It was already afternoon when Chen Xi went out to buy things.
By the time she emerged from the nearest mall carrying bags full of purchases, the sky had already darkened.
The city lights had just come on, and countless windows glowed.
Thinking her boss might already be back, Chen Xi carried two large bags and headed home. The tavern was not far from here, so she did not take a taxi.
As she walked, the sounds around her entered her mind—
The laughter of couples by the roadside, the hushed whispers of shop assistants in the distance, and faint, hurried, heated panting from a darker corner even farther away... Wait, panting? Chen Xi looked in that direction in surprise, her face flushing slightly. That was a bit intense. Were they really going at it that wildly? She collected herself and shifted her attention away from the usual direction.
She had known since she was very young that her five senses were sharp—sharp to an abnormal degree.
She had also been mature. When she first told adults about her abnormality and they dismissed it as childish nonsense, she never spoke of it to anyone again.
Sometimes, she wondered...
Was she the only one like this?
Whatever. It did not matter anymore.
From now on, she would just work peacefully as the tavern's manager and receptionist, living out the rest of her life in comfort and stability. That would be wonderful.
Thinking of that, her mood brightened even more.
When she reached an intersection, she suddenly stopped and looked toward a pitch-black alley.
That alley was called Qingren Alley. It was a remnant of the old streets from years ago. Because of urban planning, the areas around Qingren Alley had all undergone demolition and reconstruction to varying degrees, becoming either residential