After several days of settling into the familiar routine of home life, the stirrings in Li Haojun's heart that Sophie had stirred seemed to have subsided once more. He never invested much energy in unrealistic fantasies; for him, the true reward for his efforts lay in his solar farm. Each day, after handling their respective company affairs with Qin Wenjing, he would retreat to his little corner of the world to tinker with whatever projects captured his interest.
经过几天熟悉的家中日常生活,李皓珺被苏菲撩动的心弦似乎又恢复了平静.他对不切合实际的幻想从来不投入过多精力,对于他来说精力的投入与回报是在自己的太阳能农场.每天与覃文静处理完各自公司的事情,他就会来到自己的小天地,捣鼓自己想做的事情.
Qin Wenjing felt quite at ease with Li Haojun in this state. Years of companionship and the deep-seated trust she held for him meant she understood and trusted Li Haojun even more than he trusted himself. Yet trust could never replace companionship. So once she finished her own affairs, she would head down to the basement to see what Li Haojun was up to.
覃文静对这样的李皓珺也是甚为放心,多年的交往,以及她内心深处对他的那份信任,使得覃文静甚至比李皓珺更了解和信任李皓珺.然而信任并不能代替陪伴,所以一旦处理完自己的事情,她就会来地下室参观李皓珺在做什么.
Today, Tan Wenjing came down to the basement and saw Li Haojun assembling something on a workbench.
今天同样,覃文静来到地下室,看见李皓珺正在一个工作台上组装着什么.
"What are you up to, great inventor?" Tan Wenjing asked with a smile.
"做什么呢?大发明家," 覃文静笑呵呵地问,
"Oh, don't even get me started—that dumb dog got hit by a car."
"嗐,别提了,这傻狗被车撞了,"
Qin Wenjing walked closer and saw it was the shopping robot dog from a few days ago. Somehow it had been involved in a traffic accident and was now undergoing repairs.
覃文静走近一看,正是前几天那个购物机器狗,不知怎么遭遇交通事故,正在维修.
"Why do you spend so much time with a dog instead of spending time with me?" Tan Wenjing asked reproachfully.
"你怎么在一条狗身上花这么多时间,也不陪我?" 覃文静责怪地语气问,
Li Haojun looked up at her and teased, "What, you're still competing with the dog?"
李皓珺抬头看了看她,便取笑她说,"怎么你还跟狗抢么?"
"Yeah, right. I'd fight a dog for it—for you, you stinking dog shit. Fine, whatever." Qin Wenjing playfully bickered with Li Haojun, pouting her little lips and shaking her head from side to side to annoy him. She then circled around to stand before him, intending to sit beside him. But upon seeing the floor littered with parts, she couldn't get close. Instead, she crossed her arms and watched from a distance.
"啊是啊,我跟狗抢,抢你个臭狗屎,行了吧." 覃文静俏皮地与李皓珺拌嘴,说着还撅着小嘴儿,头两边扭啊扭地气他.说着覃文静绕到李皓珺跟前,本想坐在他身边.可是看了看满地的零件,也不得近身,只好抱着双肩一边观望.
Li Haojun saw the situation, kicked aside the parts on the floor, and was about to get up close when he suddenly remembered his hands were covered in grime. He lifted his hands to sniff them—the smell of oil sludge and rust. How could he possibly touch Qin Wenjing like this? So he hurried to the bathroom in three strides.
李皓珺见状,用脚趟开地上的零件,刚想亲密接触一下忽然想起满手的污渍,自己抬起手闻了闻,油泥和铁锈的味道,这样怎么好往覃文静身上碰.于是三步并作两步走向卫生间.
Qin Wenjing watched his retreating figure, a smile playing on her lips, her heart brimming with joy. She stood there, gazing in his direction, sweetly waiting.
覃文静看着他的背影,脸上挂着微笑,心里美滋滋的,就站在那里,望着他的方向,甜蜜地等.
Soon Li Haojun returned, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her back as he pulled Qin Wenjing into his embrace. Though his hands were still slightly damp and cool, he caressed her waist and back while kissing her neck and earlobes.
