From that day on, the girls who came later in the Paradise were assigned to different rooms from the original girls to rest, but they still attended classes and activities together during the day.
The curriculum arranged by the Paradise was largely similar to what Wan Tong had studied in the outside world, but there were several new courses added, such as tea ceremony, etiquette, and even lessons on female reproduction.
In the classroom, aside from Wan Tong and the two girls beside her who sat in relaxed, lazy postures, the other girls all kept their backs straight, eyes fixed forward without a moment of distraction.
Due to her height, Wan Tong was seated in the middle of the front row. She behaved just as she usually did in class—occasionally tucking back stray strands of her long hair or resting her chin on her hand in thought. The two girls beside her had their own habits as well, scratching their heads or whispering to each other from time to time.
These were all just small, girlish gestures, but they often caught the teacher’s attention, their gaze softening in an almost unbelievable tenderness.
Most of these teachers were newly hired, quite different from the strict style of the original instructors in the paradise.
For the girls who had grown up in the Paradise, every class before had felt like a battle, where losing focus for even a second could mean destruction.
So even though they were now the protected ones, no longer at risk of elimination, their ingrained habits made them stay on high alert.
Yet, when they noticed the teacher’s frequent glances at the three ‘little princesses’ in the classroom, most of them couldn’t accept it. They had already learned these lessons long ago, yet they were forced to sit through them again—just to accommodate these girls? Did these girls even deserve to exist in this world?
Especially when they saw the three’s smooth, wavy hair and innocent, carefree eyes, something heavy seemed to crash down on their hearts.
How unfair this world was.
These pampered flowers should have suffered in the Paradise just like them, should have been torn apart and broken down. But because their families had dared to hide them away, they had been spared, allowed to grow up happily like real princesses…
Meanwhile, those who had endured the torment of the Paradise, who had undergone countless elite courses, still could not win the teachers’ favor. The teachers’ gazes would always fall upon those little princesses—gentle, indulgent, as if they wished to pile all the beauty of the world upon them.
Wan Tong could clearly feel the sharp, arrow-like gazes piercing her back. The two girls beside her—one designated 003 and the other 010—had also grown up pampered before being sent to the paradise. They were timid, and after experiencing a poisoning incident, they were even more on edge, sitting stiffly with their chests puffed out.
The course schedule was rather light, with plenty of breaks. Wan Tong, wanting to understand the Paradise better, left the classroom after class.
003 and 010, however, were clearly reluctant to leave. To them, the classroom was the only truly safe place—after all, it was under complete surveillance.
So, they simply watched as Wan Tong walked out. Before long, a few short-haired girls also got up from their seats and followed.
As Wan Tong walked through the corridor, she could no longer ignore the eyes on her. Although girls of different ages were assigned to different classrooms, the ones coming out now were all those who had grown up in the paradise.
Wan Tong had never dared to leave the classroom before either, but today, she strode out openly. Among the sea of short-haired girls with blank expressions, she stood out starkly.
More importantly, she didn’t seem to care at all about the burning gazes from all directions. She simply passed through the silent corridor, brushing shoulders with figures taller and stronger than her.
As she passed by a girl with short, light brown hair, the girl suddenly rammed her shoulder into Wan Tong with force. Already frail, Wan Tong staggered backward from the impact and fell to the ground.
The surroundings remained deathly silent. The girls standing next to Wan Tong were like wooden stakes, their eyes looking down at her from above—cold and piercing. They stared at her for a moment before shifting their gazes away, filled with icy mockery.
“Sorry.”
The girl with short, light brown hair spoke, the corners of her lips curving into a strange arc. Whether it was a smile or merely an involuntary twitch, it was hard to tell.
As she spoke, she extended a hand toward Wan Tong.
Wan Tong didn’t dare touch her. Instead, she quickly got up, shook her head, and ran off without hesitation.
“Seventeen, she’s Number 1.”
A soft voice echoed beside the short-haired girl.
Seventeen’s gaze remained on Wan Tong’s retreating figure, her deep brown eyes as still as dead water. “So what?”
She despised all delicate little flowers.
At her words, the atmosphere shifted subtly. She received a few meaningful glances.
Everyone knew how precious Number 001 was. Yet, someone had tried to poison her, and she had barely survived.
There were plenty of surveillance cameras in the hallway. Seventeen’s open hostility toward 001 wouldn’t go unnoticed. She was probably already under investigation.
Gradually, a vacuum formed around Seventeen. The only one who remained by her side was a big-eyed girl, half a head shorter than her.
The girl’s codename was 034, clearly the one closest to Seventeen. Even now, she only sighed and muttered, “You’re really looking for trouble…”
Everyone knew the higher-ups were still investigating the poisoning. Even if they loathed 001, no one dared make a move against her. Yet, Seventeen had provoked her anyway.
Seventeen acted as if she hadn’t heard, her expression blank as she walked into the classroom.
Wan Tong knew someone was secretly following her—likely bodyguards assigned by the facility for her protection.
She had observed the other girls and noticed none of them seemed to have this kind of security. It must have been a precaution following the poisoning incident.
