The rhythmic clicking of the camera filled the air, punctuated only by the muffled instructions from the photographer. Xia Fei shifted his weight effortlessly, slipping from one pose to another with the practiced ease of someone who had been doing this far too long. The lights overhead burned into his skin, but he held his expression steady-cool, detached, untouchable.
The shoot wrapped up an hour later. As the crew bustled around, packing equipment and chatting in low murmurs, Xia Fei tugged off his leather jacket and tossed it over his shoulder. He caught his reflection in a nearby mirror-dark circles creeping beneath his eyes, his trademark smirk just a little more strained than usual.
"You should rest more," a familiar voice cut through his thoughts.
Xia Fei didn't have to turn around to know it was Vein. He could recognize that voice anywhere-smooth, steady, with just enough edge to make anyone think twice before arguing.
He glanced over his shoulder. Vein stood near the entrance, arms crossed, a knowing look on his face. Dressed in his usual sharp blazer and with his hair perfectly styled, he was the picture of control Xia Fei could never quite grasp for himself.
"Rest is overrated," Xia Fei muttered, pulling a bottle of water from a nearby table and taking a sip. "Besides, I wouldn't want to disappoint you by being too perfect."
Vein didn't smile. He never did when Xia Fei deflected like this. Instead, he stepped closer, lowering his voice. "There's something you should see."
Xia Fei raised an eyebrow. "Sounds ominous."
Vein handed him his phone, the screen displaying an anonymous social media account. Xia Fei frowned as he scrolled through the posts-each one featuring high-quality, intimate shots of him taken when he wasn't paying attention. Moments from backstage, on the streets, even ones from his personal downtime. Shots he had never posed for, never agreed to.
His fingers tightened around the phone. "Where did these come from?"
"That's what I need you to tell me," Vein said, eyes scanning Xia Fei's face for a reaction. "These aren't paparazzi shots. Someone's been following you, watching you up close."
Xia Fei exhaled sharply, scrolling down further. The captions were vague but unsettling. Things like "He looks tired today, doesn't he?" or "Even perfect masks have cracks."
"Who the hell has this much time on their hands?" Xia Fei muttered.
Vein's lips pressed into a thin line. "Liu Xiao reached out to me this morning. He says you've been acting... distracted. He thinks these might be connected to something bigger."
Xia Fei scoffed, tossing the phone back to Vein. "Liu Xiao thinks everything is something bigger. I'm not interested in playing detective with him."
"Xia Fei," Vein's voice hardened, "this isn't a game. Whoever's taking these photos knows where you are-where you live, where you go when you're not working."
Xia Fei met Vein's gaze, and for the first time in a long time, he saw something in his manager's eyes that unsettled him. Concern. Real, unfiltered concern.
He leaned back against the table, running a hand through his hair. "So, what do you suggest? Lay low? Change my routine? I can't exactly disappear."
Vein studied him for a long moment before replying. "Not yet. But I want you to stay close-no disappearing acts, no late-night wandering. And if you see anything suspicious, you tell me immediately."
Xia Fei smirked, pushing off the table and slinging his jacket over his shoulder. "You're acting like my bodyguard now. Should I start paying you overtime?"
Vein rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he watched as Xia Fei headed for the door, tension still lingering between them.
As Xia Fei stepped into the night, the cold air hit him like a wake-up call. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his mind racing with the images he'd just seen.
He had always known the industry was full of eyes-judging, watching, waiting. But this? This was different.
And somehow, he had the sinking feeling that it was only the beginning.
---
Xia Fei's footsteps echoed in the narrow alley, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he walked briskly, trying to shake the unease that had settled in his chest. The night air was sharp, and every shadow seemed to hold something just out of sight. The photo-no, the images-clung to his thoughts, each one burning into his mind like a ghost.
He shouldn't have felt vulnerable. He wasn't some novice model or rookie being stalked. But the feeling lingered, insistent. His phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out, expecting another one of Vein's overly concerned messages, but instead, the notification froze him in place:
"Alone again, Xia Fei? You should be more careful at night."
