I said you are all war criminals

Deng moved a little further away.

...Hey, I remember in the simulation, didn't I refine the lamp in an instant?

Bai Ye was a little confused. Deng's performance was different from that in the simulation... To be honest, Bai Ye originally thought that Deng only liked his model.

"Deng, what do you think of me?"

Hakuno spoke in a deliberately flirtatious tone, leaning forward again, almost touching Takamatsu Deng's shoulder. He remembered that in the simulation, he used this trick every time and it always worked. Deng's face would always blush shyly, as cute as a ripe apple.

However, in reality, Takamatsu Deng didn't blush at all. She just trembled slightly, like a frightened little rabbit, and moved to the side, trying to distance herself from Hakuno. She lowered her head, her gray bangs covering her eyes, making it difficult to see her expression. Only her mosquito-like voice could be heard: "You are not..."

Bai Ye touched his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. This was completely different from what he had expected! Could it be that the lights in the simulation were fake? Or that the lights in reality were immune to him?

"Um... Deng, what have you been up to lately? How's your studies going?"

Bai Ye continued to ask without giving up, trying to find the connection between simulation and reality.

Gao Songdeng still lowered his head, his fingers tightly twisting the corners of his clothes. After a long while, he replied in a low voice: "Studying... is okay."

"Not bad? Then tell me specifically, which subjects are better?"

Bai Ye continued to ask, he just didn't believe it, how could a lamp in reality become mute?

Gao Songdeng was silent, like a sculpture, motionless.

Xiduo came over with a Coke in his hand. Seeing the strange atmosphere between the two, he couldn't help but feel puzzled: "What's wrong? Do you... know each other?"

"Well, I just fell in love with this sister at first sight."

Bai Ye looked at Deng, he was a little confused about what Deng was thinking.

"Is Liang-senpai's playboy vibe a family trait?"

Kita complained quietly, but still handed the Coke to Deng.

Gao Songdeng took the Coke, and the condensation on the cup's walls wet her fingertips. She took a gentle sip, the cool liquid sliding down her throat, but it did nothing to ease her inner tension. She still lowered her head, her gray bangs like a curtain, obscuring her eyes, making it difficult to see her expression.

Bai Ye felt that the atmosphere was as awkward as solidified glue, so sticky that it was hard to breathe. He cleared his throat and tried to make his tone sound more natural: "Deng, what are your hobbies?"

Gao Songdeng was silent for a while before he replied quietly: "Look at the stars... and the rocks."

"Stars and stones?"

Bai Ye raised his eyebrows. This hobby was really... special.

"Which kind of stone do you prefer? Diamonds? Rubies? Or do you prefer picking up pebbles from the roadside?"

He tried to lighten the mood with a joke.

Gao Songdeng ignored his joke and just nodded slightly, seeming not to be interested in the topic.

Bai Ye scratched his head. This girl is really difficult to deal with! She is far worse than the one in the simulation! The lights in the simulation had already started a conversation at this time.

There was no other way, Bai Ye tried hard to search his mind for knowledge about stars and stones, trying to find a common topic with this silent girl.

"Have you ever seen Star Trek? And the one about meteorites, what's it called..."

Deng's eyes lit up slightly.

"'The Visitor'."

""The Visitor"?"

Bai Ye slapped his thigh, finally remembering it. Yes, yes, that's it!

Deng's eyes brightened a little, she nodded slightly, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Well, that's it."

Seeing the light finally respond, Bai Ye felt as excited as if he had struck gold. He immediately struck while the iron was hot and began to talk about the plot of the movie: "Let me tell you, the special effects of the falling meteorite were amazing. It was like a real shot..."

Deng listened to Bai Ye's story, occasionally interjecting a sentence or two to add details or raise questions. Her voice was still soft, but no longer as nervous as before, instead carrying a hint of ease and joy.

The two chatted back and forth, chatting about meteorites in movies and then about meteorites in real life, and the atmosphere gradually became lively. Gao Songdeng gradually relaxed a little, no longer as reserved as before, and occasionally smiled faintly. Her gray bangs no longer covered her eyes like a curtain, revealing clear and bright pupils, like twinkling stars in the night sky.

"Oh yes."

After talking until his mouth was almost dry, Bai Ye finally reacted and looked at Deng, "Deng, what are you doing here today?"

Gao Songdeng tightened her grip on the Coke, and drops of condensation on the wall of the cup slid down her fingers. She hesitated, and her gray bangs fell again, covering her eyes, like a frightened little animal.

"I……"

She seemed to have difficulty speaking, her lips moved but no sound came out in the end.

Bai Ye waited patiently without urging him. He was keenly aware that Gao Songdeng seemed to be hiding something.

Finally, after a long silence, Gao Songdeng took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision.

"I... hope you can go with me to pick someone up."

"Pick someone up?"

Bai Ye raised an eyebrow. This plot twist was a bit unexpected. It hadn't happened in the simulation.

