The night had fallen into deep slumber, undisturbed even by thunder.
Amidst the howling winds and pouring rain, Nanwu Airport stood firm and brightly lit like an unshakable mountain. It resembled a massive box containing the daylight that had just clocked out.
It was just past 2 a.m., yet the crowd showed no signs of thinning.
Travelers came and went, but Yun Li remained rooted in place, occasionally glancing at her phone.
This was her second time in Nanwu.
The first had been earlier this spring when she came for her graduate school interview at Nanwu University of Technology. She had stayed only a few days before returning. This time, however, her visit was primarily due to an invitation from EAW Virtual Reality Tech City.
EAW was the first VR Experience Center launched by U Saint Technology, with its grand opening scheduled for the end of next month.
After a three-day trial operation that yielded unsatisfactory results, they had invited several bloggers and video content creators for a preview to build hype before the official launch.
Yun Li was one of them.
Through email, Yun Li had added Miss He, her contact person for the event.
The organizer covered her flight tickets and accommodations, and Miss He had assured her that someone would be arranged to pick her up upon arrival.
Unexpectedly, the weather had been unpredictable, delaying Yun Li’s flight by three hours.
Upon learning her new arrival time, Miss He promised to arrange another driver. After landing, Yun Li followed up again. The other party claimed the driver was already on the way and asked her to wait patiently.
But no one had shown up yet, and Miss He had stopped responding to messages.
Three more minutes, and Yun Li would have waited a full hour.
Perched on her suitcase with her legs bent, Yun Li stiffly typed out a message to the other party. After finishing, she meticulously reviewed the wording from start to finish.
Acceptable.
No profanity;
Clearly outlined their negligence;
Polite yet assertive.
Even so, after staring at the screen for a long moment, she still couldn’t bring herself to hit send.
Sigh.
It still felt a bit too harsh.
Just as she debated softening the tone further, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted. "—Hello?"
Following the voice, Yun Li unexpectedly met a pair of unfamiliar eyes.
The young man was handsome and tall, looking like a college student who hadn’t yet graduated. Seemingly unaccustomed to such situations, he wore an awkward expression: "Are you here for travel or...?"
This was already the sixth person to approach her tonight.
The previous five had all been the same—asking if she needed a ride or a hotel.
Yun Li mentally filled in the rest of his sentence and politely waved him off. "No, thanks..."
The young man paused. "Huh?"
Yun Li: "I’m waiting for someone. Not planning to stay at a hotel."
Silence fell.
The two stared at each other.
After about three seconds, the young man scratched his head. "No, that’s not it."
He cleared his throat. "I was actually wondering if I could get your WeChat?"
"..."
Yun Li froze.
His voice, usually bright, lowered slightly. "Is that okay?"
"Ah." Realizing her misunderstanding, Yun Li flushed with embarrassment. "...Sure."
"Thanks." The young man pulled out his phone with a smile. "Should I scan you?"
Yun Li nodded and turned her screen back on, only for the lengthy message she had drafted earlier to reappear. She quickly exited and opened her WeChat QR code for him.
Bending slightly, he added her while politely introducing himself. "I’m Fu Zhengchu. Maybe we could—"
A red dot lit up on her contacts list.
Noticing the logo in his profile picture, Yun Li sensed something amiss, and her earlier dismissed suspicion resurfaced.
Sure enough.
The next moment, six characters in his nickname came into view.
—Leisure & Wine Homestay."......"
Has soliciting customers really reached this level now?
Yet Fu Zhengchu remained completely oblivious to his mistaken alias, his expression carrying a hint of having gotten away with something. Casually, as if out of concern, he then asked, "Are you heading to EAW next?"
Yun Li looked at him.
Fu Zhengchu: "That VR Experience Center?"
Yun Li asked warily, "How did you know?"
"I accidentally saw your chat window earlier, along with the note. Sorry, I didn’t mean to," Fu Zhengchu said. "And since it’s near my school, I just took a guess."
Yun Li’s note for Miss He only mentioned EAW, not explicitly stating it was a VR Experience Center.
The explanation was plausible enough.
She nodded slightly.
Fu Zhengchu: "But why are you here so early? It doesn’t seem to be open yet—it won’t launch until the end of the month."
The details matched up, and with no better response in mind, Yun Li could only admit honestly, "Uh, I was invited."
"Invited?" Fu Zhengchu seemed puzzled but didn’t press further. "So you’re waiting for someone to pick you up?"
"Yeah."
"You’ve been waiting a while," he hesitated briefly, undeterred by her aloofness, and asked again, "Where are you headed? Want me to give you a ride?"
At this, Yun Li’s guard went back up. She shook her head. "No need, thank you."
Fu Zhengchu: "It’s fine. It’s kind of related to me anyway."
Yun Li grew even more confused. "Huh?"
"Oh." Fu Zhengchu remembered to explain, casually remarking, "Because EAW was opened by my brother."
Yun Li: "......"
Why not just claim you opened it yourself?
After a brief silence, Yun Li reconsidered—this guy’s behavior had been bizarre from the start.
Lies piled on lies, and now an inexplicable invitation to ride together. It felt like some kind of scam or criminal operation targeting lone women. Once this thought took root, unease gradually crept into her heart.
Even if they were in a public place.
Late at night, in an unfamiliar city.
Not wanting to show her discomfort too obviously, Yun Li vaguely made an excuse, planning to leave the area.
Perhaps sensing that his words not only sounded boastful but also vaguely sinister, Fu Zhengchu hurriedly tried to explain. Unfortunately, it didn’t help much—he only seemed to dig himself deeper—and soon left.
