Chapter 154: No Way Back on This Journey (4)
Before setting off, the weather forecast had clearly said it would be sunny today, yet now the sky looked as if a heavy storm was about to break. The air was thick and heavy, pressing down hard enough to make it hard to breathe.
When Zhang Wubing got out of the car, he looked up at the sky, confused, muttering to himself, Why does it look like it’s about to rain? That’s strange.
But he didn’t dwell on it for long, and the assistant director in charge of logistics didn’t think much of it either.
After all, during this season, weather changes like this were perfectly normal.
Besides, they were on the highway, and in a big coastal city like Binhai, it wasn’t uncommon to have sunshine in the east and pouring rain in the west. The assistant director simply assumed the weather forecast had only been off by region—nothing unusual.
The wind outside the car blew straight into Zhang Wubing’s clothes, cold as if it were drilling into his bones. He shivered, quickly raised his hands to tighten his jacket, then strode toward the middle-aged man who had been waving down cars.
“What’s wrong? Was there a car accident or something?”
Zhang Wubing glanced at the overturned vehicle behind the man and felt a bit at a loss.
Judging by the car’s condition, it had obviously been in use for years and was practically at the edge of being scrapped.
Now, after suffering such a violent crash, the whole frame had caved in. At first glance, it looked no different from a pile of useless scrap metal—completely beyond repair.
Even if Zhang Wubing wanted to ask the logistics team to take a look, there was nothing they could do.
“Is your phone out of battery? I can call a tow truck for you.”
As he spoke, Zhang Wubing approached the middle-aged man, already having made up his mind, and reached for his phone to make the call.
But to his shock, the man, who had just moments ago looked so anxious, suddenly had a drastic change in expression. Without warning, he slapped the phone right out of Zhang Wubing’s hand.
“What are you doing?!” Zhang Wubing exclaimed in surprise.
“No—no phone calls!” the man said, his face dark and tinged with a vicious edge that made him look almost feral for a moment.
Startled, Zhang Wubing instinctively took half a step back.
His phone landed on the asphalt nearby, but he was too alarmed to pick it up. He just stared at the man, momentarily at a loss.
The man was wearing a brand-new down jacket. Zhang Wubing caught a glimpse of the logo on it and immediately recognized it as an expensive brand, usually chosen by middle-income families.
But strangely, the way the man wore the coat looked awkward—maybe it was still too stiff from being new or simply didn’t fit right.
Initially, Zhang Wubing had rushed over to help because the coat was completely soaked in blood. The bright red stains had dyed the white coat almost entirely, making it seem like the man had suffered serious injuries.
But now, standing closer, Zhang Wubing slowly realized something wasn’t quite right—the man didn’t seem to be injured at all.
All the blood was only on the surface of the jacket.
The zipper wasn’t fastened—either because it didn’t fit or it was broken.
The shirt underneath was faded and worn, covered in little fabric pills that made it clear it had been used for many years. But it was clean—completely free of any blood.
Zhang Wubing couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about the whole situation felt deeply off.
After reacting so strongly to Zhang Wubing’s attempt to call for help, the man seemed to realize he’d gone too far. His expression shifted as he became aware of the suspicion on Zhang Wubing’s face.
He stepped forward, his rough hand clenching into a tight fist, his face twisting into a vicious scowl as if he were about to throw a punch at any moment.
Zhang Wubing instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, taking a defensive stance. “What are you doing?”
Panicked, he glanced over at the business van waiting not far away. “If you need help, I’ve got dozens of friends in that car.”
—Although Zhang Wubing had become a director, the people he interacted with daily were mostly sharp types from the entertainment industry. Even if they wanted to hurt someone, they’d do it behind the scenes, all while keeping up a friendly smile.
Protected by his family his whole life, this was the first time Zhang Wubing had faced someone so openly hostile, someone who exuded such a dangerous aura.
In a moment of desperation, he could only use his companions nearby as a bluff.
But it worked. The middle-aged man, who had looked like he was about to act, hesitated, then quickly backed off.
“No, it’s nothing. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
To protect the guests’ safety and privacy, the windows of the business van were all tinted—nothing could be seen from outside. Only the driver in the front seat could faintly make out some shapes through the windshield.
The man nervously glanced at the van several times. Though he couldn’t see exactly how many people were inside, he could tell there was more than one vehicle. Reluctantly, he lowered his hand and backed down.
