Side Story 5: Lou Mi x Chi Lin
“Mom is so ridiculous.”
After Peng Ziyuan left, Lou Mi muttered to herself, as if talking to the older woman.
Chi Lin stood behind her, holding a wine glass, lost in thought. Lou Mi turned to look at her, and their eyes met, a shared understanding passing between them.
Chi Lin, blushing slightly, quickly looked away: “Would Your Majesty like some wine?”
Lou Mi, surprised by her own politeness, said, “Thank you.”
Chi Lin glanced at her, then went to pour the wine.
Lou Mi covered her face with her hands.
It was Peng Ziyuan’s fault, her suggestive comments had made things awkward between them.
The imagery was too vivid.
Applying the bionic skin to her face and looking in the mirror, she looked almost identical to the younger Chi Lin.
But it was just a mask, unlike the lifelike AI companions manufactured by N-Count, with their simulated nerves and muscles, capable of realistic micro-expressions.
This mask, however, would wrinkle and crease with even the slightest smile, like a snake shedding its skin.
“You have to control your expressions, or your classmates will call the police.”
Lou Mi, while giving Chi Lin instructions, suddenly realized: “Even if your face is disguised, your height and build are completely different, anyone who knows you will be suspicious.”
Chi Lin said: “I don’t have many close friends, I’ll just keep a low profile.”
This made Lou Mi realize that Chi Lin hadn’t mentioned any new friends since starting university.
And she never brought any classmates home, her only close friends still Wei Zhuoning and Lin Xiaozhi, whom she rarely saw.
Being HighTowerMiyuki’s little sister and girlfriend, a professional gamer with a large fan base, made Chi Lin a public figure.
And with her introverted personality, her peers probably found her intimidating, making it difficult to form close friendships.
Chi Lin had never mentioned this, and Lou Mi, busy with work, hadn’t noticed.
Now, hearing Chi Lin’s casual comment, seemingly unconcerned, Lou Mi felt a pang of guilt.
“Come here.” Lou Mi finished her wine in one gulp, sat on the sofa, patted her lap, and beckoned Chi Lin.
Chi Lin obediently sat on her lap.
Lou Mi’s eyes, slightly red-rimmed, were fixed on Chi Lin, her gaze intense, startling Chi Lin, who quickly reassured her:
“I have a full course load, and club activities, I’m really busy. It’s not that I don’t have friends, but we’re not very close. Your Majesty, I’m over thirty, I’ve met enough people in my lifetime, I just want some peace and quiet now, to focus on the things and people I care about, it’s a good thing, why are you upset?”
Lou Mi, holding Chi Lin’s waist, looked up at her.
Chi Lin smiled: “I’m not trying to comfort you, I’m being honest.”
Lou Mi’s tears didn’t fall, and she smiled back:
“So, you can read my mind now?”
“Not as well as before.”
“Oh?”
“I used to be able to anticipate your thoughts even when we were miles apart.”
“Like when we teamed up to annoy that clueless Minister of Rites?”
Remembering that incident, Chi Lin laughed, nestled in Lou Mi’s arms.
Having not slept well after last night’s activities, and with the mask becoming uncomfortable, they showered and went to bed, Lou Mi resting her head on Chi Lin’s stomach, chatting about their past and present lives, until they drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Chi Lin wore the mask and a loose hoodie to school.
She was nervous as she scanned her face at the entrance, no one else around.
Her face appeared on the screen, “Scanning, please wait…” The message lingered, making her anxious.
A green checkmark and her name appeared: access granted!
Technology was amazing…
Relieved, she went to class.
The large lecture hall, which she hadn’t paid much attention to before, now seemed like a lifesaver.
Chi Lin entered, head down, and sat in the back corner, hoping to be unnoticed.
Her back ached, and she felt uneasy.
Married life was too comfortable, she had even become lax with her morning exercises, let alone other training. Her stamina was declining.
This couldn’t continue.
Seeing Her Majesty’s enthusiasm, her clear preference for Chi Lin’s true form…
Chi Lin gripped her stylus, her face flushing at the memory of their intimacy.
Having missed the astral convergence, she wouldn’t be able to switch back for three months.
Lou Mi had insisted on driving her to school this morning, her reluctance to leave evident.
Which meant Lou Mi would likely be expecting similar… activities for the next three months…
She had to regain her stamina, she couldn’t disappoint Her Majesty.
