The next day, Nian and Xuanye reached their office early, remembering what their department head had told them.
Standing outside their department, they took a deep breath.
"Today, let's just learn and block out anything that disturbs us," Nian said, raising her fist. Xuanye nodded, doing the same.
They entered the department, splitting up as usual. Each joined a different batch of employees to observe and learn.
Some people were strict—ordering them around, even scolding them or tapping their heads with bundles of papers. Others were calmer, explaining how they worked and sharing useful tips.
Around 1 PM, Xuanye was still taking notes diligently. Meanwhile, a man handed Nian a stack of files and said coldly, "Go to the storage room and bring me more like this."
She blinked, taken aback. "Sir?"
"What?" he snapped.
Nian shook her head and left without another word.
After asking for directions, she found the room and walked inside. As she was scanning the shelves for the requested files, a man passed by, saw the open door—and without a second thought—locked it from the outside.
Moments later, Nian walked to the door, files in hand, and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. She tried again, more frantically. Locked.
Her heart started pounding.
Pulling out her phone, she called Xuanye. No answer. She tried again. Still nothing.
Panicking, she hovered over DK's contact.
Her thumb shook as she tapped his name… but just before the call could go through, she canceled it.
No, she thought. I can't. If someone finds out, it'll hurt him.
Tears welled in her eyes as she banged on the door and called for help, but the noise outside drowned her cries.
It was now nearing 3 PM.
Xuanye had just wrapped up her work when she realized Nian wasn't in the room. Confused and a little alarmed, she asked around. The batch Nian had joined earlier shrugged, unaware.
Then one of the senior staff casually said, "That girl? I told her to grab some files from storage. She hasn't come back. Do you know where she went?"
Xuanye's heart dropped.
She didn't answer. She just turned and ran.
The man raised a brow. "What's with her?"
Xuanye reached her department head's desk, trembling. "Ma'am... have you seen Nian?"
The head stood immediately. "Why are you so nervous?"
Xuanye's voice cracked. "She's gone. No one's seen her. A man said he sent her to the storage room. Please... do you know where it is?"
The woman's expression shifted to alarm. Without a word, she grabbed Xuanye's hand and pulled her toward the elevator.
---
Meanwhile, Nian had been locked in the room for nearly two hours. She was sweating, barely breathing, her vision blurring. Her body trembled, and her fingers numbed.
---
Across town, the boys had just finished practice. DK gulped down water and laughed at something the others said. Then he glanced at his phone—and froze.
Missed call from Nian.
His smile disappeared. He immediately tried calling back. No answer.
He texted:
> "Nian, are you okay? Why did you call? Is something wrong at work?"
Then he called again.
Still no answer.
"Guys," DK said, his voice tight. "Nian called me… but now she's not picking up."
The members looked up, suddenly serious.
"Maybe she's just busy," Minghao offered. "Xuanye said things are hectic for them."
But DK couldn't shake the unease twisting in his chest. Something's wrong, he thought. I can feel it. He considered going to her office… but held back, not wanting to cause her trouble.
Instead, he closed his eyes and prayed.
---
Back in the elevator, Xuanye stared at her phone. When she saw the list of missed calls from Nian, tears filled her eyes.
"She called me so many times," she whispered. "I didn't even notice… What if something's happened?"
Her department head placed a steadying hand on her back. "Don't worry. We'll find her."
The moment they reached the fourth floor, the two women rushed to the storage room. They pounded on the door.
"Nian!" Xuanye shouted, voice breaking. "Nian! Are you in there?!"
There was no answer.
Inside, Nian heard the voice. Her blurry vision focused just long enough to glimpse her phone vibrating again. DK.
She gave a faint, pained smile and whispered, "Loudie…"
Then everything went dark.
The door flung open.
Xuanye and her head rushed in—and froze.
There, lying unconscious on the floor, was Nian.