The people in the business car who had been keeping an eye on Zhang Wubing gradually began to notice something was wrong.
“That’s strange. Why does the director look a bit scared?”
Zhao Zhen, who was sitting near the front, squinted his eyes and said uncertainly, “It seems like they had some kind of physical confrontation.”
Before Zhao Zhen could say anything else, a gust of wind suddenly swept past him.
Yan Shixun walked past Zhao Zhen, casually grabbing his dark green coat off the hanger, and with a swift motion, he slung it over his shoulder.
He didn’t say a word. Stepping down from the car in his Martin boots, he walked with a calm and serious expression toward Zhang Wubing.
The middle-aged man was still trying to explain his situation to Zhang Wubing, telling him that he had been too anxious earlier and didn’t mean to scare him.
Zhang Wubing was half convinced but didn’t think much of it. He said, “Let me make a call for you. Your car’s in really bad shape, and I can’t help you fix it.”
The middle-aged man quickly stepped closer to Zhang Wubing, blocking his attempt to pick up the phone, but somehow, he accidentally stepped on it, making a loud “crack!”
“Oops, sorry about that. This phone must be worth hundreds, looks pretty expensive.”
Under Zhang Wubing’s wide-eyed stare, the middle-aged man seemed to snap back to reality. He hurriedly bent down to pick up the phone, wiping the dirt off with his sleeve, and handed it back to Zhang Wubing with an apologetic look.
“I really don’t want to trouble you with the call. Just take me a little further ahead.”
When he mentioned money, his face showed some awkwardness. “Repairing the car is expensive. You don’t know, but when you call a tow truck on the highway, those guys will charge you an arm and a leg.”
“I’ll call a few friends to come and pick it up. This road doesn’t have much traffic, it won’t take long.”
Zhang Wubing looked sadly at the new phone in his hand, but he wasn’t the type to worry about money and wouldn’t ask for any compensation.
However, he immediately rejected the middle-aged man’s suggestion.
Not to mention the identities of the guests in the car, or the fact that they were in the middle of filming. The only reason they had stopped was because the man was covered in blood, and they were worried that no other car would pass by in this remote area, so they stopped to check.
The middle-aged man’s odd behavior earlier was enough to raise Zhang Wubing’s suspicion.
“This doesn’t seem right.”
Zhang Wubing said politely: “We’re not getting off the highway. If you’re going to a nearby village, we’re going in a different direction. If you think the tow truck is too expensive, you can call your friends to come pick you up… I can help you make a call.”
“No!”
The middle-aged man interrupted, raising his hand as if to grab Zhang Wubing’s arm. “Why are you city folks so slow? I said just take me ahead. Can’t you understand?”
The middle-aged man’s face turned scary, his brows furrowed like a butcher.
Zhang Wubing instinctively stepped back.
But before the middle-aged man’s hand could even touch Zhang Wubing’s clothes, there was a sharp “slap!” sound as the man’s wrist was firmly seized mid-air, not moving an inch.
The middle-aged man froze, his eyes wide in shock.
He then met a pair of eyes that seemed to brew a storm, cold and sharp.
“Try moving, I dare you.”
Yan Shixun’s voice was calm, and as he tightened his grip, the middle-aged man winced in pain, letting out a “hey hey” sound as the pain shot through his arm.
“We offered to help out of courtesy, but if you take advantage of that, it’s your fault.”
Yan Shixun’s tone remained steady, as cold as a biting wind. “If you have any bad intentions, I’ll break both your arms right now.”
“I can promise you that I’m capable of doing it.”
Yan Shixun’s and Zhang Wubing’s presence were on entirely different levels.
Having dealt with all kinds of people, Yan Shixun wasn’t naive enough to assume everyone had good intentions. He had frequently crossed paths with dangerous spirits and people carrying dark secrets, and even faced those with blood on their hands. Yet, with these dangerous figures, Yan Shixun could remain unflustered and assert his control with ease, reducing even the fiercest of threats to harmless insects.
Moreover, Yan Shixun had been training his body for years, and his muscles were solid and real. Anyone facing him would be more likely to solve problems through civilized means rather than resorting to violence.
The middle-aged man could feel the difference between Yan Shixun and Zhang Wubing, especially with his arm in Yan Shixun’s firm grasp, causing him pain so intense that he almost thought his bones were being broken.
