Chapter 3: Neon Nightfall
1279 Words
Chapter 3: Neon Nightfall
The next morning, Lin Yuexin discovered three very important facts.
First, the Heaven Wolf Estate was absurdly large.
Second, everyone in the estate already knew who she was.
Third, the servants gossiped faster than journalists.
"That's her."
"The Alpha brought her home."
"She slept in the East Wing."
"Do you see them holding hands?"
"I heard she called the Alpha fluffy."
Yuexin nearly choked on her tea.
"I did that one time!"
The young maid serving breakfast blinked.
"So it is true?"
Yuexin buried her face in her hands, word traveled faster than the internet in this place.
Across the dining table, Long Jianyu calmly sipped coffee.
Not helping at all.
"You could deny it," Yuexin muttered.
"I could."
"Then do it."
"I don't want to, because I don't feel like."
Yuexin glared, Jianyu looked entirely too pleased with himself.
The man was impossible, as if sensing her frustration, he placed his coffee cup down.
"Finish breakfast."
"Why?"
"We have work."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"What kind of work?"
His golden eyes gleamed.
"The kind that doesn't involve falling over crates."
"That happened just once."
"It happened over six times."
"It was obviously dark."
"You knocked over chemicals."
"They were in the way."
Jianyu laughed.
The servants immediately pretended not to notice.
Yuexin stared, she still wasn't used to seeing him laugh.
It made him look younger and less terrifying.
Unfortunately, it also made him more attractive, which was a big problem.
An hour later, Yuexin found herself standing on the roof of one of the tallest skyscrapers in Huaxia.
Wind whipped through her hair, neon lights stretched endlessly across the city below.
Massive billboards glowed, traffic flowed like rivers of light.
Beside her, Jianyu stood with his hands in his pockets.
His black coat fluttered behind him, looking annoyingly handsome.
"Why are we here?"
"We are here for surveillance purpose."
"That literally sounds illegal."
"It's only illegal if you're caught."
Hao Chen snorted and Mei Ling shook her head.
The four of them stood atop the skyscraper overlooking a huge portion of the city.
Yuexin peered over the edge.
She regretted instantly because she stumbled backward.
Jianyu raised an eyebrow.
"You fear gravity?"
"I guess I respect gravity."
"It is still the same thing."
"It is not."
His lips twitched, then he stepped beside her.
"Look."
Yuexin followed his gaze, the city stretched beneath them.
At first it looked ordinary, then she noticed something strange.
Certain districts glowed faintly, almost invisibly.
Silver, blue, red and golden.
"What am I looking at?"
"The real city."
Her heart skipped.
"What do you mean by the real city?"
Jianyu nodded.
"Every major clan controls territory."
His finger pointed west.
"Silver Fang."
North.
"Blood Claw."
South.
"Iron Moon."
Then toward the city center.
A golden glow surrounded dozens of skyscrapers.
"And that belongs to us."
Yuexin blinked.
"You own half the city?"
"Approximately."
"Approximately?!"
Hao Chen looked proud and Mei Ling looked unsurprised.
Yuexin considered throwing herself off the building.
Not because she wanted to die, because it seemed easier than processing all this information.
---
By evening they arrived at another location a building hidden among dozens of others.
Elegant, exclusive and dangerous.
A glowing silver moon hung above the entrance, blood Moon Lounge.
Yuexin frowned.
"This is a bar."
"It's a lounge."
"It's literally a bar."
"It's a lounge."
"A bar."
"A lounge."
"A fancy bar."
Jianyu sighed.
"Close enough."
The guards immediately opened the doors.
The moment Yuexin stepped inside, she felt dozens of eyes turn toward her.
Music flowed softly through the room, luxury booths lined the walls.
Expensive liquor sparkled behind crystal shelves. Business executives sat beside warriors.
Beautiful women laughed, dangerous men negotiated.
Every single one of them smelled..different.
Yuexin couldn't explain it, but somehow she knew.
Wolves.
All wolves.
"Why are they staring?"
Hao Chen answered.
"Because you're human."
