It's the apocalypse again

The street outside Lin Mei's modest apartment was quiet, the soft hum of passing cars filling the silence. Qianqian stood at the door, nerves twisting her stomach. She hadn't seen Lin Mei in weeks, too consumed by her secret preparations and uncertain how to bridge the growing gap between them.

Finally, she knocked.

After a moment, the door opened to reveal Lin Na, her youthful face lighting up with a grin. "Jiejie Qianqian! You're here!"

"Hey, Lin Na," Qianqian said, smiling despite herself. Lin Na always had that effect on her.

"Come in!" Lin Na stepped aside, gesturing enthusiastically. "Jiejie Mei is in the kitchen."

As Qianqian stepped into the apartment, the scent of something savory cooking filled the air. Lin Mei's sharp voice called out from the kitchen, "Lin Na, who's at the door?"

"It's Qianqian!" Lin Na chirped, her voice brimming with excitement.

There was a clatter of pots, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Lin Mei appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes briefly flickered with surprise. "Qianqian. What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd stop by," Qianqian said, forcing a casual tone. "It's been a while. I figured we could catch up."

Lin Mei hesitated, her gaze searching Qianqian's face as if looking for ulterior motives. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. You're just in time for dinner. Come sit."

The atmosphere was lighter at the dinner table, thanks mostly to Lin Na's chatter. She talked about her classes, upcoming exams, and her classmates.

"Oh, and Rui Feng's group project is due soon. He said he's pulling an all-nighter because he's the only one doing the work," Lin Na said, rolling her eyes.

Qianqian perked up. "Rui Feng? Who's that?"

"My classmate," Lin Na said, taking a big bite of rice. "He's super smart, but everyone dumps their responsibilities on him because he doesn't complain. He's probably the only person in our grade who knows how to code properly."

"Rui Feng?" Lin Mei interjected, her tone skeptical. "That boy who talks too much? How is he not complaining when he never stops talking?"

Lin Na huffed. "He's not that bad! He's just… enthusiastic. And clumsy. But he's nice!"

Qianqian interjects with a teasing tone,"are you sure you don't have a crush on him or something ."

Lin Na paused her cheeks and ears slowly turning red," No way,it's just...he's so good with computers",she leans closer,"well...not much people know this...no scratch that, She shakes her head."...I'm the only one who knows this because I'm his best friend." She stops to giggle.

Lin Mei groaned," Can you just get to the point?"

Lin Na sassed out,"Sheesh,calm down." Then turns Qianqian, " jiejie as I was saying, he's really really good with computers, he codes and hacks to"

Qianqian replied a little skeptical, "oh really,he's soo good...at 16?"

Lin Na nodded with a proud look on her face," of course,He can even prove it,if you have any problems or need any help you can ask me,I'll help you tell him."

Qianqian finally agreed," sure,no problem. I'll text you so we three can meet up then."

Lin Na agreed immediately, "sure thing,no problem jiejie."

As Qianqian left the apartment, her thoughts drifted to Lin Na's description of Rui Feng. A clumsy, talkative boy with a talent for coding.

"Echo," she murmured under her breath. "What do you think?"

"Sounds promising," Echo replied, his tone playful as always. "Though I suggest meeting him first. Clumsy people tend to break things, you know."

Qianqian smiled faintly. "I'll find a way to meet him. If he's as good as Lin Na says, he might be exactly what we need."

Little did she know, Rui Feng would soon find his way into her plans, whether she liked it or not.

March 2nd

After spending the previous week on stockpiling, she finally decided to go into defence a little bit.

It was time to meet Li Na's friend.

The bustling café was alive with the clink of cups and the hum of conversation. Qianqian adjusted her scarf, scanning the room. Lin Mei had assured her Rui Feng was worth meeting, but so far, she only knew two things about him: he was good with computers and Lin Na trusted him.

She sipped her coffee, her sharp eyes tracking every new face entering the café. Then, the door swung open, and a young man stumbled in, juggling a laptop bag, a notebook, and a cup of something precariously balanced on a tray. His disheveled hair, oversized glasses, and slightly frantic energy screamed "student in over his head."

Qianqian's lips twitched. So, this is Rui Feng?

The young man spotted her, hurried over, and plopped into the seat across from her. "Sorry! Sorry! The bus broke down, and then my shoelace—never mind. Are you Qianqian?"

"I am," she replied coolly. "And you must be Rui Feng."

