Extra 1 Part 1
Qiao Yu x Lin Qing in the Parallel World
Wants to fall in love.
Qiao Yu has had this idea for a long time. If she were to mention it, it might cause quite a stir among her friends. After all, in the eyes of everyone, she’s the kind of person more interested in career and such. For so many years, she hasn’t had any romantic experiences. Who would have thought that this iron-willed person had been harboring the desire to bloom for so many years?
Speaking of “so many years”, in her world, her age is just that of someone who has recently come of age—as a world where the technological tree has been cultivated quite high in the parallel universe. Qiao Yu’s world probably branched off quite early. The residents of this world have extremely long lifespans. The centenarians respected in other worlds are commonplace on the basketball courts here.
In daily life, there aren’t many differences from the parallel worlds Qiao Yu sees at work, but technology mainly manifests in some peculiar details. For example, due to the significant increase in lifespan, people’s memories have also improved to a certain extent. However, there are times when one can’t remember certain things due to the long span of time. So, a medical solution was proposed for this problem, specifically to help people organize their memories, remember what they want to remember, and selectively forget those memories that are irrelevant.
Everyone can choose to tidy up their memories every few years, ensuring that they remember what they want to remember and clearing out the fragmented memories—just like the incident of being served onions for lunch when she clearly said she didn’t want any. There’s really no need to keep that memory.
Qiao Yu frowned and began to laboriously pick out the onions from her noodle soup.
Yes, there’s absolutely no futuristic method like using pills to sustain energy when it comes to food, contrary to what’s written in science fiction novels. If you were to ask Qiao Yu, reaching that kind of situation would be a significant regression. If even eating loses its flavor, then what’s the point of this world?
But I digress. In any case, Qiao Yu has been wanting to fall in love for quite a few years now.
Of course, the person of interest has always been the same, but so far, it’s been unrequited.
“Qiao Yu! Help me out here!”
Just as she was focused on picking out the onions, a colleague suddenly sat down at the empty seat in front of her, forcefully pushing the table towards her, startling Qiao Yu, causing her to recoil.
“In that apocalyptic world, I’ve picked the wrong host!”
Normally, Qiao Yu isn’t particularly familiar with this colleague. She listened in a daze as he, sweating profusely, explained the situation, simultaneously wondering how such a mistake could happen while politely smiling.
“I understand. I’ll secretly create a system for you.”
“Thank you so much!”
The colleague clasped his hands together and then flashed a pleasing smile.
“Um, um, for this time’s choice of host, I might also need to borrow your help…”
“Why? Can’t you do it yourself?”
“I have no choice! In that world, you and Lin Qing are classmates with Cong Ye, but I have no connection with you guys whatsoever!”
Once again, Qiao Yu listened to his explanation, from the convenience of her identity to how the Qiao Yu in that parallel world perfectly met the requirements. Listening made Qiao Yu’s head ache, and she felt like her face was cooling down. She could only reluctantly agree and watch as her colleague left, jubilant.
When it comes to selecting hosts, they have an unwritten rule: prioritize choosing oneself from the parallel world.
This rule isn’t born out of any benevolent consideration; it’s simply because in this way, it’s easier to control the host’s behavior. Although personalities may vary even for the same person depending on the world, it’s still better than selecting someone completely unfamiliar as the host.
Sighing at the misfortune of another version of herself in yet another world, Qiao Yu finally had the chance to pick up a chopstick of noodles and absentmindedly pondered the absurdity of writing novels with Lin Qing and Cong Ye as the protagonists. What a mess.
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She found herself inadvertently intrigued.
“Oh, there you are, Qiao Yu. Why are you eating alone here?”
…Today’s lunch is really restless. Qiao Yu frowned, looking dissatisfiedly at the second person who sat down in front of her.
“Because Lin Qing was called by her mom at noon—do you need something from me?”
“If there’s nothing, can’t I just come to have lunch with you? You’re really…”
Cong Ye grumbled as he picked up a spoon, stuffing a spoonful of curry rice into his mouth, his movements seeming a bit impatient.
“…The web novel I’ve been following recently suddenly stopped updating.”
“So it’s you!”
Unable to hold back, Qiao Yu blurted out, staring dumbfoundedly at Cong Ye’s bewildered expression. Combining the explanation from their colleague earlier, she finally pieced together the puzzle.
…So it was the colleague who caused the novel to stop updating by getting rid of Mi Yi, and the superior who is currently following the story is actually one of the protagonists, Cong Ye?
Putting aside how that colleague knew about Cong Ye following that story—Qiao Yu noticed Cong Ye’s expression change, filled with complexity.
