A Troubling Call and a Disheveled Scientist

“I saw her,” Little Nightingale replied obediently, settling beside Ming Yu. “But after that, I asked her to send me home.”

Hearing this, Ming Yu ceased her probing. She simply nodded, her hand delving into her pocket to retrieve a brand-new pair of communication earbuds.

Just as she prepared to contact Qing Shui Ling Yin, she suddenly realized the new device’s contact list was entirely blank; Qing Shui Ling Yin’s number hadn’t been saved. As for that rarely used string of digits, Ming Yu found her memory hazy.

Consequently, her gaze drifted to Little Nightingale.

“Little Nightingale, could I borrow your communication device? I need to reach Qing Shui Ling Yin. I’m worried about how she might be doing right now.”

“…Of course.” Little Nightingale retrieved the communication device Ming Yu had given her, dutifully handing it over before perking her ears to listen in from the side.

Ming Yu took the communication device, located Qing Shui Ling Yin’s number, and dialed.

“Beep… beep…”

[The call you are dialing is not being answered. Please try again later…]

“Click…”

Ming Yu removed the communication device, her brows subtly furrowing. Using the number stored in Little Nightingale’s device, she dialed again with her new one, only to receive the same unheeded response.

‘Damn it, why won’t it connect?’

“What’s wrong?” Little Nightingale, her body pressed close to Ming Yu, naturally observed the gravity etched on her face. A pang of unease struck her, and she instantly recalled Qing Shui Ling Yin’s unsettling words from before.

“…If you’re about to die, call me.” “If you can’t get through, then I’m probably already dead.”

If her suspicions were correct, Qing Shui Ling Yin was likely embarking on something perilous, which explained her ominous warning.

Though Little Nightingale felt a prick of discomfort whenever she witnessed Qing Shui Ling Yin’s closeness with Ming Yu, her unease deepened when Ming Yu consistently evaded any direct answers regarding her “fiancée.” It was evident that Qing Shui Ling Yin held significant importance for Ming Yu.

Yet, Ming Yu was even more vital to her.

Little Nightingale, unwilling for Ming Yu to suffer, quelled her nascent, inappropriate thoughts. She swallowed hard, then confessed:

“Ming Yu, Qing Shui Ling Yin seems to be in an unusual state… She might be undertaking something perilous…”

****

Pharos Inner City, Research District.

With a legendary leviathan having breached the alert sea zone, the entirety of Pharos had been plunged into a state of battle readiness. Newly designed weaponry from the Academy of Engineering Sciences was being continuously dispatched to the outer city’s port.

Within the elevated, metallic corridor, Ming Yu moved with a brisk, almost ethereal stride, a black mask obscuring her face. She paid no mind to her surroundings, as if utterly alone.

Several security guards attempted to intercept her, but upon catching up, they found themselves frozen in fear. Her scarlet pupils, seeming to promise to devour anyone who dared approach, caused them to recoil.

Punk’s face was mottled red as he desperately fought the urge to flee. Trailing the two women from a cautious distance, he leaned toward his colleague and whispered urgently:

“Hey, Yuri, what’s the situation with that woman ahead?”

“I don’t know…”

“You let her in, and you don’t know?”

“Well, did you stop her?” Yuri retorted, his tone sharp with exasperation.

At that, Punk fell silent, scratching his head awkwardly.

“Uh…”

“Quickly contact security. Ask them when reinforcements are expected.”

“We’ve already notified them. They’re en route…”

“…”

For the moment, it appeared the silver-haired woman had no intention of attacking them. Yet, that chilling gaze was not one an ordinary person could possess; such intensity could only belong to someone who had taken countless lives.

Each guard clutched a small-caliber suppressed pistol, their index fingers resting on the triggers, ready to react should the woman suddenly turn violent.

Meanwhile.

Following the path etched into her memory, Ming Yu halted before a tightly sealed alloy door. She pressed the adjacent doorbell, a faint tremor of unease stirring within her.

‘Qing Shui Ling Yin, you absolutely better not be in trouble.’