一会儿李皓珺回来了,一手搂着她的腰,一手搂着她的背,把覃文静搂在他的怀里,虽然他的手还有点湿,有点凉.一边摸索着她的腰肢后背,一边亲吻她的脖颈耳垂儿.
How wonderful such moments are! Yet Qin Wenjing couldn't understand why Li Haojun insisted on spending his time here instead of staying home with her. So she asked,
这样的时光多美妙啊,但是覃文静不明白为什么李皓珺非得把时间花在这里,而不是在家中陪着她,于是便问,
Why do you have to do all these things? Wouldn't it be better to just stay with me?
"你为什么要做这些事情呢?陪着我不好吗?"
"I did it just to be there for you better, didn't I?"
"我做它就是为了更好地陪着你啊?"
"I don't need a robot dog."
"我不需要机器狗."
It's not about it keeping you company—it's about how it can do so much for us in the future, freeing up more time for us to be together.
"不是它陪你,是以后它可以为我们做很多事情,我们不就有更多的时间在一起了吗?"
"Oh, what can it do?"
"哦,它能做什么呢?"
"For example, running errands for us, buying supplies,"
"比如,替我们跑路,采买物品,"
"Oh, do we really need it to do this?" Tan Wenjing asked in confusion, wondering to herself, "Is it really useful?"
"哦,我们真的需要它做这种事吗?" 覃文静不解地问,心想,真的有用吗.
Actually, it can do more than that—you'll find out later.
"其实它能做的不止这些,以后你就知道了."
"Well, now you've learned to keep secrets from me too," Tan Wenjing said, pointing at the computer monitor. "You've been sneaking around online to flirt with girls behind my back, haven't you?"
"好吧,你还学会对我保密了,"说着覃文静指了指电脑监视器,"你是不是瞒着我上网泡妞儿呢?"
Li Haojun looked into Qin Wenjing's eyes and said, "At my age and with my situation, the girls I like don't like me, and the ones who like me, I don't like. I'm not wasting my time on them. Having you is all I need."
李皓珺看了看覃文静的眼神,盯着她的眼睛说,"你看我这年纪,这条件,我能看上的小妞儿她看不上我,能看上我的小妞儿我看不上她,我才不跟她们浪费时间,有你我就满足了."
Qin Wenjing stifled a laugh, saying nothing as she looked up at Li Haojun.
覃文静憋着笑,没出声,仰头望着李皓珺.
Today she wore a white shirt with large sunflower prints in muted tones—yellow petals, brown centers, and green leaves. The sheer white fabric felt cool against her skin while accentuating her feminine silhouette. She paired it with low-rise blue jeans worn without a belt, the waistband resting low on her hips.
今天她穿了一件白底大花的衬衫,低色彩饱和度的太阳花图案,有黄的花瓣,棕色的花蕊,绿色的叶子,加上朦胧的白纱布料既清凉又显女性身材,下身一条蓝色低腰牛仔裤,没有腰带,裤腰卡在胯骨上.
Li Haojun gazed down at her smiling face and gently kissed her lips. She continued smiling without a word. Li Haojun wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her again. She tilted her face upward, responding to his kiss while gently swaying her body—like a sunflower basking in the early summer breeze, soaking up the warmth of the sun. And Li Haojun was her sun. She was warmed by his radiance, nourished by his light, and blossomed under his tender gaze.
李皓珺低头看着她的笑脸,轻轻亲了一下她的嘴唇,她依然笑着不说话.李皓珺双手搂住她的腰背,再次亲吻她,而她仰着脸,一边配合着李皓珺的亲吻,一边扭动着自己的身体,就像初夏的微风中享受沐浴阳光的太阳花,而李皓珺,就是他的太阳,她因他的阳光而温暖,因他的照耀而成长,也因他的关注而绽放.
Qin Wenjing swayed her body, as if each leaf sought the warmth of the sun, while Li Haojun's hands seemed to be every ray of sunlight filtering through the gaps between the leaves, gliding over her form.
覃文静扭动着身体,似乎想要自己的每一片叶子得到阳光的温暖,而李皓珺的双手似乎每一缕透过叶子间隙的阳光,游走在她的身上.
Her back, her waist, her shoulders, her hips, her collarbones, her buttocks, her breasts, her damp heart...
