3 Days Later…
The starry night sky draped over H.City, welcoming Everbloom as they stepped off the plane, the weariness of their long flight lingering in every step they took.
A while later, Song Meiqi sank into the backseat of the team van, letting out a long sigh as if she could breathe her fatigue away.
By now, only her, Manager Li, and the driver remained; the others had already been dropped off at their own homes.
Manager Li, seated right beside her, cast a brief glance in her direction before speaking.
"Right— I got an update from the police about that stalker fan of yours."
At her words, Meiqi turned, tension flickering in her eyes. Curiosity and unease twisted together in her chest.
"They say it'll be hard to track him down," she continued, her voice tight with concern.
"They claim the alternate account was tied to an overseas number."
Upon hearing this, Meiqi sighed in defeat and leaned back, slowly closing her eyes as she tried to will her restless heart to calm.
Afterwards, the vehicle came to a halt, and Meiqi stepped out, her gaze lingering as the van slowly disappeared into the distance.
For a moment, the quiet hum of the street wrapped around her, and only then did she turn and step into the building.
Just then, a faint bark echoed from the distance, barely more than a whisper. Meiqi froze, her eyes scanning the deserted street as she waited for the sound to come again.
Then came another bark—clearer this time, a small, trembling sound that could only belong to a puppy. Her chest tightened at the thought of a tiny dog braving the cold. She left her luggage behind and stepped forward to find it.
She followed the sound around a corner near some bushes and there, she spotted a woman walking a small dog.
Relief washed over her instantly—what she had feared was an abandoned puppy turned out to be nothing more than a simple misunderstanding.
She tugged a gentle smile as she watched them go, then turned toward the direction of her apartment.
Though she had chosen to live in Willow Park for its top-notch security, walking alone at night still sent a shiver down her spine; the streets were nearly deserted, the silence punctuated only by the occasional rustle of leaves.
As she walked down the empty path toward the apartment, a sudden chill ran through her. It felt like someone was following her.
Meiqi's eyes caught only a fleeting shadow in the darkness as she quickened her pace, each footstep echoing unnervingly. Her heart thumped wildly as she thought it might be the stalker fan.
She darted into the building and jabbed the elevator button, her pulse racing. The lobby was quiet at this late hour, only a couple of staff lingering at the reception desk. Still, her eyes kept flicking toward the glass doors, fear tightening in her chest at the thought that someone might slip in behind her.
When the elevator doors finally opened, Meiqi let out a quiet sigh of relief, though her heart was still hammering.
She stepped forward, dragging her luggage behind her, when her foot suddenly caught in the narrow gap between the floor and the elevator. Her balance wavered, and before she could react, she tumbled forward.
Instinctively, she shut her eyes, bracing for pain she knew was coming.
But the pain never came. Instead, she felt a strong arm wrap around her, steadying her just in time—anchoring her before she could fall.
She stared at the arm holding her, her breath caught. Slowly, she looked up… and found a man gazing back at her, equally surprised.
They stayed like that for a moment, caught between surprise and silence. Her hands lightly pressed against his chest, his arm still around her. For a second, all they could do was stare.
His golden-brown eyes glimmered behind his glasses, sending a strange sense of familiarity through Meiqi.
'What the… this….feels familiar,' she thought. Just then, his low, raspy voice echoed inside the elevator.
"Are you not letting go?" His tone was calm, almost distant, yet it sent a shiver down her spine.
Meiqi's eyes widened as she suddenly recognized the haughty man from the plane, his eyes etched into her memory.
She straightened instinctively, her eyes following him as he brushed his coat, as if her touch had somehow sullied it.
A flicker of displeasure crossed her brows at the implied insult. And, without meeting his gaze, she looked away, pulling her luggage to her side and positioning herself as far from him as possible, a tense silence settling over the elevator.
Meiqi stood there, the uneasiness in her chest fading almost imperceptibly, without her even realizing it.
A moment later, Song Meiqi sank onto her bed, letting her tense muscles relax as the elevator scene from earlier flashed through her mind.
"Does he live here? I've never seen him before," She mumbled.
Song Meiqi's thoughts drifted for some time before she finally fell asleep, as if the earlier encounter had slipped from her mind.
But outside her apartment, a figure lingered in the shadows, motionless, his eyes locked on her window, watching her every move.