After several days of light rain, the long-awaited clear sky finally appeared in late August. The sun blazed high, gilding the world with its light, making the asphalt roads seem as if they might catch fire. Small insects occasionally flitted by, while cicadas droned endlessly in their hoarse voices. Yun Li felt she might melt in the heat.
After meeting with Deng Chuqi, they didn’t bother looking for a specific shop and headed straight for the neighboring Haitian Mall. The two casually entered a wonton restaurant.
“This wretched weather is trying to roast us alive,” Deng Chuqi remarked, feeling revived only after the air conditioning hit her. “I can’t stand it anymore. The West Fortress was better; I never felt it was this hot there.”
Yun Li disagreed: “That’s because you haven’t been back in a long time. The West Fortress is just as hot.”
“Is that so? Well, fine,” Deng Chuqi conceded. “Ah, I wish it would rain all summer in South Wu. The temperature these past few days was quite nice.”
“Then South Wu would flood.”
“Well, then the sun should just never come out!”
“Why are you so averse to light?”
“…” Deng Chuqi couldn’t take it anymore. She leaned forward to pinch Yun Li’s cheek. “Yun Li, why must you always argue? I should have brought a needle today to sew your mouth shut!”
Yun Li dodged back in pain, laughing as she begged for mercy: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Deng Chuqi reluctantly withdrew her hand. After the commotion, she stared at Yun Li’s face and couldn’t help but remark: “I remember my first impression of you was that you were pretty but so aloof. I thought you were trying to act superior.”
Yun Li glanced at her. “Watch what you say.”
Deng Chuqi continued: “But after getting to know you, I realized your initial reticence was probably just a way to protect yourself.”
“Oh?”
“To avoid offending people and getting assassinated.”
“…”
The waiter chose that moment to bring two bowls of wontons to their table.
As Deng Chuqi added a spoonful of chili oil, she suddenly remembered something and pointed upwards. “Oh right, was that VR experience center fun? I meant to go during their trial run, but I got so busy I forgot.”
“I quite liked it,” Yun Li replied honestly. “I was a bit regretful at first for accepting, but after going, I felt it was worth it. I got paid and got to play.”
Deng Chuqi asked curiously: “Besides you, who else did they invite?”
After wracking her brain for a while, Yun Li listed the few names she could remember. Deng Chuqi recognized one of them and immediately began excitedly sharing some gossip she had heard about that person.
Yun Li listened with interest and commented: “It sounds fake.”
After a while, Deng Chuqi asked again: “Is that all? Anyone else?”
Yun Li thought for a moment but couldn’t recall anyone else. Faced with Deng Chuqi’s expectant expression, the three characters “Fu Shize” that she had searched online the day before suddenly popped into her mind.
She hesitated before asking: “Do you remember a video that went viral on E-station when we were in high school?”
Deng Chuqi looked confused. “What?”
“You know, that… what was it…” Yun Li struggled to bring herself to say the name directly, finally managing to say, “…the Moon of the Human World.”
“Moon?” Deng Chuqi looked completely lost.
“The one from West Fortress University of Science and Technology…”
“Oh! You mean that genius from West Fortress University?” The keywords triggered Deng Chuqi’s memory. “I remember now. The first time I visited your house in high school, I saw you had his photo on your wall, almost like you were worshipping him—”
“…”
Yun Li had forgotten about that embarrassing detail.
Feeling her cheeks burn at the mention of her youthful indiscretion, Yun Li interrupted: “Alright, alright, let’s eat.”
Deng Chuqi was highly amused: “Why did you suddenly bring him up? I can’t even remember what he looks like anymore.”
Yun Li paused briefly before answering: “I think I might have seen him.”
“What?”
“But I’m not sure if it’s the same person.”
This encounter was similar to when she met some online personalities she had only seen on screens before at EAW. However, compared to those meetings, the emotions stirred by potentially encountering Fu Shize were undoubtedly more intense.
After all, he was someone she had once idolized.
Yun Li felt a slight sense of unease, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.
Was it because she hadn’t recognized him?