“I mean, aren’t you just writing fanfiction about Lin Qing and yourself? Isn’t this kind of behavior a bit… you know.”
“?! How did you know about that!”
Ignoring Cong Ye’s wide-eyed shock, Qiao Yu shrugged and continued eating her noodles, only stopping when Cong Ye regained his composure in this public setting.
“…Um, well, the thing is…” He stammered, suddenly looking dejected. “…I couldn’t help it. After being rejected so many times, I needed some emotional comfort.”
“You’re really a fool who hits a wall and doesn’t know to turn back.”
Qiao Yu chuckled mercilessly, calmly averting her gaze.
The relationship between her and Cong Ye was quite complicated.
In simple terms, both of them are pursuing Lin Qing. It’s widely known that Cong Ye is pursuing Lin Qing, but only Qiao Yu and Cong Ye themselves are aware that Qiao Yu likes Lin Qing.
Cong Ye’s awareness of this fact was purely accidental. He and Qiao Yu met during what was akin to university, and at that time, Cong Ye’s fondness for Lin Qing was completely undisguised. This caused Qiao Yu to feel a significant sense of crisis. Finally, she made up her mind and resorted to an old-fashioned method: she wrote a love letter and placed it in Lin Qing’s textbook.
However, the book was borrowed by Cong Ye as soon as Lin Qing turned around.
When Cong Ye came over with a face full of apologies, Qiao Yu really wanted to drag him to the hospital and erase his memory forcefully.
But what gave her some comfort was that at that moment, Cong Ye was officially rejected by Lin Qing. So her sense of crisis subsided slightly, and the love letter, which had already been seen by her rival, was not sent out.
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After that, the two formed a delicate relationship of mutual balance and mutual support. After all, Lin Qing, she—putting it nicely, was like a hard-to-reach flower on a high peak, and to put it bluntly, was like an impenetrable fortress, rejecting anyone who tried to get close with a gentle smile and a firm “no.”
For example, the unrepentant Cong Ye was subtly rejected for the fourth time a few days ago.
They had gradually transitioned from a hostile relationship to a kind of inexplicable sense of alliance. How should I put it? Having a friend who could speak openly and reveal their feelings wasn’t a bad thing at all.
“I thought I had a chance this time. I saw her buying the drink I recommended the other day…”
“Oh, that one. She said it was so bad-tasting that it actually helped her stay awake.”
“Is it really that bad?!”
Cong Ye felt deeply discouraged.
“What are you going to do this time? Shouldn’t you give up as well?”
Listening to Qiao Yu’s indifferent tone, Cong Ye ground his teeth resentfully and retorted.
“What about you? Are you going to say it or not?”
“…Leave me alone.”
Caught off guard, Qiao Yu stiffened for a moment, turned away, and suddenly felt the noodles in her mouth taste like wax.
Qiao Yu and Lin Qing have known each other since they were little.
They are genuine childhood friends, having been together since they couldn’t even speak clearly, then going to school together, and now working together. They have never been apart.
If Qiao Yu were to pinpoint the exact moment she fell for Lin Qing, she couldn’t. She just suddenly realized one day that she had seen almost every side of Lin Qing, except for the one where she falls in love.
The next day when they walked to school together, Qiao Yu casually mentioned the topic to Lin Qing as if joking. By then, Lin Qing had blossomed into a remarkable beauty, and rumors of her merciless rejection of suitors had spread throughout the school. Qiao Yu had intended to jest, but she didn’t expect Lin Qing to take it seriously and look at her thoughtfully.
‘Do you really want to see?’
‘Huh?’
‘If you want to see, maybe I can try my best.’
At that moment, Qiao Yu’s mind went blank. She forced a smile after staring into Lin Qing’s serious eyes for a while, saying that it wasn’t something achievable just by trying one’s best, although her heart was in turmoil.
No.
She didn’t want to see.
The way Lin Qing looked when she liked someone, she didn’t seem to want to see it at all.
‘Is that so? Well, now that you mention it, I’ve never seen what it looks like when you like someone either.’
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Qiao Yu concealed her uncertain doubts well, and Lin Qing didn’t notice. She playfully held Qiao Yu’s hand and shook it.
‘…Let’s talk about it later.’
She tried to smoothly transition away from this topic, praying that her heartbeat hadn’t transmitted through her palm to Lin Qing.
Lin Qing had seen it.
At that moment, Qiao Yu understood that from now on, everything reflected in Lin Qing’s eyes would be the way she looked when she liked someone.
