"Was what I saw last night really a dream?"
The morning sunlight streamed in through the window, brightening the room. It seemed I was awake much later in the night.
I rubbed my forehead, feeling a throbbing pain in my head. The erotic scenes I'd witnessed last night were vividly clear in my memory, down to the specific facial features, even the woman who resembled Xue Tang's every smile, every moan and cry.
It was like watching an incredibly realistic movie, the memory so profound it was unforgettable. Unlike typical dreams, where memories fade quickly upon waking.
This realism made it difficult to distinguish between illusion and reality.
After rubbing my forehead for a while, the pain subsided slightly. Just as I was about to get out of bed, I noticed the beautiful woman statue on the bedside table. A long crack had appeared in the middle, whereas it had been perfectly fine when I saw it yesterday.
"When did this crack appear?"
Since it was a valuable item in my lodging, I didn't want to cause trouble for the owner, whom I might know, so I picked up the statue and examined it carefully.
The result was alarming. I discovered the crack wasn't just on the surface; it had penetrated deep into the wood grain, almost showing through from the back.
It looked as if someone had chopped it with a large axe. To be honest, it wouldn't be surprising if it had split in two immediately after being placed down.
"What happened?"
I carefully ran my hand over the wood grain. It seemed to be an extremely dense type of wood; even an ordinary fruit knife wouldn't have left a mark, yet it was damaged to this extent, beyond repair.
After much thought, I couldn't find an answer, so I had to put the matter aside for now. I could only apologize to the owner in person.
Putting this matter out of my mind, my biggest concern now was Xue Tang. Thinking about yesterday's dream made my heart race.
And who exactly was that man named "Li Dong"? What was it that made her so obsessed?
A strange sense of jealousy welled up within me, yet at the same time, a warm feeling rose within me—a bizarre contradiction.
After settling everything in, the time roughly aligned with Xue Tang's departure schedule. I couldn't wait to verify if what had really happened last night, like the appearance of a man named "Li Dong" by her side.
Then…
Around nine in the morning, I arrived near the Luoshen Building on time, hiding in the shade of the greenery across the street, observing the exit.
According to the schedule I had obtained through some "methods," Xue Tang was supposed to attend a charity fundraising event today, departing around ten o'clock.
Sure enough, I didn't have to wait long before Xue Tang, dressed in a stunning gown that revealed her alabaster shoulders, gracefully emerged. Her blue dress paired with light black stockings perfectly showcased her shapely figure, with her pear-shaped hips, full breasts, and curvaceous figure.
And beside her, there was no unfamiliar man—it was still Qin Yan.
However, Xue Tang's gait was perfectly normal. Her long, slender legs moved gracefully, her heels lightly touching the ground, the tips slightly raised. Although they weren't very high heels, she wore them with an air of ethereal beauty, a cat-like casual languor amidst her slender figure.
She seemed to have a renewed sense of energy…at least, better than yesterday.
Qin Yan, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Yesterday, he had walked with a brisk pace, always keeping a few steps behind Xue Tang, his eyes constantly glancing at her breasts, buttocks, back, and long legs.
But today, he seemed much more subdued, exuding a kind of hazy, opium-induced euphoria.
My heart sank. Could it be that he, Xue Tang's bodyguard, had become addicted to drugs?
What if Xue Tang got hooked?
I suddenly felt a pang of regret. Perhaps I should have just gone back to her instead of hiding.
Looking at her, I felt a faint, burning sensation in my heart, like a flame licking at my skin, a desire to get closer…and even closer.
When our eyes met, my heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat's claws, like a berry bursting open, a bittersweet itch…
Even if Luo Xuetang might have nothing to do with me, one thing was undeniable.
I liked her, no…or rather, I loved her. A strong feeling welled up inside me. To call it love at first sight was an understatement; the feeling was too rich, like aged honey wine.
But to say we understood each other as lovers at our core was also a strange, electrifying attraction, like the heart-pounding thrill of first love.
The reverie was interrupted by Xue Tang's departing vehicle. I hesitated, wondering whether to follow... Even though it was only on foot, it wouldn't be too difficult for me. I had countless memories of darting through the steel jungle, and vehicles were generally much faster than skyscrapers.
However, those were all nighttime; now it was broad daylight. Openly leaping between buildings would greatly increase the chances of being discovered.
What if it attracted the attention of authorities...? Based on my current recollections, my identity was likely not something that could be openly revealed.
Watching Xue Tang's car disappear around the corner, I sighed softly. Being an undocumented immigrant made everything inconvenient. If I had a legitimate identity, I could at least take two taxis and follow Xue Tang discreetly, preventing her from being targeted by that foreigner again.
The thought of that being, covered in machinery and pipes, almost inhuman, still sent chills down my spine.
And I'm not stupid. After meeting the two people named Cui Yuanxuan and Yoshihara Tsubaki, I could guess that they weren't there to kidnap Xue Tang, and might even be there to help her.
The cyborg who appeared later with the police was probably their real target.
However, Xue Tang's true role in all of this remained a mystery.
I even had a feeling that Xue Tang was merely bait, that someone behind the scenes wanted to use her to lure out a bigger fish, and the cyborg was probably their backup plan.
But who was that "big fish"?
It shouldn't be Cui Yuanxuan or Yoshihara Tsubaki; they seemed more like there to protect the "big fish."
Who are Cui Yuanxuan and Yoshihara Tsubaki? Why are they involved in this mess? Who is the black cyborg, and who is the mastermind behind it?