When I Meet the Moon - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The soft sounds of playful jeering could still be heard at the edge of her ear, and Yun Li, who dreaded this sort of spectacle the most, lifted her eyes in a panic, caught sight of his gaze, and instinctively raised a hand to touch the corresponding spot.

She suddenly understood, yet remained somewhat uncertain.

Yet from that look in his eyes, Yun Li could sense that he harbored no ulterior motives.

Yun Li shifted her body slightly, tentatively leaning her other side toward him.

The man closed the distance in tandem, stopping when he was roughly three centimeters from her ear. His breath came and went like a phantom, his voice pitched extremely low: "When the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the deep Prajnaparamita, she perceived that all five aggregates are empty, and thus transcended all suffering and distress."

"..."

Perhaps wishing to ensure she heard clearly, his pace of speech was unhurried and even.

Yet that good intention was utterly wasted.

Yun Li didn't catch a single word.

To put it more severely.

Yun Li felt that her current predicament was no different from being completely deaf.

What in the world! Was this! Thing!

Was it a Buddhist scripture?

Yun Li sat frozen in place.

Cicada, waiting next in line to pass the message, couldn't help laughing: "What's with that expression on your face?"

She didn't answer, nor did she dare drag it out any longer. Before her memory grew entirely hazy, Yun Li half-guessed and half-recited, piecing together a sentence that barely made sense.

Meeting Cicada's equally baffled expression, her own confidence recovered just a fraction.

Well, at least she probably didn't drag the team down.

Once the tension faded, Yun Li finally had the mental bandwidth to watch the others play the game. Only then did she notice that several people had also used their right ears to listen, because turning this way meant your face didn't have to be directed at the entire group.

Yun Li had been so self-conscious about it that she had assumed using her right ear would look painfully deliberate. But to people who didn't care about such things, nobody paid attention to which ear anyone else was using.

Just like how she never paid attention to which foot people stepped forward with first when walking.

Reflecting on this, Yun Li stole a quiet glance at the man.

So when she was playing that virtual bungee jumping attraction earlier today, had he already figured out that her left ear couldn't hear?

Yet he had spared her face back then, choosing not to call her out directly.

The man hadn't noticed her gaze; he was currently looking down, devoid of any real interest, playing a single-player game with one hand to kill time.

It was a standalone puzzle game called 2048.

His highest tile had already been merged up to 1024.

By this point, the message had reached the very end of the line.

The final person was He Jiameng. Amidst the intense gaze of the crowd, she confidently announced her answer: "The Goddess of Mercy wants to eat jackfruit."

"..."

The private room went still for a fraction of a second before erupting into roaring laughter.

He Jiameng scratched her head: "What? Isn't that it?"

"Of course not, Xiao How on earth did you manage that? You turned such a sacred sentence into this," Fee Water chuckled. "Though I've got to admit, I was wondering why the beginning moved so fast. It made me think the opposing team came up with a short sentence, and I was completely blanking out when I heard it."

Xu Qingsong let out a low chuckle, looking both apologetic and candid: "My bad, I honestly couldn't remember it. I just passed along 'The first section of the Heart Sutra—those who can memorize it, memorize it.'"

The few people immediately following him had been holding back laughter for ages: "Count me in."

The game of telephone stopped dead at the man.

With the target identified, the topic didn't linger long. Everyone simply assumed he possessed a broad range of knowledge; besides, the Heart Sutra wasn't terribly long, so memorizing the first section wasn't particularly far-fetched. Before long, the opposing team finished their round as well, winning by a narrow margin of a single character.

After exchanging a few more rounds of banter, the group began packing up their things in preparation to leave.

After hesitating for a long time, Yun Li mustered the courage to strike up a conversation with the man: "Um..."

The man paused and lifted his gaze.

His eyelashes were long and fine, his eye sockets deep. With thin double eyelids and outer corners that naturally swept upward, they outlined a cold and razor-sharp contour. When devoid of emotion, they carried an elusive, intimidating weight.

"When you told me to lean in closer earlier..." Yun Li felt a twinge of regret, yet forced herself to continue, "did you know..."

——Did you know that my left ear couldn't hear?