As Chi Lin was planning her morning exercise routine, during break time, while gathering her things, she overheard a few classmates whispering, not realizing she was Chi Lin:
“No way… you must be mistaken.”
“I would recognize HighTowerMiyuki anywhere! I’ve been a fan for six years!”
Chi Lin froze.
Had they seen Lou Mi this morning?
The whispers continued:
“But the person in the car wasn’t Chi Lin.”
“Huh?”
“It was a much older woman.”
Chi Lin, who had been eavesdropping: “…”
She had been in the car, without the mask, and Lou Mi had only opened the window briefly in the parking lot, and they had been spotted?
And what did they mean, “a much older woman”? Chi Lin was slightly offended, she wasn’t that much older!
Chi Lin dismissed it as a minor incident and didn’t tell Lou Mi.
She wore the mask throughout the final exams, planning to switch back during summer break.
When the new semester started, the first thing Chi Lin heard was the gossip about HighTowerMiyuki’s new girlfriend.
They had been careful during the past three months, but they couldn’t wear the mask everywhere, especially during summer.
And they weren’t celebrities, their awareness of paparazzi not as sharp. They had been photographed in the parking lot, Lou Mi affectionately putting a mask on Chi Lin’s face, completely oblivious to the lurking camera.
[#HighTowerMiyukiCheating] was trending, the photos undeniable.
Although only half of the “new lover’s” face was visible, it clearly wasn’t Chi Lin.
Fans were outraged, flooding Lou Mi’s Weibo with angry comments and heartbroken cries.
[Sister Lou, how could you do this… Little Lin did so much for you, she loves you so much…]
[Please clarify, tell us you’re not with that old woman, that you only love Little Lin!]
[I’ve cried all my tears, tell me this isn’t true!]
[HighTowerMiyuki, don’t you have anything to say?!]
[HighTowerMiyuki, come out and face the music!]
***
Lou Mi, seeing the explosion of comments, felt like she had actually cheated on Chi Lin and wanted to slap herself.
Zhuo Jinglan called immediately: “What’s going on?! What happened between you and Little Sister?!”
Just then, Chi Lin returned.
Lou Mi, sitting on the sofa, glanced at her: “We’re perfectly fine.”
“Perfectly fine? You’re trending! The entire internet is bashing you, when will you learn to be more careful?!”
Lou Mi sighed. She wanted to tell everyone that her wife could change her appearance, but who would believe her?
“Calm down, Sister Lan, Little Lin is back, we’ll figure something out.”
Zhuo Jinglan sensed that she wasn’t being dismissive, and that these two were probably up to something.
“Fine, I won’t nag. Just protect your reputation, okay? I’ll hang up now.”
As soon as Zhuo Jinglan hung up, Lou Mi threw herself into Chi Lin’s arms, whining about the misunderstanding, blaming herself for being careless.
Chi Lin stroked her head: “It’s okay, Your Majesty, everyone makes mistakes, don’t worry.”
Lou Mi looked up, seeing Chi Lin’s confident smile:
“I have a plan.”
Lou Mi’s eyes lit up: “Really? A plan?”
Chi Lin nodded.
Lou Mi had no doubt about Chi Lin’s intelligence. She had made some mistakes when she first arrived, but she was a quick learner.
And Chi Lin was a prodigy!
Now it was Lou Mi’s turn to cling to Chi Lin’s sleeve: “You can really fix this?”
“Yes.”
“Will people believe it?”
“They will.”
Chi Lin gave her a hint, and Lou Mi immediately understood!
She quickly started preparing.
It felt exciting, like a secret mission, a collaboration across time.
A playful prank, a shared secret.
Ready, Lou Mi told Zhuo Jinglan she was going to live stream.
Live stream?
[HighTowerMiyuki dares to show her face?]
[Is she apologizing?]
[I want to see what she has to say.]
[If it’s not a sincere apology, I won’t accept it!]
***
Even before the stream started, there were almost five million viewers online.
Zhuo Jinglan: “You’re still popular, I guess. But what are you going to say? Don’t be impulsive!”
Lou Mi shocked everyone.
She wasn’t alone.
The “new lover” was sitting beside her.
Their faces appeared on screen, and the chat exploded with question marks.
[Is HighTowerMiyuki crazy?!!]
[What the fuck?! Am I seeing things?!]
[Is she announcing her new relationship?!]
Amidst the angry comments, Lou Mi sighed and looked down:
“I know I was wrong, I should have told you sooner.”
