The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing the interior of Vein's penthouse. Xia Fei stepped inside cautiously, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the sheer scale of the place. He had been here before, but it always struck himâhow massive everything felt. The ceilings stretched impossibly high, the floor-to-ceiling windows framed the glittering skyline in breathtaking detail, and the entire space exuded a cold, calculated elegance.
Vein followed him inside, silent as ever, locking the door behind them with a quiet click. Xia Fei's gaze swept across the living room, taking in the expensive, minimalist furniture. Every item seemed deliberately chosenâsharp lines, neutral colors, and not a single thing out of place. The dark marble floors gleamed under the soft lighting, and the sheer amount of space was almost unsettling.
"Your place is still ridiculous," Xia Fei muttered, dropping his bag onto the oversized leather couch. "You sure youâre not compensating for something?"
Vein ignored him, walking past and heading toward the far end of the room. Xia Fei followed, eyeing the space warily. His feet moved across the plush carpet leading to the kitchen areaâalso massive, of course. Stainless steel appliances, marble countertops, and an entire wall of wine racks that looked untouched. It felt more like a showroom than an actual living space.
But it was the hallway leading off to the side that drew Xia Feiâs attention the most. He had only glimpsed it once before, and he knew thatâs where Vein spent most of his time.
"Am I finally allowed in your surveillance room, or do I have to stay in the âguestâ part of the palace?" Xia Fei asked, arching an eyebrow.
Vein didnât even glance back. "Don't touch anything."
Xia Fei grinned, taking that as an invitation. He trailed behind Vein, stepping into the hallway and finding himself in what could only be described as a surveillance command center.
The entire wall was covered in screensâsecurity footage flickering from multiple locations: streets, parking lots, and even familiar places Xia Fei recognized from his daily routine. His own apartment complex was displayed in crystal-clear resolution, and Xia Fei felt his stomach twist at the sight of himself walking through the lobby just hours ago.
"You really do take your job seriously, huh?" Xia Fei muttered, trying to sound casual but feeling anything but.
Vein didnât respond. He was already seated at his desk, typing away with rapid efficiency. The workspace was almost surgicalâmonitors arranged with meticulous precision, cables neatly secured, and a series of file folders stacked in perfect alignment. The soft glow of the screens illuminated Vein's face, casting sharp shadows that only made him look more unreadable.
But it wasnât the monitors that unsettled Xia Fei the most. It was the walls.
Rows of photographs, all of him.
Xia Feiâs eyes widened as he stepped closer, scanning the dozensâno, hundredsâof images pinned with military precision. They werenât just random snapshots; they were observations. Shots of him in casual momentsâleaving a set, talking to fans, stepping out of a café. Some were older, dating back to his earliest days in the industry, while others were taken as recently as yesterday. Notes were scrawled in neat, almost clinical handwriting beneath some of the photos.
"Avoids eye contact when nervous."
"Prefers exits with lower visibility."
"Routine: café stop at 8:45 AM, gym by 10:00 AM."
"Readable like a open book."
The last note made Xia Fei giggle. So that's why Liu Xiao knows..
He continued to check the other pictures of him.
Xia Fei swallowed, feeling something tighten in his chest. "You keep... a lot of pictures."
Vein didnât look up from his screens. "Itâs necessary."
"Necessary?" Xia Fei echoed, turning to face him fully. "This is... a bit much, donât you think? I mean, I knew you were into planning, but this feels like something out of a spy movie."
Vein finally looked at him, his expression perfectly composed. "I keep track of everything related to my work."
Xia Fei glanced back at the photos, uneasy. "Your work... right."
Veinâs gaze remained steady, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. "You have a problem with it?"
Xia Fei hesitated. Did he? The logical part of his brain knew that Vein was obsessive by nature. He was a perfectionist, always planning three steps ahead. But thisâthis level of surveillance, the sheer detailâit felt like something more. It wasnât just business.
"Itâs just..." Xia Fei rubbed the back of his neck. "I didnât realize you were watching me this closely."
Vein's lips pressed into a thin line and smirked. "Someone has to."
The weight of those words settled heavily between them, and Xia Fei wasnât sure how to respond. The pictures, the notes, the security feedsâit was all starting to make him feel like a subject under a microscope rather than a person.
He sighed and turned away, moving further into the room. Past the surveillance area was another sectionâVeinâs personal space. And just like the rest of the penthouse, it was oversized and perfectly arranged.
Two massive bedrooms branched off from the main corridor, each one more luxurious than anything Xia Fei could imagine living in. He peeked inside the guest roomâhis room, apparentlyâand found it pristine, with soft lighting, a king-sized bed, and crisp white sheets that looked untouched. The windows stretched wide, offering an unobstructed view of the city below.
"Always knew you'd have more bedrooms than youâd ever need," Xia Fei muttered, stepping back into the hallway. "What, do you expect company?"
Vein didnât answer, already back at his desk, scrolling through the surveillance feeds.
Xia Fei lingered in the doorway, arms crossed. "You know, normal managers donât have their own personal control rooms, Vein."
Vein glanced at him, his expression calm but firm. "Normal managers donât deal with your kind of problems."
Xia Fei opened his mouth to argue but stopped himself. Vein had a point. Lately, things had been getting... strange. The photos left in his mailbox, the texts from unknown numbers, the creeping feeling of being watchedâit wasnât paranoia if it was true. And Vein, as always, had been one step ahead, already preparing for threats Xia Fei hadnât even considered.
Xia Fei sighed, leaning against the doorway. "So... what's your plan? Just keep me locked up in here until you figure out whoâs behind this?"
Veinâs eyes flicked back to the screens. "For now."
Xia Fei groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You really have a flair for the dramatic, you know that?"
Vein didnât respond, and Xia Fei could only stare at the wall of photos again, feeling their presence like an unshakable weight on his shoulders.