When I went to get my diploma and fill out college preferences, I never saw her again. Normally, she didn't interact with anyone anyway. Not a single classmate knew what had become of her. The homeroom teacher didn't reveal anything either, just joyfully announced that Vanessa had achieved the top score in the entire province.
The whole school hung banners broadcasting congratulations. Everyone cheered for her honor. Only the main character herself was absent.
Later, I heard Vanessa had entered a top-tier university, while I went to an ordinary college. We completely lost contact. Sophomore year, I saw people in the class group discussing her, saying she'd gone to study abroad. The class group only occasionally became lively. Not everyone from class was even in it. Like Vanessa, for instance. I was in it, but just lurking like a fish deep underwater.
Aju once said she would create a new era, become someone incredibly formidable. I was somewhat curious what kind of era that would be.
Life continued to pass peacefully. I still lived like an ordinary person.
The year of my graduation internship, a company called Anonymous suddenly appeared, announcing they'd invented the world's first fully immersive online game. In just two or three short years, this immersive game called New World had taken the entire world by storm, triggering a wave that defined an era. And the person who developed it, Vanessa Liu, suddenly became famous everywhere.
That name echoed through every corner. News articles plastered countless titles on her. Online, myths and worship flooded everywhere, accompanied by all kinds of rumors being dug up. Anonymous sources continuously leaked information, pushing her background before the public's eyes.
I know her. She was the campus beauty at my school. I was in the same class as her. She's been a genius since childhood. Knowledge truly can change the world.
I heard her family was very poor, living in the dirtiest, poorest slum in the city.
I'm her neighbor. Back then, she was truly pitiful. Her parents' marriage was unhappy. Her father was a terrible person. When she was still in school, she frequently worked part-time jobs.
I heard the family was very poor. Financially, they mainly relied on her mother.
In the internet age, personal information was easily excavated. Immediately, discussions about Vanessa flooded every media platform. But just days later, everything retreated quickly. All information related to her background was suppressed. But none of that affected Vanessa. She still had countless fervent admirers.
Aju once said Vanessa's family background was terrible, but he didn't tell me the specifics. This was the first time I indirectly learned about her family situation. Though online there was plenty of exaggeration, it probably wasn't too far from the truth.
In my memory, she was always silent and alone. Between her brows, always melancholy and coldness. What exactly had she been through? That pain only she could truly understand.
Sometimes, I'd sit staring blankly at the calendar. I didn't know when Vanessa would choose to end her life, or if this time things would be different, whether any task taker had succeeded, whether she'd abandoned that desperate decision, whether we could ever meet again.
The hospital reeked of disinfectant. I held my annual health checkup report, preparing to leave. At the elevator entrance, the red digital numbers were jumping. After waiting a while, one finally stopped. When the elevator doors opened, I suddenly froze.
In that cold metal box stood a woman in business attire. An icy demeanor. Our eyes met from all directions. Those eyes were so cold, but that familiar face, though no longer bearing the youthful features of years ago — I still recognized her. For several seconds, I stared at Vanessa in a daze.
The elevator doors slowly began to close. A slender, clean hand reached out, blocking the closing door. The elevator opened again.
I stepped inside, adjusting my emotions, smiled lightly, and greeted her. "Hello. Vanessa, it's been a long time."
She looked at me intently, her eyes flickering slightly. After five seconds of silence, the air completely still, when I thought she didn't recognize me, she spoke. "It's been a long time, Nathan Shaw."
She said the name Nathan Shaw very slowly, as if reminiscing, contemplating.
I nodded lightly. Nothing more between us. It seemed we weren't the type who could chat intimately. This one greeting used up whatever deskmate sentiment remained from years ago. That familiar atmosphere, yet not awkward at all.
Nine years since we'd last seen each other. The girl from back then had now become a successful woman with a powerful presence.
Had any task taker succeeded? Now that she was brilliantly successful, did she still have negative intentions to end it all?
From the corner of my eye, I caught the light from her, but was drawn to a silver ring on her hand. She was married.
The elevator opened. We stepped out together. I was about to politely say goodbye, when Vanessa said something that surprised me greatly.
"You don't play New World?"
I repeated that sentence twice in my mind. She hadn't asked if I played or not, but stated affirmatively that I didn't. How did she know I didn't like playing games?
I didn't press into the meaning behind her words, just casually made up some reason. I truly had never played New World, but it wasn't that I wasn't curious, just that it was too expensive. Though fully immersive games had become widespread, the technology no longer unfamiliar, becoming an indispensable part of many people's entertainment, its cost was too high. Not everyone could afford it. Normally, I didn't play games anyway. That simple interest wasn't enough to make me open my wallet. I'd rather buy a few more books to read. There were also experience shops, just that I'd never gone.
But being asked this by the main character herself — Vanessa looked at me, and for the first time I felt somewhat embarrassed in front of her.
Fortunately, my phone rang, breaking the gradually freezing atmosphere. I took a car and left first. I answered the call, then turned and walked out the main entrance.
Getting in the car, I rolled down the window. Vanessa also walked out. She stood at the entrance. Before her was a black sedan parked there. For a moment, our eyes met through the car window.
Memories of our youth settled with the passing years, suddenly stirred by a gust of wind, floating and swirling in the sea of consciousness. The emotion of reunion after long separation — only now did I slowly feel it. This reunion with Vanessa.
When I got home, I had a dream. In a room without light, Vanessa stood on an empty balcony. She raised her hand, looking up at the night sky. A moment later, the world collapsed. She fell from on high, falling into a bottomless dark abyss. She closed her eyes and smiled.
The next moment, I jolted awake. In my view was the morning light shining through the window onto my desk. It was a dream. This was the first time I dreamed of her. The images in the dream brought a feeling of oppression and sadness.