65: Section 65

"All done!" 4277 stood up after wiping the cabinet and smiled at Jing Yuan.

Jing Yuan snapped back to his senses and said, "Alright..."

4277 walked to the small outer living room, picked up her jacket, and prepared to leave, only to realize it was already curfew time after checking her watch.

Only then did Jing Yuan realize that there was such a thing as a curfew.

The curfew on the Lighthouse wasn't particularly strict, and going out was usually fine—but that was only for Upper Citizens.

For a Dust Citizen, it could be a major or minor offense depending on the whim of the authorities!

"Forget it, to be safe, you'd better not leave!"

"Not leave? Then I..." 4277's voice grew smaller and smaller.

Jing Yuan nodded and said, "Stay here tonight!"

Chapter 66: Confessing to Penny

Seeing 4277's face turn bright red, Jing Yuan realized she might have misunderstood and quickly said, "It's not what you think! I have a sofa here. You sleep on the bed tonight, and I'll sleep on the sofa!"

4277 also realized she had overthought it and quickly lowered her head.

She knew that if she went out now and ran into the City Defense Force, it would likely be even worse.

Although Jing Yuan's residence was spacious, it was only so relative to other Upper Citizens.

The so-called living room and bedroom were just a slightly larger room with a partition added between the sofa and the bed.

"No, no, no! I can just sleep on the sofa." How could 4277 feel comfortable with that?

"It's fine! How could I let a girl like you sleep on the sofa!"

"But..." 4277 originally wanted to say she was a Dust Citizen, but having spent time with Jing Yuan, she knew he never treated her as one. Saying that now clearly felt inappropriate.

"It's settled then!" Jing Yuan smiled and said, "There's a bathroom next door, you can even take a shower!" Jing Yuan also found a set of T-shirt and shorts from the wardrobe for 4277, "These are my clothes, you'll have to make do with them."

4277 took the clothes and walked into the bathroom in a daze.

As a Dust Citizen, 4277 had never used a private bathroom, let alone taken a comfortable shower before bed.

Clean, warm water splashed onto 4277's face, and a refreshing sensation made her feel extremely comfortable.

"Is this the life of an Upper Citizen?"

Originally, 4277 didn't envy Upper Citizens. Upper Citizens had their benefits, and Dust Citizens had their own happiness; they had nothing to do with each other.

But when Jing Yuan gave her Upper Citizen food, let her use an Upper Citizen's bathroom, and sleep in an Upper Citizen's bed, it gave 4277 a slight yearning for the life of an Upper Citizen.

However, she also understood that it was impossible for her to become an Upper Citizen. There had never been a precedent for a Dust Citizen becoming an Upper Citizen on the Lighthouse.

4277 had been a Dust Citizen since birth, and she accepted her identity.

A moment of enjoyment wouldn't make her lose herself; being true to herself was what mattered most... In the early morning, sunlight shone in through the porthole.

When 4277 got up from the bed, she heard movement in the room.

She walked out and saw Jing Yuan exercising.

"You're up!"

"Mhm!" Wearing Jing Yuan's clothes made 4277's figure look even more petite.

"Wait for me for a bit. Once I'm done exercising, I'll go to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. You can leave after you've eaten!"

"There's no need!"

"It's fine."

After finishing his workout, Jing Yuan headed straight out the door.

A short while later, he returned with milk and bread.

Jing Yuan handed the milk and bread to 4277 and then said, "You don't have to come next time. There's not much to clean here."

"But the people from the Management Department require me to come and clean every day."

"Every day?" Jing Yuan said in surprise, "Is there really a need to clean my place every day?"

4277 glanced around and said, "Indeed, there isn't. But if the Management Department requires it and I don't follow through, not only will I not get contribution points, but I'll also be punished."

Jing Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Then just do as they say! Anyway, earning contribution points just for making a trip is pretty good."

4277 nodded silently, then opened the bag and took out the milk and bread.

"Go ahead and eat. I'm heading out. Just make sure to close the door when you leave."

Jing Yuan left after saying that.

