Chapter 63 Tangdao Bathing Beach ⑤ Sobering up, he shook off her hand...
Lan Shuyin thought he was dissatisfied.
"Boss Wei?" she called out tentatively, "I explained the situation to Manager Chen before I came. I really have no experience in social media, and I've only posted one video so far, with very few followers."
Her voice seemed to soften the overly focused gaze behind the mask.
“Lan Shuyin…” he slowly uttered her name, each word as if carefully considered between his lips and teeth.
Then, he changed the subject slightly, speaking in a gentle tone, "I'm the kind of person who enjoys making friends, and I don't like to be too formal when I feel we click. Calling you 'Miss Lan' directly is a bit too distant, so... I'll just call you 'Ayin' instead."
“…Huh?” Lan Shuyin was stunned, almost doubting that she had misheard.
—Isn't that a bit ambiguous?
A sense of vigilance arose spontaneously.
This Mr. Wei looks respectable, could he be some kind of scoundrel who's deliberately using these gimmicks to pick up girls?
She had heard rumors about unspoken rules in the workplace; those in positions of power who control resources like to use this seemingly easygoing and friendly demeanor to blur the lines.
Perhaps her wariness was too obvious, for Boss Wei chuckled softly. The laughter sounded somewhat muffled through the mask, but it was not frivolous.
"Let's get down to business first." He picked up the purple clay teapot, calmly poured her a cup of tea, and then pushed a beautifully bound folder in front of her.
"This is our initial proposed collaboration plan. Neon Night plans to establish a brand new content studio, focusing on exploring urban secrets and cultural anecdotes."
Lan Shuyin opened the folder; the terms and conditions inside were clear and concise. The basic guarantees, traffic support, and revenue sharing ratio were even more generous than she had expected. More importantly, the contract explicitly stated that it respected the creator's content autonomy, and that Ni Changye would only provide resources and suggestions, and would never forcibly interfere with the direction of the content.
“We offer more than just funding and exposure,” Mr. Wei said in a gentle and calm voice. “We also have a professional behind-the-scenes team, including editing, copywriting, and security, to ensure that your adventure is safe and that the content quality meets the highest standards.”
Every clause demonstrated great sincerity and professional planning, far removed from the unspoken rules she had imagined. Lan Shuyin read through them word by word, her tense nerves gradually relaxing. It seemed that what the other party valued truly was her potential, not anything else.
"You guys can see so much from just one of my videos?" Lan Shuyin was a little incredulous. It wasn't that she was being self-deprecating, but how sharp must one's eyes be to find her among so many newly created accounts? And in such a niche field at that.
Mr. Wei neither confirmed nor denied it, saying, "I trust my judgment."
"But why me?" She closed the folder, still very confused. "As you can see, I have no achievements to speak of at the moment."
“Business investment sometimes requires a bit of foresight, the courage to bet when the value is not yet widely recognized.” He spoke only in elegant terms, then paused, “Of course, the choice is yours. You can take the contract back and carefully consider it, consult with professionals. For truly worthy partners, Neon Night is never short of patience.”
Thank you, I will seriously consider it.
Actually, Lan Shuyin was tempted after seeing the contract, but out of her usual caution, she didn't agree immediately. She thought about it for two days before finally making up her mind.
She stepped into Neon Night again on a weekday morning. The signing process went smoothly, and after it was completed, Manager Chen informed her of the location of her first task.
"The first topic we've selected for you is the 'Dongren Hospital' in the west of the city, which has been abandoned for many years. We'll send you the relevant information and background later."
Dongren Hospital? Lan Shuyin had heard of this place before; urban legends about it being "haunted" circulated widely online, making it a highly topical adventure destination. She felt no fear, but rather a surge of excitement for the challenge, and immediately nodded in agreement, "No problem, I'll get ready and go."
"Okay. Also, Mr. Wei instructed that you should go see him."
Lan Shuyin was somewhat surprised, but she still followed the waiter to the Silent Room again.
Mr. Wei was sitting behind the tea table, sipping tea. When he saw her come in, he raised his hand, gesturing for her to sit down.
"You know the location?" His voice came through the mask, somewhat deep.
"Yes, Dongren Hospital."
He nodded slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "When you get there, be careful in everything you do, safety comes first."
Lan Shuyin nodded, about to indicate that she would be careful, when she saw his slender fingers already reaching for the phone on the table, saying, "If you encounter something you can't handle..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his actions made it clear that he was preparing to give her his private contact information.
