In Virtual Reality 74 ☆ The Library of Eternal Life (8/10)

"Ye Du!"

A shrill cry echoed through the bookstore as Cao Wei Min tumbled over a dog and landed with a thud outside the open door. He peered up, a scowl etched across his features.

Meanwhile, inside the store, a striking young man was seated on the faux-wooden floor in a similar position. Their eyes met as the man lifted his head.

The store owner, a woman, hurried out from behind the counter and reached the young man's side.

Hu Jing Jing anxiously helped him up. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"

"I'm fine!" Ye Du flashed her a grin and effortlessly rose to his feet, brushing the dirt off his back. "I'm not that fragile."

He winked and playfully waved his hand but soon sensed something amiss. Ye Du spun around and extended his hand to the still-prone Cao Wei Min. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?"

Far from okay, Cao Wei Min thought. When Wheatley, the dog, tripped him, his tailbone landed on a step that wasn't too high or low, and the muffled sound was drowned out by the rain. But he couldn't groan in front of strangers and say, "Ow, it hurts!" That would seem like he was faking it.

So he extended his hand.

"Smack!"

A small static shock coursed through their fingers the moment they touched. Cao Wei Min was stunned, but before he could regain his footing, Ye Du caught his arm and hauled him upright.

"Hi," the young man chirped, patting Cao Wei Min's wet shoulder. "I'm Ye Du. Sorry about that earlier!"

"It's alright," Cao Wei Min murmured, glancing at the friendly stranger before him. He hesitated before managing a forced, unnatural smile. "It was an accident."

Ye Du noted the unfriendly expression on the young man's face, and his lips twitched.

"Why don't we go inside?" the girl behind Ye Du suggested, clad in a long coffee-coloured dress and a milk-white coat. Her face was flushed from the cosy warmth of the air conditioning inside.

Amidst the roaring weather outside, the woman whispered, her voice barely audible, "I am the owner of this shop. My name is Hu Jing Jing (胡晶晶)."

Cao Wei Min felt a twinge of guilt, realizing he had forgotten to introduce himself. "I am Cao Wei Min," he said apologetically, his tone contrite. As he looked down, he saw that the perpetrator who had tripped him now leaned against his leg and looked up with innocent eyes. Pressing his left hand against his temple, he softly introduced the canine to Hu Jing Jing, saying, "This is Wheatley."

Ye Du welcomed them into the cosy bookstore, where books lay scattered around haphazardly compared to the tidy shelves of larger bookstores. Near the entrance stood a wooden round table adorned with beautiful geranium in bright yellow and light green, evoking a natural ambience in the quaint store. Cao Wei Min approached the table with Wheatley's leash, but he noticed no floral scent. Upon closer inspection, he realized the flowers were fake and only bloomed from May to July.

"Would you like to change your pants?" Ye Du asked, and Cao Wei Min turned to look at him, slightly perplexed.

"No, forget it," he replied, declining Ye Du's offer not to trouble their hosts.

Hu Jing Jing returned with towels, almost stumbling upon hearing Ye Du's words. She annoyedly glared at Ye Du before handing the towel to Cao Wei Min and saying, "Please don't be shy."

Although he could not change his wet pants, wiping them off posed no issue. Cao Wei Min took the towel, and as he did, he watched Hu Jing Jing kneel down and hand another grey towel to the country dog beside him. After the dog got accustomed to the towel's scent, Hu Jing Jing carefully unfolded it and rubbed it on its head. Inadvertently, the dog shook itself, splattering water on everything around it.

Cao Wei Min felt embarrassed, realizing his carelessness had caused further trouble. "I'll take him to the car," he said, trying to lift the hefty dog.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Hu Jing Jing quickly interjected, "It's all right as long as we dry him off." She affectionately rubbed the dog's head. "I quite like him."

Cao Wei Min paused, noticing the genuine love in Hu Jing Jing's eyes. He left Wheatley in the store, feeling that the dog had found a new friend.

He rose to his feet and left Hu Jing Jing to fondle the dog. Instead, he scanned the bookstore. Although small, the cosy decor suggested that the owner cherished books and was passionate about them. Despite the warm temperature, only the two of them occupied the store.

"Whom are you searching for?" Ye Du inquired with interest, observing Cao Wei Min's brazen actions. "Do you require my assistance?"

"I have a friend who is supposed to be here," Cao Wei Min evaded something and peered at Ye Du. "Have you seen a girl today? She is about 1.6 meters tall and slender," Cao Wei Min pondered momentarily before adding, "She may be carrying a black umbrella with a long handle."

As he had not seen Zhang Rou Rou today, he could not describe her outfit to Ye Du.

"Nobody has been here before ten o'clock today," Ye Du informed him. "Jing Jing and I left for errands before ten o'clock, and the shop was closed. We only returned recently."

"Why don't you give her a call and ask?"

Did anyone arrive? Cao Wei Min knew that Zhang Rou Rou could not have found the tracker on her body. However, he could not speak of these things to the young man before him, so he nodded and pretended to concur.

"May I sit somewhere for a while?" he asked suddenly.

"Of course," Ye Du responded. "I'll get you some drinks!" He chuckled and hurried to the counter. "Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, please. Thank you."

After Hu Jing Jing had finished blow-drying the dog's fur, Cao Wei Min expressed his gratitude and strolled into the bookstore with Wheatley on a leash.

The store had reading tables and chairs scattered everywhere, and a wooden staircase curved upwards to a second floor. However, Cao Wei Min could not take the dog upstairs and led Wheatley to the elevated corner with the broadest view.

