Qin Xuezhong immediately fell in love with the Sky Manor.
At this moment, she was taking a bath.
She had never imagined she would find herself in such an environment.
The bathroom alone was nearly two hundred square meters.
In front of the already oversized bathtub was a huge glass wall with no obstructions at all.
When she first entered, she wondered what would happen if someone walked by outside—wouldn't she be exposed?!
Fortunately, the intelligent system thoughtfully displayed a reminder:
[When the owner is in the manor, the area outside the bathroom is an absolute no-go zone unless the owner commands otherwise. Intruders will be immediately subdued by the defense system. Please rest assured.]
Only then did she sit down in the water.
Not for any other reason, but for the view outside.
Beyond the bathroom was an exquisitely maintained garden, complete with a small stream flowing from the main house to the edge of the manor.
But that wasn't the main point.
—At that moment, the Sky Manor had risen to the upper stratosphere, higher than a typical old-fashioned passenger plane.
Dense clouds completely obscured the planet below, leaving only this floating island in the sky.
Above her, there were countless stars.
Due to the extreme altitude and the fact that it was still night, Qin Xuezhong felt as if, just a bit higher, she could enter space itself.
The silver moon and the black moon were clearly visible, reflecting the bright light of the stars.
As Qin Xuezhong settled into the water, the bathroom lights dimmed automatically.
There, at thirty thousand feet in the air, little Qin soaked in a lightly fragrant hot spring bath, gazing at the galaxy.
Even though she had just been in a battle half an hour ago, everything below seemed insignificant in the face of this view.
In her mind, four words floated by: Being rich is great.
She suddenly wondered if she wanted to find a few male dancers right now… they could probably arrive in about five minutes…
Thinking too much, thinking too much…
She took a deep breath and submerged herself a little deeper in the water.
—The mess at the apartment had mostly been sorted out.
All the sensitive items had been moved up here, so there was no worry about secrets being discovered.
Yu Zhezhu had gone to take a shower as well; after a night of chaos, he was the dirtiest one.
The little black cat was quite bold. As soon as they arrived at the Sky Manor, while Qin Xuezhong and Yu Zhezhu were meeting the butler and commander, it had darted out to explore its new home.
According to Qin Huaigui, the matriarch had completely renovated the main house to make little Qin feel comfortable and had installed a full set of smart systems.
Not only did this give Qin Xuezhong the impression of a brand new gift, but it was also easy to use.
One had to admit, the matriarch of the Fifth Family was impeccable in her hospitality.
Now, there remained one crucial question—what on earth had happened tonight?
Qin Xuezhong had returned to her old house to open a secret compartment and discovered an address hidden in the apartment.
Even before she arrived home, an impressively powerful mysterious squad had invaded her doorstep.
There were only two possibilities for this situation.
First, when she opened the compartment under the bed and saw that brain video, she triggered some information that led to exposure.
Second, it was just a coincidence. When she discovered that compartment, the collaborator who had left the note for the original owner had exposed himself and revealed that information.
Qin Xuezhong hoped for the first possibility.
If it were the second, it meant that the collaborator had most likely fallen into enemy hands, making it very difficult—and dangerous—for her to continue her investigation.
While thinking, she submerged her mouth under the water.
The water was a bit too hot; she only blew a couple of bubbles before resurfacing.
The stars reflected on the surface of the bath swayed with the ripples.
It was as if tonight, while she had originally just wanted to quietly investigate a secret, she had stumbled upon a web that enveloped the world, triggering a predator hidden in the shadows.
The reason she hadn't wanted to speak of it before was that everyone in this world believed there were two moons in the sky.
Little Qin speculated that the minds of the people here might have been implanted with some terrifying memories or thoughts, causing them to live their entire lives deceived.
She wasn't a data expert or a neuroscience specialist and didn't know what kind of process could create such an exaggerated effect.
She decided to ask Yu Zhezhu first.
Little Yu was at least a researcher, and even if he wasn't in that specific field, he probably knew a thing or two.
Most importantly, Yu Zhezhu was already in the same boat with her.
---
After changing clothes, little Qin walked into the living room of the main house, where Yu Zhezhu was already waiting.
He stood by the window in a military uniform without insignia or badge, looking out at the starry sky.
Qin Xuezhong was momentarily taken aback.
This was the first time she had seen Yu Zhezhu dressed like this.
When she had first brought him back, he had always worn the inner lining of his combat armor.
At home, he usually wore casual clothes with an apron over them.
Only now did Qin Xuezhong truly realize that Yu Zhezhu was indeed a federal officer. He looked like he was always ready for a call to the battlefield.
She paused for a moment before asking, "What are you thinking about?"
