The rhythmic knocking on the door pulled Xu Qingyan from her slumber, disrupting the blurred boundary between dream and reality. 

Xu Qingyan was never a heavy sleeper. The slightest sound or motion could easily jolt her awake. Sleeping through the night like she did last night was a rare occurrence. As she reluctantly blinked her eyes open, a moment of disorientation washed over her, leaving her unsure of her whereabouts.

Surrounding her was an expanse of deep blue, akin to an endless ocean, imbued with a soothing, gentle force that cradled her body.

“Dr. Xu, are you awake?” came the persistent voice from outside her door. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes.

With a hint of drowsiness still clinging to her, she replied softly, “I’m up.”

It was Ah Bao’s voice. “Oh, it’s already 10 o’clock. If you’re up, come on out for breakfast,” he suggested.

Xu Qingyan’s hand paused mid-rub on her forehead as she absorbed his words. 10 o’clock? She had slept in much later than intended.

In her current situation, Xu Qingyan found herself confined in a room, following last night’s kidnapping and a series of bizarre events. She was torn between reporting to the authorities or discreetly confiding in Cao Jin. However, since Liang Jiankong hadn’t physically harmed her, she feared that involving the police might provoke him and worsen the situation.

Choosing not to dwell on it further, Xu Qingyan got up and quickly dressed. As she picked up her clothes, she furrowed her brow; they were already dirty. Yet, given the extraordinary circumstances, she had no choice but to put on the dirty clothes once more.

After her morning routine, Xu Qingyan stepped out if her room into the spacious house. It was remarkably quiet. Last night’s hasty arrival hadn’t allowed her a proper look around. This room was on the second floor, with light blue wallpaper featuring subtle wave patterns gracing the walls, creating a clean and simple ambiance.

Blue had always been her favorite color. This place, unexpectedly, brought an added sense of tranquility to her troubled heart.

Xu Qingyan shifted her gaze away and descended the stairs. She had anticipated some household staff bustling about during the day, but as she entered the dining room, it was empty.

Inside the dining room, Ah Bao was busy pouring water. Upon seeing her, he pointed towards the dining table and casually stated, “Breakfast.”

The table was long enough to accommodate ten people, with sandwiches and fruits arranged at one end—a rather simple spread.

“Coffee or juice?”

Xu Qingyan turned around and replied in a calm tone, “Coffee, please.”

Ah Bao nodded and walked over to the coffee machine, skillfully brewing her coffee. “Breakfast is quite simple, but it’ll do.”

Seeing such a formidable man quietly preparing breakfast in the kitchen, Xu Qingyan couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unease.

“Thank you, just the sandwich will do,” she replied.

“Oh, that one was made by boss.”

She blinked, thinking she must have misheard. “What did you say?”

Ah Bao turned and pointed at the sandwich on the table. “Boss made it. Since ordinary folks can’t enter this house, and there’s no one here to cook, we do it ourselves.”

Xu Qingyan fell silent for a moment before taking her seat.

“Boss left early this morning. He told you not to go out. If you get bored, you can sit in the courtyard. Oh, we went to your house early this morning too. But don’t worry, the guys were just outside, and only boss went in to get something.”

Ah Bao spoke these words with an air of casualness, as if trespassing into someone’s house was a trivial matter in their eyes. Xu Qingyan didn’t feel the need to argue. She opened the paper bag, revealing her usual shirts, pants, and even… underwear. Ah Bao had just mentioned that only Liang Jiankong had entered the room, which meant… Xu Qingyan quickly stopped her train her thought. There was no need to dwell on such an unpleasant matter.

Inside the bag, she also found her cellphone, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

She took her phone, realizing she had taken an unplanned leave from work today. Her supervisor must be furious. Xu Qingyan quickly unlocked her phone, intending to make a call. However, after entering her passcode three times and receiving an “incorrect” prompt each time, she realized that someone had tampered with her phone, and her passcode had been changed.

Xu Qingyan glanced at Ah Bao, who seemed to sense her gaze. He said, “I don’t know anything about it.”

Liang Jiankong? How did he know her passcode?

Xu Qingyan placed her phone on the table and fell silent for a moment. The sandwich before her looked delicious. Its crust neatly trimmed into four triangular pieces. Each one was filled with fresh tomatoes, eggs, lettuce, tuna, and cheese. It perfectly matched Xu Qingyan’s preference for a non-greasy, non-meat diet. 

“Is there a problem? Just looking and not eating?” Liang Jiankong asked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement as he approached her, wearing a subtle smile.

“Did I misread the time? It should be lunchtime now,” Liang Jiankong pretended to check his watch, then pulled out a chair. “Did you sleep well?”

Seeing Liang Jiankong reminded Xu Qingyan of their private encounter last night, making Xu Qingyan feel oddly awkward.

As Liang Jiankong seated himself, he gracefully prepared a cup of coffee while engrossed in his iPad.

Xu Qingyan suddenly remembered her earlier question. “How did you figure out my phone’s passcode?”

Liang Jiankong gave her an odd look, then raised his iPad displaying English news articles. Xu Qingyan was confused and awaited an explanation. Liang Jiankong chuckled, “We’re cultured individuals, you know. We can not only read English but also find other ways to unlock things.”