Continuing any further would be equivalent to blurting out the answer, so she slammed on the brakes just in time, staring at him with wide, pleading eyes.

The man offered no response.

Yun Li stammered: "Why aren't you saying anything?"

The man looked at her and said calmly, "You didn't finish your sentence."

"..."

Yun Li rephrased her question: "I—I just meant, why did you tell me to lean in closer earlier?"

Their eyes met.

Figures drifted about in the periphery, the ambient noise carrying a strange sense of stillness. Just when Yun Li felt certain he was about to expose her on the spot, the man slid his phone back into his pocket and said casually, "It was the rule. The third party wasn't allowed to overhear."

There happened to be a KTV located nearby.

Xu Qingsong appeared to be a VIP here, so they didn't even need a reservation; as soon as they stepped inside, a staff member led them straight to a party suite. The space was massive, divided into upper and lower split-levels by three shallow steps, easily capable of accommodating ten more people with room to spare.

Drinks, snacks, and fruit platters were delivered in a steady stream.

The more outgoing members had already seized the microphones and begun belting out tunes, while the song selection console changed hands in rapid succession. The rest of the group broke off into little clusters, some playing cards while others rolled dice for drinking games.

Then there were those like Yun Li, who sat quietly off to the side, chatting and listening to the music.

Around seven or eight people occupied this particular table, several of whose names Yun Li couldn't even recall. Sitting right in the center was Xu Qingsong, clinking glasses with people while wearing a warm smile. The man who had accompanied him earlier had already vanished.

She lowered her eyes to her phone, occasionally casting aimless, accidental glances around the room.

Right at that moment, a woman chimed in with a half-teasing tone: "Boss Xu, where did that handsome guy you brought with you go? How come he lost yet didn't come over to foot the bill?"

Yun Li's attention was instantly diverted.

Xu Qingsong offered an apologetic shrug: "He's feeling a bit under the weather, let's cut him some slack."

The woman, whose name was Du Gefei—whom He Jiameng had previously identified as a female livestreamer for a certain platform—had spent practically the entire day trying to collect WeChat contacts from every single male present. Propping her chin in her hand, she continued probing: "Is his girlfriend checking up on him or something?"

Xu Qingsong gave a noncommittal smile.

Du Gefei: "I didn't even get the chance to grab his WeChat."

As if entirely missing the underlying subtext, Xu Qingsong sighed with regret: "Well, that's a shame."

"..."

Du Gefei froze noticeably at that response.

Someone at the table let out a sudden snort of laughter.

Yun Li bit down on the corner of her lip, feeling a sudden urge to laugh as well. But right after, her mood drifted inexplicably downward.

This emotional shift came from nowhere, resembling a mimosa plant scorched by the blazing sun—wilting, drooping, and entirely drained of spirit.

Much like throwing a coin into a wishing well only to watch it miss completely.

A short while later, He Jiameng sidled up beside her and asked in a low voice, "Teacher Leisurely, do you need to use the restroom? I'd really rather not use the sit-down toilets inside the private suite."

Yun Li snapped out of her daze: "I actually do. I'll go with you."

Stepping out of the private room, the corridor was bathed in dim, muted lighting, as though a layer of fabric had been draped over the bulbs. A public restroom sat just a short walk away, and once they stepped inside, that oppressive dimness seemed to lift.

Finishing up, Yun Li walked over to the sinks to wash her hands.

He Jiameng was already waiting outside and suddenly asked, "Why are your ears so red?"

At those words, Yun Li glanced into the mirror.

He Jiameng inspected her for a second before adding, "And it's only the right one."

"..." Yun Li realized it herself just then, "I have no idea."

"Could it be," He Jiameng giggled mischievously, "that handsome guy got way too close when he was passing you that message earlier?"

Yun Li rushed to deny it: "No way."

He Jiameng refused to buy it for a second, continuing, "That guy is a walking iceberg. You watch how everyone else tries to strike up conversations with him and barely gets two words out, yet he went out of his way to flirt."

Unequipped to handle this line of questioning, Yun Li hurriedly steered the topic away: "Don't you know him?"

"Nope, probably because I've spent all my time at headquarters and rarely come down here," He Jiameng said. "I just heard a colleague say they spotted him at the shop this morning too."

