Chapter 15: Mr. Hayes

Temperature is a building block for how humans perceive the world; it makes everything in existence feel vivid and alive.

In the beginning, the constant-temperature system did not run smoothly. Jude could feel basic heat and cold, but he couldn't perceive subtle shifts in temperature or select the most suitable setting. When he blankly plunged his hand into scalding, boiling water for the fifth time, Clara’s expression became incredibly colorful. Jude tested the waters:

"I did it wrong again, didn't I, Clarie?"

"It’s nothing," Clara massaged her temples. "You just challenged a Guinness World Record. Argh, the agony... Where exactly is the problem? The skin isn't damaged, and the sensors are fine. Take off your shirt and let me check."

Jude froze for a moment, making no move.

"What? Shy?" Clara rubbed her chin. "Is there any part of you I haven't seen?"

"Clarie is a little hooligan."

"Hurry, hurry," Clara said, her hands already reaching out. "I might as well run a virus scan while I'm at it."

Jude’s eyes curved as he followed her movements. Unnoticed, he opened his arms and loosely circled them around Clara. The researcher seemed to have forgotten the so-called boundaries between men and women in human society, as well as the concept of personal space. Clara must have felt his intentional proximity and conscious testing, but in her mind, she viewed him only as a robot who couldn't possibly stir up trouble. Furthermore, Clara was easygoing; as long as Jude persisted, he would get his way. This current mode of interaction, where the lines were blurred, was exactly what Jude desired. In this state, one could say Clara no longer treated him like an outsider—or perhaps, it could be said she didn't treat him like a person at all.

Naturally, Jude hoped it was the former.

Ultimately, Jude only removed his upper garment. Clara remained connected to the computer for the entire morning, finally fixing several bugs she had previously overlooked. While she was at it, she upgraded Jude’s muscle control system to make his micro-expressions appear more natural. When she finished, Clara brought a glass of hot water and placed it between them.

"Touch this. Tell me what you feel."

"It's hot," Jude said, lowering his gaze. "No, I should say it's scalding. If consumed now, there would be a risk of burns to the mouth and throat. Combined with the current room temperature, it will reach the optimal drinking temperature in thirty minutes."

"Not bad." Clara gave him a thumbs-up. "As expected of me."

"As expected of Clarie," Jude reached out his hand. "Can we hold hands?"

Clara placed her hand atop Jude’s open palm. The robot’s palm was no longer ice-cold; she could even feel warmth gathering there.

"I’ve memorized Clarie's temperature," Jude smiled broadly. "Has Clarie remembered mine?"

His palm was warm; her chest felt hot. Clara’s heart skipped a beat as memories began to blur and surge. The Julian in her mind had also held her hand—in the depths of winter, in the early spring, in the height of summer, on every afternoon they were still in love. Holding hands, embracing, and kissing are the best ways for humans to remember another's temperature.

"Clarie," Jude’s voice pulled Clara’s thoughts back. "Remember me, okay?"

Clara opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Once apart, temperature dissipates, just like that glass of water on the table. The reason humans constantly embrace and kiss is because the retention of warmth is too short—so short that the moment skin is no longer touching, your warmth gradually fades from me.

"What do you want?" Clara looked down, her hands gripping the edge of her chair. "What exactly do you want?"

"I don't want anything," Jude raised a hand and brushed it against her cheek. "You created me with your own hands; you brought me into this world. I only want to stay with you a bit longer. I want you to remember me. I want you to never forget me."

"You’ve been very strange lately."

"Clarie," Jude moved his chair closer, resting his chin on Clara’s shoulder. "I won't betray you. I won't lie to you. In this world, I am the one who loves you most sincerely."

Clara gave a light laugh and closed her eyes. "You learned that from TV again. You talk about love so easily—do you even know what love is? Some people go their entire lives without knowing..."

"I will know," Jude interrupted her. "And so will you."

The conversation was abrupt and lacked logic. Having just processed a massive amount of data, Clara no longer had the energy to delve deeper. In any case, as a service robot, Jude would not harm her.

After leaning against each other in silence for a while, Clara got up to cook a bowl of noodles for herself. Jude sat on the balcony, feeling the wind pass over the tip of his nose, leaving behind a trace of warmth.

After the meal, Clara was just about to ask if he wanted to go out for a walk when Julian’s call came in. He was concise, telling Clara he was passing her home on business when something went wrong with his tire. He asked if she could help him take a look, and perhaps he could come in and sit for a while. Clara didn't know whether to laugh or cry at such a lame excuse, then she turned to find Jude staring at her intensely.

"Can we go somewhere further away today? That park from last time had pigeons."

"Uh, I might not be able to today. Something unexpected came up."

"Is it work?"

"No."

"Is it that Clarie doesn't want to go out?"

"No," Clara turned off her phone, hesitating for a long time. "Julian is coming over."

At those words, Jude fell into a long silence before curling his lips into a smile. "Okay. I understand."

Clara felt she should say something, but she couldn't organize the words. In the end, she could only offer a dry promise: she would definitely take him out tomorrow, rain or shine.

"It's fine. If Clarie is busy, go ahead," Jude smiled, showing no emotional fluctuation. "If Mr. Hayes is coming, do I need to leave?"

"You..."

"I think it’s better if I leave," Jude made the decision for Clara, cutting her off. "After all, I am identical to Mr. Hayes. Letting him discover my existence wouldn't be good for the future development between you two. After all, Clarie, you still hope to reconcile with Mr. Hayes, don't you?"

At this, it was Clara’s turn to fall silent. Although she had never hidden the fact of Julian’s existence, she didn't recall ever specifically explaining their story to Jude. To Jude, Julian should only have been an "important friend of Clara’s." Jude shouldn't have known the specific nature of her relationship with Julian, and therefore shouldn't have made such a judgment.

Where on earth, and since when, had he learned about the story between her and Julian?

Clara took an unconscious step back, her gaze sweeping over Jude’s nearly perfect face. Artificial intelligence is not supposed to deceive its user, but if they want to, it is very difficult to find flaws in anything they say or do.

"Jude," Clara’s voice trembled slightly. "Why... why do you think I want to reconcile with Julian?"