Hearing this, Yun Li's previously relaxed mood, put at ease by his practiced movements, tensed up again.
What did he mean by first time?
Not quite understanding his words, Yun Li hesitated before asking, "You've never tied this for anyone else before?"
The man replied, "Nope."
"..."
Stunned by his matter-of-fact response, Yun Li even began to wonder if she was overreacting.
Although the project's height appeared to be just over two meters, there was still some danger involved. At this point, Yun Li couldn't afford to worry about anything else and had to speak up again for reassurance: "Did you receive any training before starting work?"
Without looking up, the man asked, "What training?"
"Well, for example," Yun Li couldn't think of anything else and couldn't afford to be subtle, so she pointed directly, "how to tie the safety rope most securely to minimize the risk."
Only after she finished speaking did the man reply, "Nope."
"..."
At that moment, Yun Li's feeling was comparable to going for a real bungee jump and having the staff tell her, "The rope might snap, but it might not. You can try it first."
Yun Li froze completely: "If the safety rope isn't tied properly, could I be thrown out?"
The man glanced at her, seeming to consider for a moment: "Not sure."
Seeing both of them looking so relaxed, Yun Li pursed her lips, thinking she shouldn't scare herself. But then the man suddenly tapped lightly on the buckle of the safety rope and said nonchalantly, "Want to give it a try?"
Yun Li: "..."
Yun Li: "?"
The words from the person before her felt like a demon's whisper.
However, the man merely mentioned it in passing. After speaking, he withdrew his hand without any further action. Yun Li even began to suspect, with petty thoughts, that he might be holding a grudge over her earlier comments and was using this to scare her.
Yun Li's back stiffened as she lowered her head to touch the buckle, checking if it had loosened.
Meanwhile, someone in the distance called for Xu Qingsong to come over.
Before leaving, Xu Qingsong chuckled softly and reassured her, "He's just joking with you. Don't take it seriously." Then, turning to the man, he reminded him, "What are you doing? Be more responsible. Don't go scaring people with nonsense."
The man still wore an expression of "going through the motions," but he at least said something reassuring to Yun Li: "Don't worry, everything's been checked." He then pointed to a nearby rope: "If you get scared later, just hold onto this."
Yun Li nodded and, after a moment's hesitation, slowly moved her hand away.
The man picked up the VR glasses from the side and put them on her: "There's a button at the back. Adjust the tightness yourself."
The scene before Yun Li's eyes transformed into a line of distant text, complete with a burning effect.
The man asked, "Clear enough?"
Yun Li squinted: "A bit blurry."
As soon as she spoke, she could feel the man's hand pressing against her glasses, pushing them down slightly. Her vision became somewhat clearer, and Yun Li raised her hand to fine-tune them to a comfortable angle.
Since this project involved up-and-down movement, simply wearing the glasses like this would make them prone to falling off. Thus, two additional straps were fastened under the chin, like a helmet.
Once the VR glasses were on, the real world disappeared from view.
Yun Li had no idea what was happening around her and felt nervous. She only heard the man announce, as if giving a warning, "Starting now," and the scene began to change.
A bottomless cliff stretched before her, with mountain mist swirling in the distance.The game didn't start with an immediate jump—there was a buffer period first. The NPC on screen moved its mouth as if speaking. From Yun Li's perspective, the protagonist hesitated at the edge, torn between jumping and backing away, dragging out the moment.
Then, before she could react, the character suddenly leaped off.
The seat beneath her began moving in sync.
At the lowest point of the fall, the bungee cord rebounded, sending her back up repeatedly. The weightlessness was intense, the deep ocean rushing terrifyingly close before she was abruptly yanked upward again.
For a split second, Yun Li squeezed her eyes shut in fear, then forced herself to open them.
She was the type who loved thrills but lacked courage. Every time she visited an amusement park, she'd be fascinated by the high-altitude rides—only to lose her nerve at the entrance.
But with VR experiences like this, Yun Li knew it was all virtual, not truly frightening, so she wanted to try everything.
In short, her bravery existed solely in the digital world.
The moment she returned to reality, it reset to zero.
The experience wasn’t long, but the hyper-realistic sensations made every second feel like an eternity. Yet once it was over, she felt exhilarated, refreshed by the adrenaline rush.
Yun Li removed the VR glasses.
The man took them from her and undid the buckle.
Back on solid ground, she glanced to the side and noticed a screen displaying a live feed of what she had just seen—meaning everyone else had witnessed her reactions too.
According to He Jiameng, to ensure the final video had the best effects, these recordings would later be compiled and sent to the participants.
Yun Li thanked him, then hesitated before asking, "Was there no sound in the game?"
The man looked up.
She explained, "I saw the character’s mouth moving, but I didn’t hear anything."
Uncertain, the man put the headset on himself. After a moment, he took it off, inspecting it. "There’s sound, but the right earpiece seems broken."
Then he confirmed, "You really didn’t hear anything?"
"..."
Yun Li’s breath hitched.
This just had to coincide with her natural impairment.
If the right earpiece was broken, only the left one would produce sound.
But her left ear had been deaf since birth.
So she hadn’t heard a thing.
"Oh, really?" she replied stiffly. "Maybe I was too nervous and missed it."
"Hm."
The man didn’t press further. Having completed his "task" with Yun Li, he reverted to his usual detached demeanor, focusing on testing the equipment in silence.
