Chapter 02

She had gone to bed on an empty stomach.

Sophie had managed to catch her favorite food truck the night before, only to realize that she didn't have her wallet. She had searched everywhere—in her pockets, in her bag—and even considered going back to campus to see if she had left it there. But she abandoned the idea as soon as she checked the time on her phone. It was way too late.

Defeated, she hadn't even tried begging the cook for a free meal and simply resigned herself to going home, her stomach growling in protest.

The next morning, she was woken up by the sound of her apartment doorbell. Judging by the way it kept ringing nonstop, she had no doubt about who her visitor was.

"I hope you're hungry," Laura Jin called out, holding up two bags full of takeout containers.

Sophie could have married her.

Seeing the beautiful elf standing in her doorway, hands full of food, Sophie was certain that if she ever switched sides, her best friend would be the reason. Eyes teary with gratitude, both from hunger and emotion, she pulled Laura into a hug before relieving her of one of the bags.

They moved to the dining area near the window, which Laura Jin opened before sitting down.

"You look… fantastic, by the way," the elf teased, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

"I haven't eaten since noon yesterday."

"And why is that? Don't tell me you've suddenly decided to go on a diet or something."

"Not at all," Sophie reassured her, unwrapping the last container. "I just had a really exhausting day yesterday, you have no idea."

As soon as she opened the first box, her nostrils were overwhelmed by the deep-fried aroma of youtiao. Unable to hold back any longer, she took a huge bite of the still-warm dough sticks, savoring their perfectly balanced sweet-and-savory taste. Then she moved on to the second dish—egg pancakes, the perfect hearty meal.

"So?" The elf's patience was running thin as she lit her cigarette. "Are you gonna elaborate, or are we spending the whole day dancing around it?"

"Oh, well… I got a promotion. At least, I think I did. Actually, I'm not sure if it's more of a test than—"

"Wait. Are you telling me that An Wu, the ogress herself, gave you a raise?"

"That's what I'm saying. But I don't know if it really counts as one. The way she said it was weird. It felt like I was being handed a rotten potato."

Grabbing a fork—because after a year in China, she still hadn't mastered chopsticks—Sophie recounted everything in detail. From the start of the meeting to the very end, making sure not to leave out the part about the medication she had never seen before.

"She seemed so weak at that moment. Her hand was shaking when she brought the pills to her mouth."

"What kind of medication was it?"

"No idea. I didn't get a chance to read the label, but it really unsettled me. Especially since she's a wolf—she shouldn't be dealing with health issues."

"That's true. She should be living her best life now—no full moons, no need to reproduce."

Sophie nodded as she took another bite of her pancakes. Among shapeshifters, especially lycans, the effects of the full moon weakened with age. Several studies had shown that this was due to the body's adaptation to lunar rays. For female wolves, menopause was followed by this insensitivity, as if the moon goddess herself freed her eldest subjects, allowing them to spend their final quarter-century in peace.

"And right after that, she offered you more responsibilities?"

"'Imposed' would be a better word. Trust me, she made it very clear that I didn't have a choice."

"Well, in itself, that's not a bad thing," Laura Jin reasoned. "You're climbing the ranks—it's not so bad."

"Sure, but—I don't mean to sound ungrateful—but I never asked for this. My old position suited me just fine. I was happy working quietly at my bench, playing around with DNA strands, and now I have to hold conferences, manage tutorial groups…"

"And there it is—the real issue: your crippling shyness."

Sophie gasped in offense, which only confirmed that her friend had hit the nail on the head.

"You're scared of public speaking." The elf crushed her cigarette in the ashtray.

"It's not fear—I just don't like it, that's all."

"Sophie, the number of times you've made me order for you at the bar…"

"That's because the bartenders like you. You always get free drinks."

"You almost peed yourself in the club because you refused to ask some girl to move from the bathroom entrance."

"That 'girl' was an elf, and your kind isn't exactly known for being friendly."

"One night—"

"Okay, okay!" Sophie interrupted with a long sigh. "Maybe sometimes I get a little anxious about speaking in front of an audience."

"You do realize you just reworded my sentence?" Laura Jin teased.

"That's not the point," Sophie snapped, stabbing her fork into a youtiao. "The fact is, this isn't about a single person at a bar or a nightclub—it's about an entire lecture hall full of loud, unruly students. There's no way I can do this."

She lowered her head, hoping her friend would understand the gravity of what she was facing.

"And I'm absolutely convinced you can." Laura Jin's voice was firm. "This promotion—because yes, that's what it is—is a chance for you to take on new challenges, to grow. It can only be a good thing."

"All I see right now is the humiliation I'm going to suffer in two weeks in front of an entire class."

"Two weeks? That's more than enough time!" The elf clapped her hands. "We have plenty of time to turn you into a proper lawyer."

"That's ridiculous…"

"I'm going to coach you," she declared, slapping the table. "Don't forget, you're looking at an experienced waitress—interacting with people and speaking clearly are my specialties."

"So, I'm your apprentice now?" Sophie feigned excitement.

"Exactly. You'll receive strict but thorough training to prepare you for the challenge ahead."

Faced with her friend's enthusiasm, Sophie couldn't help but give in. The way Laura's ears twitched when she was excited was too adorable to resist.