"That's me," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Lin Mei didn't tell me much about you, except that you're, um, intense."

Her eyebrow arched. "Intense?"

"I mean, in a good way!" Rui Feng added quickly. "Like, focused. Leadership material."

Qianqian didn't respond immediately. Something about him nagged at her memory, but she couldn't place it.

His mannerisms felt familiar—like a blurred photograph from her past life. But that wasn't unusual; plenty of people resurfaced in unexpected ways. She wasn't about to jump to conclusions.

"Let's focus," she said, dismissing her thoughts. "I hear you're good with computers."

"Good?" Rui Feng looked offended. "I'm excellent. Top of my class, undefeated in three online coding competitions, and I once hacked into the school system for a friend."

"Impressive," Qianqian allowed, leaning forward. "But I need more than claims. I need proof."

Before Rui Feng could respond, a voice interrupted them.

"Qianqian?"

She turned, her gaze landing on a man in a tailored coat. He looked vaguely familiar—his polished appearance, slightly smug expression, and confident stride stirred an old memory she couldn't immediately place. Behind him, a petite woman with bright eyes and an almost too-perfect smile clung to his arm.

"Do I know you?" she asked cautiously.

Zhao Chen chuckled, clearly expecting a warmer reception. "You don't remember? Zhao Chen. From the business gala last year. My family—"

Qianqian's eyes narrowed. The memory clicked. Zhao Chen had been persistent even then, making vague comments about their "compatibility." It hadn't impressed her then, and it certainly didn't now.

"Ah," she said flatly. "You."

Zhao Chen didn't seem deterred by her tone. "It's been a while. I've been meaning to reach out, but you're always so hard to find. And now, here we are. Fate, don't you think?"

"Fate?" Qianqian repeated, arching an eyebrow.

Li Fang, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up, her voice sharp and overly sweet. "Zhao Chen, let's not bother her. I'm sure she's busy."

But Zhao Chen ignored her, his focus entirely on Qianqian. "How about dinner? I know a place—"

"No," Qianqian said firmly, cutting him off.

Zhao Chen blinked, momentarily stunned. "No?"

"That's what I said," she replied, her voice cold.

Li Fang's expression tightened, though she quickly masked it with a forced laugh. "See? I told you she'd be too busy. Let's just go, Zhao Chen."

"Wait—" Zhao Chen started, but Qianqian turned her attention back to her coffee, clearly dismissing him.

Frustrated but unwilling to cause a scene, Zhao Chen allowed Li Fang to pull him away. As they left, Qianqian felt the weight of Li Fang's gaze lingering on her. It wasn't just jealousy—it was something sharper, more dangerous.

"Well," Rui Feng said after a beat, "that was awkward."

Qianqian sighed, brushing off the encounter. "Let's get back to the point. You claim to be excellent. Prove it."

"How?" Rui Feng asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Hack into my family's company database," she said bluntly.

Rui Feng blinked. "Are you serious?"

She nodded. "I'm not asking you to do anything malicious, just access a non-critical section of the system. It's a test."

Rui Feng leaned back, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Alright. Give me five minutes."

Pulling out his laptop, he got to work. Qianqian watched in silence as his fingers flew across the keyboard. It was oddly mesmerizing.

"Done," Rui Feng announced, spinning the laptop around to show her.

Her eyebrows rose. The employee portal was open, and he'd even pulled up a generic employee profile. "Impressive," she admitted.

"I told you," Rui Feng said smugly, closing the laptop.

"You're in," she said. "Name your price."

To her surprise, Rui Feng shook his head. "No need."

She frowned. "What do you mean, 'no need'?"

"Lin Na's my friend," he said simply. "If you're helping her, then I'm helping you. No strings attached."

Qianqian stared at him, her expression unreadable. Interesting. Either he's sincere, or he's playing a longer game.

As they stood to leave, Qianqian glanced toward the corner of the café. Li Fang was still there, her gaze fixed on Qianqian with unsettling intensity.

"Something wrong?" Rui Feng asked.

"No," Qianqian said, though her tone was wary. "Let's go."

She pushed open the door, her mind already turning toward the next steps. But a nagging thought lingered: Some things are never as they seem.

Back at the café,Li Fang turned to Zhao Chen her nails tapping against the table. "She thinks she's so untouchable," she murmured.

Zhao Chen sighed. "Fang'er, let it go."

Li Fang 's lips curved into a thin smile. "Oh, I will. Eventually."