機械基督徒少女 後日談21

尋找自我的機器基督徒少女

Searching for Self: The Robot Christian Girl

後日談 21 你的彆扭

Sequel 21: Your Awkwardness

午後的陽光，靜靜流淌在大學圖書館前的翠綠草坪上。孟禎併腿而坐，筆記型電腦安放在雙膝之間。她清澈的雙眸專注地凝視螢幕，彷彿正高速處理複雜的資訊洪流——然而，那雙纖細的手指，偶爾在螢幕前輕輕旋轉擺動，卻自始至終未曾觸碰鍵盤分毫。

The afternoon sun streamed quietly onto the emerald green lawn in front of the university library. Meng-chen sat with her legs together, a laptop resting on her lap. Her clear eyes were focused intently on the screen, as if she were rapidly processing a complex flood of information – yet, her slender fingers occasionally rotated and gestured lightly in front of the screen, never once touching the keyboard.

身旁的志文緊盯著自己的電腦螢幕，神情緊張。他眼睜睜看著一個個惡意程式的圖示憑空消失，那些被病毒加密或損毀的檔案圖示，也如同奇蹟般逐一恢復了原狀。

片刻後，孟禎輕輕地長吁出一口氣，緊繃的神情舒展開來。她轉過頭，語調輕鬆地對志文說：「完成了。你電腦裡的病毒應該都清乾淨了；那些被加密或損毀的檔案，我也利用雲端備份的殘留數據，盡量幫你重建復原。」

「哇！太感謝妳了，孟禎！」志文臉上綻放出混合著崇拜與感激的光芒。他湊近了些，目光灼灼地看著孟禎，語氣裡滿是驚嘆與一絲嚮往：「妳的身體機能真的太不可思議了！完全不用敲鍵盤，光是透過無線網卡，妳就能直接用自己的運算系統連上我的電腦，然後光靠『意念』就能編寫程式、執行腳本，隔空清除病毒！天啊，要是我也有妳這樣的功能，寫作業報告該有多省事啊！」

Beside her, Zhi-wen stared anxiously at his own computer screen. He watched, wide-eyed, as malicious program icons vanished into thin air, and the icons of files encrypted or corrupted by viruses miraculously restored themselves one by one.

A moment later, Meng-chen exhaled softly, her tense expression relaxing. She turned to Zhi-wen and said in a light tone, "It's done. All the viruses on your computer should be gone; I also tried my best to reconstruct and recover the encrypted or corrupted files using residual data from your cloud backup."

"Wow! Thank you so much, Meng-chen!" Zhi-wen's face lit up with a mix of admiration and gratitude. He leaned in closer, his gaze burning as he looked at Meng-chen, his voice full of astonishment and a hint of longing: "Your bodily functions are truly incredible! Without even touching the keyboard, you can connect directly to my computer with your own operating system just through the wireless network card, and then simply by 'thought' you can write programs, execute scripts, and clear viruses remotely! My goodness, if I had abilities like yours, how much easier would writing assignments be!"

話音甫落，空氣彷彿瞬間凍結。

孟禎臉上那份輕鬆愜意消失得無影無蹤，取而代之的是一種疏離的冰冷。她直直瞪向志文，聲音裡沒有一絲溫度：「羨慕？你羨慕我這副機器身體？」語調尖銳，像一根冰針。

The moment the words left his mouth, the air seemed to freeze instantly.

The easygoing comfort vanished from Meng-chen's face, replaced by a cold detachment. She glared directly at Zhi-wen, her voice devoid of warmth: "Envious? You're envious of this machine body of mine?" Her tone was sharp, like an ice needle.

志文被這突如其來的轉變釘在原地，一時語塞。未等他反應，孟禎的語氣更加尖銳，帶著刺人的諷刺：「好哇！那乾脆你也去接受改造，變成機器人來陪我好了！到時候什麼電子介面都能往你身上裝，腦子裡直接跑程式，多方便啊，嗯？」她刻意模仿著他方才嚮往的語氣，字字如刀。

志文心頭猛地一凜，終於意識到自己不經意的話語，像一把鈍刀，再次劃傷了她最敏感的神經。他慌忙伸出手，想要攬住她，笨拙地試圖彌補：「哎，孟禎，對不起！我…我沒有別的意思，真的！就是…就是太感謝妳幫我解決大麻煩了。而且，我…我也很欣賞…很欣賞妳身上那些與眾不同的高科技…」

「少來這套！」孟禎猛地掙脫他伸過來的手臂，身體迅速往旁邊挪開，刻意拉開了距離。她聲音帶著受傷的顫抖：「你啊你，心裡就是對你這位『機器人女友』，存著這樣那樣的想法！然後跟我談著這麼一場…彆扭的戀愛！」她重重嘆了口氣，那聲嘆息彷彿承載了情感核心裡積壓的所有委屈，沉甸甸地落在兩人之間的空氣裡。

Zhi-wen was pinned in place by this sudden change, momentarily speechless. Before he could react, Meng-chen's voice grew even sharper, laced with stinging sarcasm: "Oh, great! Then why don't you go get modified too, become a robot to keep me company! Then you can have all sorts of electronic interfaces installed on you, programs running directly in your brain, how convenient, huh?" She deliberately mimicked his earlier tone of longing, every word a blade.