她的背,她的腰,她的肩,她的胯,她的锁骨,她的臀,她的乳房,她的潮湿的心...
After a passionate kiss, Qin Wenjing reluctantly released his lips, tilted her face upward, gazed into Li Haojun's eyes, and asked softly, "What if some beautiful woman were blind enough to fall for you?"
一阵热吻之后,覃文静依依不舍地松开他的嘴唇,仰着脸,望着李皓珺的眼睛,轻声问,"要是就有美女瞎了眼看上你了呢?"
"You, huh?" Li Haojun asked with a smile, casually pulling Qin Wenjing closer into his embrace.
"你说你啊?" 李皓珺笑着问,随手把覃文静搂紧在怀里,
What would you do if a beautiful woman pursued you?
"要是就有美女追求你,你怎么办?"
"Silly girl, I'm not a kid anymore. Like I'd just agree to date her? I don't even know who she is."
"傻丫头,我也不是小孩子了,她追我我就同意啊?我连她是什么人都不知道,"
"So, what would it take for you to agree?" Tan Wenjing asked in a drawn-out voice, her tone dripping with coyness.
"那,得怎么样你才能同意啊?" 覃文静拉长了声音问,娇里娇气的味道,
"Let her chase me for a year first. See if she's a decent person, if she can be loyal and committed. If she hasn't been with anyone else in a year, then we can talk," Li Haojun said with a smile.
"她先追我一年吧,考察考察她是不是正经人,能不能专一忠诚,一年没给别人用再说跟我谈," 李皓珺笑着说,
"Hmph, no wonder you only have me as your woman—no one else could possibly serve you like this." Qin Wenjing pursed her lips, but inside she was delighted. After a moment's thought, she still couldn't let it go and pressed on with her probing questions.
"哼,怪不得你就我一个女人,换一个都不会伺候你." 覃文静撇了撇嘴,但是心里美滋滋的.想了想还是还不死心,又接着刨根问底地问,
"So what if someone who really fits your type just goes after you like that? What would you do?"
"那要是真有你喜欢的类型,就这么追你,你怎么办?"
Li Haojun chuckled. "Do you think that's possible?"
李皓珺呵呵一笑,"你觉得能吗?"
"I'm asking you, what can you do about it?" After speaking, Qin Wenjing turned her face away, gazing sideways at Li Haojun with a coy smile. Perhaps it was that uniquely feminine competitive spirit—she was determined to get to the bottom of things.
"我就问你,能怎么办?"说完覃文静扭着脸,斜着眼,媚笑着看着李皓珺.也许是女人特有的好胜心吧,她一定要打破砂锅问到底.
"What else could I do?" Li Haojun said helplessly. "I just told her that this is how things are now. I live with you, and if she wants to be with me, she'll have to live with us too. If she's not willing, then I can't accept her kindness either."
"那我还能怎么办," 李皓珺无奈地说,"就告诉她,现状就这样,我和你一起生活,她要跟我,就和咱俩一起生活,她要不乐意,那她的盛情我也接受不了啦."
"Oh, you're just greedy, wanting both of us to serve you," Qin Wenjing exclaimed dramatically, opening her mouth wide in mock exasperation. She jabbed Li Haojun's forehead with her finger. "What, you think you're the emperor or something?"
"嗷,你真是贪心不足啊,还要我俩一起伺候你,"覃文静懊恼地张大嘴夸张地说着,用手指一戳李皓珺的额头,"你以为你是皇帝啊."
Qin Wenjing grumbled with her words, but her cheeks were flushed with a sweet smile. She knew that as a woman, she had won.
覃文静虽然嘴上埋怨,可是脸颊上却挂着甜蜜的笑.她知道,作为女人,她赢了.
After their intimacy, Li Haojun took her hand and led her to the computer. He pulled up various process monitoring screens and showed her, saying,
"Look, this is the robotic dog's visual system and motion control module. In the future, it could be applied to robotic birds or fish. Or, with a universal AI model, it could even be used for robots..." As he spoke, the smile on Li Haojun's face gradually froze.
