The night was like ink, and the top floor of the academy was so quiet that only the slight hum of the central air conditioner could be heard.
Chloe stands on the top floor of Building 7 on the East Side, in front of a heavy walnut door.
The door sign is simply marked "701", which is the only single suite in the entire college.
She held the "Requiem" tightly in her arms, and the serene power emanating through the canvas was easing the tearing of her soul.
What's even more strange is that there seems to be an atmosphere in the room that is of the same origin as this painting, and that familiar sense of comfort can be felt through the door panel.
This is no coincidence.
Chloe raised her hand and tapped on the door panel, three long and two short rhythms.
A few seconds later, the door lock clicked.
Alex Chan appeared at the door.
He wore a white shirt that had been ironed without a trace of wrinkles, and his silver-rimmed glasses glistened coolly in the hallway lights.
The black hair is meticulously combed, and the whole person looks like a perfect honor student who came out of the pictorial.
But the moment he saw Chloe, a barely imperceptible light flashed in his deep eyes.
"This classmate, is there anything wrong?"
His voice is gentle and detached, perfectly illustrating what it means to be polite.
"There's something."
Chloe gets straight to the point, her black eyes staring straight at him.
"The dormitory was assigned incorrectly, and this room should have been given to me."
Alex's eyebrows rose slightly, and the corners of his mouth still maintained a polite curve.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken, this is a special arrangement of the board of directors."
"I have no right to change it."
His words were watertight, and his tone was still gentle.
But Chloe noticed that his gaze lingered on the scroll in her arms for 0.5 seconds.
The pupils contracted slightly, and although they quickly returned to normal, she could see the slight changes.
"Then let me live."
Chloe deliberately exposed the corner of "Requiem", and the silvery-blue paint on the canvas glowed softly in the light.
"I'll just sleep on the sofa."
Alex's eyes were again drawn to the painting.
This time he didn't hide his focus, and complex emotions flashed in his deep eyes.
"I'm sorry, but the school rules do not allow people of the opposite sex to live together."
He pushed his glasses, his voice still calm.
"And this dormitory space is limited, I'm afraid it's not very convenient."
A smile curled up on Chloe's lips.
Since a frontal attack is not good, then change your strategy.
"Yes, rules are really important."
She put away the scroll, and her tone suddenly became relaxed.
"By the way, there has been a lot of gossip on campus recently."
Alex didn't respond, but he didn't mean to close the door.
"I heard that Finn Miller in the art department was plagiarized, it's really pitiful."
Chloe's tone was casual, as if she was just chatting.
"If only a witness could come forward."
The temperature in the air seems to drop by a few degrees.
Alex's finger tapped on the doorframe, the first time he showed an unnatural movement.
"Really? This kind of thing is really a pity. "
"Yes."
Chloe stared into his eyes, and the smile became meaningful.
"It is said that the witness was also wearing a pair of good-looking silver-rimmed glasses."
Time seems to stand still.
For the first time, Alex's smile cracked.
His fingers stopped tapping, and his whole breath changed subtly.
That gentle and polite mask began to loosen, revealing something more real and dangerous underneath.
After more than ten seconds of silence, Alex suddenly smiled.
This time, the smile was completely different from before.
No longer polite politeness, but an aggressive and playful expression.
"You want to threaten me with this?"
His voice was still soft, but every word was as sharp as a blade.
"Interesting."
Alex stopped pretending and took a step forward to approach Chloe.
The original gentle image of an honor student collapsed in an instant, replaced by a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"It's okay to testify for you."
He took another step forward, and the distance between the two was shortened to less than half a meter.
"But my testimony is expensive."
Chloe instinctively wanted to step back, but she forced herself to stand still.
You must not lose in terms of momentum.
"What conditions?"
"Move in."
Alex's eyes flashed with some kind of morbidity.
"Live where I can see."
He is anti-guest, turning threats into invitations.
And this invitation is more frightening than any threat.
Chloe's heart rang with alarm bells.
This guy really knew something, and it was more dangerous than she thought.
"I sleep on the living room sofa."
She pretended to be calm and tried to take the initiative.
"No."
Alex pointed to the only bedroom deep in the room.
"You sleep in bed, I sleep on the sofa."
He paused, and the curvature of the corners of his mouth became even more eerie.
"I like ... Watch you sleep. "
This sentence is full of ambiguity and possessiveness, leaving Chloe's scalp tingling.
