The night was colder than Li An had expected. She sat crouched on the edge of the roof, her back pressed against the rough stone as she tried to steady her breath. Her thoughts were scattered, racing through a thousand possibilities. Zhang Xian had told her to run, but had he really meant it? Or was this all part of a plan she wasn't privy to?
The sound of footsteps on the roof echoed through the stillness. Li An's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively slid deeper into the shadows, hoping the darkness would swallow her whole. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she strained to hear what was happening below.
The door creaked open, and a figure emerged from the stairwell—someone Li An didn't recognize. He was tall, his face partially hidden by the hood of his jacket, but she could see the glint of a weapon in his hand. The dim light from the streetlamps below barely illuminated his features, but there was something about the way he moved—too smooth, too deliberate—that sent a cold shiver down her spine.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Li An could feel her pulse pounding in her throat, her every instinct screaming at her to run, to hide. But there was no time. The man was already scanning the rooftop, his eyes moving over the edges, as if searching for something—or someone.
And then, to her shock, he spoke.
"I know you're up here," he said, his voice low and almost too calm. "Come out, Li An. I'm not here to hurt you. At least, not yet."
Her breath caught in her chest. How did he know her name?
She didn't respond, not immediately. Instead, she pressed herself deeper into the shadows, trying to remain as still as possible. She wasn't sure whether he was bluffing or whether he truly had some kind of connection to her. The thought made her sick to her stomach.
"You don't have to do this," the man continued, his tone almost soothing. "Zhang Xian is the one you should be worried about, not me. You think he's protecting you, but the truth is far darker."
Li An's mind raced. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her voice shaking with a mixture of fear and anger. "What's going on? Who are you?"
The man's lips curved into a slight smile, though there was no warmth in it. "The better question is—who is Zhang Xian? What is he really?"
A heavy silence fell between them. Li An could hear her breath, quick and shallow, mixing with the distant sounds of the city below. The man wasn't moving, but she could tell he was waiting for her response. Waiting for her to show herself.
"You're wasting your time," she said finally, her voice gaining strength. "I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm not falling for it."
The man chuckled, the sound cold and empty. "Oh, it's not a game, my dear. But Zhang Xian is playing with you, whether you like it or not."
He took a step forward, his gaze never leaving her hiding spot. "You think he's trying to protect you. But he's just using you to cover his own tracks. You're nothing more than a pawn in his plan."
Li An's heart raced. She wanted to deny it, to scream at him that he was wrong, but deep down, a part of her knew something was off. She couldn't explain it, but the way he spoke—so confident, so sure—made her question everything she thought she knew about Zhang Xian.
"You're lying," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "He wouldn't do that."
The man's smile widened. "Oh, but he has. And when the time comes, you'll realize that he never cared about you. He'll abandon you, just like everyone else."
Li An's chest tightened. She wanted to argue, to fight back, but the man's words were beginning to settle in her mind, taking root. She had trusted Zhang Xian—trusted him when he said he was protecting her, when he said they could make it through this together. But what if he was lying? What if everything he had told her was just part of a larger scheme?
Before she could respond, there was a sudden sound from behind her—footsteps, rapid and heavy. Li An spun around, but it was too late.
A figure appeared from the shadows, moving fast, too fast for her to react. The man in front of her barely had time to react before he was tackled to the ground, a blur of motion, a flash of metal in the moonlight.
Zhang Xian.
He didn't speak, didn't hesitate. He was on top of the other man in an instant, his hand gripping the man's throat with lethal force. The man struggled, but Zhang Xian's grip was unyielding.
"Get away from her," Zhang Xian growled, his voice low and dangerous.
The man's eyes widened with surprise, but he didn't scream or beg for mercy. Instead, he reached for something at his belt. But before he could pull it out, Zhang Xian drove his elbow into the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
"I told you not to get involved," Zhang Xian said, his tone cold. "You should've stayed out of this."
Li An watched in stunned silence as the two men struggled on the rooftop, her mind spinning with confusion. Zhang Xian had said he would protect her, but this—this didn't feel like protection. It felt like betrayal. The words of the mysterious man echoed in her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
When Zhang Xian finally released the man, he didn't look at her. He didn't even speak. Instead, he turned and started walking toward the rooftop door, his pace steady but purposeful.
"Come on," he said over his shoulder. "We need to go. Now."
Li An stood frozen, her legs trembling, her mind racing. She didn't know who to trust anymore. Zhang Xian had just saved her life, but he had also kept so many secrets from her. And the man on the rooftop—what did he mean by all those words? Was it possible that Zhang Xian had been playing her from the start?
She didn't know. All she knew was that she had no choice but to follow him.
She took one last look at the man still lying motionless on the ground, then ran after Zhang Xian.