A new customer started coming to Second Chapter bookstore.
He was in his early thirties, casually dressed, with an easy smile. He came in three days in a row, always browsing the mystery section, always buying one or two paperbacks.
"You have excellent taste," he said to Wanyin on the third day. His name was Zhang Wei, according to the credit card he used. "This place is a hidden gem."
"Mrs. Zhou has been running it for thirty years," Wanyin said, keeping her voice professional. "She knows books."
"And you? Are you a reader?"
"I'm learning to be."
He smiled at that. "Learning to be a reader. I like that. Most people either are or aren't. Nice to meet someone discovering it fresh."
After he left, Mrs. Zhou came over. "Be careful with that one."
"What do you mean?"
"Men don't come to a used bookstore three days running unless they're interested in more than books. And you, my dear, are not in a position to be interested back."
"I wasn't being interested! I was just being professional!"
"I know. I'm just saying. Stay professional. Don't let him get too friendly."
But Zhang Wei kept coming back. Every few days, like clockwork. He'd browse, chat briefly with Wanyin about books, buy something, and leave.
He seemed harmless. Normal even.
Which was exactly why Wanyin didn't trust it.
On his sixth visit, he invited her to coffee.
"There's a place around the corner. Best coffee in Hangzhou. My treat."
"I'm working."
"After work then?"
"I can't."
"Can't or won't?" His smile was still friendly but there was something underneath it now. Persistence.
"Both."
He held up his hands in surrender. "Fair enough. I can take a hint. But if you change your mind, I'm here most days around two."
After he left, Wanyin's stomach was in knots.
That night she told Dr. Wang about it.
"A man is showing interest in you and you're afraid. Why?"
"Because it feels like a trick. Like he's too nice, too persistent. What if Shen Jingwei sent him?"
"Is that likely?"
"I don't know! That's the problem! I don't know what he's capable of. I don't remember!"
Dr. Wang made a note. "So we're dealing with paranoia rooted in uncertainty. That's normal for your situation. But Wanyin, you can't assume every person with interest is a threat. That's just another form of isolation."
"So what am I supposed to do? Trust everyone?"
"No. Trust your instincts. If something feels off about this man, avoid him. But if he seems genuinely interested and harmless, you're allowed to acknowledge that without acting on it."
"I don't want to date anyone. I can barely function as it is."
"Then don't date. But don't close yourself off completely either. Human connection is important for healing."
Easy for her to say. She wasn't being hunted.
The man in the dark jacket was back.
Wanyin saw him twice more over the next week. Once across from the bookstore. Once near the bus stop she used.
Same jacket. Same too-still posture.
She started varying her routes more. Taking different buses. Leaving work at different times. But it felt futile. If Shen Jingwei had hired surveillance, they'd adapt.
"You need to tell the police," Sister Mei said when Wanyin reported the sightings. "This is stalking. It's illegal."
"And say what? A man was standing on a public street? They'll laugh at me."
"Not if we document it. Photos, times, locations. Build a pattern."
So Wanyin started taking pictures. Blurry, distant shots of the man in the dark jacket. It felt inadequate but it was something.
Meanwhile, Zhang Wei kept coming to the bookstore.
"Mystery recommendation?" he asked one day.
Despite herself, Wanyin found herself talking to him about books. About plots and twists and unreliable narrators.
"You should read this one," she said, handing him a worn paperback. "The twist at the end is incredible."
"Have you read it?"
"Three times. Each time I notice new clues I missed before."
"Sounds like life," Zhang Wei said. "Going back over memories and seeing things you didn't catch the first time."
Something about the way he said that made Wanyin pause. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing deep. Just that perspective changes things. What seemed romantic at the time might look different years later. What seemed dangerous might have been safe. Vice versa."
He was still smiling but there was something in his eyes. Something knowing.
"Do I know you?" Wanyin asked suddenly.
"I don't think so. Why?"
"You feel familiar. Like I've met you before."
"Maybe in another life." He paid for his book and left.
Wanyin stood there, her heart racing.
That had felt like a message. Like he was trying to tell her something.
She called Sister Mei during her break.
"Something's wrong. I think Zhang Wei might be connected to Shen Jingwei."
"The regular customer? What makes you think that?"
"Just a feeling. The way he talks. Like he knows more than he's saying."
