Lin Feng looked at Su Yue.
"How are you feeling?"
She exhaled slowly, her shoulders loosening slightly.
"There's nothing that can be done," she said. "I kind of expected this. It's just... it happened too soon that I wasn't able to adapt quick enough."
Lin Feng nodded.
It had indeed gone too well.
The song snippet had now reached #10 on hot search. And Moon Fairy's cover was just a few positions below. No wonder she was being recognized left and right.
He smiled.
"I guess we won't be able to go out for drinks then."
Her mouth suddenly opened.
"Ah…"
"I'm just kidding," he said. "I can always get the drinks and we can celebrate here."
She smiled and nodded.
Then she suddenly stood up.
"I need to prepare a cake," she said. "Since we're celebrating."
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Do you know how to bake cakes?"
She turned to him with a confident look.
"Don't underestimate me."
At that moment, his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, then back at Su Yue.
She seemed to have recovered her usual self.
"Go ahead and do that," he said, getting up. "I'll go get the drinks."
He headed for the door and stepped outside.
Once the door closed behind him, he answered the call.
"What happened?"
Mengqi's voice came through the other end.
"I found a nice place. Three bedrooms in a gated complex, just like you asked."
"Nice," Lin Feng said. "How's the price?"
"Ten thousand a month. With two months deposit, that's thirty thousand. Then processing fees and other stuff - so more like forty thousand total."
She paused.
"Why did you want a three-bedroom one?"
"One room for Su Yue," he explained. "One for the bodyguard. And one for you."
He continued before she could protest.
"You don't have to move in, of course. It's just for when you're working with Su Yue."
"I understand."
"In any case, the price is fine. I'll take it."
He shifted the phone to his other ear.
"What about security? Anything on that?"
"Yes, actually. That's the main reason I was calling."
She paused.
"Can you meet me at...?"
...
Lin Feng sat across from Mengqi in a quiet cafe.
She had a folder in front of her, along with some documents.
"For security," she began, "I picked Iron Guard Security Group."
She slid a brochure across the table.
"They're headquartered in Shanghai, with branches in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou. They specialize in executive protection, celebrity and VIP security, entertainment industry personnel, high-net-worth individuals - that sort of thing."
Lin Feng picked up the brochure and skimmed through it.
"They're one of China's premier private security firms," Mengqi continued. "Founded by former PLA special forces and Ministry of Public Security veterans. They're known for discretion, professionalism, and a strict code of conduct."
She leaned back.
"They're the agency celebrities call when they don't want bodyguards who sell stories to tabloids."
"How do you know them?" Lin Feng asked.
"During my idol days, my agency used Iron Guard for their top talents," she explained. "I saw firsthand how they operated - professional, invisible when needed, and absolutely reliable."
She tapped the table lightly.
"I still have contacts from that time."
Lin Feng nodded.
"Since it's a top-tier agency," Mengqi continued, "they provide all security equipment alongside their agents. I was thinking of taking one of their elite female agents."
At that moment, a sharp, well-dressed woman approached their table.
She had short dark hair and moved with quiet confidence.
Mengqi smiled.
"Speak of the devil."
She gestured to the woman, who walked over and sat down beside her.
"This is Gu Yanqing," Mengqi said. "I've worked with her before."
She turned to Lin Feng.
"She has experience in Chinese kickboxing, knife combat, firearms handling, defensive driving, field medicine, infiltration, and counter-surveillance. She's fluent in Mandarin, English, and Korean."
Mengqi paused.
"She's one of the best."
Even Lin Feng was taken aback by the list.
Do such people actually exist?
Mengqi turned to Gu Yanqing.
"Go ahead and introduce yourself. This is Lin Feng."
She scratched her head.
"As for who he is to you... it's complicated. He's your boss, but he's not the one you'll be guarding. I'll introduce you to her later."
Gu Yanqing turned to Lin Feng and gave a stiff nod.
"Gu Yanqing. Pleased to meet you."
Lin Feng extended his hand.
"Gu Yanqing," he said, shaking it. "Nice to meet you as well."
"Just call me Yanzi," she said.
"Yanzi then," Lin Feng said. "And don't be so formal. You're older than me."
Mengqi turned back to Lin Feng.
"I discussed everything with the agency. It's going to cost us fifty thousand a month."
Lin Feng nodded.
"Good."
He stood up from his seat.
"Handle the paperwork and forward the invoices to me. For the apartment too."
He glanced at Yanzi.
"It's getting late. Mengqi will brief you on your work tonight, and we can talk more in detail tomorrow."
With that, he left.
…
Lin Feng approached the studio apartment, bags of drinks in hand.
He slowed his steps.
From the outside, he could see that the lights were off.
Did the power go out?
He approached the door and knocked.
No response.
He frowned.
He rang the doorbell.
Ding-dong.
The sound echoed clearly.
That meant there was still power in the house.
His expression became serious.
He looked around him, scanning the corridor. He couldn't see much clearly in the dim lighting.
He placed the drinks down by the entrance.
Then he pushed the door open gently.
It gave way without resistance.
He stepped inside, making as little noise as possible.
He extended his arm toward the wall where the trash bin usually sat. His fingers found the mop placed right beside it.
He gripped it firmly.
He took another step forward.
Suddenly, the lights flickered on.
The door slammed shut behind him with a heavy thud.
He spun around.
A figure stood by the door.
Lin Feng exhaled in relief.
He returned the mop to where it was.
Then he walked up to Su Yue.
He lifted the pumpkin off her head.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "That scared me."
She pouted.
"Doesn't seem like it," she said.
He looked at the hollowed-out pumpkin in his hands.
"What's with the pumpkin anyway?"
"Don't you know?" she asked. "In the West, it's called Halloween."
She tilted her head.
"Apparently, this night is said to blur the line between the living and the dead."
She reached up to touch her hair.
Then she recoiled.
"Ew."
There was pumpkin residue stuck to it.
"I need a shower," she said, already heading toward the bathroom. "Wait for me."
She disappeared around the corner.
The bathroom door clicked shut.
Lin Feng stood alone in the room.
He looked down at the pumpkin in his hands.
The living and the dead, huh?
Suddenly…
A crack split down the side of the pumpkin.
Then another.
The carved face fractured, pieces breaking away and slipping through his fingers. What remained crumbled apart, the hollowed shell collapsing in on itself.
Lin Feng stood there, holding nothing but fragments.
He exhaled.
He reached for the mop.
What bad luck is this?