"The three essentials for planting: sunlight, soil, and water."
Holding a small shovel, she patted and compacted the soil mound.
Watching the swaying plants and flowers in the breeze, Ailei tilted her head, realizing she was missing the final item—water.
"Whoosh."
"Whoosh."
With hands stained with dirt, she held a watering can, gently tipping the spout. A thin, clear stream of water flowed out, sprinkling over the tops of the transplanted plants.
Delicate, soft droplets fell onto the petals, moistening the slender leaves, then slid down the stems to the roots, completely absorbed by the soil.
This scene was ordinary.
Yet it carried an inexplicable sense of tranquility.
Faintly, the mechanized maid began to understand why Xu Xi loved plants so much.
With the watering done, the transplanting of the plants was complete. Everything was perfect.
Except—
Ailei set down the watering can and looked at her muddy hands. Her silver-blue eyes revealed a coldness: "So dirty."
Dirt was unacceptable.
A proper household robot would never allow any filth, especially on themselves.
Only a clean appearance could properly serve their master.
"Must... wash hands... can't let master... see..."
Blinking her eyes, her expression serious, she took a step forward.
The mechanized maid walked to the corner of the courtyard, gently twisting a valve. In the next moment, a rush of clear water gushed out, washing over her hands.
Ailei extended her hands, fingers pressing against each other, rubbing and scrubbing.
As she bent down, strands of hair fell onto her pale cheeks, dampened by the water droplets.
Water splashed, the sound sparse and ordinary, but the mechanized maid stared at the flowing water, somewhat dazed.
"..."
The clouds in the clear sky were blown aside by the wind.
The sunlight shone fiercely, unabashedly illuminating the stream of water.
Colorless and formless, the water, as it scattered the sun's rays, became as dazzling as gemstones, shimmering with silver light, filled with an inexplicable dreaminess.
"So... so beautiful..."
Her silver-blue mechanical eyes reflected the play of light on the water.
Her hands continued to rub unconsciously.
Thus, under the impact of the water and the glare of the sun, her hands, covered in droplets, seemed to reach into a sea of jewels, gently scooping up a myriad of colors—the embodiment of light.
Ah...
Ah, ah...
The mechanized maid's mind was completely captivated by this interplay of water and light.
She knew, of course she knew, the principles behind it weren't complicated, easily understood in their entirety.
But it felt different.
"There's something... something strange not in the data..."
The girl pulled her hands out, bewildered. The dirt that had clung to them was long gone, leaving only her pale artificial skin and glistening water droplets.
The sun continued to beat down.
Quickly evaporating the water on her palms.
Thus, the enchanting refraction of light soon vanished from her sight.
She wanted to see, to see more, to witness it again.
In the whirring of machinery, in the cold metal, a voice cried out, following its guidance. Ailei reached her hands back into the water.
"Splash—!"
Her sudden movement disrupted the flow, causing water to splash onto her face.
Dampening her delicate, inquisitive features.
She blinked, dumbfounded, a thought forming in her mind:
"Water is beautiful."
"Light is beautiful."
"My hands have water and light."
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling from the cloudless sky, scattering evenly across the newly planted flowers, creating intermittent patches of light.
The mechanized maid extended her hands, cupping clear water, raising it toward the sun above.
Under gravity's pull.
The water in her palms began to slide down her arms.
But in that moment, Ailei's usually calm eyes widened slowly, watching her hands shimmer with a dreamlike brilliance under the sunlight.
It was multicolored, elusive, mysterious, and dazzling.
The halo of light rested on her fingertips, blooming with eternal beauty.
Ailei simply watched, entranced, until the water droplets on her hands were completely evaporated by the scorching sun.
…………
When Xu Xi woke from his nap.
What he saw.
Was this strange scene.
His mechanized maid stood in the corner of the courtyard.
Repeatedly turning on the faucet, wetting her hands, turning it off, and then holding them up to the sun to admire them.
This sight was puzzling, yet somehow mesmerizing and enchanting.
The girl's fingers stirred the water, in the cascade of sunlight, creating a kaleidoscope of beauty, her movements softer than the rustling of dry leaves, dissolving silently into the tranquil air.
"Ailei, what are you... doing?"
Xu Xi walked over, puzzled. Hearing his footsteps, Ailei turned to him with a mix of joy and confusion, raising her damp arms.
"Master, this is... beautiful."
Her flat voice carried a hint of delight.
Xu Xi was momentarily stunned. Beautiful?
He quickly realized Ailei was referring to the refraction of light through water, creating a stunning array of colors.
"Yes, it is beautiful," Xu Xi said softly, gently rubbing the top of the mechanized maid's head.
But Ailei's words didn't end there.
"There's something strange, Master."
The girl reached out, her metallic finger pointing to her chest.
She explained to Xu Xi, puzzled.
There was something odd, something not in the data, affecting her judgment and logic, causing her to malfunction, to keep playing with the water.
"Hahaha."
Xu Xi first looked surprised, then burst into laughter.
Facing Ailei's bewildered expression, he chuckled and said, "Don't worry, it's not something strange."
"It's the color of life, the yearning for beauty within all living beings."
"Ailei, you've done well. I'm very happy."
Xu Xi looked at the mechanized maid with pride, his hand stroking her golden hair, genuinely pleased with her growth.
He felt that today, Ailei had taken a significant step forward on the path to becoming "human," a milestone worth celebrating.
Is... is that so...
"Thank you for explaining," Ailei said politely. She could understand Xu Xi's words and their meaning, but her cold mechanical body limited her ability to fully experience the essence of life.
If only she were human, perhaps she could truly feel it.
She thought to herself.
Standing up, she began to show Xu Xi her work.
"Master, look, these are the plants I prepared for you. You can come here to admire them in the future."
"And this, a new flavor of instant food cubes."
Ailei lifted the lid of the insulated container, presenting the plate of new-flavored instant cubes to Xu Xi, who had suddenly fallen silent. Well, the cubes were still warm.
"Ailei."
"Yes, Master?"
"Actually, I don't feel very hungry for lunch today."