Lin Zihong's office boasted three expansive floor-to-ceiling windows.
From them, she could admire the bustling cityscape of Rongcheng at night.
In the distance, the top floor of Ping'an Building was clearly visible.
Yan Shouyi followed Lin Zihong into the office. She casually placed her bag on the sofa before settling at her desk and opening her laptop.
"Feel free to look around. I need to start working," Lin Zihong said.
Yan Shouyi nodded. "I won't disturb you."
Lin Zihong put on her noise-canceling headphones and immersed herself in her work.
Yan Shouyi, meanwhile, ambled around the office.
The office was spacious, featuring not only a sofa for guests but also a small bar for preparing drinks.
On a side shelf, Lin Zihong displayed many of her collections, mostly souvenirs.
These mementos held no intrinsic value but represented memories from places she had visited since childhood.
One particular shelf held a transparent box containing a neatly folded child's jacket.
The jacket was brown and looked quite old, not only worn but with its hem stained with some yellow mud.
Why would Lin Zihong cherish such an item so dearly?
Yan Shouyi smiled.
He knew it was the jacket he had been wearing that day he fell into the pit and rescued Lin Zihong.
He had given it to her as a souvenir when he left.
He hadn't expected her to preserve it like this, without even washing it.
Perhaps she didn't want the scent Yan Shouyi left behind to fade.
He turned his gaze back to Lin Zihong, engrossed in her work.
Her nearly perfect profile seemed almost ethereal under the light.
How could a girl like her have fallen for me? Yan Shouyi mused.
At that moment, a gentle knock sounded at the door.
Fearing he might disturb Lin Zihong, Yan Shouyi quickly went to open it.
Jiang Yunying stood outside, holding a glass of water. After handing the water to Yan Shouyi, she whispered,
"There's a lounge outside. Would you like to sit there?"
Yan Shouyi shook his head. "I'll stay here. She wants me to keep her company."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Already showing affection in public!"
Jiang Yunying winked at Yan Shouyi, who awkwardly closed the door.
Sitting on the sofa, Yan Shouyi took a sip of water and closed his eyes to rest.
Since he was idle anyway, he worried that if he fell asleep, his snoring might disturb Lin Zihong.
Time ticked by.
Once Lin Zihong was absorbed in her work, she seemed to forget about time.
From eight in the evening until one in the morning, a span of five hours, Lin Zihong hadn't had a single drop of water.
This made Yan Shouyi feel a pang of concern.
When her work was finally done, Lin Zihong turned off her computer and leaned back in her chair, stretching deeply. "What time is it?"
Yan Shouyi opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall.
"It's already one o'clock."
"Mmm... I can't believe I worked for so long. Did you wait long?" Lin Zihong asked apologetically.
Yan Shouyi stood up and went behind her. "You're the one who worked hard. I promised to give you a massage. Close your eyes and relax now."
"Wait, wait!"
Lin Zihong said, her face flushing, "Let me ask Yunying to get us something to eat first. I'm hungry."
Yan Shouyi chuckled softly. "Alright."
Lin Zihong used the office phone to contact Jiang Yunying.
Only then did she truly relax, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes.
Yan Shouyi rubbed his hands together, warming his fingers and palms before gently placing them on Lin Zihong's temples.
Massage, after all, required technique. If one's hands were too cold, it could be counterproductive.
In terms of massage, Luo Ning's skills were undoubtedly superior to Yan Shouyi's.
As Jiangshi practitioners often had to manipulate the joints of corpses during their work, they could massage even the deceased, let alone the living.
However, Yan Shouyi didn't use any complex or advanced techniques, merely gently massaging Lin Zihong's temples.
Massaging the temples was the best way to achieve relaxation.
Lin Zihong was instantly captivated by Yan Shouyi's gentle touch, her body and mind completely at ease.
She had never felt so relaxed before.
Although she had hired skilled masseurs in the past, even female ones, Lin Zihong had never been able to fully entrust her body to them.
But Yan Shouyi was different.
Under Yan Shouyi's hands, Lin Zihong felt she could completely let go, without reservation.
It was as if she had surrendered control of her body, allowing Yan Shouyi to do as he pleased, yet feeling no unease or fear.
After only a short while, Lin Zihong began to emit soft snores.
Yan Shouyi ceased his movements and chuckled softly.
"Silly girl, it seems you're truly exhausted."
He stood by Lin Zihong's side, watching over her silently.
