The next morning, Xin Tuyong woke up to an unsurprisingly empty bed. Huan Mao left early as usual and he was left to do as he pleased throughout the day.
In the evening, he met Fan Qentian at a western-inspired diner in S City, almost an hour away from the house. Xin Tuyong was dressed casually in a dark button up shirt and loose jeans. He wore his watch out of habit, momentarily forgetting its unique properties, and only realised when he was already on the subway.
He hadn't had any strange experiences from it before so he didn't see the harm in having it on at this point. After all, its ulterior purpose was still a mystery -- if there was even one at all.
He couldn't honestly claim to be as mentally secure as he was prior to meeting Huan Mao and Di Gaohun, so he still ran the risk of everything being a figment of his imagination just like the "stalker" incident, which stopped abruptly after wreaking havoc on his mind.
The only time he felt eyes on him these days was when Huan Mao was burning holes in him* with her eyes.
Fan Qentian, who was already waiting inside, waved Xin Tuyong over when he walked in.
"Hey! How have you been?" Fan Qentian greeted Xin Tuyong. "You look sharp!"
The two friends spent the next hour exchanging stories and pouring drinks.
Fan Qentian had been recently promoted after his superior died in an accident. It was a somber story, but Fan Qentian was clearly grateful for the effects it had on his position.
Xin Tuyong described his life as a housekeeper, omitting the details of his job change. He wasn't lying per se, he was just not talking about recent events, that was all.
He told Fan Qentian how his boss was kind enough to buy him a full suit ensemble, showing him the watch he wore on his wrist.
Fan Qentian held his wrist as he inspected it closely. "F***, man! Sign me up! I may not clean well, but I definitely wouldn't mind getting some fancy new stuff. Is your boss loaded or what?!"
His voice boomed above the sound of clinking dinnerware and private conversations. A few people nearby glanced over at the sound, but Fan Qentian didn't seem to notice.
Xin Tuyong laughed. "Not really. I'd been working for a long time under her and the starting pay is barely over what I made at my last job."
Fan Qentian slid the watch off of Xin Tuyong's wrist to appreciate it at all angles. He cursed again excitedly, scrutinizing the small crystals that lined its perimeter. "Need me one of these- wait a minute." His expression shifted. His gaze moved from the underside of the watch to Xin Tuyong's eyes. "This is really neat. I think I'll borrow it from you."
Xin Tuyong was about to pull the watch back from him when Fan Qentian held up his hand to stop him. He pocketed the watch and pulled out his phone in a single motion.
In his message bar, he typed quickly, [Your watch is bugged.]
Xin Tuyong took the phone, responding, [What?]
[Your watch has a listening device] Fan Qentian quickly erased the message before retyping: [That watch is a listening device. Is it really from your boss? Not a girlfriend or some other creep?]
Xin Tuyong nodded.
[My company recently started producing similar items, but they're really expensive with how new they are. Your boss is keeping tabs on you. Watch out. Call me or the police if you feel uncomfortable.]
Xin Tuyong swallowed nervously from the tension. [Just a listening device?]
Fan Qentian nodded and slid his phone back into his pocket.
"Well, as much as I love chatting with you, it's getting late." He put on his jacket and was about to stand when Xin Tuyong clapped his hand on his shoulder.
He pulled out a small wad of cash and offered it to Fan Qentian. "Thank you so much for everything. I would still be on the streets if it weren't for you."
Fan Qentian pushed his money away. "It's no big deal. You would do the same for me. And it's not like I housed you for long," he laughed lightly. "You can use that money to pick up the bill if you want, though..."
Xin Tuyong chuckled. "Okay, I will. See you."
Fan Qentian left and as Xin Tuyong finished paying the bill, he remembered -- the watch was still in with Fan Qentian.
He dialed Fan Qentian, who answered after the first ring, "Miss me already?"
"You wish. What are you going to do with the watch? I forgot to get it back from you."
"Uhhh... I don't know. I'll mess around with it and try to figure out how to get it back to normal maybe." He was careful not to mention the watch or the listening capabilities it had.
He wasn't sure how strong the microphone was and didn't want to alert the listener. "Don't worry, you can have it back next week."
"Okay, thanks. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
* "burning holes" means "staring intensely [at]"