Mei Ling didn't leave the tea shop immediately.
She stayed seated, her hands on the table, staring at the empty chair across from her.
Bao had been there moments ago, yet it already felt far away, as if something had closed between them.
Around Mei Ling, the tea shop went on as usual. Steam rose from a kettle behind the counter, someone laughed softly near the window, and a server wiped a table slowly.
The normal routine made her uneasy.
She remembered Bao's last words to her.
"Stop investigating. We should not meet again."
It wasn't an advice. It wasn't concern.
It was a warning.
Mei Ling finally stood and paid for the untouched tea.
When she stepped outside, South Road seemed busy and noisy. People moved around her without care.
She walked aimlessly without a direction, the crowd carrying her forward. Her thoughts went back to Bao's face, her stiff posture, her tight grip on the tea cup.
That was fear. Real fear.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Bao's number.
It rang, then cut off.
She tried again. Call failed.
She stopped near a row of closed shops and typed a text.
"Are you safe?"
The message remained undelivered.
A chill ran through her chest. Her signal showed full bars, her phone had a connection, but still nothing went through.
She tried once more.
Nothing.
Mei Ling lowered her phone slowly.
Bao wouldn't ignore her. Not like this.
Bao's glance toward the door came back to her. The sudden way she had stood, like leaving was not her choice.
Mei Ling thought, Someone had reached Bao.
And if Bao has been reached, then I am no longer just being watched.
I am being warned.
She walked home, feeling on edge. The street seemed strange. The reflections in nearby windows stayed too long, like someone was watching her.
Inside her apartment, she locked the door and leaned against it briefly. The silence felt heavy.
She walked away from the door, set down her bag, closed the curtains, and turned on the lights.
Her phone remained silent.
At her desk, she opened her laptop. The investigation files came up on the screen: names linked to numbers, and questions unanswered.
She thought of Bao again.
They aren't just after me. They are reaching the people around me.
Mei Ling closed the laptop, her fear settling into something heavier.
"If this was meant to stop me, it wouldn't work," she muttered to herself.
The next morning came. The sky looked dull, as if it might rain.
Mei Ling got out of bed, shivering in the morning chill. She took a warm shower, letting the water ease her tiredness. After drying off, she got dressed for the day.
She wore a white blouse tucked into a black skirt that reached her knees, held in place by a thin black belt. She slipped on black shoes and tied her hair back in a low ponytail.
A black bag hung from her shoulder, carrying her laptop inside. She glanced at the mirror, satisfied. "Ready for work," she said to herself.
Mei Ling checked her phone as she stepped outside. No missed calls, no messages.
She told herself not to overthink it and walked toward the main road.
The street was quiet, shops were just opening. She glanced around, there a delivery truck waited by the side of the road.
As she walked further, an engine roared. She turned quickly, but the vehicle was already too close.
The car hit her hard. She fell sideways and hit the ground. Pain ran through her body, and her head spun. She heard shouting and screeching tires. The car slowed, then drove away.
People leaned over her, their voices mixing together. Someone shouted for help. Another told her to stay still. Her sight had blurred slightly.
Then a man knelt beside her. Lian Chen Fàn.
Lian Chen was driving to his law firm, in his black Rolls-Royce. The city was waking up, and traffic was light. His thoughts stayed on the numerous cases waiting at his office.
Suddenly, he noticed a car speeding toward a woman on the street. He hit the brakes and jumped out.
It was too late, the car had already hit her. She fell hard, and he saw her body hit the pavement as he ran toward her.
He reached her quickly, kneeling beside her.
Ms. Mei Ling? He thought unsure, as his eyes widened.
Panic surged through him as he checked if she was breathing.
"Ms. Mei Ling, look at me," he said.
She tried to speak, but her throat felt tight.
"I'm here. Stay with me."
He slid an arm under her shoulders. Pain hit her briefly.
"Hospital," she whispered.
He nodded and lifted her, ignoring the people around.
Lian Chen opened his car door, placed her inside and got behind the wheel.
The drive was quiet. Only Mei Ling's heavy breathing filled the car. His hands remained firm on the wheel.
At the hospital, everything was done hurriedly. Nurses and doctors rushed out with a stretcher, carrying Mei Ling in. Questions were asked, and tests were conducted.
Lian Chen sat patiently in the waiting area.
Soon, a doctor returned, urging him into the patient's ward.
"She is lucky, no serious injuries were sustained. She will be fine," the doctor said.
Mei Ling felt relieved. The doctor shook hands with Lian Chen, then exited the ward.
"Why were you there?" she asked.
"I was on my way to work, and I saw what happened," Lian Chen answered.
She studied him, unsure why.
"Why did you help me?" she asked again.
He met her eyes. "Because you needed help."
The words brought back a memory. The man who helped her that night had said something similar.
Mei Ling frowned.
"You remind me of someone," she said.
"Perhaps it is a coincidence," he replied.
A nurse brought the bill. Mei Ling reached for it, but Lian Chen took it.
"I will pay."
"You don't need to," she told him.
"I insist."
She paused, then nodded. "Thank you."
He paid and left without saying more.
Later, Mei Ling called her news editor and explained the accident.
"Take a day to rest," he said.
She hung up and stared out the window, feeling uneasy.
Across the city, Lian Chen arrived at his office.
Time went by quickly. He focused on work, completely forgetting about the accident.
By afternoon, he was in court as the prosecuting attorney.
The room felt tense. The defendant, Wei Jun, had stabbed his neighbor, Ms Han, to death.
"State your name for the record."
"My name is Wei Jun," the defendant said, with a shaky voice.
"You admit to stabbing Ms Han?" Lian Chen asked.
"I didn't mean to, it was an accident," Wei Jun said quickly.
"An accident," Lian Chen repeated. "Explain how an accident happens when you followed her into the kitchen and used a knife."
"I argued with her, and she yelled at me. So... I grabbed the knife. I didn't think," Wei Jun stammered, trembling in his chair.
Lian Chen turned to the first witness. "Mr Li, you were the neighbor who discovered the incident. What did you see?"
"I heard shouting and screaming. I ran next door. She was on the floor, bleeding. He was standing over her, holding a knife," the witness said.
"Thank you," Lian Chen said.
He faced Wei Jun again. "Did you call for help after the stabbing?"
"I panicked. I didn't call anyone," Wei Jun said.
"You left her to die. You had time to call for help, but you didn't. That is not an accident. That is murder," Lian Chen said firmly.
He turned to the second witness, Ms Liu, a friend of the victim. "What did you hear that night?"
"I heard yelling, then a scream. I ran out, but he ran past me. She was already bleeding," she said, confirming the first witness' statement.
Lian Chen nodded. "You confirm he left her there. He made no effort to help. You saw enough to know this was deliberate."
Lian Chen paced slightly. "Jury, you have heard the witnesses. You have seen the evidence. The defendant acted with clear intent. No one forced him. He chose the knife, he chose to strike. Justice must be served."
Wei Jun trembled, sweat forming on his forehead.
The jury took their time. Finally, the foreperson stood. "We find the defendant guilty of first-degree murder."
The judge nodded. "The court sentences Wei Jun to death. The execution will follow review by the Supreme People's Court, case dismissed."
Lian Chen bowed slightly, and exited the courtroom. The verdict was right. Justice had been done.
On his way home, his phone vibrated, but he ignored it.
A car stopped suddenly in front of him. Lian Chen stepped on the brakes, bringing his car to a halt.
The door to the other car opened. His father, Jianyu, stepped out.
Lian Chen got out too, closing the space between them.
They faced each other. The tension between them was heavy.
The game had only began.