"But I don't think I'm mistaken. It's you, right?...Xia Lihua..."
As soon as the name left his lips he realised that the seat beside him was already empty.
For a second, it didn't register and he looked at the empty seat in shock with bulging eyes.
The space she had occupied still held the faint impression of her presence—the slight shift in the cushion, the lingering trace of perfume.
Then reality settled in.
She was gone.
Again.
His jaw tightened as his gaze scanned the front row, then the aisles beyond. People remained seated, focused on the runway.
She was too fast like the wind.
***
Backstage, the noise hit Xia Lihua all at once.
She felt like she was moving through water. Her breathing had grown uneven, her chest tightening with each step.
"HELLCAT!"
She heard her manager, Stella call out her name above all the noise.
