The Stalker’s Demand

Shen Lanzhi’s hands paused for a moment. “Livestreaming?”

“Yes, a streamer,” Xiang Qing admitted, a hint of embarrassment coloring her tone, as the profession often carried an unconventional air. “The income isn’t very stable, but it’s certainly better than starving.”

Shen Lanzhi turned around, a flicker of apology gracing her features. “In that case, for the days you’re not livestreaming, I’ll pay you a salary.”

“Huh?” Xiang Qing froze, taken aback. “How could I possibly accept…?”

“What’s there to be shy about?” Shen Lanzhi chuckled, her smile effortless. “I’ll pay you five hundred yuan a day to look after me, how does that sound?”

Xiang Qing’s breath hitched.

Five hundred yuan a day?

When she used to livestream, on a good day she might earn three or four hundred, but on a bad day, she wouldn’t even make a hundred.

Of course, there were times later when she earned tens of thousands, all thanks to Gu Wei.

Unfortunately, Gu Wei was a pervert, and Xiang Qing could no longer accept money from her.

Now, just for looking after someone, she could earn five hundred—it felt like manna from heaven.

“Really?” Xiang Qing’s voice trembled slightly.

“Of course it’s real,” Shen Lanzhi replied, her smile radiant. “I’m not short on a little money like this.”

Xiang Qing nodded almost instantly, eagerly agreeing. “Alright! It’s settled then!”

The awkwardness she had felt moments ago vanished without a trace.

‘She didn’t care why Shen Lanzhi was offering such a high wage; as long as there was money to be made, it was fine.’

Watching Xiang Qing’s excitement, a glint of satisfaction flickered in Shen Lanzhi’s eyes.

‘So, the girl only cares about money,’ she thought.

‘If I had known this, I wouldn’t have had to go to so much trouble.’

****

After consuming the bowl of dark, bitter traditional medicine, Shen Lanzhi soon grew drowsy and retreated to her room to sleep.

Only Xiang Qing remained in the living room, the incessant clanking of glass being replaced in her own apartment next door grating on her nerves.

Unable to sit still, she noticed the trash bag in the corner was full, so she tied it shut and carried it out.

A row of green trash cans stood beside the greenbelt in the old residential community.

Xiang Qing had just tossed the trash bag inside when, before she could even turn, a powerful force struck her from behind. A pair of arms clamped around her waist, their grip so immense that it instantly stole her breath.

“I told you to hide! Keep hiding, then! Let’s see where else you can run!”

A frantic yet familiar voice exploded beside her ear; it was Gu Wei.

Every hair on Xiang Qing’s body stood on end.

People were coming and going in the community, and several elderly residents out for a stroll had already paused, casting curious glances their way.

To be held like this in broad daylight, under so many watchful eyes, was more than Xiang Qing, even with her thick skin, could bear—especially since the person holding her was a madwoman.

She dared not struggle, fearing she might provoke Gu Wei, and could only lower her voice, pleading as quickly as she could.

“Sister! Sister Gu Wei! Please calm down! Let’s talk this through. I won’t run, I won’t scream, and I certainly won’t call the police. Can we just find somewhere to talk properly?”

Gu Wei seemed not to hear, instead tightening her arms and burying her face in Xiang Qing’s neck, sniffing almost pathologically. “Talk about what? What do you have to offer when you owe me so much?”

“Pay me back!” Gu Wei’s voice suddenly rose, sharp with a hint of grievance. “Return the money I spent on you!”

Xiang Qing’s scalp prickled. “You tipped me over eight hundred thousand, but the livestreaming platform takes half, and then there’s tax… after all the deductions, there really wasn’t much left for me…”

“I don’t care!” Gu Wei suddenly lifted her head, her eyes bloodshot and predatory. “I only want you! If you don’t come with me, we’ll die here together today!”

Xiang Qing’s heart was pounding against her ribs.

She had no doubt Gu Wei would follow through on her threat.

