You're Being Watched

Squeal—!

The pink pepper-red car screeched to a halt!

Fang Qi was thrown forward by inertia, then pressed back firmly by Liguang, who was still in his arms.

The silver-haired girl remained straddling his lap, her arms looped around his neck.

Throughout the entire ride, she had held that position.

And multiple rows of jagged teeth marks, varying in depth, were now imprinted across Fang Qi's neck!

“Senior, we’ve arrived! Safe and sound!”

From the front seat, Lin Xiaoyou’s voice rang out triumphantly!

“I told you, my driving skills are absolutely flawless!”

...Arrived?

Fang Qi turned his head to look out the car window.

The Chenxi Employee Apartment Complex.

Just ahead lay the entrance to the underground garage, with red-and-white barrier gates stretched across the top of the ramp.

In the guard booth nearby, a security guard in uniform sat with his head down, staring at his phone.

Then...

The barrier gate actually lifted on its own!

No stop for inspection, no ID check...

The guard hadn’t even lifted his head!

The pink pepper-red car swaggered right in, driving into the underground garage of the Chenxi Employee Apartments!

It drifted slowly down the ramp.

...Huh?

Fang Qi’s eyes widened slowly.

That was it? They were just allowed in?

Wait...

Did that barrier lift by itself just now?

He spun around and stared in astonishment at Lin Xiaoyou in the driver’s seat:

“Your car can actually get into the Chenxi employee underground garage?”

Lin Xiaoyou was steering one-handed and looked puzzled for a second.

“...Huh? Why wouldn’t it be able to...?”

She blinked, then—

“Senior...?”

She caught a glimpse of Fang Qi in the rearview mirror, and her expression instantly shifted!

A hint of disdain!

“Why do you seem so dumb all of a sudden...?”

She even muttered under her breath!

Fang Qi: “?”

What’s that supposed to mean?

Lin Xiaoyou rolled her eyes and said impatiently:

“Is there any chance that... this is my home?”

...?

Huh?

Fang Qi was genuinely confused now.

So that’s how it was?

He really hadn’t known that before...

Lin Xiaoyou kept driving deeper into the garage, pouting as she said:

“Senior, did you forget? My dad is a core employee of Chenxi!”

“My mom passed away a long time ago, and my dad raised me single-handedly from childhood...”

“His company assigned him an apartment very close to the headquarters, making it convenient for commuting and taking care of me. So, Senior...”

She glanced at Fang Qi again in the rearview mirror:

“Where do you think my dad would live?”

Uh...

Fang Qi was speechless.

“So! I grew up here!”

Lin Xiaoyou added:

“Of course my car can get in! You’re so dumb, Senior!”

Fang Qi twitched his lips.

That did make sense...

Lin Xiaoyou’s father, Lin Zhouyuan, was a core researcher at Chenxi Corporation...

The entire apartment complex was housing allocated by Chenxi for its employees!

Her car was registered in the community’s license plate recognition system—so of course, the barrier would lift automatically when it saw her car!

Fang Qi opened his mouth, hesitated, and asked:

“So you and Xiaoqing live in that building across from me and Liguang...”

“That’s the place Xiaoqing and I rent!”

Lin Xiaoyou turned the steering wheel smoothly, and the pink pepper-red car adeptly slid into a row of parking spaces.

“Mainly, it’s not convenient for Xiaoqing to be in Chenxi right now.”

“And...”

She grinned at Fang Qi through the rearview mirror!

“Living over there makes it easier to keep an eye on you, Senior!”

She pouted again:

“Senior, you’re really so dense. How come you couldn’t figure that out?”

“I thought things like this didn’t need to be spelled out!”

“Anyone with normal intelligence could have guessed it!”

Fang Qi: “...”

Hey!

That’s enough!

Sorry for being so dumb, then!

He immediately looked down at the Liguang in his arms.

Wife, look at her!

She’s mocking me!

The silver-haired girl had lifted her head from his neck.

Her crimson eyes were flickering at an incredibly fast, intense pace, darting across the dim underground garage outside the window!