亲热之后,李皓珺拉着她的手坐到电脑前,调出各个过程监视画面,给她展示说,
"你看,这是机器狗视觉,动作控制模块,将来也能用于机器的鸟,鱼,或者加上通用智能模型,也能适用于机器人..."说着,李皓珺刚才脸上的笑容逐渐凝固了.
What's wrong? Why are you upset?
"怎么了,怎么不高兴了?"
"Nothing," Qin Wenjing hesitated for a moment before answering softly.
"没什么,"覃文静犹豫了一下,轻声回答,
"Just tell me what's on your mind. What exactly is bothering you?" Li Haojun took her hand, gently shaking it as he encouraged her to speak up.
"有什么事情,你就直说,到底是什么影响到了你?" 李皓珺拉着她的手一边摇一边鼓励她说出原因,
"I was thinking about before—before you lost your memory."
"我想到了之前,你失忆之前,"
Oh? Did I make robotic dogs back then? Or robots? Li Haojun feigned indifference, asking in a lighthearted tone.
"哦?那时候我也做过机器狗吗?或者机器人?李皓珺假装事情无足轻重,用轻快的语气问,
"No, you were working on artificial intelligence and such back then," she said. After that, Tan Wenjing seemed reluctant to revisit more memories, saying nothing more and letting the thoughts fade away.
"没有,那时候你也在做人工智能什么的,"说完,覃文静似乎不愿意回到更多的回忆之中,什么也不说了,也不再去想.
Oh, don't worry. Doing this won't trigger that inevitable outcome. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Li Haojun feigned composure, paused to think, then said, "The company forbids us from using AI robots, but they never said we couldn't conduct research."
"哦,别担心,不会我做这个就会引发那个必然结果的,也许是巧合." 李皓珺故作镇定,思考了一下说,"公司不让我们用AI机器人,没说不让我们搞研究啊."
"Hmm, true enough." Qin Wenjing replied expressionlessly, her tone flat.
"嗯,倒是没有." 覃文静面无表情,木讷地回答,
Li Haojun put his arm around Qin Wenjing's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I won't let that happen again. I'll be careful."
李皓珺搂过覃文静的肩膀说,"别担心,我不会让那种事再发生的,我会小心的."
After speaking, Li Haojun seemed to think of something and asked, "Do either of us have chips implanted in our bodies?"
说完李皓珺似乎想到了什么,问,"你我有没有体内芯片?"
Qin Wenjing remained silent, nodded, then explained, "It's for identity verification. Since quasi-interstellar settlements might have clones, we need to identify them. Of course, cloning isn't done arbitrarily—it's regulated. But many companies or organizations possess this capability, so verifying identities is essential."
覃文静没说话,点了点头,然后解释说,"是身份识别用的,因为准星际居民区可能有克隆人的.当然也不是随便克隆,是有监管的,但是很多公司或者组织都有这种能力,所以要识别身份."
"So does that mean we're being bugged every time we have sex?" Li Haojun asked jokingly.
"那么是不是我们做爱的时候都在被监听?" 李皓珺打趣地问,
"Come on, it's just identity verification info." Qin Wenjing paused to think. "Maybe. Who knows what else the chip can do? That's just how things work here. We get superior work environments and compensation, better healthcare, but we pay with our freedom and privacy. There's no such thing as a free lunch."
"不至于吧,只是身份识别信息." 覃文静说完又想了想,"也许吧,谁知道芯片还有什么功能呢.这里就是这样的规则,我们有优越的工作环境与报酬,有更好的医疗健康水平,但是也要付出自由与隐私的代价.没有免费的午餐."
"How did I end up joining this company in the first place?" Li Haojun asked, his curiosity piqued by the topic of the past.
"当初我是怎么加入这家公司的?" 李皓珺问,说到过去,他很好奇.
"I don't know," Qin Wenjing paused for a moment before continuing, "You arrived before me, so I'm not sure what you're thinking."
"不知道,"覃文静想了想又接着说,"你比我来得早,我不知道你怎么想的."
Li Haojun chuckled self-deprecatingly at her words. "Oh dear, I can't even remember what I was thinking back then. Why didn't I learn from you and turn myself from 46 into 26?"
李皓珺听她这么说,就自嘲道,"哎呀,我也不记得自己当初怎么想的了,可是怎么不学学你,把自己从46岁变到26岁."