The comments intensified, almost crashing the platform.
“But it’s not too late, it’s a brand new product, after all.”
[Brand new product? Is she losing it?]
The “new lover” suddenly started peeling off her face, revealing Chi Lin’s familiar features.
[Stop! What kind of horror movie is this?!]
[Holy shit, that’s terrifying!]
[I’m going blind!]
Amidst the horrified cries, Chi Lin smiled awkwardly at the camera: “Surprise! It’s me.”
[??]
[???]
Lou Mi and Chi Lin held up the peeled-off mask:
“N-Count’s latest bionic fun mask, breathable and realistic! Have your dream date with your idol!”
[?????]
[??????????]
“Visit our website, buy one, get one free, custom design available!”
Lou Mi felt like an idiot, her smile stiff.
But what choice did she have? It was her fault for being careless. As long as people believed it, she would endure the embarrassment…
Peng Ziyuan, watching the live stream, almost choked on her noodles.
Lou Lixing looked at her calmly: “Yuan Yuan, when did your company start offering this service?”
Peng Ziyuan, her face red, couldn’t answer.
She wanted to yell, N-Count is a respectable company! We don’t do that!
Chi Lin’s plan worked. Lou Mi’s reputation was salvaged, and they were back to being the adorable couple everyone loved.
But it also sparked another wave of controversy.
***
Bonus Scene: Lou Mi x Chi Lin (Little Theater)
Two days later, the customer service representatives at YHK, N-Count’s home AI division, were overwhelmed.
What “bionic fun mask”? They didn’t have such a product!
It was all HighTowerMiyuki and Lin’s fault, that ridiculous live stream promotion!
But the inquiries were pouring in, and since N-Count specialized in dating sims, the mask wasn’t entirely inconsistent with their brand.
They couldn’t miss this opportunity.
So, YHK presented the idea to headquarters.
When the proposal reached Shi Yue, she declared righteously:
“Absolutely not. We will not create such a vulgar product.”
Xu Youyuan, passing by, chuckled: “Wasn’t the original X system, Little You, modeled after my face? You didn’t find it vulgar then.”
Shi Yue, following her: “That’s different.”
“How is it different?”
“You’re my wife!”
“Not back then.”
“Yes, yes, you weren’t my girlfriend yet.”
“What’s with that tone? You weren’t even honest with me back then!”
***
As they bickered and flirted, Little Twelve peeked in from around the corner, entered the lab, and opened the 3D printer, uploading a picture of Chi Lin’s face.
The model was quickly generated. She hesitated before pressing “Print.”
“What are you doing?”
Little Seven’s sudden appearance startled Twelve, who almost slammed her head into the printer.
The printing started.
“What are you doing?! You scared me to death!” Twelve scolded her, turning around to see the mask almost finished.
“This printer is fast…”
Twelve took the still-warm mask.
Little Seven, seeing it, understood: “Oh, still not over your first crush?”
“I’m not! It was your fault, you startled me!”
“Then I’ll throw it away.” Seven reached for the mask.
Twelve quickly hid it.
“What? Can’t bear to part with it?” Seven smirked.
Twelve sighed: “Fine, throw it away.”
“Why?”
“What’s the point? I can’t wear it myself. It’s stupid.”
Twelve sighed sadly. Seven, seeing her heartbroken expression, her eyes reddening, felt a pang of sympathy.
She took the mask.
Twelve: “What are you doing?”
Seven put the mask on her own face.
“You…”
Although the mask was a bit small, not fitting perfectly, it did look like Chi Lin.
Twelve blushed slightly.
“Better now?” Seven, trying not to laugh, afraid the mask would fall off, took Twelve’s hand:
“Here’s your chance, give Lin Jie your first kiss.”
She leaned closer.
Twelve’s heart raced as she saw Chi Lin’s face approaching.
Just as their lips were about to meet, Twelve pushed her away.
Seven: “Huh?”
“You’re bullying me again! I hate you!”
Twelve ran away, covering her face. Seven, removing the mask, followed:
“I wasn’t bullying you, I was helping you!” She giggled.
Her little sister’s anger was so cute.
The twins ran downstairs, and their mothers, witnessing the scene from the other end of the hallway, froze.
Xu Youyuan: “What… did I just see? Shi Yue, tell me, am I dreaming, or are we in ‘Secret Chamber’?”
Shi Yue: “I think we need to have a long family meeting…”
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