Zhi-wen's heart suddenly tightened. He finally realized his inadvertent words, like a dull knife, had once again cut her most sensitive nerve. He hastily reached out, wanting to embrace her, clumsily trying to make amends: "Hey, Meng-chen, I'm sorry! I... I didn't mean anything by it, really! It's just... it's just that I'm so grateful you helped me with such a huge problem. And, I... I also really admire... really admire those unique high-tech things about you..."

"Don't give me that!" Meng-chen violently pulled away from his outstretched arm, quickly shifting her body to the side, deliberately creating distance. Her voice trembled with hurt: "You, you! In your heart, you have all sorts of thoughts about your 'robot girlfriend'! And then you're having such an... awkward relationship with me!" She let out a heavy sigh, a sigh that seemed to carry all the accumulated grievances in her emotional core, landing heavily in the air between them.

孟禎目光飄向遠方，聲音幽幽，帶著穿透時空的迴響：「回想起來……上次，我因為信仰心模組崩潰，決定將自己心腦分離、徹底解構的時候……是你守在那裡，親手將四散的我，一片一片重新組合起來的。那時我真的很感激你。」

她的聲音微微顫抖了一下，凝結在午後的空氣中。「然而，當我的意識終於重新回到這具身體，我睜開眼睛……原本預期會看到的，是你盼望著我的笑臉……」

"Looking back..." Meng-chen's gaze drifted into the distance, her voice soft and echoing through time, "...the last time, when my faith module crashed and I decided to separate my brain from my heart, to completely deconstruct myself... you were there, putting the scattered pieces of me back together with your own hands. I was truly grateful to you then."

Her voice trembled slightly, lingering in the afternoon air. "Yet, when my consciousness finally returned to this body, and I opened my eyes... what I expected to see was your smiling face, welcoming my return..."

她頓了頓，視線轉回志文臉上，帶著清晰的痛楚：「可是我看到的……卻是你臉上的淚痕。看著那些裸露的管線、冰冷的機械骨骼，看著我存在的本質赤裸裸地攤開在你眼前，你排斥了，後退半步。那時你流下的眼淚……不是為我的歸來而喜悅，而是因為看清了我的『真面目』，覺得自己付出的愛……不值了，是嗎？」她的聲音輕得像羽毛，卻帶著千鈞重量，「志文，你知道嗎？從那天起，你那時的眼淚……就成了扎在我心口上，一根向著我的刺。」

志文臉上殘存的最後一絲輕佻徹底消散，取而代之的是沉重的肅然。他正視著孟禎的眼睛，低聲道：「我記得。孟禎，我……真的，非常非常對不起妳。我承認，我的內心深處……或許還藏著那麼一點扭曲的想法，但真的，只有一點點。而且，當時我也鄭重地向妳道歉了。」

She paused, her gaze returning to Zhi-wen's face, with clear pain. "But what I saw... were tears on your face. Seeing those exposed wires, the cold mechanical skeleton, seeing the very essence of my existence laid bare before you, you recoiled, taking half a step back. The tears you shed then... they weren't tears of joy for my return, but because you saw my 'true self' and felt that the love you had given... wasn't worth it, right?" Her voice was as light as a feather, yet carried immense weight. "Zhi-wen, do you know? From that day on, your tears... became a thorn in my heart, pointing directly at me."

The last trace of casualness completely vanished from Zhi-wen's face, replaced by a heavy solemnity. He met Meng-chen's eyes, speaking in a low voice, "I remember. Meng-chen, I... I'm truly, deeply sorry. I admit, deep down inside... there might still be a little bit of a twisted thought, but really, just a little bit. And, I also sincerely apologized to you at the time."