She realized that she was not facing the superficially indifferent villain in the novel, but a more dangerous and crazy beast.
"Are you sure?"
Chloe forces herself to stay calm.
"I sleep restlessly."
"I don't mind."
Alex's smile deepened.
"I'm very patient."
After weighing the pros and cons, Chloe made a decision.
For the stability of her soul, for Finn's revenge plan, she must take this risk.
"Deal."
She took a deep breath and walked inside the room.
"But I have a condition that I am not allowed to do anything that crosses the line while I am asleep."
"Of course."
Alex got out of the way and made a gentlemanly "please come in" gesture.
"I just want to ... Make sure you sleep soundly. "
The moment she stepped into the room, Chloe almost exclaimed.
This is not your average student dormitory.
The living room is three times the size of an ordinary dormitory, and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the night view of the entire campus.
Modern furniture is laconic and expensive, and several copies of famous paintings hang on the walls.
Above all, the air is filled with the same tranquility as in "Requiem".
Her soul was soothed here like never before.
"Do you like it?"
Alex closed the door, moving gently but with a certain sense of ritual.
"I specially prepared it for you."
This sentence made Chloe's back instantly cool.
For her?
How much does he know?
"The bedroom is over there."
Alex pointed to the depths of the room.
"The towels and toiletries are new and should suit your taste."
Chloe didn't respond, but walked quickly to the bedroom.
The room is large and the decoration is simple and welcoming.
What surprised her the most was that the bedding was all feminine, and the light blue sheets exuded a faint scent of lavender.
This is by no means improvised.
"You've been waiting for me for a long time."
She turned around and found Alex leaning against the doorframe watching her.
"Yes."
He did not deny it.
"It's been a long time."
"How long?"
"Eleven years."
The two words hit Chloe's heart, and her breathing instantly became rapid.
Eleven years is exactly the time when she dies.
This man, from the moment she died, was waiting for her return.
"You know who I am."
This is not a question, but a statement.
"Chloe Miller."
Alex said the name softly, his tone as gentle as a sympathetic murmur.
"My goddess."
"I'm dead."
Chloe tries to find a loophole in his logic.
"Now I'm just Lin Yue."
"The body is Lin Yue's."
Alex walked into the bedroom, every step of which was a sign of imperative.
"But the soul is Chloe's."
He reached out and almost touched her cheek.
"I recognize you, even if you change a thousand bodies."
Chloe took a step back, her back against the wall.
"What is your ability?"
"Soul perception."
Alex withdrew his hand, but his eyes were still locked on her.
"I can feel the unique fluctuations in each person's soul."
"And your soul ..."
His voice became softer.
"It's the most beautiful movement in the world."
This morbid obsession sent chills down Chloe's body.
She now fully understands that she is facing a complete lunatic.
A madman who has been waiting for her for eleven years.
"So, now we are roommates."
She forced herself to regain her composure and not lose to him in momentum.
"I hope we get along well."
"Yes."
Alex's smile returned to its previous gentleness, but Chloe knew it was just a façade.
"I'll make sure you're having a good ... Pleasant. "
He turned and left the bedroom.
"Rest early, you need enough sleep."
The door closed gently, and Chloe was finally able to breathe deeply.
She unfolded the "Requiem" with trembling hands and spread it on the head of the bed.
The woman in the painting is still looking at her quietly, with deep sadness and protection in her eyes.
Who painted this painting?
Why did it appear in Finn's studio?
And why does it resonate with this room?
There are too many mysteries waiting to be solved, but now is not the time to think.
Chloe took off her coat and lay down on the bed full of strangeness.
The scent of lavender relaxed her nerves a little, and the tearing sensation of her soul was much lessened.
But the mental tension reached its peak.
Through the crack in the door, she could hear a slight noise coming from the living room.
Alex was tidying up the sofa and getting ready to sleep.
But Chloe knew that the man wouldn't really fall asleep.
He would stay outside the door all night, staring at her through the wall with those sickly eyes.
Just like he said – he loved watching her sleep.
Late at night, the entire campus fell silent.
Chloe closes her eyes and forces herself into a state of rest.
The stability of her soul relaxed her body like never before, but her brain was always vigilant.
She could feel that in the living room not far away, there was a pair of eyes piercing the darkness, staring in the direction she was in for a moment.
The feeling of being watched keeps her muscles tense all the time.
It was destined to be a sleepless night.
But at least, she managed to live in this room, which was both an anchor and a cage.
The game has just begun.