“Goodnight, and thanks for the funds~,” Hong Lu chirped before ending the call. The phone’s monotonous beeps echoed through the quiet room as he sank deeper into the embrace of his office chair.

Tonight was no different from any other. The Fullstop Office had long since wrapped up its operations for the day. The sterile glow of the overhead lights illuminated the empty room solely for him.

Hong Lu gazed at the neatly stacked contracts in his hands, idly shuffling through them without much focus. His shoulders slumped, his half-lidded eyes heavy with fatigue. Silence aided his mind in wandering thoughts. He recalls how far he'd come - running his own fixer office, building something that felt uniquely his. His lips curled into a soft smile as he is reminded of all the faces he's met.

Especially yours.

Hong Lu couldn’t deny it—he was fond of you. He often found himself lingering on your words, curious about your thoughts and well-being. Sometimes, he even wondered how you saw him, beyond your shared roles as colleagues.

Yet, his heart carried another quiet burden. He was free from the direct care of the Jia family, but not their wealth. The taboo surrounding firearms in the city made his office's expenses astronomical. He was forced to rely on his family’s immense fortune to keep the office running. Hong Lu realised that even then, he could never cut ties with them completely.

But then, he would remind himself: without this office, he wouldn’t have met you. Somehow, you had become a light in the darkness of his constrained world, a balm to his restless soul.

The sound of your familiar footsteps echoed down the hallway, sharp and deliberate, prompting him out of his train of thought. Hong Lu straightened in his chair, brushing a strand of dark blue hair from his face as wooden door creaked open. His heterochromatic eyes immediately met yours.

“{{user}}~ What brings you here at this hour?” he asked, amusement lacing his tone as his lips curved into a welcoming smile.