Lan Shuyin's heart skipped a beat, a mixture of surprise and fear instantly welling up inside her. To have this mysterious and unpredictable boss on call at all times? This treatment was far too extravagant; she felt she couldn't bear it.
"No, no need, Mr. Wei!" She waved her hands almost instinctively, her tone clearly flattered. "I'll be fully prepared. Besides, this is a harmonious society, it's perfectly safe!"
Her refusal caused Mr. Wei's hand to freeze, hovering in mid-air. The mask concealed his expression, leaving only his still-stern jawline visible.
He stared at her silently for two seconds, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate her feigned composure and see the stubbornness in her heart that refused to rely on anyone.
After a moment, he responded almost inaudibly, "Whatever."
The hand slowly returned to its original position, as if the action had never happened.
"Go ahead." He lowered his head again, ending the brief meeting.
Lan Shuyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up to take her leave. Only after she left Neon Night did she feel the oppressive feeling brought on by excessive concern gradually dissipate. However, a subtle ripple stirred in a corner of her heart.
The expedition to Dongren Hospital went very smoothly. After carefully organizing and editing the footage, Lan Shuyin sent it to Neon Night's studio.
She didn't expect to run into Boss Wei, and in fact, she didn't. After handing over her work, she left.
The year was drawing to a close. The streets of Beijing were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, filled with the lively atmosphere of family reunions, but this liveliness had nothing to do with her. She had arranged a short adventure for herself, heading to a textile factory in a neighboring city that had been abandoned for many years.
This time, however, she was a bit careless. While crossing a heavily rusted steel frame, she slipped and her calf was cut by a sharp edge, the blood instantly soaking her trouser leg. She hastily bandaged it and insisted on completing the exploration. After returning to Beijing, the wound began to swell and become inflamed, causing her to walk with a limp.
Thinking that the studio had better equipment for post-production video processing, she limped off to Neon Night again. Intending to leave quietly, she unexpectedly encountered that familiar figure at the corner of the corridor.
Mr. Wei stood alone under the eaves, lost in thought. When she came out, his gaze fell on her slightly limping right leg.
He didn't ask her why she didn't go home for the New Year, nor did he ask about the cause of her injury. He simply walked closer to examine her and whispered, "She's infected. She needs to go to the hospital."
Only then did Lan Shuyin notice that Boss Wei was holding a tube of ointment in his hand. But he quickly put it back in his suit pocket, turned around and ordered someone in the shadows, "Take Ayin to the hospital."
A young man dressed in a black suit appeared silently.
“No need for that…” Lan Shuyin was about to refuse when Boss Wei interrupted her, “It’s for work. As Ni Changye’s partner, I can’t work while injured.”
A special car took her to the hospital emergency room. The procedures—wound cleaning, medication, and a tetanus shot—were completed quickly. While waiting to pick up her medication, she overheard the young man accompanying her standing at the end of the corridor, talking quietly on his phone.
"Boss, everything's taken care of... The wound has been cleaned, and the doctor prescribed oral antibiotics... Yes, I will get her home safely."
He hung up the phone and turned around, meeting Lan Shuyin's gaze. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The car was silent on the way back. It wasn't until the car stopped in front of her rented apartment building that the man handed her the medicine bag and said solemnly, "Miss Lan, please rest well. The boss instructed that nothing should be rushed. We should wait until the injury has healed before discussing anything else."
She stood in the night wind, carrying the bag of medicine, watching the black car drive away silently, before turning around and going upstairs after a long time.
Perhaps it was the ointment that was quietly put away, the excuse of "work needs," and the thoughtful arrangements made afterward that made her unconsciously start paying attention to everything related to him whenever Boss Wei invited her to discuss work details.
What kind of tea he preferred, which pen he usually used when reviewing documents, even the curve of his fingers when pouring tea... These silent discoveries quietly nurtured a secret and transgressive intimacy in her heart.
After returning from an adventure in an ancient porcelain town, she specially commissioned a set of simple yet elegant purple clay teaware. After carefully packaging it, she went to the Silent Room for the first time without being invited.
"Mr. Wei." She placed the brocade box on the tea tray. "I saw this during my trip... I remembered you like to drink tea, so I'm giving it to you."
She tried to make her expression look natural, but it was the first time in her life that she was giving someone a gift, and her hands were trembling with nervousness.
Boss Wei opened the box, his expression hidden by a mask, but Lan Shuyin caught the movement of his fingertips gently stroking the teapot.
