The girl withdrew her gaze and plucked the rose from the windowsill with her fingertips.
She tilted her head to examine it, then brought it to her nose, squinting as she took a gentle sniff.
The fragrance of a fresh rose.
She turned around, her back to the window, and pulled out a small bottle. After applying something to the stem of the rose, she placed it back in the vase.
Then, with her hands braced against the window frame, she leaped out in one swift motion!
In that instant, the curtains across the way trembled once more.
She licked her lips, excitedly pressed herself against the wall, and stepped onto the outer windowsill. In just a few moves, she climbed into He Wan’s room.
The window was locked, but that wasn’t a problem.
She pulled out an extremely thin wire, inserted it, and gave it a gentle hook.
Click—the latch opened, and she slipped inside as silently as a cat.
This was her first time entering He Wan’s room, which was nearly four or five times the size of her own.
Luxurious and high-end, the thick wool carpet on the floor felt perfect underfoot, and the silk sheets shimmered with a cool glow, looking exceptionally comfortable at first glance.
The girl ran her hand over them, feeling a twinge of envy.
So, without hesitation, she sprinkled something on He Wan’s quilt and pillow.
Including He Wan’s cup, skincare products, toothpaste, body wash, air purifier, humidifier… the girl worked diligently.
When she opened the drawer filled with He Wan’s jewelry, her movements froze.
At the very center lay the most dazzling sapphire, one she recognized all too well.
So familiar that it felt like her eyes were being stabbed, and she couldn’t help but feel them growing sore.
“Sweetie, do you like it? It’ll be yours when you grow up.”
The auditory hallucination returned, whispering softly.
This set of sapphire necklace, bracelet, and earrings was the most expensive in the drawer.
Her mother had worn these pieces, only for her body to shatter, the gems mixing with flesh and blood before falling into this very drawer.
The girl shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the hallucinations and phantom sounds.
Then, she pulled out a small notebook from her pocket and noted expressionlessly:
【Trace amounts persist beyond 48 hours; items with specific significance may trigger hallucinations, auditory illusions, and flashbacks. Individual differences may apply.】
She picked up the necklace and gently pressed it against her cheek.
Cold to the touch, with a faint scent of industrial perfume—it held no flesh or blood, just a dull, lifeless object.
She applied something to it, wiped away her fingerprints, and placed it back.
Hopping back onto the windowsill, she closed the window and used the wire to re-engage the latch.
After returning to her own room, she prepared to grab a few things to take back to school.
After all, her reason for coming back was to retrieve some belongings—she couldn’t return empty-handed.
Opening the wardrobe, her gaze swept across the contents, and she raised an eyebrow.
That beautiful dress, shimmering like moonlight, was no longer there.
What a pity. It seemed she’d have to wear the simplest, most basic outfit she owned for the upcoming piano competition.
The girl casually grabbed a few sets of clothes, stuffed them into her backpack, and headed toward the school.
Night deepened, and the number of vehicles on the road dwindled.
Lin Jian and his wife hadn’t returned home yet—it seemed their recent work wasn’t going smoothly.
Her thoughts drifted, and her temples throbbed faintly from the earlier discomfort.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a black car slowly approaching and stopping beside her.
The window rolled down. Qi Wan’s expressionless, machine-like face spoke in an equally flat, robotic tone:
“Miss Yan, what a coincidence. I’m heading to Griffin. Need a ride?”
Yan Sui smiled brightly. “What a coincidence indeed. That would be wonderful.”
She opened the back door and slipped inside with practiced ease.
However, when she saw the empty back seat, the smile on her face faded slightly.
“Is Mr. Jiang okay with it?” she asked, tilting her head.
Qi Wan: “He is.”
He was very quiet, saying only what was necessary before falling silent.
Yan Sui settled comfortably into the back seat, her gaze lightly sweeping across the interior of the car.
Then she narrowed her eyes, staring at the barely noticeable red dot on the rearview mirror in front.
In that instant, Jiang Yuan, sitting before his computer screen, felt his heart race violently.
Unwilling to appear before her, he could only resort to this undetectable method to catch a glimpse of her.
Yet through the surveillance feed, it felt as though their eyes met, exposing his hidden darkness.
He lowered his head, breathing heavily.
When he mustered the courage to look up again, the young woman had already turned her gaze outside the window. Her delicate profile was serene and lovely, as if no impurity could ever cling to her.
Yan Sui yawned.
The warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the coffee shop, making one drowsy.
She had returned to her dormitory late the previous night and spent time organizing her notes.
With little sleep, the young woman sat behind the counter, half-squinting like a cat, her face propped on her hand, causing a small, soft puff of her cheek to form.
“Suisui,” Zhou Yue couldn’t resist coming over to pinch her cheek, “I’m going with the others to take inventory. Can you keep an eye on things here?”
Yan Sui stood up and nodded earnestly. “Sure, Sister Yue.”
She stretched lazily just as someone walked in.
A familiar face.
“Mr. Qi,” she smiled brightly at his expressionless face, “what would you like to drink?”
Qi Wan: “Iced Americano, to go.”
This time, the young woman didn’t deliberately add an extra shot of espresso.
She glanced at the car parked outside. The sunlight couldn’t penetrate the tinted windows, so she couldn’t tell if anyone else was inside.
She handed the prepared iced Americano to Qi Wan, who took it with a napkin as a buffer. Without drinking it, he turned to leave.
The young woman narrowed her eyes—it seemed this cup wasn’t for him.
Quickly, she took out a ceramic cup, poured in some leftover Americano and a bit of milk, and followed Qi Wan outside, carrying it.
Qi Wan paused as he reached for the car door handle. “Miss Yan, is there something you need?”
The young woman smiled with pure innocence. “Mr. Jiang is in the car, right? Could you ask him to try our shop’s new drink for me? Just one sip. Please~”
For a moment, Qi Wan felt a chill run down his spine.
He didn’t know how Yan Sui could tell, but he knew Mr. Jiang didn’t want to see her.
As he was thinking of a way to refuse, Yan Sui suddenly stepped forward and unexpectedly opened the rear car door.
Qi Wan’s words caught in his throat. He didn’t know whether to keep holding the iced Americano or set it down to pull Yan Sui away.
Jiang Yuan sat in the back seat, head bowed. The moment he was exposed to the sunlight and her gaze, he felt a searing heat.
The wounds on his side and arm throbbed intensely at that moment.
His fingers instantly dug into his palms, a slight stress response, instinctively wanting to lash out and slam the car door shut again.
But the moment he looked up, all words failed him.
The young woman’s almond-shaped eyes sparkled, filled with a hint of pleading and a touch of anticipation. She tilted her head, looking at him, and held the adorable little cat-patterned cup up to him.
“Mr. Jiang, please, just one sip, okay?”
The man lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes trembling slightly. After a long pause, he finally raised his fingertips and took the cup.
Yan Sui stared at his fingers, but unfortunately his movements were too slight, and the cuffs covered his knuckles.
She saw Jiang Yuan slightly raise his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
The young girl smiled and took the cup with both hands. “How is it?”
Jiang Yuan closed his eyes for a moment. “Not bad.”
Even when disturbed like this, he didn’t lose his temper at all.
“Really? That’s great.” Yan Sui stood up and waved to the two of them. “Take care, come again next time.”
She stood at the shop entrance and quickly returned inside after the car drove out of her sight.
Taking a sealed bag from her purse, she carefully placed the cup inside.
Excitedly licking her lips, she made a call to Zhou Yue.
“Sister, I have something urgent. I’m heading back.”