"Who to pick up? Where to pick up?"

Gao Songdeng hesitated again, as if organizing his words.

"A...very important person. At...the airport."

"Airport? Which airport?"

Hakuno asked.

“International airport.”

The sound of Gao Songdeng is as thin as a mosquito or fly.

Bai Ye agreed readily: "Sure, no problem! When are we going?"

"I still... don't know."

Deng said softly, "But I know you definitely know."

"……what?"

Bai Ye was a little confused.

So, Dengtou put his face close to Baiye's ear and whispered softly.

"'The Man Who Fell to Earth' won't be released until a year from now."

……ah!

Bai Ye's face froze.

This is bad luck.

97

Chapter 97: Bai Ye’s defense is broken.

Hakuno would be lying if he said he wasn't shaken.

Honestly, Hakuno wanted to take out some brainwashing props immediately and brainwash everyone around him... No, in this situation, it would be better to find a time machine first, right?

Honestly, Hakuno could certainly do that.

But this is a bit too shameless.

So, Bai Ye simply hugged Deng and said, "Okay, let's go to the airport now!"

Being held like this by Hakuno, Takamatsu's cheeks instantly grew hot, and her heartbeat began to accelerate uncontrollably. She could even clearly feel the rise and fall of Hakuno's chest and the rhythm of his heartbeat. This sudden intimacy left her somewhat overwhelmed, but she didn't refuse. Instead, she subconsciously leaned her head gently on Hakuno's shoulder.

Hakuno's arms tightened, pulling Takamatsu Deng deeper into his embrace. Deng's body was incredibly soft, like a docile cloud, allowing him to carry Deng out with ease.

Kita, standing nearby, was stunned by the sudden scene before her. She rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things. Were these two people...really meeting for the first time? The intimate gestures, the ambiguous atmosphere—they looked like a couple in love! A huge question mark slowly formed in her mind.

"that……"

Kita was about to ask when Hakuno interrupted him.

"Xiduo, we have something urgent to do and need to leave first. We'll talk next time!"

Bai Ye held the lamp and walked out of Starry without looking back.

After leaving Starry, Bai Ye found an empty alley and went in.

Just now, in front of everyone (Kita and Kanesada), Hakuno was too embarrassed to do anything shameless. Now that they were alone, Hakuno would ruthlessly erase Deng's memory!

"Are you going to erase my memory?"

In the deserted alley, Deng raised his head and asked directly.

Bai Ye was stunned. Deng's reaction was completely unexpected. He scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Uh...yes, I do want to..."

"I know,"

Deng interrupted him softly, a slight smile on her lips, "You want to erase my memory of you, right?"

Bai Ye was even more embarrassed, "Um... actually..."

Deng shook his head, his tone surprisingly calm: "It's okay."

"It doesn't matter?"

Bai Ye wondered if he had heard correctly. Was this girl truly stupid or just pretending? How could such an important secret be erased so easily?

The lamp closed its eyes and opened its arms, like a bird waiting to be slaughtered, its posture so fragile that it was heartbreaking.

"bring it on."

She said, "If that would give you peace of mind."

Bai Ye stared at her blankly, not knowing how to proceed. It felt like holding a butcher knife to slaughter a docile lamb, but the lamb stretched its neck out and gave a "please come at your own will" expression.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"Deng, do you really understand what this means? You are about to forget something very important."

Deng opened his eyes, his gaze clear, "I know."

She paused, then added, "But that's what you do."

...Bai Ye couldn't help but shake his head.

It's terrible, it feels like I've been seen through.

Bai Ye stared at the lamp for a long time, and finally sighed helplessly.

"never mind,"

He put down the hand holding the lamp, took a step back, put his hands in his pockets, and said with a hint of annoyance in his tone that he himself did not realize, "You win."

Deng opened his eyes, seeming a little surprised by this statement.

"Won?"

"Yeah, I won."

Bai Ye curled his lips, "Your... attitude of not fearing death makes me seem like some unforgivable villain."

The lamp laughed out loud, like a night-blooming cereus blooming in the night, beautiful but short-lived.

"You are a bad person."

"That's why it's even more frustrating!"

Bai Ye scratched his hair and paced back and forth in frustration. "This feeling of being completely seen through by you is really infuriating."

He paused, staring down at the lamp, his tone provocative, "Aren't you curious about who I am? Aren't you curious why I want to erase your memory? Aren't you curious about what secrets I have?"

Deng shook his head, his tone as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

"Not curious."

Hakuno's eyes widened, "Not curious? Are you serious?"

He exclaimed exaggeratedly, "This concerns your memory! Aren't you afraid that I will empty your brain of everything?"

"Not afraid,"

Deng's tone remained calm. "Even if you erase my memory, what's going to happen will still happen. Instead of worrying about it, it's better to let nature take its course."

Bai Ye was completely defeated by her stubborn attitude. He held his forehead with his hand weakly, feeling like he had punched cotton, unable to move his whole body.