21. “My AI Girlfriend”

1

Cai Shinan, jokingly nicknamed by his coworkers as “the Last Virgin,” was a country boy from Tainan. Frugal by nature, reserved and taciturn, he had worked at a technology company for twenty years. Because he was not good with words and disliked socializing and business entertaining, he had climbed as far as assistant manager and then remained stuck there. As a result, several former coworkers and subordinates had gradually risen above him. But Shinan was naturally optimistic and did not take it to heart.

Most of his coworkers knew Shinan’s background. His reputation as a “stay-at-home virgin” was by no means undeserved. His facial features strongly resembled those of the Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe. He was disciplined and self-respecting, had never been involved in a scandal, and never went to nightclubs or other places associated with nightlife and romantic pursuits. In his eyes, all his female coworkers were simply coworkers, without distinction or romantic interest. Even when his colleagues tried to play matchmaker for him, he turned them all down. But he was definitely not gay, because he was equally uninterested in both women and men. And so he lived his life alone.

Until one day, he received a phone call from his younger sister, Cai Shifen. She told him that their mother was sick and bedridden and demanded that he bring his girlfriend back to their hometown in Tainan as soon as possible.

This phone call pressuring him to get married placed enormous psychological pressure on Shinan. But he did not want any of his coworkers to know about it. He considered it an embarrassing and humiliating matter. If any coworker found out, the news would surely spread, and he would become the subject of everyones jokes.

Shinan remembered that there were “girlfriend rental” services online and thought one might solve his immediate problem. Using the Google search engine, he found a company called “Perfect Match: AI Boyfriend and Girlfriend Rental Company” and called to inquire.

The employee who answered the phone told him, “Our company has a full range of models. Please come to our company in person and choose the product that suits you.”

2

Cai Shinan appeared in front of the companys product display cases wearing casual clothes and sunglasses. He carefully examined several lifelike robot models. A sales specialist named Lin Meiling approached him and introduced herself.

“Welcome, sir. May I ask your name?”

“My last name is Cai. The same Cai as in Tsai Ing-wen.”

“Mr. Cai, all of the products our company offers are lifelike AI robots. The ones in the display cases are our basic models. You can come to the service counter and search directly through our computer system. As for our products, we have thousands of female models alone, covering different age groups and skin tones. You can take your time and choose whichever one you like.”

Lin Meiling accompanied Cai Shinan to the counter and immediately opened a computer window.

“Mr. Cai, please give me the basic specifications of the woman you want, including skin tone, age, height, body type, and weight.”

Shinan thought for a moment and said, “Asian, twenty-five to thirty years old, 160 to 170 centimeters tall, medium build, forty-five to sixty kilograms.”

Lin Meiling entered the specifications.

“The results are here. There are nearly a thousand models. Take a look.”

Cai Shinan browsed for quite some time before finally selecting one.

“How about this one?”

“Mr. Cai, you certainly have good taste. This model is the ideal wife-and-mother type. Aside from not being able to have children for you, all of her other services are guaranteed to satisfy you.”

Lin Meiling pressed the selection button. A warehouse employee soon carried out a long wooden crate and placed it on the large office desk in front of Shinan. He lifted the lid.

“How is the rental fee calculated?”

“Would you like to rent by the month or by the year?”

“Ill rent her for one month to start with.” Shinan thought that if the product really worked well, he would then decide whether to rent her for a year.

“The monthly rental is fifteen thousand dollars. Its affordable for a high-end product, considerate, durable, and practical. Not only will you have a girlfriend, youll also have a maid at home.”

“What if the product malfunctions during the rental period? Do you provide after-sales service?”

Lin Meiling answered confidently, “Of course. We provide comprehensive after-sales service. But you can rest assured about the reliability of our AI products. We rarely have customers return them for repairs because of malfunctions.”

“Really?” Cai Shinan thought to himself. “If thats true, then the rental fee is well worth it.”

“I guarantee youll get more than your moneys worth, Mr. Cai. Please come with me to the brainwave configuration room. Once our product is activated, it must be connected to your brainwaves so that we can complete the functional command settings.”

Cai Shinan followed sales specialist Lin Meiling into the brainwave room. At the technicians instruction, he lay down on a bed. The sales specialist opened the crate, wrapped both arms around a completely nude lifelike female robot, lifted her out, and skillfully placed her on another bed.

The technician attached the sensor pads from the brainwave device to both of Cai Shinans temples. He then connected two terminal cables to ports hidden beneath the hair at the back of the female robots neck. After activating the robot, he began transmitting Cai Shinans brainwaves. At the same time, a mechanical arm descended and performed a 3D scan of Cai Shinans entire body.

After approximately half an hour, the technician completed the entire configuration process.

The sales specialist brought over a box of clothes and accessories and took the female robot into the dressing room. Fifteen minutes later, she brought the robot back dressed as an attractive, stylish mature woman in a long-skirted suit. She looked so charming that Cai Shinans eyes immediately lit up.

“With her modern appearance and fashionable clothes, if she stays by my side, Ill look really old-fashioned. Could you perhaps...” Cai Shinan immediately voiced his concern.

“Mr. Cai, you dont need to worry about that. Your AI girlfriend will redesign your appearance so that, visually, the two of you will look perfectly matched. Also, every two days, before you go to bed, remember to plug her into the power supply. One hour of charging will keep her running for forty-eight hours.”

Meiling handed the charging unit to Shinan.

Cai Shinan was easily persuaded. He followed the sales specialist out of the brainwave configuration room. The three of them returned to the counter, where Shinan took out his credit card and paid the bill. He then led his new “AI girlfriend” out of the company.

3

Cai Shinan named his AI girlfriend “Chen Yulian.” The name belonged to a girl who had been his classmate in elementary school and had once been the only girl who had ever made his heart flutter. Later, however, her entire family immigrated to the United States.

Yulian linked her arm through Shinans. The two of them walked beneath the covered walkways of an upscale shopping district like a couple deeply in love, attracting curious glances from passersby.

They entered a mens clothing store. Half an hour later, they walked out, and Shinans appearance had completely changed. He was now a stylish and sophisticated gentleman who looked exceptionally sharp.

Next, Yulian took Shinan to a barbershop and gave him a complete makeover.

The two of them returned to Shinans home carrying large shopping bags. His home was a spacious villa in a suburban area.

Yulian efficiently put all the newly purchased items away in their proper places. She then tied on an apron and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

With a female homeowner in the house, the place truly began to take on the shape of a home.

Yulian managed the household with remarkable efficiency. Although Cai Shinan remained somewhat cold and indifferent toward her, Yulian was understanding, gentle, and considerate. She would even take the initiative to find opportunities to ask him for a hug, behaving no differently from a newlywed wife.

What Cai Shinan had absolutely no idea about was that the warm and sweet interactions between him and Yulian were being fully recorded through Yulians electronic eyes and transmitted to a young mature woman named Tang Junru, who lived in another upscale residential district in the same city.

Apart from her hairstyle, this young woman had exactly the same face and figure as Chen Yulian.

It turned out that the female robot Shinan had named Chen Yulian was a “replica” of Tang Junru—in other words, her “duplicate.”

4

On Monday morning, Cai Shinan returned to work. His fashionable new appearance immediately became the focus of attention among his coworkers.

Some colleagues took the initiative to ask whether he had started dating someone. He merely smiled without answering, making them even more suspicious.

