Consumed by guilt, Yun Li could only perceive threats and coldness in those words, the intimidation no less than—
I’m about to kill you now, but the knife in my hand isn’t sharp enough.
No matter. I still have a gun.
What did he mean by "straight handles might work"?
How did he know?
Had he… actually tried it before?
All sorts of spine-chilling thoughts flooded her mind. At the same time, the man eerily stood up and began walking toward her. Yun Li didn’t understand why but instinctively took a step back.
Yet the man didn’t even glance at her. He passed by her side, continuing forward to pick up the remote on the desk.
He adjusted the air conditioning back to 30 degrees.
Then he set it down and walked to the bar counter to pour himself some water.
Realizing she had let her imagination run wild again, Yun Li wanted to say something quickly to ease the tension, but the words slipped out before she could think: "So, for straight handles… what kind should I buy to kill—"
Yun Li froze, realizing how wrong that sounded.
The man didn’t look up, quietly drinking his water.
"Uh…" Yun Li corrected herself, "I mean, what kind should I avoid buying…"
At this, the man finally looked at her. His gaze drifted downward, landing on her slender wrists. Like an emotionless machine analyzing data, he delivered the most straightforward conclusion: "You don’t have enough strength."
"Huh?"
"Doesn’t matter what you buy."
……
Back at the club, Yun Li was still stuck on what had just happened.
Now that she thought about it, their conversation had been downright horrifying.
Like a clueless newcomer fearlessly asking a seasoned criminal for advice on what kind of umbrella could be lethal enough to kill someone.
One dared to ask.
The other dared to answer.
And then, before leaving, she had even stupidly added, "Thanks for the guidance." She wished she could board a flight out of Nanwu overnight.
The summer heat, carried by the wind, burned the tips of her ears, and even the air conditioning couldn’t cool her down. She covered her face, but even her hands were scorching, as if relentlessly reminding her of that embarrassing moment.
Not far away, He Jiameng spotted her and called out, "Teacher Xian Yun!"
Yun Li snapped out of her thoughts.
Only then did she notice that the previously scattered group had now gathered in the open lounge area at the center of the second floor. A long, curved sofa was filled with people chatting, while a few others stood nearby.
The atmosphere was lively.
As she approached, He Jiameng asked, "Why’d you come back so soon? Did you charge your phone?"
"Pretty much." After a pause, Yun Li added, "Someone was sleeping in the break room."
"Who? I didn’t see anyone when I went with you earlier."
"The person who picked me up yesterday."
"Huh?" He Jiameng turned her head. "Boss, who did you send to pick her up yesterday?"
Following her gaze, Yun Li looked over.
At the center of the sofa sat a strikingly unfamiliar man.
Dressed in a light patterned shirt and casual trousers, he lounged with one leg crossed over the other, exuding an air of effortless elegance. His gentle smile and refined demeanor practically spelled out "aristocrat."
The aristocrat raised an eyebrow, as if just remembering something. "I’ll head downstairs for a bit."
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the others, he stood up to leave. Passing by Yun Li, he paused and extended his hand politely. "Pleasure to meet you. I’m Xu Qingsong."
Yun Li hesitated for a second before shaking his hand. "Hello."
Xu Qingsong gave a light, half-second handshake before letting go. "Apologies for the lack of hospitality yesterday."
Yun Li replied stiffly, "It’s fine."
It was as if he had been holding a fan meet-and-greet. The moment Xu Qingsong left, the rest of the group dispersed like startled birds.The original group of four reunited, with He Jiameng's enthusiasm undiminished. She couldn't go three sentences without mentioning Xu Qingsong, to the point where she seemed like a thoroughly brainwashed cult member.
Xu Qingsong never returned, and the group eventually headed back.
As they neared the hotel, He Jiameng brought up the topic of return flight tickets with Yun Li. Normally, round-trip tickets should have been booked in advance, but Yun Li had used the excuse of wanting to spend a few extra days in Nanwu to delay sending her the dates and flight numbers.
And so, the matter had been postponed until now.
He Jiameng didn’t press her, simply asking her to inform her once the arrangements were finalized.
Mention of this topic weighed heavily on Yun Li’s heart.
Her trip from West Fuling was ostensibly for work, but the bigger reason was a heated argument with her father, Yun Yongchang. The trigger was her secretly gaining admission to South Science and Technology University for graduate studies.
At some point, Yun Yongchang had become vehemently opposed to Yun Li attending university in another city.
