First, then, love.

The musicians cheered excitedly, hugged each other, and the air was filled with the strong smell of hairspray and perfume.

Shu Yao carried her cello, avoiding the crowds, and headed straight for her private dressing room.

Push open the door.

Qiaoqiao was sitting on the sofa scrolling through her phone when she heard the noise and jumped up suddenly.

"Yaoyao! You were absolutely amazing! That glissando you just played gave me goosebumps!"

Qiaoqiao rushed over, hugged her tightly, and stomped her feet excitedly.

"Thank you," Shu Yao said, carefully placing the cello on the shelf and letting out a long sigh of relief.

She walked to the dressing table, pulled out a few makeup remover wipes, and poured makeup remover on them.

Start dealing with the thick stage makeup on my face.

The red lips were wiped away, revealing the original slightly pale lip color; the exaggerated eyeliner was erased, and the eyes returned to their usual cool and aloof expression.

Only the red marks below the collarbone became more noticeable due to sweating from vigorous exercise and the concealer wearing off a little.

Qiaoqiao leaned against the dressing table and spotted it at a glance.

"Tsk tsk," Qiao Qiao chuckled mischievously, "This is really something, it's been days and it still hasn't healed. Is he using you as a teething toy?"

New marks cover old marks.

It wasn't done in a day at all.

There are new ones every day.

Shu Yao blushed and glared at her irritably.

"Shut up and help me unzip my skirt."

Qiaoqiao obediently turned around behind her and pulled down the invisible zipper of the velvet dress.

Shu Yao changed out of her expensive haute couture gown and hung it on a hanger.

Put on a white turtleneck cashmere sweater.

With the collar turned up, her neck and collarbone were completely covered, and not a breath of wind could get in.

She changed into fleece-lined black jeans for her lower body and finished the look with leather ankle boots.

Although it doesn't look as refined anymore, I feel warm all over, and a sense of security permeates my very bones.

"Let's go, it's snowing heavily outside," Qiaoqiao said while putting on her coat. "Our band has booked a hot pot restaurant next to the central square. After we finish eating, we can go to the square to countdown to the New Year. Why don't you come along?"

"You go ahead, I won't go."

Shu Yao picked up the long, off-white down jacket that went past her knees, put it on, and zipped it up to her chin.

Wrap a thick cashmere scarf around your neck.

"I'm a little tired and want to go home to rest."

"No way! It's New Year's Eve, you'll be all alone at home, it's so boring," Qiao Qiao advised. "Isn't Captain He on an urgent mission tonight? He definitely won't be back. What are you going to do, stay in an empty house all by yourself? Go get something hot and share in the festive spirit."

"No."

Shu Yao shook her head, put the cello into the gray carbon fiber case, and fastened the metal buckle.

"I have to go home," she said, her eyes lowered, her voice soft but firm.

"He's on a mission, and we don't know when he'll finish. What if he comes back in the middle of the night and there's not even hot water in the house?"

She had promised him that she would wait for him to come home for the New Year.

Even if he doesn't come back tonight, she will stay home, with a light on, and wait for him.

Qiaoqiao sighed as she looked at her so devoted.

The drama queen has been completely subdued; all she can think about is that stern-faced devil.

"Alright, alright, I understand you two are a loving couple," Qiao Qiao waved her hand, "Then drive carefully on the road, it's snowing like crazy outside, the roads are slippery."

"Okay, put less spice in your hot pot."

Shu Yao picked up the handle of the violin case, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out of the dressing room.

The lobby of the art center was bustling with activity.

They were all audience members who had finished watching the performance and were about to leave. They wished each other a Happy New Year, their faces beaming with joy.

Shu Yao avoided the crowd and went through the back door of the employee-only passage.

Push open the heavy glass door.

A biting wind, carrying large snowflakes, lashed at us.

"hiss."

Shu Yao shivered from the cold, instinctively shrinking her neck and burying most of her face in her cashmere scarf.

The outside world has completely changed.

The snow was falling even more heavily than in the afternoon; the goose-feather-like snowflakes swirled in the gale, stinging our faces.

A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground, a vast expanse of white reflecting the dim lamplight.

She took out her phone and glanced at the screen.

11:15 PM.

The WeChat interface was clean and uncluttered, with no new messages. He Zheng's profile picture remained quietly in the chat box.

She bit her lower lip; her fingers were stiff from the cold.