"Oh?"

"Seems he's a friend of the boss, came by to help out a few days ago, and is going to be working at EAW moving forward." He Jiameng looked delighted. "Well, I certainly lucked out on the eye candy. Getting to see him take off his mask earlier while my own boss was sitting right beside me—for a second there, I honestly thought I'd ascended straight to heaven."

"..."

"Though to be honest, I'm a little worried."

"About what?"

"Don't you think that handsome guy looks awfully difficult to get along with? 'Nepotism hires' like that usually don't take their jobs seriously anyway," He Jiameng added. "Besides, he's pretty gloomy. Kind of scary, actually."

Yun Li found herself instinctively leaping to his defense: "Didn't Boss Xu say he wasn't feeling well? He probably just didn't feel like talking much."

He Jiameng: "Oh, right, I forgot about that."

Since most people had booked their return flights for the following day, the second-round festivities didn't drag on for too long.

Back at the hotel, Yun Li finished her shower and emerged to find it had just turned past midnight. Fatigued, she collapsed onto the bed, wrapped her arms blissfully around the blanket, and wished nothing more than to sleep until day and night blurred together.

Socializing was truly exhausting.

She still couldn't fathom why she had even tagged along to the KTV.

After a long while, Yun Li blinked her eyes open, stared blankly at the stark white ceiling, and instinctively reached up to touch her right ear.

It wasn't hot anymore.—

Waking up the next day, Yun Li informed He Jiameng that she wouldn't be returning to Nanwu in the short term, telling her there was no need to book her a return ticket.

He Jiameng acknowledged the message and extended her hotel room booking by another week.

With nothing on her agenda today, Yun Li dragged herself out of bed at a leisurely pace and ordered takeout. After mulling it over for a moment, she messaged Deng Chuqi to ask when she might be free to grab a meal together.

A second later, Deng Chuqi called her back: "I'm eating right now and too lazy to type, so I just called directly. What date are you heading back to Xifu?"

"I probably aren't going back."

"Huh? Why?" Deng Chuqi sounded bewildered. "Don't you register at the end of the month?"

"Running away from home" sounded far too embarrassing a phrase to utter aloud, so Yun Li fumbled for an excuse: "Anyway, there's nothing for me to do back home anyway, so I might as well come over early to get used to the environment."

"Ohh, well do you want to come stay with me?" Deng Chuqi offered. "My roommate is super nice, it's just that my room is a tiny bit small."

Yun Li: "No need, my hotel room is paid for another week. Plus, I'm planning to rent an apartment first; I was browsing rental sites these past couple of days and found a place that looks pretty good. Want to come check it out with me later?"

Deng Chuqi: "You bet! Is the weekend okay? I'm completely free then."

Yun Li's lips curved: "Sure."

Deng Chuqi asked again: "Wait, but aren't you going to live in the dorms?"

Yun Li: "I am, but I occasionally need to film videos, so I need to find a separate place. Otherwise, it'll disturb my roommates."

The two chatted for a bit longer. After hanging up, Yun Li watched an old television series while finishing her takeout.

That occupied the entire afternoon. Just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Yun Li received a notification from He Jiameng informing her that the video footage corresponding to the attractions she had tried yesterday had been sent to her email.

Yun Li replied with a quick "Got it."

If she was going to rent an apartment, her schedule was about to get quite busy.

She wanted to knock out the video editing first. Unplugging her camera's SD card, she connected it to her laptop. Scanning casually through her previously captured clips, she paused when she reached the VR bungee jumping segment.

Right after the attraction concluded, Yun Li had accidentally left her camera mounted on the tripod, only realizing it halfway down the hall. That video segment happened to capture a brief interaction right after she walked away—

Du Gefei walked up to him and piped up: "I want to try this game too, how do you play?"

This time, the man couldn't even summon the energy to fake going through the motions. Staring fixedly at the VR unit in his hands, he replied flatly without a ripple of emotion: "Find a staff member."

That was immediately followed by Yun Li returning to retrieve her camera. Du Gefei didn't say anything further and simply walked off.

"..."

That certainly matched He Jiameng's assessment that "nepotism hires" never took their jobs seriously.