Though he had no idea who this new young man was, his survival instincts told him: this man was not someone to provoke.
“I believe you, I believe you,” the middle-aged man whimpered. “You misunderstood me, I really wasn’t planning anything. I swear.”
“You saw it too, my car flipped over, and I got hurt. I just wanted you to help me get to the next place.”
Before Yan Shixun could speak, the middle-aged man started spilling everything, trying to get Yan Shixun to release his grip on his arm.
He really felt like his arm was going to break!
And the expression on the young man’s face told him that this was a dangerous character, someone who meant business.
The middle-aged man no longer dared to hesitate. His earlier foolish thoughts, seeing Zhang Wubing’s fancy clothes and car, were completely gone.
According to the middle-aged man, he had been driving home when suddenly, it seemed like he hit something, which caused his car to flip over.
He had been knocked unconscious from the impact.
Once he regained consciousness, it took him quite a while to climb out of the vehicle. His whole body ached from being tossed around during the crash, so he couldn’t even tell where exactly he was injured—he just knew his jacket was soaked with blood in multiple places.
“I was planning to flag down a passing car to take me back, but there are so few cars on this road. I waited for ages before yours finally came along.”
He put on a tragic tone. “If you leave me here to die, I really will die. Can’t you please have a little compassion and help me out?”
“My home is just ahead. Really. Just take the next highway exit and I’ll be there. It won’t take long at all.”
If it had been an ordinary person—someone even slightly soft-hearted—hearing such a plea for help, especially when it wouldn’t cost them much, they’d usually agree.
After all, the man wasn’t wrong. This was a desolate mountain area, with no towns nearby. His car was wrecked and he was injured. If no one was willing to help, he truly might die from not receiving timely medical attention.
But Yan Shixun’s expression remained cold. He let go of the man’s arm, which he’d been holding with tongs, and tossed it aside like he was throwing out the trash.
“Figure it out yourself.”
With that, Yan Shixun gave a short command, grabbed Zhang Wubing—who still looked reluctant and seemed about to speak up—and turned to leave without another glance.
The middle-aged man was stunned. “Hey? Hey! What’s wrong with you? Don’t you have any decency?!”
Yan Shixun paused for just a moment, then turned his head slightly, casting a chilling side glance at the man.
The man, who had just raised his voice indignantly, immediately deflated.
“No, I mean—look, bringing me along wouldn’t be hard for you guys. You just have to lift a finger to save me…”
Yan Shixun let out a cold laugh. “Sure. But I don’t feel like it.”
The man had not expected such bluntness and was completely dumbfounded.
“If you dare follow us, I’ll break your legs.”
Yan Shixun added in a low, dangerous tone. That threat was enough to make the man freeze in place.
Then Yan Shixun turned away, expressionless, with Zhang Wubing in tow.
The van doors closed. At Yan Shixun’s instruction, the driver started the vehicle, driving right past the middle-aged man and the overturned car beside him.
The car’s exhaust blew directly into the man’s face. No one stopped to help.
The man, fuming, pounded a fist on the nearby car and cursed.
Because of this brief episode, the atmosphere inside the van turned heavy.
Ever since Yan Shixun had dragged him back, Zhang Wubing had been silently cradling his phone like it was a wounded pet, visibly shaken, and hadn’t said a word.
Yan Shixun, meanwhile, still radiated the dominating aura he’d displayed just moments ago, making everyone else uneasy.
His expression was grim, and when the car passed by the injured man outside, he didn’t even glance toward the window.
The other guests were relatively calm. After several episodes, they had grown familiar with Yan Shixun’s temper. They knew he wasn’t exactly warm or easy-going, but he wasn’t the kind of person to be cold for no reason either.
Several guests had seen what happened. When Zhang Wubing was speaking with the injured man, his body language clearly showed some fear, and after returning, he had looked gloomy the entire time. Something had obviously happened back there.
But because the van had good sound insulation and they had been standing some distance away, they hadn’t heard the actual exchange.
So, though puzzled, the guests chose to remain silent.
A blanket of quiet spread through the van.
The only one who seemed happy was Jing Xiaobao.
He was terrified that Yan Shixun might notice the message from the show’s official coordinator and find out that he had been bored earlier and had roped someone into a game of hide-and-seek.