Yu Zhezhu turned his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. After hesitating, he replied, "I was just thinking about how long it must take to clean such a big house every day."
Little Qin had just picked up a glass of water and nearly spat it out.
—Is little Yu really considering himself a housekeeper?
"There are butlers and robots to clean here, so no need to worry," she said nonchalantly.
Hearing this, Yu Zhezhu fell silent for a moment, lightly nodding without saying anything further.
Qin Xuezhong overlooked that Yu Zhezhu had already taken cooking and cleaning at home as an important part of his new life.
In just one night, the home he had managed for so long had completely disappeared.
The meals he had prepared were gone, the plants he had tended to were gone, and his daily routine had been completely disrupted.
For someone who had lived a life dictated by orders and others' control, and who had just gained a new start, this felt deeply unsettling.
Therefore, upon arriving at the Sky Manor, his first instinct was not to ponder what had happened tonight, but rather what he had lost.
Because of this, the first thing he instinctively thought of was cleaning the mansion.
For him, during this time away from the mainframe, doing housework had been the best time he had experienced.
---
Little Qin also sensed Yu Zhezhu's low spirits.
But she hadn't really thought through what had happened; she just vaguely suspected that Yu Zhezhu had put a lot of effort into his home, and now everything was destroyed. After the shock, it was natural for him to feel unhappy.
After a moment's thought, she said, "The dessert I prepared in the bathroom earlier isn't as good as yours."
Little Qin's intention was simple: to compliment him. Most people would feel a bit happier upon receiving praise.
Unexpectedly, Yu Zhezhu's eyes lit up, clearly suppressing a rush of emotions as he said, "Then I'll go make some for you."
Little Qin: …
It seemed Yu Zhezhu had really become obsessed with playing the role of a housekeeper.
She pressed her hand down, saying, "No rush, we have plenty of time."
Then her voice softened a bit, "I want to ask you some things."
Yu Zhezhu immediately replied, "Sure."
Little Qin didn't speak but instead stepped forward and placed her hand on Yu Zhezhu's neck.
Through the physical connection, she directly conveyed her thoughts to him.
"Find the most powerful signal jammer and the safest data line in our equipment. Let's communicate this way; I'm worried… about problems arising."
Yu Zhezhu's expression turned serious. "I'll take care of it right away."
In the garden of the Sky Manor, Qin Xuezhong and Yu Zhezhu sat side by side.
They were on a wooden bench, not far ahead was an invisible energy shield, beyond which lay the night sky.
Between their necks was a data line connecting them.
It resembled a young couple engaging in chip direct connections, sharing their emotions.
If anyone saw them, they might think it somewhat romantic.
But in reality, Qin Xuezhong's consciousness was spreading, suppressing all signals in the area.
Yu Zhezhu felt that he was completely in little Qin's control.
Meanwhile, beneath the chair, a high-power signal jammer was running.
With two layers of protection, even the mainframe might not be able to intrude.
Even so, she was still using the safest direct data connection to communicate with Yu Zhezhu.
"Is it possible that the black moon in the sky is fake, an illusion imposed on all humanity by someone, something, or an organization?" Little Qin asked straightforwardly.
Yu Zhezhu appeared puzzled upon hearing this question.
Before he could respond, Qin Xuezhong's expression changed drastically.
Her question had directly transmitted into Yu Zhezhu's consciousness via the chip.
Her consciousness sensed that something within Yu Zhezhu's mind had been triggered by her question.
In a tone that was completely not his own, Yu Zhezhu said, "Our home has been destroyed; I have nothing left… I really like being with you, but… now there's nothing I can do for you. I might as well die…"
As he spoke, he stood up and walked straight towards the edge of the garden, towards the edge of the Sky Manor.
The way he moved suggested he intended to jump off.
This sudden influx of information left little Qin momentarily stunned, and she immediately grabbed Yu Zhezhu to stop him.
If he continued forward, their connecting data line would snap.
She delved once more into Yu Zhezhu's consciousness and memory, seeking the source of this bizarre behavior.
What she found was a strange yet terrifying program—it was a mass of red, reminiscent of strands of hair. If one didn't look closely, it was easy to miss.
The horror of it was that this red matter intertwined with all of Yu Zhezhu's memories and cognitions from childhood.
It didn't affect his daily life at all but would trigger under specific conditions.
For example… when he discovered that the black moon was false, it would provide him with a perfect justification to have an accident or take his own life.
Watching the unconscious Yu Zhezhu, little Qin scratched her head.
If it's just an accident or a suicide, why am I involved…
This left little Qin completely perplexed.
When he wakes up, what on earth will she say?