The moment Yuexin left the food street, she regretted exactly one thing.
"I think I've eaten too little food..."
She walked slowly beneath the glowing streetlights, one hand on her stomach.
"Maybe it's time for some sweets."
A few pedestrians turned to look at her. Yuexin immediately straightened.
"Not that I'm still hungry," she muttered.
The evening breeze drifted through East Lin District, carrying the scents of grilled meat, sweet pastries, and roasted chestnuts from nearby vendors. The streets were still lively. Office workers were heading home, students were wandering around in groups, and couples occupied nearly every bench as if the city government had assigned them there personally.
Yuexin stuffed her hands into her pockets and continued walking. For the first time since arriving in 4027, she wasn't thinking about anomalies. Or mysterious organizations. Or anyone chasing her.
At this moment, her biggest concern was whether she still had enough money for a midnight snack.
A very serious problem. A problem worthy of careful consideration. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Her gaze drifted casually across the street— then froze.
"...Huh?"
A familiar blue sign glowed softly beneath a row of lantern lights. Paws & Pets. Yuexin stopped walking, for several seconds, she simply stared at one direction.
The city around her continued moving, people talked, cars passed. Music drifted from a nearby cafe. But Yuexin didn't hear any of it as if the world went silent for her. Her eyes remained fixed on the sign.
Paws & Pets.
The same logo, the same building, the same glass door and the same place. A strange feeling rose inside her chest. Without realizing it, her feet carried her across the road. Her feet stopped outside the window. Inside, few employees were cleaning cages and preparing food. A golden retriever was asleep near the counter and a small orange kitten was trying very hard to escape from a basket.
Yuexin pressed both palms against the glass.
"Xiao Yue..."
The name slipped from her lips before she could stop it.
The orange kitten looked up at her with round, button-like eyes. For a brief moment, Yuexin simply stood there, staring. A faint ache stirred in her chest, and she quickly blinked, forcing back the moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes.
Then a gentle voice broke the silence.
"Do you like her?"
Yuexin turned around in surprise.
Standing a few steps behind her was Lu Wei-jie, a paper bag filled with drinks and snacks hanging from one hand. Beneath the warm glow of the streetlights, she looked calm and elegant, like a calla lily blooming quietly beneath the moonlight.
"I—I..." Yuexin blinked. "Umm... well..."
A soft chuckle escaped Lu Wei-jie's lips.
"I saw you standing here." Her gaze drifted toward the orange kitten inside the shop before returning to Yuexin. "You were looking at her as though you'd just fallen in love at first sight."
Yuexin quickly snapped out of her daze and cleared her throat.
"She just looks so cute," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I couldn't stop staring."
Lu Wei-jie's smile deepened slightly.
"Would you like to meet her?"
Yuexin's eyes lit up.
"Can I?"
"Of course."
"If it isn't too much trouble, then I'd love to."
Lu Wei-jie pushed open the glass door and gestured for her to come inside.
A soft chime rang overhead as they entered the shop.
The interior was warm and welcoming. Small enclosures lined the walls, while several staff members moved about, feeding animals, cleaning cages, and entertaining a few energetic puppies. The air carried a faint scent of pet food mixed with freshly cleaned floors.
Lu Wei-jie handed the paper bag to a nearby employee.
"Could you put these in the staff room for me?"
The employee nodded and accepted it with a smile.
Meanwhile, Yuexin's attention had already drifted back to the orange kitten.
The little creature was sitting inside a padded basket, completely unaware that someone was staring at it with enough enthusiasm to be considered suspicious.
Carefully—very carefully—Yuexin scooped the kitten into her arms.
She looked as though she was handling a priceless artifact.
"Aww..."
Her voice instantly softened.
"You're so tiny."
The kitten blinked lazily at her.
"How old are you? Two weeks? Three?"
Lu Wei-jie laughed.
"Not quite."
She crouched beside them and gently scratched the kitten beneath its chin.
"She's six weeks old."
Yuexin looked down at the kitten, then back at Lu Wei-jie. Then back at the kitten again in disbelief.
"Six weeks?"
The tiny orange fluff in her arms looked far too small for its age.
"Are you sure?" she asked suspiciously. "She looks like she could fit inside a teacup."
Lu Wei-jie laughed. "She's smaller than most kittens her age, but she's healthy."
For a brief moment, neither the kitten nor Yuexin seemed convinced.
As Lu Wei-jie continued talking about the kitten's habits, Yuexin's gaze drifted absentmindedly toward the analog watch on her left wrist. Then she froze.
9:27 PM.
Her eyes widened.
"...Wait."
9:28 PM.
"...WAIT."
Lu Wei-jie paused. "Is something wrong?"
Yuexin nearly jumped.
"No, no, no—everything is wrong!"
She carefully returned the kitten to Lu Wei-jie's arms, treating it with the same caution one might use when handling a priceless treasure.
