Trap

Leng Yaozhu stood across the street, staring at the tightly shut wooden door. She drew a deep breath. Her heart beat so fast she could hear it thudding in her chest. Her palms were damp, and her fingers curled at her sides, loosened, then curled again.

She hesitated.

Should she go in? If the person inside was Leng Yulai, how would she react to seeing her? Would she be happy? Angry? Would she turn and leave? And if it wasn't Leng Yulai, how would she explain barging into a stranger's home?

But she had no way back.

She had followed the trail here. She had come so far, reached this point. If she turned away now, she didn't know whether she would have the courage to search again.

Leng Yaozhu raised her head, resolve flashing through her red eyes. She crossed the street, walked up to the wooden door, and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock.

Three knocks, neither heavy nor light.

The sound echoed down the quiet street like a pebble dropped into a still lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

She stood before the door and waited.

Her long red hair stirred in the breeze, and her black uniform looked especially solemn in the dim light. Her face betrayed nothing, but her eyes held more than she herself could count.

Behind the door, there was only silence.

Leng Yaozhu drew a deep breath and raised her hand to knock again.

This time, she did not wait.

"Yulai, are you there?"

Her voice was calm and firm, but a slight tremor at the end betrayed the turmoil within her.

Her words faded. Deathly stillness remained behind the wooden door; not even the faintest breath came through. She waited for several heartbeats, emotions surging in her red eyes. The thought of forcing her