Lin Qimian, Xu Yueliang, and Zhou Yong sat in the rest area.
Three staff members hovered around them, incredibly attentive—one moment pouring water, the next checking their blood pressure, keeping a close eye on their conditions.
They stood ready for any emergency, as if an ambulance might need to be called any second.
Lin Qimian held a cup of water, her thumb tracing a gentle circle around the rim.
Xu Yueliang sat on the same sofa, but with half a person’s space between them, her back perfectly straight as she listened intently to the staff.
They instructed them to speak up immediately if anything felt off, explaining that someone had indeed passed out before, which was why they were so on edge. The tiger was fake, just a person in costume, and it didn’t show up every time—it was a hidden challenge.
“Wow…” Xu Yueliang let out a soft sigh. “We’re pretty lucky, huh.”
As she spoke, the muscles in her neck shifted slightly, her shoulders level but still tense.
The staff member smiled and glanced at Zhou Yong nearby. “Who knows—good luck or bad?”
Zhou Yong lay sprawled on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, his arms and legs limp as noodles.
The other two staff members stayed close to him while he muttered on about what had happened. “Wow, you guys went too far. You said it was the Youth Edition, and this is what teens get? That was a real iron cage! I’ve never been locked up in my life. So that’s what it feels like… Give me a minute to rest, just a bit more. I don’t want to move right now…”
Xu Yueliang glanced at Zhou Yong, then turned to Lin Qimian.
The instant their eyes met, the tips of Xu Yueliang’s ears flushed red.
She fiddled with her hair, but the hairpin held it back, preventing her from letting it fall over her ears. She dropped her hand in a fluster.
“Doctor Lin…” she called softly to Lin Qimian.
“Mm?” Lin Qimian replied gently.
Xu Yueliang hesitated. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have come to play. I’m actually really timid…”
She ducked her head. “I’ve been scared of stuff like this since I was little—the dark, ghosts, thunder, everything…”
Lin Qimian smiled. “Mm, I know. You’re even scared of getting your teeth pulled.”
“Mm!” Xu Yueliang nodded emphatically, her eyes always shimmering a little when she looked over.
Lin Qimian waited for her to elaborate, perhaps on why she’d come play if she was so afraid, but Xu Yueliang pressed her lips together firmly, signaling the end of the topic.
Lin Qimian wouldn’t press her. Instead, she picked up the thread. “So if that other wisdom tooth grows in, will you come get it pulled?”
Xu Yueliang’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Will Doctor Lin do it?”
Lin Qimian nodded. “Mm.”
Xu Yueliang broke into a grin, shaking her head playfully. “Then I’m not scared.”
Lin Qimian smiled at her smile. “Mm, so the unknown is the scariest thing. Moon played the escape room today, so now it’s not unknown anymore. You won’t be afraid of it from now on.”
Xu Yueliang countered, “This story isn’t unknown anymore, but the others still are.”
Lin Qimian said, “We didn’t finish this one. We’ll ask Weiwei and Xiao Yi later.”
Xu Yueliang beamed. “Mm!”
She leaned back a little, her body gradually relaxing. She watched as Lin Qimian lifted her cup and took a sip of water.
Xu Yueliang murmured, “I didn’t expect Doctor Lin to be scared too.”
Lin Qimian met her gaze, and Xu Yueliang’s eyes flickered. “Scared just like me.”
Lin Qimian curved her lips. “I told you before—there’s nothing different about us.”
Xu Yueliang’s reply was feather-soft, like a whisper curled in her chest. “Mm~”
Twenty minutes later, the other group emerged from the escape room.
Led by their Middle School girl guide, You Weiwei and Huang Xiaoyi cleared it smoothly, rescuing the captive animals and claiming their prize.
Joyful and exhilarated, they burst into unrestrained laughter upon spotting Lin Qimian and Xu Yueliang in the rest area.
Huang Xiaoyi hurried over to Lin Qimian. “What exactly happened over there? You guys just vanished in the middle of it.”
