How could Ethan Yan possibly miss that gaze clinging to him? For several consecutive days, the figure of that boy was invariably stationed at the floor-to-ceiling window of the bubble tea shop across the street, punctual as clockwork. Like a stubborn sunflower, he persistently tracked Ethan's every movement.
At this moment, Julian Li was descending from the private car alongside Ethan at the entrance of Twilight Tower. The instant his foot touched the pavement, Julian's keen senses locked onto that unnervingly focused stare. As Ethan's personal guard and enforcer, his instincts flared. He pivoted sharply, reflexively preparing to cross the street and eliminate this potential nuisance.
"Unnecessary."
Ethan's cool voice sliced through the air. Just two syllables, yet laden with undeniable authority, freezing Julian mid-step. Julian paused, a flicker of distinct confusion crossing his features as he looked towards his master—this deviation from Ethan's usual protocols was stark.
Ethan offered no explanation, striding purposefully towards the revolving doors. Julian had no choice but to suppress his misgivings, swiftly adjusting his pace to follow. Yet, the ripple of uncertainty lingered within him.
Only when they reached the hushed sanctuary of the top-floor office, the heavy door sealing out the outside world, did Julian finally voice his concern. Bowing slightly, he inquired, "Master, that shop across the way... someone is persistently observing you. Are you certain no action is required?" His tone was respectful but laced with perplexity. In the past, Ethan would never have prevented them from implementing necessary "sanitization" measures for such intrusions. Julian couldn't fathom the exception.
Ethan merely offered a noncommittal "Hmm," picking up a file from his desk and beginning to review it, his gaze never leaving the page.
Julian opened his mouth, then closed it, swallowing his deeper questions. Seeing no further instructions forthcoming, he bowed respectfully and silently withdrew from the office.
Outside, in the executive secretary suite, the three senior secretaries rose instantly as Julian emerged. He acknowledged them with a nod and moved steadily towards the exit. Halfway there, his steps abruptly halted.
"Luna," he addressed one of them, his voice low.
Luna Yue looked up immediately, her expression professionally attentive. "Manager Li? How may I assist?"
Julian gestured for her to follow. Luna understood, quickly leaving her workstation and accompanying him to a quiet corner near the elevator bank.
"Recently," Julian began, his voice hushed and direct, "has anything unusual occurred around the Master?"
Luna frowned slightly, rapidly scanning her mental log of Ethan's recent schedule and contacts. She shook her head definitively. "No. Everything has proceeded as usual. There have been no issues with his itinerary or security." As a core member of Ethan's administrative team, she was acutely sensitive to anomalies.
"Is that so?" Julian's brow furrowed. "But just now, at the entrance... Are you aware of the bubble tea shop on the opposite corner?"
"Sunrise Bubble Tea?" Luna responded instantly. "Yes, I know it. Their drinks are quite popular. We ordered from them for the last company welfare day; the feedback was very positive. Is there a problem?"
Julian's gaze sharpened. "Based on my observation, someone there is engaged in persistent surveillance and observation of the Master. What are the specific backgrounds of the individuals associated with that shop?"
Luna's heart skipped a beat! Surveillance? This was serious! Her brow furrowed as she mentally sifted through information. "The owner is a newly adult vampire, Dawn Xiang. There are two human staff members, one male, one female. They're assisted by two third-generation android service units. That should be... everyone?" Her thoughts raced, immediately pinpointing the only plausible subject—Dawn. She had some impression of him—that exquisitely handsome boy whose shop was popular online; she'd even seen videos and photos of him taken by admirers... Could it be him?
Luna didn't hesitate, providing Julian with a concise yet thorough briefing on everything she knew about Sunrise Bubble Tea and Dawn Xiang, awaiting his judgment.
Julian listened silently, his fingers unconsciously tapping near the elevator buttons. After a moment's contemplation, he simply nodded. "Understood. Maintain vigilance." With that, he turned and left.
Following this conversation, Luna found herself inadvertently paying more attention to the shop across the street. It wasn't purely duty-driven; deep down, she harbored an inexplicable, faint fondness for the young vampire named Dawn. He seemed clean, pure, a stark contrast to the many scheming vampires navigating the city's cold underbelly. She felt a pang of worry, fearing the boy, in his naivety, might inadvertently step onto a minefield beyond his comprehension.
