Ficorpio
Chapter 1
A beautiful woman came into my repair shop at seven that evening.
While I worked, I discreetly installed The Watcher Spyware on her phone. I even hid the app icon from her home screen.
It took me an hour to replace the shattered display. Once the phone was working again, she paid me, thanked me, and left.
The moment she stepped outside, I pulled out my own phone and opened Victor Hale’s Remote Monitoring Terminal.
The live feed from her phone appeared at once, crisp and clear.
I could see everything on her screen.
The thrill of watching someone else’s life unfold before me had always fascinated me. I was addicted to it.
Until late that night…
I saw something that made my blood run cold.
It was 8:02 p.m.
I watched the woman summon a car through a ride-share app.
The pickup location was automatically set to the entrance of my shop.
Her destination was Juyuan Residential Community.
I lifted my head and looked outside. From where I stood, I had a perfect view of her back as she waited by the roadside.
She had a graceful figure and long, elegant lines. The night wind caught the edge of her skirt and lifted it slightly. Under the streetlamp, her slender shoulders swayed in a pale arc.
I ran my thumb over the phone screen, a smile curling at the corner of my mouth.
Juyuan Residential Community. I knew that place well.
It wasn’t far from here. Looks like I was going to have plenty of fun from now on.
A beautiful woman like her, living alone…
Who knew how many secrets might be hidden inside her phone?
8:04 p.m.
The woman closed the rideshare app on her phone and switched to her messaging app. Then she opened the chat pinned at the top of her inbox.
She had saved the contact as “Adrian.”
Her fingers flew across the keyboard.
[My phone was damaged before. I just got it repaired.]
The reply came almost instantly.
[I was wondering why you hadn’t answered any of my messages.]
[I thought something had happened to you!]
The woman sent back a cute hugging GIF, then added:
[I’m heading home now. Waiting for my ride. Are you off work yet?]
Adrian’s response appeared a moment later.
[I’m still working late. I might not be able to come over until later.]
[Be careful on the way. Message me when you get home.]
She replied with a single word.
[Okay.]
Then she closed the messaging app.
The rideshare screen popped back up. At the top, it displayed:
[Your driver is 1.4 miles away. Estimated arrival: 5 minutes.]
…
When I saw that, I curled my lip. A flicker of displeasure passed through me.
Adrian?
It sounded like a man’s name. So she wasn’t single.
That was disappointing.
Still, it didn’t matter. They didn’t seem to live together.
Chapter 2
And couples’ conversations were always more interesting. Who knew? I might even get to see some private flirting.
8:05 p.m.
Maybe waiting for her ride had gotten boring.
Claire opened a lifestyle app. The first recommendation on her feed was an “Autumn and Winter Makeup Tutorial.”
She tapped it and enlarged one of the photos for a closer look at the influencer’s eye makeup. After studying it for a dozen seconds, she swiped away.
The next post was titled “Safety Tips for Women Living Alone.”
It listed ways to prevent break-ins and avoid being followed.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she saved it. Then she typed a comment beneath the post:
“Saving this. You really can’t be too careful when you live alone!”
But she paused and deleted the words. In their place, she posted a simple thumbs-up sticker.
…
I stared at the screen and gave a quiet scoff.
The way she had deleted that comment made it seem as though she was afraid of revealing that she lived alone—as though she were deliberately concealing the fact.
Still, it reminded me of something.
She lived by herself, yet she was this cautious.
Clearly, she was nothing like the meek, harmless little lamb she appeared to be.
8:09 p.m.
The ride-share app appeared on the screen again.
A call interface popped up right after it.
The caller ID showed the ride-share driver’s virtual number.
Thirty seconds later, the call ended.
The phone screen abruptly went black.
She had obviously pressed the lock button.
I looked up at the door again.
A ride-share car had just pulled over at the curb.
The woman got in, closed the door, and left.
The car quickly merged into the darkness and vanished at the end of the street.
…
I stared at the black screen on The Watcher.
Something stirred beneath the surface of my thoughts.
Because the real show was just beginning.
Once she got home and let down her guard, the world inside her phone would finally become interesting.
8:10 p.m.
The woman’s phone screen lit up again.
The display opened directly to WeChat.
She sent Adrian a message:
[I’m in the car.]
The screen switched to the ride-share app. Claire refreshed the vehicle’s live location, then opened the trip-sharing option and sent Adrian the link.
A moment later, she switched to a food-delivery app.
She opened her Favorites and scrolled through the hot-pot restaurants she’d ordered from before. After hesitating for a few seconds, she backed out and searched for “healthy salad” instead.
She filtered the results to show restaurants offering free delivery, then opened the one with the highest sales.
She ordered a chicken-breast-and-vegetable salad and two unsweetened soy milks.
The delivery address was Apartment 604, Building 4, Juyuan Residential Community.
In the instructions field, she typed:
[Light on the sauce. Two sets of utensils. Please leave the order outside the door without knocking. Thank you.]
Chapter 3
After the payment went through, she sent Adrian a screenshot of the order.
[Having a light dinner tonight. Want to come over after work and eat with me?]
Adrian replied almost at once with a crying-and-drooling emoji.
[Ugh. They added a report at the last minute. I have to work until ten. Eat first when the delivery gets there.]
…
When I reached that point, I instinctively glanced at the clock on the wall.
Then I went over the woman’s address again.
Apartment 604, Building 4, Juyuan Residential Community.
A thrill of delight ran through me.
Two sets of utensils?
So Adrian really was planning to come over tonight.
All the better. Once the two of them were together, I might get to “watch” something even more exciting.
I ran my tongue over my lips, my anticipation growing sharper by the second.
8:30 p.m.
The woman’s phone screen lit up again.
A notification from the rideshare app appeared: DESTINATION REACHED.
The trip details showed that she had arrived at the south entrance of Juyuan Residential Community. The final fare was $12.80.
She opened the payment screen and entered her passcode: 925741.
Once the payment went through, the phone went dark again.
…
I repeated the six digits twice in my head, then carved them into my memory.
They could come in handy someday.
I lifted the glass in my hand, rubbing my fingertips back and forth along its rim. Then I closed my eyes and imagined the woman entering the complex and making her way into the building.
Slow, easy footsteps, carrying the night’s chill with them.
8:33 p.m.
The woman’s phone screen lit up again.
She opened her messaging app and sent Adrian a text:
I’m home.
He replied at once.
Good. I’ll be off work soon.
Remember to lock the door behind you. Don’t open it for strangers.
She answered with a thumbs-up sticker.
Then, almost as an afterthought, she opened the app’s step counter. She glanced at the day’s total: 8,627 steps.
She swiped down twice to refresh her friends’ rankings.
…
My heart sank when I saw that.
Lock the door behind you?
Adrian was certainly thorough.
I instinctively slowed my breathing. My finger tapped the controls on the Watcher terminal, and my eyes swept over the string of numbers glowing on the screen.
8,627 steps?
She’d been busy today.
Where had she gone?
Hiking?
8:36 p.m.
Claire opened her social media app.
The top story on the trending list was about a celebrity whose career had just collapsed in scandal.
She tapped it and browsed for a while, then left a comment beneath the post:
“What a mess that industry is.”
A moment later, she exited the app and switched to her music player.
She opened a playlist called Late-Night Healing Songs and set it to shuffle.
Lyrics pulsed across the screen:
【The evening breeze drifts across the windowsill. Who are you waiting to wish good night?】
Claire turned up the volume slightly, then returned to her home screen.
After swiping through it for a moment, she opened a rental app.