But judging from Yan Shixun’s current mood, his attention was clearly elsewhere. There was little chance he’d check his messages anytime soon.
Jing Xiaobao, who had previously been so nervous that his short legs had been squeezed tightly together, now began to happily swing them again.
But not everyone felt the same.
The new female guest had already heard that Yan Shixun had a bad temper—but she hadn’t expected him to be this coldhearted!
She had seen it clearly just now. That middle-aged man had been begging him, but Yan Shixun had rejected him with a face like stone. He even stopped the director, who had originally intended to help the man.
What kind of person was this?!
The female guest was fuming.
Her family came from a long line of performers. Her parents and grandparents were all in the entertainment industry, and her grandfather was even a distinguished veteran artist. Ever since her debut, the people around her naturally treated her with extra respect.
With the protection of her elders at home, her career had been smooth sailing.
Moreover, she was personally quite capable. She had been admitted into Binhai University’s Performing Arts Academy, one of the top four elite acting schools in the country. She had formal training and impeccable acting skills, winning numerous awards at a young age. So, in her world, everyone was kind, and eager to help her.
As a result, she naturally believed that people ought to help one another.
So when she first saw Yan Shixun acting like this, she naturally couldn’t swallow her anger.
Even though she was a little afraid of someone as unreasonable as Yan Shixun, and worried that he might hit her…
But the moment she thought of that poor person who needed help, she mustered her courage and angrily said, “That person needs help. Can’t you see it?”
The variety show celebrity, who had just been about to crack a joke and lighten the mood, suddenly froze like a chicken with its neck clamped. His eyes widened in shock as he turned to look at the female guest.
But the female guest simply thought the host was impressed by her courage to speak out for a stranger, and that made her even more fired up.
“And you—yes, you, Yan Shixun. Didn’t you see that person was injured? Why didn’t you help him? How could you be so indifferent?”
She fumed, “How can you be like this!”
The man she called out, Yan Shixun, slightly raised his eyelashes and calmly turned his head to look back.
Inside the vehicle, the silence was deathly still.
Even An Nanyuan, who had never imagined someone could say something like this before a livestream even started, was stunned.
He dazedly lifted his head and looked at the female guest sitting across the aisle. For a moment, he couldn’t even manage his facial expression. His face practically screamed: Where did this heroine come from? Is she really doing the whole ‘draw your sword to help the oppressed’ routine?
But the viewers in front of the livestream were conflicted—and then surprisingly, they started arguing.
[She’s not wrong, right? Brother Yan is terrifying right now. How could he be so cold and scary? I’m really heartbroken.]
[Yeah, that person was injured! I didn’t see it myself, but didn’t this girl just say so? That person needed help—why didn’t Brother Yan help him? I’m so disappointed in him.]
[Ha! So this is the guy you fans keep hyping up? Is helping someone that hard? What a joke.]
[I’m not so sure. When Director Zhang came back, he looked totally dejected, hugging his brand-new phone like a poor little puppy. Maybe that person broke his phone? Wasn’t it perfectly fine before he got out of the car?]
[Maybe that guy broke Director Zhang’s phone, which is why Brother Yan got so angry? I thought he and Director Zhang were really close.]
[Unfollowing! Yan Shixun is disgusting. Meanwhile, that girl—she’s beautiful and kind. Love her now!]
[Is a phone more important than a human life? You people are so selfish and cold. Do you really want our society to become heartless? Yan Shixun is already a menace to society. Can we report him? He’s setting a terrible example for kids.]
[??? Uh, okay, no need to slap such a heavy label on someone. At most, Brother Yan just looked the other way. How did that turn into “corrupting the youth”? What kind of mental gymnastics is that?]
[As an OG fan of Yan, I’ll just smile and stay quiet. I don’t know what really happened, but I believe Brother Yan had his reasons.]
[Same here. I haven’t been his fan for long, but I’m not blind or brain-dead. To all of you who unfollowed so easily or fell for someone else—seriously, just stop idolizing anyone. Like Brother Yan said, go study instead. The internet clearly isn’t for you.]
Zhang Wubing looked at the live chat on his tablet and belatedly remembered—because everything had happened so suddenly, no one had expected the driver to slam the brakes. He himself had only gotten off the car instinctively after seeing someone calling for help.
So, the livestream camera really hadn’t caught anything outside. The audience had no idea what the situation with that person was.