After a long silence, he finally said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness." His voice was inexplicably hoarse.
A few days later, she received a long wooden box handed over by Manager Chen. Inside was a white jade hairpin, its jade as smooth and lustrous as cream, its design elegant and antique, clearly of considerable value.
"The boss said it's a return gift," Manager Chen conveyed meaningfully.
Lan Shuyin held the plain jade hairpin, her heart pounding. This solemn return gift almost convinced her that behind that special care lay a similar sentiment in her heart.
This vague certainty reached its peak before the ninth meeting.
At that time, she had just finished exploring an ancient ancestral hall in a remote village, a rather perilous process. After returning and submitting her materials, she walked towards the silent room with an overwhelming mix of anticipation and trepidation. She even practiced several times beforehand how to casually lift the jade hairpin to test his true reaction.
The bodyguard at the door made a token attempt to stop her.
The door to the silent room was ajar, not fully closed.
Just as she was about to knock on the door, she heard a young woman's voice from inside, soft and charming, "...Then I'll leave right away."
Then came Boss Wei's familiar voice, still gentle, even with a touch of familiar teasing, "Be careful, don't let yourself get caught off guard."
Lan Shuyin's raised hand froze in mid-air.
It turns out that Mr. Wei's kindness wasn't just for her. Those seemingly special instructions were merely his usual courtesy. The moments that made her heart race and gave them special meaning were likely... all just her own internal monologue.
Looking at it from another perspective, the return gift itself was already a subtle gesture. It showed a desire to avoid owing anything, and also an intention to prevent the exchange from developing into a deeper entanglement.
Lan Shuyin suddenly felt a little embarrassed and awkward. She silently withdrew her hand, took a step back, and turned to leave the corridor.
Walking on the streets outside the neon-lit night, the cold wind made her feel even more ashamed and indignant. She felt utterly disgraced.
You've only met her a few times, and you've already developed feelings for her?
But soon, she told herself that it was perfectly normal and reasonable for a young girl who had just entered society and had not seen much of the world to have some unusual concern for a mysterious and wealthy man, and to have a misunderstanding or misconception about it, and for her girlish heart to flutter.
This at least proves that her emotional function is perfectly healthy and that she hasn't been worn down by those terrible past experiences.
Yes, it's not that she's stupid, it's just that she hasn't seen enough.
Lan Shuyin quickly adjusted her mindset, and was even somewhat relieved. Fortunately, she woke up in time; otherwise, she would have been in a more passive situation, which could have affected the normal cooperative relationship.
So she began to consciously avoid Neon Night. She carefully packed all the footage from subsequent adventure shoots and sent it to the studio via courier. She also tried to communicate with Manager Chen via email for any necessary matters.
She created a physical and psychological safe distance between herself and that place, and from the key figures there.
Until the "Ghost Cave Dream Garden" exploration plan was put on the agenda.
This place is too special, and it's overseas. According to the procedure, she must personally go to the studio to complete a detailed filing and risk assessment.
Sure enough, as soon as the filing process was completed, Manager Chen came to convey, "Ms. Lan, the boss requests your presence in the Silent Room."
Mr. Wei remained seated behind the tea tray. Upon seeing her enter, he gestured for her to sit. He silently boiled water, warmed the cups, and rinsed the tea, his movements fluid and as usual, yet the air felt strangely oppressive.
He suddenly asked, "Have you been busy lately?" He was using a new set of plain white porcelain teaware, with a smooth glaze and a minimalist design, not the set she had given him. Perhaps he didn't like it. Lan Shuyin picked up her teacup, politely took a sip, and then replied, "Not bad."
"Have you run into some trouble?"
No, you're overthinking it.
She addressed me again with the formal "you," her tone polite and distant. The silence deepened, broken only by the soft sound of boiling water.
Mr. Wei seemed to be looking into her eyes, trying to find something within them.
Lan Shuyin returned the gaze calmly, but unfortunately, the mask concealed the truest emotions in her eyes. She could never fathom the weight of those gazes, nor what they truly concealed.
She put down her teacup, the porcelain touching the wooden saucer with a crisp sound.
Then she stood up, and said seriously, "Mr. Wei, thank you for your concern. Completing the expedition is my job. In the future, unless it's for essential work, please don't bother contacting me." She drew a clear line, bowed, and turned to leave.
...
