Chapter 415: Ele Wants It All

The fourth month of the simulation.

Xu Xi and Ele traveled to even more distant places.

The weather turned cool.

The autumn wind was bleak.

The colors of autumn were like an oil painting, rich, colorful, and vivid.

When a gust of wind blew over Xu Xi's head, fallen leaves drifted down, spinning before his eyes before finally silently merging into the soil.

"Has it already become autumn without me realizing it?"

Xu Xi looked up.

The sunset glow on the horizon was like a burning flame, casting his facial contours in alternating light and shadow.

Suddenly.

Xu Xi noticed a fallen leaf hanging on the Mech-Servant's head.

"Ele, don't move your head," he gently urged. Xu Xi reached out his finger and plucked the withered leaf from her golden-tinged black hair.

"Master, thank you," Ele thanked Xu Xi quite politely.

At the same time.

A thought flashed through her mind.

So, as long as a fallen leaf lands on my head, I can receive Master's gentle care.

Thinking this, the Mech-Servant began to intentionally or unintentionally drift toward areas with more fallen leaves.

The plan succeeded.

But it also came with a price.

While removing the leaf for Ele, Xu Xi saw through her little scheme, so he flicked her little head lightly.

"Ouch…"

The Mech-Servant fell into Xu Xi's arms with practiced ease.

She crossed her hands to cover her forehead.

In a dazed tone, she declared that her body was too exhausted and her head was dizzy, so she could only be carried in Xu Xi's arms—specifically in a bridal carry—to continue the journey.

"Ele, that kind of excuse is hard to believe."

Facing Xu Xi's helplessness.

The Mech-Servant blinked: "Master, I believe it."

This scene reminded Xu Xi of a classic line: "Who is it below the hall accusing this official?"

…

The fifth month of the simulation.

Xu Xi brought Ele to the other side of the planet.

The cities here were still empty and desolate, but the difference was that on the outskirts stood a space elevator reaching straight into the Universe, piercing through the sky and earth, connecting to the sea of stars.

As long as one rode this magnificent man-made wonder.

One could ignore the staggering height of tens of thousands of kilometers.

Traveling from the ground all the way to the space station in outer space.

"Let's go up and take a look, Ele."

"…Yes, Master."

Walking hand in hand.

Xu Xi and Ele walked into the cabin of the space elevator, watching the outside scenery that became blurred and rapidly shrank due to the excessive speed.

Accompanied by that tranquility and stability.

The sights passing by above and below unconsciously transformed into the dark space dotted with stars.

"Ele?"

Xu Xi was watching the scene of the Universe.

Yet he noticed the Mech-Servant gripping his hand tightly, subconsciously shielding him.

Her posture was as if the Universe before them was extremely dangerous and would swallow Xu Xi whole if she were not careful.

It had nothing to do with whether the space elevator's protection was adequate.

It was just simple.

Pure.

Seeing a familiar scene, she couldn't help but worry about it.

"It's okay, Ele," Xu Xi said gently, gripping the Mech-Servant's fingers tighter, interlocking their fingers and pressing their palms together.

"I trust you."

"I believe that with Ele here, you can protect me well."

Outside the clear, specialized elevator glass was the sea of stars of the Universe, both bright and dim.

Twinkling, deep.

Silently devouring the vast stars.

"…You are right."

Under Xu Xi's comfort, Ele's expression returned to its usual calmness, as if the pressure in her heart had been relieved.

But she still held Xu Xi's hand tightly, showing no signs of wanting to let go.

"Master's hand is very warm."

"Ele's hand is very cold."

"I need Master's help to make my hand warm."

The Mech-Servant silently pressed close to Xu Xi, resting her head on his arm, her movements practiced.

…

The sixth month of the simulation.

The change of seasons had reached the bitter, snowy winter.

Since leaving the space elevator, Xu Xi and Ele had returned to the planet to continue their unfinished journey.

The two had crossed the ocean and witnessed the gathering of storms.

They had also set foot on mountain peaks, witnessing the virtual network terminals that blanketed the globe.

Or they had delved into the Forbidden Land of civilization, exploring the massive factories hidden within the mountain ranges.

"Master, this is the main factory for producing Intelligent Machines, but you don't need to pay attention to it; the inferior products here are far inferior to Ele."

"Especially those products loaded with anthropomorphic voices and appearances."

"If I may be so bold, the manufacturers of these products should all engage in deep self-reflection."

Ele said as much.

Further along in their travels.

Xu Xi continued to move forward with Ele, even meeting an old man who had not entered the virtual network and was living alone in a remote countryside.

The old man was quite enthusiastic.

He invited Xu Xi and Ele into his home as guests.

But the old man seemed to have misunderstood something; his gaze was kind, his face gratified, and he kept talking about his own marriage experiences from his youth for Xu Xi to use as a reference.

…

After leaving the old man's home.

The weather became more violent.

Snow filled the sky, the wind howled, and the earth was submerged in endless white snow.

Xu Xi bought a fleece hat and placed it gently on Ele's head, sparing her hair from being pressed down by the wind and snow.

"Ele, try it and see if it fits."

"I think it's very good, Master, thank you."

Ele reached out a finger.

Gently flicking the tiny fur on the brim of the hat.

Whichever direction her finger moved, the fur would sway along with it.

But soon, the happy Mech-Servant discovered one thing: while receiving a gift from Master was certainly a good thing, it also hindered Master from patting her head.

Is it better to wear Master's gift all day?

Or is it better to enjoy Master's head pats?

Ele fell into a dilemma.

Her answer was: I want it all!

…

The seventh month of the simulation, Xu Xi and Ele ended their journey.

Where they started.

Where they ended.

After circling the world, Xu Xi and Ele returned to the house they had built first.

"Is this enough, Ele?"

"Yes, Master."

The Mech-Servant shook her head gently, declining the kind offer to continue traveling.

She knew.

Indulging in the illusory world was useless.

At the same time, only by returning to Earth could things be truly settled.

Whether it was the wedding dress, gold jewelry, or the little bits and pieces from the journey, they all needed to be in the real world to convert the experience into real gains.

"I understand. Then after today is over, let's go back to Earth."

Xu Xi nodded and turned to look at the old house.

The doors and windows were covered in thick snow, icicles were frozen on the eaves, the path at the entrance had long been submerged by snow, and the flowerbed was nowhere to be seen.

"We've been away too long; quite a bit of snow has piled up."

Whoosh—!

The cold wind whipped fiercely against the frozen branches.

Scattering a large amount of snowflakes.

The air was cold and fresh, making one want to take deep breaths, yet fearing the chill within it.

"Snap! Snap, snap!"

Xu Xi found snow-clearing tools and tapped lightly on the side of the eaves; the snow, disturbed by the shoveling, slid down in an extremely delicate manner.

With the Mech-Servant's meticulous help.

Before long, the inside and outside of the house looked brand new.

Restored to its former cleanliness.

Xu Xi walked inside, preparing to cook a sumptuous meal to serve as the perfect conclusion to the last day.