Come Quickly

Outside the window, snowflakes fluttered down, while inside, the room was as warm as spring.

Perhaps someone had reported them.

Or maybe the recent temperature drop had been too drastic.

The shameless heating company had finally decided to burn a few more shovels of coal, allowing the residents of this old neighborhood to feel some long-lost warmth.

Pushing the blanket aside, Lin Yu sat up, scratched his stomach, and prepared to get out of bed to wash up.

He had promised Gu Yue they’d go out today.

Hmm.

Perfect timing to do some shopping too.

A lot of things at home were running low.

Walking into the bathroom, Lin Yu brushed his teeth while silently making a mental list of what they needed. After hanging out with Gu Yue, he’d swing by the supermarket to stock up.

Ding.

A text notification chimed from his phone on the sink. Instinctively, Lin Yu assumed it was Gu Yue messaging him—after all, they had plans today.

After spitting out the toothpaste foam and rinsing his mouth, he reached for the phone and turned on the screen.

?

Staring at the grinning, borderline terrifying Pikachu avatar, Lin Yu was slightly surprised.

Not Gu Yue.

Xia Yueshan?

What did he want this early in the morning?

Was something up?

Curious, Lin Yu tapped open the chat. A string of messages flooded the screen.

Xia Aodi: Lin Yu, urgent matter!

Xia Aodi: Emergency! Room 603, Jiashi Hotel!

Xia Aodi: Come quick!

Xia Aodi: COME QUICK!!!

???

Lin Yu stared at the messages, his head full of question marks.

Seriously?

What kind of nonsense was Xia Yueshan up to now?

Couldn’t he just say whatever it was over the phone?

Why meet in person?

And in a hotel room, no less?

Some kind of spy rendezvous?

Lin Yu had no intention of trekking all the way there just to humor Xia Yueshan’s antics. Without hesitation, he tapped the voice call button.

But the moment the call connected, the other side immediately hung up.

Lin Yu was baffled. He sent a single question mark in response.

Long Aotian: ?

Xia Aodi: Can’t talk over the phone! Meet in person!

?

What couldn’t be said over the phone?

Was his line being tapped or something?

Lin Yu sighed internally, unable to fathom what went on in Xia Yueshan’s head.

But since he was so insistent, Lin Yu figured he might as well go.

What if it really was something important?

Despite his occasional unreliability, Xia Yueshan was usually pretty dependable.

After replying that he’d be there soon, Lin Yu checked the time.

9:00 AM.

He and Gu Yue had agreed to meet at 10:00. If he moved quickly, he could still make it on time.

Though there was still some leeway, time wasn’t exactly abundant. With a heightened sense of urgency, Lin Yu sped through the rest of his morning routine.

Once ready, he threw on his coat and headed for the door.

Just as his hand touched the doorknob, his phone rang.

"Makka pakka, akka wakka, mikka makka, moo~"

"Makka pakka, akka yakka~"

The absurdly catchy ringtone echoed through the room.

Lin Yu paused and pulled out his phone.

Unknown number.

Hmph.

He didn’t even need to think—this was definitely that stalker, the third female lead!

Her persistence was honestly impressive.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Lin Yu silenced the call and stepped outside.

Downstairs, he looked up at the sky.

Snowflakes drifted down in a slow, endless dance. Judging by the intensity, this snowfall would likely be heavier than last weekend’s.

Zipping his padded jacket all the way up, Lin Yu hunched his shoulders slightly and trudged through the fresh, untouched snow, heading toward the busier main road.

...

?

Lin Yu suddenly stopped in his tracks, an inexplicable sense of unease creeping over him.

He turned, scanning his surroundings.

Snowflakes the size of fingernails fluttered down, settling on the ground, on the shoulders and heads of passersby, on everything in sight.

A perfectly ordinary winter scene. Nothing seemed out of place. No strange sense of familiarity.

Scratching his head, Lin Yu turned back and continued toward the road.

Not long after he turned away, a man in an oversized black coat, carrying a rusty metal bucket, lifted the edge of his hood just enough to reveal a pair of bloodshot eyes brimming with bone-chilling hatred.

His gaze locked onto Lin Yu’s retreating figure, and he took a step forward—only to freeze abruptly, his body stiffening in pain.

His face twisted in agony as his entire frame trembled, as if he’d aggravated some unbearable wound.

Gritting his teeth, the man bent down with difficulty, placing the bucket on the ground before fishing out a bottle of painkillers from his pocket.

Without bothering to measure the dose, he dumped a handful of pills into his palm, shoved them into his mouth, and washed them down with a swig of water from his jacket.

After catching his breath, he picked up the bucket again and forced himself forward, limping after Lin Yu’s fading silhouette...

...

Inside Room 603 of Jiashi Hotel, a cash-strapped girl exhaled softly in relief after reading the message on her phone.

"Be there soon."

Good. She wouldn’t have to extend the room rental.

But almost immediately, her heart clenched again.

Nothing would go wrong, right?

Her pulse raced as nervousness took hold. She took deep breaths to steady herself while double-checking her preparations.

Pulling back the covers, she glanced at the items laid out on the bed—her tension eased slightly at the sight.

Stun gun. Pepper spray. Personal alarm. And...

She turned toward the potted plant in the corner, where a hidden camera was aimed at both the bed and the door.

Satisfied that everything was in place, she slipped off her thin coat and climbed under the covers, concealing the self-defense tools beneath the blanket.

Wrapped tightly in the hotel’s pristine white sheets, her bright, lively eyes flickered with fear.

Nothing would go wrong... right?

It shouldn’t...