The attached image wasn't just from today. It was right now-captured in the alley, the glow of the streetlights casting shadows over him as he walked. The photo was so close, it almost felt like the lens had been aimed from just a few feet away. When was the last time I was that close to someone?
His stomach churned.
He quickly swiped to reply, his hands stiff as he typed the message to Vein:
They just posted another one. It's from right now. They're watching me.
A moment passed before Vein's reply came through: Stay where you are. I'll come get you.
You don't have to do that, Xia Fei wanted to write. He could handle this, right? But there was a gnawing sense of paranoia in his gut, and he just couldn't shake the idea that someone was always there, watching, waiting for the right moment.
Xia Fei stood in the alley, his pulse quickening. His instincts screamed at him to move, to disappear into the night, but he felt pinned in place, his feet sinking into the cold concrete. Every creak of the building behind him, every gust of wind through the streets felt amplified, like someone was waiting to spring out of the shadows.
Just when he was about to start walking again, another message flashed across the screen. It was Vein again: Don't move, Felix.
That order. The way Vein always spoke-calm, unwavering, as if nothing in the world could shake him. But there was an undercurrent there. Xia Fei could hear it in the words, feel it beneath the silence.
It wasn't long before the sleek, black car pulled up to the curb, the low rumble of its engine cutting through the tension in the air. Vein's face appeared in the passenger-side window, his expression almost serene. Almost.
"Get in," Vein's voice was smooth but sharp, like a blade just beneath velvet.
Xia Fei hesitated. Something in the way Vein was looking at him-it wasn't just concern anymore. It was something deeper, something far more intent.
Xia Fei slid into the car, the door shutting with a click that felt final.
Vein didn't waste a second before pulling away from the curb, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror far more than usual. The calm, calculated expression on his face never wavered, but Xia Fei could feel the shift, a barely contained tension in the air.
"Tell me everything," Vein said, his voice barely a whisper, but the authority in it was unmistakable.
Xia Fei ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the creeping feeling of unease that tightened his chest. "It's just... more pictures, Vein. Same deal. Someone's following me. Watching me. And now they're sending these-taunting me."
Vein's knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. "Damn it," he muttered, barely audible. His jaw clenched. "This is getting worse."
Xia Fei leaned back in the seat, glancing at Vein, who was still so composed, like a man who always had everything under control. The kind of person who never let the cracks show. But tonight, Xia Fei saw something different-something a little too sharp in the way Vein's eyes flicked between the road and the mirror.
"Vein, relax. It's just a few creepy pictures. I'm fine."
Vein's gaze met his in the mirror. For the first time tonight, his expression slipped. A hint of something darker flashed across his face-was it anger? Obsession? It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but Xia Fei couldn't unsee it.
"You're not fine." Vein's voice was low, controlled. But the edge in it wasn't something Xia Fei had heard before. "It is my duty to protect you as your boss ,Felix. Don't make me remind you what will happen when things are getting out of hand."
There it was-the coldness in his tone that sent an unexpected shiver down Xia Fei's spine. It wasn't the usual reassuring calm. It wasn't Vein, the professional manager who kept his distance. It was a sharp warning, wrapped in careful restraint.
Xia Fei's kept his face impassive. "That sounds pretty possessive, even for you."
Vein didn't respond right away. Instead, he reached for his phone, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen. "We'll deal with this tomorrow. Tonight, you're staying at my place."
Xia Fei blinked, caught off guard. "What? I don't-"
"I'm not giving you a choice." Vein's voice was quiet but final. There was a depth to it that sent a chill down Xia Fei's spine, a reminder that Vein was not just a manager. He was someone who could be too controlling, too obsessive, when it came to people he cared about. And that wasn't a side of Vein Xia Fei often thought about.
As the car sped through the streets, Xia Fei couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't just about protecting him anymore. Vein wasn't just worried. He was calculating. His every move, his every word-it was all part of something deeper, something darker.