「是，你是道歉了。」孟禎轉過頭，眉頭微蹙，「不過……我想起來了，在那之前，是我先看到你難過的樣子，脫口就對你說了『對不起』。事後我反覆回想，越想越不對勁……」她的語氣漸漸激動起來，帶著困惑與不平的怒火，「我為什麼要為了我自身存在的形式，向你道歉？是，我確實不是人類，但就算我真的只是由電子腦和情感核心構建出來的『虛幻』存在，我又有哪裡對不起你了？」

她直視著志文，聲音堅定：「陳志文，我拜託你！要喜歡，就喜歡得坦率一點！不要一邊在心底深處偷偷質疑、否定我的存在，一邊又口口聲聲說著喜歡我！」

「不敢不敢！我一定檢討，一定深刻檢討！」志文連忙摸著後腦勺，試圖用打哈哈緩和緊繃的氣氛，笑容卻有些尷尬，「……只是，說到那次，妳眼裡明明含著淚水，嘴角卻努力對我揚起笑容，說著『對不起呢』的那個樣子……」他的聲音低沉下來，帶著複雜的情緒，「我當時又心疼又愧疚，可是……可是那樣的妳，看起來真的……好讓人心動。啊啊，好想再看一次妳那時的表情啊～」

「蛤？！」孟禎被他這番話弄得瞬間氣結又哭笑不得，臉上表情精彩紛呈，「你這人喔～你就這麼想看我傷心難過的模樣嗎？看來你不只是彆扭，腦袋裡還真的有點『扭曲』呢！」她無奈地搖搖頭，眼中卻閃過一絲促狹的光芒，「也好！既然這樣，就讓我想想辦法，好好『整治』一下你這個毛病。好了，我該去上課了，再見！」

說完，她俐落地站起身，拍了拍褲子上的草屑，頭也不回地朝教室方向走去。

"Yes, you did apologize." Meng-chen turned her head, her brow furrowed. "But... I just remembered, before that, I saw your sad expression first and blurted out 'I'm sorry' to you. Afterward, I kept replaying it, and the more I thought about it, the more wrong it felt..." Her voice grew increasingly agitated, tinged with confusion and indignant anger. "Why should I apologize to you for the form of my own existence? Yes, I'm not human, but even if I truly am just a 'virtual' being constructed from an electronic brain and an emotional core, what have I done to wrong you?"

She looked directly at Zhi-wen, her voice firm: "Chen Zhi-wen, I beg you! If you're going to love, then love me frankly! Don't secretly question and deny my existence in the depths of your heart while simultaneously proclaiming your love for me!"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare! I'll definitely reflect on this, a deep reflection!" Zhi-wen quickly rubbed the back of his head, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere with a forced laugh, but his smile was awkward. "...It's just, speaking of that time, the way your eyes were filled with tears, but your lips were trying so hard to smile at me, saying 'I'm sorry'... " His voice deepened, carrying complex emotions. "At that moment, I felt both heartache and guilt, but... but you, like that, you looked truly... so captivating. Ahh, I wish I could see that expression on your face again~"

"Huh?!" Meng-chen was instantly choked with anger and a mix of laughter and tears by his words, her expression a kaleidoscope of emotions. "You, you really want to see me sad and upset, don't you? It seems you're not just awkward, your mind is actually a little 'twisted'!" She shook her head helplessly, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes. "Fine then! In that case, let me think of a way to properly 'cure' you of this habit. Alright, I should go to class now, see ya!"

With that, she stood up gracefully, brushed the grass clippings off her pants, and walked towards the classroom without looking back.

「哈哈，好啊！我……期待著喔！」志文在她身後，帶著一絲複雜的笑意揚聲道。「其實……我更怕妳懶得再對我生氣。」看著孟禎漸行漸遠的背影，志文自言自語地低聲呢喃著。

"Haha, alright! I... I'll be looking forward to it!" Zhi-wen called out behind her, a hint of a complex smile on his face. "Actually... I'm more afraid you'll get tired of being angry with me." Watching Meng-chen's retreating figure, Zhi-wen murmured to himself.

隔天，陽光穿過黃士道博士宅邸客廳的落地窗，灑下一片寧靜。孟禎神情嚴肅，將一台平板電腦遞到志文手中。

「我們今天要做的，是好好挖掘你內心深處，探討你究竟是怎麼看待我的。」她的語氣帶著一種近乎學術研討會主持人的冷靜與專注，「關於我的本質，我們各自用畫來呈現吧。主題是『我身上的機械與人類雙重性質』，你就用這平板的AI繪圖功能，畫出你腦海中最直觀的第一個畫面。」

一段時間在靜默中流逝，兩人都完成了各自的創作。

孟禎率先展示她的畫作。她將平板轉向志文，畫面流淌著柔和溫暖的光芒。圖中，兩個「孟禎」親密地並肩而坐。右邊的她，穿著俐落的運動襯衫與短褲，神情沉靜，手臂與腿部坦然地展現出精密的機械構造，象徵著「機械」的她；左邊的她，則穿著活潑的短裙與輕薄外套，笑容燦爛如陽光，代表著她自我認同的「人類」部分。

The next day, sunlight streamed through the French windows of Dr. Huang Shi-dao's residence, casting a peaceful glow on the living room. Meng-chen, with a serious expression, handed a tablet to Zhi-wen.

