Dawn Xiang huddled in the icy corner of the office like a frightened animal, his amber pupils locked onto the man mere steps away, terrified that the slightest blink would invite lethal danger.
The man—Ethan Yan—unconsciously rubbed a delicate, smooth double-sided white jade pendant with his slender fingers. His gaze pierced through the vast floor-to-ceiling window, fixed on the deep heart of the city's steel jungle, as if the trembling figure in the corner didn't exist at all.
Suffocating silence condensed and expanded in the air. Dawn's heart hammered against his ribs so violently it felt ready to leap from his throat. Crushing fear and profound regret threatened to drown him. Ultimately, this was all his fault; he had failed to resist that fatal temptation.
Drawing several deep, ragged breaths, his chest heaving, he mustered every ounce of courage and shattered the deathly stillness with a voice so thin and tremulous it was nearly unrecognizable: "I… I-I'm really sorry… Please… please don't call anyone to arrest me… don't send me to the Judicial Department…"
The words acted like an invisible tether, finally dragging Ethan's gaze back from the distance. He turned his head slowly, his deep, almost inky eyes settling on Dawn. A hint of imperceptible scrutiny lay within them. He remained silent for a long moment before uttering a single, low command: "Name."
Tears instantly welled up in Dawn's eyes and overflowed, tracing wet paths down his pale cheeks. He was certain Ethan was about to summon Division D to capture him, yet he didn't dare offer even a shred of resistance. Through thick, wet sobs, his voice shattered as he answered: "Dawn… Dawn Xiang…" He choked back his weeping, his thin shoulders trembling uncontrollably. He could only sniffle quietly, fixing Ethan with wide, wet eyes overflowing with desperate pleading.
Ethan's lips parted slightly, as if he might speak, but he ended up unusually silent. This scene was a first even for him.
Rewind forty minutes.
As was his custom, Dawn arrived early at "Sunrise Bubble Tea." The shop was set up for him by his family, staffed and ready. He could have easily been a hands-off manager, collecting profits and tallying accounts. But Dawn, restless by nature, always eagerly "reported for duty," clumsily yet enthusiastically assisting the staff.
Sunrise enjoyed steady business, a significant portion of which could be credited to Dawn's striking looks. Standing around 175cm, his soft, slightly tousled flaxen hair framed an exceptionally delicate face. His wide, clear eyes always held a touch of childlike innocence, complimented by a petite, straight nose, flawless pale skin, and perfectly plump lips—all combined into a memorably handsome visage. An unintentionally viral video capturing his profile had transformed the place into a social media hotspot. Visitors constantly raised their phones, openly or covertly trying to capture the "little manager" from every possible angle.
That morning, a massive order arrived from the "Twilight Tower" complex diagonally across the street. It seemed the corporation was treating its employees, ordering hundreds of bubble teas for a noon delivery.
Instantly, Sunrise Bubble Tea shifted into overdrive. Human staff members Mia Yao and Kevin Kong, assisted by two robot helpers, SYN-01 and SOL-02, and Dawn's "help," filled the shop. The five (machines included) scrambled non-stop as the air thickened with the rich scents of milk, tea, and syrupy fruit sweetness.
By late morning, the mountain of teas was finally complete. SYN-01 and SOL-02 efficiently loaded the drinks into their specialized temperature-controlled cargo compartments, making constant trips between the shop and Twilight Tower for delivery.
Watching Mia and Kevin return to handling other individual orders, Dawn couldn't bear standing idle any longer. He volunteered to carry a large box of teas himself, following the robots towards the imposing office tower across the street.
At the Twilight Tower lobby, an employee escorted Dawn upstairs. Once delivery was complete and he emerged, however, his guide was nowhere to be found. Dawn didn't pay it much mind. He figured as long as he found an elevator down to the ground floor, he'd find his way out. Even the most directionally challenged person couldn't get lost on the first floor, right?
Reality delivered a harsh blow. Circling the unfamiliar floor, he found not only the elevator bay elusive, but even the stairwell signs seemed to have vanished without a trace. The further he walked, the more deserted and quiet the corridors became. The bustling office areas he'd seen during the delivery run were nowhere in sight.
He entered a glass-suspended walkway connecting two auxiliary buildings. Peering through the transparent walls at the levels above and below offered no clarity. He had no choice but to push on stubbornly. Just as he was about to try pushing open a few doors to find help, an indescribable, intensely alluring, crisp fragrance assaulted his senses without warning.
Dawn's eyes instantly took on a fiendish crimson hue! Before he could even process a thought, his body reacted ahead of his mind. As if pulled by invisible strings, he found himself moving inexorably towards the source of that intoxicating scent. His brain was chaos incarnate; the primal urges he usually managed to suppress were now utterly overwhelmed and drowned out. The scent was too pure, too sweet, like an oasis in the desert. Rationality abandoned him completely, not even the thought of pinching himself for clarity could surface.
By the time his senses were violently dragged back to reality, he was standing inside a spacious, austere office. And before him, a man stood imposingly.
The man was half-turned away, his figure as tall and straight as a pine tree, his back rigid. Seemingly disturbed by the intrusion, he turned his head coldly to look. Dark crimson pupils, like solidified drops of blood, held a gaze of scrutiny and displeasure within deep-set eyes. Beneath a high-bridged nose, thin lips were pressed into a severe line. As he moved, strands of his pure black, medium-length hair brushed against the sharp line of his jaw.
Had Dawn been in full possession of his faculties, he would have instantly recognized the man radiating such potent menace was far beyond his ability to provoke.
But right now, Dawn's consciousness remained utterly captive to that lethal aroma. His gaze locked onto the man's lowered left arm—where a fresh wound slowly oozed crimson blood. The source of that irresistible temptation!
Dawn lunged forward like a cub pouncing on prey. His tongue greedily lapped at the warm blood, his small, sharp fangs instinctively unsheathing, ready to pierce—
A force of irresistible magnitude seized the back of his neck!
Frowning, Ethan effortlessly yanked Dawn away from his arm as if plucking off an unruly kitten. He extended a long finger, a subtle wave of cold energy emanating from its tip, and pressed it firmly against the center of Dawn's forehead.
A cooling, stream-like clarity rushed into Dawn's turbulent mind. His eyes rapidly cleared, regaining focus.
As sanity flooded back, immense terror and crippling shame crashed over him like an icy wave. Dawn's face drained of color, turning ashen. His features twisted into a miserable grimace. Pushed away by Ethan's dismissive frown, Dawn stumbled backwards until he collapsed into the farthest corner of the office. Huddled there, shaking uncontrollably, his now-clear eyes held nothing but pure, unadulterated horror and boundless remorse.
And so commenced the initial, suffocating standoff.