The Mysterious Smile of the Living Dead

The moment he saw Zhao Lingyue, Dr. Q was so overcome with emotion that he wanted to hug her, to make up for all five years he had spent waiting. But he couldn't, because Zhao Lingyue had no idea that his feelings for her had changed. He could only struggle to keep himself in check so he wouldn't scare her. During the five years Zhao Lingyue was gone, all he had for company were his longing for her and his medicine. This unusual loneliness made him realize that being without his parents was nothing like this. He couldn't face the feeling, and even wondered if he had lost the ability to endure loneliness on his own.

Zhao Lingyue noticed that Dr. Q's face had lost some of its usual aloofness and gained a touch of tenderness. She wasn't used to it.

“QQ, how have you been these past few years? Is it a lot quieter without me, your clingy friend?”

“Not quieter. Just lifeless.”

“QQ, you have no idea how much the other world I visited valued every single life. There was no crime, because every child's heart was well protected. It all started with educating the parents, making sure they were capable of loving their child. Some had children but didn't raise them, some raised them but didn't love them, and worst of all, some parents were simply bad people.”

“So it was highly civilized?”

“Yes. Honestly, I didn't want to come back.”

“Was it full of robots, all high-tech and modern?”

“No. Robots were only used for dangerous, strenuous, repetitive assembly-line work. People did everything else. They believed that combining physical and intellectual labor was the way to live a healthy life, and they were against laziness.”

“That really is the right way to live.”