Echoes of the Past

By the time they arrived in Xiaolong, the unease from the drive still clung to Li Mei like a persistent shadow. She said little as she stepped out of the car, only pausing to glance up at the dark sky, where the stars flickered against the night's hush.

"I'll walk you home," Chen Wei said.

Li Mei hesitated before nodding. "Alright."

Yu Jian watched them for a moment before stretching his arms. "I'll park and check the perimeters. Just in case our friend in the black sedan decides to pay a visit later."

Chen Wei gave him a small nod of thanks, then turned back to Li Mei. They walked side by side through the quiet village streets, the faint glow of lanterns illuminating their path.

"That car…" Li Mei started, then hesitated. "Do you think it was someone from your past?"

Chen Wei's lips pressed into a thin line. "Could be. My business has made its fair share of enemies. Competitors, old grudges. Hard to say."

Li Mei studied his face, reading the subtle tension there. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

He was quiet for a moment before exhaling. "My father was a farmer, simple and hardworking. He never cared much for business, but when I built my company, I had to deal with the realities of competition. There were times when decisions I made… created problems."

She could sense the weight in his voice, the years of unspoken history behind it.

"And now?" she asked gently. "Do you think someone is still holding a grudge?"

Chen Wei gave a faint smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Possibly. Some people don't forget."

Li Mei absorbed his words, a soft breeze stirring the strands of her hair. "If you need help—"

"I can handle it," he interrupted, but there was no sharpness to it. Just quiet resolve.

She stopped walking then, turning to face him. "I know you can. But that doesn't mean you have to do it alone."

Chen Wei looked at her, and for the first time, there was something unreadable in his expression.

He seemed about to say something, but then his gaze flickered past her, and his entire posture shifted.

Li Mei turned instinctively. Across the street, half-hidden in the shadows of an alleyway, a figure stood watching them.

A chill ran through her.

Chen Wei stepped slightly in front of her, his stance protective. "Stay close," he murmured.

The figure didn't move, didn't speak—just watched. And then, after a long, tense moment, they turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Li Mei exhaled slowly. "That wasn't a coincidence."

Chen Wei's eyes remained fixed on where the stranger had stood. "No. It wasn't."

Li Mei didn't know what unsettled her more—the presence of a silent observer or the way Chen Wei's expression had darkened, as if something long buried was finally catching up to him.

And for the first time, she wondered if they had already stepped into something neither of them was prepared for.