When I Meet the Moon - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Plagued by a guilty conscience, Yun Li could only interpret those words as carrying a threat and a chill, with a deterrent effect no different from—

I am getting ready to kill you right now, but the knife in my hand isn't sharp enough.

But that's okay, I still have a gun.

What did he mean by a straight-handled one might have a chance?

How did he know?

Could it be that he’d actually tried it before...

All sorts of spine-chilling thoughts kept bubbling up. At the same time, the man moved in a bizarre fashion, walking toward her direction. Unsure of his motives, Yun Li instinctively took a step back.

Yet the man didn't look at her; he simply walked past her, continued forward, and picked up the remote control from the desk.

He adjusted the air conditioner back to thirty degrees.

Then he put it down and walked over to the bar to pour some water.

Realizing her imagination was running wild again, Yun Li wanted to say something as quickly as possible to ease the atmosphere, but the words slipped out before her brain could process them: "Then for a straight-handled one, about what kind would you need to buy to kill..."

Yun Li choked, suddenly realizing how wrong that sounded.

The man didn't lift his eyes, quietly drinking his water.

"Uh..." Yun Li corrected herself, "About what kind should I avoid buying..."

Hearing this, the man looked at her, his gaze dropping downward to linger on her slender wrists. Like an emotionless machine scanning a pile of data, he read out the most straightforward conclusion: "You don't have enough strength."

"Hm?"

"It doesn't matter what you buy."

……

Back at the club, Yun Li was still stuck on what had just happened.

Thinking about it now, their conversation seemed far too terrifying.

It was like a novice who knew no better, brazenly and fearlessly asking a seasoned criminal what kind of umbrella had enough stopping power to kill someone.

One dared to ask.

And the other actually dared to teach.

Thinking back to how, right before leaving, she had even stupidly blurted out, "Thank you for the guidance," she wished she could catch a flight out of Nanwu overnight.

The summer heat burned against the tips of her ears in the breeze, and even the air conditioning couldn't bring down her temperature. Yun Li covered her face, but even her hands were scorching hot, as if constantly reminding her of that embarrassing moment just now.

He Jiameng, not far away, spotted her and called out, "Teacher Leisurely."

Yun Li snapped out of her thoughts.

Only then did she realize that the people who had previously scattered were now all gathered around a small open lounge area in the center of the second floor. A long, curved sofa sat there, with a group of people sitting on it chatting while several others stood nearby.

The overall atmosphere was exceptional.

After she walked over, He Jiameng asked her: "Why did you come up so fast? Did your phone finish charging?"

"Almost." Pausing for a second, Yun Li added, "There's someone sleeping in the break room."

"Who? I didn't see anyone when I went down with you earlier."

"The guy who picked me up yesterday."

"Huh?" He Jiameng turned around, "Boss, who did you have pick someone up yesterday?"

Yun Li followed her line of sight.

Right in the center of the sofa sat an unfamiliar and eye-catching man.

He wore a light-patterned shirt paired with casual trousers. A smile lingered in his eyes as he sat with one leg crossed over the other, leaning back leisurely. Refined and gentle, his entire aura practically spelled out the words "young master of a wealthy family."

The young master raised an eyebrow, as if only just remembering his purpose: "I'm going downstairs for a bit."

After exchanging pleasantries with the others, he stood up and left. As he passed by Yun Li, he paused, politely holding out a hand toward her: "First time meeting, I'm Xu Qingsong."

Yun Li was slightly stunned, and raised her hand as well: "Hello."

Xu Qingsong gave a light, half-second shake before letting go: "Please forgive the inadequate hospitality yesterday."

Yun Li said dryly: "It's fine."

Much like arriving at a fan meet-and-greet, as soon as Xu Qingsong departed, the rest of the crowd scattered like birds and beasts.

The four-person group from the trip gathered together once more, and He Jiameng's enthusiasm hadn't faded by even a fraction. Three sentences in and she was already talking about Xu Qingsong, to a degree approaching a thoroughly brainwashed MLM recruiter.

Afterward, they didn't wait for Xu Qingsong to return before the group headed back.

As they neared the hotel, He Jiameng brought up the matter of the return flight tickets with Yun Li. Normally, round-trip tickets should have been booked directly, but Yun Li had previously used the excuse of wanting to spend a few more days playing in Nanwu to tell her she'd send over the dates and flight numbers later.

The delay had dragged on all the way until now.

However, He Jiameng didn't rush her either, simply telling her to let her know once she had decided.

Mentioning this affair immediately cast a heavy mood over Yun Li.

Her trip over from Xifu this time, to put it nicely, was for work, but the bigger reason was that she had gotten into a massive argument with her father, Yun Yongchang. The catalyst was the fact that she had secretly taken and passed the graduate school entrance exams for Nanwu University of Technology behind Yun Yongchang's back.

She didn't know when it started, but Yun Yongchang had been exceptionally opposed to Yun Li attending university in another city.

