The ride had fallen into a hush, a sleepy lullaby woven between the hum of the engine and the diluted moonlight spilling through the tinted windows. Forest shadows stretched like long fingers across the road, pulling at the tires, brushing the glass. They had been traveling for hours, suspended in that strange space where night pretends to be eternal and dawn is too shy to step forward.
In the backseat, Qin Yuelin and Shen Lian had slumped onto each other's shoulders, asleep before they realized it. Shen Lian's head rested on Yuelin's with that quiet confidence of someone who had finally found a place his heart trusted. Yuelin breathed softly behind his mask, his lashes trembling every time the road dipped.
Up front, Zhao Liren was dozing, fighting the pull of sleep like a kid refusing bedtime. His head kept dipping, then snapping up, then dipping again. Wen Jun, meanwhile, drove like a sculpture come alive, the same serene expression carved onto his face, unreadable yet strangely reassuring.
The silence eventually cracked.
Wen Jun spoke without warning, his voice smooth and low, gliding through the dark.
"Do you not find it strange that there has been no news about that serial killer these days."
Zhao's eyes sprang open fully. He stared at Wen Jun, and in the dim, cold light of early morning, Wen Jun looked almost unreal. Sharp jawline, steady hands on the wheel, violet eyes softened into gray as the sky brightened behind them.
Zhao whispered, but it sounded too loud in the silent car.
"Are you the killer."
Wen Jun let out a soft, barely audible chuckle. A sound that should have eased tension but somehow made the car feel smaller.
"No. What are you thinking."
His tone was gentle, but Zhao kept staring like a detective who suddenly found himself alone with the prime suspect.
Wen Jun slowed the car. The engine hummed lower. Then he stopped abruptly, the brake kissing the road with a sharp jolt.
Zhao jerked forward and before he could react, Wen Jun leaned toward him.
Close.
Too close.
Their breaths met in the still air. Zhao's pulse raced, his cheeks flushing dark crimson. For a second, he was convinced Wen Jun would kiss him. He could feel it, sense it, practically hear the tension lean closer.
But Wen Jun simply reached across him and clicked the seat belt into place.
A soft click.
A devastatingly casual gesture.
He pulled back with the same calm face as if nothing had happened.
Zhao wanted to melt into the seat.
From the backseat, Shen Lian whistled quietly. Qin Yuelin giggled under his mask, like a tiny windchime in the dark.
The car resumed its journey, rolling deeper and deeper into the sleeping wilderness.
Hours passed.
The sky paled to gray-blue. Birdsong started cautiously, as if the forest itself was waking up. Now it was almost five in the morning. The world looked washed out in a watercolor palette. The others slept again, their exhaustion too heavy to ignore.
Zhao drifted off at last.
Wen Jun kept driving.
He looked like he had been carved from concentration.
The forest grew denser. The road narrower. Trees leaned close, their branches whispering secrets only they understood.
Then the car shuddered violently.
A loud metallic cough rattled the hood.
The vehicle stopped.
Everyone jolted awake.
Shen Lian blinked with messy hair. Yuelin rubbed his eyes through his sleeves. Zhao snapped up like he had been electrocuted.
Wen Jun sighed softly and stepped out to check.
The forest air was cold. Mist curled around his ankles, creeping across the asphalt. He inspected the front hood, crouched down, tapped at something, muttered under his breath.
He returned after a few minutes, closing the door gently.
"The coolant hose burst. The engine overheated. We need to wait till my other car arrives."
Before anyone could react, Yuelin's soft voice breached the tension.
"Look. A house."
His tone trembled with curiosity, not fear.
Three pairs of eyes followed the direction of his pointing finger.
There it was.
A house in the middle of the forest. Lights on. Windows glowing faintly warm like they were beckoning strangers home. Not too big. Not tiny either. Simple. Quiet. But the fact that it was illuminated at this hour sent a ripple of unease through all of them.
Zhao was the first to get out, driven by some mixture of bravery and poor decision making.
The others followed.
Crunching leaves. Soft breaths. Cold fog clinging to their clothes as they approached the house.
Wen Jun knocked on the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Minutes passed. The forest felt like it was holding its breath.
Finally, the door creaked open.
A boy stepped out.
Young. Early twenties. His presence was almost surreal.
Masculine yet delicate features. Long lashes. Skin pale as early morning frost. And his eyes… heterochromic. One deep gold. One cool blue. They gleamed unnervingly in the dim light, as if they didn't belong to this world.
He looked at them with a confused expression.
"Yes. How can I help you."
Wen Jun spoke calmly.
"Our car is overheated. Coolant hose broke. Can we stay here until my other vehicle arrives."
The boy hesitated.
Something flickered in his mismatched gaze. Not fear. Not suspicion. Something stranger. Like recognition that he immediately tried to swallow.
But after a moment, he nodded.
"Alright. You can come in."
Wen Jun took a step.
Then another.
But before he could cross the threshold, Zhao grabbed his wrist.
"Wait."
Wen Jun turned, brows slightly furrowed.
Zhao's fingers trembled.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"H… he is Yi Chen."
yuelin and shen lian looked scared.
The forest moaned.
The house lights flickered once.
The boy with heterochromic eyes tilted his head slightly.
And smiled.
The air turned cold.
END OF THE CHAPTER.