invitation to eat hotpot {edited}

Ever since their encounter in the lift, Vesna and Ziyan would often cross paths with one another, mostly at the same lift they were locked in. Just like today, when Vesna had just come back from the office when she ran into Ziyan in the elevator. Beside him was a man that she assumed was his secretary. They both were talking about something but the moment they saw Vesna enter the elevator, they both stopped. Vesna didn't pay any attention and instead greeted Ziyan. 

"Good evening." Ziyan was the one who greeted her first.

Samuel's jaw nearly dropped as he looked at his boss with a baffled expression wondering if he heard him right. 

"Good evening," Vesna replied, not bothering to ask how he knew it was her.

She had long abandoned that question out of her mind. It seemed like Ziyan always recognized her whenever she was around. She had heard that when a person got blind, their other senses would sharpen and assumed that was the case with him as well. 

"You seem to have company today," Vesna said, eyeing Samuel who was now looking at Vesna as if she was some kind of goddess. Well, she actually looked like one but his real reasoning was that his boss had taken the liberty to talk to her. 

The man beside Ziyan seemed to snap out of his daze at her words. He straightened his already impeccable posture and cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes. Samuel Pang," he introduced himself, his voice carrying a mix of professionalism and barely concealed excitement. "I'm Mr. Luo's secretary. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss...?"

"Vesna," she supplied with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Samuel."

Vesna's gaze shifted from Samuel back to Ziyan. 

"Ziyan, I was wondering... would you like to have hot pot tonight?" she began, "I've been craving it all day and picked up some ingredients on my way home, but I think I might have gone a bit overboard. There's far too much for just me, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste."

Samuel's eyes widened in surprise, darting between Vesna and his boss. He held his breath, anticipating Ziyan's usual refusal only to hear his boss agree. 

"Okay," Ziyan said simply, a small smile playing on his lips.

The single word sent a jolt of surprise through Samuel. He blinked rapidly, convinced he must have misheard.

Vesna's face lit up. "Wonderful! I promise you won't regret it. My hot pot skills are legendary."

Ziyan chuckled softly. "If you say so."

"I'll see you both in an hour at my place,"

The elevator chimed, signalling their arrival at their floor.

"See you soon, then," Vesna said, casting a final glance at both men before heading towards her apartment.

Samuel stood in the corridor, watching as Vesna closed the door behind her. His mind raced with a mix of confusion and curiosity. He turned to Ziyan, who stood a few steps away and was about to voice his questions when Ziyan interrupted.

"You can head home now. And tell grandma I'll meet her tomorrow instead."

Samuel's mouth opened slightly, but he quickly closed it. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation.

With a nod, Samuel muttered, "Goodnight, Mr. Luo," and started to walk towards the elevator, casting one last glance at the door of Vesna's apartment.

Just as they had decided, the doorbell of Vesna's apartment chimed an hour later. She opened the door to find Ziyan standing there, dressed in a black hoodie and black sweatpants. Vesna paused, her eyes taking in his outfit before glancing down at her own casual attire - an oversized black shirt tucked into black sweatpants.

A chuckle escaped her lips. "Would you look at that? We're practically wearing couple outfits."

Ziyan's lips quirked up in a small smile, having noticed the similarity himself. 

"Come on in," Vesna said, stepping aside to let him enter.

Without hesitation, she reached out and took his hand to guide him to the dining table. 

Through his dark glasses, Ziyan eyes fixed on their interlocked hands. It had been a long time since anyone had touched him so casually, so naturally.

This was not the first time she had held his hand though. Whenever they would cross paths outside, she would often hold him to guide him around. It was as if it had become her habit.

Ziyan was not totally blind and could actually see, though not as clear as other people but he did not tell it to Vesna. In fact, not many people were aware of this truth besides his parents, his grandmother, and his younger brother. 

Vesna led him through her apartment. The layout was similar to his own, but the atmosphere felt entirely different. Where his place was in dark shades, stark and minimalistic, hers seemed to pulse with life and warmth.

Once they reached the dining area, Vesna gently guided Ziyan to a chair. "Have a seat. I'll get everything ready for us."

Soon, the rich aroma of spices and herbs filled the air, the hot pot simmering between them. Vesna had even brought out a few cans of beer.

"Here, let me help you," Vesna said, carefully placing some items into Ziyan's bowl. "Be careful, it's hot."

Ziyan took a tentative bite and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. "This is... really good." 

Vesna beamed. "I told you my hot pot skills were legendary!" 

While they ate, Vesna kept up a steady stream of conversation. Ziyan mostly listened, occasionally offering short comments or asking brief questions. Eventually, the hot pot was emptied, and the beer cans were drained. Ziyan stood, thanking Vesna for the meal.

"It was my pleasure," Vesna said warmly, walking him to the door. "We should do this again sometime."

Ziyan nodded, a small smile on his face as he left.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the bright smile on Vesna's face slowly faded. She stood there for a moment, her expression becoming unreadable. Then, she strode to her home office. 

Inside the office, Vesna approached the bookshelf along one wall. She placed her hand on its edge and pushed. The bookshelf smoothly slid to the side, revealing a wall covered in pictures, documents, and red strings.

In the middle, on one side was a family portrait of the Xiao family. Beside it were two were two more photographs, each of a different man. Surrounding these central images were dozens more pictures, sticky notes, and scraps of paper, all interconnected with red strings.

Vesna's eyes scanned the wall, eventually landing on a photograph of Ziyan Luo. A red string connected his picture to the Xiao family portrait. 

In this world, nothing was a coincidence. Every moment was planned by Vesna from the moment she stepped into city S. Living in the same building, meeting in the elevator for the first time and the elevator breaking down. Yes, even the elevator breaking down was her play. She was using her phone at that time and if someone had looked closely, they might have noticed that she had hacked into the building security and shut down the elevator herself. She didn't expect Ziyan to get anxious, though, but she was not complaining. Holding his hand for an entire hour was the cherry on top of everything she had planned.

After that, everything was child play.

Vesna stared at his picture on the wall. It was a couple of years old before his accident happened. He was not wearing the glasses and had a playful look on his face. She reached her index finger and moved it in the air as if she were tracing the contour of his face.

"Sorry to drag you in this, Ziyan," she said in a low voice.