From concrete pillars to parked cars, from ceiling lights to the fire extinguisher box in the corner...

Every detail was being scanned by her crimson gaze.

She was still worrying.

Worrying that a car in the garage might suddenly start up and ram into them!

But...

She showed no doubt or surprise at Lin Xiaoyou’s words.

Her amber eye blinked gently at him with a touch of playful teasing.

—Master, you really are pretty slow.

Clearly, she had already figured it out!

Fang Qi: “...”

You’re done.

Liguang? I’m telling you, you’re done.

Tonight, there’s no way I’m letting you off easy.

Of course, that depended on...

Whether they could make it through tonight first.

He looked up, squinting at the pitch-dark underground garage.

Then he pulled out his phone and glanced at the incoming call from An Lian.

No signal in the underground garage...

Forget it. Let’s just go up!

...

...

The elevator doors opened.

They made it smoothly to the twelfth floor.

So smoothly that Fang Qi felt a little uncomfortable.

But staring at that door marked 1201...

He drifted into a brief daze.

...Such a familiar door.

Back here again.

It was the same corridor, the same silver doorplate reading 1201.

Everything was exactly like that first round.

The last time he had stood here, behind him lay wreckage everywhere, and before him was An Lian, her hair dragging as he pulled her along.

Her white T-shirt was splattered with blood, and her cold gray eyes were filled with despair and utter collapse.

Back then, she had died just like that.

...And now?

Now she should have...!

Liguang’s small hand gently squeezed his palm.

He turned his head to look at her.

The silver-haired girl looked up at him, her crimson eyes still flickering.

In her amber left eye was a wet warmth.

—Master, Liguang is right here.

Beside them, Lin Xiaoyou leaned against the wall, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on the 1201 doorplate, for once not joking or bantering.

But the habit curve of a smile still lingered at the corners of her mouth.

Fang Qi took a deep breath...

He turned around and raised his hand.

Knock, knock, knock.

He rapped three times on the door.

Please be there!

Please, please be there...!

They had gone through so much hardship to get here—don’t let...!

Pitter-patter, patter...

From inside, a faint, weak sound of footsteps!

Fang Qi’s eyelids twitched!

Someone was inside!

The footsteps stopped at the door, and there was a brief silence.

Probably...someone looking through the peephole?

“...Xiaoqi, is that you?”

A very soft, questioning voice.

...Ah!

It was An Lian’s voice!

Fang Qi’s heart finally settled!

...Phew!

He pursed his lips reflexively.

She was alive!

Thank goodness!

“It’s me, Sister An Lian!”

Fang Qi tried to keep his voice low.

“I’m here!”

Then—

Click.

The door immediately opened!

An Lian stood in the doorway.

Yes, it was her!

Her black hair was loose, falling casually over her shoulders.

Her cold gray eyes made her look less like the sharp, professional maintenance specialist he knew, and more worn out, soft with exhaustion.

“Come in, quick!”

She stepped aside from the doorway.

Fang Qi strode inside at once!

Liguang followed right behind!

Lin Xiaoyou also slipped in quickly!

Fang Qi finally noticed An Lian's outfit at that moment, his gaze freezing.

A loose white T-shirt.

Gray home shorts.

...Too familiar.

It was such a familiar outfit.

Exactly the same as last time, when he had dragged her through the hallway...

Exactly the same outfit.

That white T-shirt...

Fang Qi's eyes trembled slightly.

In the end, it had been splattered with blood.

And when An Lian saw Lin Xiaoyu enter through the door, her gray pupils clearly paused for a moment.

Lin Xiaoyou just blinked at her.

An Lian didn't ask any questions. Instead, she immediately leaned out to glance down both sides of the hallway outside!

After confirming there was nothing unusual in the corridor...

"Click."

She quickly shut the door!

The lock clicked into place.

Fang Qi stood in the living room, taking a deep breath... and quickly scanned the whole place!

...It really was exactly the same.

Light gray fabric sofa, simple coffee table, a bookshelf filled with professional texts, and that coffee machine in the kitchen.