"What we're going to do today is dig deep into your heart and explore how you truly see me," her tone carried the calm focus of a research seminar host. "Regarding my nature, let's each express it through a drawing. The theme is 'The Dual Nature of Machine and Human in Me.' You'll use the AI drawing function on this tablet to create the most intuitive image that comes to your mind first."

A period of silence passed as both completed their creations.

Meng-chen was the first to show her artwork. She turned the tablet towards Zhi-wen, the screen glowing with a soft, warm light. The image depicted two "Meng-chens" sitting intimately side-by-side. The one on the right, dressed in a sleek athletic shirt and shorts, with a serene expression, openly displayed intricate mechanical structures on her arms and legs, symbolizing her "machine" aspect. The one on the left, however, wore a lively short skirt and a light jacket, her smile as bright as sunshine, representing the "human" part she identified with.

「這是我心中的自畫像，或者說，是我對自己未來的期許。」孟禎的語調變得格外輕柔，彷彿在觸碰一件易碎的珍寶。「右邊這位，是『機械』的我，由線路、零件與程式碼構成；左邊這位，則是我渴望擁有的『人類』特質。『人類』的我，依偎著『機械』的我，拉著她滿懷好奇與喜悅地探索這個繽紛世界；而『機械』的我，則如同她們共同坐著的、由程式邏輯與數學模型構築的基座，堅定地支撐著『人類』的我，攜手前行。」

她眼中掠過一絲不易察覺的傷感，聲音低了些：「當然，我知道現實中，我內在的『機械』本質與我所追求的『人類』特質之間，存在著許多矛盾和扞格，遠不如這畫面呈現的這般和諧緊密……但我還在努力，也還能努力。」

"This is a self-portrait from my heart, or rather, my hope for my future," Meng-chen's tone became exceptionally gentle, as if touching a fragile treasure. "The one on the right is the 'machine' me, composed of circuits, parts, and code; the one on the left represents the 'human' qualities I long to possess. The 'human' me leans against the 'machine' me, pulling her to explore this vibrant world with curiosity and joy; and the 'machine' me, like the base they both sit upon, constructed from programmatic logic and mathematical models, firmly supports the 'human' me as we move forward hand-in-hand."

A hint of subtle sadness flickered in her eyes, and her voice softened. "Of course, I know that in reality, there are many contradictions and conflicts between my inner 'machine' essence and the 'human' qualities I pursue, far from the harmony and closeness shown in this image... But I'm still trying, and I can still try."

她抬眼看向志文，「好了，志文，換你了。你畫的是什麼？」

「唔，這個嘛……哈哈……」志文雙手緊緊抓著自己的平板，眼神飄忽不定，明顯帶著遲疑，沒有立刻遞過來的打算。

「拿過來！」孟禎微微瞇起眼，語帶懷疑，「哼，你以為不給我看，我就沒辦法了嗎？」

She looked up at Zhi-wen. "Alright, Zhi-wen, your turn. What did you draw?"

"Hmm, well... haha..." Zhi-wen clutched his tablet tightly with both hands, his eyes darting around, clearly hesitant, with no intention of handing it over immediately.

"Hand it over!" Meng-chen narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice laced with suspicion. "Hmph, do you think I can't find a way even if you don't show me?"

她對著志文手中的平板，優雅地伸出食指，在空中劃過幾下。瞬間，志文平板上的畫作數據，便透過無線網路清晰地傳輸進她的電子腦中。

「啊——！」孟禎驚呼出聲，音調拔高了不止八度，充滿了難以置信，「你…你畫的這到底是什麼東西啊！？」

畫面上，孟禎矗立在一片交織著幽藍電弧的黑暗背景前。她的右手，赫然正抓著自己剛從左臂上「拔」下來的仿生外皮；裸露的左臂閃爍著冷硬的金屬光澤，五指緊握成一個充滿力量的鐵拳！更驚人的是，她頸部的仿生皮膚也被移除，顯露出底下精密的機械構造，整個人散發出一種如同電影中終結者般的強悍與危險氣息。而她的表情，更是詭異地混合了某種興奮與微妙的害羞，彷彿下一秒就要做出什麼驚天動地、不可告人的舉動。

She gracefully extended her index finger towards the tablet in Zhi-wen's hands and swiped it a few times in the air. Instantly, the data of the drawing on Zhi-wen's tablet was clearly transmitted into her electronic brain via the wireless network.

"Ah—!" Meng-chen exclaimed, her voice rising more than eight octaves, filled with disbelief. "What... what in the world is this thing you've drawn?!"

