The little girl withdrew her gaze and plucked the rose from the windowsill with her fingertips.
Tilting her head, she examined it before bringing it to her nose and inhaling lightly with narrowed eyes.
The scent of a fresh rose.
She turned around, her back facing the window, and took out a tiny bottle. She applied something to the stem of the rose before placing it back into the vase.
Then, bracing her hands on the windowsill, she leaped out!
At that very moment, the curtain across from her trembled again.
Licking her lips, she pressed herself against the wall excitedly. Stepping onto the outer ledge, she climbed over to He Wan’s room in just a few swift movements.
The window was locked, but that wasn’t a problem.
She took out an extremely thin wire and slipped it inside, giving it a gentle hook.
Click.
The latch opened, and she slipped inside as silently as a cat.
It was her first time entering He Wan’s room. It was four or five times larger than her own.
Luxurious and elegant. The thick wool carpet felt perfect beneath her feet, and the silk bedsheets gleamed with a cool sheen, looking incredibly comfortable.
The little girl touched them, feeling a bit envious.
So she casually sprinkled a little something onto the blanket and pillow.
Including He Wan’s cup, skincare products, toothpaste, body wash, air purifier, humidifier…
The little girl worked diligently.
When she opened the drawer filled with jewelry, her movements suddenly stopped.
The sapphire in the center—the most dazzling piece—looked painfully familiar.
So familiar that it felt like it stabbed into her eyes, making them sting uncontrollably.
“Baby, do you like it? When you grow up, it’ll be yours.”
The hallucinated voice returned, whispering softly.
This sapphire necklace, bracelet, and earring set was the most expensive collection in the drawer.
Her mother had been wearing those pieces when her body was torn apart.
The gemstones, mixed with flesh and blood, had fallen into this very drawer.
The little girl shook her head hard, forcing the hallucinations and flashbacks away.
Then she took out a small notebook from her pocket and wrote expressionlessly:
[Trace dosage remains after more than 48 hours. Objects with special significance may act as triggers. Hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, flashbacks. Individual differences may exist.]
She picked up the necklace and gently pressed it against her cheek.
Cold.
A faint industrial perfume scent lingered on it.
There was no blood or flesh.
It was just a lifeless, meaningless object.
She applied a little something to it, wiped away her fingerprints, and put it back.
Jumping back onto the ledge, she closed the window and used the wire to hook the latch shut again.
After returning to her own room, she prepared to grab a few things before heading back to school.
After all, her excuse for coming home was to retrieve some belongings. She couldn’t exactly leave empty-handed.
Opening her wardrobe, she scanned it once and raised an eyebrow.
The dress as beautiful as moonlight was gone.
What a pity.
It seemed she would have to wear the simplest outfit she owned for the upcoming piano competition.
The little girl casually packed a few outfits into her backpack and headed back to school.
The night grew darker, and there were fewer cars on the road.
Lin Jian and his wife still hadn’t returned home.
Looks like work hadn’t been going well for them lately.
Her thoughts wandered, and her temples still throbbed faintly from her earlier discomfort.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a black car slowly pull up and stop beside her.
The window rolled down.
Qi Wan’s expressionless, machine-like face spoke in an equally emotionless tone.
“Miss Yan, what a coincidence. I’m heading to Griffin. Would you like a ride?”
Yan Sui smiled brightly.
“What a coincidence. That would be wonderful.”
She opened the rear door with practiced ease.
But when she saw the empty backseat, the smile on her face faded slightly.
“Did Mr. Jiang allow this?” she asked, tilting her head.
“He did,” Qi Wan replied.
He was extremely quiet. Once he said what needed to be said, he fell silent.
Yan Sui settled comfortably into the backseat and casually swept her gaze around the interior.
Then her eyes landed on the nearly imperceptible red light reflected in the rearview mirror.
She narrowed her eyes.
In that instant, Jiang Yuan, sitting in front of a computer screen, felt his heartbeat accelerate sharply.
He didn’t want to appear before her.
So he could only watch her through this method—one he thought was impossible to detect.
Yet through the camera, it felt as though she had looked directly into his eyes.
His hidden darkness had nowhere to escape.
He lowered his head and breathed heavily.
When he finally gathered the courage to look up again, the little girl had already turned to the window.
Her delicate profile looked peaceful and beautiful, as though no filth in the world could ever cling to her.
Yan Sui yawned.
Warm sunlight streamed into the café during the afternoon, making people drowsy.
She had returned to the dormitory very late last night and spent some time organizing her notes.
Having slept too little, she sat behind the counter with half-closed eyes like a lazy cat, resting her cheek on her hand and squishing a little softness into her face.
“Sui Sui.”
Zhou Yue couldn’t resist pinching her cheek.
“I’m going to check inventory with the others. Watch the front for me.”
Yan Sui stood up and nodded seriously.
“Okay, Sister Yue.”
Stretching lazily, she noticed someone entering the café.
A familiar face.
“Mr. Qi.”
She smiled at the expressionless man.
“What would you like to drink?”
“An iced Americano. To go.”
This time, Yan Sui didn’t intentionally add extra espresso shots.
She glanced toward the car parked outside.
The tinted windows revealed nothing, and she couldn’t tell whether anyone else was inside.
After preparing the drink, she handed it to Qi Wan.
He accepted it with a tissue wrapped around the cup and made no move to drink it before turning to leave.
Yan Sui narrowed her eyes.
It didn’t look like he had bought it for himself.
She quickly grabbed a ceramic mug, poured in some leftover Americano and a little milk, then followed Qi Wan outside.
Qi Wan paused while opening the car door.
“Miss Yan, is there something you need?”
The little girl smiled innocently.
“Mr. Jiang is in the car, isn’t he? Could I ask him to help taste a new drink from our café? Just one sip. Please~”
For a moment, Qi Wan’s back went numb.
He didn’t know how Yan Sui had figured it out.
He only knew that President Jiang didn’t want to meet her.
He was already thinking of a refusal when Yan Sui suddenly stepped forward and unexpectedly opened the rear car door.
Qi Wan’s words got stuck in his throat.
He didn’t know whether to keep holding the iced Americano or set it down and pull Yan Sui away.
Jiang Yuan sat in the backseat with his head lowered.
The instant he was exposed to sunlight—and to her gaze—he felt scorched.
The wounds on his side and arm suddenly flared with pain.
His fingertips dug into his palm.
A mild stress response.
Instinctively, he wanted to snap at her and close the door again.
But the moment he looked up, all his words vanished.
The little girl’s bright eyes sparkled.
A little pleading.
A little anticipation.
Tilting her head, she held a cute cat-shaped mug out toward him.
“Mr. Jiang, please. Just one sip, okay?”
The man’s eyes lowered slightly.
His long eyelashes trembled.
After a long moment, he finally raised a hand and accepted the cup.
Yan Sui stared at his fingers.
Unfortunately, his movements were too subtle, and his sleeves concealed his knuckles.
She only saw Jiang Yuan tilt his head back slightly.
His Adam’s apple rolled.
Smiling brightly, Yan Sui took the cup back with both hands.
“Well? How is it?”
Jiang Yuan closed his eyes briefly.
“It’s good.”
Even after being disturbed like this, he didn’t lose his temper at all.
“Really? That’s great.”
Yan Sui stood up and waved at them.
“Drive safely. Come again next time.”
She remained standing at the café entrance.
As soon as the car disappeared from her sight, she hurried back inside.
Taking out a sealed bag from her backpack, she carefully placed the cup inside.
Excitement flashed across her face as she licked her lips and called Zhou Yue.
“Sister, something urgent came up. I need to go back for a while.”