The murmurs around them grew louder, and Xiang Qing’s mind raced, a flicker of clarity piercing through her despair.

She suddenly relaxed her body, speaking in a tone almost designed to soothe. “Sister, listen to me. I’m just a nobody; if I die, I die. But you’re different, you’re so rich. It would be such a waste for you to die with me, wouldn’t it?”

Gu Wei’s movements indeed faltered.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiang Qing pressed on, her voice now carrying a hint of enticement:

“How about this? I definitely can’t pay back the money. But I can take a set of exclusive photos for you—photos that I… specifically take for you. How does that sound?”

The arms clamped around her waist abruptly loosened.

Xiang Qing looked back to see Gu Wei frozen in place, her bloodshot eyes, usually alight with madness, now showing a look of disbelief for the very first time.

“Specifically… for me?”

Xiang Qing nodded her head vigorously, like pounding garlic.

“Yes, specifically for you,” she reiterated, quick to add, lest Gu Wei doubt her, “and only you will ever see them.”

The arms around her waist finally released her completely.

Only then did Xiang Qing dare to discreetly observe Gu Wei.

In truth, the woman was quite attractive: fair-skinned, with delicate features, embodying the quintessential pampered young lady from a wealthy family.

‘What a pity,’ Xiang Qing mused, ‘her mind seems to be a bit… off.’

Xiang Qing inwardly scoffed. ‘If it were any normal person, being relentlessly pursued by such a beautiful, rich woman, they’d probably be overjoyed.’

‘But she was not.’

‘Interacting with people was too exhausting, and romance was the most troublesome of all troubles.’

‘She never wanted to touch ‘feelings’ again in this lifetime; she was afraid of the pain.’

Upon hearing the word “exclusive,” much of the madness in Gu Wei’s eyes receded, replaced by a triumphant ecstasy, a certainty of possession.

She smiled, a grin imbued with a morbid satisfaction.

“Wouldn’t it have been better if you’d been this obedient earlier?” Gu Wei reached out, her fingertips lightly tracing Xiang Qing’s cheek, a gesture both ambiguous and perilous. “If you can’t pay back the money, you can use something else as collateral. It’s only fair.”

Xiang Qing stood rigid, daring not to move, the cold sweat on her back already soaking through her thin T-shirt.

‘Finally, I’ve managed to temporarily calm this mad dog,’ she thought.

She quickly seized the opportunity, forcing out a smile that looked more like a grimace. “Well… I’ll need some time to prepare, won’t I? We can’t exactly take photos next to a trash can. The location, photographer, makeup—all of these need to be booked.”

She tried to make her tone sound professional and sincere. “Why don’t you find a hotel to stay in first? Once I’ve made all the arrangements, I’ll contact you immediately, alright?”

The moment the words left her lips, the smile vanished from Gu Wei’s face.

“Do you take me for a fool?”

Gu Wei’s gaze turned cold once more. “Wait for your arrangements? Wait for your message? And then you’ll pull another disappearing act on me?”

Xiang Qing’s heart, which had just settled, now leaped back into her throat.

“No! I absolutely won’t run!” she insisted, almost swearing. “If I ran, your photos would be gone, wouldn’t they? How could I possibly dare?”

“You have a point,” Gu Wei conceded, nodding gravely, then suddenly leaned in, their noses almost touching.

A heavy, cloying scent of perfume assailed Xiang Qing’s nostrils, making her dizzy.

Gu Wei then whispered softly into her ear, “To prevent you from running, you’ll need to leave me with collateral.”

“What… collateral?”

The curve of Gu Wei’s lips grew more sinister, and the words she uttered were like a bucket of ice water poured over Xiang Qing, chilling her from head to toe.

“Right now, using your phone, take a picture of yourself without clothes.”

All the blood in Xiang Qing’s body seemed to freeze at that moment.

“If you dare to pull any more tricks,” Gu Wei’s voice turned chillingly cold, “I’ll make sure this exclusive photoshoot of yours goes on a worldwide exhibition tour.”