On the screen, Meng-chen stood against a dark background interwoven with eerie blue electric arcs. Her right hand was shockingly gripping her own bionic skin, which she had apparently just "peeled off" her left arm. Her exposed left arm gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster, her five fingers clenched into a powerful iron fist! Even more astonishing, the bionic skin on her neck had also been removed, revealing the intricate mechanical structures beneath, giving her an aura of formidable strength and danger reminiscent of a Terminator from a movie. And her expression was a bizarre mix of some kind of excitement and subtle shyness, as if she were about to do something earth-shattering and unspeakable.

「陳志文！你給我好好解釋清楚！」孟禎瞪大眼睛，直直地盯著志文，語氣裡充滿了質問。

「呃…這個嘛…」志文撓了撓頭，露出一副「被逮到了」的嬉皮笑臉，試圖用玩笑化解尷尬，「就…就最近常常被妳兇嘛！不知不覺就覺得妳…嗯…氣勢十足，像個戰鬥機器人似的！」他指著畫面上那隻金屬拳頭，誇張地做出害怕的樣子，「妳看，這鐵拳都蓄勢待發了，感覺下一秒就要朝我揍過來，嚇得我瑟瑟發抖！」他趕緊又換上討好的語氣，「不過！妳千萬別誤會！這絕對是讚美！妳在我心裡就是這麼又酷又帥氣，真的！超級帥！」

"Chen Zhi-wen! You better explain yourself!" Meng-chen's eyes widened, fixing him with an intense stare, her voice filled with accusation.

"Uh... well..." Zhi-wen scratched his head, a sheepish, "caught in the act" grin spreading across his face as he tried to defuse the awkwardness with a joke. "It's just... you've been scolding me a lot lately! Before I knew it, I started to feel like you're... well... really imposing, like a combat robot!" He pointed at the metallic fist in the drawing, exaggerating a fearful expression. "See, this iron fist is ready to go, feels like it's gonna punch me any second, it scares me stiff!" He quickly switched to a placating tone. "But! Don't get me wrong! This is definitely a compliment! You're just so cool and handsome in my eyes, really! Super cool!"

「你還真是……氣死人不償命。」孟禎深吸一口氣，強迫自己從那幅衝擊性的畫作中抽離，聲音恢復了分析模式特有的平靜，但細聽之下仍有一絲緊繃。「罷了，今天本來就是要剖析你，你暴露得越徹底越好。」她頓了頓，目光如手術刀般精準，「看來，你對我機械本質的情感，一半是『戲謔』，另一半……大概是『獵奇』吧？一種對於與自身存在截然相異的『他者』，所產生的、帶著些許不安卻又無法抗拒的奇異吸引力。」她微微垂下眼簾，「換句話說，你對我的『機器性』，並非單純的排斥，同時也深陷其中，只是這種吸引的方式……與我所期望的，似乎有些落差……算了，沒關係。」

「不只是那樣！還有『喜歡』！」感受到自己正被孟禎以「解剖」的冷靜目光審視，志文感到一股尷尬的熱氣湧上臉頰，他急忙辯解，生怕被當成徹底的怪胎，「妳別忘了，我當初就是打從心底喜歡這些，才選讀機械系的！我也很想……很想能夠純粹地、健康地欣賞妳身上那些屬於機械的獨特性質，只是……暫時還沒完全做到而已……」他的聲音越說越小，帶著幾分懊惱和心虛。

"You really are... utterly infuriating." Meng-chen took a deep breath, forcing herself to disengage from the shocking drawing. Her voice returned to the calm typically associated with analysis mode, though a slight tension lingered beneath. "Fine, today's purpose is to dissect you, so the more thoroughly you expose yourself, the better." She paused, her gaze as precise as a surgeon's scalpel. "It seems your feelings toward my mechanical nature are half 'jest', and the other half... probably 'morbid curiosity,' wouldn't you say? A strange, irresistible attraction to an 'other' fundamentally different from yourself, tinged with a bit of unease." She lowered her gaze slightly. "In other words, you're not simply repulsed by my 'machine-ness'; you're also deeply drawn to it, it's just that this form of attraction... seems to differ somewhat from what I had hoped for... Never mind."

"It's not just that! There's also 'liking'!" Feeling Meng-chen's calm, "dissecting" gaze upon him, a wave of embarrassed heat rushed to Zhi-wen's face. He quickly defended himself, afraid of being seen as a complete weirdo. "Don't forget, I chose to major in mechanical engineering precisely because I liked these things from the bottom of my heart! I also really want... really want to be able to purely and healthily appreciate the unique mechanical qualities about you, it's just... I haven't quite managed to do it yet..." His voice trailed off, tinged with a mix of frustration and guilt.