When filling out her college applications for the national college entrance exams, he had been adamant, insisting she only apply to local universities. After several failed attempts to resist, Yun Li had verbally agreed but secretly listed South Science and Technology University as her first choice.
Back then, Yun Li had naively believed that once officially admitted, Yun Yongchang wouldn’t stop her from going. But judging by his current attitude, had she been accepted, he would have just as ruthlessly forced her to repeat the year.
So it was hard to say whether her situation was fortunate or unfortunate.
She had missed admission by just one point.
In the end, Yun Li had stayed in West Fuling as Yun Yongchang wished.
The regret of that missed opportunity had lingered, so when it came to graduate school, she had set her sights on South Science and Technology University from the start.
And Yun Yongchang’s attitude remained unchanged from four years ago.
He argued that she had always been under their watchful eyes, and as a young woman going so far away, they simply couldn’t rest easy.
The older generation didn’t quite grasp these things, believing that West Fuling had perfectly good universities—if she wanted to study and could get in, she might as well apply locally.
Yun Li had resorted to the same tactic as before, pretending to prepare for graduate studies at a local university, planning to present a fait accompli. Even after passing the exams, she hadn’t dared to tell Yun Yongchang, each time hesitating at the last moment.
Her mother, Yang Fang, and younger brother, Yun Ye, were both aware of the situation but stayed out of it, watching the drama unfold from the sidelines.
As the enrollment date drew nearer, Yun Li grew increasingly tormented by the secret she carried.
Occasionally, she would feel a surge of frustration, thinking that at over twenty years old, pursuing graduate studies in another city shouldn’t be treated like a three-year-old begging for an extra piece of candy under parental scrutiny.
When she received the invitation from EAW, which was located in Nanwu, Yun Li had reached out to Deng Chuqi, who had spent four years there, to ask if she knew anything about the VR center.
Coincidentally, Deng Chuqi’s roommate had a relative working at EAW. After learning more, Yun Li felt the opportunity seemed quite reliable. Coupled with the favorable terms offered, her initial inclination to decline began to waver.
Unable to decide, she had casually mentioned it during a family meal. Noticing Yun Yongchang’s lack of reaction, she sensed the timing was right and cautiously broached the subject.
But Yun Yongchang’s expression had darkened instantly. He flew into a rage, refusing to hear any explanation, and outright forbade her from considering it. He declared she should either find a job directly or reapply to a local graduate program.Yun Li's guilt was completely dispelled by his domineering attitude, and the emotions that had been building up inside her finally erupted.
She couldn't understand, feeling both wronged and furious. Unable to hold back, she retorted, "This is my business. I'll decide what I want to do."
The argument ignited instantly.
Caught up in the heat of the moment, Yun Li didn't think twice before decisively replying to EAW's email.
She accepted the job.
The ringing of her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. Yun Li entered her room and glanced at the caller ID—Yun Ye. She answered on speakerphone and tossed the phone onto the bed. Adopting her elder sister's authoritative tone, she spoke first: "State your identity."
The teenager seemed momentarily stunned. "What?"
"Are you the messenger or my brother?"
After a few seconds of silence, Yun Ye sounded exasperated. "Your brother."
Yun Li: "Oh, then go ahead."
"When are you coming home? And bring some Nanwu specialties while you're at it."
"What do you want? I'll mail them to you."
"What's wrong with you? Running away from home? Yun Li, how childish can you be?" Yun Ye said. "At your age, running off just because of a fight with our parents—aren't you embarrassed?"
Yun Li wasn't fazed. "No one will know if you don't tell them."
The tense atmosphere at home had persisted for days, and Yun Ye had unwittingly become the punching bag for both sides. He didn't want to get dragged into this mess anymore and asked helplessly, "So when are you coming back?"
With the start of the semester still over half a month away, Yun Li had no intention of returning anytime soon to avoid another clash with Yun Yongchang.
She answered truthfully, "I might not come back at all."
Yun Ye: "Huh?"
"Since school's starting soon anyway, I don't want to bother going back and forth. Might as well get used to being here early," Yun Li began fabricating excuses. "Besides, Deng Chuqi is here too. I can hang out with her for a couple of days."
"You're serious?"
"Of course," Yun Li said, growing more convinced of her decision as she spoke. "Actually, no 'might' about it. I'm definitely not coming back."
Yun Ye couldn't believe it. "Aren't you afraid Dad will kill you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Yun Li corrected him. "Going back now is what would get me killed."
"..."