Zhou Yong had recovered enough to leave by then, so Lin Qimian freely shifted the blame. “Big Bro locked himself in the cage and set off the monitor alarm from sheer fright.”
Huang Xiaoyi dissolved into laughter. “Hahahaha… Just Big Bro?”
Lin Qimian kept her expression serene. “Mm.”
You Weiwei turned to Xu Yueliang. “Moon, did it scare you?”
Lying, Xu Yueliang looked even less convincing. “N-no…”
Huang Xiaoyi clapped her hands. “Doesn’t matter—we can check the footage. Come on, let’s look at the heart rate charts!!!”
Xu Yueliang shot Lin Qimian a pleading look.
Lin Qimian rose smoothly, grasped Xu Yueliang’s wrist, and tugged her forward. “Let’s go.”
Her legs were long, and her strides were wide, so Xu Yueliang had to jog a few steps to catch up. Before long, the two of them had reached the front of the line.
“I already asked around. The surveillance footage is the players’ personal privacy—they can decide for themselves whether to share it with anyone.” Lin Qimian turned her head and whispered to Xu Yueliang. “Let’s get ahead of them. Grab our segment first and keep it from their eyes.”
“Mm-hmm!” Xu Yueliang nodded vigorously.
The plan went off without a hitch, as Lin Qimian’s plans always did.
She had one of those faces that kept strangers at arm’s length, and without making any effort to soften her expression, she came across as profoundly serious and aloof.
When she dealt with the staff, they could only nod repeatedly in agreement.
Xu Yueliang craned her neck, watching from the sidelines, her eyes alight with stars and pure adoration.
Once Lin Qimian finished her discussion with the staff, she turned back with a smile. “All set.”
Xu Yueliang bubbled over. “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!”
By the time the others filed into the monitoring room, You Weiwei and Huang Xiaoyi were peering at one machine while Xu Yueliang and Lin Qimian used another.
When You Weiwei and Huang Xiaoyi finished watching their highlight reels and came looking for Xu Yueliang and Lin Qimian, the footage from after B Gate was already safely stored on Lin Qimian’s phone.
“Nothing there.” Lin Qimian said. “If you want to know what went down, beg me. I might tell you.”
Huang Xiaoyi balled her fists. “!!!!”
You Weiwei glanced at Xu Yueliang, who puffed out her chest and hid boldly behind Lin Qimian. “Beg me.”
You Weiwei sighed. “You’ve picked up some bad habits from Doctor Lin.”
Xu Yueliang beamed at the words. “I was bad from the start!”
The group dissolved into playful chaos, their laughter and banter echoing for quite some time.
Everyone’s heart rate charts were long printouts, and Lin Qimian and Xu Yueliang didn’t bother hiding theirs.
Huang Xiaoyi and You Weiwei’s charts were uncannily similar—mostly gentle, steady beats, with a few synchronized spikes.
Huang Xiaoyi thrust out both hands; You Weiwei slapped them in a high-five. “Yay! Not bad for battle buddies who’ve been through thick and thin!!!”
Xu Yueliang’s hovered at a consistently elevated rate, with sudden surges during a few baffling stretches.
Naturally, the final segment marked the highest peak of all.
You Weiwei jabbed at that last summit. “This has to be your B Gate adventure, right? Scared so bad the staff had to pull you out early.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Before You Weiwei could get another word out, Xu Yueliang jumped in. “Beg me!”
You Weiwei trailed off. “…”
She poked Xu Yueliang’s arm. “Easy there.”
Xu Yueliang’s cheeks burned bright pink as she rolled up her chart and shoved it into her bag.
Lin Qimian tilted her head. “Is your heart rate usually this high?”
Xu Yueliang blinked in confusion. “Huh? Oh?”
Lin Qimian nodded toward the bag. “It’s running a little fast. Just worried about your health.”
Xu Yueliang shook her head vigorously, her hair whipping against Lin Qimian’s arm. “No, no—I’m healthy! Totally healthy.”
Lin Qimian regarded her. “Mm.”
Xu Yueliang ducked her gaze. “Let’s see yours. Yours!”