The floor was clean, and the air carried a faint, light scent of green tea.

An Lian's home was also the place from that first loop...

Where he had gone insane.

At the time, under his orders, Liguang had pinned her to the floor!

He had grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to look at the remains in the corridor...

Everything from back then was still vivid in his mind...

But this time, it was different!

This time...

He was here to save her!

Beside him, the silver-haired girl seemed to share the same thought.

She let go of Fang Qi's hand, stepped forward half a pace, and gave An Lian a slight bow.

"Miss An Lian, it's so good to see you safe."

Her tone was gentle and obedient, a smile laced with a hint of apology on her pretty face.

An Lian looked at her, her brows softening slightly.

A faint, extremely subtle trace of warmth appeared in her usually cold gray eyes.

"Thank you both for coming."

Her voice was much steadier than it had been on the phone just now.

But then, she frowned slightly, her gaze shifting to...

The round-faced girl standing on Fang Qi's other side.

"...And this young lady is?"

Fang Qi was startled.

Come to think of it...

It seemed An Lian and Lin Xiaoyou didn't actually know each other?

At least in this loop, this was probably their first meeting, right...?

Lin Xiaoyou reacted quickly!

The gifted young lady stepped forward another half pace, her round little face breaking into a dazzling smile.

"Hey there, Sister An Lian! Long time no see!"

Her tone was as familiar as could be!

Even An Lian was momentarily taken aback by her warm enthusiasm.

Lin Xiaoyou continued cheerfully:

"We've met before, you know! Last time we saw each other, it was..."

She blinked, her tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning:

"On that island Senior bought, wasn't it?"

An Lian's pupils instantly trembled!

Her usually cool gray eyes widened slightly.

Lin Xiaoyou kept grinning:

"Back then, after you finished checking on Liguang, you left in a hurry!"

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

...That was from that loop.

The island elopement loop!

That had been his first death and reset, and the first time Liguang had retained a memory in the form of a "dream"!

And An Lian and Lin Xiaoyou...

Of course they had retained memories from that loop too!

Lin Xiaoyou continued speaking with a mischievous tone:

"We met again after that, too!"

"At that time..."

She glanced at Fang Qi:

"Senior and Liguang were shouting their heads off, right before my eyes, as they eloped!"

"Shameless!"

The silver-haired girl's crimson eyes flickered slightly.

"But it was also very romantic!"

Lin Xiaoyou immediately changed her tune with righteous indignation!

Liguang let out a soft snort, and then...

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly.

She seemed to be recalling that "elopement adventure" from back then...

And she even gave Fang Qi a little wink!

—Master, that "dream," Liguang remembers it very clearly too!

Fang Qi gently squeezed her small hand.

Lin Xiaoyou continued laughing:

"Back then, I was left pitifully on the beach by that heartless Senior..."

"And you were the one who later sent someone to take me away!"

She winked at An Lian with a grin!

"If it weren't for you, Sister An Lian, I would have been crying myself to death on that beach!"

An Lian looked at Lin Xiaoyou, her gray eyes trembling.

Her lips moved.

"So it really is you. The changes in you are remarkable..."

She murmured softly.

"And..."

"So you're the same too..."

Fang Qi remained silent.

The same...

Everyone present knew what she meant.

The same dream, the same retention of a memory that should never have existed...

An Lian immediately turned to Fang Qi again.

"Xiao Qi..."

Her cool, weary face carried a trace of bewilderment.

"What... is going on?"

She stared at him, dazed.

Looking at her somewhat lost expression...

Fang Qi's heart slowly calmed down.

...Thank goodness.

No matter what...

As long as she was still alive, that was enough!

As long as she was alive...

It meant the situation wasn't too bad yet!

He took a deep breath!

"Sister An Lian..."

He looked at her seriously.

"This is a long story!"

He gathered his thoughts, then spoke again:

"Right now, we're not entirely sure what this situation is all about either..."

He met An Lian's trembling gray eyes directly.

"But in short, Sister An Lian..."

His expression was stern.

"You're being targeted!"