What infuriated her more was that, even while insulting him, she could not stop thinking about the way he had kissed her. So she scrubbed her lips harder than necessary, giving them a dark red hue in the process. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

By the time she stepped out, dried herself, and changed into clean clothes, her mind felt a little less chaotic. Not calm, exactly, but no longer was it on the verge of exploding and murdering Cassian.

Feeling hungry, Cixi went into the kitchen, made herself a simple cheese sandwich, and carried the plate to the small sofa, where she sat down. She had taken a bite only when she heard a loud noise.

She paused mid-chew, and her ears perked up as they picked up the noise coming from somewhere nearby. Another loud sound startled her, and she jumped up from her seat.

At first, she thought it might have been something simple, perhaps a table dragged too hard across the floor or someone dropping a box. But then came another sound.

It was the sound of furniture crashing.

The building was constructed using low-quality materials and thin walls, which meant that every loud sound travelled too easily.

Even when the neighbours argued, everyone heard it. When a child cried, it floated through the walls. When someone slammed a cupboard, the vibration carried to the nearby apartment.

And what she was hearing now sounded far louder than ordinary clumsiness.

Cixi slowly lowered the sandwich back onto the plate and placed it on the small coffee table, and while doing it, another crash came from below, followed by a scream.

Without wasting another second, she slid from her sofa and knelt on the floor, pressing one ear down against it to hear more clearly.

At first, everything went silent, and then two gunshots followed.

Cixi jerked upright as if the floor had burned her.

"What the hell?"

Cixi sprang to her feet at once and shoved her feet into her slippers before hurrying out of the apartment.

She had witnessed too many deaths in her ghost form helplessly and was forced to watch while people’s lives were torn apart right before her eyes. She had not been able to save any of them. Not even one.

But this time, if someone needed her help, if someone was still in danger, she would not turn away. This was her opportunity to ease her guilt, even if just a little.

She rushed towards the emergency exit and pushed through the heavy stairwell door, feeling the cool air. She hurried her steps while her pulse was already pounding too hard against her ribs like a fist.

When she reached the lower floor, she jogged along the corridor until she stopped before the apartment directly below hers.

The door was slightly ajar.

Cixi hesitated at first, not knowing what to expect, but she still mustered her courage and, with careful fingers, pushed the door open.

She peeked inside and saw that the kitchen and living room were in ruins.

"Hello?" Cixi called as she stepped across the threshold. "Is anyone here?"

The response she received was silence.

She stepped inside anyway. "Hello?" She called again, a little louder this time. No answer came.

Then her gaze caught the wall, and she froze for a second.

The splash of red liquid had painted the wall as though someone had flung a paintbrush dipped in red straight at the plaster.

Her mind went blank for a heartbeat. Something terrible had occurred in this room, leaving traces of its aftermath everywhere.

Gathering her courage, she decided to explore the place for a wounded person or a body.

The bravery she displayed right now was merely a byproduct of her immortality. At this moment, she was leveraging her curse, hoping it would aid someone in need.

She looked over the wrecked floor, the overturned furniture, and the bedroom door. Just like the front door, it was barely open, revealing nothing of what lay inside. Just enough to leave a dark slit between the frame and the wood.

She licked her lips and took a careful step forward, then another, barely making a sound. It felt contradictory because she had walked in while announcing herself.

By the time she reached the bedroom door, her hand had begun to tremble so badly that she had to clench it once before lifting it.

"Hello?" she called one last time, though now her voice had thinned into something weak. "I am here to help..."

And came no response from inside.

Cixi drew in one breath and placed her hand against the door to push it.

At the same time, the door slammed shut.

Cixi gasped and stumbled back in shock, but before her mind could even catch up, the gunshot exploded through the apartment.

The bullet ripped through the door and flew past her face so close that the heat of it kissed her skin like a blade made of fire.

Cixi stumbled sideways, slamming against the wall and jarring her shoulder. For a split second, it felt as if the entire room was tilting, and all she could hear was the pounding of her own blood racing through her veins.

She quickly turned toward the spot on the wall where the bullet had struck freshly.

Her one hand instantly flew to her face, then to her neck, then down again as though she needed to prove to herself that she was not hurt. As she attempted to move her right hand, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.

"Ahhh!" she gasped involuntarily, quickly biting her lip as she recalled that there was someone inside with a gun.

Realising her situation, she desperately searched for her phone to call the police, but dread washed over her when she learned she had left it in the bedroom. So much for helping anyone.

Not a moment later, Cixi’s heart nearly stopped when she heard the door creak open. She held her breath and gulped hard. A shiver racing down her spine when she heard limping footsteps.