The boundary ends here.
[Gossip from the Resort Work Group]
At 9:15 a.m., the work group chat suddenly exploded. Someone had "retouched" the porch photo from last night and posted it again—the image was deliberately cropped to only show the reflection of the shuttle bus, the man's back, and the woman's profile, with the distorted angle of the camera compressing the distance, making them look very close. The title was perfectly timed to grab attention: #LookAtThisPair#.
Push notifications kept popping up, a whole row of emojis filled the screen, and the messages were so light and airy, like poking the surface of water with a feather.
The break room instantly transformed into a broadcasting station. Two water heaters gurgled and whirred, their sounds like out-of-tune accompaniment. Steam billowed a white mist around the edges of the cabinets.
Colleague A held a paper cup under his chin and said in a low voice, "Oh dear, I didn't go back to the dorm last night."
Colleague B handed over the phone: "Look at this angle, with the reflection, it looks like it was delivered right to the door."
Colleague C added, "I'm into the CEO type. But—" She glanced at Hu Li, then pretended to look at the ceiling, "The compliance manual makes it very clear, doesn't it?"
Colleague D slowly opened a coffee capsule and said, "Someone just got promoted and is already on the front page."
Hu Li didn't reply. She put the warm water in her thermos down on the spot, tightened the lid, as if swallowing any unnecessary words. She stood to the side, looking down at the picture, and immediately noticed something was wrong: the angle was deliberately raised, the reflection overshadowing the shadows, creating an illusion of intimacy. She deduced from the angle: last night's camera must have been positioned on the outer corridor near the shuttle bus stop, shooting from a low angle to make the distance between the doorways appear "closer."
Colleague E whispered, "What time did your department work overtime until yesterday?"
Colleague A laughed, "She's not tired, someone gave her a ride."
Someone chimed in, and laughter filled the air.
Hu Li raised his eyes, picked up the water bottle, and said in a very indifferent tone, "I'm going to a meeting first. The water is very hot, pour it slowly."
The laughter subsided on its own, someone coughed and changed the subject, and the water heater started gurgling again.
After she finished speaking, she moved the cup to the sink, pushed her sleeve up to let the water wash away the fingerprints on the rim, and then turned to leave. Reaching the door, she paused, turned back, and tidied up the scattered candy wrappers, clearing a straight line on the counter—she disliked mess and didn't like having other people's laughter lingering around her.
Back in her seat, she opened her sketchbook and sketched a little fox in the corner; the tail was drawn long, eventually forming a circle, separating the two small dots outside the circle—a safe distance. She lightly touched the end of the tail with the tip of her pen, as if planting a nail in her heart.
[Resort Meeting Room, Morning]
The inter-departmental meeting was packed. The enclosed meeting room had no windows, the air conditioner hummed softly, and cold white lights fell from the ceiling, dividing the table into squares, causing the atmosphere to shift between light and shadow.
Mu Tianlang was colder than usual, his whole being seeming to have been sliced out of thin air. When he took his seat, he had two colleagues sit between him and Hu Li, maintaining a clear professional distance.
The projector lit up, and he began by outlining the process and key points, without a single wasted word. Before mentioning the comfort level of the room, he didn't turn his head—only glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing her shoulder hunch slightly, her sleeves pushing up and then falling down, her pen pausing for a moment. He simply tapped the edge of the document twice, as if turning a page: "Turn the air conditioning up two degrees."
Hu Li didn't look up; his fingers touched the page with the fox in the notebook, and the tension in his heart eased by half a centimeter.
As the meeting ended and the crowd poured out, she brushed past him, slightly turning her body, and leaned close to his ear, almost inaudible to him: "President, don't be so cold during business, it's pungent."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "Okay."
She gave a soft "hmm," walked forward, and casually tucked her hair behind her ear. The small silver stud gleamed under the light, then disappeared back into place.
[Resort Design Department, Morning]
Before lunch break, the gossip account posted a second picture with the title changed to: #CEO sees someone off#.