When filling out her college entrance exam choices, he was absolute and unyielding, forcing her to put down only local universities. After rebelling a few times to no avail, Yun Li had no choice but to verbally agree while secretly putting her ideal school, Nanwu University of Technology, as her first choice anyway.

At the time, Yun Li had been naive, thinking that once she was officially accepted, Yun Yongchang surely wouldn't forbid her from going. Judging by his current attitude, however, had she actually been accepted back then, he undoubtedly would have been just as ruthless and forced her to retake the exams.

So it was hard to say whether that was good luck or bad luck.

She had missed the cutoff by a single point.

In the end, Yun Li yielded to Yun Yongchang's wishes and stayed in Xifu.

Because she had always harbored regret over that missed admission, she had locked onto Nanwu University of Technology as her target school for her graduate studies from the very beginning.

And Yun Yongchang's attitude remained identical to how it was four years ago.

He said she had grown up right before their eyes, and letting a young woman go so far away was something they simply couldn't set their minds at ease about.

The older generation didn't care much for such concepts, stubbornly believing that Xifu had decent universities too; if she wanted to study and was capable of passing the exams, applying locally was the exact same thing.

Yun Li could only resort to the same tactic as before, feigning preparation for local graduate exams with the intent of presenting a fait accompli. Even after passing, she never dared to tell Yun Yongchang, swallowing her words every time they reached the tip of her tongue.

Her mother, Yang Fang, and younger brother, Yun Ye, were well aware of the situation, yet chose not to interfere, watching the drama unfold from the sidelines like spectators.

With the enrollment date creeping closer day by day, carrying this secret weighed heavily on Yun Li, making every single day a torment.

Occasionally she would feel furious, thinking that she was already in her twenties, yet being managed by her parents over whether she could attend grad school out of town just like a three-year-old child wondering if they could have an extra piece of candy today.

When she received the invitation from EAW a while ago, seeing that the location was in Nanwu, Yun Li had looked up Deng Chuqi—who had spent four years in Nanwu—to ask if she knew anything about this VR hall.

As it happened, one of Deng Chuqi's roommates had a relative working at EAW. After learning the details, Yun Li figured the gig seemed pretty reliable. Combined with the generous terms offered by the other party, her initial impulse to flat-out reject it began to waver.

Unable to make up her mind, Yun Li later casually brought it up over the dinner table. Seeing that Yun Yongchang didn't react too strongly at the time, she felt the moment had arrived and cautiously confessed under the guise of that opportunity.

Yet the moment Yun Yongchang heard those words, his expression changed instantly, flying into a towering rage that brooked no explanation and cuttingly demanding she banish such thoughts from her mind. He declared she either had to go straight to work or re-apply for local graduate programs.

All of Yun Li's guilty conscience vanished like smoke in the face of his tyrannical attitude, and her long-accumulated emotions finally erupted.

She couldn't understand it, feeling aggrieved and furious, and couldn't stop herself from talking back: "This is my life, I'll decide how I want to handle it."

The powder keg ignited instantly.

Carried away by the heat of the moment and refusing to think further, Yun Li simply replied to EAW's email.

She accepted the job.

Interrupted from her memories by a ringing tone, Yun Li stepped into her room and glanced at the caller ID. It was Yun Ye. She answered on speakerphone, tossed her phone onto the bed, and assumed her older sister persona to strike first: "Identify yourself first."

The teenage boy sounded momentarily stunned: "What?"

"Are you a messenger pigeon or my younger brother?"

After a few seconds of silence, Yun Ye sounded rather speechless: "Your brother."

Yun Li: "Oh, well, spit it out."

"When are you coming home? And bring me back some local Nanwu specialties while you're at it."

"What do you want, I can mail it to you."

"What are you doing, running away from home? Aren't you being childish, Yun Li?" Yun Ye said. "You're already grown up, yet you run away from home just because you argued with Mom and Dad. Aren't you embarrassed to tell people?"

Yun Li wasn't buying his routine: "Who's going to know if you don't say anything?"

With the family tension dragging on for days, Yun Ye had inexplicably become the punching bag for both sides. Unwilling to wade through this muddy water any longer, he asked helplessly: "Then when are you coming back?"

With a good half-month still remaining before the school enrollment deadline, Yun Li had zero desire to head back anytime soon, lest she bump into Yun Yongchang and trigger another argument.

Yun Li told the truth: "I might not come back at all."

Yun Ye: "Huh?"

"School's about to start anyway, I can't be bothered running back and forth, so I'll just consider this coming over early to get used to the environment," Yun Li started spinning excuses. "Besides, Deng Chuqi is here too, so I can just hang out with her for a couple of days."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course." The more she talked, the more Yun Li felt returning was unnecessary. "Actually, scratch 'might not.' I am definitely not coming back."

Yun Ye couldn't believe it: "Aren't you afraid Dad's going to beat you half to death?"

"What are you talking about?" She made him see the reality of the situation. "I'm the one who's going to get beaten half to death if I go back right now."

"..."