That evening, Cai Shinan asked the human resources manager for leave so that he could use up the annual leave he had accumulated. He explained that he needed to return to his hometown in southern Taiwan to visit his bedridden mother.

Cai Shinan switched to a brand-new luxury sedan and drove Chen Yulian back to his hometown in the south.

When his mother and younger sister saw Cai Shinan walk through the front door with an attractive young mature woman on his arm, both mother and daughter were so astonished that their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

At the dinner table, his younger sister, Cai Shifen, repeatedly brought up different topics to question her “future sister-in-law,” trying to find out more about her background.

Yulian responded with considerable grace and skill, improvising a touching, simplified version of a story reminiscent of Sleepless in Seattle. The mother and daughter listened with great interest and were relieved and delighted that Shinan had finally found a wonderful “place to settle down.”

Only the Cai familys little yellow dog refused to give up. It kept following Yulian around, sniffing her from one side and then the other.

Judging from both her appearance and the way she spoke and behaved, the Cai mother and daughter were extremely satisfied with this prospective daughter-in-law.

Taking advantage of the moment, Cais mother said, “Boy, since the two of you are in love with each other, your mother and your sister should find a time to go to Yulians family and formally ask for her hand in marriage.”

Shinan was stunned by how suddenly his mother had become so eager.

“Mom, isnt this a little too soon? I havent even met Yulians parents yet.”

Cais mother said, “How about this? Ill give you one month to make the arrangements. Then you can take your mother and sister with you, and our whole family will personally go to Yulians home to ask for her hand in marriage.”

Seeing how eager his mother was to settle his marriage, Shinan immediately felt an enormous weight on his shoulders.

He thought to himself that his little performance of renting an AI girlfriend would soon be exposed. When that happened, he would probably have to face his mothers full-scale verbal onslaught.

What was he supposed to do?

5

After returning to work, Cai Shinan was restless and somewhat regretful about his impulsive decision to rent an AI girlfriend on short notice just to deal with his mothers pressure to get married.

He had never expected his mother to become even more proactive. It was completely beyond his expectations.

The matter kept troubling Shinan, to the point that his coworkers noticed that he was not only listless that day but also frequently lost in thought, as if something were weighing heavily on his mind.

But Shinan had always been a man of few words, so no one was interested in making an awkward attempt to ask what was wrong.

Sitting at his assistant managers desk, Shinan looked at the research and development report on his computer screen while tapping the mouse on his desk with his index finger. He could not help grumbling inwardly:

“What is so wrong with being single? Cant I live my life perfectly well by taking care of myself? Why does society keep looking at people like us with such strange eyes? Its as if were some kind of public nuisance, and everyone is afraid to stay away from us. The question is, who exactly am I bothering by being single?”

“But then again, I have elderly parents to consider, so whether I remain single isnt entirely up to me. Even if Yulian can help me hold Mom off for the time being, shes ultimately an AI robot. The fact that she cant have children alone means shell never get past Moms standards. Eventually, the truth will come out, and Mom will probably be furious enough to go crazy. No, no. I have to go back to that rental company. Maybe they can help me...”

After struggling between emotion and reason, Cai Shinan eventually compromised with reality.

6

Cai Shinan entered “Perfect Match” once again, and Lin Meiling immediately recognized him.

“Mr. Cai, welcome back. Are you satisfied with our product?”

Shinan looked troubled.

“Im very satisfied with the product, but my mother says I have to arrange everything within a month. She wants to go to the womans family and formally ask for her hand in marriage. Thats where Im stuck.”

“Mr. Cai, our services are comprehensive. We anticipated practical problems like this long ago. We can arrange the womans family and relatives for you. All you have to do is follow the script designed by our company and play your part. Ill send you the womans address and the script through your LINE account.”

“Oh, thats very thoughtful of you. That makes things much easier for me.”

Shinan smiled with satisfaction.

“However, there is one condition. You must sign a contract and participate in our ‘Perfect Match’ reality-show experiment. In return, for the services youve requested, we will charge only an additional thirty percent of the robots rental fee. Its an excellent value.”

Shinans eyes lit up with interest.

“A ‘Perfect Match’ reality show? That sounds pretty interesting. Tell me more. How would I have to participate?”

Lin Meiling smiled.

“Once the contract is officially signed, our requirements are actually very simple. You simply need to stay true to your original intention and interact with your rented AI girlfriend as you would with a real girlfriend, allowing the AI girlfriend to fully experience your sincerity.”

Meiling immediately took out the contract.

Cai Shinan flipped through the terms. Suddenly, a question flashed through his mind.

Was everything going a little too smoothly?

The service was so thoughtful that it made him uneasy. He seemed to be pushed forward along some invisible track.

But he did not think too much about it and signed his name.

After all, what could be more important than solving the problem in front of him?

Shinan thought for a moment and said, “Ms. Lin, when we go to her familys home to ask for her hand in marriage this time, I hope you can design some kind of reason for my mother not to pressure me into marrying my AI girlfriend immediately. At the very least, give me some breathing room so I can find a real girlfriend.”

“Certainly, Mr. Cai. Approximately how much time do you need?”

“How about one year? I think my mother should still be able to accept one year.”

“Certainly, sir. We will write your requested time frame into the script.”

Meiling maintained her smile and said sympathetically, “Mr. Cai, you remind me quite a lot of one of my cousins. Like you, he is also a successful young technology professional who has never earned any credits in the school of love. But he is luckier than you. Both of his parents have passed away, so he doesnt have the pressure of being pushed into marriage.”

Shinan sighed.

“Ah! As the old saying goes, ‘Every blade of grass receives a drop of dew.’ I suppose everyones story is different. If I could avoid getting married and starting a family, Id rather be a carefree single guy.”

Just as Cai Shinan walked out of the company, a stylish young mature woman wearing eye shadow and heavy makeup passed him.

Their eyes met briefly.

The scent of her perfume and shampoo clearly entered Shinans nostrils.

The woman walked up to the counter, and Lin Meiling greeted her with a smile.

“Beautiful lady, welcome to Perfect Match. Ill be assisting you throughout the entire process.”

“May I ask whether the man who just walked out—the one whose facial features look very much like the Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe—is a customer of your company?”

“Yes. That gentleman is one of our contracted customers. He has signed up for our ‘Perfect Match’ reality-show program.”

“Oh? I happen to like men with Hiroshi Abes type of personality and appearance. Could you introduce that handsome man to me? Id like to try dating him. My name is Joanna.”

“Im sorry, Joanna, but our company isnt an ordinary matchmaking agency or a social club for eligible singles. We dont provide face-to-face matchmaking services.”

“I see. Thats a shame! Then, besides renting lifelike AI boyfriends, what other services does your company offer?”

“Our company provides comprehensive, full-spectrum services. We have already anticipated and carefully planned for virtually every related need our customers might have. Please tell us what kind of service you need.”

“Its like this. My ex-boyfriend is a dangerous and toxic man, and hes still harassing me relentlessly. I want to find a boyfriend who can also serve as my personal bodyguard. On the one hand, I need him to protect my personal safety; on the other, I want my ex-boyfriend to realize that he should back off and stop bothering me.

“Let me make one thing clear from the beginning. That jerk is involved with an organized criminal gang. He knows how to fight, has several friends in the underworld, and even has a few younger guys hanging around with him. So I want a man with an appearance like Hiroshi Abe to protect me.”

