Zoe was really exhausted. As soon as she entered her room, she mustered enough energy to remove her makeup, washed her face, applied some moisturizer, and collapsed onto the bed.
She slept deeply. Usually, she'd sleep right through until noon the next day. She wasn't sure how long she'd been out when, through her haze, she heard a faint "click-click" sound.
She furrowed her brow as her mind gradually cleared.
"What was that sound? A mouse?" Zoe muttered to herself.
Zoe opened her eyes slowly and turned her head.
The noise was coming from the direction of the door. The room was pitch black, with the curtains drawn tightly shut, blocking any hint of outside light.
Instinctively, Zoe reached for the bedside light switch. The moment her finger touched the cool metal button, a sudden chill jolted her awake.
"What the hell..." Zoe whispered, feeling a growing sense of unease.
The "click-click" sound was indeed coming from the door. Was someone trying to open it? Or was it just someone outside the room?
She froze, holding her breath.
It was the middle of the night, in a strange hotel, with an odd noise at her door. The whole situation felt off.
No matter how brave she was, Zoe felt her scalp prickling with fear.
She didn't dare turn on the light, worried that if someone had indeed snuck into the room, she might startle them and make them act impulsively. Yet, she couldn't just sit back and do nothing either.
"What should I do?" Zoe thought to herself, her palms growing sweaty. Just then, the "click-click" sound abruptly stopped, followed by a faint "beep" — an electronic tone.
"That's...not my imagination," Zoe muttered, eyes wide.
It wasn't her imagination. This time, Zoe was sure the sound had come from her door, like someone had tried to use a keycard but failed. Silence fell over the room, as heavy and still as a lake swallowing up a drowning person.
At that moment, a voice came from the other side of the door: "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Zoe, feeling like a drowning person who'd just found a lifeline, didn't turn on the light or open the door. Instead, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table, unplugged it, and immediately called Lan.
"Hello? Lan, I'm freaking out here. Someone's at my door…" Zoe whispered frantically, trying to keep her voice steady.
Ten minutes later, Lan was seated on the edge of her bed, dressed in pajamas and looking at her with a serious expression. Zoe, still pale and shaken, wore an unmistakable look of lingering fear. Any girl in her shoes would be scared after an experience like that.
Lan moved a bit closer and gave her a comforting hug.
"You're okay, Zoe. I'm here now," Lan said softly, reassuring her.
Another ten minutes passed before a female hotel manager arrived with two employees in tow. The manager smiled apologetically at Zoe and said, "Miss Zoe, we've reviewed the surveillance footage. In the past thirty minutes, nothing out of the ordinary happened outside your door. No one was there."
Zoe looked up in surprise, her eyes flashing with anger. "How could that be? I clearly heard someone! Someone else even heard it too!"
The manager maintained her apologetic smile, suggesting gently, "Miss Zoe, is it possible that you were dreaming?"
"I know the difference between a dream and reality," Zoe said coolly.
This response only heightened Zoe's unease. She stood up and demanded, "Take me to see the footage myself."
The manager's response was clearly just to brush her off!
"This isn't right," Zoe thought. "How could there be nothing on the cameras? Someone was at my door."
An incident like this was terrible for the hotel's reputation; it could seriously harm the trust and security they needed to provide to guests. Zoe's determination left Lan holding back words she was about to say — could it have been just a dream?
Why would she brush it off?
Lan thought the same. But knowing Zoe wasn't one to make a fuss, Lan decided not to say anything. If it was real, then as her manager, Lan would make sure the hotel gave Zoe a proper explanation.
To Zoe's surprise, the manager didn't hesitate; she agreed right away, as if she'd expected this reaction.
"Alright then, let's go," Zoe said, pulling on a jacket.
Half an hour later, after watching the footage twice, Zoe pressed her lips together in disbelief.
It really was all normal; no one had passed through that hallway for nearly an hour.
"How could this be?" Zoe thought, her disbelief growing.
The manager's smile remained polite and professional, but Zoe couldn't shake the feeling that it held a hint of mockery.
It was as if she were saying, "See? You really were dreaming, weren't you?"
It was like she'd become some unreasonable guest.
Lan patted Zoe's shoulder. "Zoe, you've been on edge since that paparazzi incident and the trending headlines. It's normal to have a vivid dream. Don't worry; you're safe."
Lan's words were meant to both comfort her and to wrap up the incident before the manager could comment further.
Even if Zoe had been a bit spooked, the whole mess stemmed from the paparazzi intrusion and the hotel's inadequate security. That's why tonight had spiraled the way it had.
Although Zoe still felt a little unwilling to let it go, she knew there was no point in pushing it further. She looked at Lan and said, "Let's go back." Then she turned to the manager and added, "Sorry for the trouble. Thank you."
The manager gave her a courteous smile. "It's our duty to serve you, Miss Zoe. Have a good night."