She glanced at it briefly, then placed her phone face down on the corner of the table—treating it as noise. She opened the site inspection checklist, comparing it with the lighting positions and markings she had noted the night before, checking each item along the route: brightness, delay, reflection, and backlighting. She wouldn't change the route, only taking photos for record-keeping, noting the time and location.
At the same time, in the CEO's office—
Mu Tianlang's tone was cold: "Drag out all the upload sources for that picture from the outer corridor last night: the original file, device code, time, and IP address. Put it on my desk within two hours."
The assistant replied, "Received."
He raised his finger and issued several orders: "Don't reply to any public groups, keep things calm. Get the venue's surveillance footage; back up and archive the list of renters, deposit slips, access control card swipes, WiFi access logs, and router logs. PR should follow the established line and remove the devices first; legal department should preserve evidence and prepare to sue. Security should patrol twice an hour starting today, reinforcing blind spots; seal off suspicious devices first, then dismantle them when legal department arrives. Special assistant, create a clue list, arranged chronologically—who took the photos, why, I need conclusions."
The last sentence was spoken in a very low voice: "Regarding Hu Li, that's a priority. Don't touch her."
His tone wasn't loud, but it was like a knife, bringing the situation under control.
[Afternoon at the entrance to the resort]
She was on her way to the finance department with the approval form, passing by the president's office. The door was ajar, and on the corner of the desk sat a matte black glass—his. A thin line of light refracted along the rim of the glass, like a closed end. She glanced at it and looked away—looking too long would make her overthink.
Just then, her secretary came out and handed her a letter from a business partner. She took it, her fingertips brushing against the edge of the paper. The paper was stiff, like someone's worries.
"Please sign for this." The secretary said politely.
She nodded and turned to leave when Mu Tianlang's voice came from inside the door, cold and precise: "Ms. Hu, if you need anything later, please use email."
She paused, didn't even glance inside, and replied through the crack in the door, "Understood. Business is business."
He didn't say anything more. The secretary closed the door, the hinges clicking softly.
She walked back with the documents in her arms, her heart feeling a sudden chill, as if a sea breeze had hit her. She didn't try to guess what he was thinking; she just kept moving forward, letting work suppress her chaotic thoughts.
[Afternoon at the design department workstations in the resort]
She unfolded the material sample, light gliding along its edges. She took three comparison photos, adding notes on color temperature, reflectivity, and latency suggestions, then combined them into a small image and sent it to her notes. Her finger hovered over the send button, and she suddenly forwarded the small image to him, saying nothing more than typing one line:
Hu Li: Would you be comfortable with this level of brightness?
The dialog box lit up for a split second.
Mu Tianlang: Okay.
She asked again:
Hu Li: If I were standing in this section, would you think it's too bright?
Mu Tianlang: No.
Hu Li: What if I move a little closer?
The dialog box remained silent for three seconds.
Mu Tianlang: Don't rely on trends.
She stared at those four words, her lips tightening. A moment later, another message popped up:
Mu Tianlang: Keep your distance from me these next few days.
Hu Li: Why?
Mu Tianlang: Someone is making a fuss about it, afraid you'll be implicated. I'll handle it.
Hu Li: Is he avoiding me?
Mu Tianlang: No, it's for you.
She stared at those lines of text, typed a little fox sticker, and tucked its tail in. Then she switched to the unfamiliar number:
Hu Li: He's a good person, why should your actions cause him harm?
Mysterious man: Who told him he's Fang Jing's son?
She tightened her grip on her fingers, then loosened them, closing both chat boxes.
[Night at the Resort Staff Dormitory]
The security group updated the "temporary camera list." She checked each of the locations she had marked last night, and sure enough, none of them were there. She didn't speak in the group, but followed his instructions to carry out her official duties: she sent an email to Mu Tianlang, CC'd security, briefly stating that "the northeast corner of the dormitory building's outer corridor is suspected to be a temporary camera location, not on the list," with the time and a diagram attached, and the last sentence: Please take note.