“Joanna, we understand your requirements. However, we need to make one thing very clear. The gentleman who just left has already signed a contract, and a partner has already been assigned to him for our reality-show program.

“Our company can provide you with a lifelike AI robot that looks exactly like that man. Although he would be a substitute, the substitutes thought patterns would be identical to those of the original, because we have already stored that mans brainwaves and memories in our cloud database—if you decide to rent him.”

“Oh? Thats great. Then Ill rent this Hiroshi Abe 2.0 version. How much is the rental?”

“The monthly rental is fifteen thousand dollars. A six-month rental is sixty thousand, and a one-year rental is one hundred thousand. The longer the rental period, the better the value.”

“Okay. Ill try him for one month first. If Im satisfied, Ill rent him for a longer period.”

Joanna took a credit card from her purse and handed it to Lin Meiling.

“Joanna, because the gentleman only just became one of our clients, and we have just received the data he provided, we need two weeks to manufacture the model. Please come back to the company in half a month to pick him up. For now, Ill complete the reservation process for you and collect the first months rental fee in advance.”

After speaking, Lin Meiling took Joannas credit card and quickly completed the reservation and payment.

“This is your pickup receipt. Please read the instructions carefully. Come back to the company in half a month. After completing the brainwave-link configuration, you can take your model home that same day.”

7

The day after the contract was signed, Cai Shinan received a text message on his phone containing his upcoming “complete script and mission schedule.” Yulian’s family background had already been arranged. She would be a girl born into a scholarly family and currently teaching Chinese at a public high school. Her father was a retired university professor, and her mother was a painter with a modest reputation in the art world. The location had been arranged in a professors’ residential neighborhood near a national university. At the end of the text message was a brief reminder: “Please cooperate according to the script and be sure to make your mother satisfied.”

Shinan returned to the company, feeling considerably more relaxed. He was no longer worried about his mother pressuring him to get married. He felt that the road ahead in his life seemed to be becoming smoother. As long as Yulian was by his side, everything seemed to fall into an orderly routine. After work, Cai Shinan returned home as usual. As he watched Chen Yulian busily working in the kitchen, an unfamiliar sense of happiness suddenly arose within him. He knew it was fake. This woman and this home, and even his role as the domestically oriented man he pretended to be in front of his mother, were all fabricated illusions. Yet the illusion felt so real, so real that he began to question whether he had made the right choice.

“Shinan, dinner’s ready.” Chen Yulian carried dish after dish of food to the dining table with a radiant smile. Her voice was gentle and sweet, perfectly matching the image of a tender and virtuous wife.

Shinan nodded and sat down at the dining table. Watching Chen Yulian move busily around the kitchen, he could not help asking softly, “Yulian, do you think... is the life we’re living like this actually real?”

Chen Yulian paused slightly. She turned around and looked at Shinan with gentle eyes. “As long as you want it to be real, then it is real. I exist according to your needs. As long as I can make you happy, then this kind of life has meaning.”

Shinan nodded, but the doubts in his heart did not disappear. How long could this happiness really last? When his mother discovered the truth, when his sense of emptiness came rushing back, how long could this false happiness sustain him?

The table was filled with exquisite dishes, all prepared exactly according to Cai Shinan’s tastes. At that moment, he almost forgot that Yulian was merely a simulated AI. She looked so real, so wonderful. Sitting together at the dining table like a genuine couple, they chatted about everyday matters. Yulian listened attentively, and whenever Shinan talked about troubles at work, she always offered appropriate advice, giving him a sense of support that felt almost like that of a family member.

After dinner, Shinan and Yulian sat together in the living room while an old movie, Sleepless in Seattle, played on the television screen. Yulian leaned against his shoulder, holding a glass of red wine in her hand, her eyes focused on the screen. Shinan felt a kind of peace he had never experienced before. He suddenly thought that perhaps he could simply go on living with Yulian like this forever and would not need anyone else. Yet he knew in his heart that this was only wishful thinking. His mother would never allow her son to carry on with an AI robot as though she were a real woman.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the real Tang Junru was leaning against the sofa in her living room, smiling at her computer screen. Playing on the screen was the warm interaction between Shinan and his “duplicate,” Chen Yulian, as a loving couple. Junru’s initial impression of Cai Shinan was not bad. Although this tech-minded homebody was indeed introverted and quiet, and there was also a considerable age gap between them, she had a feeling that the two of them might be able to communicate well.

8

A few days later, Cai Shinan brought his elderly mother and his younger sister, Cai Shifen, to Chen Yulian’s home as arranged. It was located in a quiet professors’ residential neighborhood beside a national university campus, with an entire row of old-fashioned two-story government-owned townhouses featuring red brick walls and black-tiled roofs. Each home was separated from its neighbors by a low wall, and the yards were filled with flowers, plants, and trees.

Standing outside the Cai family’s home were an elegant middle-aged couple and Chen Yulian. The two were Yulian’s “parents.” Chen Yulian stepped forward to greet Shinan’s mother warmly, slipped her arm through Cai Shinan’s, and wore a shy smile on her face. Together, they walked toward Yulian’s parents. Cai Shinan took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and then politely greeted them.

“Dad, Mom, this is Shinan,” Yulian said softly as she introduced him.

“Shinan, we’ve heard Yulian mention you many times.”

Yulian’s “mother” smiled and nodded, then gestured for the three of them to come inside. The interior was warm and elegant, with various works of art covering the walls, creating an unmistakably cultured atmosphere.

As soon as both families had settled down, Yulian brought over a tray of clear tea and placed a cup in front of each guest.

Cai’s mother spoke first. “Our Shinan isn’t getting any younger, and I’m anxious to settle his marriage. He and your daughter are clearly in love, and to show how seriously we take this, I’ve come here personally to pay my respects to the two of you as her future in-laws.” Although her tone was gentle, it carried a subtle pressure.

“Let me tell you, Sister, although my daughter Yulian is more than ten years younger than your Shinan, she has always been very independent and knows her own mind. Naturally, she should make the decision about her own marriage. As long as Yulian likes him, there really isn’t much for my husband and me to say.” Yulian’s mother stated her position in advance, and Cai’s mother and Shifen immediately felt relieved.

“That girl Yulian is such a wonderful girl. We must have accumulated great merit in our ancestors for Shinan to be blessed with the good fortune of meeting Yulian.”

Yulian’s father said, “Sister Cai, Yulian is still in graduate school. We have only one request: let her complete her studies and earn her master’s degree before we hold the formal wedding.”

Cai Shinan immediately went along with him. “Uncle, I’ll wait until Yulian finishes her studies.” He did not dare say too much, afraid that he might reveal a flaw in their act.

From that point on, the interactions between the two families proceeded according to the predetermined script, without any unexpected incidents. Everything went extremely smoothly. Cai’s mother and Shifen were obviously very pleased with Yulian’s scholarly family background. That evening, they had dinner together at Yulian’s home, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. Seeing the satisfied smile on his mother’s face, Cai Shinan finally felt some of the tension leave him. He knew that this “performance” had been a great success. Yulian and her parents had played the role of his future in-laws perfectly.

Cai Shinan’s family crisis had been temporarily resolved, but where was he supposed to find a “real girlfriend” within the coming year? When the truth was finally revealed and his mother discovered that his wife was not Yulian, how would she react? Given his mother’s personality, she would certainly demand to know where Yulian had gone. How was he going to explain everything when that time came? Thinking about it made Shinan’s head feel as though it were on fire. As a result, on the drive home, gloomy shadows repeatedly crossed his face as he sat behind the wheel of the sedan.

