Several weeks past and Xin Tuyong began to forget the strange incident, lately distracted by the feeling of being watched.
He'd feel eyes on him at random as he worked through his days, but looking behind him, he only ever saw either Di Gaohun during cleaning checks or nobody at all.
At first he thought it was just his imagination; everyone else was always busy at work with no reason or time to dawdle idly.
He thought it was only his imagination, but the irritation gradually began to wear at him. Sometimes he would feel sweat gathering on his forehead, chilling him with fear.
As time passed and the frequency of his chills increased, it started to affect his wellbeing.
During checks, Xin Tuyong would zone out then he would jump upon seeing Di Gaohun next to him, thinking it was some intruder. Many nights, he was plagued with nightmares.
As he worked alone, he would see things out of the corner of his eye that would make his chest jolt. He felt like he might have a heart attack at any moment despite his fears being unfounded.
'It's not that serious. There's no need to bother anyone by asking about it. They'll think I'm crazy and fire me. Come on, Xin Tuyong! Pull yourself together! It's going to be fine.'
By this time, it was summer and the sun shone brightly through the windows. The swaying silhouettes of the tall rees made Xin Tuyong uneasy.
Once more, he felt eyes on him. As always, he couldn't bear to not look behind him because the feeling would go away if he checked. And as always, there was no one.
He felt like he might explode any minute with the blood rushing through him. The feeling of being watched disappeared, but he wanted to make sure there really was no one there.
Mentally preparing himself, he quietly walked across the room to the doorway. Timid as a mouse, his head poked out in search of movement.
Down the hall, he heard keys jingling and drawers shuffling. Huan Mao must be home.
Xin Tuyong looked far down the hall and saw no one, but as he turned to look down the other side, a looming figure was already confronting him.
The silent arrival was too much for Xin Tuyong and he fainted on the spot, seeing a small glimpse of a black suit before his consciousness was stolen.