Xin Yi sat on the chair the guards had placed near the hallway outside the penthouse.
Her head was lowered, her shoulders trembling as soft sobs escaped her lips. One of the guards had brought a small towel earlier for her bleeding arm, and she clutched it tightly now, pretending to wipe away tears.
Inside the penthouse behind her, the other guards were still moving around.
Voices overlapped.
Orders were being shouted.
Someone had already called emergency services.
Xin Yi continued her performance.
She sniffed softly and rubbed her eyes again, making sure they looked slightly red.
Then she glanced at her wristwatch.
The glowing numbers caught her attention immediately.
It was getting late.
Her lips pressed together.
I need to leave here.
She sniffed again, standing slowly from the chair.
One of the guards nearby noticed the movement.
"Miss, please sit down," he said firmly. "We may need to ask you a few more questions."
Xin Yi hugged her arms around herself as if she were still shaking.
"I… I don't think I can stay here any longer," she said weakly.
The guard frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Xin Yi wiped her eyes again, forcing her voice to tremble.
"I'm still in shock," she said. "I can't stop shaking. Being here… it's making it worse."
She looked back toward the penthouse door as if the memory terrified her.
"I just want to go home."
The guard studied her carefully.
He wasn't entirely convinced.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he crossed his arms.
"Leaving isn't possible yet," he said. "You're the only witness we have right now."
Xin Yi lowered her gaze again, pretending to struggle with tears.
Just then another guard approached from the hallway.
"What's going on here?" he asked.
The first guard gestured toward Xin Yi.
"She says she wants to leave."
The second guard looked at her.
Xin Yi immediately turned toward him, her expression pale and shaken.
"I just… I can't stay here," she said softly. "That man came through the window. He stabbed the minister right in front of me. I thought he was going to kill me too."
Her voice cracked.
"I just want to go home."
The second guard studied her more closely.
Her hands were trembling.
Her breathing was uneven.
Even the way she stood looked unstable.
Of course, Xin Yi was pretending.
But the performance was convincing.
The guard sighed.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "You can leave."
The first guard turned to him in surprise.
"You're letting her go?"
"She's clearly in shock," the second guard replied. "We're not getting anything useful from her tonight."
Then he looked back at Xin Yi.
"But before you leave," he added, "we need a way to contact you."
Xin Yi nodded quickly.
"Yes… of course."
He handed her a small notebook and pen.
"Write down your phone number," he said.
Xin Yi took the pen and wrote carefully.
The number she wrote was real.
But it wouldn't stay active for long.
After every mission, she always destroyed the phone she had been using.
That was part of her routine.
Part of staying invisible.
She handed the notebook back.
"Thank you," the guard said.
"You can go."
Xin Yi nodded gratefully.
"Thank you… thank you so much."
She slowly walked toward the elevator.
But before stepping inside, she turned around one last time.
Her eyes moved toward the penthouse door.
Police officers were already beginning to arrive.
More guards were rushing inside.
For a brief moment, Xin Yi stared at the scene silently.
Then she turned and stepped into the elevator.
⸻
A few minutes later, she exited the building and stepped onto the quiet street.
Cold night air brushed against her face.
Across the street, a taxi was waiting near the curb.
Xin Yi walked toward it and opened the door.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
"Loop," she replied.
The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"You alright?" he asked.
Xin Yi leaned back against the seat.
"Just drive."
The taxi began moving through the quiet streets.
For a moment, Xin Yi remained silent.
Then she reached up and wiped her eyes.
The tears disappeared instantly.
Her trembling stopped.
Her posture relaxed.
A small annoyed sigh escaped her lips.
"I can't believe I had to fake cry for that disgusting man," she muttered under her breath.
The driver's eyes flicked toward the mirror again.
He had clearly heard that.
Xin Yi noticed his gaze immediately.
Their eyes met in the reflection.
For a brief second, the driver looked confused.
Xin Yi instantly straightened and gave him an awkward smile.
"Bad night," she said lightly.
The driver nodded slowly.
"I can imagine."
A few minutes later the taxi pulled into the parking lot outside Loop.
Xin Yi stepped out and paid the driver.
"Thank you."
The driver nodded and drove away.
Xin Yi walked calmly toward her car.
The parking lot was much quieter now than earlier.
Most of the crowd had already left.
She unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat.
Within minutes, she was driving through the city streets toward her apartment.
⸻
Not long after, she arrived at her building.
Xin Yi parked and stepped out.
She entered the apartment and immediately kicked off her heels near the door.
"Finally," she muttered.
She slipped into her indoor slippers and walked into the living room.
Her small handbag landed on the couch with a soft thud.
Xin Yi dropped down beside it and grabbed the TV remote.
A wide smile spread across her face.
"Perfect timing."
She pressed the power button.
The television screen flickered to life.
The channel she loved most was already broadcasting.
Bright stage lights filled the screen.
Thousands of fans screamed in excitement.
And standing at the center of the stage…
Was Yi Chen.
Xin Yi's eyes lit up instantly.
Her celebrity crush.
Rock star Yichen.
"I didn't miss it," she whispered excitedly.
Music exploded from the television speakers as Yi Chen began singing.
Xin Yi jumped up from the couch immediately.
"Oh my God, I love this song!"
She began singing along word for word.
Her voice echoed through the living room as she danced across the floor.
Xin Yi spun once, swinging her hips from side to side.
Despite being a demon from Hell…
She was a diehard fan.
And she never missed his performances.
It was a secret she had kept for years.
If anyone in Hell knew their executioner loved human music this much…
They would probably find it ridiculous.
But Xin Yi didn't care.
She continued dancing happily around the living room.
Her mission had been successful.
Her favorite singer was performing live.
Tonight was perfect.
She raised her arms, singing loudly with the music.
"Yi Chen! You're amazing!"
Then suddenly—
The air inside the room changed.
The lights flickered.
A cold pressure filled the living room.
And a deep voice echoed through the air.
"Xin Yi."
Her entire body froze instantly.
The music from the television continued playing.
But Xin Yi slowly lowered her arms.
Her expression changed immediately.
Gone was the carefree fan.
Gone was the playful dancer.
She lowered her head respectfully.
"Master Lu Yin," she said quietly.
The King of Hell had come.