‘SEE YOU MORNING’ 013 Focus

‘SEE YOU MORNING’ 013 Focus

After a few days of settling back into the familiar rhythm of home life, the stirrings in Li Haojun’s heart that Sophie had once provoked seemed to calm again. He never wasted energy on impractical fantasies—for him, effort and reward belonged in his solar farm. Each day, once he and Qin Wenjing finished handling their respective company affairs, he would retreat to his own little world to tinker with whatever caught his interest.
Qin Wenjing felt quite at ease with this version of Li Haojun. Years of acquaintance, and the trust rooted deep in her heart, meant she understood—and believed in—him even more than he did himself. Yet trust could not replace companionship, so whenever she finished her own work, she would head down to the basement to see what he was up to.
Today was no different. Qin Wenjing went downstairs and found Li Haojun assembling something at a workbench.
“What are you working on, Great Inventor?” Qin Wenjing asked with a smile.
“Ugh, don’t even mention it. This silly dog got hit by a car.”
Qin Wenjing stepped closer and saw it was indeed the shopping robot dog from a few days earlier, now undergoing repairs after some kind of traffic accident.
“Why spend so much time on a dog instead of keeping me company?” she asked in mock reproach.
Li Haojun looked up at her and teased, “What, are you competing with a dog now?”
“Yeah, I’m competing with a dog—a stinky dog at that, happy now?” Qin Wenjing shot back playfully, pouting as she twisted her head side to side to feign irritation. She walked around to stand in front of him, meaning to sit beside him, but seeing the parts scattered all over the floor, she stayed where she was, hugging her shoulders as she watched.
Seeing this, Li Haojun used his foot to sweep a clear space on the floor. Just as he was about to get close to her, he remembered the grime on his hands. He lifted them to his nose—oil and rust. Definitely not something to be touching Qin Wenjing with. So he hurried off toward the bathroom.
Watching his retreating figure, Qin Wenjing smiled, her heart brimming with sweetness as she stood there waiting, eyes following his direction.
When Li Haojun returned, he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her back, pulling her close. His hands were still a little damp and cool as they traced along her waist and spine, while he kissed her neck and earlobes.
How wonderful these moments were—yet Qin Wenjing couldn’t understand why Li Haojun insisted on spending so much time here instead of simply staying upstairs with her. She asked,
“Why do you do all this? Isn’t being with me enough?”
“I’m doing this so I can be with you better.”
“I don’t need a robot dog.”
“It’s not about the dog keeping you company. It’s about what it can do for us later—so we’ll have more time together.”
“Oh? And what can it do?”
“For example, run errands, go shopping…”
“Do we really need it for that?” Qin Wenjing asked, unconvinced. Is it actually going to be useful? she wondered.
“Actually, it can do much more than that. You’ll see in time.”
“Fine, so you’ve learned to keep secrets from me,” she said, pointing at the computer monitor. “Are you secretly sneaking online to chase girls or something?”
Li Haojun met her gaze directly, looking into her eyes. “Think about my age, my situation—if I like a girl, she won’t like me; if she likes me, I won’t like her. I’m not wasting time on them. Having you is enough for me.”
Qin Wenjing held back a laugh, saying nothing as she tilted her head up to look at him.
Today she wore a white shirt patterned with large, soft-colored sunflower prints—yellow petals, brown centers, green leaves—made from light, gauzy fabric that was both cool and flattering. Her lower half was clad in low-rise blue jeans, no belt, the waist resting on her hips.
Li Haojun looked down at her smiling face and gave her lips a gentle kiss. She kept smiling, silent. He wrapped his arms around her back and waist, kissing her again, while she tilted her face up, matching his kisses as she swayed gently—like a sunflower basking in the early summer breeze, warmed by his sunlight, growing under his gaze, blooming because of his attention.
She moved as though wanting every leaf to feel the warmth of the sun, and his hands were like sunlight slipping through the gaps between the leaves, roaming over her body.
Her back, her waist, her shoulders, her hips, her collarbones, her rear, her breasts, her damp heart…
After a long kiss, Qin Wenjing reluctantly let go of his lips, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. Softly, she asked, “But what if some woman with bad eyesight actually took a liking to you?”
“You mean you?” Li Haojun asked with a laugh, pulling her tighter into his embrace.
“No, what if some woman started chasing you—what would you do?”
“Silly girl, I’m not a child. If she chases me, I’ll just agree? I don’t even know who she is.”
“Then… what kind of person would you agree with?” Qin Wenjing drawled, her tone coquettish.
“Let her chase me for a year first—see if she’s decent, loyal, hasn’t been with anyone else. Then maybe we can talk,” Li Haojun said with a grin.
“Hmph. No wonder I’m the only woman in your life—any other woman wouldn’t put up with you,” Qin Wenjing muttered, pretending to sulk, though secretly pleased. Still unsatisfied, she pressed on.
