Rong Jiqiao’s heart skipped a beat.
“What is it?”
Li Jian grinned.
“You live alone, right? Aren’t you scared at night? Want me to keep you company?”
Her face turned pale.
“No.”
She pushed the door hard, but Li Jian’s arm didn’t move.
“Don’t be so rushed. Let’s just talk for a bit.”
“My boyfriend is at home,” Rong Jiqiao said, her voice trembling.
“Boyfriend?”
Li Jian leaned and glanced inside the room.
“I don’t see anyone.”
She gripped the doorknob tightly.
“If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.”
Li Jian chuckled and finally let go.
“Alright, alright. I won’t bother you.”
Rong Jiqiao slammed the door shut and locked it. She leaned against it, her legs going weak.
Standing there, she stared through the peephole for a long time until everything outside finally went quiet.
She quickly made a bowl of instant noodles and placed it on the coffee table.
After a few bites, she suddenly heard knocking outside.
Knock, knock, knock.
Her hand trembled and the chopsticks fell into the bowl.
Knock, knock, knock.
The knocking came again, louder this time.
She stood up and walked to the door, peeking through the peephole.
It was Li Jian.
His face was pressed close to the door, and he was still talking.
“Little girl, open the door.”
She stepped back, palms sweating.
“I know you’re in there. Stop hiding.”
His voice carried through the door, thick with alcohol.
She grabbed her phone, her fingers shaking uncontrollably.
“Open the door. I even brought you food,” he said, knocking harder and harder.
She retreated until her back hit the wall.
She opened the dial pad and tremblingly pressed 110.
“Hello, this is the 110 emergency center.”
“There’s… someone harassing me,” she said, voice shaking. “He keeps knocking on my door.”
“Where are you located?”
She gave her address. The operator told her not to open the door and that police were on the way.
After hanging up, she leaned against the wall, her legs weak.
The knocking continued.
“Stop pretending. I know you’re in there.”
His voice grew louder.
“Your boyfriend isn’t home, right? Open the door. I’ll keep you company.”
Bang!
He suddenly kicked the door hard. The entire door shook.
She screamed.
“I’ve already called the police!”
“Oh? Feisty, huh?” Li Jian laughed. “Then I’ll just wait and see if they really come.”
She bit her lip, too scared to make a sound.
Silence.
Then—
Bang!
He kicked the door again.
“I’ll just wait right here,” he said.
“Let’s see how long you can hide.”
Rong Jiqiao squatted on the floor, hugging her knees, her whole body trembling.
Time passed one minute at a time.
Finally, the sounds outside stopped.
Through the peephole, she saw Li Jian still standing at the door, leaning against the wall, lighting a cigarette.
Smoke drifted through the hallway as he squinted, staring straight at her door.
She stepped back and slumped to the floor.
She didn’t know how long had passed when footsteps came from downstairs.
“Police!”
A man’s voice echoed up the stairwell.
Li Jian froze for a moment and turned to run.
But two police officers had already reached the floor and blocked him from both sides.
Li Jian forced a laugh.
“Officers… I was just joking with my neighbor.”
“Joking?” one officer frowned. “The caller said you were harassing her and kicking her door.”
“No, no, I just—” he tried to explain.
The other officer knocked on Rong Jiqiao’s door.
“Anyone inside, open the door.”
Rong Jiqiao stood up, holding onto the wall as she walked to the door.
Through the peephole, she confirmed it was the police before opening it.
The moment the door opened, both officers paused.
Rong Jiqiao’s face was pale, her eyes red and swollen, her body shrinking behind the door.
“Are you alright?” one officer asked.
She shook her head, her voice trembling.
“I’m… I’m okay.”
The officers turned to Li Jian.
“You’re coming with us.”
Li Jian’s expression changed.
“Officers, I really didn’t do anything. I was just drunk—I knocked on the wrong door.”
“Wrong door?” the officer pointed at her. “She already reported you. And you’re still saying it was a mistake?”
Li Jian opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything.
The officers took him away.
Before leaving, one officer said to her,
“Don’t be afraid. We’ll take him back to the station first.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
…
When Li Jian was released from the police station, it was already morning.
He had been detained overnight, given a warning, and fined 500 yuan.
The moment he stepped out, his face was dark with rage.
Standing by the roadside, he lit a cigarette and took a hard drag.
“That damn bitch. Does she really think I’m scared of her?”
Smoke came out of his nostrils as he narrowed his eyes, thinking of Rong Jiqiao’s face.
The more he thought, the angrier he became.
It was just a joke—did she really need to call the police?
Now he had a police record, and even his workplace would likely find out.
He crushed out the cigarette and turned to leave.
…
Meanwhile, Duan Yan had been working overtime at the property management company for the past few days.
A senior employee had taken leave, and he was filling in.
The pay was calculated by the hour—thirty yuan an hour. By working an extra six hours every day, he could earn an additional 180 yuan a day.
If he saved enough, he could move them into a better place.
Around three in the afternoon, Duan Yan received a call from the landlord.
“Xiao Duan, a tenant said the hallway light is broken. I remember you know how to fix these things. Can you help? I’ll pay you the market rate.”
“Okay.”
Duan Yan went upstairs. The hallway was pitch dark—the motion-sensor light really was broken.
He opened his toolbox, set up a ladder, and climbed up to check the wiring.
Footsteps echoed in the stairwell. Someone was coming up.
He didn’t turn around, focused on removing the light cover.
“Oh, Xiao Duan.”
Li Jian’s voice came from behind him.
Duan Yan paused for a moment, then turned his head.
Li Jian leaned against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers. Smoke drifted through the dim hallway.
He was smiling.
“What does your girlfriend usually do outside?”
Duan Yan said nothing and continued working.
Li Jian stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“I’ve seen her dress up nicely when she goes out sometimes. Is she doing something else for a living?”
Duan Yan’s screwdriver stopped.
Slowly, he turned around and looked down at Li Jian from the ladder.
“What did you say?”
His voice was very soft, but cold like shards of ice in winter.
Li Jian, thinking he had found leverage, smirked smugly.
“I’m just warning you. Don’t get cheated on and not even know it. Think about it—you’re just a security guard. How can you afford her? She must be doing something outside…”
Before he could finish, Duan Yan jumped down from the ladder.
It happened fast. Before Li Jian could react, a fist had already slammed into his face.
The force was heavy—Li Jian stumbled backward and hit the wall hard with the back of his head.
“Fuck!”
He covered his face, blood seeping through his fingers.
He tried to fight back, but Duan Yan had already kicked him in the stomach.
The blow sent him curling over in pain, collapsing onto the ground with a groan.
Everyone who lived in the same building as Duan Yan knew what kind of person he was.
He worked from early morning until late at night, often covering shifts for others without complaint. When he saw an elderly woman struggling with a gas cylinder, he would take it from her and carry it upstairs without a word. When he met neighbors in the hallway, he would nod slightly—polite, distant, never loud, never troublesome.
He was the kind of person who kept his distance from everyone.
Cold, but not aggressive.
Like a blade kept in its sheath—its edge unseen in daily life.
But that kind of calm indifference was more frightening than outright brutality.