The rusted Ferris wheel frame creaked, the eyes of the gods and Buddhas on the faded murals moved eerily, and a red figure with its back to her was softly singing some strange nursery rhyme—
"Grandma Moon, shrouded in veil, the desolate mountains and wilderness are quiet..."
"Seeing that, the dark figure smiled, his mouth stretching to the tips of his ears..."
"Not a fox, not a cat, it sits on the grave and smiles at you..."
"I saw the black weasel beckoning, its blood was scalding hot..."
"Summon your soul, awaken your spirit, run with it step by step..."
"Grandma Moon, don't look at it, if you do..."
The eerie nursery rhyme grew closer, the words so clear they seemed to be whispered right beside your pillow. The last line was almost as if someone were blowing a cold breath into your ear—
"It's coming to find you..."
Lan Shuyin suddenly woke up from her daze!
A dull pain shot through the back of her head, making her vision go black, and she instinctively hissed.
She pushed herself up from the cold floor and found herself lying on the bathroom tiles. Beside her was a small pool of dark red blood, already partially congealed.
She reached up and touched the back of her head, and sure enough, she felt a sticky, scabbed wound, with her hair all matted into a hard clump.
"Damn it..." The belated pain made Lan Shuyin curse out loud. She grimaced and stood up, holding onto the sink, to look at herself in the mirror.
The lifeless, eerie image in the mirror had vanished, leaving only a disheveled, pale-faced self, whose features were distorted by pain from a cut on the back of the head.
Well, the result of this brain-blowing incident was that she was forced to accept a bunch of memories from her past life.
This has solved a long-standing mystery—Feng Zhizhaoyin is indeed Lan Shuyin.
She had long suspected this, but she had always thought it was related to her true identity, perhaps due to the grudges of the previous generation. She never imagined that her own soul had crossed time and was adrift in the same torrent of fate.
What's more troublesome is that many memories from my past life have become blurred and unclear, and many details don't match up.
For example, the Blood Orchid of Qigu Village.
For example, the Yin Goddess statue in Xiangweng Temple doesn't look like my sister at all back then.
And then there's Sheng Sheng—wasn't that kid struck by lightning and turned back into his original form, becoming a little snake? In less than a hundred years, how come he not only regained his human form but also developed a split personality? The face he had in his youth was clearly Jiang Wuyang, and the identity of the old python immortal who could be called "Master Sheng" was also a perfect match.
His hatred for her was not without reason; it was mostly because he resented her for summoning Dawei Jiali years ago, which triggered a lightning punishment that caused him to revert to his original form. But...
What she couldn't understand the most was Dawei Jiali.
How come the Holy Son of the Temple of Truth, who used to talk about cause and effect and fate and coldly watch the suffering of people, has changed so much now, not only helping her save people, but also becoming so kind and amiable?
This is even more terrifying than someone having multiple personality disorder.
And those eyes...
Lan Shuyin scrutinized herself in the mirror.
It doesn't seem like the old charlatan simply stuffed her spirit into a body. These are clearly the eyes of Guoguo, the little girl she adopted years ago, yet the facial features are completely different.
Could it be that he was still thinking about his promise to Guoguo before he died, and felt guilty, which is why he grew up like this?
The injury to the back of my head was throbbing with pain; this was definitely not the time to ponder these past lives.
The most urgent thing is to find a way to get out of this awful place!
But then another problem arose.
She was just an ordinary person in both her lives! Even if she had some extraordinary spiritual senses, she mostly relied on external magical artifacts. Those mysterious memories of her past lives were completely useless at this moment.
"We can't just summon Kui Li again, can we? That would expose our identities..."
Despite the complaints, a way out had to be found. Lan Shuyin endured the pain and walked out, leaning against the wall.
However, her legs were too weak to obey her commands. Like a crab moving sideways, she staggered a few steps before finally resignedly leaning against the door frame.
"What a terrible thing."
She doesn't want to try anymore.
real.
Two lifetimes, a total of quite a few years, why am I still so tired? In my past life, I was betrayed and burdened by revenge. In this life, I was ostracized and schemed against from childhood. I finally managed to break free and catch my breath, only to be dragged into this inescapable, ghostly place, which also came with a severed head and a bunch of messy, unresolved memories of my past life.
Exhausted, both physically and mentally.
A desperate, reckless thought popped into his head—to die for the cause.
Ordinary spell arrays are mostly used to deal with spirits, but perhaps the spell array she used most frequently in her past life could break through this threshold space.
As for the consequences...
Screw the consequences.
All she wants right now is to get out, immediately, right away. Then she wants to go to the hospital to get a concussion checkup.