You Weiwei and Huang Xiaoyi crowded in at once, their heads nearly bumping as they huddled close.
Lin Qimian unrolled her chart. It was impeccably steady and rhythmic, straight out of a medical textbook.
Huang Xiaoyi gaped. “?????”
You Weiwei stared. “?????”
Xu Yueliang’s face flushed crimson, over and over.
Huang Xiaoyi grabbed her arm. “You’re full of it! No spikes the whole game? What about the end? B Gate? You tear it off? Hide it?”
Lin Qimian smiled and held out her hands, palms up. The paper was pristine—no rips or creases, identical to everyone else’s.
“Damn it!” Huang Xiaoyi smacked the back of her hand. “You totally snuck in early and shredded yours. How are you such a sneaky fox…”
Xu Yueliang lifted her chin proudly in Lin Qimian’s defense. “Maybe Doctor Lin’s just… really healthy!”
Lin Qimian let out a soft “pfft,” ducking her head with a chuckle.
Huang Xiaoyi threw up her hands in frustration. “Moon, Moon—are you dense? Healthy? Thrilling game like that and not a single flutter? You’d have to be a robot. And besides, there’s still…”
She faltered mid-sentence, clamping her mouth shut.
Lin Qimian eyed her. Huang Xiaoyi scratched her head. “Never mind. Nothing.”
She gestured toward the door. “Been running around all day—I’m dying of thirst. Let’s grab some drinks.”
“Sounds good.” The others were all in favor.
They rode the elevator up to the rooftop terrace café.
Late September now, the summer swelter had all but faded. Sitting outdoors in the breeze, taking in the night view—it was pure bliss.
The city’s lights blazed in a dazzling array, scattered endlessly like stars across the night sky.
Huang Xiaoyi spread her arms wide and let out a massive yawn. “It’s been forever since I had this much fun.”
You Weiwei asked, “Is Xiao Yi usually that busy?”
Huang Xiaoyi scrunched up her face. “Not super busy—I get all my vacations and time off. It’s just Old Lin. She’s really hard to drag out, and then there’s no one to hang out with me.”
You Weiwei glanced at Lin Qimian, while Xu Yueliang was already looking her way.
Lin Qimian lounged in a bamboo chair, her white shirt fluttering gently in the breeze. Her posture was completely casual, yet so strikingly beautiful it felt like it belonged in a painting, not here amid the café’s everyday charm.
A stray lock of hair drifted across her cheek, and she tucked it behind her ear with a graceful lift of her hand.
For a moment, no one spoke. Lin Qimian tilted her chin up, her gaze drifting toward some far-off point.
“Look, the moon,” she said.
Eyes turned to follow. A pale orange half-moon hung distantly, nestled among the city’s glow like a humble nightlight.
“The moon is beautiful,” Lin Qimian said.
She didn’t turn around, but her soft voice landed gently on everyone’s heart. “You should take more time to look at it.”
When the clock on the café wall hit ten-thirty, the four women finally said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Huang Xiaoyi climbed into Lin Qimian’s car, as always letting her drop her off at home first. Xu Yueliang and You Weiwei hailed a taxi. Once inside, they both lapsed into a long, unspoken silence.
You Weiwei stared out at the glittering streetscape rushing by. “Doctor Lin and Huang Xiaoyi—they’re definitely not just old classmates.”
“Mm,” Xu Yueliang murmured softly. “They’re great together.”
“Way too great,” You Weiwei said, turning to her. “Great in a way that’s totally unexpected, unreal, like something straight out of a TV drama.”
“Doctor Lin’s always been like that,” Xu Yueliang said, fiddling with the metal studs on her bag. “I didn’t mention it earlier, but her family’s loaded. Back in Middle School, everyone gossiped that they had a castle, and her dad was this overbearing CEO with connections in every circle imaginable…”
You Weiwei burst out laughing.
Xu Yueliang grinned too.
“None of the stuff we were worried about happened,” You Weiwei said.
“Mm,” Xu Yueliang agreed.
