Chapter Sixty-One: Robots Do Not Lie

“It seems this is the first time since I came back that the three of us siblings have sat down to eat together at home.”

No sooner had Ye Qiu spoken than she felt someone kick her leg under the table.

Xiao Yuru was frantically signaling at her with her eyes.

Ye Qiu didn’t understand, but soon saw Liu Yiran’s delighted expression. “Yezi’s right. From now on, you both must come home for dinner.”

“Big Sis, I’m so busy now, how could I have time to come home every day?” Xiao Yuru shot Ye Qiu a fierce glare. “I’m busy at the hospital during the day, at night I have to study with Master, I don’t even get enough sleep, and now you want me running back and forth—are you trying to kill me?”

Liu Yiran retorted impatiently, “It’s not like you don’t have a room here.”

“Forget it, I don’t want to hear you nagging all the time. You should nag that troublemaker Yezi instead.”

“When we asked you to go to the capital, you said you couldn’t bear to leave us. Now we want you to stay at home and you complain. Can you make up your mind?”

“That’s not the same,” Xiao Yuru said righteously. “Here in Linhai, I can come home whenever I miss you. But if I’m in the capital, it’s not so easy to travel back and forth.”

“It’s only a few hours by plane—it’s really not that inconvenient... Ow! Second Sis, why’d you kick me?”

Xiao Yuru snapped, “I’ll kick you to death. Whose side are you on, anyway?”

“I’m on your... um... I’m neutral,” Ye Qiu had meant to say she was on Xiao Yuru’s side, but seeing Liu Yiran’s unfriendly look, she quickly declared her neutrality.

But Xiao Yuru wasn’t about to let her off so easily. She shot a sly glance at Liu Yiran and asked, “Yezi, if your big sister and I both fell into the water, who would you save first?”

Ye Qiu...

“Second Sis, aren’t you being childish?”

Liu Yiran glared at Xiao Yuru, and just as Ye Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, Liu Yiran looked at her with interest. “Yezi, who would you save?”

“I can’t swim. How about I jump in too, and the three of us just call it quits together?”

“Bah, Yezi, don’t talk nonsense.”

Just as Ye Qiu thought her self-pitying act was working, Xiao Yuru suddenly pressed, “What if you could swim?”

“What does that have to do with me? I can’t swim,” Ye Qiu shrugged helplessly.

“That’s not what I meant—I’m talking about taking sides.”

“Who’s Sides? Why are you fighting them? Want me to join?”

“Troublemaker, you’re doing this on purpose!”

Xiao Yuru’s little fists swung at Ye Qiu, but Ye Qiu easily dodged and stuck out her tongue mischievously. “Can’t catch me, can you? Too bad, nah nah nah...”

“You little brat!”

Xiao Yuru stood up and made her way around the table straight for Ye Qiu.

Ye Qiu wasn’t foolish—she circled the table, dodging pursuit. Whenever Xiao Yuru got close, Liu Yiran would occasionally grab her, giving Ye Qiu a chance to escape.

The three siblings laughed and quarreled, as if they’d returned to their childhood days.

“I give up. Big Sis is too biased, never lets me teach you a lesson,” Xiao Yuru grumbled, returning to her seat, arms crossed in a pout.

“Don’t be mad, Second Sis,” Ye Qiu coaxed, going over and shaking Xiao Yuru’s arm. But the next moment, Xiao Yuru suddenly wrapped her right arm around Ye Qiu’s neck and pulled her close, furiously ruffling Ye Qiu’s hair with her left hand.

It was a game they’d often played as children, but now they were all grown, and the gesture was a bit too playful—especially since Ye Qiu’s face was pressed against two towering obstacles, making her afraid to move.

“Both of you, mind your manners,” Liu Yiran said helplessly, pulling them apart and casting a complicated look at Xiao Yuru. “You’re not kids anymore. Still playing these silly games.”

“So what if we’re grown up?” Xiao Yuru said carelessly. “Big Sis, you’re getting more and more old-fashioned.”

“Hmph, you little brat, what did you say?”

With that, Liu Yiran joined the fray.

The three siblings horsed around for a while longer, until Ye Qiu’s phone rang, putting an end to their chaos.

“Boss, the script is finalized—Ring King IV. It’s just...” George’s voice on the phone sounded hesitant, as if he had something difficult to say.

“Out with it.”

“I’m sorry, boss, I authorized some extra investment on my own initiative and invited several international stars from Yunlaiwood to join the cast,” George said carefully. “How can someone you want to promote appear in a low-budget film?”

“You don’t know anything,” Ye Qiu snapped, but realizing George meant well, she restrained herself and explained, “China is different from Pretty Country. If you force actors into a film regardless of the story, the Chinese audience will reject it, and might even develop a lasting aversion to that actor. In the future, any film they’re in will be labeled as trash.”

“Boss, that’s because overseas releases cut the roles of such actors. But with the George family distributing, we’d never allow that.”

“You don’t get it. In China, if a newcomer appears in a blockbuster without any past work, people won’t know what to make of it. It’s a tough situation to be in.”

“I’m sorry, boss. I was wrong. I’ll send those people home right away.”

“It’s a bit late for that now, isn’t it? They’re already here.”

George said offhandedly, “Just send them back. It’s not like they’d dare complain.”

“Forget it. Since they’re here, let’s make it a big production.” Ye Qiu thought for a moment. “The promotion will be handled by the Ye-Liu Group. As for the cast, stick to the original plan—let her have the second female lead.”

“Should we use an international star or a Chinese actress for the lead female role?”

“That’s up to you. Stop bothering me with these trivial matters.”

“Understood, boss.”

“Honestly, why do you keep pestering me about every little thing? What use are you then?” Ye Qiu grumbled as she hung up, not realizing that George hadn’t actually disconnected.

“Yunyan, are you sure the boss won’t be angry about this?” George was talking to Yunyan, who didn’t project her image, but only communicated by phone.

“He’ll only get angry if we don’t handle this well.”

“But...”

“Why are you so timid? I’m not scared, so why are you?”

George protested, “You’re the boss’s treasure. He’d never punish you.”

“Stop fussing. Just do as I say. If the boss punishes you, I’ll plead on your behalf.”

That was exactly why Yunyan didn’t project her image; if she appeared, George would know she was lying.

She certainly had no intention of pleading for him.

She wasn’t about to take the blame.

“You said it yourself,” George finally relaxed.

Yunyan had human-level intelligence, but ultimately, she was still a robot.

Robots shouldn’t be able to lie, right?

“Of course. Go ahead and act boldly. If anything happens, I’ll take the blame. Anyway, I have to go now—the master is calling me.”