"Oh."
"And because you're with him."
"Oh."
"And because nobody has ever seen him bring a woman here."
Yuexin nearly walked into a pillar.
The lounge exploded into whispers.
---
Second floor, private Alpha section.
Yuexin accidentally entered first.
Silence immediately fell, five Alphas looked up.
The room became deathly quiet.
Yuexin froze.
The Alphas froze.
Everyone froze.
Then one Alpha slowly spoke.
"...You're not supposed to be here."
Yuexin pointed behind herself.
"I got lost."
The Alpha looked confused.
"How do you get lost and end up here?"
"I have a gift."
A familiar voice spoke behind her.
"Unfortunately, she does."
The tension vanished instantly, Jianyu stepped into the room.
Every Alpha immediately stood.
Respect, Fear and authority.
Yuexin noticed all of it.
And for a moment she understood exactly how powerful Long Jianyu truly was.
Later, the mission itself began.
Jianyu met several informants, Mei Ling exchanged information and Hao Chen coordinated security.
Yuexin sat beside the window watching the city.
Trying not to feel out of place and trying not to notice Jianyu's occasional glances.
The seat beside her shifted and she looked up.
Jianyu sat down.
"Enjoying yourself?"
"No."
His eyebrow rose.
"Why no?"
"I accidentally walked into an Alpha meeting."
"That's true."
"I embarrassed myself."
"I guess you do that often."
She kicked his shoe and he looked amused.
"Violence?"
"Self-defense."
"You attacked me."
"You deserved it."
His golden eyes softened dangerously.
"You've become comfortable around me."
Yuexin suddenly became aware of how close they were sitting.
"Maybe you're becoming less scary."
"Impossible."
His chuckle sent an annoying flutter through her stomach.
She hated that, absolutely hated it.
---
Across the room, Xiang Ru watched everything.
Her nails dug into her palm, for years she had stood beside Jianyu.
Everyone knew she would become Luna, everyone expected it.
Then this human appeared, and suddenly Jianyu was laughing.
Smiling, protecting and even paying attention.
Things he never did, not even for her.
The jealousy burned.
An hour later—
Yuexin froze, something felt wrong.
The feeling struck without warning like ice sliding down her spine.
Her heart suddenly pounded and the air felt heavier.
She shot to her feet immediately.
Jianyu looked up.
"What is it?"
"I don't know."
Her voice shook.
"But I feel something's wrong."
The room fell silent.
Hao Chen frowned and Mei Ling became alert.
Jianyu's eyes narrowed.
"What exactly do you feel?"
"I..."
Yuexin looked toward the balcony, the sensation intensified.
Like invisible claws scraping her instincts.
"There."
Every wolf immediately turned.
Nothing, yet Jianyu stood without hesitation.
"Check it."
Hao Chen vanished and hree security wolves immediately followed.
Seconds later—
CRASH!
Glass exploded and a black arrow shot through the balcony doors.
The projectile slammed into a pillar, the entire lounge erupted.
Wolves moved instantly, security teams flooded the room.
Growls echoed everywhere.
Jianyu stood in front of Yuexin automatically.
Hao Chen returned.
"No target."
Mei Ling removed the object attached to the arrow.
A black note.
Silence spread.
Jianyu unfolded it.
His expression darkened, then darkened further.
"What does it say?"
Nobody answered and Yuexin stepped closer.
The note contained only four words, written in blood-red ink.
RETURN THE PHOENIX.
The temperature in the room dropped instantly.
Every wolf became silent and theirexpression became serious.
Yuexin's pulse thundered.
Phoenix?
Her?
How did they know?
Across the room Xiang Ru's eyes widened.
Mei Ling looked grim and Hao Chen's hand moved toward his weapon.
And Long Jianyu... Long Jianyu looked furious.
The kind of fury that belonged to kings.
Slowly, he folded the note and his golden eyes glowed.
"I want every entrance to the city monitored."
The room held its breath.
"Find whoever sent this."
A growl vibrated beneath his words, cold enough to freeze blood.
"Before I do."
- Writer
