Chen Wei left the party immediately, making a hasty excuse about a sudden headache—a lie that felt disturbingly close to the truth. He didn't hail a cab, nor did he dare take the subway. He walked, almost ran, along the Bund. The brilliant city lights he had once loved now looked like the watchful eyes of countless hidden predators.
Hu Meilan's knowing nod replayed in his mind, carrying a chill that the agate bracelet couldn't block.
He pulled out his phone and found the business card for the Hall of Assembled Treasures that Xiao Tong had given him. He dialed the number, ignoring the fact that it was nearly ten at night.
The phone rang three times before someone picked up.
"Jù Bǎo Xuān," Xiao Tong's voice came through, sounding slightly sleepy. "Calling this late, I hope you're not asking for tomorrow's horoscope."
"It's me, Chen Wei. The guy who bought the agate bracelet," he said quickly, his voice rushed. "We have to talk. Right now. I saw something else."
There was a short pause on the other end. The sleepiness in Xiao Tong's voice vanished, replaced by sharp focus. "...Describe it."
"A woman. At the Bund. She didn't drain life force, she drained... emotion. Pride, euphoria... from someone else. And she saw me. She knows that I saw her."
A soft sigh came through the line. "Damn it. Where are you?"
"East Nanjing Road."
"Don't move. Stay put. Send me your location. I'm coming."
Twenty minutes later, a mint-green electric scooter screeched to a halt in front of Chen Wei. Lin Xiao Tong hopped off, wearing a set of panda-print pajamas under a hastily thrown-on oversized hoodie. She looked him up and down, her eyes as sharp as knives.
"That coffee shop over there. You look like you're about to fall over."
In a quiet corner of the 24-hour coffee shop, Xiao Tong placed a hot Americano in front of Chen Wei.
"From the top. Every detail. Don't leave anything out."
Chen Wei recounted everything, from the silk qipao and the rosy-pink light to the final smile and nod. Xiao Tong listened without interruption, her expression growing progressively more grave.
When he finished, she was silent for a long moment, her fingers drumming a soft rhythm on the tabletop.
"You are a walking trouble magnet," she concluded, her tone devoid of its usual humor. "Last week it was mosquitoes, this week you run into a tigress."
"A tigress? What do you mean?" Chen Wei asked. "The bracelet didn't work on her."
"Of course it didn't," Xiao Tong said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You were trying to use a freeware antivirus to fight a state-sponsored hacker. It's useless."
She leaned forward. "Listen carefully, Chen Wei, because I'm not explaining this twice. The world you've stepped into has a hierarchy. The thing you met on the subway, the Star-Sucking Hag, they're Urban Yaogui. They're like spiritual wildlife, weeds that sprout from the negative emotions and chaotic energy of the city. They act on instinct, for survival. Your bracelet can mask you from them."
She paused, looking him dead in the eye.
"But what you saw tonight is in a completely different league. That's an Ancient Yaoguai. Specifically, if your description is accurate, a Húli Jīng—a Fox Spirit, and not a young one. They possess intelligence, history, centuries of it. They don't drain qi to live; they savor the 'essence' of humanity—emotions, memories, ambitions—the way you'd savor a gourmet meal. To her, you're not a threat. You're a curious novelty, an unexpected audience member she happened to spot."
A cold dread washed over Chen Wei. "So... what does she want with me?"
"Right now? Nothing. That nod, by my analysis, had two meanings. One: 'I see you, but you're too insignificant for me to bother with.' Two: 'This is an interesting game, don't interfere.'" Xiao Tong said. "And you should take that warning to heart."
"But... what about other people? Like my colleague, Li Wei?"
Xiao Tong shrugged, a gesture of cold, pragmatic cruelty. "Welcome to the food chain. There are unspoken rules in Shanghai. My Daoist Sect tries to maintain the balance, to prevent major disasters. We handle Yaogui that disrupt public order. But we cannot, and are not permitted to, interfere with a Greater Yao's 'meal' unless it violates ancient treaties. Your colleague lost some of his buzz, he didn't die. It's not grounds to start a war."
"Daoist Sect? Treaties?" Chen Wei felt like he was listening to a mythology lecture.
"That's right," Xiao Tong confirmed. "The supernatural world in Shanghai isn't just a free-for-all. It's organized into factions. The Daoist Sects, like my family, try to protect the mundane world. The Yao Clans have their own territories and rules. There are solitary cultivators, other secret societies... all existing in a fragile equilibrium. Your appearance... and you being 'noticed' by a Greater Yao, has the potential to upset that balance."
She looked at him, her expression complex. "That bracelet isn't enough anymore. You're like a person walking into a deep jungle. What you need isn't mosquito repellent, but a map and the knowledge of which paths to avoid."
She stood up.
"Tomorrow morning, ten o'clock. My shop. We have a lot to talk about. And don't walk around alone at night anymore. Right now, you're a brightly lit bulb in a dark room full of predators."
She left, leaving Chen Wei alone with his now-cold coffee and a heavy, sinking truth. He had escaped a minor threat only to find himself in the path of an infinitely greater one.
And worse, he was no longer an invisible observer. He was marked.