After several observations, Luna confirmed Julian's assessment was correct—Dawn was indeed frequently, almost obsessively, gazing towards the top floor. The intensity of his focus and an indescribable yearning in his eyes were palpable, even across the wide street and through the layers of glass.
The most baffling aspect was this: if she and Julian could easily detect this behavior, how could Ethan, with his unfathomably acute senses, possibly be oblivious?
The strangeness lay precisely here—the Master offered no reaction. He displayed neither a flicker of impatience nor annoyance. He issued no instructions for any form of action. This unprecedented silence wrapped Luna's heart in a deeper layer of fog.
eanwhile, Twilight Group's scheduled large-scale welfare day arrived. The administration department once again placed an order for several hundred drinks with Sunrise Bubble Tea.
Dawn was lost in thought when the order call came. Mia Yao had to repeat the details twice before he snapped back to reality. An order... Twilight Group again? That man's company?
A tiny spark ignited in a corner of his heart, instantly kindling a flicker of scorching anticipation. He clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it, a silent whisper echoing only in his mind: "Does this... mean I get to see him again?"
Mia and Kevin had no time for their distracted boss. Working smoothly with SYN-01 and SOL-02, they efficiently set about their tasks. The air filled once more with the familiar aromas of milk, tea, and sugary syrup. Stacks of packaged bubble teas piled up on the counter like miniature mountains.
As the delivery time approached, SYN-01 and SOL-02 activated their internal temperature-controlled storage compartments and began loading methodically. Just as they were about to depart, Dawn seemed to wrench himself free from his drifting thoughts, grabbing several large bags of the remaining teas.
"I'll go with you to deliver!" His voice held a barely perceptible tremor and urgency.
Jogging alongside the robots back into Twilight Tower, he followed the familiar routine. The elevator finally arrived at the same floor as before. Dawn took a deep breath, trying to appear natural as he delivered the assigned teas to the designated office areas.
After handing off the last batch and stepping out of the department, no one waited to guide him, as expected. The corridor was empty, its polished marble floor reflecting the indifferent glow of the overhead lights.
Standing at the junction, the seed within Dawn's chest—dubbed "small, dangerous thoughts"—stirred restlessly. It swiftly took root, sprouting, and spreading into a thicket of tempting vines. Reason tugged at him: "Leave! Quickly, before anyone notices!" Yet his primal craving screamed: "Just once! Get a little closer!"
Ultimately, the bone-deep memory of that intoxicating, fragrant blood overwhelmed everything else. Dawn bit his lower lip, his heart hammering against his ribs like a war drum. Yet, as if pulled by an invisible string, he resolutely turned and, driven by some inexplicable compulsion, ran towards the door of that heart-stopping office at the end of the corridor from last time.
He traversed the suspended glass walkway connecting the two auxiliary wings. Bright sunlight streamed through the glass but couldn't dispel the tension coiling in his chest. Finally, that imposing, austere door—symbolizing absolute power and unknown peril—loomed before him once more.
Dawn halted, his chest rising and falling slightly. He took several deep breaths, mustering every ounce of courage. For the first time, adhering to human etiquette, he raised a slightly trembling hand and gently rapped his knuckles twice against the smooth, cold surface of the door.
Tap. Tap.
He waited. The silence stretched, agonizingly long and deep. No response came from within the office. It was like a pool of stagnant, fathomless water.
Dawn's beautiful brow furrowed in distress. A whirlwind of chaotic thoughts flooded his mind: Is he still angry? Because of what happened last time? Is that why he won't even open the door? Did I offend him too deeply? A crushing wave of disappointment, cold as ice water, threatened to drown him.
He refused to give up. Perhaps the stubborn need for confirmation overpowered his fear. He raised his hand again, preparing to knock with more force—
"Looking for me?"
The low, calm, yet chillingly metallic timbre of that familiar voice sliced through the silence, materializing abruptly behind him!
Dawn nearly leaped out of his skin! Soul-wrenching terror seized him. He whirled around, his back slamming hard against the unyielding, icy door. In his field of vision stood the imposing figure clad in impeccably tailored black, tall and straight as a pine tree, looking down at him.
It was Ethan Yan! How... how had he appeared behind him so silently?!