The morning in the small apartment was quiet.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains, lighting the tiny living room.
In the kitchen, Xu Mengmeng was carefully cutting vegetables.
Her movements were calm, gentle… almost delicate.
But her mind was somewhere else.
Last night, when she returned from the docks, she noticed something.
Feng had been standing near the window.
Watching.
She didn't know how much he saw.
But she could feel it.
Suspicion.
Mengmeng placed the knife down slowly.
He's starting to wonder.
That was dangerous.
Not because Feng was weak.
But because he was smart.
Very smart.
Which meant she needed to act more convincing.
Much more convincing.
Behind her, a door opened.
Feng walked out of the bedroom, stretching slightly.
He looked at the kitchen.
Mengmeng was standing there in an apron again.
Cooking breakfast.
The scene looked so normal it almost felt strange.
"You wake up early," he said.
Mengmeng turned and smiled softly.
"Someone has to cook."
Her voice was light and warm.
Completely harmless.
Feng leaned against the wall, watching her quietly.
"You went out last night."
Mengmeng blinked, as if surprised.
"Oh?"
"I came back and the apartment was empty."
For a moment, silence filled the kitchen.
Then Mengmeng suddenly looked embarrassed.
She rubbed the back of her neck shyly.
"I… couldn't sleep."
"So you went outside at midnight?" Feng asked.
She nodded quickly.
"There's a small convenience store near the corner."
She lifted a small plastic bag from the counter.
Inside were instant noodles and snacks.
"I bought these."
Feng stared at the bag.
Then at her.
Her expression looked innocent.
Almost too innocent.
"…You like instant noodles?" he asked.
Mengmeng smiled brightly.
"Of course. They're cheap and tasty."
Feng slowly looked away.
Maybe he was overthinking.
This woman in front of him looked nothing like someone dangerous.
She was cooking breakfast, wearing an apron, and smiling like a normal person.
His suspicion started fading.
Just a little.
A few minutes later they sat at the small dining table.
The apartment was tiny, so the table was barely big enough for two people.
But somehow the moment felt peaceful.
Mengmeng pushed a plate toward him.
"Eat before it gets cold."
Feng looked down.
The food looked surprisingly good.
"You're better at cooking than I expected."
Mengmeng smiled proudly.
"My grandmother taught me."
Feng took a bite.
Then another.
It was actually good.
Very good.
He glanced at her again.
She was quietly eating, her expression soft and relaxed.
Nothing about her matched the strange feeling he had last night.
Maybe he really imagined it.
After breakfast, Mengmeng started washing the dishes.
Feng watched her from the couch.
"You don't have to do everything," he said.
"It's fine," she replied.
"We're a couple now, remember?"
She said it casually.
But the words made the room strangely quiet.
For a moment, Feng just looked at her.
Then he stood up.
He walked into the kitchen and reached for a towel.
"I'll dry them."
Mengmeng looked slightly surprised.
"You?"
"Why not?"
She laughed softly.
The sound was light and genuine.
For a moment, the small kitchen felt warm.
Comfortable.
Almost like a real home.
Later that evening, rain began falling outside.
Mengmeng stood by the window, watching the city lights blur behind the raindrops.
Feng walked over.
"You like rain?" he asked.
"It's peaceful."
The room went quiet again.
Then suddenly—
Thunder rumbled loudly in the distance.
Mengmeng flinched slightly.
Just a tiny reaction.
But Feng noticed.
"You're scared of thunder?" he asked.
Mengmeng quickly shook her head.
"N-No."
Another loud thunderclap echoed.
Without thinking, she grabbed his sleeve.
Then froze.
The moment lasted only a second.
But both of them noticed it.
Mengmeng slowly let go, her ears slightly red.
"Sorry," she said quietly.
Feng looked at her.
For the first time since they met, he smiled a little.
"Relax," he said.
"It's just thunder."
For a moment, they both stood there near the window.
Watching the rain fall together.
The distance between them felt smaller.
Warmer.
But what Feng didn't know was this—
The woman standing beside him… pretending to be scared of thunder…
Was someone who could make entire criminal organizations tremble with a single command.
And what Mengmeng didn't realize was this—
Feng wasn't nearly as simple as he pretended to be either.
Inside the tiny apartment, they looked like a normal young couple.
Sweet.
Calm.
Almost romantic.
But outside those walls…
Both of them were completely different people.
And the longer they lived together—
The harder it would become to keep their dangerous secrets hidden.