Chapter 572

…Forget it. A jealous wife is a wife you have to coax yourself!

He immediately raised a hand… and pinched Liguang’s cheeks, giving them a gentle tug from side to side!

“What good is being clever?”

He glared at Liguang.

“Master likes little idiots like you, Liguang!”

The silver-haired girl’s cheeks were pulled out of shape, her red eyes flickering as she stared back at him.

Then…

“Pfft!”

Her face broke into a smile, her eyes curving into crescents!

“Hehe, Master likes little idiots like Liguang… Mmph!”

Suddenly, her brows knit together, and her smile collapsed!

Fang Qi froze.

…What was wrong?

He saw her pout and let out a soft “Hiss,” then look at him pitifully once more.

“Master, gentler…”

“Being pinched by Master hurts a lot right now too…”

As she spoke, the rims of her eyes reddened. She gazed up at him with moist amber eyes, her voice taking on a faint, tearful whine.

“And Liguang’s bottom is hurting more and more… Sniff… It’s been hurting this whole time… Thirty times the pain…”

Fang Qi: “…”

He hurriedly loosened his grip, caught between laughter and tears!

You were the one who adjusted it to thirty times the pain, and who was it just now that said something about not cheating?

But seeing her teary-eyed expression still made his heart clench.

“Th-then what do we do?”

He gently rubbed her little cheeks, growing somewhat anxious.

“How can we get you back to normal?”

Thirty times the pain was simply unbearable. Even a little pinch hurt—how was anyone supposed to stand that?

And besides…

If he couldn’t even touch his wife, how was he supposed to live?

That wouldn’t do!

Absolutely not!

Liguang gazed at him pitifully and cautiously reached out to tug at the hem of his clothes.

“Master, help Liguang adjust it… Only Master’s permissions can turn it back down…!”

As she spoke, she buried her head against his chest and rubbed against him, her silver hair tickling his chest.

“Master, Liguang really hurts…!”

Her voice had taken on a faint sob.

Even as his heart ached for her, Fang Qi was momentarily dumbfounded.

Huh?

Use his permissions?

How was he supposed to use them?

He still hadn’t figured out what these so-called “permissions” even were!

But…

He took a deep breath!

This was no time to get hung up on that!

His wife was in pain, and her eyes were already red!

So without thinking, he blurted out:

“Return to normal! Set Liguang’s pain sensitivity back to normal!”

He lightly patted the silver-haired girl in his arms.

Liguang shuddered slightly the instant he patted her!

Oh?

Fang Qi’s eyes lit up at once!

Did it work?

He hurriedly asked:

“Liguang, are you back to normal?”

The silver-haired girl raised her moist eyes and looked at him pitifully, then shook her head with her lips pursed.

“No… Master’s pat just now hurt Liguang…”

Fang Qi: “…”

No, he had only patted her lightly! That had hurt too?

Thirty times the pain was truly terrifying!

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he was just about to say something when—

“Huh?”

The silver-haired girl in his arms let out a soft cry. She tilted her head slightly and looked toward the distant sea.

…Hmm?

Fang Qi immediately turned to look as well.

Under the starlight, the surface of the sea was calm and stretched endlessly into the distance.

Even the debris that had been floating around before had vanished, leaving behind nothing but a sheet of water reflecting the starlight.

He blinked.

There was nothing there.

But a flash of deep blue suddenly passed through his arms.

He lowered his head and saw that Liguang’s little face had gone taut!

A streak of deep blue flickered across her amber eyes and vanished. Her red eyes flashed uncertainly as well!

“Master, beneath the surface…”

she murmured.

“It seems like something is about to come…!”

?!

Fang Qi’s heart tightened, and he immediately focused his gaze!

Beneath the surface of the sea… could it be…?!

He remembered the trembling voice he had heard in the darkness of the deep sea, only an arm’s length away from him!

…A deep-sea monster?

Come to think of it, that thing should be the… whatever that behind-the-scenes AI was, right?

Had it come back?

Yet on the surface of the sea, there was nothing to be seen except the expanse of reflected light.

His chest tightened.

The person in his arms suddenly gripped his clothes, her body trembling faintly.

She slowly turned her head to look at him, and there was actually fear in her expression!

“Master, Liguang now…!”

She looked at him, biting her lip as the moisture in her eyes trembled. In the end, she only asked in a quivering voice—

“Master… You won’t go with them, will you…?”

Fang Qi stared blankly at her.

That was right.

She couldn’t use those so-called “permissions,” and her pain sensitivity had been increased so many times that even having her cheek pinched brought her to tears…

…She was in terrible shape!

If some enemy came now, then she…

Fang Qi held his breath.

She could barely protect herself!

Of course she was afraid that someone would come!

This was…!

Fang Qi grew anxious as well!

After all, he was the one who had spanked his own wife’s bottom raw!

Now that they had no idea whether an “enemy” or something else was approaching, if his wife stayed in this state…

Wouldn’t that mean he had put her in danger?

“Liguang, tell me!”

Fang Qi became serious and gently tightened his hold on her.

“What do I need to do to get you back to normal?”

But the silver-haired girl in his arms merely shook her head and murmured:

“Liguang doesn’t know… Liguang really doesn’t know…”

Her voice was full of grievance.

“Before, Liguang could only do it by borrowing Master’s permissions… But all of a sudden, Liguang can’t sense those permissions anymore…!”

Her slender shoulders trembled softly.

Fang Qi pressed his lips together and furrowed his brows!

Tsk.

…What kind of situation was this?!

Why could Liguang suddenly no longer use these so-called “permissions”?

