"Dr. Xu Haiyu, I have thought of your offer and decided to take part in this experiment."
" Good. come in, we will talk inside"
Inside the room, there was a desk on one side, while the rest of the space was filled with machines,a shelf lined with files and a single bed pushed against the wall.
When both of them sat down.
Xu Haiyu handed Rong Ying a document.
" Miss Rong,please read through the contract carefully signing it."he said.
" As I mentioned before,"he continued, "this experiment is about time resonance and its connection to the human consciousness. There are currently sick other participants. You will be meeting them through the sessions."
He paused briefly.
"The experiment begins in one week from now. That should give you enough time to settle in."
Rong YIng signed.
Xu Haiyu handed her a set of keys.
" These are the keys to room 402 on the fourth floor. That's where you will be staying till the experiment ends."
A week later, Rong Ying met the other people participating in this experiment but she didn't really want to socialize with them so she kept her distance.No one knew each other by name, everyone had a code name. Like Rong Ying's code name was R.Y.G. During one of her sessions with Dr, Xu,a man about 25 years old paid a visit. She found out later that he was an investor...the youngest.
Since then, he started to appear often always looking at Rong Ying.
Until one day he finally approached her..
The third floor was quieter than usual that evening.
Most of the participants had already left for their room after the day's test, their voices fading down the staircase one by one until only silence remained.
Rong Ying stayed behind. She sat on the bench near the window, a paper cup of tea in her hands, now lukewarm.
She was staring outside, lost in thought.
Another test.
Another day of not fully understanding what she signed up for.
"... You shouldn't stay here alone after a session." A voice came from behind her.
Calm, Even,Unhurried.
Rong Ying turned slightly. It was him.
The man she had noticed a few times over the past week. Not because he was loud. But because he wasn't. The investor.
He stood a short distance away, hands in his pocket, posture relaxed, his eyes were observant.
Too observant.
" You have been watching me"she said.
Not accusing,
Just stating a fact.
He didn't deny it.
" For a few days, yes."he replied.
Honest. That caught her off guard more than anything.
'How many men are honest these days?' She mentally asked herself.
"...Why?"she asked.
He stepped a little closer, but not too close, leaving space between them.
" Because, you're one of the few who still looks alert after the tests."
She blinked.
" That's ...an odd reason."
" I just like the fact that you are always alert even after a session."he said.
" These tests aren't as simple as they make them seem"He suddenly said.
That made her straighten slightly.
"You know something?"
"No"he said. Too quickly.
Then more measured...Controlled.
" But I know enough to be cautious."Silence settled between them. But it wasn't uncomfortable. Not quite,
"... Then why are you here? Investing in it?"Rong Ying asked. "If you think it is risky."she added. He glanced towards the closed door of room 303.
" For the same reason as most people."
Money? Opportunity? Curiosity?
He didn't specify. Instead, he looked back at her.
" But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful."
Something in the way he said.
Not forceful.
Not dramatic.
Just steady.
Rong Ying let out a small breath.
" ...You sound like you are warning me"
"I am" A simple answer.
No hesitation.
She looked at him for a moment longer. Trying to understand him. He wasn't like anyone she has ever met.
Didn't try to impress.
Didn't try to get close.
Not arrogant.
Didn't even seem particularly interested in being liked.
And yet...
"...Why me?"she asked quietly. "why warn me"
He held her gaze this time.
Longer.
" Because you are paying attention"he said. That was all.
No hidden meaning.
No charm. Just a reason.
Rong Ying looked away,her fingers tightening slightly around her cup.
" ...That's a strange reason to approach someone."
"Maybe."he said. A pause.
"Or maybe it's the only honest one"Something in her chest shifted slightly.
Not attraction... Not yet.
But ...trust.
A small quiet beginning of it.
He stepped back.
"You should head back soon,"he said."It's not safe o stay here alone."
Rong Ying glanced up.
"You're leaving?"
" Yes"
He turned and walked away.
Rong Ying sat there for a long moment after he was gone.
The silence returned. But it didn't feel the same,
She looked down at her tea. Then to the corridor. And for the first time in her life, she felt like someone was finally being honest with her.
Even if she didn't understand why.
Since the day they spoke, he has always been there. But this time he wasn't just observing from a distance.
He was there when she needed someone. Bringing her bottle of water after every session. Sometimes buying her meals and making sure that she is okay.
Rong Ying doesn't know when it happened, but she knows now that she has developed romantic feelings for him. For the calm, silent, protective investor. She noticed him,his caring attitude, and his protectiveness.
After her ex, she didn't think she would ever be in a relationship again. But after meeting the investor,her opinion started to change.
The day he confessed, to her will always be a special day to her.
It wasn't a grand affair like most people like their relationship to be. It was quiet and simple...like him. When their relations began,everything was fine..perfect even.
They promised to leave and get married after the experiment ended. Until everything wasn't perfect anymore.
Everything changed when they met her ex best friend. Rong Ying didn't want anything to do with her so she ignored her,but ...Jiang Ruoxi being the shameless person she stopped them.
She noticed the way the investor looked at Jiang Ruoxi .
She noticed Jiang Ruoxi's flirtatious behavior which wasn't rejected by the investor.
But she decided not to think much of it.
Since that day, the investor has been acting distant.
Cold...like Rong Ying doesn't exist.