There were floor-to-ceiling windows there that provided exceptional views both inside and outside. However, the steam from the heating had clouded the glass, which he promptly wiped clean.

As he advanced, the leash in his grip suddenly tautened.

"Hmm?" Cao Wei Min pivoted his head to inspect-

The farm dog, a loyal creature with thick fur and an endearing smile, sat expectantly in front of an empty chair. Its tail wagged back and forth with hospitable anticipation as though it knew its master was about to arrive.

**

Before experiencing the inexplicable firsthand, Tian Si De had been a staunch materialist, firmly rooted in the belief that only the tangible could be trusted. He even turned to his materialist principles when praying before an exam. Fang Wen Wen, on the other hand, was a different story. Though sweet in appearance, she had a heart of steel, as evidenced by their venture into the haunted house.

Ah, ah, ah, Wen Wen!!

While Tian Si De remained on edge, Fang Wen Wen divulged everything they had learned to the hooded figure before them.

Silence's index finger grazed their lower lip as they sighed indistinctly. "It sounds like a game setting," they said, their voice barely above a whisper.

Fang Wen Wen's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes!" she exclaimed, "We thought we were seeing ghosts when we didn't hear from you."

Tian Si De groaned internally. His carefree girlfriend didn't seem to have a shred of suspicion towards the hooded figure who had saved them. But as Tian Si De spoke with the police, he learned about more than just the "Shenanigans" events. The news had also reported on a "bus incident" that Silence had been involved in.

Tian Si De couldn't shake the suspicion that Silence was somehow connected to everything. "Have you considered calling the police?" he asked, his voice low and tense.

The hooded figure simply smiled, unfazed by Tian Si De's warning lights.

Just then, a mechanical voice interrupted their conversation. "Ding-dong--there's a new customer in the library~."

All eyes turned to the door, where a girl in a black dress stood, watching them quietly. When she realized Tian Si De was looking at her, she gave a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"..."

Tian Si De's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the girl's face. It was as if a frigid breeze had blown through his spine, leaving him gasping and helpless. "Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou!!" he screamed in terror.

Fang Wen Wen stood beside him, her eyes wide with shock. "Senior Zhou Xiao Han!!" she cried out, quickly stepping forward. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and take the girl's hands. Fang Wen Wen was positively brimming with excitement. "I-I-I-I'm a new student in the language program," she stuttered, her words tumbling over each other in a frenzied rush. "I-I-I-I've heard so much about your incredible achievements and I-I-I-"

But Fang Wen Wen's enthusiasm got the better of her, and her words became jumbled, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Only the sound of her boyfriend's voice calling her name brought her back down to earth, and she gradually regained her composure.

Hold on a minute.

Zhou Xiao Han, a senior from Bright Virtue University, had always been Fang Wen Wen's idol.

But this idol...

Hadn't she heard, at the last gathering, that Zhou Xiao Han had passed away...?

Fang Wen Wen was suddenly overwhelmed by mixed emotions - confusion, disbelief, and a rising sense of unease. She stood frozen in place, her heart pounding as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

**

Zhang Rou Rou sat on the floor, her slender fingers tightly gripping the peculiarly titled book, «Zhang Xiao Hua's Marvelous Adventure,» which the librarian had handed her. As she began to read, a sense of unease crept over her, as if the events in the book were eerily similar to her own experiences.

On one page, she read:

【Zhang Xiao Hua's hands were rubbed raw by rough rope. Her faithful dog sitting beside her, whimpering softly, waiting for her command. The protagonist hesitated, unsure whether to take the bus, but eventually made up her mind, glancing at her dog for reassurance.】

Zhang Rou Rou's heart pounded as she read, and when she reached the end of the page, she placed her hand on it with a little bit of pressure, steeling herself to turn the page.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hmm? You're still reading." Startled, Zhang Rou Rou looked up to see the librarian standing over her. A wave of horror spread over her, making her tremble all over.

"Sorry, sorry to disturb you," the librarian apologized with a smile, "I wanted to ask for Wang Jin Long's phone number. I remembered I knew him before. Could you tell me his phone number, please? Pretty please~?"

**

Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Wang Jin Long grew increasingly frustrated with the eavesdropping device, which had been hissing for a long time. No matter how much he fiddled with it, there was no sign of it returning to its original state. He began to suspect that "Silence," the person he was eavesdropping on, had discovered something.

The device fell hushed as he listened, Wang Jin Long waited anxiously for any sound. Suddenly, Zhang Rou Rou's piercing scream erupted through the earphones, almost deafening him. After that, the eavesdropping device stopped working entirely, emitting only meaningless and annoying noise. Frustrated, Wang Jin Long threw the earphones on the table, where they hit a crisp sound. Just at that moment, his phone rang next to the discarded earphones.

Huh?

The phone's shrill ring echoed throughout the room, its persistence drawing Wang Jin Long's attention. He furrowed his brow as he brought the device up to his face, studying it intently.

The caller ID revealed an unknown number, neither Cao Wei Min nor Fang Wen Wen. His curiosity piqued, Wang Jin Long deliberated for a moment before finally succumbing to his inquisitive nature and answering the call.

Silence hung heavy on the line as Wang Jin Long remained guarded, refusing to speak first. Yet, a familiar and unfamiliar voice seeped through from the other end of the line.

"Wang Jin Long," the voice spoke, deep and alluring with a subtle hint of amusement.

"I found you."

——— Translator's Notes ———

Hu Jing Jing (胡晶晶) Hu = beard / mustache / whiskers Jing Jing = glistening / gleaming / lustrous

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