First Nap

[Would you like dessert? Or something to snack on?] He asked as the waiter cleaned up their plates.

"I'm fine with either."

He turned to the waiter. A young man's voice dispersed into the room, "Do you sell chips and soda?"

It was the first time Su Ting had heard Quan Zihao use local sound projection. It was an artificial voice. Unlike other mutes she'd seen, he did not bother lip-synching the words.

The waiter was stunned for a moment. He glanced at Su Ting for affirmation. She got annoyed. Did the waiter think Quan Zihao was incapable of making decisions for himself? Su Ting did not give him any kind of response. When he looked at her, she just quietly stared him down.

This made the waiter even more uncomfortable. He quickly turned back to Quan Zihao, "Ye-Yes, what kind would you like, sir?"

Quan Zihao glances at Su Ting.

She smiled, "Rootbeer." She loved the sweet, childish drink.

He smiled back.

He turned back to the waiter who didn't dare look up from his notebook again, "Two rootbeers with one serving of ketchup, shrimp, and nacho chips each. Thank you." Without minding him, Quan Zihao turned back and pulled up the screen to continue their conversation.

Su Ting imitated him.

They both tactically ignored the young man who was rushing to gather their plates and cups. Su Ting would have preferred a quick apology and then moving on from it all instead. He was acting like they would hit him or something. Was that necessary?

She felt as if a lightbulb had lit up over her head. She looked at Quan Zihao, "I think I understand it now."

He stopped writing and looked at her. Then he glanced at the receding back of the waiter.

She glanced at the screen. [I found some similar ideas through the biochip. Including BFF, soulmates, romance fiction werewolves' mates decided by the moon-] it cut off here.

Su Ting laughed. "You even looked up obscure romance genres?" Her laughter came to an abrupt stop. Soulmates. "Is this connection sexual?" She was surprisingly calm when she asked.

It was probably because she had begun to understand the essence of this connection. If they were suitable for each other as partners, sex was likely taken into account as well. Seeing as she's asexual it probably means the other side is as well.

[Depends on the people forming the pair. Think of it like a marriage. Sometimes they are lovers, sometimes it's for business, sometimes it's for blood brothers, etc.]

She nodded. "Asking for my hand on the first date? That's bold." She laughed. Su Ting understood one other thing with all this time to think. After the link is made it's probably difficult to undo. Once she handed over the item, they may not break the link. She was nervous and scared by the idea.

Su Ting desperately wanted a nap right now.

Quan Zihao stood up. [Let's take the food to go. I'll take you home.]

She got up to follow him. Her chest felt heavy. She didn't even want to move right now. It was always like this in her past life. Interacting with people made her feel like not doing anything. She didn't want to walk, didn't want to move, didn't want to think, didn't want to interact with people. She just wanted to sleep. She'd felt like this earlier. In fact, she almost always wanted to sleep, but now it was as if someone handed her the pillow. After she figured out what he wanted, all her energy drained out of her. It was like her adrenaline had faded after a fight.

They ran into the waiter on the way out. Quan Zihao had the food put into a bag, hooked to a drone to follow them, and paid. He then turned to her and picked her up. He easily lifted her with his slender frame and held her in one arm. Her arms went around his shoulders.

She looked down at him in shock.

[Rest. It's been hard on you today.]

She had a meeting with her family, realized the darkness inside of her, cried her eyes out, had her beliefs turned on their head, gotten engaged, and been supernaturally proposed to. A long day indeed. Her mind had become weary.

She rested her side against his chest. She watched him walk for a while more. He didn't call a car, just kept walking. She wondered if he'd try and walk the whole way there. She'd probably wake up naturally before they got there if he did that. Her big eyes began to droop and her breathing began to slow.

'Add him as a friend, put him on the list, and make his title Soulmate. Send him my address.' She told He Ku. She made it quick because she could already feel herself starting to drift off. It was just like her past life. She could fall asleep anytime, anywhere. In this life, she'd been limited to sleeping only at night in bed. It was like a curse.

When she wakes up the heaviness in her chest will be gone. She will know what to make of this whole mess and be able to reason out her first step.

---

There was a small cottage in a cleared field surrounded with woodlands. Quan Zihao thought it looked quaint and sweet. He walked up to the door with Su Ting in his arms. The flying vehicle had long since been left behind at the edge of the woodland.

He looked around the door for a while. Then he glanced at the door with no handle and stopped. There would not be a fake rock with a hidden key or under a mat because there wasn't one to hide. Just as he was considering trying to find a hotel the door in front of him slid open. A handle had also appeared. Less for use and more for aesthetics. He stepped inside.

The first room had a couch and a coffee table. It was simple and minimalistic. The second room was a kitchen that could be walked through like a hallway that opened into a wide windowed space with an easel set up.

He raised his brows at the kitchen. When he looked at the girl in his arms again, his eyes held some praise. He settled her down on the couch. Then he wandered into the kitchen. He fumbled around a bit before producing a kettle of tea. Within a joss stick of time he'd settled on a stool in front of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the art room to admire the view. He knew there were few life forms in the forest, but the view out the windows told another story. It must be simulated. On top of that, some of the green trees had changed colors to orange, red, and yellow, and weeds and herbs littered the ground.

"Master, pardon the interruption."

"It's alright, I'm just passing the time. Go ahead, Xiao Ling."

"Yes, Master. You are receiving a call from 'Babe'. Would you like to accept?"

"I'll speak to her."

"Understood."

A young female voice cursed, "You won't believe what these people just did! ****! They are so arrogant and self-absorbed! I just want to rip their heads off! **** * *** **** *** ** * ***** ** and throw it *** * ******!"

Quan Zihao stood up to refill his tea while he listened. Once she'd let off a few more lines of curses, he finally spoke, "How awful. I can't believe they'd do that to you." He had no idea what's happened.

"I know! And all for some little girl! All she knows how to do is dress up and shed tears. Did they learn nothing when I stole her teacher? That old man adores me! How does she still have the guts to get in my face when I have his support behind me? It's like they are just wishing for me to send them to their deaths!"

"Have you calmed down some now? What happened?" He returned to his stool and sipped his tea.

The girl sighed, "My grandpa died, and they are all fighting over his leftovers. They have a fake will, I know it!"

"I'll take a look when I return."

"How is your job? Good?"

Quan Zihao glanced through the kitchen at the sleeping figure. "I think so."

"Well, hurry back. I miss you, I want to quickly enter the game."

He nodded, "Don't go without me."

"I know~ I'll wait for you! But hurry! I don't want to wait any longer!"

They said a few more words and ended the call. Quan Zihao calmly sipped at his tea.