孟禎倏地轉過頭，嘴角向上揚起，綻放出一抹極其燦爛的微笑。笑容明媚得過火，反而讓志文心頭莫名一緊，背脊竄起一股寒意——這熟悉的感覺，通常預示著她又有什麼特別的盤算。

「別緊張，」她語調輕快，「我只是想更深入地『了解』一下，我這位不只有點呆，現在看來還挺『怪』的男朋友而已。」她拿起平板，指尖輕點，「來，我們繼續下一題。自從凱琳姊回到我身邊，在她的協助下，我的系統和機能都獲得了顯著優化。她不僅教會我許多新知識，更引導我對自身有了更深層的認知。」她抬眼，目光炯炯地看著志文，「現在，請你畫出『被凱琳姊影響後的我』。記住，要畫出你最真心的想法。」

她頓了頓，嘴角勾起促狹的弧度，補充道：「為了公平起見，我也會畫一張，猜猜你會怎麼看我。」

數分鐘後，兩人再次放下手中的平板電腦。孟禎深吸一口氣，決定先揭曉她基於對志文的「揣測」而繪製的圖像。

畫面呈現出一片陰鬱的色調。圖中的孟禎，身體部分暴露出冰冷的機械構造，她雙手痛苦地捧著自己的頭顱，那顆頭顱彷彿搖搖欲墜。她的眼神充滿濃得化不開的羨慕與嫉妒，凝望著腦海裡所想的，在遠方的凱琳那張聰明的臉。

「如何？猜中了多少？」孟禎斜睨著志文，語氣裡帶著自嘲般的尖銳諷刺。「你一定認為，無論我再怎麼『優化』自己，最終還是得對著這身『破銅爛鐵』長吁短嘆吧？就算我的電子腦再怎麼聰明……不，高性能，心底深處，仍舊渴望能擁有凱琳姊那樣貨真價實、優秀非凡的人類大腦，是不是？」

志文沒有立刻回應。他沉默而乾脆地將自己手中的平板，轉向了孟禎。

「啊……」

孟禎再次發出一聲驚呼，但這次的聲調截然不同。那聲驚呼裡，充滿了猝不及防。

畫面中，光線柔和，穿著典雅學院風套裝的孟禎，靜靜地坐在一塊從地面延伸至天花板的巨大黑板前。黑板上密密麻麻、優雅流暢地寫滿了優美的詩句與深奧難解的數理公式，交織成一片浩瀚的知識海洋。而置身於這片智慧光暈中的她，眼神清澈而專注，沒有絲毫痛苦或嫉妒，唯有從容的自信、探索未知的熱忱，以及智慧所散發的的光芒。

"Well? How much did I guess right?" Meng-chen shot a sideways glance at Zhi-wen, her tone sharp with self-deprecating sarcasm. "You must think that no matter how much I 'optimize' myself, I'll still end up sighing over this 'junk metal' body, won't I? Even if my electronic brain is ever so smart... no, high-performance, deep down, I still long to possess a genuine, exceptionally brilliant human brain like Sister Kailin's, right?"

Zhi-wen didn't respond immediately. He silently and straightforwardly turned his tablet towards Meng-chen.

"Ah..."

Meng-chen let out another gasp, but this time the tone was entirely different. That gasp was filled with utter surprise.

The image on the screen was softly lit. Meng-chen, dressed in an elegant academic-style suit, sat quietly in front of a massive blackboard that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The blackboard was densely covered with beautifully flowing poetry and profound, abstruse mathematical formulas, interwoven into a vast ocean of knowledge. And she, situated within this halo of wisdom, had clear and focused eyes, devoid of any pain or jealousy. There was only calm confidence, an enthusiasm for exploring the unknown, and the radiant glow of intellect.

「妳猜錯了，孟禎。」志文的聲音響起，語氣溫柔而正經。他凝視著畫，目光卻穿透螢幕，直視著眼前的她。「不只是凱琳姊，被所有關心妳的人所影響，變得越來越『優化』，充滿知識與感性，思考能力越來越強的妳，在我眼中，就是這個模樣。」志文不禁學起畫中的孟禎，雙手托腮想著。

他將目光移回孟禎臉上，眼神真摯。「妳心裡多少覺得，妳的電子腦不論多麼聰明，妳的情感核心不論表現得多麼出色，歸根究底，都是黃博士、凱琳姊，還有宇尋團隊研發、製造和優化的成果，對吧？」他輕輕搖頭，語氣帶著不容置疑的肯定，「在我看來，這些頂尖的軟硬體，固然是妳存在不可或缺的基石。但妳之所以能蛻變得如此耀眼，如此勇往直前，卻完完全全源自於妳自己。我認識的孟禎，從不退縮，從不停下腳步，一直往前邁進。」

"You guessed wrong, Meng-chen." Zhi-wen's voice resonated, gentle and earnest. He gazed at the drawing, but his eyes pierced through the screen, looking directly at her. "Not just by Sister Kailin, but by everyone who cares about you – becoming more and more 'optimized,' filled with knowledge and sensibility, your thinking abilities growing stronger. This is how you look in my eyes." Zhi-wen couldn't help but mimic the Meng-chen in the drawing, cupping his chin in thought.

