Pheromone Deficiency Syndrome chapter 53
Tao Tao’s Farewell Party (Part 2)
Gu Jinyi stayed until the end of Tao Tao’s farewell.
Xie Huaizhou had work that day, so he only arrived to pick him up when the farewell was almost over.
Xie Huaizhou also walked into the auditorium of the farewell event and presented Tao Tao with a bouquet of flowers. Like Gu Jinyi, it was a bouquet of yellow sunflowers.
He actually had little interaction with the little robot, at most a chance encounter. They had once sat together on the square for a night. He thought of his beloved, who was close but out of reach, while Tao Tao sat quietly, probably missing someone too.
Now, he and Gu Jinyi were together again.
This little robot should also be back in the embrace of his lover.
Xie Huaizhou placed the flowers down, whispered a “thank you,” then stood up and extended his hand to Gu Jinyi.
Gu Jinyi turned to bid farewell to Qu Xi. After Qu Xi finished speaking to him, she glanced at Xie Huaizhou, and the two of them politely nodded to each other, but there was nothing more to say.
Gu Jinyi invited Qu Xi to come to Baidi Star and stay for a few days.
“Anyway, you have annual leave.”
Qu Xi’s expression softened a bit. “Let’s see, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
Holding Gu Jinyi’s hand, Xie Huaizhou, since being with Gu Jinyi, had become much more open-minded overnight.
“You’re Welcome over,” he said to Qu Xi.
…..
Sitting on the aircraft, Gu Jinyi wasn’t particularly in high spirits due to Tao Tao’s farewell event. After chatting with Xie Huaizhou for a while, he closed his eyes to rest.
Xie Huaizhou dimmed the lights and didn’t disturb him.
After Gu Jinyi rested for a while, he suddenly opened his eyes slightly and whispered, “Xie Huaizhou, if one day, I go first…”
He paused here, feeling a bit lost, as if he didn’t know how to continue.
He had been pondering this question while waiting for Xie Huaizhou today.
It wasn’t that he was overly pessimistic, nor did he want to make himself miserable for no reason.
But life, old age, sickness, and death were all common occurrences, and he also had the hereditary genetic disease from his mother. His mother passed away in her thirties, and although he had surgery and luckily recovered, his body was still damaged and far from healthy.
Tao Tao had lived alone for fifty years, but would he, too, one day leave Xie Huaizhou alone?
He looked at Xie Huaizhou, his eyes containing a clear light, his long lashes like feathers. Although he didn’t continue speaking, it seemed like he had said everything.
Xie Huaizhou’s expression almost instantly darkened.
“I don’t want to hear this.”
Xie Huaizhou’s tone was even a bit harsh, a tone he rarely used when speaking to Gu Jinyi since they got together.
Gu Jinyi smiled helplessly. “I’m not implying anything, nor do I want to upset you. I just…”
“I just, can’t help but think about that scenario, and it’s quite hard to let go.”
Gu Jinyi spoke very lightly and slowly.
He really couldn’t bear it.
Before reuniting with Xie Huaizhou, he had been quite indifferent about his body. He wasn’t despairing or weary of the world. He had always faced life and death with equanimity, knowing that fate was in the hands of the heavens.
But after reuniting with Xie Huaizhou, he had become afraid of death.
Actually, with good care of his body and the vast medical resources of the Xie family, he could live a long life without incident.
But who could predict which would come first, tomorrow or an accident?
He had truly experienced being on the brink of death.
At this moment, he felt a kind of empathy with Albert, who had long since passed away.
He hoped that even if he was no longer there, his lover would be safe and sound for a long time, yet he couldn’t bear to see him lonely and alone in this world.
It seemed better for him to live happily and freely than to be immersed in the past.
Xie Huaizhou tightened his grip on Gu Jinyi’s hand.
His lips were pressed tightly together, his face showing a mixture of anger and restraint.
But after staring at Gu Jinyi for a while, he closed his eyes somewhat dejectedly.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he gently turned his face to the side, his eyelashes half lowered. “I’m not that little robot, I won’t follow your orders.”