Now that the female guest had stepped forward with such righteous indignation and started blaming people, many viewers who were clueless about the truth had their thoughts completely swayed. They just assumed Yan Shixun was in the wrong.
Zhang Wubing broke out in a cold sweat. He didn’t even have time to feel bad about his brand-new phone, which he’d just managed to snatch up—he immediately focused on managing the live chat and comments.
But no matter how he explained it, people who hadn’t been there and experienced it themselves would never understand how terrified he’d felt standing in front of that middle-aged man.
His legs had been shaking.
If Brother Yan hadn’t shown up right beside him at just the right moment, he’d truly been scared the man would do something to him.
At the time, he hadn’t even processed it. It wasn’t until he was back in the car that the fear finally hit him like a wave.
But by then, the audience was no longer willing to listen to Zhang Wubing’s explanation.
And besides, what Zhang Wubing said was too subjective. He didn’t have the kind of commanding, persuasive presence that Yan Shixun had, so naturally not many people followed his lead.
What’s more, once the audience heard the female guest say that the person was injured and needed help, they’d immediately assumed he was the victim. Their sympathy shifted toward her.
Yan Shixun stared calmly at the female guest, his gaze deep and unreadable.
Although the female guest felt a bit frightened under such intense scrutiny—and was even worried that, in her mind, the seemingly violent brute Yan Shixun might actually hit her.
She still believed she was doing the right thing. She even thought that the livestream viewers watching this unfold would agree with her actions, maybe even earn her a wave of new followers.
So, she stiffened her neck and didn’t back down.
The other guests were watching the standoff between the two of them, completely on edge.
Bai Shuang couldn’t help herself and tried to stand up to ease the tension, but the variety show celebritybehind her reacted quickly and pressed her shoulder down, forcing her to sit back.
Bai Shuang turned around in confusion, silently mouthing: We’re still on live. If they keep going like this, it’s not helping anyone.
Though she didn’t think Brother Yan had done anything wrong, she’d been in the entertainment industry long enough to know just how much backlash this kind of “lack of compassion” could draw.
Just like Yan Shixun had said himself, the love and hate from fans were fickle and weightless—loving someone today and hating them tomorrow was just how it worked.
Bai Shuang was genuinely worried that if this kept going, it would bring a storm of negativity down on Yan Shixun.
She had personally gone through the pain of being viciously attacked by fans—tens of thousands of people hurling insults at her every single day, denying her worth. Even the strongest person would begin to crack under that kind of pressure. She had cried herself into a mess at home, almost having a mental breakdown.
Though she had matured overnight after that experience and no longer looked at the world through naïve eyes, the cost of that growth had been brutal.
Yan Shixun had saved Bai Shuang many times. She not only admired him because of his personal charm—idolizing him like chasing after a distant star—but she also felt deep, heartfelt gratitude.
She didn’t want him to go through the kind of public shaming she had endured.
Even though she knew that with the way Yan Shixun dealt with things—and his complete disregard for strangers—he probably wouldn’t care even if tens of millions of fans turned into haters cursing him. He’d remain utterly unmoved.
But still, she didn’t want her benefactor and idol to have to experience that.
In Bai Shuang’s eyes, Yan Shixun deserved everyone’s respect, deserved to shine.
With that in mind, her gaze toward the female guest carried a hint of displeasure.
The variety show celebrity beside her, however, shook his head and whispered, “I believe Brother Yan wouldn’t do something like that without a reason. But don’t worry, this won’t cause a big storm.”
If anyone in the car was the most cunning and experienced, it was definitely the variety show celebrity.
Back in the day, he had taken any gig he could get, and through that, had come to know a lot of people. Through casual “small talk” with staff, he had learned plenty of gossip about celebrities.
He knew that many people privately complained that this female guest was a spoiled brat who had grown up sheltered in an ivory tower.
But even more than that, he believed something else—that someone like Yan Shixun, who could even persuade ghosts and spirits, wouldn’t be stumped by something this trivial.
In the variety show celebrity’s eyes, Yan Shixun, while laid-back and indifferent most of the time, definitely wasn’t someone who would just swallow his anger and not fight back if he felt wronged.
Sure enough, under everyone’s watchful gaze, Yan Shixun finally moved.
He lazily lifted his long legs and crossed them.
Then, he called out to the driver, “Stop the car.”