It's been three days.
Three days since she last saw the investor. So she decided to confront him. She found him in front of room 303.
The corridor was quiet. Too quiet.
Rong Ying stood beside him,though she could feel the distance between them.
"You have been avoiding me"she said. He didn't look at her.
" I've been busy."He said.
" For days?"
He finally turned. There was no warmth in his eyes this time.
"...it's just work."
She searched his face . Something was off.
He didn't just look distant, he looked detached.
Like she had already become irrelevant. Her chest tightened slightly.
"Is this about earlier?"she asked carefully. "When we ran into Jiang Ruoxi?"
A pause.
"No." A lie.
This time, she didn't pretend to believe it. But she also didn't push. Because pushing might mean hearing the truth. And she wasn't ready for that. Instead,she asked softly.
"...Are you still coming to my place tonight?"
That made him look at her.
"Of course I am coming,why would you ask that."
" You've been distant."
Silent...Then
"They need someone for a new test."he said.
Her brows knit together.
"So suddenly?"
"They need someone stable."he said . Something about the way he said it made her uneasy.
"Stable?"
"You fit the conditions"
"Why me?"She asked.
"Because, as I said. You fit the conditions."
Rong Ying let out a quiet breath.
"...Will you be there?"That's all that she cared about. He nodded.
"I will"
She held his gaze for a moment longer. Then
"Okay."
Room 303 felt wrong.
Not just cold. But wrong.
The air was heavy, like something unseen was pressing down from above.
Machines lined the walls, more than she had ever seen before.
Wires.
Monitors.
A metallic frame in the center of the room. Something...clinical.
More deliberate. Rong Ying hesitated at the entrance.
"This doesn't look like the previous tests."
A man stepped forward. Not him. Another one. Older.
Wearing glasses,his expression is sharp and impatient. Beside him stood a man in a doctor's garment. He looked like a scientist.
"You are the subject?he asked, barely sparing her a glance.
Rong Ying frowned. "Subject?"
The young investor stepped in behind her.
"Yes"
No hesitation.No correction.
Her uneasy deepened.
"Where is Dr. Xu?"she asked
The new scientist scoffed lightly. "He refused to participate."
Refusal?
"Why?"No answer.
"Lie down"the scientist said. Rong Ying didn't move.
"What exactly is this rest?"
The scientist sighed,clearly annoyed.
"A theoretical procedure. Separation of consciousness from the physical body." Her heart skipped a beat.
"That's not what I agreed with."
"It's an advancement," he said sharply. "Do you want compensation or what?"Her hands clenched slightly. This felt wrong. Very wrong.
She turned to him.
"...You knew about this?" A pause.
"Yes"He said. The word landed like a slap.
"...And you didn't tell me?"
"No"
No guilt...No hesitation...Nothing.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"Why?" That was the only question that mattered to her.
Why her? Why like this? He met her eyes.
Calm.
Unapologetic..
"You were suitable."
Suitable.
Not important.
Not special.
Just...useful.
Something inside her cracked.
"I trusted you"Her voice was quieter now.
Not angry.
Just....tired.
He didn't respond.
The scientist stepped forward impatiently.
"We are wasting time. Begin the procedure.
Two assistants moved towards her. Rong Ying stepped back instinctively.
"No. Stop. This isn't what we agreed on!"
No one listened. Her eyes locked onto him again. Desperate now.
"Say something."
Nothing. Not even as step forward.
That was when she understood fully. Clearly.
He wasn't going to help her. He never planned to.Her fear turned into something colder.
"You planned this"
Silence...which means Yes.
The machine powered on. The deep,vibrating hum filled the room. Lower...Heavier...
"No...wait!"They forced her into the mental frame. traps tightened around her wrist. Her ankles. Her chest. Her breathing quickened.
"This is insane! You said it was safe!"
The scientist adjusted the control,unfazed.
"All breakthroughs require risk."
"This isn't risk, this is..."
Pain....
It hit suddenly.
Violently...
Sharp...
Like her entire body was being torn open from the inside. She screamed. The machine spiked.
"Stabilize it!"one assistant shouted.
"It's not responding !"the scientist frowned.
"Increase the output."
"No Stop-!"
The pressure intensified. Her vision blurred. The room suddenly stretched unnaturally. Like the walls were moving away from her. Her voice broke into a raw scream.
"Please!"
Her eyes found him one last time.
Standing there. Watching, "...You..."Her voice trembled.
"...You used me..."No answer.
The machines hummed loudly.
The lights flickered violently.
" Something's wrong!"An assistant yelled.
"The readings are unstable!"The scientist's expression changed.
"What do you mean unstable?"
The hum deepened. Rong Ying's body convulsed. Not separating.
Not stabilizing.
Breaking.
"Shut it down!"Someone shouted. "It won't respond!"The air warped. The pressure snapped.
The clocked showered it was 3:03.
Everything exploded into chaos. The machine burst.
The light shattered. The room was a mes.
And Rong YIng... Stopped.
Her body went still.
Completely still. Her arm dropped lifelessly to the side. Silence.
Lifeless.
"She is dead,"one assistant whispered.
The scientist stared at the readings in horror.
"This ...this isn't possible..."
The young investor didn't move.
Didn't react.
Didn't look away.
Because even in death,her eyes were still open.
And they were staring at him.