A few days later, Aiden felt a strange sense of being observed. Not with malice, but with careful attention. He didn't know it, but Li Yueran had begun following him discreetly, ensuring his path home was safe.
That evening, she lingered outside his small apartment, a shadow against the dim streetlight. Her breath caught at the sight of him entering the doorway. His shoulders were tense, his steps cautious, and yet he was alive, unharmed.
She whispered into the night, a soft, desperate vow. "I will always be here, Aiden. Always."
Meilin, who had followed discreetly, sensed the intensity in her mother's eyes. There was warmth, yes, but it was intertwined with obsession—care that bordered on possession.