The driver didn’t understand why, but out of respect for Yan Shixun’s authority, he pulled over right away.
The female guest, still standing, lost her balance and stumbled forward, bumping her waist hard against the seat in front. A bruise immediately formed on her pale, delicate skin.
She bit her lip through the pain and staggered to her feet, furious. “Are you retaliating against me? Because I spoke the truth?”
Yan Shixun merely scoffed. He rested his head on one hand, glancing sideways at her. “The car’s stopped. Didn’t you want to help that person? Go ahead and get out.”
The female guest stared at him in shock. “What do you mean by that?”
The smile faded from Yan Shixun’s face. “I think I’ve made myself pretty clear.”
“Whoever wants to save him, can save him. I won’t stop you.”
He spoke coldly. “I’m sitting here because that idiot Zhang Wubing made an agreement with me. That’s the only reason I’m participating in this filming. I do my job, he pays me—we’re even. Neither of us owes the other.”
“But Xiao Bing only paid me to ensure the program is filmed as scheduled.”
A trace of mockery glinted in Yan Shixun’s eyes. “There’s no clause in the contract saying I have to do extras like rescue people. I don’t want to get involved in that kind of karma.”
“But judging by how angry you are, I suppose you must be a very kind person.”
He tilted his chin toward the door. “Perfect. You go then.”
The female guest hadn’t expected Yan Shixun to say something like that. Stunned, she said, “So just because you’re not getting paid, you won’t do it? How can you be so selfish?”
Yan Shixun gave a performative business-like smile. “Don’t act generous with someone else’s sacrifice. If you want to save him, then go save him yourself.”
The female guest had originally thought that Yan Shixun’s words were so out of line that surely someone among the other guests would speak up for her.
But to her surprise, as she glanced around, everyone wore indifferent expressions, clearly having no intention of saying anything.
She immediately felt both disappointed and angry, and her own sense of kindness left her feeling awkward and embarrassed. So she raised her voice and shouted, “Then at least let me pay you!”
Yan Shixun nodded. “Paying for a service—that’s what fairness means.”
The female guest let out a sigh of relief, her contempt for Yan Shixun growing even deeper in her heart.
But then Yan Shixun said his next sentence—“I refuse.”
“What?!” The female guest was stunned. “Didn’t you just say money would do it? Are you messing with me?!”
Yan Shixun lazily shifted his posture. Strangely, the gloomy mood he had been in while standing outside the car was gradually dissipating.
“Missy, I’m not your family’s hired hand. Wake up—the dynasty’s gone.”
He sneered. “Even if you offer money, I get to decide whether I want to accept the job. That’s what a fair deal means.”
“And right now, clearly, I don’t want to.”
“So—please get out.”
Yan Shixun raised his hand and pointed toward the open car door.
The female guest instinctively looked over but shivered at the cold wind blowing in through the door.
While they had been speaking, the sky outside had darkened rapidly. The surrounding mountains closed in, turning as black as ink.
It felt as if some giant beast was lurking in the shadows of the dark, watching the living with lifeless eyes, patiently waiting for its prey to step into the night—only to be devoured, not even bones left behind.
The soft light glowing inside the car had become the only source of comfort in the darkness.
The female guest swallowed hard and still didn’t dare get out.
But since Yan Shixun had already spoken this far, she felt that if she kept arguing, it would look like she was the one being unreasonable. She found herself unable to keep up appearances.
She stood stiffly for a moment, then angrily turned and walked back to her seat.
She seemed unable to swallow her pride. To preserve her dignity and prove that she wasn’t unwilling to go save the man herself, but that it was Yan Shixun who was being a brute, the female guest let out a loud huff and deliberately made a lot of noise.
Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, she cursed, “What a lunatic!”
Zhang Wubing looked up blankly and responded instinctively, “Huh? You calling me?”
Note: cause lunatic has Bing character as well lol.
Yan Shixun: “…”
Female guest: “…”
Other guests: Pfft—Hahahaha!
Yan Shixun didn’t take it to heart and soon had the driver continue the journey.
The atmosphere inside the vehicle quickly revived, thanks to a few jokes from the variety show celebrity.
The female guest sat to the side, puffed up with anger, thinking the others would soon come to comfort her, maybe throw in a few criticisms of Yan Shixun, and tell her not to take it to heart.
