Caught in this awkward situation, Gan Ling had no choice but to continue pretending to be a robot upon meeting Ye Li.
Her jaw clicked open and shut as she answered in a monotone voice, “Hello, I am a Housekeeping Robot, Model Gan Ling. If you have instructions, please call my name.”
“…A robot? Gan Ling?”
Ye Li did not lower her guard immediately. Instead, she scrutinized Gan Ling with a suspicious gaze, eventually letting her eyes rest on one of Gan Ling’s palms. At that moment, her eyebrows stopped trembling so violently. It seemed the spherical joints on the palm had lessened her suspicion, and she began to ask tentatively, “You… your name is Gan Ling, right?”
“Yes, I am here,” Gan Ling replied, making her eyes flash twice.
“Um…” Ye Li hesitated for a moment before issuing a command. “Could you lift your right hand?”
Even when facing a “robot,” she still used a pleading tone. In front of such a person, Gan Ling naturally followed the instruction with pleasure. Ye Li then ordered, “Can you spin around once in place?”
Gan Ling complied again. She lifted her legs high, completing the turn with the stiff, mechanical steps of a real robot. Ye Li was still not satisfied and issued a new instruction: “Finally… could you please smile for me?”
Gan Ling chose not to react to this command.
“I… I see. Sorry for making things difficult for you.” Ye Li seemed to realize that such a request was beyond the capabilities of a Housekeeping Robot, and her face flushed red with embarrassment. After calming down, she leaned in from a short distance away to observe Gan Ling more closely. “Are robots these days already this advanced? You look just like a real person…”
Gan Ling thought she had survived the ordeal, but Ye Li’s expression suddenly froze.
“Huh? No screws or seams, and…” As she spoke, her mouth slowly hung open, and beads of cold sweat began to form on her forehead. Finally, she backed away two steps in a panic, nearly losing her footing.
“This appearance… silver hair and red eyes. Rather than a robot, it’s more like a… Doll?”
Hearing Ye Li’s words, Gan Ling panicked as well. ‘Oh no… based on that reaction, she definitely still remembers the wanted notice!’ If Gan Ling were still a being of flesh and blood, she would likely be sweating more than the girl across from her.
This was because after Gan Ling escaped from Kouga the Magical Girl, her physical descriptions had been posted on the Exchange Board by Kouga, sparking quite a discussion among the Magical Girls. Ye Li was one of the more active responders. Furthermore, she had been present when Yang Mo gave her false report on the battle results. She likely had an especially deep impression of the image of the “silver-haired, red-eyed Doll.”
Now, although Gan Ling had reconciled with Kouga, most of the other Magical Girls — excluding those directly involved in the incident — only knew that the bounty had been lifted. If she were mistaken for another enemy of the same model, it would be impossible for Gan Ling to defend herself.
‘There is no other choice. I only have that one option left…’
Just as Gan Ling was calculating how to escape, Ye Li pinched her chin and began to mutter to herself, “But I remember… that Badma was already successfully subjugated?” Her eyes darted around before stopping, as if she had reached a convincing conclusion. ‘Could it be?’
Her gaze returned to Gan Ling as she asked, “Gan Ling, may I… inquire about your manufacturer?”
Gan Ling’s mind raced as she tried to figure out what that question meant. In an instant, it felt as if countless nebulae were flowing through her brain. ‘Wait, does she think I was salvaged and repaired after being defeated?’ Having caught a lead, Gan Ling decided to give it a try.
“For any questions regarding this product, please call the Support Association Logistics Department. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Ye Li had been hanging her head, her shoulders tensed and her brow furrowed in anxiety, but after Gan Ling’s answer, she looked as if she had discovered a precious treasure. Her expression gradually calmed, and she no longer stood with a slight slouch from looking down.
While Gan Ling was pondering these things, Ye Li placed her hands behind her back and offered an apologetic smile. “I’ve taken up too much of your time, Miss Robot. Please go back to what you were doing.”
“Order received.”
Gan Ling responded and then crouched down, picking up her cloth to continue wiping the Glass Pane of the bookshelf with rhythmic, jerky movements. Ye Li placed her bag on the seat next to the piano and walked to the deepest part of the room. She stood still, leaning against a handrail on the wall as if taking a brief rest. She stared at Gan Ling thoughtfully, but since Gan Ling’s back was toward her, she didn’t know exactly what the girl was doing. She could only faintly sense the other’s gaze.
During this time, the late-spring breeze blew in from the window, carrying the sound of birds chirping. It should have been a pleasant time, but for Gan Ling, it was a form of torture. ‘Is she still observing me? Ye Li shouldn’t be the suspicious type, right?’ She was about to reach her limit; at that thought, even her rhythm for wiping the bookshelf fell into complete disarray.
Exactly at that moment, the sound of Ye Li’s footsteps suddenly returned and stopped behind Gan Ling. Gan Ling’s heart leaped into her throat. ‘Am I busted?’
However, contrary to her imagination, Ye Li only requested, “Gan Ling, you can stop for a moment.”
Gan Ling immediately put down the cloth and stood up with stiff movements to face Ye Li. What met her eyes was Ye Li’s determined expression.
“Can you stay right here… and watch me practice dancing for a little while?” Ye Li asked with a very serious expression.
Gan Ling understood her train of thought immediately. After all, according to the setting of the Original Work, this was indeed Ye Li’s style. Thus, she replied, “Request received.”
Ye Li’s eyes widened instantly, her joy overflowing. “Wait a second!” After speaking, she hurriedly moved a stool over and told Gan Ling, “Sit here.”
Looking at her excited face, Gan Ling couldn’t help but recall the segments where she appeared in the Original Work. ‘I barely ever saw her looking this happy.’ That was her internal observation. However, while reflecting inwardly, Gan Ling did not forget to follow Ye Li’s instructions. After she sat on the stool, Ye Li walked to the center of the open space in front of her, preparing to begin her dance.