At the same time, inside the brainwave configuration room of “Perfect Match,” the two protagonists, Joanna and the simulated AI version of Cai Shinan, were each lying on separate beds. The AI Cai Shinan was completely naked, his body covered with the muscular physique of a fitness trainer. He looked exactly like a muscular version of Hiroshi Abe, and Joanna could not hide the amusement on her face.

A short while later, Lin Meiling led the AI version of Cai Shinan, dressed in a kung fu outfit, to the front counter. “Ms. Joanna, after you take your AI boyfriend home, please follow the instructions in the operating manual to complete the final configuration procedure. According to your requirements, we have equipped your male companion with exceptionally strong combat abilities, so he can provide you with close personal protection.”

Joanna smiled brightly. “Your company’s service is truly thoughtful. I’d be happy to recommend you to my friends, relatives, and colleagues in the future.” She then took a credit card from her wallet and handed it to Lin Meiling.

9

As the city lights came on, Shinan’s coworker, Zhang Hongda, came to Linsen Road with his best friend to visit the nightclubs. Unexpectedly, outside one of the nightclubs, he witnessed a terrifying scene. Several gang members were surrounding a man and a woman while holding aluminum bats. One of the gang leaders roared at the woman, “Joanna, I promised you that I was willing to change for you. Why can’t you give me one more chance?”

When Zhang Hongda got a clear look at the man’s face, he thought, “Oh, man! How could that be Cai Shinan, that silent guy? Looks like he’s gotten himself mixed up with gangsters. He’s going to get the crap beaten out of him this time...”

He quickly pulled out his phone and began recording. He could not help feeling a little schadenfreude.

Before he had a chance to figure out why Cai Shinan was there, the two sides had already started fighting. The young gang leader shouted, “Hey, kid! Beat this busybody old man to death!”

Cai Shinan shielded the woman with his body, using both his hands and legs to fend off the gang members’ coordinated attacks. Even after taking several heavy blows from their clubs, Shinan remained expressionless. Before long, one opponent after another was knocked down and beaten to the ground by Shinan. He even bent an aluminum bat with his bare hands. The onlookers had never seen a real-life Iron Man before, and they erupted into enthusiastic cheers.

Watching from the sidelines, Zhang Hongda was completely stunned. He could not understand how the normally refined and mild-mannered Assistant Manager Cai had suddenly become a martial-arts expert capable of rescuing a woman in distress. Yet that man’s face was unmistakably Cai Shinan’s—the same silent guy.

Soon, the distant wail of police sirens could be heard. The AI version of Cai Shinan grabbed Joanna, pushed through the crowd, hailed a taxi, and drove away. Zhang Hongda was still shaken, and all his enthusiasm for clubbing had vanished. He immediately uploaded the fight video to the company group chat, adding an exaggerated headline and colorful commentary as though he were reporting live from the scene.

At the same time, Cai Shinan and Du Xiaoyue, a cleaning worker at the company, each carried two bags of hot boxed meals and arrived together at Taipei Main Station. They handed out the meals one by one to homeless people around the station. Xiaoyue thanked Shinan for his enthusiastic help, which had allowed her to fulfill her vow to the Bodhisattva.

At the company, Xiaoyue was probably the person who could talk with Shinan most easily, because she was the only person in the entire company whom Shinan was willing to treat as a friend rather than someone he could order around.

That night, the video of Cai Shinan rescuing a woman in distress outside the nightclub was reposted to the message board of the online gossip community. That night, neither the real Cai Shinan nor Du Xiaoyue knew anything about it.

10

The following morning, when Cai Shinan entered the company building, several coworkers immediately began whispering among themselves. Facing the strange looks being directed at him, Shinan could only feel completely bewildered. When he stepped into the elevator, the coworkers inside squeezed themselves toward the sides, and every pair of eyes stared directly at him. Shinan began to feel uncomfortable.

When Shinan entered the company office, the coworkers had been enthusiastically discussing something, but the moment he appeared, the conversation suddenly froze and everyone fell silent. Although Shinan was puzzled, his expression remained completely calm.

The atmosphere throughout the office became increasingly strange. The coworkers whispered among themselves and occasionally glanced toward Cai Shinan’s desk. It was not until the cleaning worker Du Xiaoyue brought him a cup of coffee and mentioned the post in the group chat that Shinan opened the group and watched the video, finally beginning to understand what had happened.

“Assistant Manager, you were clearly with me at Taipei Main Station handing out meals last night. How could you possibly have appeared outside a nightclub at the same time? That doesn’t make any sense! Unless you have a twin brother, but I’ve never heard you mention one...” Du Xiaoyue stared at Shinan in confusion.

Shinan vaguely realized that the “duplicate” who had appeared outside the nightclub must have been a “replicated product” created by the “Perfect Match” company. But why had the company replicated his “duplicate” without obtaining his prior consent and then handed it over to a customer for use?

He temporarily restrained his anger and decided that after work he would make a special trip to “Perfect Match” to find out exactly what was going on.

The video titled “Taiwan’s Hiroshi Abe Rescues a Beauty Outside a Nightclub” soon appeared on the midday news. Cai Shinan became famous throughout the entire commercial office building.

At home, Chen Yulian happened to see the news while eating lunch, while Tang Junru happened to see the same video while dining in the school cafeteria. Yulian immediately figured out what had happened. Tang Junru, however, mistakenly thought that the real Cai Shinan had actually appeared outside the nightclub. Yet her rational mind reminded her that Cai Shinan had always been a man who kept himself out of trouble and behaved properly. He had no reason to appear in such a place of nightlife and temptation. There had to be something strange about the whole thing.

11

Cai Shinan arrived at the entrance of “Perfect Match.” The moment Lin Meiling saw the real Cai Shinan, she immediately guessed why he had come. The company’s surveillance monitors and the midday news had both shown the video of Cai Shinan rescuing a woman in distress.

She hurried over with a conciliatory smile and greeted him. “Mr. Cai, welcome back. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Cai Shinan pulled out his phone in irritation, opened the video, turned up the volume, and demanded of Lin Meiling, “What is this about? Give me a reasonable explanation!”

Lin Meiling quickly turned the situation over in her mind and immediately came up with a way to respond. She promptly took out a sample contract, opened it to a particular page, and said, “Mr. Cai, you should still remember the reality-show experiment contract you previously signed with our company, right? There is a clause clearly stated in black and white: ‘In order to find potential matches for customers participating in this program, our company has the right to use customers’ brainwave and physical data to replicate a simulated AI robot with the same appearance and characteristics as the customer and proactively recommend it for rental to customers whose conditions are compatible.’”

Cai Shinan followed Lin Meiling’s finger and glanced at the page. After confirming that the clause really was there, his anger immediately flared. His agitation made him stammer as he spoke.

“Even if, if that’s the case, you should have told me in, in advance before making my du, duplicate for marketing purposes, so I could have been mentally prepared! This time my du, duplicate unexpectedly became a huge hit, turning me into the fall guy! I don’t, don’t want to become famous or, or become some high-profile celebrity everyone’s talking about!”