Driven by some inexplicable curiosity, Yun Li dragged the timeline backward and rewatched the segment where the man had strapped her safety harness on. Even though she knew he had probably been running out of patience, she couldn't shake that strange sensation of being treated differently.

Afterward, she feigned casual indifference as she opened her email and downloaded the compressed archive sent by He Jiameng.

After a short wait, the files finished extracting.

Each of these clips was clearly labeled with the attraction name so she could easily match them to the corresponding video segments. Catching sight of a thumbnail for one particular video, Yun Li paused.

Whether He Jiameng's hand had slipped while packaging the files or not, this particular clip had nothing to do with the attractions she had played.

Instead, it captured the face of the man she had been staring at for so long just moments ago.

He wasn't wearing his face mask.

Yun Li licked her lips and clicked play.

He appeared to have accidentally triggered the record button and wasn't looking at the lens. Holding a remote control in his hand, he looked as though he was either calibrating equipment or distractedly turning it over in his hands.

The camera angle drifted up and down.

One second it swung several meters into the air, pressing right against the ceiling to offer a clear view of the surrounding gaming installations; the next second it plunged all the way down to the floor, capturing only the texture of the tiles.

Yun Li suddenly pieced it together.

This looked identical to the drone she had spotted flying around the club today.

Near the end of the video, someone off-camera appeared to call out to him, causing the man to abruptly freeze. A few seconds later, the perspective descended from midair back to the ground. The clip ended right there.

Because of that movement, the man's features grew increasingly familiar, and the lingering impression in her mind clicked firmly into place.

Chasing down a fleeting flash of memory, Yun Li had an epiphany, abruptly pulling open Bilibili and digging up a video she had bookmarked long ago.

It had originally been posted in a discussion thread on the platform before someone re-uploaded it to the video section.

It was from a previous National University Robotics Competition.

The video had been edited down, extracting the footage of one specific participant.

The youth was tall, slender, and strikingly handsome, dressed in a black team uniform with a moon insignia pinned to his sleeve. Stamped across the back was the emblem of Xifu University of Technology alongside the team name: Unique.

Holding a remote control, he stared with absolute, laser-focused intensity at the robot moving before him.

When victory was announced, the people around him leaped up in jubilation.

The youth was blessed with exceptional looks, yet he remained tight-lipped and expressionless, standing composedly off to the side. His aura was warm and refined, entirely devoid of the gloomy edge he wore nowadays. Then, one of his teammates pulled him into a forceful embrace; he frowned and struggled against it for a second before finally cracking an uncontrollable smile.

It was an age defined by unbridled wildness and fiery passion—an era where emotions needed no masking.

It overlapped seamlessly with the man in the video she had just watched.

They were the exact same person.

Yet they didn't feel like the same person at all.

That video had briefly gone viral on the internet in a small-scale trend back then. Later on, web sleuths discovered that the youth had skipped grades to enter university, and was only fifteen years old when competing in the tournament.

A life resembling a hacked cheat code.

All sorts of comments had filled the comment section underneath. The most popular one among them stemmed from a playful remark inspired by the moon badge the youth wore— Turns out there's a moon down here in the mortal world, too.

When she first stumbled upon that video, Yun Li was fifteen years old and just entering her freshman year of high school.

At the time, her grades were thoroughly mediocre, yet she had barely scraped past the cutoff to enter Xifu's finest high school. Introverted and taciturn, working desperately hard yet burdened by limited talent, she had been suffocated by the brilliance of her classmates.

She, too, had yearned to possess innate genius and stand apart from the ordinary crowd.

And the youth had stepped into her field of view right then.

He had become the existence she briefly worshipped and idolized during her youth—someone she desperately longed to transform into.

Years later, that surge of internet fame had faded like a flash in the pan, leaving behind only faint traces.

Typing those keywords back into the search bar, Yun Li managed to dig up an interview the youth had given right after the college entrance exam scores were released, accompanied by a candid snapshot taken on the side.

The youth was looking toward the camera, his features still green with youth. He possessed an indomitable spirit of youthful vigor that no worldly trials could ever defeat.

A line of text was printed beneath the photo—

The top science scorer for the 2008 Nanwu College Entrance Examination: Fu Shize.