“And a big part of what I meant by ‘great’ is how good she is to you,” You Weiwei added.
Xu Yueliang looked up at her.
“She takes such special care of you—always watching out, concerned about your every little thing. It doesn’t match what you said about barely knowing each other. I suspect you’re holding back some important detail.”
“No, no, really not,” Xu Yueliang said, waving her hands emphatically. “We really… haven’t exchanged more than a few words.”
“She’s just…” Xu Yueliang paused. “A really good person. She comes off as aloof, but she’s kind at heart, so she’s kind to me.”
You Weiwei frowned. “Fair enough. You two do seem kind of distant. Not like close old classmates—no shared school gossip or anything.”
“Mm,” Xu Yueliang said.
“So now that you’ve repaid the favor, do you plan to keep in touch?” You Weiwei asked.
“Keep in touch?” Xu Yueliang’s eyes flickered uncertainly.
“You know, message on WeChat when you’re free, grab a meal together on a holiday or something. I wasn’t sure what your plans were, so when Xiao Yi talked about food or fun spots, I didn’t dare suggest we all go next time.”
“WeChat…” Xu Yueliang ducked her head. “Doctor Lin is super busy usually. Even weekends, she’s often on shift at the hospital. Every time I’ve gone, she’s there, so she probably doesn’t have time for casual chats.”
“Yeah, doctors,” You Weiwei said.
“Senior Sister Xiaoyi mentioned it too—it’s hard to get Doctor Lin out for meals on normal days. Before… when she didn’t recognize me, I asked her to dinner and she turned me down. She doesn’t seem to like socializing much. Even today with the escape room, she wasn’t that into it…”
Xu Yueliang drew a deep breath. “This time, hanging out so long… it was probably just out of consideration for old classmates.”
You Weiwei nodded slowly. “Put like that… yeah, it does seem that way.”
Xu Yueliang’s voice drooped. “So, probably no next time.”
“Sigh…” You Weiwei let out a long breath.
Xu Yueliang pressed her lips together and stared off into space.
The taxi rounded a corner, and the surrounding lights faded, making the moon overhead stand out more vividly.
As the car pressed forward, it felt like they were drawing closer to the moon itself.
Xu Yueliang’s phone buzzed twice with new messages.
She flipped it over. The screen lit up with a notification from “Doctor Lin.”
“Ah.” A soft note of surprise escaped her.
“What’s up?” You Weiwei leaned in.
Xu Yueliang swiped the screen open, her fingers trembling faintly. “Doctor Lin messaged me.”
You Weiwei got excited. “Quickly check what she said. Is she asking if we’ve arrived? Doctor Lin is really so thoughtful…”
Xu Yueliang stared at the screen, dazed. “She says she left something at my place…”
You Weiwei: “Ah?”
Xu Yueliang: “My bag…”
She immediately flipped the bag in her arms over and checked all the outer pockets one by one, pulling out a name badge.
【Youhai Stomatology, Attending Physician, Lin Qimian】
On the small name badge, those words gleamed brightly in the dim light.
Xu Yueliang’s mouth hung open. She couldn’t believe something like this was happening to her.
“Doctor Lin’s thing?” You Weiwei was also very surprised. “It fell into your bag?”
Xu Yueliang: “Ah.”
You Weiwei glanced at her phone. “What else did she say? What else did she say?”
Xu Yueliang: “She said this thing is pretty important. She needs it for work and asked when I’m free this weekend so she can come pick it up.”
You Weiwei: “Ah…”
“This thing of hers,” You Weiwei said, enunciating each word deliberately, “how exactly did it end up in your bag?”
Xu Yueliang shook her head. “She didn’t say.”
You Weiwei slumped into the seat. “Anyway, we’ll have a reason to meet again next time.
“Anyway, she seems pretty urgent about it.
“Isn’t the weekend just tomorrow or the day after?
“I’m even starting to suspect if she did it on purpose…”
“But this routine of hers is way too cliché!” You Weiwei widened her eyes and jumped up. “So cliché that I don’t even know if it’s actually a routine or not!”