“Mr. Cai, we are truly sorry. We never expected the duplicate to cause you such an unwarranted disturbance. We did indeed make a mistake in this regard. We are willing to offer you a discount on the annual rental fee as compensation for your loss.”

After saying this, Lin Meiling respectfully bowed to Cai Shinan three times.

At this point, faced with Meiling’s sincere gesture of goodwill, Shinan could no longer maintain the anger that had just been burning inside him.

12

After this incident, Joanna realized that she had to completely free herself from the harassment of her jerk ex-boyfriend as soon as possible. At the same time, she had developed a sense of dependence on “Hiroshi Abe 2.0” after he had risked everything to protect her when she was in danger. The feeling was very similar to being loved, and she could not help becoming emotionally confused and infatuated. But there was one thing she remained clear about: “Hiroshi Abe 2.0” was ultimately only a bionic AI. He could be a friend or a servant, but he was not someone with whom she could hold hands and spend the rest of her life.

She wondered whether, if she could find the real Hiroshi Abe 2.0—the charismatic man she had encountered outside the “Perfect Match” AI company—the two of them might develop a romantic relationship. For that purpose, she was prepared to use a few tricks if necessary.

Joanna came to the AI company and explained her intentions to the service representative, Lin Meiling.

“I’m very interested in your reality-show program. I’m an influencer and writer who specializes in urban romance stories. I’m developing an idea for my next book involving a romantic relationship with an AI robot, and I’d like to participate personally to find some inspiration. I have a strong feeling that if a popular contemporary topic like AI is incorporated into a novel, it will definitely attract a lot of young readers from today’s trend-conscious generation. So I’d like to know whether these reality-show programs allow me to participate in depth, and even interact with other participants?”

Lin Meiling smiled and nodded. “Of course. Our reality shows are designed to be extremely flexible and can be personalized according to your needs. However, we need to understand your specific requirements, such as the depth of interaction you want and the story setup. That way, we can help you create the experience that best matches your expectations.”

Joanna smiled with satisfaction and began describing her idea. “I’d like to observe the interactions between different participants and their AIs, especially people who have experienced romantic setbacks in real life. I want to capture that subtle conflict and fusion between human nature and technology. Would such a setup be possible? If it is, I’d like to arrange a meeting with the man who looks very much like Hiroshi Abe. He looks very manly and is full of masculine charm. He’s exactly the kind of typical urban single man I find interesting, and I believe his story would be fascinating.”

Lin Meiling thought quickly for a moment before replying, “We can indeed arrange an experience like that. However, if you want to meet Mr. Cai, we may need his personal consent. After all, he is participating in a privately customized reality show, and if we want to introduce another participant or observer, we need to obtain his consent first. Of course, you can sign up for another group’s reality show and conduct some basic interactions and observations to see whether the experience meets your expectations.”

Joanna said, “I still prefer to participate in a reality show with the man who looks like Hiroshi Abe. Please do your best to arrange it for me. I’m willing to pay twice the fee for it.”

Lin Meiling reassured her. “Since you are so determined, Ms. Joanna, I’ll make an exception and contact Mr. Cai to ask for his consent. If he agrees, I’ll proceed with arranging a meeting between the two of you.”

Now that her objective had begun to take shape, Joanna immediately proceeded with the contract-signing formalities and grew increasingly excited about the reality show. Silently, she began planning how to stimulate her own creative inspiration during the experience. She even began wondering whether, through this reality show, she might successfully develop a genuine love story with the real-life version of the man who looked like Hiroshi Abe—a love story that would truly belong to her.

13

Before one problem could be settled, another arose. Joanna’s toxic ex-boyfriend, Li Yongping, was discharged from the hospital after recovering from his injuries. He frantically searched everywhere for Joanna’s whereabouts. He did not know whether she had actually left T City, but he vaguely sensed that she was deliberately avoiding him. Although his men advised him, “Why risk your life trying to win back a woman who has fallen for someone else? Why take the risk of challenging the bodyguard beside her, who is so good at fighting?” Li Yongping, completely consumed by his obsession with love, could not listen to any of it.

Through his underworld connections, Li Yongping found out the company where Cai Shinan worked and obtained his license plate number. He decided to follow Cai Shinan, believing that by following the trail, he would definitely find Joanna’s hiding place. Once Cai Shinan left the house, he would take his men inside and kidnap Joanna.

Li Yongping lay in wait. After Cai Shinan left work and drove away, he took two trusted young henchmen with him and followed Shinan’s sedan all the way. Sure enough, they followed him to Shinan’s detached villa. The three men hid at a high vantage point and watched for movement inside the house. Li Yongping took out a military-grade pair of binoculars and repeatedly scanned the living room and bedroom. He spotted a mature woman with long hair hanging over her shoulders walking around inside. After increasing the magnification and focusing carefully, Yongping could clearly see the woman’s features, but she was not the Joanna he had been longing for. He was puzzled.

“What’s going on? This woman isn’t Joanna at all.”

One of his men, A-Fei, offered a suggestion. “Boss, this woman could be your rival’s sister. Anyway, we’re already here. We can’t just go back empty-handed. After that man leaves tomorrow, we’ll break in and kidnap him. Then we can use this woman to threaten that big guy and force him to hand over Joanna.”

Li Yongping said, “That’s the only option we have right now. We’ll make our move tomorrow morning.”

14

The next morning, Chen Yulian was forcibly abducted by Li Yongping’s men after they broke into the house.

As usual, Cai Shinan called Yulian’s cell phone during lunchtime and also called the home phone, but no one answered. He immediately sensed that something had happened to Yulian. He hurriedly requested emergency leave from the company and drove back to the villa. Sure enough, there were obvious signs that someone had broken into the house, and Yulian was nowhere to be found. Shinan instinctively realized that Yulian had been kidnapped by criminals. He had never made enemies with anyone, so it seemed that the kidnappers intended to abduct her for ransom.

Almost at the same time, on the other side of T City, Tang Junru was having lunch in the school cafeteria. Through the surveillance monitor installed on her phone, she saw Yulian being abducted by three men and taken to a private room in a nightclub, where she was tied to a chair. She also heard the conversation between Yulian and her captors.

“What’s your name, and what’s your relationship with that man?”

“My name is Chen Yulian. Cai Shinan is my master.”

“Master? That guy named Cai is your master?” Li Yongping did not understand for a moment.

“Yes. I am his domestic servant.”

A-Fei gave a bitter smile and interrupted, “Boss, I think we kidnapped the wrong person.”

Li Yongping refused to give up. “Aren’t you that Cai guy’s woman?”

“Not exactly. I’m only a domestic servant whom Mr. Cai hired to manage his household.”

“What the hell? Then let me ask you this. That woman named Joanna who was with your master—where is he hiding her now?”

“I’ve never heard of the Joanna you’re talking about. There is no other woman beside my master.”

“If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t force you. Come on, give me your master’s phone number. You can talk to him yourself.”

Li Yongping held his phone in front of Yulian.

“I’m sorry. The instructions I have received prohibit me from revealing my master’s phone number.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Who gave you those instructions?”

At that moment, in the distance, Tang Junru decided to protect Cai Shinan. She pressed the forced-shutdown button on her phone screen and turned off Chen Yulian’s power.

In an instant, Tang Junru’s surveillance screen went black.

On the other side, Li Yongping and his two men watched in horror as Chen Yulian suddenly rolled her eyes upward and dropped her head. A-Fei cried out in terror.

