Hostages

Zhao Lifei turned towards Huo Qiudong and said, "Can you enter two minutes after me?"

Her strange request severely confused him, inclining him to quirk up his brows. He turned to face the black sliding door with design works resembling the gates found in Buckingham Palace. There were the same orange and red hues that were also present back at the elevator.

"Sure?" Huo Qiudong's response came out more like a question.

Zhao Lifei didn't care about his hesitation. "Alright, perfect. I'll enter first." She opened the door by the tiniest crack, stepped in, and closed the door shut behind her.

Yang Ruqin was sipping on a gradient yellow and orange mimosa when Zhao Lifei came in. She had already had two glasses, making her tipsy too early in the morning. "Hey, I was wondering where you were. You're ten minutes late."

"Well, you certainly found a way to entertain yourself in those ten minutes." Zhao Lifei warily glanced at the empty glass beside Qinqin.