Having figured things out, and knowing she didn't have to go home to spar with Yun Yongchang, Yun Li's mood instantly cleared up.

Yun Li enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep and set out bright and early the next day.

Everyone's energy today was visibly different from yesterday; the moment they stepped out of the hotel lobby, they were already holding up their cameras and recording clips on and off. Yun Li felt a bit shy about filming in front of others, but Cicada and Fee Water took the initiative to walk over and wave at her lens.

Seeing this, Yun Li shed a bit of her reserve and curved her lips into a smile.

Before heading inside, the group found a spot with a clear view of Haitian Mall and began filming as if no one else was around.

Yun Li followed suit, quickly rattling off her script in a spot slightly further away from the crowd.

More than just an experience hall, EAW resembled a miniature theme park.

The entrance decor boasted a cool sci-fi aesthetic paired with a sense of visual fracture. The background board, flowing with a river of stars, was sliced through by streaks of white light stretching up toward the ceiling, as if one could slip through these gaps straight into an illusory world.

The full name of the technology city was emblazoned overhead: EnjoyAnotherWorld.

Unlike yesterday's bleak and dim atmosphere,

every piece of equipment in the hall was powered on, with dazzling and gorgeous visuals competing for attention and instantly immersing visitors.

The attractions spanned multiple categories: thrilling and suspenseful, experiential, puzzle-solving, and online combat, among others.

EAW had invited nearly twenty people. Once inside, the guides first organized everyone to experience a few multiplayer attractions together, such as the indoor virtual roller coaster, 5D films, and various other immersive sensory projects.

All available staff members had been temporarily roped in and put to work as cameramen. Before putting on her VR glasses, Yun Li noticed several drones hovering nearby, operated by crew members handling the aerial footage.

It was her first time trying outdoor video production, and her first time seeing such a massive production scale.

Once those attractions wrapped up, the group headed back to the second floor.

This floor was primarily dedicated to single-player or small-group attractions: space capsules, dark chariots, motion-capture games, and so on. Another half of the floor consisted of closed-off private rooms for players who wanted a quiet gaming experience.

Before she could decide which one to try first, Yun Li heard an enthusiastic greeting from behind.

Yun Li looked up; it was Xu Qingsong.

Along with the man she had seen these past two days.

Even though he wore a face mask, it was still impossible not to recognize him.

In that brief span of time yesterday, Xu Qingsong had already managed to get on good terms with many of them, and someone had already taken the initiative to walk over and chat with him.

Inevitably, Yun Li recalled the awkwardness in the break room and had zero desire to run into the man head-on. Just then, she spotted an attraction nearby that she had marked in her memos, labeled Extreme Bungee Jumping.

She turned and walked toward it.

Both the name and the setup looked far more thrilling than the rest, but there was no guide stationed nearby. Yun Li checked the instructions, decided against messing with it blindly, and planned to wait for a staff member to show up.

With nothing better to do, Yun Li simply set up a tripod, mounted her DSLR camera on it, and adjusted her framing and aperture.

This attraction looked like a swing, but it was lift-operated, requiring visitors to strap into a full set of safety gear designed to simulate the sensation of bungee jumping to the maximum degree.

Usually, the guide would help put on this safety harness.

A few minutes passed without a single person in uniform walking past. Just as she was debating whether to switch to a different attraction, Xu Qingsong's voice rang out from behind: "What's wrong?"

Yun Li turned her head.

Before she realized it, the two men had already walked over.

Feeling rather out of her depth, Yun Li instinctively replied: "I wanted to try this attraction."

Xu Qingsong raised an eyebrow lightly and patted the shoulder of the man beside him: "Time to go to work."

The man's brows held a lazy fatigue, and he didn't move immediately.

Xu Qingsong shrugged in explanation: "We're short-handed, you know."

"..."

Speak of the devil.

After a brief moment, the man walked over, picked up the safety harness hanging from the frame, and lowered his head to inspect it. He wasn't wearing the unified uniform worn by the other staff members, but a simple T-shirt and casual trousers.

Yun Li couldn't quite pin down his exact role.

Consequently, she developed another worry—she wasn't sure if he even knew how to operate the equipment.

Dragging the safety harness, the man stepped right in front of her. Taller than her, he bent slightly at the waist and instructed in a flat voice: "Put your feet into the black loops."

The distance between them was extremely close.

Yun Li inevitably felt nervous; before she could ask anything, she simply followed his instructions.

After slipping both feet through, the man pulled the straps upward and told Yun Li to thread her hands through the corresponding loops as well. He tightened them to fit her frame and then had her sit down on the seat.

It hadn't felt like much while standing on solid ground, but the moment she sat down, an uncontrollable sense of unease washed over her. Yun Li watched the man's actions as he buckled her safety harness into the corresponding slots, checking them in a slow, unhurried manner.

At that moment, Xu Qingsong chimed in from the side, offering a smiling critique—

"Not bad, taking to it with such effortless ease on your very first try.”