Chapter 70 Part 1
The two of them returned home together. Bai Ruogu put down his things and went to take a shower first. Su Mou, as usual, tidied up the items Bai Ruogu had scattered around and then sat quietly on the sofa, not moving at all.
Su Mou’s body was spotless, perfectly clean, without any bacteria. If one had a bit of imagination, his body could completely be considered a large bar of soap. Anything he wiped was sterilized far better than any high-temperature sterilization method.
However, despite this, Su Mou still couldn’t avoid taking a bath. Every one or two days, he would soak himself in water, pretending to clean himself, and would even add a few drops of Bai Ruogu’s body wash, “marinating” himself as if to absorb the fragrance.
When Bai Ruogu discovered this: …
After Bai Ruogu finished showering, the water stopped automatically as if it sensed his completion.
Bai Ruogu didn’t mind and walked out of the bathtub completely naked. His feet touched the soft carpet, and the water droplets dampened the dry fibers, creating a wet patch.
As soon as the door opened, the air outside felt a bit cold. Before goosebumps could form on his skin, a large bath towel wrapped around him.
The cold air was quickly blocked out, and the soft towel absorbed the cold water from his skin. A tall figure blocked his view, and the familiar scent stirred something in Bai Ruogu’s heart.
A pair of large hands moved back and forth, tying the bath towel securely around him. Then, another towel was taken to rub his damp hair.
Bai Ruogu’s gaze fell on the tanned skin, and he could feel the normal warmth radiating from the other person’s body.
He stood still, feeling the presence of a “living” being moving around him.
He still felt a bit dazed. The person before him was his lover, someone who cared deeply for him and considered him in every action.
When did a lover suddenly appear out of nowhere in his life?
He still remembered how long ago, his superiors at work wanted to introduce their sons or daughters to him, and some younger people tried various ways to strike up a conversation with him.
Did he want to date at that time? Yes.
After walking alone for so many years, it was hard not to feel lonely.
But when he seriously considered finding a partner, he realized how picky he was.
He didn’t like people with unattractive appearances, those with delicate and pretentious personalities, those who didn’t love him wholeheartedly, those who weren’t clean and neat, those who played mind games, or those whose intellectual abilities weren’t on par with his…
After filtering through all these conditions, there was no one left around him.
His colleagues, after hearing his conditions, had twitched their mouths and told him bluntly, “With your standards? You might never find a lover in your lifetime, so you might as well resign yourself to being alone.”
Actually, he could have settled for someone, choosing someone who was “good enough.” But then he thought, why force himself to be with someone who didn’t satisfy him? It would be better to stay single.
He passed the age of 30, and most people around him were already married. When it got cold, his colleagues’ partners would bring them clothes and meals, and on the way home, their partners would text them to be careful on the road.
When they had group dinners, these people would sit at the table, shaking their heads and laughing, saying they couldn’t drink because their partners were strict.
Even when they got their salaries, they didn’t dare to spend recklessly. They kept the money in their pockets, noting down every expense in a little notebook, while muttering to themselves.
“I need to cut down on smoking, she always complains about the smell. Ugh, payday again—I’ll have to hand over my salary…”
Their colleagues would laugh and call them henpecked.
That person would sigh, complaining but with a smile on their face, “What can you do? We’re married, so we have to make it work somehow. Sigh, I just bought a car, the mortgage isn’t paid off yet, the eldest son just started private school, and the little daughter still needs diapers and formula… money, money…”
He would sit quietly on the side, holding his salary card without saying a word.
Over the years, he had developed countless patents and received numerous awards. He hadn’t paid much attention to his finances, but his wealth must have been in the billions by now.
His house, allocated by the government, was worth at least 80 million based on its location.
The car was also a government reward, something you couldn’t even buy on the market.
He possessed things that many young people might never achieve in a lifetime, but…
At night, he would walk alone under the dim streetlights, solitary and alone.
Everything was perfect, except for someone to share his life with.
Then, he gave a lecture at a university.
The students there were about the same age as him, yet while he stood on stage discussing his years of research, they sat attentively below.
When the lecture ended, the audience erupted in applause.
Many students rushed forward to ask him questions as they left. He pointed at a topic on the computer, intending to help clarify their doubts, and just then noticed an open window on the screen.
“What’s this?” he asked, pointing at the icon.
The student scratched his head awkwardly. “Sorry, Professor Bai, I didn’t make this during your lecture. It was done long ago, I just forgot to close it.”
The student thought Bai Ruogu was implying that he wasn’t paying attention during the lecture, so he hurriedly explained.
Bai Ruogu shook his head, and when he looked at the icon on the computer, the lenses of his glasses reflected the light.
“What I meant is… what is this for?”
“Ah?” The student suddenly understood, and seeing Bai Ruogu’s interest in the program he wrote, he felt like he had received a major compliment. He quickly opened the software and explained to Bai Ruogu.
“This is a program I wrote. I wanted to create an AI that can communicate with me normally…”
These words seemed to resonate deeply with Bai Ruogu. He murmured softly, his gaze lingering on the screen for a long time.
From that moment on, his research included AI, and he studied it for the rest of his life.