She wasn’t an unreasonable person—if that happened, she’d go along, give them some face, and let the matter drop.
That’s how her coworkers usually handled things.
But what she didn’t expect was that all the guests treated her like air. No one took the initiative to include her in the conversation—not even the variety show celebrity who had initially shown her some goodwill.
The female guest felt embarrassed, which quickly turned into fury.
These selfish jerks! Good thing they weren’t talking to her—she didn’t care for this kind of immoral crowd anyway!
Thanks to Zhang Wubing’s accidental contribution to the mood, along with the variety show celebrity steering the energy, the atmosphere soon moved past the incident and became lively again.
Only Yan Shixun’s expression remained cold and sharp.
The smile he had just worn had disappeared into a tight line, his eyes alert as he looked out the car window.
Back when Zhang Wubing had gotten out, Yan Shixun had asked the driver why he slammed the brakes. What exactly had happened for the crash scene to suddenly appear?
At the time, the driver seemed nervous and unsure, his voice trembling. He said that in just the blink of an eye, a car had suddenly swerved across the road in front of him. He also saw a man covered in blood standing silently in front of the vehicle, head down, his face obscured, and terrifying in appearance. That’s what had scared him into slamming on the brakes.
But when Yan Shixun pointed to the middle-aged man who had been speaking with Zhang Wubing and asked whether that was the man who blocked the road, the driver shook his head in confusion.
The driver said the person he had seen looked younger and thinner—like a young man. The one talking to Zhang Wubing clearly looked like someone used to manual labor.
Not the same person.
As for where the man he’d seen had gone… the driver couldn’t say. He mumbled that maybe he’d just been seeing things in his panic.
But Yan Shixun didn’t believe that.
He didn’t know yet why the car crash had appeared out of nowhere, but he never believed in hallucinations or coincidences.
—Those who didn’t believe in ghosts always claimed ghosts were nothing but illusions or tricks of the mind.
In the end, those were just the brain’s way of explaining the unexplainable as a self-protection mechanism.
But before Yan Shixun could think further, he noticed something else.
By habit, he had begun divining the situation using hand signs, trying to deduce the truth behind the crash by calculating the middle-aged man’s circumstances.
What he hadn’t expected was the result of the divination—it made Yan Shixun freeze.
The hexagram revealed: Hurting Officer, Responding with Punishment.
That man was carrying a death on him.
Right at that moment, Zhang Wubing had begun to show signs of fear. Yan Shixun had immediately gotten out of the car, rejected the man’s “request for help,” and brought Zhang Wubing back inside.
But even though they had driven far away, Yan Shixun still furrowed his brows, unable to relax.
That man…
If they weren’t currently on a livestream, surrounded by so many ordinary people, he definitely would’ve stopped to investigate carefully.
He had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right about that person.
Was it the clothes? Or the car? And why had he refused to make a single call for help? What was he hiding?
Now that he thought more carefully, beneath the overpowering smell of leaking gasoline at the scene, there had been a faint trace of blood.
Yan Shixun pulled out his phone, intending to report the situation to the official in charge and ask him to take a look.
But as soon as he opened the chat, he saw a message the official had sent earlier.
Yan Shixun: “…”
His gaze silently shifted to Jing Xiaobao sitting beside him.
Jing Xiaobao froze and widened his eyes in panic.
…
After the convoy left, the middle-aged man angrily spat on the ground, eyes full of malice. “What a bunch of crap! If it weren’t for the crowd, I would’ve made that punk learn what pain really means.”
He stood on the gradually darkening highway, cursing for a long time, still not feeling satisfied. He lifted his foot and kicked the car hard.
“Even dead, you’re still trying to screw me over! Should’ve made your death ten times worse, you rotten piece of trash!”
“If it weren’t for you, would my car be in this goddamn state? You’re already dead—can’t you stay dead and quiet?!”
Still muttering curses, the middle-aged man yanked a travel backpack from the car and began walking along the road, planning to go home and bring his farm truck over to deal with the scene. After all, this area was remote—no one would find out.
The car rocked slightly, and a faint trace of blood began to seep out, quietly mingling with the heavy gasoline fumes.
With the movement, an arm slipped out powerlessly, falling into the leaking pool of fuel.
The hand was stiff, pale, lifeless.
And from within the crushed and distorted cabin, a pair of eyes silently opened—empty and soulless.
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