Red Alert

This foreign war film was exceptionally well-made, shot entirely in one continuous take.

Though few enemies appeared throughout the movie, it vividly portrayed the brutality and horror of war, leaving viewers utterly enthralled.

Lin Yu became so absorbed in it that he didn’t even notice when someone sat down beside him.

Only when the couch behind him trembled slightly did he snap out of his daze and turn to look.

There was Qing Mo, reclining on the sofa, now dressed in a simple white silk nightgown—though the top few buttons at the collar were left undone.

From Lin Yu’s angle, the soft curves pressed together, forming an alluring silhouette.

The sight instantly brought back the tantalizing memory he’d just managed to push aside. He quickly averted his gaze to the projection screen on the wall, tightening his legs under the thick blanket to create more space between them.

After swallowing hard to steady himself, Lin Yu pulled out a prepared bank card from his pocket and, without looking at Qing Mo, held it out to her.

"Here’s the remaining 500,000," he said.

"Thank you for helping me out when I was in a tight spot."

His eyes stayed fixed on the movie. When Qing Mo didn’t take the card after a few seconds, he set it on the sofa and withdrew his hand.

"And then?"

After a long silence, Qing Mo finally spoke, her voice icy.

The movie’s volume drowned out her words, so Lin Yu turned to her. "What?"

"I said," she repeated, cold and deliberate, "and then?"

Her gaze was unsettling—no anger, no shock, just a chilling calm that made his chest tighten. But thinking of his future with Tang Manman, Lin Yu mustered his courage.

"Then we’re even," he said, turning back to the film.

"..."

"Fine."

"I still owe you a favor."

"If you ever need anything, let me know. I’ll help if I can."

Unable to endure her deathly stare any longer, Lin Yu reluctantly conceded.

With that, he prepared to leave. To avoid further complications, he figured it was best not to stay—who knew what other trouble might arise?

"Wait."

Just as he started to rise, Qing Mo spoke again.

"You said you owe me a favor, right?"

"Come with me somewhere tomorrow. After that, as you wish, we’ll be even."

...

Lin Yu studied the cold expression on her face, a sinking feeling in his gut. He swallowed nervously.

"Can I… not go?"

Qing Mo didn’t answer. She stood, gave him one last frosty glance, and walked away without another word.

...

She was gone.

And, rather rudely, she’d left the door open.

Light from the hallway slanted into the screening room, ruining the immersion of the film.

But Lin Yu was too preoccupied to care about the door now.

Where was Qing Mo taking him tomorrow?

How long would it take?

What did she want?

And… did he dare go with her?

One problem after another annoyed Lin Yu so much that he lost all interest in watching movies.

After thinking for a long time, Lin Yu finally decided to go with her.

Although the place they were heading to tomorrow was likely a trap, it seemed like the only way to completely break free from Qing Mo.

Besides, if she was truly determined to make him go, he didn’t have much room to resist anyway.

Given her family background and means, it wouldn’t just be about forcing him somewhere—making him disappear without a trace probably wouldn’t even be difficult for her!

Once the decision was made, Lin Yu couldn’t shake off a nagging unease, as if something terrible was about to happen.

Out of concern for his own safety, he decided to prepare a weapon for self-defense, just in case things escalated to a life-or-death situation where he’d have no way to fight back.

With this in mind, his first thought was to leave the villa and buy a folding knife.

But before he could even stand up, he realized it was already the first day of the Lunar New Year.

At this hour, no taxis would be operating, and hardly any stores would be open. Where was he supposed to buy a folding knife now?

After some consideration, Lin Yu settled for the next best thing—a fruit knife would have to do.

He got up and wandered around the enormous villa for a while before finally locating the kitchen, where he picked out a small, sharp knife that would be easy to carry.

Wrapping the blade tightly in layers of napkins, he tucked the knife into the inner pocket of his padded coat.

With that done, and since there were no taxis available anyway, Lin Yu figured he might as well spend the night in the home theater.

Back in the screening room, he settled onto the sofa, draped a thick blanket over himself, and quietly watched the movie projected on the screen.

The intense war film ended quickly, and Lin Yu, having drowned himself in coffee, didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy.

Scratching his stomach and still craving more entertainment, he decided to watch another movie.

Time slipped away as the progress bar advanced.

Gradually, a hint of drowsiness finally crept in.

When he picked up his phone to check the time, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Holy—

5 a.m.!

If it were summer, the sky outside would already be bright by now.

Lin Yu knew he couldn’t keep this up.

Tomorrow might bring trouble, and he needed to be well-rested to handle it.

With that thought, he turned off the projector, sprawled across the curved sofa, and closed his eyes, ready to sleep...

...Three minutes later.

He turned over...

Five minutes later.

Turned again...

Ten minutes later.

Rolled around on the sofa...

Eleven minutes later.

Damn it!

He couldn’t sleep!

Lin Yu opened his bloodshot eyes and cursed the three cups of coffee he’d had on New Year’s Eve.

Helpless, he grabbed his phone again and started scrolling through short videos...

...Red alert?

A massive snowstorm expected across the northern region tomorrow?

Watching this short video from the National Meteorological Bureau, Lin Yu couldn’t help but sigh.

The snowfall in H City this year was unusually heavy!

In previous years, this coastal city by the river rarely saw much snow—just occasional light flurries. Getting more than three proper snowfalls in a single winter was already rare.

Yet this year, not only was the snow heavier, but it was also coming down much more frequently.

Lin Yu turned over on the sofa, feeling some of his tension ease.

Snowfall—always a good thing.

Soft and gentle, what harm could it do, no matter how heavy it came down?

What threat could it possibly pose?

It only made the first day of the new year even more beautiful.

Dismissing the red-alert short video, Lin Yu swiped it away and kept scrolling.