My heart, once filled with hope, now hung suspended in a chasm of anxiety. Why wasn't she here? Had she not understood what I meant on the phone yesterday? Or had something delayed her? Or maybe… A terrible restlessness seized me, and I even began to suspect the unthinkable: could Deng Jiazhe have bought off Zhou Haizhen? After all, thanks to me, she and Deng Jiazhe were on pretty good terms, and I hadn't seen him at all the entire day. I tossed and turned all night, sleepless. If even Zhou Haizhen wouldn't lend a hand, who was left to trust? The more I thought, the deeper my helplessness grew, and I stared at the ceiling until the first light of dawn. Just as drowsiness finally began to claim me, a commotion downstairs jolted me awake. It sounded like someone had arrived. A flicker of joy ignited within me—could it be Zhou Haizhen? I strained my ears, but the voices were male, more than one it seemed. The sounds drifted up from downstairs, muffled and intermittent, for a long while before they started moving up the stairs. The men were talking as they ascended, but I couldn't make out a single word. Suddenly, my door swung open. I shot upright in bed, startled. I saw Zhao Mingzhen walk in, followed by a man in a workman's uniform, a toolbox slung over his shoulder. They had been talking as they entered, but their conversation cut off the instant they saw me. The workman froze, his eyes wide with shock. I figured he mustn't have expected anyone to be in the room, or perhaps my haggard appearance had startled him. Zhao Mingzhen recovered quickly. "The lady of the house is ill," she explained. "It's best not to disturb her! Do you… have to check every room?" The man tore his gaze from me and nodded, his tone firm. "Yes. Every one." Then he backed out of the room. "What's going on?" I asked Zhao Mingzhen urgently. "Who are they?" She glanced at me, her expression flat. "The residential community's property management. They're doing a circuit check. Just lie down." An "oh" escaped my lips, and I sank back against the pillows, a fresh wave of disappointment washing over me. It made sense, of course. The power had gone out yesterday, so an inspection was bound to happen. Zhao Mingzhen pulled the door partially shut as she left, her voice sharp as she addressed the man outside. "Be careful, don't touch anything! Why is this such a hassle? It's not like the fault is even in our house!" I heard the man reply, "We have to check everything, ma'am. To see if the wiring is aging, look for any improper connections... rule out any hazards. We have to go room by room. Don't worry, it won't take long." A cry from Sanbao echoed from downstairs. Zhao Mingzhen’s voice became frantic. "Hurry up! And don't you dare touch anything in here! That's the study—just take a quick look. I need to go downstairs for a second… just be quick!" Then I heard her footsteps hurrying down the stairs. I had to admit, she was devoted to Sanbao. Just then, the door was thrown open again. I flinched, my eyes darting to the doorway, and saw the same workman rushing toward my bed… He burst through the door and moved so quickly that a scream caught in my throat, but he silenced me with a hushed, urgent whisper. "Shh! Don't make a sound!" He flipped open his toolbox, pulled out a cell phone, and thrust it into my hand. "From Zhou Haizhen," he breathed. And with that, he turned and was gone. Stunned, I stared at the empty doorway where he'd been moments before. My fingers closed around the phone, and I quickly shoved it deep beneath the covers. I looked fearfully toward the door, still reeling, my heart hammering against my ribs with a painful, frantic beat. Haizhen. It was someone from Zhou Haizhen! In that instant, a wave of pure ecstasy washed over me, so powerful I almost burst into tears. Finally. Someone was here to help me. I could finally contact the outside world. I lay there, trembling, forcing the tears back. A new strength surged through me. Having this phone was like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart.