Interlude: Loose Unraveling
The glow of Lin Yu's office was stark against the night, a cold light reflecting off sleek glass walls and the polished surface of her desk. The jade core rested there, faintly pulsing, its fractured surface glowing like a quiet threat.
Lin Yu stood by the window, her arms crossed as she stared at the sprawling Shanghai skyline. Below, the city hummed with life, but up here, in her office at the top of her burgeoning modeling agency, the air was still. Tense.
The knock at the door was light, almost playful.
"Come in," she said, her voice as sharp as the skyline's jagged silhouette.
Eugene entered with his usual swagger, but there was something new—something more desperate—beneath his carefree exterior. He carried a small pink vape, shaped like a cartoonish unicorn horn, which he puffed on dramatically as he strolled inside. The sweet smell of artificial strawberries followed him like a cloud.
"Nice digs," he said, gesturing around the office. "Very chic. Very… not the Lin Yu I remember from LA."
Lin Yu turned, her gaze cold. "You're not here to critique my decor."
He grinned, taking another exaggerated puff from his vape. "Nope. Just here to remind you how much cooler you were before you started managing models and stealing divine artifacts. Remember LA? Sunsets, tequila shots, you laughing at the idea of ever running a business? Those were good times."
"Until they weren't," Lin Yu said flatly. "What do you want, Eugene?"
Eugene sighed, leaning against the edge of her desk and fiddling with the ridiculous vape. "You know, you've got a real knack for sucking all the fun out of a room. I came to catch up, reminisce about old times… maybe figure out why you decided to ghost me after LA. But hey, if you're not feeling nostalgic—"
"Cut the act," Lin Yu interrupted, stepping closer. "You're here because you want something. You always do."
He raised an eyebrow, the grin fading slightly. "Funny. I could say the same about you."
Lin Yu stiffened, but she didn't look away. "If you're still hung up on what happened in LA—"
"Oh, I'm not hung up," Eugene interrupted, puffing a dramatic cloud of strawberry-scented vapor. "Trust me, Lin, I've moved on. Big time. But let's be real here—you used me. I was convenient, I was fun, and then I wasn't. End of story."
Her jaw tightened. "I was depressed. I needed… someone."
"And I needed someone to remind me how disposable people are," Eugene said, his voice suddenly sharper. "So congrats. We used each other. Now we're even."
Lin Yu crossed her arms, her gaze colder than the air-conditioned room. "If you're done trying to make this about your feelings, I have work to do."
Eugene laughed, but it wasn't his usual easy chuckle. It was hollow, almost bitter. "Oh, Lin. Always so efficient, so in control. But here's the thing—you didn't 'use' me. Not really. Because the second you walked out in LA, I figured it out. You don't care about people. You care about power. And right now…" He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "You're afraid you don't have enough of it."
She didn't flinch, but her fingers curled against her arms. "You don't know anything about me."
"I know enough," Eugene replied, his grin returning as he took another puff from the vape. "I know that you're standing in this shiny office, managing a bunch of models, clutching a piece of divine hardware, and pretending you've got it all figured out. But you don't. Do you, Lin?"
Her gaze flicked to the jade core on the desk, its glow faint but steady. "If you think you can intimidate me, Eugene, you're wasting your time."
"Intimidate you?" Eugene tilted his head, studying her. "Nah. That's not my style. I'm just here to remind you that you're not as untouchable as you think."
Lin Yu stepped closer, her voice low and steady. "And what are you going to do? Tell the world my secrets? Expose me?"
Eugene's grin widened, but there was something darker in his eyes. "Why would I do that? Watching you squirm is so much more entertaining."
She stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she turned back to the window, her voice icy. "Get out, Eugene. I have work to do."
He didn't move immediately. Instead, he exhaled another cloud of pink vapor, the scent of strawberries filling the room. "You know," he said, his tone almost conversational, "for someone who claims to be over it, you sure seem pretty rattled."
Lin Yu didn't respond. She kept her gaze fixed on the skyline, the faint shimmer of the dragon veins barely visible against the darkened city.
Eugene smirked, turning toward the door. "See you around, Lin. Oh, and if you ever need someone to talk to… well, you burned that bridge. But I'll be here, enjoying the fireworks."
With that, he walked out, leaving the sweet smell of his vape lingering in the air.
Outside, Eugene leaned against the sleek black car waiting for him, taking a long drag from the pink vape. He stared up at Lin Yu's office window, his grin fading as his expression hardened.
"She thinks she's better," he muttered to himself, exhaling a strawberry-scented cloud. "But she's just like me."
He tapped the vape against his palm, the absurdity of its design at odds with the dark look in his eyes. "We all burn bridges. Some of them are meant to be burnt, though"