"I completely lost track of time!"
Lu Wei-jie couldn't help but smile at her panic. Yuexin hurried toward the door before suddenly stopping halfway.
"Oh! I'll come visit again!"
Then, after a brief pause, she pointed at the kitten.
"And tell her not to forget me."
Before anyone could respond, she pushed open the door and rushed outside. The bell above the entrance rang wildly in protest.
"Goodbye!"
Her voice echoed down the street as she disappeared into the crowd. The staff exchanged amused looks. Lu Wei-jie lowered her gaze to the kitten in her arms and chuckled softly.
"She certainly has a lot of energy."
Meanwhile, several streets away, Yuexin finally slowed to a stop. Hands on her knees, she bent forward and caught her breath.
The district square came into view ahead, glowing beneath rows of decorative lights that stretched across the open space like strands of fallen stars.
A massive digital billboard towered above the crowd, its surface shifting constantly between advertisements. Restaurants. Luxury apartments. The latest technology. Bright colors washed over the square as one promotion replaced another.
Yuexin barely paid it any attention.
She was more concerned with getting home before she somehow got distracted again. Then the crowd suddenly exploded. A sharp squeal pierced the air.
Several teenage girls nearly jumped in excitement. One dropped her drink. Another grabbed her friend's shoulders and began shaking her so hard it looked like she was trying to restart a malfunctioning machine.
"HE'S ON!"
"QUICK! LOOK!"
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"
Yuexin nearly stumbled and looked around in alarm.
"...Did someone win the lottery?"
Nobody answered. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the giant billboard above. Curiosity finally got the better of her. Yuexin followed their gaze and looked up.
Then suddenly—
A familiar face appeared on the screen.
The billboard displayed a handsome young man holding a microphone. Dark hair. Bright smile. Skin so flawless it almost looked unfair.
Golden lights rippled across the screen as bold letters appeared beneath him.
SU LIAN. LIVE CONCERT. COUNTDOWN: 12 DAYS
The square erupted. Several girls screamed. One nearly dropped her shopping bags. Another covered her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Oh my god, it's almost here!"
"I still haven't gotten tickets!"
The excitement spread through the crowd like wildfire. Yuexin blinked.
"Oh." That was her entire reaction.
Then she shoved her hands into her pockets and continued walking. Not far away, a very famous person nearly tripped over a flower pot.
"Damn it."
The young man quickly grabbed the wall for support. A black cap covered his hair and a mask concealed most of his face. Despite that, he still looked alarmingly recognizable and unfortunately. His fans agreed.
"HE WENT THIS WAY!"
A scream echoed from behind. Su Lian nearly died. Not physically but emotionally.
"How do they keep finding me?"
He had already escaped through three buildings, two side streets, and one underground passage. At one point, he was fairly certain he'd lost them. Apparently, he had been wrong. The voices grew closer. Without hesitation, he slipped into a narrow alley between two stores.
"Finally peace." Su Lian exhaled. Then noticed someone standing directly in front of him.
"..."
"..."
Yuexin and Su Lian stared at each other with utter disbelief. The alley became very quiet. After a long moment— Yuexin pointed.
"Sir."
Su Lian froze.
"You are standing behind a transparent vending machine."
There was a deep silence.
"...What?"
Yuexin pointed again. The machine was made entirely of glass. You could see everything. Including him. A vein twitched near Su Lian's temple.
"...I noticed."
"No, I don't think you did."
"I did."
"You really didn't."
For the second time that evening, Su Lian seriously considered abandoning his celebrity career and moving to a remote mountain where nobody knew his name.
The voices approached again, closer and louder.
Yuexin tilted her head.
"People chasing you?"
"No."
The answer arrived immediately. Too immediately. Yuexin looked unconvinced.
"That's the worst lie I've ever heard while someone being chased."
Su Lian opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Then gave up.
Yuexin crossed her arms. "Hmm... you owe someone money or are you stealing something?"
"What? N— No. "
The silence stretched between them. Su Lian could feel his annoyance steadily climbing. Just as he was about to say something, several voices echoed from the nearby street.
"Check the alley!"
"He couldn't have gone far!"
They both looked at the direction of the voices. Yuexin noticed the panic in his eyes then she glanced toward the alley entrance.
Then back at Su Lian as she sighed.
"Come on. Do you want to get caught?"
Before he could answer, Yuexin grabbed his sleeve and turned sharply.
"Let's go."
She pulled him deeper into the alley without the slightest hesitation. Su Lian stumbled forward, caught completely off guard. For a brief moment, he considered pulling away. Then the voices grew closer.
Without another word, he followed.
Neither of them noticed it then.
To Yuexin, he was merely a strange man attracting trouble.
To Su Lian, she was an equally strange girl with far too much confidence.
Years later, both would remember this night far more clearly than they remembered the countless ordinary days in between.