“Boss, this woman suddenly stopped breathing!”

Li Yongping reached out and checked Chen Yulian’s breathing. He then placed two fingers against the carotid artery in Yulian’s neck. Looking completely bewildered, he said, “How did she suddenly lose her breathing and heartbeat? This is really strange. I hadn’t even finished questioning her.”

“What do we do now?”

“We didn’t kill this woman. What are you so afraid of?”

“Boss, I suggest we split up and act separately. You call that Cai guy’s company directly and arrange a meeting with him to negotiate. I’ll drive this woman’s body into the mountains, find a secluded forest, dig a hole, and bury her. Then I’ll rent a female model, have her put on this woman’s clothes and sunglasses, and pretend to be his girlfriend. As long as we can lure that Cai guy out and force him to bring Joanna with him, we’ll have a chance to take Joanna back.”

Li Yongping thought for a moment and said, “Let’s do it your way, A-Fei. Be careful with the license plate number. Don’t let the roadside cameras capture you.”

A-Fei said confidently, “Got it! I’ll put a fake license plate on the car first so we don’t expose our movements.”

15

Inside the villa, Cai Shinan sat on the living-room sofa, looking around as images of Chen Yulian and her gentle voice kept appearing in his mind. Just then, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar text message.

“Shinan, do you want to know who kidnapped your AI girlfriend, Chen Yulian?”

That short sentence exploded in Cai Shinan’s mind like a bomb.

He quickly sat upright and stared at the phone screen, his heartbeat accelerating.

“Who sent this message? Is this some kind of prank? How could the sender know Yulian’s true identity?”

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Cai Shinan replied, “Who are you? What do you know?”

The reply came quickly.

“Four o’clock this afternoon. Meet me at Venus Café beside Sky Plaza in the city center. I’ll tell you where Yulian is and who kidnapped her.”

Cai Shinan froze.

An inexplicable sense of panic swept over him. He did not know whether he should go or what might happen if he did. But one thing was certain: he could not ignore this mysterious meeting. It might be the key to discovering where Yulian had gone. He kept thinking about the mysterious text message, repeatedly trying to guess the sender’s intentions.

At four o’clock that afternoon, Cai Shinan arrived at Venus Café on time. Located in a quiet alley tucked away from the bustle of the city, it was a small café with an elegant atmosphere. Soft lighting spilled across every tabletop, creating an atmosphere that was both peaceful and mysterious.

He walked inside and looked around, trying to find the person who had sent the message.

Just then, a familiar figure caught his eye.

It was—Chen Yulian!

She was sitting at a table in the corner, smiling as she looked at Cai Shinan.

Shinan’s mind became a complete mess because he could not think of any reason why Yulian would stage such a performance herself. He quickly walked over to her and lowered his voice.

“Yulian... did you send the text message?”

Cai Shinan’s eyes widened. His gaze moved over Tang Junru’s face and figure. Everything seemed far too unbelievable.

“Why?” Shinan asked urgently. “Yulian, why would you play a prank like this?”

“I didn’t do anything, and I certainly didn’t play a prank. Chen Yulian was kidnapped by three criminals. They all had tattoos on their arms and chests. Judging from that, they were most likely members of a gang.”

“So you... you’re not my Yulian?”

Tang Junru smiled mysteriously and gestured for Cai Shinan to sit down.

“Shinan, I know you must have a lot of questions.”

Her voice was gentle and calm.

“Actually, I am the original model for Chen Yulian. My name is Tang Junru, and I’m a high-school Chinese teacher. Your Yulian was produced as a duplicate based on my appearance.”

“But you asked me to come here. Are you saying you only wanted to tell me that Yulian was kidnapped?”

Tang Junru sighed softly before continuing.

“Of course not. There is another reason. I’m interested in you, Cai Shinan.”

Her eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

“You are an unconventional man. In this excessively noisy and materialistic world, your solitary nature and simple, unpretentious way of living attracted me. I participated in the reality-show program and had the company create an identical duplicate based on my appearance. Then you chose my duplicate. I believe that was a fated connection. I want to understand you, and even more, I want to know how you would treat me, the original model.”

Cai Shinan’s heartbeat quickened. He felt both confused and angry.

“So all of this was an experiment? You not only used me, but you also monitored me through Yulian at all times?”

Tang Junru shook her head.

“Not entirely. At first, I really did approach this as an experiment. But as time passed and I continued observing you, I discovered that I was gradually developing feelings for you.”

Her gaze softened.

“I don’t want you to be hurt, and I don’t want to keep hiding the truth from you.”

Cai Shinan remained silent for a moment. His thoughts and emotions were tangled together like a pot of boiling porridge, and for a while he could not sort them out. He was unsure whether he should feel angry, disappointed, or grateful.

Finally, he took a deep breath and said calmly, “What about now? What do you want me to do?”

Tang Junru looked at him and smiled slightly.

“Shinan, I hope we can have a completely new beginning and be our true selves.”

She reached out with both hands and gently took Cai Shinan’s hands.

“No AI, no virtual world, just the two of us, a real couple living a real life together.”

Cai Shinan looked at her, but Chen Yulian’s voice and image continued to linger in his mind.

“Right now, I only want to find Chen Yulian as quickly as possible. As for what you want, I’m sorry, but I can’t respond to it for the time being.”

Tang Junru was not discouraged. Facing such a sudden upheaval, Cai Shinan needed time to calm down and face this new situation.

16

After leaving the café, Cai Shinan did not call the police to report Yulian missing because Yulian had no identity documents or official records. Calling the police would only create more complications and might put Yulian in greater danger at this moment. He had a feeling that the three men who had kidnapped Yulian would soon call and demand ransom.

Shinan returned to his office and stared at the telephone on his desk.

Sure enough, an outside call came in.

He picked up the receiver.

“Are you Cai Shinan?” the caller asked.

“Yes, I am. Who are you?”

“Don’t ask who we are. Your woman, Chen Yulian, is in our hands.”

“Where did you take Chen Yulian? Name a time and place. I’ll bring the ransom in person, and you release her on the spot.”

“I’m not calling you for money. I only want you to bring Joanna to me.”

“Joanna? I don’t know any Joanna. I have no way to bring her to you.”

“Don’t try to fool me, Cai. You’re her protector. Not long ago, you fought with our brothers outside a nightclub because of her, and you injured several of us.”

At this point, Cai Shinan finally understood why they had contacted him.

“The man who injured you definitely wasn’t me.”

“Stop talking nonsense with us, Cai. Even if you were burned to ashes, I could still dig you out of those ashes. Bring Joanna here and exchange her for your girlfriend. I’m giving you twenty-four hours. Around this time tomorrow, I’ll send you a text message telling you the time and place of our meeting. Remember this! If you call the police, you can wait to collect your girlfriend’s body.”

The caller immediately hung up.

For a moment, Cai Shinan was completely at a loss. He did not even know the Joanna the man was talking about. In the vast sea of humanity, where was he supposed to find her, especially when they had given him only one day?

Just then, Cai Shinan’s phone vibrated. A new message had arrived.

He picked up the phone and saw a message from “Perfect Match.”

“Mr. Cai, a woman named Joanna is very interested in you and would like to meet and talk with you. Would you agree?”

It was truly a case of finding what he had been searching for only after exhausting every possible avenue.

Joanna had actually taken the initiative to come meet him.

Hope once again ignited in Cai Shinan’s heart.