After leaving, Jing Yuan went to Penny's residence again.

Seeing Jing Yuan standing at the door, Penny was somewhat surprised.

"Why are you here?"

Jing Yuan pulled out a bag and said, "I thought you weren't feeling well and might not have eaten breakfast, so I brought some over."

At this moment, Jing Yuan felt like he was acting like a 'central air conditioner'—a guy who is nice to everyone.

Penny was stunned; she indeed hadn't gone to eat breakfast yet.

"Thank you!"

Just then, someone suddenly walked past in the hallway. Penny looked like a thief with a guilty conscience; she grabbed Jing Yuan, pulled him into the room, and quickly closed the door.

Seeing Penny's actions, Jing Yuan laughed and said, "Why are you acting like you're doing something bad!"

Penny, however, said seriously, "We're getting too close. Do you know the consequences if we get caught?"

"You've been helping me during these past few Surface missions. Isn't it normal for us to be a bit closer?"

"You know what I mean."

Jing Yuan smiled and walked over to lean against the window. "Yes, I know what you mean." Jing Yuan glanced over and noticed a book lying by Penny's bedside.

Seeing the word 'Love' in the title, Jing Yuan recalled that this scene had appeared in the original story.

Penny had obtained a 'forbidden book' from the old world, which led her to yearn for love.

And Penny's yearning for love, in turn, influenced Ran Bing, helping Ran Bing recognize her own heart and face her feelings for Mark.

Jing Yuan reached out to take the book. Penny instinctively tried to block him but failed.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not going to report you to the Law Enforcement Office!"

Jing Yuan flipped through a few pages randomly; it was all text, without even a single illustration.

The more some things are forbidden, the more they stimulate people's curiosity.

If this book were left open for anyone to see, few would actually bother to read such dry text.

"In the old world, there was something called love. It could make people live for it or die for it. But this book isn't just about love; it's also about resistance against oppression and the rise of self-awareness."

Penny was stunned. "You've read this book?"

"I read it a long time ago!" Jing Yuan had indeed read it a long time ago—so long ago that it was in his previous life. Being able to remember even a tiny bit was already not easy.

Jing Yuan looked at Penny, sighed, and said slowly, "Penny, there's something I need to tell you!"

Penny was full of confusion.

"Actually, our meeting in the Hall of Dawn wasn't an accident. It was deliberately arranged by someone."

Penny found it hard to believe. She said, "Impossible. The Breeding Mission is the foremost of the three great laws. Who could possibly arrange a Breeding Mission?"

"Charles!" Jing Yuan said bluntly.

Hearing this name, even though Penny was shocked, she could accept it.

Charles, the Leader of the Light and Shadow Society—is there anything on the Lighthouse that he can't do?

"But why would he deliberately arrange for us to meet in the Hall of Dawn?"

Jing Yuan said directly, "Charles wanted to win me over, so he used the Hall of Dawn mission as a reward for me. Initially, I thought he had just assigned me someone at random, but after meeting you in the Hall of Dawn three times in a row, I realized it wasn't a coincidence."

"Using a Hall of Dawn mission as a reward?" Penny found it hard to believe. "The Breeding Mission is packaged as a sacred duty. I didn't expect it to also be a bargaining chip for a deal."

"Remember that time we bumped into each other in the outer ring and were seen by the City Defense Force?" Jing Yuan said, "They mistakenly thought we liked each other, so they passed that news to Charles. To win me over, Charles specifically arranged for us to go to the Hall of Dawn."

Penny's expression was one of bewilderment, and she didn't know what to say.

Originally, she had been internally resistant to going to the Hall of Dawn to perform the Breeding Mission.

Under the pressure of the three great laws, she had no choice but to accept it.

After all, for a Breeding Mission, what did it matter who she did it with?

The first time she met Jing Yuan, she didn't feel much.

But later, through her daily interactions with Jing Yuan, she was also attracted to this arrogant man.

By the second time, she already knew it was Jing Yuan and was willing to carry out the Breeding Mission with him.