chenxuan had mentioned yesterday.

A lightbulb suddenly lit up in Xiao Chi’s mind. Yesterday, when Ji Chenxuan set the terms, he had asked Xiao Chi to work for him—so, he was needed by someone after all, he still had value!

He had to find Ji Chenxuan! He wanted to see him now!