Since the bodyguards remained hidden, she had no idea who they were. Not daring to act rashly, she simply wandered through the Natural Women Growth Department, feigning boredom while memorizing the general layout.
Checking the time, she returned to the classroom just in time.
Upon seeing her safe and sound, 003 and 010 both let out a sigh of relief. The girls in the facility were far too powerful, outsiders like them were completely unaccustomed to the atmosphere. Sticking together was the only way they could get by.
The next class was tea ceremony, but the teacher who walked in was a new face.
Or rather, a new face to the others, but not to Wan Tong.
Ling Wu.
The male companion robot who had accompanied Wan Tong for two years.
But… Ling Wu had already been recalled.
Why was he suddenly here?
The man was tall, his proportions flawless. His features were as if sculpted by the gods, chiseled with precision. The facility girls didn’t seem to appreciate his looks, but 003 and 010 were already starry-eyed.
After stepping inside, his gaze swept over Wan Tong, but he did not pause.
Wan Tong stared at him blankly, momentarily dazed. Memories she had buried long ago surged back, one after another, stabbing into her heart.
From birth, due to her special status, she had never been allowed to leave. Aside from her Second Brother and parents, she had rarely seen outsiders.
Two years ago, her mother’s close friend died in battle. Her mother retrieved all of the fallen woman’s belongings.
Ling Wu was a companion robot specially customized by Wan Tong’s mother’s best friend—a male companion robot that had never been released to the market. Unfortunately, before he was even unsealed, the person who commissioned him passed away.
Wan Tong’s mother intended to send him back to the company for destruction, but by chance, Wan Tong took a liking to him at first sight, and so Ling Wu was kept.
It was her who gave him the name Ling Wu.
Over the past two years, Ling Wu had been by Wan Tong’s side most of the time. But a few months ago, people from Paradise came looking for her. Ling Wu thought they meant her harm, so he fought back…
The consequences were predictable, Ling Wu was recalled and sentenced to destruction.
When Wan Tong was sent to Paradise, she learned from her parents that he had already been destroyed. Because of that, she was deeply depressed at first.
Now, seeing this new teacher, Wan Tong was unsure. Was he really her Ling Wu? Or was he a real person—the original model for Ling Wu’s appearance?
After all, not to mention companion robots, even functional robots were absolutely not allowed in Paradise.
“I am Ling Wu, your tea ceremony instructor.”
The man’s deep voice rang out, his face devoid of excess expression. Even when his gaze swept over the three delicate and beautiful girls in the front row, he did not show the doting smile that other teachers usually had.
When Wan Tong heard that name, her pupils trembled slightly. She clenched her fists tightly, restraining herself from rushing forward to demand the truth.
Ling Wu’s appearance was unique. His eye color was a deep, inky green, like an ancient jade soaked in water for millennia.
His aura was cold and ascetic, completely unlike that of a companion robot.
The companion robots developed by Ladbrokes Technology were, in essence, sex robots. Almost all the female models were enchanting and seductive, like living little vixens.
Wan Tong couldn’t help but wonder if her mother’s best friend had some special connection with Ladbrokes Technology. Otherwise, how could she have obtained a male companion robot, one that had never been released to the public?
Throughout the class, Wan Tong kept making mistakes, and in the end, she even scalded herself.
After class, Lingwu naturally took her away.
Inside a small white room, as soon as Ling Wu closed the door, Wan Tong grabbed his wrist, looking up at him. “My Ling Wu?”
Her tone carried a hint of caution, her eyes damp, the corners slightly reddened, as if holding onto a fragile hope.
Ling Wu blinked slowly, the corners of his lips curving slightly as he nodded gently. “Mm.”
Hearing his response, Wan Tong’s first reaction was to throw her arms around him. The memories of their intimacy surged through her, and her tears streamed down uncontrollably. She called his name again, “Ling Wu…”
Ling Wu blinked his dark green eyes once more, his gaze tinged with slight confusion. But his system quickly processed all her actions and subtle expressions before he asked in a low voice, “Tongtong, how do you want me to respond?”
That familiar question made Wan Tong feel both sour and happy. Ling Wu was a function-based robot. He was highly capable in certain areas, but his interactions with humans required continuous input and learning.
“Just let me hold you, pat my head, and tell me, ‘Don’t cry, I’ll feel hurt…’” Wan Tong murmured.
A hand soon rested gently on her head, stroking her hair lightly. His deep, pleasant voice followed, “Don’t cry, I’ll feel hurt…”
But after saying that, Ling Wu added matter-of-factly, “My heart has been replaced with new energy, but I still won’t feel pain, Tongtong.”
Wan Tong : “…”
In the past, Ling Wu would sometimes freeze up when he couldn’t process something—his energy source simply couldn’t update fast enough.
But explaining himself at a moment like this… It was truly making her both laugh and cry. Couldn’t he just properly act like a human?
“But Ling Wu, how did you get into Paradise? I thought you were destroyed,” Wan Tong said, worry creeping into her gaze again.
Ling Wu took a step back. Under Wan Tong’s puzzled stare, he suddenly started unbuttoning his shirt.
He pulled open the fabric at his chest, extended his arm, and continued his demonstration. In a calm voice, he said, “A new body.”