The bright light stretched the long corridor into a point in the distance, and the sounds of Teacher Chen leading the orchestra members gradually faded away.
Sun Chenchen stood at the corner, her long, loose hair and thick bangs covering half of her face. The shadows cast by the lamplight enveloped her, giving her an indescribable eeriness.
Lu Shizhen's heart skipped a beat when she saw Sun Chenchen's sudden appearance, perhaps because she had planned to read an infinite flow novel with some horror elements.
She already didn't like Sun Chenchen, and startled by her, her tone wasn't very friendly: "Sun Chenchen, what are you doing following us so suspiciously?"
“I didn’t mean to do anything…” Sun Chenchen’s words broke the atmosphere they had just maintained. “I just wanted to find a time when no one was around to apologize to Xu Shiyue and you.”
"Apologize?" Lu Shizhen was extremely puzzled and subconsciously stood a little ahead of Xu Shiyue.
Sun Chenchen nodded: "Teacher Chen criticized and educated me yesterday, and I have realized my mistake."
As she spoke, she looked at Xu Shiyue, who was being protected by Lu Shizhen, and bowed slightly: "I'm so sorry, Xu Shiyue. I really shouldn't have said those things to you and insulted you. I know that harsh words can hurt, and if I were you, I wouldn't want to hear those words either. I only realize now that what I said back then was really hurtful. I'm so sorry, can you forgive me?"
Surprisingly, Sun Chenchen's voice lacked the arrogance she used to have at school, and her series of self-criticisms sounded quite profound.
She looked at Xu Shiyue with exceptional sincerity in her eyes.
Xu Shiyue pursed her lips and remained silent for a long time.
Sun Chenchen's transformation came too quickly; Xu Shiyue couldn't tell if it was real or not.
She stared at the person in her line of sight who had bowed to her without any coercion or trap, her eyes darkening.
She thought that if it was fake, then this person's acting skills were truly terrifyingly superb.
In contrast to Xu Shiyue's impassive emotions, Lu Shizhen's eyes were filled with surprise at Sun Chenchen's action.
She knew that, given Xu Shiyue's style of handling things, such an apology wouldn't win her much forgiveness, especially since she had been busy for over two months and had just been penalized a few days ago.
Lu Shizhen looked at Sun Chenchen's bowing posture, which she wouldn't get up unless someone told her to. She felt a little sorry for her, and she and Xu Shiyue had already fallen behind the group and needed to get back quickly. So she took the initiative to smooth things over: "Alright, if it's for this kind of thing, don't be sneaky and furtive."
"I understand." Sun Chenchen nodded, her slightly trembling voice seemingly tinged with regret and tears.
She said this, and then said to Lu Shizhen, "I also want to apologize to you for what happened yesterday, Lu Shizhen."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so selfish, picking on you just for the sake of picking on you. I'm sorry, Lu Shizhen, I shouldn't have acted like those adults. I'm really sorry."
As she spoke, Sun Chenchen bowed to Lu Shizhen with exceptional sincerity, mirroring her gesture.
Although this way of thinking is not quite right, Lu Shizhen still wondered if Sun Chenchen had also been transported into the book.
Why did she suddenly become so sensible?
Lu Shizhen looked at the person apologizing to her and waved her hand: "Well, it's good that you know you're wrong and correct it. I'm not really angry with you."
"You'd better catch up with the main group ahead; they've already gone quite a distance."
Upon hearing this, Sun Chenchen looked at Lu Shizhen with red eyes, appearing somewhat pitiful: "But I want to follow you."
Although Lu Shizhen accepted the apology, she was unwilling to accept Sun Chenchen as her "teammate".
She seemed to understand Xu Shiyue's feelings when she looked at her back then, and her brows furrowed with mixed emotions.
“I can take photos for you; I’m a very good photographer. Lu Shizhen…”
Sun Chenchen seemed very eager to connect with these two people, and even started recommending herself.
Before she could sway the stubborn but soft-hearted Lu Shizhen, Xu Shiyue's voice interrupted her: "She's gone. I heard Teacher Chen looking for her."
As she spoke, Xu Shiyue tugged at Lu Shizhen's hand and ignored Sun Chenchen's attempt to be friendly, walking towards the main group.
The dim light cast a long, slanted shadow of the lone figure, who gripped the camera tighter.
Sun Chenchen watched the two people gradually walk away from her, and followed them without hesitation.
