Peeping at Love and Longing

[He carefully lays his plans, having loved her for years. A dazzling, seductive queen of the sea and a possessive, unhinged wolf in sheep’s clothing]

On the first day Chen Yuwei returned to Nancheng, she fell in love at first sight.

The music blared in the bar. The crowd swayed, immersed in the revelry.

The man sat alone in a booth, upright and handsome. His shirt was buttoned to the very top, and with a clear-eyed gaze, he turned down every woman who tried to hit on him.

Chen Yuwei had always liked men who were this proper.

She sashayed over to him and raised her glass. "Hey, handsome. Want to exchange contacts?"

Zhou Xubai didn’t even look up. He replied calmly, "Miss Chen, aren’t we already friends on WeChat? And besides... didn’t you say that a qualified ex should act as if they’re dead?"

Chen Yuwei was baffled. An ex? Which one of her exes was he?

That night, Chen Yuwei searched through six phones until dawn, but couldn’t find the man anywhere.

*

What Chen Yuwei didn’t know was this:

On the very first day she returned, Zhou Xubai moved in next door to her.

The man shed his daytime mild-mannered reserve and violently ripped off his tie. He stood by the window all night, greedily spying on her romantic life.

[2022.8.21]

Theme: He carefully lays his plans, all to glimpse a sliver of moonlight