“If you want me to live in peace, if you want me to live longer, then you stay with me, until we’re old.”
This was indeed the answer Xie Huaizhou would give.
Gu Jinyi looked at him for a moment, didn’t argue anymore, just smiled.
“I know.”
Xie Huaizhou’s expression softened slightly.
He could naturally be completely compliant with Gu Jinyi, but only with this kind of question, he would never be calm.
If time could be turned back, he would be willing to give everything in exchange for being able to rush to the hospital ward when Gu Jinyi was undergoing surgery.
He held Gu Jinyi’s hand and whispered, “When I retire one day, let’s go to the planet you like.”
Gu Jinyi said softly, “Okay.”
He had originally wanted to sleep, but seeing Xie Huaizhou still somewhat scared and gloomy, he found it somewhat amusing.
Actually, he wasn’t someone who thought too much, but today’s experience at Tao Tao’s farewell event made him a little sentimental.
But now, it was Xie Huaizhou who was stirred up emotionally by a few words from him, feeling restless.
He held Xie Huaizhou’s fingers and gently shook them.
“I was just talking nonsense,” he whispered soothingly, “I’ll stay with you until our hair turns white.”
Xie Huaizhou’s lips finally relaxed.
In the first thirty years of his life, he had never had a day of complete relaxation. His life was sharply divided into two parts.
The days with Gu Jinyi, and the days without Gu Jinyi.
So thinking about the scene Gu Jinyi described, he found himself somewhat looking forward to it.
Because that would surely be the happiest ending in his life.
After the farewell at Lande College, Tao Tao was buried beside former principal Albert.
This reunion, after fifty long years, would finally not be separated again.
The current principal was a student of Mr. Albert’s. According to his wishes, the address of the cemetery was not made public, but a beautiful tombstone was erected, adorned with carved flowers.
It was a style Tao Tao would have liked.
Tao Tao looked peaceful with his eyes closed, not much different from before.
Before his main chip was damaged, he actually had a premonition, knowing that his life as a robot was about to come to an end.
He wasn’t sad, but he was a bit puzzled.
In those late nights, he repeatedly watched his favorite fairy tales.
It was Albert who bought them for him.
The story wasn’t particularly special, but it told of a little robot who fell in love with a human. In the end, he couldn’t be with the human, and even lost his mechanical heart for the human. But in the end, he became human himself, with a soul, able to experience a different life.
Albert sneered at such deceptive stories for children, but because Tao Tao liked it, he still bought it.
After reading the story, he asked Albert seriously, “Can I have a soul too?”
“Can I do good deeds and have a heartbeat, like you?”
As he spoke, he went to touch Albert’s chest where it beat, envying it greatly.
Albert’s face suddenly darkened.
After a long time, he hugged Tao Tao and said, “My Tao Tao, you already have a soul. You are a unique robot.”
“Will I have future lives too?”
Albert kissed his forehead. “We will have many, many lifetimes, and I will always wait for you.”
He would always remember Albert’s expression that day, so gentle yet making him inexplicably stifled in the chest.
Even though he didn’t have a “heart”.
He was no longer the easily fooled little robot. He knew many, many things.
He knew that Albert might not be able to come back this time when he went far away, so he could only wait for him to come find him.
He repeatedly watched this fairy tale, watching the ending he had known long ago over and over again.
Although he didn’t know if a robot’s prayers would work.
But he still devoutly prayed, if possible, let him have a soul too.
His Albert was waiting for him.
He wanted to have many, many lifetimes with him.
A few days later, the cemetery of Principal Albert returned to tranquility.
A name was added to the tombstone – Tao Tao.
And many, many years later, not far from this cemetery, in a park, there would be a young man with golden hair and blue eyes passing by for a rest.
And when his book falls to the ground, there would be a young man with silver-white hair, not very friendly-looking, helping to pick it up.
He would know that this young man was called “Albert”.
They would meet, then fell in love, like every ordinary couple.