“For the sake of cutting me off from the outside world?” Xu Qingyan voiced her earlier speculation. She observed Liang Jiankong’s expression closely. “But don’t you think this could cause more problems? What if my family and friends can’t find me and end up reporting me missing?”

Liang Jiankong maintained a relaxed demeanor. “Nah, don’t worry. Here, let me unlock it for you.”

He then unlocked the phone and handed it back to her. “You’ve got half an hour. Say whatever you need to.”

Xu Qingyan fell silent, her thoughts racing.

For a moment, she found herself at a loss of words. To ease the tension and quell her emotions, she took a deliberate sip from her cup.

“This is my phone, you have no right to do ,” she finally managed to utter.

“This is my house, and in my house, you’ll follow my rules,” he replied firmly.

“……”

Fearing she might not even have the promised half-hour if she defied him, she swiftly took action. In the living room, she placed several calls. 

She apologized profusely to her superiors, requesting three days off work. Next, she sialed Ling Qiao and Cao Jin. Cao Jin, as usual, was engrossed in his work and didn’t pry. On the other hand, Ling Qiao, known for her inquisitiveness, bombarded her with questions. She had to come up with a white lie about attending a closed-door training session. 

Luckily, her circle of friends was small, and she managed to make the most of her half-hour. Once the screen went dark, her phone was locked again.

Liang Jiankong subtly cast a glance at her phone, then shifted his attention back to his work matters. He continued in a matter-of-fact tone, “By the time I arrived, your home had already been ransacked by the Japanese. It was a mess, but your hiding spots proved effective. They didn’t discover the items. That’s why I’ve managed to retrieve them.”

Xu Qingyan froze and stared at him. He was rapidly tapping the screen of his pad, seemingly engrossed in reading the news, unaware of the impact his words had on her.

“Where did you find them?”

Liang Jiankong’s finally gave her some attention. His expression held a glimmer of amusement as his gaze met hers. “Did you not hide them in the clock?”

Xu Qingyan’s grip tightened on the coffee cup, her desire for another sip vanishing entirely. The delicate porcelain cup made a faint sound as it settled on the saucer. Liang Jiankong’s fingers paused momentarily, and he raised his eyes to meet hers.

“The lock, how did you manage to open it? Did you pry open the clock?”

The key to unlocking the clock had been discreetly hidden behind the kitchen gas meter. But Xu Qingyan couldn’t fathom how meticulous Liang Jiankong had been to both locate the key and unlock the clock. These people typically preferred a more straightforward, brute-force approach, which led her to believe that he must have broken into it from the outside.

Her voice was eerily detached, instantly creating an insurmountable chasm between them. The words “pry open” were delivered with a stark, almost robotic coldness.

Liang Jiankong gradually halted his actions. He placed the iPad on the dining table. From his pocket, he took out a small silver key and placed it deliberately before her.

Xu Qingyan picked up the key, tracing its surface with her fingers. She asked, “How did you manage to find this?”

Liang Jiankong nonchalantly nodded, as if it were a matter of course. “Well, it’s a combination of wit and a stroke of luck.”

Xu Qingyan’s expression remained stoic. “I did promise to give the items to you.”

“But no one can guarantee that when you return, the items will still be there.”

“This was never something you needed in the first place.”

Liang Jiankong challenged, “How do you know it’s not something I need?”

Liang Jiankong’s nonchalant response left Xu Qingyan speechless. Indeed, how could she know that he didn’t need it? Given his suspicions about Ryuzaki started two years back, it was entirely possible that he had a long-term plan in place, waiting for the item to be delivered to him.

Silent contemplation seized her for a moment before she finally asked, “What about my other belongings?”

Claiming she wasn’t infuriated by his unauthorized access to her secret clock would be an outright lie. Her anger coiled within, and she found herself repeatedly swallowing to prevent it from erupting.

“I must admit, I’m quite curious about this,” Liang Jiankong casually commented. “Most people keep their valuables in the safes, but you prefer to hide photographs?”

Xu Qingyan’s anger flared within her, but her response was far from the typical explosive outburst. The more infuriated she became, the colder her expression became, resembling a tranquil lake that had suddenly frozen over, with its chilling presence bearing down on Liang Jiankong.

She had no intention of answering his question directly. Instead, she retorted, “By doing this, how are you any different from the Japanese?”

Liang Jiankong gazed deeply into her eyes and calmly stated, “Dr. Xu, don’t misunderstand. We’re no different from Ryuzaki, and frankly, we can be even more ruthless.”

He made no effort to hide his misdeeds, leaving her utterly speechless.

Xu Qingyan smiled oddly and quickly regained her usual calm. “My bad. I forgot. The photo means a lot to me. You didn’t mess with it, did you?”

Liang Jiankong stared at her unadorned, naturally shaped eyebrows. She had an effortless beauty, untouched by any artificial enhancements, that was genuinely captivating. Even when she was angry, her unfiltered allure shone through.

He asked in a composed tone, “Is the photo itself important to you, or is it the person in the photo who matters?”