"Do you want me to have someone look into him?"
"Can you do that?"
"I have contacts. Former police, social workers. People who owe me favors. Give me his full name and any details you remember."
Wanyin provided everything she knew, which wasn't much. Zhang Wei, early thirties, paid with credit card, interested in mysteries.
"I'll see what I can find," Sister Mei said. "In the meantime, stay professional with him. Don't engage beyond work necessities."
But the next day, Zhang Wei didn't come to the bookstore.
Or the day after.
Or the day after that.
On the fourth day of his absence, Wanyin found a note tucked into one of the books she was shelving.
"You're right to be suspicious. But I'm not who you think I am. If you want answers, meet me at Lingyin Temple tomorrow at noon. Come alone. -ZW"
Her hands shook holding the note.
A trap. It had to be a trap.
But what if it wasn't? What if he actually had information?
She showed the note to Mrs. Zhou.
"Absolutely not. You don't go meet strange men alone. That's kidnapping 101."
"But what if he knows something? About Shen Jingwei, about the accident?"
"Then he can tell you in a public place with witnesses. Not a temple where anything could happen."
Wanyin knew she was right. But the curiosity was eating at her.
That night she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about the note. About Zhang Wei's knowing looks. About the possibility that he had answers.
By morning, she'd made a decision.
She was going to the temple.
But not alone. She'd bring backup. Someone Shen Jingwei wouldn't recognize.
She asked Xiao Ling during breakfast.
"You want me to come with you to possibly confront your psycho ex's spy?" Xiao Ling asked. "Are you insane?"
"Probably. But I need to know what he knows. And I can't go alone."
"What do I get out of this?"
"My eternal gratitude?"
"How about dinner for a week?"
"Done."
So at 11:45am the next day, Wanyin and Xiao Ling took the bus to Lingyin Temple.
The temple was crowded with tourists and worshippers. Incense smoke hung thick in the air. Stone buddhas watched from every corner.
"How will you recognize him?" Xiao Ling asked.
"He'll recognize me."
They waited near the main hall. Noon came and went. No Zhang Wei.
"He's not coming," Xiao Ling said after twenty minutes. "This was a waste of time."
But then Wanyin saw him. Not Zhang Wei.
Shen Jingwei.
He was standing about thirty feet away, watching her. Wearing a dark suit even in the heat. His expression was unreadable.
"That's him," Wanyin whispered.
"The ex?"
"Yes."
"Okay. We leave. Right now. Come on." Xiao Ling grabbed her arm.
But Shen Jingwei was already walking toward them.
"Wanyin," he said. Just her name. Like that explained everything.
"Stay away from me."
"We need to talk."
"No we don't. I have nothing to say to you."
People were starting to stare. A monk approached, concerned.
"Is everything alright?"
"Fine," Shen Jingwei said smoothly. "Just a misunderstanding with my girlfriend."
"I'm not his girlfriend," Wanyin said quickly. "I don't know this man."
"Wanyin, don't be dramatic. You're not well. The amnesia has confused you—"
"The amnesia has cleared things up perfectly. Now get away from me or I'll scream."
Shen Jingwei's expression hardened. "You really want to make a scene? In front of all these people?"
"If that's what it takes."
They stood there, deadlocked. The monk looked between them nervously.
Then Xiao Ling pulled out her phone. "I'm calling the police. This is harassment."
"Do it," Shen Jingwei said. "I'll just tell them she needs medical attention. That she's not mentally competent to make decisions. I have doctors who will back me up."
"You can't do that," Wanyin said but her voice shook.
"I can do anything I want. You should know that by now." He took a step closer. "Come home, Wanyin. Stop this nonsense. You're not built for this life. You need me."
"I need you gone."
"Then you'll keep waiting. Because I'm not going anywhere. Not until you remember who you belong to."
A security guard appeared, drawn by the commotion.
"Sir, you need to leave. You're disturbing other visitors."
Shen Jingwei looked at Wanyin one more time. "This isn't over. We'll talk again soon. Whether you want to or not."
Then he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Wanyin's legs gave out. Xiao Ling caught her before she hit the ground.
"Breathe," Xiao Ling was saying. "Just breathe. He's gone."
But he wasn't gone. Not really.
He'd found her. Knew where she was.
And next time, she might not get away.