Or was it the unexpected encounter with someone she thought she’d never meet in this lifetime?
It had been seven years, after all.
The boy had grown taller, his features more defined, with a maturity that time had etched and could not be disguised. While his appearance hadn’t changed much, the most striking difference was in the aura he projected.
It deviated greatly from what she had imagined.
In their few encounters, he had seemed antisocial and withdrawn.
She had expected someone like him to be the center of attention, the moon around which other stars revolved. Someone with grace and discretion, handling people and situations with ease, worldly-wise but not jaded. Passionate yet unshakeable, strong and resilient.
Not like he appeared now.
His brilliance seemed dulled, blending into the night.
Silent and withered.
Yun Li’s mind wandered momentarily, inexplicably recalling the image of him sleeping on the couch. The man had been slightly curled up, his frame thin, the outline of his shoulder blades visible through his clothes.
Decadent, fragile, and seemingly breakable.
“Then maybe it isn’t the same person. It could just be someone who looks similar,” Deng Chuqi didn’t dwell on it. “I remember this genius was about our age, right? It’s been several years; he might not look the same as in the video anymore.”
Yun Li came back to her senses and laughed. “You’re right.”
Thinking about it that way, she realized she might have been overthinking things.
Even if it was the same person.
He might have just been feeling under the weather those few days, which explained his lack of energy—
There were many residential areas nearby, both old and new. Yun Li, not short on funds, chose Seven Mile Fragrant Town, which had the best surrounding environment and security. It was right across from Haitian Mall and less than a ten-minute walk from South University of Technology.
After lunch, Yun Li contacted the real estate agent again. Once the time was confirmed, she dragged Deng Chuqi along to view the apartment.
The apartment was a one-bedroom with a living room, fully furnished and already cleaned thoroughly.
Deng Chuqi, having recently signed a rental agreement herself, had more experience and took the lead in communicating with the agent. The landlord required a minimum one-year lease and a three-month deposit.
Yun Li found the terms acceptable.
They quickly settled on the apartment, agreeing to sign the lease contract the next day.
After Deng Chuqi went home, Yun Li found a cleaning service online to give the apartment a deep clean.
She then gradually bought various necessities, filming equipment, and small decorative items online to fill the space.
Yun Li officially moved in the day before her hotel room reservation expired.
By the time she finished setting up the apartment, it was already dark. She suddenly realized she was hungry and remembered a fried rice noodle dish she had randomly bought from a food street near the South University of Technology during her previous visit for the second round of interviews. The taste had been unexpectedly good.
Later, when she returned to West Fortress, she tried several restaurants but felt they were lacking in comparison.
Thinking of this, Yun Li scrolled through some food delivery apps but couldn’t find the restaurant.
The shop probably didn’t offer a delivery service.
Yun Li glanced at the wall clock – it was just after 10 PM.
Looking out the window, she could still see the brightly lit Haitian Mall.
It wasn’t too late, and with her craving intensifying, Yun Li felt a determination to satisfy it today. She decided to go back to her room, change clothes, grab her wallet, and head out.
Relying on her vague memory, Yun Li left the residential area, crossed the street, and walked straight ahead along Haitian Mall. On the way, she noticed people burning paper money by the roadside several times.
Confused and uneasy, Yun Li took out her phone to check the date.
She realized it was the Ghost Festival.
“…”
Yun Li’s scalp tingled, and she instantly regretted going out.
But having already walked most of the way, it seemed pointless to turn back.
Yun Li continued walking, passing through a square and crossing another street before reaching the familiar food street.
The street lamps were bright, and there were quite a few people around. She felt relieved.
Yun Li had originally come from a popular milk tea shop and remembered seeing the fried rice noodle shop just a few steps away. Now she couldn’t recall its exact location, only remembering it was quite out of the way.
Yun Li opened her navigation app.
Following it for about a hundred meters, the route on the map became twisted and confusing, possibly due to a delay. It directed her to pass through an alley.
The alley was dark and the ground damp. There was a corner about ten meters in.