“And if someone you actually liked came after you like that—then what?”
Li Haojun chuckled. “You think that’s possible?”
“I’m asking you—what would you do?” Qin Wenjing turned her face slightly, slanting him a sly, flirtatious look. Maybe it was a woman’s competitive streak—she had to get to the bottom of it.
“What else could I do?” Li Haojun replied helplessly. “I’d tell her the truth—that I live with you. If she wants me, she’d have to live with both of us. If she’s not okay with that, well, I can’t accept her kindness.”
“Wow, you really are greedy—wanting both of us to serve you?” Qin Wenjing gasped dramatically, poking a finger at his forehead. “Who do you think you are, an emperor?”
Though she complained, her cheeks carried a sweet smile. She knew—as a woman—she had already won.
After their affection, Li Haojun took her hand and led her to the computer, pulling up various process monitoring screens to show her.
“Look—this is the robot dog’s vision and motion control module. Later, it could be adapted for robotic birds, fish… or combined with a general AI model for humanoid robots…” As he spoke, the smile on Li Haojun’s face gradually faded.
“What’s wrong? Why the long face?”
“Nothing,” Qin Wenjing hesitated, answering softly.
“If something’s bothering you, just say it. What’s affecting you?” Li Haojun shook her hand gently, encouraging her.
“I was thinking about before—before you lost your memory.”
“Oh? Was I making robot dogs back then too? Or robots?” Li Haojun asked lightly, as though it were unimportant.
“No… back then you were also working on artificial intelligence and such,” Qin Wenjing said, clearly reluctant to revisit those memories. She fell silent, refusing to think further.
“Don’t worry. Just because I’m working on this doesn’t mean the same outcome is inevitable. Maybe it’s just coincidence.” Li Haojun forced calmness, thinking for a moment. “The company bans AI robots, but they didn’t say we can’t do research.”
“Mm, that’s true,” Qin Wenjing answered flatly, dully.
Li Haojun put an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything like that happen again. I’ll be careful.”
Then, as though struck by a thought, he asked, “Do we have internal chips?”
Qin Wenjing nodded silently, explaining, “They’re for identity verification—because quasi-interstellar residential zones might have clones. Not random cloning, it’s regulated, but many companies or organizations have the capability, so identification is necessary.”
“So… does that mean we’re being monitored when we make love?” Li Haojun asked teasingly.
“Probably not—it’s just identity info,” Qin Wenjing said, then paused. “Although… who knows what else the chip can do. That’s just how things work here. We get great working conditions, high pay, better healthcare—but we pay with our freedom and privacy. There’s no free lunch.”
“How did I end up joining this company?” Li Haojun asked, curiosity piqued by the talk of the past.
“I don’t know,” Qin Wenjing thought for a moment. “You came earlier than me—I don’t know what you were thinking.”
Hearing this, Li Haojun laughed at himself. “Ha, I don’t even remember what I was thinking back then. But why didn’t I follow your lead and turn myself from 46 back to 26?”
At that, Qin Wenjing’s face lit up again. “Why didn’t you turn yourself back into kindergarten age?”
“Sure, why not? Stay home, no job, just ask you for money. ‘Sis, sis, I want cotton candy,’” Li Haojun mimicked a child’s lisp playfully.
“Call me ‘Mom’ and I’ll buy you candy—call me ‘Mom,’” Qin Wenjing joined in, teasing him back.
“Mom, I want zhazha…”
“Get lost, trying to take advantage of me again,” Qin Wenjing said, shoving him lightly.
Still wanting to know about the past, and seeing her mood lift, Li Haojun asked again, “So… how did you join the company back then?”
“I was job hunting when I ran into John—he was doing business out on the West Coast. My major fit, and the pay was excellent. The restrictions are strict, though—you have to qualify as a quasi-interstellar citizen and abide by related laws.”
“Is that difficult?” Li Haojun asked as he listened.
“After a review period, I managed it. There’s another requirement—when certain products reach the human trial stage, employees have to participate personally.”
“Being lab rats!” Li Haojun said bluntly.
“Well… the products are all health-related. Getting to use them for free first is kind of a perk,” Qin Wenjing said, leaning into him coquettishly. “Or don’t you like younger me?”
“I do. Hey—why didn’t I get younger too?”
“Because I like you this way!” Qin Wenjing declared firmly, then switched to a dark, eerie tone and expression. “Otherwise, I’d wait until you were asleep, pour the medicine into your mouth, and say, ‘Eldest Brother, it’s time for your medicine.’” Then her face brightened again as she smiled. “I just like older men—how about that?!”
Li Haojun laughed loudly. “As long as you like it, that’s fine with me. I don’t mind.”
Thinking over Qin Wenjing’s answers, Li Haojun decided not to press with any more mood-breaking questions. Watching her shift freely between emotions, he knew she was happy—and her happiness was his happiness.