17

Inside the social lounge of the “Perfect Match” AI company, Joanna finally met the real-life version of the Hiroshi Abe look-alike she had been longing to meet: Cai Shinan.

Before Joanna could even begin her opening remarks, Shinan spoke first.

“Ms. Joanna, we didn’t know each other before this. But your AI boyfriend got himself involved with a group of criminals. They mistook me for your AI boyfriend, so they kidnapped my girlfriend, Chen Yulian, and demanded that I bring you to them in exchange for her. Therefore, you have a moral responsibility to step forward and help resolve this matter.”

Joanna looked surprised.

“Mr. Cai, I’m truly sorry. I never expected my toxic ex-boyfriend to come after you. Originally, I asked Ms. Lin at the company to arrange this meeting because I wanted to get to know you and officially start dating you.”

Cai Shinan began to grow impatient.

“Ms. Joanna, your ex-boyfriend has given me only twenty-four hours to find you and take you to him. Can we get straight to the point?”

From the worried expression on Shinan’s face, Joanna realized that he had no intention of discussing a romantic relationship with her. But she felt that she had to say what was in her heart right now because she did not want to regret remaining silent later.

“Mr. Cai, since the trouble you’ve encountered was caused by me, I’m willing to go and meet him. But please be patient and listen to what I have to say first.”

“Go ahead, Ms. Joanna.”

“You may not know this, but from the first time I met you outside the company, I thought you were a very manly man. Later, I rented an AI replica of you and nicknamed him Hiroshi Abe. His brain chip contains your complete memories and life experiences. During the days I spent with him, I was gradually won over by his understanding nature, gentleness, and thoughtfulness. It gave me the happiness of being loved and cared for. That was why I wanted to meet you, because he is ultimately only your substitute, and he cannot satisfy what I expect from love.”

“Ms. Joanna, thank you for your misplaced affection. Most of the women around me have always regarded me as a man who has no understanding of romance, a dull person whose silence can never be broken. So from adolescence into middle age, I have never had a proper romantic relationship. My emotional world was completely empty until I met my AI girlfriend. Only then did I gradually begin to believe that I was actually capable of loving and being loved.”

Shinan spoke with sincerity and emotion, and Joanna was deeply moved by his words.

Joanna thought for a moment before saying, “But, Mr. Cai, just as people and ghosts belong to different worlds, we cannot have romantic relationships with AI robots. AI acts according to programmed instructions. They focus on pleasing their owners and creating the illusion of happiness and fulfillment. But we human beings, with flesh-and-blood bodies, cannot live solely inside a virtual illusion.”

“I understand what you mean. At my age, I’m actually no longer looking for fireworks when it comes to love. What I need is simply companionship in a peaceful life. Perhaps you think my romantic life has only just begun to show its light, yet it has already leaped straight into the evening, skipping the bright midday sun in between. But I think that someone as ordinary as me was never meant to be a man with an extraordinary story.”

“Shinan, when I hear you talk about yourself like that, it feels as though your heart has grown old before your body. I truly feel sorry for you. No matter what, I’ll go with you to meet my ex-boyfriend.”

Joanna finally understood what Cai Shinan truly felt. She knew that she had probably already been “eliminated” before the game had even begun. Yet she was willing to help fulfill Shinan’s wish, because when you love someone, you also come to care about what matters to him.

18

Li Yongping sent Cai Shinan a text message arranging to meet at the surfing beach at Jhongjiao Bay in Jinshan. Shinan had no idea that he had fallen into a trap and was walking step by step into danger. But Joanna, who accompanied him, had come prepared. She instructed Hiroshi Abe to arrive at the negotiation site in advance and lie in wait. It was a classic case of letting the mantis stalk the cicada while the oriole waited behind.

After night fell, a man and a woman stood side by side on the beach. They were Cai Shinan and Joanna, each looking toward one end of the beach. Joanna spotted three men and a woman approaching in the distance. She recognized them at once as Li Yongping and his men.

“They’re here!”

Cai Shinan turned around at the sound of her voice and looked toward the approaching group. As the four people drew closer, Shinan noticed that the woman wearing sunglasses walked with a slight outward turn of her feet, and her eyes did not emit a blue glow. He immediately realized that they had fallen for the trick.

“Ms. Qiao, the woman beside your ex-boyfriend isn’t my AI girlfriend. We’ve been fooled.”

Joanna whispered, “Shinan, don’t worry. These three thugs aren’t enough to trap us.”

The four people came before Shinan and Anna. One of them held a large machete against the woman’s neck.

Joanna calmly asked, “Yongping, who taught you to forget all the rules of the underworld? This woman isn’t Mr. Cai’s girlfriend at all. Your act has already been exposed. Are you still going to keep pretending?”

Li Yongping sneered. “Cai, I underestimated you outside the nightclub last time. This time, I came prepared. I don’t believe you can move faster than a bullet.”

After saying that, he and A-Fei each pulled out a .90-caliber handgun. The veins on Li Yongping’s neck bulged as his tone turned stern.

“Joanna, if you don’t want the two of us to put a few holes in your boyfriend’s chest, walk over here on your own. All I want is for you to come back to me. I don’t want to start killing people tonight.”

“Whatever you have to say, let’s talk calmly. I’ll go with you, but Yongping, you have to tell me what happened to Mr. Cai’s girlfriend.”

Joanna wisely backed down to calm Li Yongping. She wanted to find out where Cai Shinan’s girlfriend was and make sure that Shinan could leave the scene safely.

Li Yongping waved the gun in his hand and said angrily, “Joanna, you knew perfectly well that the man already had a girlfriend and that they were living together. Yet you still interfered. You were willing to become the other woman?”

“Mr. Cai is my sworn brother. There has never been anything improper between us. Our relationship went wrong because of your womanizing. After you got drunk, you kept putting your hands on young women. You repeated the same bad habit over and over again. It made me ashamed of you and disgusted with you. That night, I went to the nightclub with my sworn brother to find you. When I saw you drunk again, putting your hands on several women, I lost my temper and slapped you twice. Instead of admitting your fault, you took your anger out on my sworn brother and started fighting him. You fought him from inside the club all the way outside, shouting threats about killing people. That was when I became completely disappointed in you.”

Joanna showed no mercy as she reprimanded him. Unexpectedly, instead of arguing angrily, Li Yongping’s expression gradually softened.

“Anna, but at the time you told me that Cai was your new boyfriend and your protector. I just couldn’t take it…”

As he spoke, Yongping gestured for A-Fei to put away his gun.

Joanna pouted playfully. “Of course I had to make you jealous. That way, my sworn brother could teach you a lesson. You were the one who made me angry first, remember? You have such terrible behavior when you drink. The moment you get drunk, your true pig-like nature comes out.”

“All right. As long as we clear up the misunderstanding, that’s all that matters, Anna.”

A relieved smile appeared on Yongping’s face.

“Now, can you answer my question? What did you do to my sister-in-law?”

“Your sworn brother’s girlfriend? I’m sorry. She must have suddenly suffered a heart attack and died. We couldn’t save her in time.”

As Yongping spoke, he clasped his hands together and apologized to Shinan.

Cai Shinan stared at him in disbelief. “What? How could my Yulian possibly have a heart attack? She’s a lifelike AI android. She should have simply shut down automatically after running out of power. Where did you hide her?”