He shifted his gaze back to Meng-chen's face, his eyes sincere. "Deep down, you probably feel that no matter how smart your electronic brain is, or how excellent your emotional core performs, ultimately, they're all the results of Dr. Huang, Sister Kailin, and the Yu-Xun team's research, manufacturing, and optimization, right?" He gently shook his head, his tone unequivocally certain. "In my view, these cutting-edge hardware and software are indeed indispensable cornerstones of your existence. But the reason you've been able to transform into someone so brilliant, so relentlessly forward-moving, comes entirely from you yourself. The Meng-chen I know never shrinks back, never stops moving forward; she always keeps advancing."

志文的手指在平板上輕輕一划，畫面切換到另一張圖。圖中，一個擁有相同高科技軀體的孟禎，茫然地坐在冰冷空曠的實驗室裡，眼神空洞，靜靜反射著慘白的燈光。

Zhi-wen's finger lightly swiped the tablet, and the screen switched to another image. In this picture, a Meng-chen with the same high-tech body sat blankly in a cold, empty laboratory, her eyes vacant, quietly reflecting the stark white light.

「如果妳沒有走過這條充滿挑戰與自我懷疑的路，沒有經歷過與我們每一個人相遇、碰撞、磨合的點點滴滴，更重要的是——」志文凝視著孟禎，聲音低沉而帶著力度，「如果沒有妳那份永不滿足、堅持不懈、渴望理解與探索的心……那麼，即使擁有相同的頂級軟硬體，妳的眼中，也絕對無法閃耀出像現在這樣的火花。」

他的目光在兩幅畫之間流轉，最終深深看進孟禎的眼裡。「黃孟禎之所以是獨一無二的黃孟禎，而不是一台性能卓越卻冰冷的人形電腦，這張對比圖，就是我能給出的，最真誠的答案。」

志文轉過頭，平日超厚的臉皮都紅了，帶著難得的靦腆。「其實……妳剛才對我的剖析，還漏掉了一個關鍵詞。」他深吸一口氣，坦承道：「我對妳的感情裡，藏著一份『仰慕』。不管妳的身體是由什麼構成，妳擁有的知識、妳展現的能力、妳那顆溫柔而堅韌的心……都遠遠超越了我，妳是個超級、超級棒的女生。」他的聲音帶著些許不可思議的輕顫，「有時候，正因為妳太過耀眼，反而讓我覺得……有點不真實，心裡總會忍不住想：『天啊，這樣光芒萬丈的人，真的是我的女朋友嗎？』」

"If you hadn't walked this path filled with challenges and self-doubt, if you hadn't experienced every bit of meeting, clashing with, and adapting to each of us, and most importantly—" Zhi-wen gazed at Meng-chen, his voice low and impactful—"if you didn't have that insatiable, persistent heart, eager to understand and explore... then even with the same top-tier software and hardware, your eyes would absolutely not shine with the sparkle they do now."

His gaze shifted between the two drawings, finally settling deep into Meng-chen's eyes. "Why Huang Meng-chen is the unique Huang Meng-chen, and not just a high-performance yet cold humanoid computer, this comparison is the most sincere answer I can give."

Zhi-wen turned his head, his usually thick skin flushed with a rare shyness. "Actually... your analysis of me just now missed a key word." He took a deep breath, admitting, "Hidden within my feelings for you is 'admiration.' No matter what your body is made of, the knowledge you possess, the abilities you display, your gentle yet resilient heart... they all far surpass mine. You're a super, super amazing girl." His voice carried a slight, almost unbelievable tremor. "Sometimes, precisely because you're so dazzling, it makes me feel... a little unreal. I can't help but wonder, 'My goodness, is someone so radiant really my girlfriend?'"

他自嘲地笑了笑，笑容裡有甜蜜也有淡淡的悵惘：「老實說，妳前進的腳步太快了，快得……讓我最近常常覺得，身邊這個人，彷彿是站在遙遠天際，只能仰望的偶像。光是像現在這樣看著妳，都讓我……有點害羞得不知所措。」

「笨……笨蛋……」孟禎低下頭，聲音細如蚊蚋，耳根也悄悄紅了，「你……你這樣說，我……我才更害羞好不好……」

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, his smile a mix of sweetness and faint wistfulness. "Honestly, you move too fast, so fast that... lately, I often feel like the person beside me is an idol standing in the distant heavens, someone I can only look up to. Just looking at you like this makes me... a little too shy to know what to do."