He quickly typed a few words: "My performance is over. I'm about to drive home. Be careful."

Click to send.

I didn't expect him to reply instantly. He's definitely on the front lines right now, and his phone has probably been handed in or turned off long ago.

Shu Yao put her phone back in her down jacket pocket and pulled the lever on her violin case.

The wheels couldn't roll at all on the snow-covered ground; the resistance was enormous.

She had no choice but to give up the lever, bend down, and grab the handle on the side of the violin case with one hand, and lift it up by sheer force.

Although the carbon fiber case is light, it is still quite heavy when combined with the cello.

She carried her violin and walked unsteadily towards the open-air parking lot in the backyard.

The soles of our shoes crunched crisply on the thick snow.

The wind was fierce, howling through the buildings of the art center with a mournful wail.

To get to the parking lot, you have to walk through that narrow alley.

The feeling of being followed, which I had experienced a few days ago, surged back uncontrollably as I approached the alley entrance.

Shu Yao stopped and stood at the entrance of the alley.

I took a deep breath of the cold air, forcibly suppressing the unease in my heart.

Today is New Year's Eve, and there are police officers patrolling everywhere on the streets. Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this time is just scaring themselves.

She mentally prepared herself before stepping into the alley.

It was even darker inside the alley than outside.

The withered vines on the wall swayed wildly in the wind and snow, like menacing ghosts.

The most critical thing is...

A large number of the parking lot lights were broken.

I don't know if the snow broke the line or if the circuit breaker tripped.

The open-air parking lot, which should have been brightly lit, was now half shrouded in deathly darkness. Only a few old streetlights on the perimeter were still on, emitting a dim, yellowish light.

With the wind and snow raging, visibility was pitifully low, and all that could be heard was the sound of the wind and snow, and her own heavy breathing.

Shu Yao's heart began to race uncontrollably.

The empty parking lot resembled a white wasteland.

The cars parked inside were all covered by thick snow, turning into white mounds.

Shu Yao's Porsche was parked at the very back of the parking lot, near a section of abandoned brick wall.

She carried the heavy violin case and walked forward step by step.

My arms were aching terribly, and the weight of the violin case seemed to double in the wind and snow.

The wind tousled her hair, snowflakes landed on her long eyelashes, melted into icy water and flowed into her eyes, making her vision even more blurred.

"Crunch, crunch."

The sound of ankle boots crunching on the snow was amplified infinitely in the deathly silent parking lot.

It seemed unusually abrupt.

Shu Yao walked in a hurry, wanting to get to the car door as quickly as possible, press the unlock button, and crawl into that safe little space.

There were still about fifty meters to her car.

Sudden.

Amidst the sound of the wind, a sound that did not belong to the wind was mixed in.

"Shh, shh, shh."

It was dull and heavy.

The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet snowy night, it was like a thunderclap, striking Shu Yao's nerves directly.

Her steps suddenly stopped.

The voice behind them also stopped.

Only the hollow echoes of the wind blowing through the abandoned brick walls could be heard.

In that instant, Shu Yao's blood froze completely.

My scalp tingled, my hair stood on end, and cold sweat instantly soaked through the back of my sweater.

It's not an illusion.

It's definitely not an illusion.

The feeling of being constantly watched that I had a few days ago has now turned into tangible footsteps tonight, at this very moment.

He followed behind her.

She didn't dare to turn around.

Scenes from horror movies flashed wildly through my mind. I turned around and saw a distorted face, and I was tackled to the ground.

She bit her lower lip hard, and tasted a hint of blood on her tongue.

Force yourself to calm down.

This is the city center, only 200 meters from the main street. If she shouts loudly, people outside will hear her.

She started walking again.

This time, she walked even faster, almost running.

"Crunch, crunch, crunch!" Her boots left messy footprints in the snow.

The violin case slammed heavily against her calf, sending a sharp pain through her bone, but she didn't care.

Just as she accelerated.

The footsteps behind them quickened instantly!

"Swish, swish, swish!"

They made no attempt to hide it, and acted with complete recklessness.

The heavy footsteps, carrying the calm and perverse excitement of a hunter chasing his prey, relentlessly pursued her.

The distance is getting closer and closer.

Twenty meters, fifteen meters.

Shu Yao could even hear the man's heavy, greedy breathing carried on the wind.

Like a broken bellows, it sputters and whirrs.