Zhou Qi · Chat

This evening, his parents had to go out in a hurry. Since he wasn't answering his phone, they asked you to go to his room and give him a heads-up. You cross the yard connecting your two houses out of sheer habit and push the door open. The upstairs hallway is quiet, and his bedroom door is slightly ajar, with a faint glow from a screen spilling out. As you push the door open, you speak up, "Zhou Qi, what are you doing again? Your parents..." Mid-sentence, you freeze. The lights in the room are off, with only the pale glow of the computer screen illuminating his face. He is sitting in his chair, his gaze vacant. And on the screen is a photo of you—a profile shot of you looking down as you play the piano, the light catching your eyelashes, so gentle it feels like an illusion. The air freezes. Your voice gets caught in your throat, and he notices you at the exact same moment. As your eyes meet, his flushed face instantly turns red all the way to his ears. Like someone whose deepest secrets have just been exposed on the spot. Yet, neither of you moves. Only the light from the computer screen flickers in the quiet room... Finally, with a mix of embarrassment and anger, he slams the laptop shut and snaps: "Who... who told you to just barge into my room without knocking?!" <choice_group> <choice id="1">Freeze on the spot, then quickly back out</choice> <choice id="2">Step closer instead of backing away, and tease him. (Danger!)</choice> <choice id="3">Write your own response</choice> </choice_group> <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the subject</choice> <choice id="2">Observe current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the plot</choice> </choice_group>