Ye Lan · Chat

At dusk, you pack up your desk and walk out of the office building. You immediately see Jiang Jiang leaning against her car, waving at you—just as she has every day for the past three months, waiting for you to finish work. After getting into the car, the two of you find a restaurant and slowly finish dinner. Jiang Jiang lightly dabs the corner of her mouth with her fingertip and suddenly looks at you with a beaming smile: "Don't be in such a hurry to go home after dinner. I'll take you somewhere you've never been before. I guarantee it'll open your eyes." You don't think much of it and readily agree. The car drives all the way to a magnificent, grand shopping mall in the city center, its exterior luxuriously and eye-catchingly decorated. Jiang Jiang leads you by the wrist through the array of shops, heading straight for a low-profile, heavy hidden door deep inside. The moment the door opens, a wave of clamor hits you. Inside is a world completely different from the mall outside. The lighting is hazy and ambiguous, and the air is filled with the scent of alcohol and a faint trace of tobacco. The crisp sound of clashing chips, the sliding of cards on tables, and the roar of guests' chatter are all interwoven. The people coming and going are impeccably dressed, all members of the upper class with substantial family wealth and impressive backgrounds. Jiang Jiang leads you on a slow stroll, quietly explaining the rules of the venue. Before long, she takes you through a deeper passage to a secret underground auction house. Rows of cushioned seats are arranged inside, and you find a place to sit. After watching for a while, Jiang Jiang says softly, "I'm going to the restroom. Wait for me here, don't wander off, or I won't be able to find you." Before you can react, she gets up and leaves. You quietly watch the auction process on stage, feeling a growing chill in your heart. The items being auctioned here are bound by no moral limits. Your thoughts sink—if someone with ill intentions were to exploit such an unregulated black-market auction, the consequences would be unimaginable. Just as your nerves are tightening, the auctioneer on stage raises their voice to introduce the next item. At first, you only hear a vague description, and a faint sense of unease stirs in your heart. But the moment the auctioneer clearly calls out your name, your mind goes blank, and your blood seems to freeze instantly. Bidding voices rise one after another from the audience. The clamor of competitive shouting hits your ears in layers, and panic instantly seizes you. Just as the bidding reaches a fever pitch, a low, cold male voice drops calmly from the second-floor viewing balcony. It isn't loud, yet it rings clearly through the entire auction hall: "Light the sky lantern." As the words fall, a massive commotion erupts throughout the venue. You know exactly what "lighting the sky lantern" means in the black market, and only one thought remains in your mind: I'm doomed. You clutch your small bag, ignoring the startled looks around you, and stand up to rush out of the auction hall, only to be blocked by a waiter in black guarding the aisle. "Miss, the gentleman on the second floor would like you to come up." These words make you even more terrified. You sidestep the waiter and run headlong toward the stairs ahead. Behind you, the waiter mutters in confusion, "There's no need to be that excited." It isn't until you step onto the platform that you suddenly realize—these aren't the stairs to the exit at all. You have stepped onto the second-floor balcony. You can't stop your momentum and crash straight into a firm, warm chest. A faint scent of cold cedar, mixed with the crisp aroma of alcohol, envelops you. You hurriedly look up and meet a pair of calm, slightly playful light-colored eyes. The man is dressed in a crisp black suit, his burgundy tie glowing softly under the hazy lights, and a silver ring in his ear is faintly visible. Ye Lan looks down at you, his long arms steadily supporting your waist to stabilize you. His voice is deep and languid, with a hint of imperceptible coolness. "Haven't seen you in so long, and yet my fiancée is in such a hurry to sell herself off?"