Led by the staff of the planetarium, the orchestra toured the entire venue. Although everyone gained a lot, the starry sky, the sci-fi technology featured in the museum, had only just come into view.
The brightly lit venue was filled with stars, and the semi-circular ceiling seen from the outside resembled a miniature Earth.
The sound of the surging seawater carried by the wind reached everyone's ears, giving them a sense of being swept along even when they weren't on the boat.
As the staff explained, its name is Starry Sky Sea, and this place simulates the starry night view over the sea.
The purpose of simulation is to give people an immersive feeling. As soon as Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue entered the venue, they saw a simulated giant ship docked at the simulated dock.
Water filled everyone's view, an endless expanse of azure dotted with stars.
It is said that in order to make it as realistic as possible, this "sea" is as deep as a three-story building.
The staff at Starry Sky Ship checked the attendees and approached Mr. Chen: "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry, when we made the reservation we said there would be twenty-four people in total, and this Starry Sky Ship can only accommodate a maximum of twenty-four passengers at a time. These two extra bodyguards..."
The person seemed to be speaking without controlling their volume, and Lu Shizhen overheard it perfectly.
She knew that Teacher Chen had spent a lot of time and money to bring them to visit these projects, and not wanting to make things difficult for Teacher Chen, she said to the staff, "It's okay, just have them wait for us on the other side."
Upon hearing this, the staff member relaxed a bit and nodded, saying, "Then there's no problem."
With the staff's reminder, everyone boarded the ship one after another. As soon as Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue stood still, the entire space went dark.
The lights suddenly went out, and the stars, no longer having a source of diffused brightness, looked like diamonds scattered on the black velvet cloth of the sky, one after another, adorning everyone's vision.
Lu Shizhen pointed to the brightest star and said to Xu Shiyue, "Look, that star is so bright."
Xu Shiyue looked up when she heard this.
Blurry stars scattered in her vision, and a star with a faint halo adorned the tip of the girl's raised finger.
The bright starlight, as the ship was lifted by the waves, slowly magnified in her vision, illuminating her fingers.
“Yes.” Xu Shiyue watched and echoed Lu Shizhen’s words.
The sea is never calm and still forever; the ship is lifted up by the waves and then floats along with them as they are battered by the spray.
The stars swayed in Xu Shiyue's vision. She was not standing very steadily, and several waves surged over her, making her stagger and feel helpless.
The unsteady footing disrupted Xu Shiyue's senses, causing a momentary lapse in her ability to maintain balance.
She held onto the only "railing" in her line of sight as tightly as possible, trying to steady herself with Lu Shizhen's arm.
Then she felt her hand being held and placed on a cool iron railing, and a figure loomed over her from behind in the dim world.
"Be careful." Lu Shizhen stood behind Xu Shiyue, helping her steady herself and holding her hand to grip the sturdy railing.
The surrounding students were also exclaiming in surprise at the sudden wave, making a bit of a commotion.
Xu Shiyue felt an unprecedented stillness around her.
The sea breeze and the seawater surging onto the deck were both cool, and Xu Shiyue felt a chill in her wet stockings clinging to her legs.
Lu Shizhen's breath drifted from behind her, and the closer distance made her earlobes and back feel warm.
The scent of roses mingled with the damp sea breeze, clinging to the hem of her skirt.
One of her hands had become accustomed to the temperature of Lu Shizhen's arm, while her other hand felt a burning sensation from the palm that held her.
Xu Shiyue's heart was also filled with a sense of turmoil.
But it wasn't because of the suddenly surging waves.
"A wave is coming, everyone, students, stand still." The man's words were a little hesitant, but still timely.
The stars were still churning with the waves, but Xu Shiyue was already standing steadily on the deck.
She looked up at the starlight, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lu Shizhen's shadow falling behind her.
The light in her line of sight suddenly reminded her of her birthday.
The stars were bright and dazzling, but they couldn't compare to the little bit Lu Shizhen had given her.
Thinking this, Xu Shiyue frowned slightly. She didn't know why she suddenly thought of this.
Before she could figure it out, she heard that familiar yet repulsive voice coming from behind her.
"Shizhen, Shiyue, look over here." Sun Chenchen raised her camera, looking like she was really going to take their picture.
The two women turned around almost simultaneously, and then the camera flash went off in their line of sight.
Sun Chenchen looked at the photo she had just snapped with a serious expression, her gaze lingering for a moment before she smiled broadly at Lu Shizhen and asked, "Shizhen, would you like to see what you think of this photo I just took?"