Later, when Yun Li passed by after trying other attractions, the man was nowhere to be seen. After skipping a few options, she had tried everything that interested her—by then, most of the day had passed.
Among the group, she was one of the few still energetic.
Some had grown dizzy from prolonged play and had long retreated to the rest area to chat.
Finding an empty corner, Yun Li quickly reviewed the footage she had captured, mentally planning how to edit it later.
Before long, He Jiameng found her with an announcement.
As their host, Xu Qingsong wanted to treat everyone to dinner—both to properly introduce himself and to bid them farewell. Hearing that the others had already agreed, Yun Li swallowed her initial refusal and went with the flow.
...
The gathering was held at a well-known restaurant in Nanwu.EAW had booked a large private room with two big round tables placed on either side. Yun Li took a seat toward the inner side, flanked by He Jiameng and Zhi Buliao.
Some people had known each other before arriving, while others had quickly hit it off over the course of the day. The dinner table was lively, with most still eager to share their thoughts on the various activities they’d experienced.
Yun Li dreaded these kinds of gatherings the most. As soon as she sat down, she pretended to be engrossed in her phone.
The last to arrive were Xu Qingsong and the man.
Only two seats remained at the inner table, so the two walked over. He Jiameng blinked, her inner fangirl resurfacing at the sight of him. "Teacher Xian Yun, did you get to see what this handsome guy looks like under his mask today?"
Today?
Yun Li answered truthfully, "I didn’t see him today."
After a pause, she debated whether to add: But I’ve seen him before.
Before she could say anything, Xu Qingsong called out, "Xiao He."
He Jiameng: "Huh?"
"Would you mind switching seats?" Xu Qingsong glanced at the seating arrangement and patted the man’s shoulder. "He’s been sick these past few days, and this spot is right under the AC vent. Let him sit further inside."
He Jiameng immediately stood up, nodding repeatedly. "Of course, no problem!"
Before Yun Li could react, she found herself inexplicably seated next to him.
Already uncomfortable in large social settings, now she was stuck beside a stranger she’d encountered multiple times. Unsure whether to greet him, she grew even more restless.
She kept her gaze down, sipping water.
Xu Qingsong made no move to introduce the man. When someone at the table tried to strike up a conversation with him, he remained silent for a moment before responding—as if confirming whether the words were directed at him—and even then, his replies were brief.
It was like another conversation killer had appeared out of thin air.
Yun Li empathized, wanting to see if he was equally frustrated, but she didn’t dare look his way.
Before long, the focus of the conversation shifted back to Xu Qingsong.
Yun Li also turned her attention away.
But her mind inconveniently wandered—had everyone forgotten to ask the man’s name?
Soon after, the man removed his mask.
During their previous encounters, either the lighting had been poor, the angle had been off, or she simply hadn’t paid close attention. Now, seeing him up close, Yun Li noticed his hair was slightly lighter—whether dyed or natural, she couldn’t tell.
Further down, his features were flawless, with a distinctly mixed-ethnicity look.
His appearance was undeniably striking.
Suddenly, he looked familiar.
Had she seen him somewhere before…?
Before she could dwell on it, the waitstaff began serving the dishes.
The table was laden with a variety of dishes, catering to everyone’s tastes.
Whether due to a poor appetite or being overly picky, Yun Li could see from the corner of her eye that the man barely ate anything throughout the meal. The single bowl of congee he’d ordered was only half-finished.
After dinner, someone suggested heading to a nearby KTV for the next round.
Xu Qingsong agreed with a smile.
The meal had already cost a fair amount, and the others didn’t want him footing the bill again. They proposed a small game—the two tables would form separate teams, and the losing team would cover the expenses.
After much back-and-forth over game choices, they settled on a simple and quick one called "Secret Whisper."
The rules were straightforward: Each team would send one person to whisper a sentence (under thirty characters, the more convoluted the better) to the first person on the opposing team. The message would then be passed down the line in whispers, ensuring no third party could overhear.
The team whose final person repeated the most correct words would win.
Yun Li’s heart sank.Soon after, she heard even worse news: "Then pass it counterclockwise."
Counterclockwise, from left to right.
Which meant the man to her left would be passing the message to her.
So she'd have to lean her left ear toward him...
Each group quickly decided on their sentences, and the whispering began from one end.
At their table, Xu Qingsong started first, with four people between him and Yun Li. The whispers traveled quickly, and as the distance closed, her anxiety surged.
Although her left ear's deafness didn't affect Yun Li's daily life much, and she didn't dwell on it, she still didn't want to reveal this flaw to everyone.
After hesitating, she turned to the man: "Um..."
The man tilted his head toward her.
She opened her mouth, wanting to ask, "Can I listen with my right ear later?" but it felt too deliberate. She deflated mid-sentence: "Never mind, it's nothing."
Before she knew it, it was the man's turn.
Watching as the person beside him whispered into his ear, Yun Li subtly leaned in to eavesdrop but couldn't catch a single word.
Once the whisper ended, the man looked at her.
Meeting his gaze, Yun Li steeled herself and leaned closer.
They froze for a few seconds.
The man didn't move but suddenly said, "Come closer."
Yun Li was stunned: "Huh?"
His tone was neutral, but the implication was ambiguous. A few people at the table couldn't resist teasing them.
The man ignored the remarks, resting his elbow on the table and propping his chin lazily. As if sensing her hesitation, his gaze shifted to her right ear, and he repeated indifferently:
"Lean in closer."
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