And knowing her, these next two weeks before the university term started were going to be filled with fun and lighthearted moments—exactly what Sophie needed.

They spent a long time chatting by the window until Laura Jin started showing signs of exhaustion. In all the excitement, Sophie had completely forgotten that the elf had worked an entire night shift and needed rest.

She offered her friend her bed while she went to take care of the missing wallet situation—still nowhere to be found and absolutely essential, given that it held her entire life.

Once she was ready, she left her apartment, taking care not to slam the door. Laura Jin was a light sleeper with very sharp hearing; the slightest noise could wake her. As she descended the stairs of her building, Sophie ran through a million scenarios that could explain the disappearance of her precious item. She only considered three to be plausible. Either she had left it in her new office, which would force her to return to campus on a Saturday afternoon. Or she had dropped it in the street, in which case searching for it would be pointless.

Or she had lost it in the subway or on the platform while fleeing a highly unsettling situation. If that were the case, her only option was to go to the lost and found office and pray for a lucky break.

Her cheeks grew warm again as she recalled the reason for her escape. That incredibly handsome man who had offered to help her. He was a vampire. After spending the night analyzing every detail of his appearance, she had come to this conclusion. His skin was far too pale, and his body, though enveloped in a virile and intoxicating scent, gave off no warmth. He spoke perfect Mandarin, and his facial features were distinctly Asian, meaning he was a native, not a foreigner like her. He wore a magnetic keycard around his neck, indicating he had a job—probably in a corporate setting, judging by his black suit and long coat of the same color.

He was perfect, and she would probably never see him again. Beijing had over twenty-one million inhabitants; this was far from a small countryside village. The chances of running into him a second time were about as likely as a collision between Earth and Neptune. Stepping off the bus, Sophie convinced herself that it was best to forget him. Fantasizing about a stranger was childish and beneath her—or at least, that's what Laura Jin would have assured her if she had known about it.

Every station had a lost and found office, the place where everything found within the station was deposited. To get there, she had to pass through an electric door just before the gates, which led into a fairly wide but dimly lit corridor. She walked forward with a determined stride but felt a growing discomfort—the kind a woman experiences when she realizes she's alone in an enclosed space that doesn't seem well-monitored.

She felt partially reassured when she heard voices in the distance.

A group of teenagers stood on either side of the hallway. They didn't seem particularly threatening, but they were laughing at something—or someone. Sophie realized who their target was when she saw a man in his forties kneeling a few meters ahead, picking up the objects they were throwing to the ground.

Her initial relief turned to shock. The scene was disgraceful and disgusting. But in that moment, she told herself it wasn't her problem. Taking a deep breath, she quickened her pace. Soon, the group of high schoolers was behind her, and the janitor was just to her right.

She was about to walk past him too when she saw an iced coffee cup land directly on his head. The sound of the impact between the cup and his skull was far too loud and sent a jolt through her system. As the man instinctively rubbed the spot where he had been hit, she crouched down and handed him a tissue. He thanked her with a nod before wiping away the small droplets of blood that had appeared on his forehead. Then, as if nothing had happened, he went back to work, methodically scrubbing the spilled liquid in controlled, circular motions. It was as if the humiliation he was enduring didn't affect him.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," she snapped at the group.

"Relax, we were just messing around, lady," retorted the boy with the iced coffee, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, you think this is funny? No, I have a better question—do you think your parents would find this funny?"

At the mention of his parents, the teenager's lips tightened, and his fists clenched.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she continued, placing her hands on her thighs. "Here's what I propose: this gentleman and I will pretend this scene never happened. We'll forget your faces and the names neatly embroidered on your uniforms. And in return, you'll go home, apologize to your parents, and reflect on your behavior."

The teenagers exchanged glances, as if waiting for someone among them to decide what to do. Then, the weakest-willed among them—the same boy who had thrown the coffee—picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. The others immediately followed.

As their silhouettes disappeared down the hallway, she could still hear them grumbling and cursing at her. She didn't care. All she hoped was that this encounter would have a positive impact on them. That by the time they reached university—if they ever did—they would have gained some maturity.

"I'm sorry," she said softly to the janitor.

"Don't be." The man still hadn't lifted his head. "I appreciate you stepping in."

"I did so far too late, unfortunately. Do you want me to take you to the hospital? Your wound looks deep."

"No need. I can already feel it starting to heal. I won't trouble you any further, ma'am."

She had the distinct impression that the opposite was true. His tone was grateful but brisk—he clearly wanted to cut the conversation short.

"Very well, I'll let you get back to work. Take care of yourself."

Then she straightened up and bowed slightly in farewell. He did the same, and she continued on her way.

As she walked away, she considered turning back one last time to check on him, but she decided against it. Sometimes, not insisting was the best thing to do.

When she finally reached the lost and found office, she let out a deep sigh upon seeing the queue. Judging by its length, she wouldn't be home before nightfall. She was about to take her place in line when she felt her phone vibrate.

A message. From an unknown number.

"Madame Sophie Durant, an item belonging to you has been deposited at our precinct. Please present yourself as soon as possible at the Xi Chang police station, Third District.

Best regards."