Found~You~

Afterwards, Ye Feng gave Shen Mengli a few more reminders about things to pay attention to, such as not kicking off the blankets in her sleep, before preparing to leave. Just as he was about to go, Shen Mengli suddenly reached out and tugged at the hem of his clothes.

"Mengli? Is there something else you wanted to say?"

Ye Feng turned around and patiently crouched down, looking up to meet Shen Mengli's crimson eyes. But in her gaze, he detected a hint of hesitation and unease.

"Xiao... Xiao Feng..."

Shen Mengli placed a small hand over her chest, taking a deep breath before stammering, "For some reason, my heart is racing so fast—it feels like you might be in danger. The nightmare I had earlier was also about you."

"About me? Did you dream that I disappeared from your side?"

"No."

Shen Mengli clutched Ye Feng's hand tightly and murmured, "It was because you were in danger."

"I was in danger? How? Sure, there were dangerous situations before, but I managed to get through them. Life has been relatively peaceful lately—how could there be any danger now?"

"I don’t know why either, but I’m really worried about you, Xiao Feng! I don’t want you to get hurt!"

Seeing that Ye Feng wasn’t taking her words seriously, Shen Mengli’s tone grew heavier.

"Promise me, Xiao Feng. Promise me you’ll always stay alert and be cautious of your surroundings, okay?"

"Mengli, you—"

"Promise me!"

Shen Mengli insisted stubbornly, as if she wouldn’t let Ye Feng leave unless he agreed.

"......"

After a moment of silence, Ye Feng realized she wasn’t joking. Though he didn’t understand why she was suddenly saying this, he decided to reassure her.

"Alright, I promise."

"Thank you, Xiao Feng."

Relieved by his answer, Shen Mengli finally relaxed. At the very least, she felt a little more at ease. She spread her arms and smiled at him.

"Xiao Feng... I... I want you to hug me one more time before you leave, okay?"

"Why does this feel like some kind of farewell?"

Ye Feng muttered under his breath, but he still complied with her request.

As he wrapped his arms around Shen Mengli’s slender waist, she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of the moment before their parting. She held onto him for a long time, refusing to let go. Just as Ye Feng was about to remind her, he felt her lips gently press against his cheek.

"There~ I’m satisfied now."

Shen Mengli released him, tilting her head with a soft smile. Unconsciously, her affectionate gestures toward Ye Feng had become more frequent—and bolder—without hesitation.

"I’ll head home now. If anything comes up, you can ask the director to call me."

"Okay~ Be careful on your way back, Xiao Feng."

As she watched Ye Feng’s figure gradually disappear into the distance, the forced smile on Shen Mengli’s face vanished. Her delicate brows furrowed as she placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, murmuring to herself,

"I hope it’s just my imagination..."

......

"Why is it getting dark so fast? It’s not even late afternoon yet."

After a short journey, Ye Feng arrived at the entrance of his apartment building, muttering in confusion.

"Next time I go out with Mengli, I’ll have to check the weather first. This unpredictable weather is ridiculous."

Just as he was about to step through the apartment’s main door, he suddenly felt an icy gaze piercing him from the direction of his home—like a frigid dagger stabbing straight into his heart, sending chills spreading through every inch of his body.

"Who’s there?"

Ye Feng looked up toward his apartment window. Aside from the closed curtains swaying slightly in the breeze, there was no other movement.

"Must be my imagination..."

Seeing that everything seemed normal, Ye Feng slowly walked into the elevator.

"F~o~u~n~d~ y~o~u~"

A murky, pale blue eye peered through the curtains, watching from above as Ye Feng entered the elevator. Then, it slowly vanished back into the darkness behind the curtains...

Ding

As the elevator doors slid open, Ye Feng stepped out, keys in hand. Since it was still afternoon, the motion-sensor lights didn’t activate. But the unusually gloomy weather made the dim hallway feel unsettling in a way he couldn’t quite describe.

Tap, tap, tap

His heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor as Shen Mengli’s earlier warnings flashed through his mind—though he quickly dismissed them.

No, no, what’s there to be afraid of in my own home? I’m just scaring myself.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Feng approached his front door, keys ready.

Jingle, jingle

The sound of keys clinking filled the air as he inserted one into the lock. But just as he was about to turn it, his body froze.

Because he noticed a single white thread clinging to his shoe.

What’s this?

He crouched down, picking up the thread and examining it closely.

A cotton thread? Why is it on my shoe? Did it drift out from under the door?

Puzzled, Ye Feng hesitated before opening the door. Shen Mengli’s words echoed in his ears, and his heartbeat quickened.

Maybe... I should check the peephole first?

The door of his rented apartment didn’t have a modern, anti-spy peephole. If someone outside looked carefully, they could still make out the general layout inside. With that in mind, Ye Feng leaned closer to the peephole. As his breathing grew heavier, he pressed his eye against it...

For some reason, the peephole didn’t reveal the interior of his apartment. Instead, it was completely obscured by darkness. Even if the room were pitch-black, he should at least be able to see the direction of the balcony—but this was far too dark to be normal.

Just as he was about to pull away, something horrifying happened.

The pitch-black peephole suddenly filled with a pale blue iris, its bloodshot veins spreading like sinister cracks. The eye gleamed with a terrifying mix of predatory delight and madness—like a hunter locking onto its prey.

"!!!!"

Ye Feng jolted back in shock, his mind going blank. Without a second thought, he abandoned the key still in the lock and turned to flee.

But at that very moment, the tightly shut door swung open on its own.

From within the darkness of the room, a flash of silver-white light sliced through the air...