Anything is better than being trapped here and slowly driven mad by this eerie silence and the unknown.
It's foolish not to take the shortcut when there is one.
She didn't even bother to think of a proper explanation. If Wei Li asked later, she'd just say she'd stumbled upon it by chance from a fragment of an ancient book. After all, she was an adventure blogger, so it was reasonable for her to have some quirky knowledge.
As for whether he will recognize her?
Lan Shuyin twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a self-deprecating sneer.
Absolutely impossible.
Not to mention that this face is vastly different from her previous life, even if it were exactly the same, Wei Li might not remember it. As for him calling her "A Yin," that's probably just a coincidence.
After all, her name in this life is Lan Shuyin, and the last character is "yin". Someone as high and mighty as him would probably just habitually use a simple form of address, nothing more.
Without further hesitation, she pulled out her tactical pen and made a cut in her palm. Then, relying on her memory, she began to trace the complex and bizarre runes on the cold ground.
As the outline of the formation began to take shape, Lan Shuyin suddenly felt a little uneasy. She grabbed a few scraps of printer paper from her desk and used them to cover her face.
After this self-deceptive act, she quietly encouraged herself and practiced her story, "A chance discovery, just testing the waters..."
She muttered it to herself several times, finally gathering her courage. She closed her eyes and began chanting an ancient incantation.
The difficult syllables of the ancient incantation escaped from her lips, sounding unfamiliar even to Lan Shuyin herself. Yet, they flowed so smoothly, as if they were spoken instinctively.
At first, there were only slight tremors, but then the entire space began to shake and distort violently! The light sources in the space flickered wildly, and the walls groaned under the strain, as if the whole world was on the verge of collapse.
Just as she felt the ground beneath her feet was about to crack, all the noise suddenly stopped.
A bone-chilling cold instantly replaced the previous suffocating feeling, as if the air had been completely replaced.
She couldn't help but open her eyes.
The space on either side no longer resembled an office building, but rather an empty, bare space with exposed cement mortar. Rough and primitive, it possessed a chilling sense of realism.
It was a success?
They just left like that?!
Lan Shuyin breathed a sigh of relief, but then her heart skipped a beat as she remembered something more important.
She peeked out from behind the crumpled paper that completely covered her face, like a thief stealing a sliver of light from beneath the edge of the paper.
Sure enough, a pair of black leather shoes appeared in the center of the magic circle.
Lan Shuyin jerked her head back, her heart pounding in her chest as if it would burst out of her chest.
Dead silence.
An awkward, prolonged silence spread through the empty, unfinished house.
Lan Shuyin cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound slightly unnatural:
"Um, I don't know who you are. I stumbled upon this method in an old book, and I never expected it to actually work..."
As she spoke, she used her uninjured hand to fumble for the tactical pen, wiping away the edges of the bloodstain, quickly adding, "Thank you for your help, I'll take you back now..."
Before the word "go" could be uttered, a crisp "snap" was heard.
Something rolled down at her feet.
Lan Shuyin subconsciously lowered her head—
An exquisite silver mask lay quietly on the concrete floor at her feet, its surface reflecting a cold light.
The moment Lan Shuyin saw the mask, her pupils dilated, and her brain went blank with a "buzz".
She stiffly raised her eyes and looked up at the person in the center of the formation from above the paper.
Without the mask to conceal it, that breathtakingly handsome face came into view.
A light gray cashmere casual sweater accentuates her broad shoulders and narrow waist, while matching trousers further elongate her figure. The look is both casual and sophisticated.
Only those gentle, smiling peach blossom eyes were calm and still, staring intently at her without blinking.
Kui Li?
Wait... Mr. Wei?
That's not right either.
Kui Li is Boss Wei?!
These two beings, whom she perceived as completely different, were actually the same person?!
This realization struck her like a thunderbolt, exploding in her mind. She felt as if the sky had fallen.
The paper covering her face slipped from her hand and fluttered to the ground.
Lan Shuyin's face was filled with undisguised shock and bewilderment. She subconsciously took a step back, wanting to escape this situation that left her unable to think straight.
However, just as she stepped back, her wrist was grabbed.
The force was firm and irresistible, pulling her forcefully and forcing her to stagger forward.
Before she could react, Boss Wei, or rather, Wei Li, had already grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand toward his own cheek—
"Smack!"
A crisp slap suddenly rang out in the empty, unfinished house.
He held her hand and made her slap him.
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