Early the next morning, Qi Jianyi was woken by the shrill ring of her phone vibrating loudly on the bedside table. Rubbing her sore eyes, she reached out blindly with her right hand to grab it. Without even checking who was calling so early, she pressed answer.
"Hello?" she mumbled, her voice hoarse and heavy with sleep. Her eyelids fluttered, threatening to close again at any moment.
"Jianyi?" A rough, breathless voice came from the other end, tinged with panic and fear.
The anxious tone instantly jolted Qi Jianyi fully awake. Her eyes flew open in shock, and she pushed herself upright on the bed.
"Chengfeng? What's wrong?" she asked urgently, her heart pounding. Worry and concern filled her gaze. She couldn't imagine what had happened to make Song Chengfeng call her at this hour, sounding so shaken.
On the other end of the line, Song Chengfeng's ragged breathing was still audible.