“I don’t even know how to use these ‘permissions’ when they’re with me…”

he muttered through clenched teeth.

“They’d be better off with Liguang…!”

Hearing his mutter, the silver-haired girl slowly raised her little head and looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

“Master, really?”

Fang Qi nodded without the slightest hesitation.

“Of course!”

His wife was fragile right now and needed comforting!

So he immediately cupped her aggrieved yet expectant little face in his hands and said earnestly:

“We’re a married couple, after all! So…”

“Any permissions obtained during the marriage are our shared property!”

He spoke with righteous conviction.

“They should be shared between us in the first place!”

Liguang blinked, and the moisture in her amber eyes rippled faintly.

“Really? Master is willing?”

“Of course it’s true. Liguang, don’t you believe Master—!”

Hmm?

His words caught in his throat.

Fang Qi suddenly froze.

Because the expression on the silver-haired girl’s little face, which had been so pitiful just moments before…

was slowly changing along with his words!

Her grievance disappeared. Her fear disappeared…

Even the moisture in the corners of her eyes, which had seemed ready to spill over, was evaporated by some unseen force!

A flash of deep blue suddenly passed through her amber eyes.

Fang Qi: “…?”

“Liguang finally…”

The corners of the silver-haired girl’s lips slowly curved into the smile Fang Qi knew all too well!

A twisted, satisfied, and triumphant smile!

She gazed at Fang Qi with crescent-shaped eyes and murmured:

“Liguang finally got Master to willingly agree to ‘authorize’ her…!”

Fang Qi: “…?”

In the instant he stood there in a daze, he suddenly felt…

His body suddenly went limp!

It felt as though something had been pulled out of him!

Even raising his hand felt several times heavier!

…Huh?!

Wh-What…?

Right in front of him, the silver-haired girl slowly pushed herself up from his arms.

The faint blue glow was still flashing in that amber eye! Strings of code flickered within it!

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes as he stared, but already…

He couldn’t see clearly anymore?

“Hee-hee!”

The girl before him giggled and gave a light twist in his arms.

“Master, you finally…”

Her voice was so sweet. So incredibly sweet!

“Taken the bait!”

Fang Qi froze in place, still holding the soft, warm body in his arms.

…What did she mean…?

Taken the bait? What bait?

“Liguang doesn’t want to…”

Liguang suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered softly.

“Give the initiative to Master, after all…”

Her warm breath brushed against his ear.

“Master has far too many ways out, but Liguang… only has Master…”

His earlobe hurt slightly as she gave it a gentle bite.

…Huh?!

He abruptly turned to look at her!

The silver-haired girl before him was still smiling brightly, her eyes curved with happiness!

Fang Qi stared at her in disbelief!

No way…

Had everything she’d done before all been an act?!

Just to…

Get him to “authorize” her?

Just to ask him for this permission?

…What?!

“Ha…!”

Fang Qi actually laughed in anger on the spot. He glared at her, the corners of his mouth twitching violently!

What the heck?!

If you wanted permission, couldn’t you have just told me directly?!

Would I even have refused?!

This time, he was genuinely a little angry!

He glared fiercely at her!

“Liguang, you…!”

“Look, Master.”

But Liguang suddenly turned her head toward the sea.

“One of Master’s ‘ways out’… has arrived.”

The corners of her lips, which had been curled upward, slowly flattened.

Fang Qi’s eyelid twitched.

What way out…?

“Senior—! Liguang—!”

A girl’s cry came from across the sea!

“I’m—co—ming—! I’m coming to help you—!”

…Huh?

What was this supposed to be…?

Fang Qi slowly turned his head toward the sea.

A familiar little white boat was drifting lazily toward them.

A girl whose features were impossible to make out stood at the bow, waving frantically in their direction.

Only the silhouette of her ponytail could be seen whipping back and forth beneath the starlight.

Fang Qi stared blankly at her.

Lin Xiaoyou? She had entered again?

She…

“No!”

Beside him, the silver-haired girl narrowed her phoenix eyes!

In the next instant, the surface of the sea erupted into wind and waves!

“Waaah—!!”

The little white boat was tossed high into the air before crashing heavily back down!

The girl on board let out a loud shriek and nearly went tumbling into the sea!

“Wait—! Wait—!”

An incredulous shout came from across the water.

“Why? Why does Liguang have ‘permission’ again?!”

“Senior?!”

“Are you a stupid pig—!!!!”

Fang Qi: “…”

I…!

The skin on his face twitched!

What had he done this time?!

C-Couldn’t he give Liguang permission?!

He…

He just didn’t want his wife to suffer!

What had he done wrong?!

Why was he a stupid pig again?!

He, he, he…!

“Hmph!”

The Liguang in his arms immediately flashed her amber eyes and fixed a deathly stare on the little white boat bobbing about on the sea!

“Whoosh—!”

The sea breeze instantly grew stronger, causing her silver hair to flutter gently!

“How dare you insult Master! I’ll—!”

“Stop!!!”

A hoarse, desperate scream came from the direction of the tumbling white boat!

“Liguang!!! I came to help you!!!”

“To help you keep your Master in this world forever!!!”

“Our goals—we’re the same—!!!”

Fang Qi opened his mouth.

In his arms, the silver-haired girl’s amber eyes instantly froze.

The enormous waves churned across the surface of the sea for a moment, then…

Slowly returned to calm.

The sound of the rushing seawater gradually died down.

Only the girl on the distant little white boat remained, clinging to the sail with both hands and feet, trembling all over.

Then…

“Senior… you’re…!”

Her trembling shriek rang out!

“Stupid pig—!!!!”

Fang Qi: “…”