A-Fei looked guilty and stammered, “We thought she was dead, so I drove her into the mountains, dug a hole, and buried her.”

Cai Shinan was so furious that he nearly exploded. “You bunch of idiots! What the hell were you thinking? Take me there and dig her up right now!”

The two groups joined forces and walked toward the parking lot. Just as Li Yongping opened the car door, a muscular man suddenly sprang out from the back seat. Before Yongping could react, Hiroshi Abe immediately twisted his arm behind his back with a restraint hold and pinned him against the car door with one hand. In his other hand, he held a gleaming blue-bladed knife against the back of Yongping’s neck.

At that instant, A-Fei, A-Cao, and the female model were all stunned speechless, because another “Cai” had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Hiroshi Abe shouted sternly, “Don’t move. Otherwise, this knife will slice open this pig’s head first. You two, throw down your handguns and knives. Now!”

A-Fei and A-Cao exchanged a glance and, with perfect understanding, tossed out a handgun and a knife.

Cai Shinan immediately bent down and picked up the knife from the sand, then handed it to Joanna. He kept the handgun and pointed it at A-Fei and A-Cao.

Joanna then took several coils of rope from the trunk of her car and told Cai Shinan to help her tie up Li Yongping first, followed by his two men.

A-Fei was tied up in the passenger seat of Yongping’s BMW sedan, with Hiroshi Abe driving and keeping him under guard. The female model sat in the back seat, and they dropped her off in Tamsui on the way.

After Yongping and A-Cao were tied up, they were thrown into the back seat of Joanna’s sedan. Joanna drove while Cai Shinan sat behind them, pointing the gun at the two men.

Yongping and A-Cao looked terrified. Yongping nervously asked, “Joanna, that guy who ambushed me just now must be the one who injured us outside the nightclub, right?”

“Give yourself some credit. You figured it out.”

Joanna did not forget to give him credit.

“Then who is the Brother Cai pointing a gun at us right now?”

Joanna smiled. “Cai Shinan is actually the original himself, and he is also my real boyfriend. As for the guy who beat you up, he’s my bodyguard. He’s my boyfriend’s double.”

“What do you mean by the original? What do you mean by a double? The more I listen, the less I understand…”

Joanna immediately changed her expression and replied coldly, “If you were capable of understanding all this, you wouldn’t spend every day waving knives and guns around and risking your life just to imitate other people.”

With A-Fei leading the way, the two sedans arrived at Lengshuikeng in Yangmingshan. Following A-Fei’s directions, Cai Shinan quickly found the large tree beside which Chen Yulian had been “buried.” Hiroshi Abe held his gun on Yongping and the other two while carefully digging with a small shovel.

Before long, they reached the blanket wrapped around the body.

When Chen Yulian was completely “unearthed,” Cai Shinan tenderly wrapped both arms around her upper body. His right hand reached through the hair at the back of Yulian’s neck and pressed the activation code.

The blank white glow in Chen Yulian’s eyes immediately transformed into two beams of blue light. Then her rigid body began to move.

Yongping and the other two were once again left completely stunned.

Yongping asked Joanna curiously, “Could it be that this woman is an AI too?”

Joanna nodded with a smile. “Now you’ve learned something.”

19

Cai Shinan took Chen Yulian to the Perfect Match company for a thorough examination. They located and replaced several partially water-damaged tissue components. One week later, Shinan personally drove to the company to pick Yulian up.

On the drive back to the villa, Cai Shinan repeatedly turned his head to look at Yulian, his eyes filled with affection.

Back in the villa’s living room, Shinan immediately brought out a photo album containing pictures of the two of them during their trip around the island.

The couple nestled together on the sofa as they flipped through the album, reminiscing about their sweet memories.

As Shinan explained where each photograph had been taken and what had happened at the time, he never expected tears to appear in Yulian’s eyes.

Yulian leaned against Shinan’s chest and said quietly, “Shinan, there are some things I have to make clear to you. You need to take what I’m about to say to heart.”

“Go ahead. I’m listening carefully.”

Shinan gently brushed the bangs away from Yulian’s forehead.

“I am a lifelike android created by AI.”

“I know! You’re an AI android. So what?”

“The program in the chip inside my CPU defines my function as your master’s substitute. I can only accompany you for a limited time. Even though I can feel the sincerity and genuine affection you have for me, I cannot replace my master. The programming built into me does not allow it.”

Shinan stared at Yulian’s face. “Yulian, are you trying to tell me that you want me to accept your original, Ms. Tang Junru?”

“Shinan…”

Yulian’s voice was gentle but firm.

“You know how I feel about you. Ever since we met, I have been drawn to your kindness and courage.”

Cai Shinan looked into Chen Yulian’s eyes, those deep-blue eyes filled with intelligence. Somewhere deep inside, he vaguely realized what she was about to say, but he refused to believe it.

“But I do not belong to this world, and I do not belong to your future.”

Chen Yulian continued, her voice trembling slightly as though she were struggling desperately to control her emotions.

“Your original, Tang Junru, truly loves you. She can give you something I cannot—a normal and happy family life.”

Shinan’s expression was filled with pain. “I don’t care. I only want to be with you.”

“But you have to think carefully, Shinan. You still have a long road ahead of you in life. And I am ultimately a commercial product. I cannot selfishly take you for myself. Or rather, I am not permitted to replace my master and become your partner.”

Tears glimmered in Shinan’s eyes. “Why? You shouldn’t give way. That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I have decided to step aside because I love you.”

Chen Yulian spoke softly as her fingers gently caressed Shinan’s cheek.

“I don’t want to see you lose even more because of me. Shinan, go and accept Tang Junru’s love. She is the woman who truly belongs in your life. She can accompany you through the years ahead, welcoming with you every morning’s sunlight and every night’s sky filled with stars.”

Tears finally spilled from Shinan’s eyes. He held Chen Yulian tightly in his arms, wanting to keep her beside him forever.

Chen Yulian closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Shinan’s body, her heart filled with conflicting emotions. She knew that this was their final embrace.

A few days later, Shinan finally made his decision and accepted Tang Junru’s declaration of love. Although Chen Yulian’s image still remained in his heart, he understood that this was the choice Yulian had hoped he would make.

The Perfect Match company sent someone to retrieve Chen Yulian. The company representative accompanying them informed Cai Shinan that the “virtual reality show” had been successfully completed.

20

After autumn arrived, the sky was clear and the air was crisp. On the beach at Jhongjiao Bay in Jinshan, Cai Shinan and Tang Junru walked hand in hand.

Unexpectedly, they encountered Joanna and her AI bodyguard. Joanna was wearing a two-piece swimsuit that showed off her graceful figure, while Hiroshi Abe 2.0 followed beside her carrying a surfboard.

Joanna greeted them first.

“Cai Shinan, congratulations! Lovers have finally become a couple. We’ll be waiting for your wedding invitation.”

Cai Shinan said, “Thank you for your blessing. Are you satisfied with my double?”

Joanna smiled. “Oh, him? He follows every command to the letter. In private, he even says I’m his drill sergeant.”

Then she turned meaningfully toward Tang Junru and said, “I heard from Lin Meiling that you’re actually the princess of this reality show. You’d better treat this lovesick prince beside you well. Otherwise, I might steal him from you one day.”

Tang Junru smiled defiantly.

“With such a formidable rival as you, of course I’ll take good care of this cooked duck sitting right beside me.”