Qin Wenjing smiled again at his words and said, "Why don't you turn yourself back into a kindergartener?"
覃文静听他这么说,终于脸上又露出了笑容,说,"你怎么不把自己变回幼儿园?"
"Hmph, whatever. I won't go to work every day—I'll just ask you for money instead. Sis, sis, I want cotton candy," Li Haojun teased her, adopting a childish lisp as if he couldn't roll his tongue.
"哼,也行啊,每天不上班,找你要钱花呗.姐姐,姐姐,我要吃棉花糖," 李皓珺调侃她,并且装出小孩舌头不会发卷舌音的腔调.
"Call me Mom and I'll buy you candy. Call me Mom." Qin Wenjing's cheerful mood returned, and she teased Li Haojun in kind.
"叫妈妈才给你买糖吃,叫妈妈." 覃文静高兴的情绪又上来了,也学着调侃李皓珺.
Mom, I want to eat zaza...
"妈妈,我要吃扎扎..."
"Get lost, you're trying to take advantage of me again," Tan Wenjing said as she shoved Li Haojun.
"去你的,又来占我便宜,"覃文静一边说着一边推搡着李皓珺,
Li Haojun was eager to learn about the past. Seeing that her mood had improved, he asked again, "So how did you end up joining this company back then?"
李皓珺很想知道过去的事,看她情绪好过来了,就又问她,"那当初你是怎么来这家公司的呢?"
It was while I was job hunting that I happened to meet John, who was working on the West Coast at the time. The position perfectly matched my field of expertise, and the company offered generous compensation—though with strict requirements: candidates had to meet quasi-interstellar citizen standards and comply with relevant laws.
"是我在找工作的时候,偶然遇到了约翰,他那时候在西海岸这边跑业务.正好我的专业对口,公司待遇丰厚,就是限制严格,要求达到准星际公民的要求并遵守相关法律.
"Is this difficult?" Li Haojun asked as he listened.
"这个难吗?" 李皓珺边听边问,
After the review period, I eventually succeeded. Another requirement is that when certain products reach the human trial stage, employees must personally participate.
"经过审查期,后来我做到了,还有一个要求就是有些产品到达人体试验阶段,员工要亲身参与,"
"Acting as guinea pigs!" Li Haojun stated bluntly.
"做小白鼠啊!" 李皓珺直言,
"Well, but we're offering products related to health and wellness. Getting to try them for free is a perk, right?" Qin Wenjing purposely threw herself into Li Haojun's arms in a playful pout. "Don't you like me when I'm young?"
"嗯,但是我们出的都是有关生命健康的产品,能免费先用上也算是福利吧."说着覃文静故意撒娇扑到李皓珺怀里说,"难道你不喜欢年轻的我么?"
"I love it! Hey, why didn't I make myself look younger too?"
"喜欢啊,诶,怎么我没有也把自己变年轻啊?"
"Because I like it!" Qin Wenjing declared emphatically, then deliberately adopted a sinister expression and tone. "Otherwise, I'll wait until you're asleep, sneak the medicine into your mouth, and say, 'Dalang, it's time for your medicine.'" Her face then shifted from gloomy to sunny as she grinned. "I just love older men, how about that?!"
"因为我喜欢!" 覃文静斩钉截铁地大声说,然后故意变成阴森恐怖的表情和语气,"要不然,我就等你睡着的时候,偷偷把药灌到你嘴里,然后对你说,大郎,该吃药了."然后又脸色阴转晴笑着说,"我就喜欢上年纪的老男人,怎么样?!"
Li Haojun laughed heartily, "As long as you like it, as long as you like it, I don't mind."
李皓珺哈哈笑着说,"你喜欢就好,你喜欢就好,我无所谓."
Li Haojun pondered the context behind Qin Wenjing's response, deciding against asking any more awkward questions. Yet observing her unrestrained display of emotion, he knew she was happy. As long as she was content, that seemed to be his happiness too.
李皓珺思考着覃文静对答的前因后果,不想再问更多煞风景的问题.不过看着她肆意喜怒的样子,李皓珺知道她是开心的,只要她开心就好,似乎她的开心就是他的开心.