In the years to come, she chose to be honest with herself, but she couldn’t be honest with Lin Qing no matter what.
“Now is not the time for me to talk about it. I’m seriously telling you it’s about time to give up.”
Brushing away the memories, Qiao Yu sighed softly and spoke to Cong Ye.
“Too much is as bad as too little. I know you’re not a bad person, and Lin Qing knows it too. That’s why she’s able to continue working here even after finding out you’re the boss’s son. You should know, she always keeps her distance from people she’s rejected.”
“But Cong Ye, if you keep going like this, do you think it’ll be me or Lin Qing who will reach their limit first?”
“…Sigh, I understand. I’ll restrain myself.”
Cong Ye drooped his head honestly, and Qiao Yu felt as if she were looking at her own future when she looked at him, her tone tinged with a hint of sympathy.
“You see, in other parallel worlds, the probability of you being together with Lin Qing is quite high—aren’t you reading that article? It’s non-fiction literature, right? Just bear with it, even though it feels a bit empty.”
“I feel like I’m being ridiculed.”
Cong Ye, feeling annoyed that his (similar) novel reading habits had been exposed, stirred his food in frustration and asked incredulously.
“Can you resist the temptation to read about a world where you and Lin Qing are together?”
“Of course.”
Qiao Yu’s words were firm and deliberate as she slowly swallowed the last bite of noodles, lifting her head to look at him with a look of resignation.
“Because from the moment I began studying parallel worlds until now, I haven’t found a single world with such a development.”
“There simply isn’t such a world for me to see.”
Qiao Yu felt a twinge on her face.
She received an error report from the system, and when she reached out to investigate the cause, she finally discovered that the trajectory of that world was becoming peculiar.
Qiao Yu silently reiterated to herself in her mind that this was necessary for work. That day, she conscientiously worked overtime, thoroughly checking the stored information in the system before the virus.
Qiao Yu is a scientist, the kind you would write about in elementary school essays on the theme of “future dreams.” Her main research direction is parallel worlds. For this purpose, she creates many systems like this one to act as agents for various parallel worlds. They are not just simple code; they are closer to complete artificial intelligence, capable of learning and developing emotions. It’s possible for them to be influenced by the hosts they interact with day in and day out.
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However, encountering a system that harbors doubts about fundamental tasks due to external influence was something Qiao Yu had never experienced before.
After reviewing the information, her question was answered. Qiao Yu let out a long sigh and sat dazed in the empty office in the late night.
…This is a bit troublesome. She seemed to understand Cong Ye’s feelings now.
So this is how it feels to see Qiao Yu and Lin Qing in love in a parallel world!
Qiao Yu, in a state of confusion, pressed her hand against her forehead, unable to shake off the images she had just seen from her mind.
So that’s the expression Lin Qing wears when she falls for someone.
“…”
Qiao Yu paused for a moment, slowly covering her eyes with both hands.
It’s a look she had never seen on Lin Qing’s face before.
Perhaps she had realized this during the long process of silently admiring her, that her Lin Qing seemed to not yet understand how to love someone.
‘I don’t like you.’
Lin Qing’s usual rejection phrase was always this one, straightforward and without hesitation. But when Qiao Yu tentatively asked her what kind of person she would like, she would show a puzzled and elusive smile.
‘…I don’t know, maybe I’ll know when I meet them.’
Encounter and you’ll know. That means, until now, she still hasn’t encountered it.
They were childhood friends.
So Qiao Yu concealed her indescribable feelings, dutifully playing the role of an ordinary childhood friend, always by her side, yet maintaining a distance of two steps.
Closer than anyone else, yet farther than anyone else.
The Qiao Yu over there fell in love with Lin Qing before but was bound by her mission and couldn’t speak up. As for herself? She dared not speak.
Qiao Yu sometimes even envied Cong Ye. At least he could express his affection for Lin Qing fervently and straightforwardly, while she was imprisoned by the shackles of childhood friends, afraid to take a step beyond the forbidden line. There was a voice in her heart saying: “Compared to saying it out loud and getting nothing in return, this is enough for now.”
Is it enough?
Qiao Yu lowered her hand covering her eyes and glanced at the complex code rolling on the screen in front of her. Her hand hovered over the delete key for a long time without pressing it.
…Forget it.
In the end, she moved her hand away and instead rewrote the system, allowing that “virus” to naturally integrate.
Even if she was discovered, it didn’t matter. People always have their own selfishness.
“You two, if you can be happy, that’s all that matters.”
Qiao Yu murmured softly, then sat quietly until dawn.