After sending the email, she didn't flip through the booklet again. Instead, she moved the easel to the window and set up a medium-sized canvas.
She first brushed on a very light layer of gray, like a cloud of mist, to flatten the base. On the left side, she sketched out a small wolf with charcoal, its outline clear and its lines crisp, leaving the eye area white. In the lower right corner, she used water to blend the gray, revealing a small fox hidden in the mist, with the tips of its ears and tail peeking out, the rest in shadow—visible, but not fully visible.
She tore off a strip of masking tape and drew a very thin straight line in the middle of the canvas, like a boundary; using a dry brush, she lightly brightened half a shade on the left side of the boundary and darkened one shade on the right side. Finally, she wrote in tiny letters at the corner of the canvas: I'm here too.
My phone vibrated; it was that number again: "Don't blame me if you act on emotion."
She replied, "I know what I'm doing. Don't drag innocent people into this."
She placed her phone on the easel, took a close-up photo of the "boundary" on the left side of the canvas and the wolf's gaze, and then took a darker photo of the fox in the fog in the lower right corner. She chose the first one and sent it to him with only four words: "The boundary ends here."
Mu Tianlang: Received
She thought for a moment and then replied, "Don't overdo it. I'll be right here for you whenever you want."
Two minutes later, he sent another message:
Mu Tianlang: Don't stay up too late.
She smiled and replied, "You too."
[Late at night in the resort's CEO office]
The security supervisor sent a report in the middle of the night: "We've tracked down the person who rented the equipment outside the field; they used a fake name; the payment was made via prepaid card. We found three sets of the same footprints near the fence, along with a blurry photo of a car's rear."
He simply replied, "Bring the drawings tomorrow morning."
At the same time, a new notification popped up in the lower right corner of his screen: the public opinion system showed that the number of similar words to "opening/security" had surged within fifteen minutes, suspected to be pushed by the same account. His eyes darkened, and he replied to the public relations department with four words: "Caliber Two, go online."
He got up to pour water, emptying the entire glass from its dark, foggy state. He rinsed it and laid it face down on a cloth to dry. He left a small empty space on the desk, looked at it for a couple of seconds, and then left it empty. Before closing his laptop, he typed "Are you there?" in the message box, then deleted it, changed it to a dot, and finally deleted even the dot.
[Resort Meeting Room]
The next day, before nine o'clock, the heads of relevant departments gathered.
Mu Tianlang spoke directly: "The focus has been diverted by the paparazzi. Let's get the narrative back on the opening ceremony. Three things: correct public opinion, trace the source, and secure the scene."
Finance: "What about the cash?"
He said, "We'll sign the factoring agreement today, and I'll sign the title confirmation agreement. We'll allocate a temporary budget for external marketing to create positive content and feature it prominently. We'll postpone the procurement payment by a week; we'll let them know in advance."
PR: "Official stance?" He: "No comment on personal matters. The tone is 'inaccurate images, malicious splicing'; reiterate safety commitments and visitor experience. FAQ version one will be released before noon; social media focus will be shifted back to 'opening highlights'; the public opinion dashboard will be updated hourly."
Security: "On-site?"
He said: "All equipment not on the list will be sealed off, and legal personnel will be on-site to dismantle it; blind spots will be filled with personnel and lighting; patrols will be changed from two-wheeled to three-wheeled; a public summary of the safety inspection will be released, with an objective tone."
He looked at his assistant: "The legal department is not here, so pass on the password—send the evidence certificate immediately, and proceed with the platform removal simultaneously; file the infringement and defamation cases first."
Assistant reports: "The board will hold an extraordinary meeting this afternoon."
He said calmly, "It was discussed at the meeting. The theme was the same—assessing whether the impact was a loss or a concern that could be converted into action, with the conclusion centered on the 'opening'."
He drew three lines on the list: "Each group should report back to me on the first round of execution by 10 o'clock."
A message popped up on my phone—she had just sent a picture of a corridor in the morning light, the light filtering down from the railing and leaning inwards. Underneath the photo were only four words: I'm on the left.
