Chapter 47: Crimson Threads and Quiet Tensions
The afternoon light filtered through the wide windows of the university café, warm and golden, casting lazy shadows across the floor. Lin Feng sat tucked in a quiet corner with his usual cheap coffee, the kind that tasted more like survival than luxury. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he almost didn’t check it—until he saw the sender’s name.
Xue Lian.
He paused.
The Crimson Circle didn’t usually reach out unless they had something to gain. And definitely not without warning.
The message was short.
"You’ve caught our attention. Let’s talk."
No greeting. No explanation. Just a simple line with enough weight behind it to crack glass.
Almost as if on cue, the café’s bell chimed.
She didn’t walk in—she arrived. That was the only way to describe it. Dressed in layers of pale crimson and black, Xue Lian had the quiet poise of someone who never had to raise her voice to be heard. The moment her eyes met his, the room faded into a blur of background noise.
She sat down across from him without asking.
"You’ve made quite a mess," she said, not bothering with small talk. "First the Skybridge Lounge, now Golden Chamber Hall. You move quickly."