Lu Shizhen didn't know what Sun Chenchen was up to, but she was also worried that Sun Chenchen would make her and Xu Shiyue look bad in the photos, so she still went over.
Despite the dim lighting, Sun Chenchen's technique is still quite good, judging from the composition alone.
The emergency escape signs in the venue were not visible in the photo, but a semi-circular starry sky filled the background behind them.
She stood behind Xu Shiyue, and what was originally just helping her to steady her body seemed somewhat intimate and ambiguous.
Or perhaps they are a perfect match inexplicably.
They are even more compatible than Shen Yanxing.
Lu Shizhen frowned slightly.
She was somewhat surprised by the idea that had just popped into her head, but she didn't show it to Sun Chenchen. Instead, she praised him honestly, saying, "Not bad at all."
Sun Chenchen's smile widened upon hearing this.
She admired her masterpiece, her gentle smile gradually turning sinister and terrifying. She leaned close to Lu Shizhen's ear and said, "Yes, after all, this is the last photo."
Lu Shizhen's gaze suddenly paused, and she looked at Sun Chenchen beside her with surprise.
The hotel was eerily quiet at night, and the band members didn't want to talk to Sun Chenchen. So she walked out of the elevator alone.
But she hadn't gone far when someone stopped her.
They are from the Xu family.
They wanted her to get rid of Lu Shizhen, who was standing next to Xu Shiyue.
Sun Chenchen had reservations at first, but the man said, "This isn't illegal or criminal, what are you afraid of? You're just asking that Miss Lu who's always been by her side to leave her. What does Xu Shiyue's life or death have to do with you?"
"Even though you were classmates for three years, did she ever care about your pride? At today's gathering, have you forgotten who took your top spot from you at school last time?"
"Could you have known that the railing behind Xu Shiyue was broken, or that Xu Shiyue would fall and drown? This is Lu Shizhen's dereliction of duty, and she will live with guilt for the rest of her life."
"Moreover, after it's done, our master will give you a recommendation letter from S University. Isn't that even more prestigious than Xu Shiyue's guaranteed admission? What doesn't require a pledge of loyalty these days? You've done this for our master, so after you graduate from university, you'll be able to get into any of Xu's companies, and at least into management."
Resentment, jealousy, arrogance, and spoiled behavior filled Sun Chenchen with resentment towards Xu Shiyue and Lu Shizhen. Every word the man said seemed to have a knack for getting to her, and she was willing to try anything, no matter which one it was.
Anyway, she didn't break the law or commit a crime, so she doesn't have to bear any legal responsibility.
A memory flashed through Sun Chenchen's mind. She saw the man who had spoken to her yesterday walking over in a staff uniform. In the darkness, something resembling a screw was easily kicked into the sea.
Xu Shiyue heard more than one sound of something falling into the water. Just as she was wondering what was happening, a figure bumped into her and the railing in her hand rattled loudly.
Amidst the unusual creaking of the railing, she instinctively reached out to look at the man, only to be met with another surge of waves.
Perhaps because she had just been bumped by someone passing by, Xu Shiyue felt the simple railing behind her loosen, and the next second, the object was pulled out by the force of the waves as she was being rocked by the sea.
I was tricked.
Xu Shiyue's gaze suddenly froze, and then she thought of Sun Chenchen's strange behavior just now.
But she realized it too late. Unable to see her surroundings clearly, she was being tossed about by the waves and was about to fall into the abyss.
The boat was still rocking violently, and the students and even Teacher Chen around her were too busy to save themselves; no one could save her...
Just as weightlessness was about to engulf Xu Shiyue, a figure rushed over.
That was a figure she knew all too well, and the warmth of his palm.
Lu Shizhen kicked Sun Chenchen, who was holding her, hard, and rushed over to pull Xu Shiyue over.
The section of deck missing its railing slammed seawater in, and the waves rocked the boat, causing Lu Shizhen to stumble several times.
Fortunately, she had good leg strength and was able to push Xu Shiyue to safety before walking back by holding onto the safety railing next to the gap.
Just then, the main system's voice suddenly and perfectly suited to the situation flooded into Lu Shizhen's brain: [Punishment begins, punishment time: twelve minutes, punishment level: two, blocking activated: 11:59]
That familiar yet despairing feeling, along with the countdown flashing in Lu Shizhen's mind, wrapped around her legs.
She only felt a jolt as seawater seeped between her and the railing, its wet, cold liquid separating them.
The countless stars were getting farther and farther away from her.
She is falling.
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