Once she made up her mind, Yun Li felt an immediate sense of relief at not having to return home and argue with Yun Yongchang.
She slept soundly that night and set off early the next morning.
Today, everyone's mood was noticeably different from the day before. From the hotel lobby onward, they carried their cameras, filming snippets here and there. Yun Li felt a bit shy about filming in front of others, but Zhi Buliao and Fei Shui proactively greeted her camera.
Seeing this, Yun Li relaxed a little and smiled slightly.
Before entering, the group found a spot where they could capture Sea Sky Mall in the background and began filming unabashedly.
Yun Li followed their lead, quickly reciting her script from a spot farther away from the crowd.
Compared to an experience center, EAW felt more like a small theme park.
The entrance was decorated in a strikingly futuristic style, with a sense of fragmentation. The starry backdrop was split by streaks of white light that extended toward the ceiling, as if one could step through these cracks into a surreal world.
At the top was the full name of the tech city: Enjoy Another World.
Unlike the desolation and dim lighting of the previous day.
All the installations inside were now activated, dazzling and immersive, each vying for attention.
There were various types of attractions—thrilling and intense, experiential and sensory, puzzle-solving, and multiplayer battles.EAW had invited nearly twenty people. After entering, the play guides first organized them to experience several group activities, such as indoor virtual roller coasters, 5D movies, and various other immersive experiences.
Idle staff members were temporarily pulled in to serve as photographers, making the most of available resources. Before putting on the VR glasses, Yun Li noticed several drones nearby, operated by staff for filming.
This was her first time trying outdoor filming, and she had never seen such a grand setup before.
After finishing these activities, the group returned to the second floor.
This floor mostly featured solo or small-group activities—space capsule hotels, dark combat vehicles, motion-capture games, and so on. Half of the area was reserved for private rooms, catering to players who preferred a quieter gaming experience.
Before Yun Li could decide which activity to try first, she heard an enthusiastic greeting from behind.
She looked up—it was Xu Qingsong.
And the man she had seen the past two days.
Even though he was wearing a mask, he was still easily recognizable.
In just that short time yesterday, Xu Qingsong had already built rapport with many people, and now some were actively approaching him to chat and greet him.
Inevitably, Yun Li recalled the awkwardness in the lounge and didn’t want to run into the man directly. Coincidentally, she spotted one of the activities she had marked in her notes—Extreme Bungee.
She turned and walked over.
The name and setup of this activity looked far more thrilling than the others, but there was no play guide nearby. Yun Li checked the instructions but hesitated to touch anything randomly, deciding to wait for a staff member.
With nothing else to do, Yun Li set up a tripod, mounted her DSLR, and adjusted the position and aperture.
The setup resembled a swing but was lift-based, requiring a full set of safety gear to be worn—designed to simulate the sensation of bungee jumping as closely as possible.
Normally, a play guide would assist with putting on the safety ropes.
Several minutes passed, and Yun Li still hadn’t seen anyone in uniform nearby. Just as she considered switching to another activity, Xu Qingsong’s voice came from behind: "What’s wrong?"
Yun Li turned around.
Unbeknownst to her, the two men had already made their way over.
Feeling slightly flustered, she instinctively replied, "I wanted to try this activity."
Xu Qingsong raised a brow slightly and patted the man’s shoulder. "Time to get to work."
The man’s expression was weary, and he didn’t move immediately.
Xu Qingsong shrugged and explained, "They’re short-staffed."
"……"
Speak of the devil.
After a moment, the man walked over, picked up the safety ropes hanging on the rack, and inspected them silently. Unlike the other staff in uniform, he was dressed simply in a T-shirt and casual pants.
Yun Li couldn’t quite place his role.
Which led to another concern—she wasn’t sure if he knew how to operate the equipment.
Holding the safety ropes, the man stood in front of her. Tall enough that he had to bend slightly, he instructed in a calm voice, "Step into the black loops."
The proximity made Yun Li nervous. She didn’t have time to ask questions, so she simply followed his directions.
Once both feet were through, the man adjusted the ropes upward, guiding her to slip her hands into the corresponding loops. He tightened them to fit her frame, then motioned for her to sit on the equipment.Standing on the ground, the feeling wasn't profound, but once seated, an uncontrollable sense of unease took over. Yun Li watched the man's movements intently as he fastened her safety rope to the appropriate spot, meticulously checking each step.
At that moment, Xu Qingsong chimed in from the side, commenting with a smile—
"Not bad. Handling it with ease on your first try."
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