Going through here, turning right and then left would lead to another street.
The distance wasn’t far, so Yun Li mustered her courage and entered the alley. Just as she turned the corner, she heard the sounds of men laughing and joking ahead. As she looked up, she was hit by an overwhelming smell of alcohol.
Two men came into view.
One had light blue hair and some indecipherable English letters tattooed on his collarbone; the other wore a tank top, revealing large muscles on his arms.
In the dark and secluded alley, Yun Li couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the scene. She didn’t dare make eye contact and tried to walk past calmly. She had only taken a few steps when the blue-haired man blocked her path. “Well, hello there, little sister.”
Yun Li retreated warily.
The muscular man on the other side teased, “Da Feng, what are you doing, harassing her?”
“How am I harassing her?” the blue-haired man slurred drunkenly. “I’m… I’m just saying hello!”
Yun Li wanted to get around them, but the alley was narrow, and the two men blocked any escape route. Afraid that showing too much fear would encourage them to be more aggressive, she said softly, “Could you please let me pass? I need to get to the other side.”
The blue-haired man leered: “Sure, I’ll let you pass, if you come have a late-night snack with me afterward.”
“…”
“How about it, little sister?”
“…Okay.” Afraid of angering him, Yun Li didn’t dare refuse and tried to stall for time. “Can you let me pass first? I need to buy something.”
The blue-haired man shrugged and moved aside slightly.
The shops along the alley were all closed, leaving one side eerily empty as if entering a realm devoid of people. On the other side, a few meters away under a dim street lamp, a man stood smoking with his head lowered.
Backlit, his face appeared pale and bloodless, looking gloomy and eerie.
He resembled a solitary ghost from another realm, entering the human world through the ghost gate at midnight.
Yun Li’s heart skipped a beat as she almost immediately recognized his face.
It was Fu Shize.
She had thought they wouldn’t meet again.
At that moment, he seemed to hear the commotion and looked up.
Not knowing what the two men behind her might do, Yun Li didn’t want to risk provoking them by calling out. She pressed her lips together, her eyes carrying a plea for help.
Their gazes met for just a second.
Fu Shize looked away, as if he hadn’t seen anything, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Yun Li froze in place.
For a moment, she couldn’t believe the meaning conveyed by his actions.
—He had no intention of helping her.
Behind her, the blue-haired man started to get impatient, yelling: “I let you pass, now let’s go get that snack, sister. Why aren’t you moving? Going back on your word—”
Yun Li’s voice trembled as she couldn’t help but call out: “Fu… Fu Shize!”
As her words fell, the air seemed to solidify.
Even the blue-haired man’s demeanor seemed to falter, and he fell silent.
After what felt like an eternity but was only a brief moment of silence, Fu Shize turned his head and lazily waved his hand. Yun Li’s hope rekindled, thinking the gesture was meant for her, and she was about to move towards him.
But to her surprise, the blue-haired man next to her walked over, asking in confusion: “Brother, you know her?”
“…”
Yun Li’s mind went blank.
The dream from a few days ago, which had already become quite blurry, suddenly became crystal clear again.
The boy at the airport sneered, shouting in her ear words that echoed once more: “Fooled you, didn’t we! Bet you didn’t expect he’s the leader of our organization!”
Fu Shize responded noncommittally: “What are you doing?”
The blue-haired man’s expression was matter-of-fact: “I just asked her to keep me company for a late-night snack, didn’t do anything else.”
“Keep you company for a snack…” he repeated casually, then looked at Yun Li. “Do you want to go?”
The sky was high, the stars distant, and the wind dry and long, still warm even after blowing for a while.
At that moment, Yun Li didn’t know where she found the courage, but she shook her head.
Fu Shize gave a light “Mm” and relayed her answer: “She doesn’t want to go.”
The blue-haired man, still seemingly drunk, wanted to argue. Before he could speak, Fu Shize pushed his shoulder. He staggered a couple of steps, nearly falling, and looked back.
“You scared her,” Fu Shize said casually. “Go apologize.”