He twitched his fingertips under the table, then stopped.
[Midday in the courtyard corridor of the resort]
He came along the corridor and stopped an arm's length away.
Hu Li turned around, his smile faint: "You've come."
Mu Tianlang: "The picture has been received."
Hu Li raised his chin: "So, did you understand it?"
Mu Tianlang looked at her for three seconds, his gaze moving from her eyes and brows to the hand holding her phone, then back to her: "I understand."
Hu Li put his phone behind his back, stood up straight by the railing, and pointed to the inside: "Want to try standing on my side?"
Mu Tianlang didn't approach her, but only took half a step to the side, his shoulder level with hers.
Hu Li asked in a low voice, "Is this the right way?"
Mu Tianlang: "Sure."
Hu Li said lightly, "Today will be very busy. I'll lighten the 'slow walk' section by one notch, without changing the movement path, just adjusting the lighting."
Mu Tianlang: "Okay. Wear finger guards." He paused for a second, then added, "Don't stand in the wind."
Hu Li looked at him, his voice even softer: "I didn't go forward."
Mu Tianlang: "I saw it."
Hu Li: "And what about you?"
Mu Tianlang said softly, "Right here for now."
Hu Li blinked, as if smiling: "If I behave, you'll feel more at ease?"
Mu Tianlang: "Don't worry."
Hu Li suddenly tilted his head: "What do you think you are?"
Mu Tianlang: "What?"
Hu Li smiled sweetly: "Wolf. You look cold, but as soon as you get close, I can hear you holding back."
He paused for two seconds before saying, "With you here, everything is fine."
Hu Li then asked, "And what about me?"
Mu Tianlang thought for half a second: "Fox."
Hu Li raised an eyebrow: "Why?"
Mu Tianlang looked ahead: "Naughty."
Hu Li smiled and asked, "So, do you like naughty kids?"
Mu Tianlang stepped aside, giving way half a step: "Stop fooling around."
Hu Li didn't pursue the matter. Instead, he changed his perspective and became serious: "If one day I'm no longer on the left, will you look for me?"
Mu Tianlang looked at her without flinching: "Yes."
Hu Li: "Then will you be faster?"
Mu Tianlang only said two words: "As soon as possible."
Hu Li smiled and gently brought down the gavel: "Then I'll wait a moment."
Mu Tianlang said in a low voice, "Don't wait too long."
Hu Li nodded: "Deal. Then let's all get back to our work. I'll go finish the checklist."
Mu Tianlang nodded: "Go." He paused, then whispered, "You've worked hard. Eat something hot."
Hu Li: "Don't push yourself too hard. I'll be right here for you whenever you want."
Mu Tianlang lowered his gaze slightly and said in an even lower voice, "I know."
Hu Li tucked the folder tightly, turned and left along the corridor, her steps steady. She returned to the online system and checked the brightness, delay, reflection, and backlight one by one, taking photos for archiving and marking the time and location.
Mu Tianlang remained in the corridor, making several calls in quick succession: public relations was pushing positive content according to the established narrative, the public opinion dashboard was being updated hourly, security was filling in blind spots and conducting inspections, legal affairs were handling evidence preservation and removal, and his assistant was compiling a call log in preparation for the extraordinary board meeting. He spoke softly, but held down every call before hanging up and leaving to attend to the next meeting.
At noon, the anonymous account released a third image, this time with an even more aggressive angle. PR responded according to the established line, security updated the equipment list, finance re-signed the factoring contract, and confirmed the deposit time for the dedicated account. The board secretary group then sent another message: "The ad hoc agenda has been postponed to Friday."
She received an encrypted email at her workstation with only two words in the title: "Don't wait." She looked at it for a long time but didn't open it. Instead, she saved it and dragged it to a folder named "Unread."
As night fell, the park lights came on one by one. Wolves walked in the light, and foxes walked in the light. The distance remained, the boundary remained, but the two directions were quietly converging towards the same point.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