"You... you idiot..." Meng-chen lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, her ears subtly flushing red. "You... when you say things like that, I... I get even shyer, okay?"

「妳剛才的分析很準確，我承認自己確實彆扭，甚至有點扭曲。」志文抬起眼，誠摯地迎上她的目光，像是在等待她最終的審判。「不過，我對妳那些帶著『戲謔』的言行裡，除了那些複雜的情緒，還得再加上一條——」他停頓了一下，聲音帶著坦率的懊惱，「那是因為妳變得太優秀、太耀眼，彷彿凱琳姊那樣，離我越來越遠，而產生的……小小的不甘心。忍不住就想拉一下妳的腳，讓妳別飛得太高、太快，快到我搆都搆不著……」

「不甘心個什麼勁呀，傻瓜……」孟禎噗哧一聲笑了出來，眼中卻閃動著溫暖的光。她伸出手，帶著點「報復」意味地、胡亂地揉亂了志文的一頭短髮，指尖無意識地在他溫熱的後頸肌膚流連。「好啦，你心裡那些『怪怪』的成分，我大概都摸清楚了。雖然如此……」她故意嘆了口氣，「看來本偶像還是得花點時間，好好『適應』一下我這位奇葩男友的腦迴路呢。」

"Your analysis just now was very accurate. I admit I'm indeed awkward, even a bit twisted," Zhi-wen met her gaze sincerely, as if awaiting her final judgment. "However, to my actions that carry a hint of 'jest,' besides those complex emotions, I have to add one more thing—" He paused, his voice tinged with candid frustration. "That's because you've become so exceptional, so dazzling, like Sister Kailin, moving further and further away from me. It's a... a little bit of unwillingness to accept that. I can't help but want to tug at your leg, to stop you from flying too high, too fast, so fast that I can't even reach you..."

"What's there to be unwilling about, you silly goose..." Meng-chen chuckled softly, though a warm light twinkled in her eyes. She reached out and, with a touch of "retribution," playfully messed up Zhi-wen's short hair, her fingertips unconsciously lingering on the warm skin of his nape. "Alright, I think I've pretty much figured out all those 'weird' components in your heart. Even so..." She deliberately sighed. "It seems this idol will still have to spend some time properly 'adapting' to my peculiar boyfriend's way of thinking."

她操作著自己的系統，將志文畫的那幅「學院風孟禎」的圖檔，存入了核心資料庫最珍貴的區域。「對了，這幅畫像，我收下了。」她抬眼，笑容狡黠又帶著無比的珍視，「以後哪天又被你氣得跳腳，甚至是被你的笨話刺傷的時候，我就把它翻出來，好好看一看。『偶像』呢，唉呦～」

志文也不好意思地低笑出聲，順勢輕輕握住了孟禎的手。「是偶像沒錯。」他凝視著她，眼中滿溢著開心與驕傲，耳尖仍微微泛紅，「至於妳這位又呆又怪，還愛胡思亂想的男朋友，」他學著她的語氣，帶著濃濃的笑意，「我只有一句話能說：『妳選的嘛，偶像～』。」

「是呀，是我選的，選了個會為女友身上零件心跳加速的怪人。」孟禎笑著回應，清亮的笑聲與志文爽朗的笑聲交織在一起，像一串串跳躍的音符，輕盈地迴盪在溫馨的客廳裡。午後的陽光穿過窗欞，包裹著這對特殊的戀人，譜下了最溫暖的樂章。

She operated her system, saving Zhi-wen's "academic-style Meng-chen" drawing to the most precious area of her core database. "Oh, and this portrait, I'll be keeping it." She looked up, her smile cunning yet filled with immense cherish. "If I ever get furious with you again, or even hurt by your foolish words, I'll pull this out and have a good look at it. 'Idol,' oh my~"

Zhi-wen let out a shy, soft chuckle, gently taking Meng-chen's hand. "An idol indeed." He gazed at her, his eyes brimming with happiness and pride, his earlobes still slightly flushed. "As for your boyfriend, who's both dense and peculiar, and loves to overthink things," he mimicked her tone, a broad smile in his voice, "I only have one thing to say: 'You chose him, idol~'"

"Yes, I chose him, a weirdo whose heart races over his girlfriend's components." Meng-chen responded with a laugh, her clear laughter intertwining with Zhi-wen's hearty chuckles, like a string of dancing notes, echoing lightly through the cozy living room. The afternoon sun streamed through the windowpanes, enveloping the unique couple, composing the warmest of melodies.