From their very first encounter, Ming Yu had observed Qing Shui Ling Yin’s profound emotional depth, juxtaposed with her utter inability to express it. Many of her thoughts remained buried, leading to constant internal struggle.

Perhaps her depression had never fully healed.

When Little Nightingale recounted Qing Shui Ling Yin’s mention of “death,” Ming Yu instantly knew the girl was likely reverting to her old habits, once again seeking dangerous thrills. In Ming Yu’s experience, such erratic behavior served as one of Qing Shui Ling Yin’s outlets for her pent-up emotions.

“Ding-a-ling—”

“Ding-a-ling ding-a-ling—” She pressed the bell repeatedly, its insistent chime echoing from within, yet the formidable alloy door remained stubbornly shut.

Ming Yu’s impatience began to mount.

Just then, a robot with a disc-shaped head, bearing a packaged box, slowly glided into view, stopping precisely at Ming Yu’s feet.

The doorbell chimed once more.

Simultaneously, a synthesized electronic voice emanated from the door’s exterior.

[Esteemed Ms. Qing Shui Ling Yin, your delivery has arrived and has been placed on the shelf by your door. Please retrieve it at your earliest convenience!] [We wish you a pleasant meal and eagerly await your five-star review!]

Having deposited the dinner, the delivery robot turned and retraced its path. Throughout, it made no acknowledgment of Ming Yu standing beside it, as if completely oblivious to her presence.

After watching the robot disappear, Ming Yu turned back. To her surprise, the alloy door was slowly sliding open with a faint groan.

Behind the slowly opening door, Qing Shui Ling Yin stood, her hair a wild tangle. Her eyes were deeply shadowed, as if she hadn’t slept in days, and her pupils were laced with bloodshot veins. A medley of material scents clung to her white lab coat.

One hand was buried in her pocket, the other clutched a display device. Her gaze was fixated on the fluctuating data on the screen, so engrossed that she hadn’t even registered Ming Yu’s presence.

Instinctively, she reached for the adjacent delivery shelf, intending to grab her meal and retreat. Her hand, however, met only empty air.

Qing Shui Ling Yin’s brow furrowed, her focus finally tearing away from the screen.

‘In the middle of the night, did someone actually steal my delivery?’

Before she could dwell on it, she lifted her gaze. The figure, etched deeply into her memory, instantly filled her entire field of vision.

“Clatter—” The device slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor.

****

The cafeteria at the Academy of Engineering Sciences offered round-the-clock service. A significant portion of its patrons, those who toiled within the Academy, often maintained eating and sleeping schedules that deviated wildly from the norm.

Ming Yu sat opposite Qing Shui Ling Yin, propping her cheek with one hand. She watched quietly as Qing Shui Ling Yin delicately ate her dinner, her own lips softly pursed.

Ming Yu meticulously observed Qing Shui Ling Yin’s complexion, a flicker of surprise in her heart. She couldn’t detect any hint of the suicidal ideation Little Nightingale had mentioned.

Only a faint impression…

“Qing Shui Ling Yin, you’ve grown thinner, and you look quite exhausted,” Ming Yu remarked gently. “Is your work proving too strenuous?”

Ming Yu reached out, lightly brushing a grain of rice from Qing Shui Ling Yin’s cheek. The doubts swirling within her remained carefully concealed, and she made no mention of Little Nightingale’s revelation, offering only a warm, gentle smile.

At Ming Yu’s words, Qing Shui Ling Yin abruptly froze, her slender eyelashes fluttering with a sudden intensity.

“…”

“Never mind. Finish your meal first. Seeing how much you’re enjoying it, I think I’ll grab something to eat myself.”

Ming Yu rose and moved to Qing Shui Ling Yin’s side, deftly retrieving her work card from her pocket. With a smiling pat on her shoulder, she hummed a soft tune and turned to depart.

Watching Ming Yu’s graceful figure recede, Qing Shui Ling Yin remained in a daze, her brow involuntarily furrowing. A faint, insistent ache began to throb in her temples.

‘To me, she might be a truly important person…’

‘But why…’

‘…Can’t I recall her name?’