Su Meier tiptoed toward the figure in the darkness. When she was about a meter away, the man seemed to sense movement behind him and slowly turned around.
Moonlight fell across his sharply defined face, as if coating him in a mysterious glow. It only enhanced the distant coldness in his naturally aloof eyes, making him seem even more difficult to approach.
Su Meier’s attention, however, was entirely focused on the object in his arms.
Like opening a mystery box, she was eagerly anticipating what treasure he had brought.
“Comrade Song, how long have you been here?”
She blinked her doe-like eyes and looked expectantly at the item in his hands.
“Not long. Just a little while.”
His voice was calm and detached, every word carrying an invisible sense of distance.
“That’s good. My parents only just fell asleep, so I finally found a chance to come out.”
She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to explain that. Perhaps the atmosphere was simply too cold and awkward.
“Comrade Song, what did you bring me?”
Su Meier decided to get straight to the point.
“Malted milk powder. Is that acceptable?”
His clean, pleasant voice sounded especially clear in the stillness of the night.
“Acceptable? That’s more than acceptable!”
Su Meier excitedly stepped closer.
Only when she approached did she realize he was a head and a half taller than her. Fortunately, that height difference gave her a perfect view of the tin in his hands.
It was a bit small, probably around five hundred grams.
Still, in this era, malted milk powder was a rare luxury.
She was definitely making a profit.
Out of basic restraint, Su Meier resisted the urge to snatch it immediately.
Blinking her large eyes, she looked up at him.
At that moment, he was also looking down at her with his cool, distant gaze.
Perhaps she was imagining it, but she thought she saw a suspicious hint of red on his face.
Then again, it was dark.
She was probably mistaken.
Song Cili suddenly turned his head away and held out the tin.
Su Meier had been waiting for exactly that.
Her eyes curved into crescents as she happily accepted the malted milk powder.
“Thank you, Comrade Song!”
Her eyes were filled with longing for the precious treat.
She didn’t even realize her hand had brushed against his.
He quickly withdrew his hand.
“There’s no need to thank me. This is merely a business transaction.”
Su Meier felt as though she was taking advantage of him.
But since he himself seemed unconcerned, she felt much more at ease accepting it.
Now that she had what she came for, it was time to leave.
“Comrade Song, it’s getting late. I’m heading home. You should go back and get some sleep too.”
Just as she turned away, he called out to her.
“Miss Su, aren’t you forgetting something?”
Forgetting something?
Su Meier froze and thought for a moment.
Only then did she realize she had forgotten to show him the hunting tool she had promised.
As she reached for the satchel slung across her body, she suddenly noticed something horrifying.
The strap had pulled tightly across her chest, outlining her curves far more clearly than intended.
And considering she wasn’t wearing a bra…
Oh no.
My nipples are showing!
Her face remained calm, but internally she was screaming.
It’s fine. It’s fine.
It’s dark.
There’s no way he can see anything.
Quickly, she removed the bow from her shoulder and casually adjusted her clothing, covering the revealing shape.
Only then did she turn around and hand him the bundle.
“Sorry. I forgot.”
“It’s alright.”
Song Cili accepted the package with both hands.
A few movements of his fingers later, the compact yet ingenious compound bow was revealed before his eyes.
The moment he saw it, a flicker of interest appeared in his otherwise calm gaze.
His pale hands lifted the bow.
As he drew the string, the veins on the back of his hand rose and shifted like mountain ridges.
Whoosh!
The arrow shot into the darkness like a falling star and vanished from sight.
Watching the effortless shot disappear into the night, Su Meier couldn’t help marveling at the difference in strength between men and women.
“Did you make this?”
His voice carried unmistakable interest.
“I just tinkered with it in my spare time.”
After making one successfully, making another had naturally become much easier.
“As far as I know, high school doesn’t teach courses like this.”
The man calmly pointed out the crucial issue.
A flash of irritation crossed Su Meier’s lowered eyes.
This guy was too sharp.
Why did he have to ask questions like that?
He was deliberately making things difficult.
But considering the malted milk powder in her hands, she maintained a sweet smile.
“Of course not. I’m simply interested in bows and projectile weapons. I’ve read a lot of books on the subject and taught myself.”
The man looked down at her.
Cold moonlight swept across his brow, turning his dark eyes into an abyss of shifting light and shadow.
It felt as though he were trying to peer directly into the deepest secrets of her soul.
Su Meier unconsciously held her breath beneath his gaze.
If he asked which books she had read, she would simply claim she couldn’t remember.
There had been too many.
“You’re quite clever.”
His fingers lightly plucked the bowstring.
“The design is very ingenious. However, if this elastic band were replaced, the results would likely be much better.”
The tension in Su Meier’s chest finally eased.
It seemed he had believed her fabricated explanation.
With a helpless expression, she said,
“A skilled cook still needs ingredients. I simply couldn’t find suitable materials. This rubber band was already the best one my mother could buy. Otherwise, it would snap after a single use.”
If technology were advanced enough, she could even build a true compound bow with eccentric pulleys.
Unfortunately, the conditions simply didn’t allow for it.
This crude version was already the best she could manage.
Her standards weren’t high.
As far as she was concerned, any bow capable of catching prey was a successful bow.
Unexpectedly, after hearing her explanation, he asked directly,
“What materials do you need? Perhaps I can obtain them for you.”
Su Meier stared at him in surprise.
Judging by his expression, he wasn’t joking.
Was he serious?
Even if he could acquire the materials, she couldn’t afford them.
Wouldn’t that make the whole thing pointless?
Out of pure professional instinct, she immediately began redesigning the wooden compound bow in her mind.
Considering the limitations of this era’s fiberglass technology, it couldn’t yet fully replace traditional animal sinew or nylon bowstrings.
However, fiberglass could potentially be used for the bow limbs.
Looking troubled, she said,
“Even if you can get the materials, I still couldn’t afford them.”
Unhurriedly, Song Cili replied,
“You won’t need to spend a single cent. All I need from you is your labor.”
That completely confused her.
What exactly did he mean?
Song Cili continued,
“I need a bow like this one. I’ll provide all the materials. You only need to build it.”
“As for payment, name your price. If I have it, I’ll do my best to give it to you.”
Wait.
Let me think this through.
Was he trying to buy the technology outright?
And then become self-sufficient afterward?
That wouldn’t do at all.
She still had her eyes on that room full of snacks!
Still, the idea of payment was extremely tempting.
Since he wanted a bow, then by the same logic…
Couldn’t she simply ask for all of his snacks?
If there was ever a time to make an outrageous demand, it was now.
A crafty gleam flashed in Su Meier’s eyes, her intentions completely undisguised.
“What if…”
She paused dramatically.
“What if I want all the snacks in your room?”
Song Cili clearly hadn’t expected such a request.
His Adam’s apple bobbed before a soft chuckle escaped him.
“You certainly have a big appetite.”
The snacks in that room were worth at least a thousand yuan.
She really knew their value.
One demand and she wanted everything.
His gaze drifted briefly toward her stomach as amusement flickered in his eyes.
“Can your stomach even hold all the snacks in that room?”
Su Meier looked at him as though he were an idiot.
“Who said I’d eat them all at once? Obviously, I’d eat them slowly.”
“Very well.”
His voice remained low and calm.
“If you can make it, and it passes my inspection, every snack in that room will belong to you.”
There wasn’t even the slightest hint of reluctance in his tone.