Looking at her sleeping face, he felt an inexplicable sense of contentment.
Just then, his phone suddenly received a text message.
Yan Shouyi took it out and saw it was from an unknown number.
But the content of the message greatly surprised him.
"You shouldn't be with her!"
After reading the message, Yan Shouyi's expression turned grim.
Could the "her" mentioned in the text be Lin Zihong?
Who sent this message? Was it a prank or a warning?
"Who are you?" Yan Shouyi replied.
"I'm right beside you," the other party responded quickly.
"Stop playing games!"
"You're wearing a security guard uniform, standing to her left. There's half a cup of coffee on the desk. If I'm not mistaken, her calendar shows three appointments for today."
Upon reading the message, Yan Shouyi took a deep breath.
This wasn't a prank.
Someone was actually monitoring him!
Or rather... monitoring Lin Zihong?!
Yan Shouyi immediately scanned his surroundings, searching for any vantage point from which Lin Zihong might be observed.
At the same time, he wondered how this person obtained his phone number.
This person must know information about both Lin Zihong and himself.
However, Lin Zihong's office had floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, surrounded by tall buildings, meaning there were too many places from which she could be observed.
So, Yan Shouyi pulled the curtains shut.
"Closing the curtains won't help. I'll be watching you," another message arrived.
Yan Shouyi felt a surge of anger.
"Whatever your intentions, if you continue to monitor Zihong, I will find you!"
This time, the sender didn't reply.
Perhaps they could no longer see what was happening inside the office, rendering their charade futile.
But this made Yan Shouyi even more uneasy.
The fact that the sender knew his phone number meant they must know him personally.
And if he was involved, the matter became much more complicated.
"Zihong, Mr. Yan, I've prepared beef noodles. May I bring them in?" Jiang Yunying suddenly asked from outside the door.
Lin Zihong slowly awoke, rubbing her eyes. With a blush, she said,
"Did I fall asleep?"
"Yes, you slept soundly," Yan Shouyi replied with a smile, adjusting his expression.
Lin Zihong yawned. "I slept much better with you here."
"Then shall I accompany you to sleep more often?"
"What are you thinking about!" Lin Zihong shot him a glare.
Jiang Yunying pushed the door open, holding two bowls of beef noodles on a tray, and said with a hint of annoyance,
"I could hear you two flirting even through the door. You didn't reply, so I came in myself."
It was clear that Jiang Yunying and Lin Zihong had a good relationship, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to enter Lin Zihong's office so freely.
Lin Zihong smiled sheepishly. Famished, she quickly picked up her bowl of beef noodles.
Just as she was about to start eating, Yan Shouyi suddenly said, "I think your bowl looks tastier. Let's switch."
"Okay!" Lin Zihong agreed without a second thought.
However, Jiang Yunying's expression shifted slightly.
Yan Shouyi took Lin Zihong's noodles and devoured them greedily, even draining the soup.
It was as if he was afraid Lin Zihong would snatch them away from him.
Jiang Yunying stared at Yan Shouyi, dumbfounded. Was this kid a reincarnation of a hungry ghost?
Lin Zihong also playfully chided him, "Eat slower, I'm not going to fight you for it!"
After finishing his meal, Yan Shouyi wiped his mouth and said to Jiang Yunying,
"Sister Yunying, could I ask you to help me investigate someone?"
Jiang Yunying looked puzzled. "Investigating people is fine. Who do you need to check on?"
"I have a phone number here. Can you help me find out who the owner is?"
Yan Shouyi gave Jiang Yunying the unknown number he had received earlier.
With her position, Jiang Yunying had excellent connections and quickly found some information.
"This number was activated just last month. The owner's name is Xue Kai."
Xue Kai?
Yan Shouyi recalled, but he didn't seem to know anyone by that name.
Jiang Yunying continued, "Xue Kai is from Xichuan Wudu and is twenty-nine years old. Five years ago, he was imprisoned for assault at Rongcheng Pingnan Prison. He was released two months ago... which was the same day he activated the SIM card."
Lin Zihong frowned and asked, "Is there something wrong with this Xue Kai? Why are you investigating him?"
Yan Shouyi's expression was grave.
He didn't know Xue Kai and had no connection to him.
However, one detail in Jiang Yunying's account caught his attention.
Pingnan Prison!
His father, Yan Chou, was imprisoned in that very facility.
Could this Xue Kai be related to his father?