Out of caution, Yun Li didn’t stay where she was.
She wound through the airport’s twists and turns until she was sure the guy wasn’t following her, finally relaxing slightly.
Because of this little incident, Yun Li didn’t want to linger any longer. She turned her phone back on.
The screen still showed the chat interface.
Miss He hadn’t replied yet, but Yun Li’s earlier frustration had mostly dissipated. Staring at the sharp words she’d typed, she sighed and deleted them one by one.
Waiting endlessly where she was would be worse than figuring things out herself. Yun Li scrolled up, found the hotel name Miss He had sent her, and searched for its approximate location.
It was near South Wu University of Technology.
Before she could decide, Miss He, who had been missing for ages, suddenly replied.
Perhaps her earlier barrage of messages had done the trick—Miss He apologized repeatedly, saying she’d accidentally fallen asleep and missed the driver’s message about being unable to come. She’d found someone new to pick Yun Li up.
An EAW staff member, who happened to be nearby.
This time, Miss He was very clear.
Not only did she send the license plate number, but she also confirmed they’d arrive within ten minutes.Though not exactly timely, it still helped Yun Li solve her problem.
Too drained to reprimand her further and pressed for time, Yun Li simply replied with an "Okay" before pulling her suitcase and heading out. Inside, she hadn’t noticed, but stepping outside, she was immediately met with a dense, damp chill.
…
Five minutes later.
Yun Li’s phone rang—an unfamiliar number from Nanwu. Seeing this, she reflexively hung up. Only after pressing the button did she realize it was probably EAW calling.
She froze, staring at the missed call, too hesitant to call back.
But she was also afraid the other party might grow impatient.
After much deliberation, Yun Li bit her knuckle and mustered the courage to redial.
Beep.
It only rang once before the call was picked up.
Yet the other end remained silent.
Yun Li took the initiative to explain, "Sorry… I accidentally hung up." Unsure how to address him, she awkwardly added, "Are you from EAW?"
A brief pause.
The man gave a quiet "Mm." His voice was cold and weary, low and indifferent, like a hidden hook beneath an illusion—devoid of emotion yet capable of ensnaring souls. "Come out, cross the street. You’ll see a parking lot—"
Yun Li interrupted belatedly, "Huh?"
The man paused, then clarified, "Can’t park at the exit."
"Oh, okay," Yun Li said. "I’ll head over now."
The man asked, "Got an umbrella?"
Yun Li instinctively glanced at her bag. "Yes."
"Wait for me at the parking lot entrance."
With that, the call ended.
The entire conversation lasted less than a minute.
Dazed, Yun Li fished out her umbrella.
Following the man’s instructions, she had just reached the parking lot when a car slowly pulled up. After double-checking the license plate number Miss He had sent, she confirmed it was the right one. Leaning toward the passenger seat, she asked, "Hello, could you open the trunk, please?"
The streetlights, fractured by barren branches, cast fragmented light.
The car’s interior was dim, and Yun Li could only make out his sickly pale chin.
The man tilted his head slightly, as if glancing her way. Without a word, he pulled up his hood and stepped out, walking toward her.
Yun Li froze, quickly saying, "Ah, no need… I can handle it my—"
Her voice, soft and delicate, was swallowed by the sudden rain. The man seemed not to hear, stopping in front of her and taking the suitcase from her hands. She swallowed the rest of her words and amended, "...Thank you."
Sparse raindrops pattered against the city, washing it clean.
Yun Li surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, her gaze lifting—then abruptly stopping. It was a rare sight. Against the vast, overcast sky, she saw something seldom visible on rainy days: the moon.
The man lifted the trunk, his head tilting slightly as well. The dim light seemed to spill uncontrollably over him, as if softening the impact.
Time slowed forcibly.
His features gradually, steadily came into focus.
Yun Li’s breath inexplicably hitched for a few seconds.
The man had deep-set eyes, thin lips pressed tightly together, his expression aloof. His hair and lashes were dotted with droplets, lending him a fragile air—yet it did nothing to diminish his sharp edge.
He was breathtakingly beautiful, impossible to look away from.
Yet also thorned, deterring anyone from daring to approach or touch.
Only when she saw him lift the suitcase did Yun Li snap out of it. She took a few steps closer, holding the umbrella over him.
The umbrella wasn’t large—without moving closer, it couldn’t cover both of them. Too embarrassed to get too near, Yun Li maintained a safe distance, letting herself get drizzled on.
The trunk, unexpectedly, was packed with items.The man haphazardly piled the scattered items together, barely managing to fit them into the suitcase. Before long, he noticed Yun Li beside him from the corner of his eye and turned his head slightly.
Tall and imposing, he wore a dark thin jacket, his face devoid of any expression, exuding a faint sense of intimidation. At this moment, whether offended or for some other reason, his eyes lifted slightly, his pitch-black pupils silently fixed on her.
Yun Li swallowed, feeling a little uneasy.
The next moment.
She saw the man raise his hand toward her.
She froze in place.
Even in this situation, Yun Li couldn’t help but notice his slender fingers, damp from the rain. They brushed past the back of her hand, then continued upward, slowly pressing against the black umbrella ribs before giving a light push.
The ribs grazed past her hair, her ear, and the side of her neck.
Once again, Yun Li was completely sheltered beneath the umbrella.
The whole thing lasted no more than three or four seconds.
Then, the man turned away and shut the trunk. The dull thud was swallowed by the crisp sound of the rain, accompanied by two flat, indifferent words.
"No need."
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