The city was alive, and Xiaoyu felt as small as a shadow under the towering skyscrapers. At twenty-one, fresh out of university, she had learned that life didn't wait for people like her. Buildings climbed higher, lights burned brighter, and she… barely moved. Her life, ordinary and predictable, had been a comfort in some ways. But today, standing at the base of a glass skyscraper, the ordinary felt like a chain. She clutched her thin folder to her chest like it was armor. Inside were her résumé, references, and carefully crafted cover letters—everything she thought might convince someone to notice her. Someone important. Someone who could take a chance on an ordinary girl.
Her shoes clicked softly against the pavement as she walked toward the revolving doors. People streamed past her—high heels, polished leather shoes, the click of confident strides that made her feel even smaller. She adjusted her bag strap nervously, whispering to herself: "Deep breaths. You've got this. It's just an interview." The lobby was vast, airy, and too bright, with sunlight glinting off the marble floors. She stepped carefully, feeling the weight of her folder like a shield. The receptionist smiled at her, polite but distant. "Intern candidate?" she asked. "Yes," Xiaoyu replied. Her voice sounded smaller than she expected. "Elevator to the thirty-second floor. Good luck," the receptionist said, nodding. Xiaoyu's heart jumped. She thanked her and walked toward the elevator bank, counting steps as if it would steady her nerves. She could feel her palms growing sweaty inside her gloves. She wasn't usually this nervous—but somehow, the height, the glass, the gleaming steel around her made everything feel serious. Important. Terrifying.
She pressed the button for the elevator and waited, fidgeting with the edge of her folder. The doors slid open with a soft hum, and she stepped inside. A cold rush of air brushed her face, carrying a faint scent of polished metal and ozone. The elevator hummed as it began its climb. Xiaoyu stared at the floor numbers, trying to steady herself. Her thoughts wandered—would she be enough? Would they even glance at her résumé, or would she just be another ordinary name in a stack of hundreds? Her heart skipped a beat. The lights flickered for a brief moment, but she told herself it was nothing. Just nerves. Nothing else. And then the elevator shuddered violently. Her stomach lurched. The floor numbers froze mid-climb. Oh no… Xiaoyu pressed the emergency button. The soft beep reassured her for a moment, but no one answered. The elevator was silent except for the low hum, which now sounded too loud, too close. She hugged her folder tighter and pressed her back to the wall.
That's when she noticed him. A shadow shifted in the corner. Tall. Silent. Calm—or at least trying to be. He didn't move toward her or say anything. He just stood there, a presence in the small elevator that felt too big to ignore. His dark clothes made him blend with the shadowed walls, and the low light only highlighted the sharp angle of his jaw and the faint crease of concentration on his forehead. Xiaoyu didn't know him. She didn't know his name. She didn't know anything about him. And yet, her heart skipped. Not fear, exactly, but… awareness. Her instinct was simple: kindness.
"Uh…" she said softly, almost hesitating. "It's… it's okay. These things happen sometimes. We'll get out soon… just… breathe." Her voice trembled slightly, but it carried a calm she didn't fully feel. She pressed the back of her hand to the wall, taking deep breaths to steady herself. The man didn't speak. He didn't move. But he listened. Somehow, that was enough. Xiaoyu felt her own chest ease slightly, comforted that she could offer something small, something human, to someone who looked like they didn't need help.
The elevator hummed again, and the numbers began to move, slowly, deliberately. She exhaled and gave herself a small, almost shy smile. "See? Told you," she murmured, her voice soft, quiet. The man's eyes, dark and unreadable, lingered on her. Something unspoken passed between them, subtle and fragile. She didn't know what it was, and she didn't need to. She just… felt it, like a weight lifting, a strange sense of calm settling in the small, enclosed space.
The elevator continued its climb. Xiaoyu's thoughts drifted back to her own life, her family, her small apartment, the endless applications she had sent out. Ordinary life, ordinary worries. But the brief connection in the elevator—the tiny ripple of kindness—made her heart feel lighter. She wondered about him. Not in a romantic way, not yet. Just… curiosity. Why was he here? Why had he been so silent? Did he need someone to speak to him as much as she did? The elevator shuddered again, softly this time, as if acknowledging their shared breath, their quiet presence together. Xiaoyu glanced at him, trying to catch his expression, but he remained unreadable. And perhaps that was the point—he was a stranger, yet not entirely a stranger.
Finally, the doors slid open on her floor. She stepped out, gripping her folder tightly, glancing back once. He remained in the elevator, tall, shadowed, silent. She didn't know his name. She didn't know anything about him. And she didn't need to. Sometimes, a simple act—soft words, a steady voice—was enough to touch someone's world.
Xiaoyu straightened her shoulders and walked toward the reception desk, letting herself hope that today, maybe, the world could notice her. And she had no idea that the man in the elevator had noticed her too. Something unspoken lingered between them, fragile, fleeting—and utterly real. She didn't know what it meant. She didn't know if they would ever meet again. She only knew that for the briefest moment, two strangers had shared a calm in the midst of panic. And that was enough to change everything.