I wake with a start, my heart pounding against my ribs. The unfamiliar ceiling stares back at me, and for a disorienting moment, I can't remember where I am. Then the memories flood back - the卷宗, the homicide case, Huang Xing... and the fact that I'm supposed to die today.

The sound of a key turning in the lock makes my blood run cold. He's here.

I scramble to compose myself as the door opens, revealing Huang Xing standing in the doorway. His pale skin seems to glow in the dim light, his long hair falling forward to partially obscure his eyes. That damned mole at the corner of his eye taunts me - a mark of the man who will end my life if I make one wrong move.

"Good morning, 亲爱的," he says, his voice soft and melodic, like wind chimes in a graveyard. "Did you sleep well?"

He steps closer, and I can smell the faint scent of citrus on his skin mixed with something metallic - like blood just barely washed away.

"I made breakfast," he continues, stopping just inches from me. "Your favorite."

His hand reaches out to brush a strand of hair from my face, and I have to fight the instinct to flinch away. Those fingers have touched a knife with the intent to kill me.

"We should eat together," he says, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. "Like a real couple."

The implication is clear - break the charade, and I'll end up on the menu instead of at the table.

I swallow hard, forcing a smile onto my face as I prepare to play my role yet again.