"By the way, Lu Wanqing is live-streaming now. She only does it once a year. Would you like to watch? If you miss this one, the next will be next year, oh no, perhaps not even next year," Robot Qingqing spoke again.
Lu Yang's black and white pupils held a faint bewilderment. "Live-streaming?"
Robot Qingqing quickly nodded. "Yes, her live streams are very entertaining. Many people in the Federation watch her. Many people like her, and even within our Empire, many secretly use VPNs to watch her streams."
Lu Yang was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Then open it up and let's take a look."
Robot Qingqing immediately became happy and quickly projected the live stream of Lu Wanqing's channel. However...
It was very late now, and the live stream was open to a pitch-black screen.
Robot Qingqing froze. After a moment, its slightly glitchy electronic voice explained, "Your Majesty, it seems it's too late today. They've probably already ended their stream and gone to sleep. Perhaps there will be something tomorrow."
"Didn't you say she only live-streams once a year?" Lu Yang asked.
Robot Qingqing quickly explained, "Not 'once' in that sense, but once in a while. She has five children in the Federation, oh no, four."
"Master, do you remember seven years ago when archaeologists from the Federation were excavating on Old Earth? They accidentally discovered an ancient Earthling preserved in a frozen state."
"After their research, they found that the ancient Earthling's genes were still active. So, they extracted five samples and planned to cultivate five children using the ancient Earthling's genes."
"One of those gene samples was originally going to be sent to you, but unfortunately, while on its way to the Empire, it was hijacked by space pirates."
When Robot Qingqing mentioned being hijacked by space pirates, its tone surprisingly carried a hint of human emotion—anger!
"Sent to me?" Lu Yang was surprised again.
Robot Qingqing quickly nodded. "Yes."
"If that gene hadn't been stolen by space pirates, perhaps one of Lu Wanqing's five children would have been yours," Robot Qingqing said with a remarkably human-like tone of indignation.
Lu Yang looked at Robot Qingqing curiously. "You seem very intelligent?"
Robot Qingqing: "???"
"Never mind." The next moment, Lu Yang's attention shifted. His indifferent voice said, "Even if that gene were sent to me, it would be useless. I no longer have a physical body."
Without a real human body, where would human genes be?
His current body was made of high-tech, ultra-realistic bionic skin. It was identical to real human skin in appearance and touch, but no matter how realistic the imitation, it couldn't be the same as a true human body with active genes capable of reproduction.
Robot Qingqing: "..."
"Although... but... no matter what, that gene shouldn't have been stolen by space pirates!" Robot Qingqing said unhappily.
"What did you mean by 'once in a while' before?" Lu Yang asked again.
Upon hearing this, Robot Qingqing quickly returned to the main topic and hastily explained everything that had happened in the Federation over the past two to three years.
Lu Yang: "So her live streams for the past two years were all due to accidents?"
"Yes," Robot Qingqing nodded.
Lu Yang: "And her live stream this year was because she wanted to?"
Robot Qingqing paused for a moment, then nodded again. "Yes."
Lu Yang said nothing further.
Robot Qingqing also remained silent.
*
Shuǐlù Star.
Lu Wanqing happily led everyone to have a barbecue. By the time the last of the grilled meat was ready, everyone was full and satisfied, and it was getting late.
They all went to the river to fetch water, washed up, and then returned to their respective tents to sleep.
That night, Lu Wanqing slept exceptionally early, perhaps truly exhausted from cooking for so many people.
Little Yu Shu, however, stayed up later than her mother. Seeing her mother asleep, she couldn't help but curve her lips, feeling very happy.
She loved Mommy!
Little Yu Shu thought of how Lan Lan and Xiao Yi had both kissed Mommy, and she couldn't resist leaning over and carefully giving Mommy's cheek a gentle kiss.
"Goodnight~" Little Yu Shu whispered softly.
As the night deepened, Little Yu Shu lay beside her mother and finally fell into a deep sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it was another fresh and bright day.
Her mommy hadn't woken up yet, and she had woken up earlier than Mommy, which made Little Yu Shu a little happy.
But Mommy had worked really hard, so Little Yu Shu didn't want to wake her.
Little Yu Shu got out of bed very quietly and tiptoed out of the room. She went to her dad's room downstairs and knocked on the door.
"Daddy!" Little Yu Shu called out.
Not long after, the door opened. Yu Nong stood inside, looking down at Shu Shu with a slight frown. "Shu Shu?"
Little Yu Shu looked at her dad and said happily, "Daddy, Mommy is still sleeping. She was very, very tired yesterday and hasn't woken up yet. Can you comb my hair for me today?"
Yu Nong was stunned, then nodded, agreeing in his usual slow voice, "...Okay."
Yu Nong took Little Yu Shu into his room, then took the comb and hair tie that Little Yu Shu handed him.
He habitually started to tie Little Yu Shu's hair in her usual style, but as he was about to proceed, he suddenly remembered that Shu Shu seemed to be very fond of beauty during the live stream, wearing very pretty dresses, and Lu Wanqing always styled her hair beautifully.
He tried to recall the steps Lu Wanqing used to comb Shu Shu's hair and followed along...
When he watched Lu Wanqing comb Little Shu Shu's hair, it had seemed very simple, but now that he was doing it himself, why did it feel so different?
Yu Nong tried again and again, changing the angle of his hands several times, but it still didn't feel right.
Little Yu Shu waited for a while, but her father hadn't finished styling her hair yet. She looked confused and couldn't help but ask, "Daddy, what's wrong?"
Yu Nong didn't want to admit he didn't know how. He shook his head. "Nothing."
Yu Nong continued to study it. He lowered his eyes, focusing on Little Shu Shu's head, his hands on the child's head, one holding the comb, the other grasping Little Shu Shu's hair. Like this? Or like this?
He tried several times, always feeling something was off.
Finally, he remembered.
Yu Nong slowly, bit by bit, followed the order Lu Wanqing had previously used to style the child's hair, gathering Little Yu Shu's hair.
Her hair was slowly being tied up, but when he let go and looked at Little Yu Shu, more accurately, at the top of the little one's head, it looked very wrong.
Little Yu Shu felt that her hair was done and was very happy. She couldn't help but reach up and touch her head, but as she did, she felt something was not quite right?
It felt like the same hairstyle Mommy used to give her, but why did it also feel... a little lopsided?
"Daddy, is this the hairstyle you tied for me the same as Mommy's?" Little Yu Shu asked hesitantly.
Yu Nong thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."
Little Yu Shu looked up at her father.
Yu Nong also hesitated. After thinking for a few seconds, he finally opened his smart device and secretly turned on the mirror mode.
Little Yu Shu saw herself in the mirror. The top of her head was crooked, her hair looked strange, and it was ugly!