FQ | Chapter 2

The road was much quieter now compared to the afternoon, giving off a somewhat desolate vibe. It seemed like it had just rained, as there were still puddles on the ground. The sky had already darkened, and the rain-soaked pavement glistened faintly.

Luan Ye walked slowly forward, pulling out his phone to search for nearby supermarkets.

This time, he had left in a hurry, bringing nothing with him, so he needed to buy everything anew. He should have had a meal, but considering the state of his throat, he figured he couldn't swallow anything other than water.

He'd just have to go hungry. If he starved, so be it.

But he couldn't go without washing up or changing clothes.

Luan Ye opened his phone's map to search for nearby supermarkets: one was 600 meters away, another 1.2 kilometers away... He scrolled down, and the third was 10.9 kilometers in a straight line.

Luan Ye: "..."

It wasn't too bad, really. He'd been through worse. Two years ago, to photograph the aurora, he stayed for half a month in a small Alaskan town with only a few hundred people. Continuous heavy snow had halted train services, and the only road allowed single-lane traffic. The hotel didn't serve Chinese food, and the town had only one supermarket. In the minus 30-degree winter, Luan Ye survived on bread and smoked fish for over ten days until...

Someone drove for three days to bring him clothes and food, waiting until he finished taking photos.

"With your personality, you shouldn't have chosen this profession."

A voice in his head chimed in, mingling with the sound of polar winds and snow.

"Landscape photography requires capturing fleeting moments, which might mean staying in one place for hours, days, or even months of exploration and waiting. These sacrifices will cost you your life."

"You're not suited for it, nor do you love photography." The voice was firm, with a hint of pity.

"You're just forcing yourself to accept it."

Luan Ye's faint smile faded, his expression returning to its usual blankness.

At least he was in his own country now, he thought, continuing forward.

Surely, he wouldn't end up unable to buy anything like before.

After visiting the only two supermarkets, his concern became a reality.

Luan Ye stood at the entrance of a nameless supermarket, staring at the owner behind the counter who was engrossed in watching "Soldier Sortie."

It was more of a convenience store than a supermarket. The store seemed to be as old as the TV show, with five or six shelves piled with all sorts of drinks, instant noodles, and milk. The innermost shelf, holding oil, rice, soy sauce, and vinegar, had a few bottles of shampoo and soap of unknown vintage tucked away at the bottom... There were even two or three packs of Yumeijing in the corner.

Not bad, at least there were some basic necessities here.

If this supermarket was as old as the TV show, the 600-meter one—a general store—had a single cabinet that looked twice his age.

The owner tore his gaze from the TV screen, sparing him a glance, and asked, "What do you want to buy?"

Bedding, clothes, underwear, towels, a razor... Luan Ye instinctively wanted to speak, but halfway through opening his mouth, he remembered he couldn't talk right now.

He silently picked a lighter from a box on the counter and scanned it to pay.

After leaving the supermarket, he checked the time; it was half-past eight in the evening. Luan Ye began walking towards where he had gotten off earlier, relying on his memory from the day.

Reaching the roadside, he opened the ride-hailing app and entered the address of the third supermarket. The app started searching for nearby vehicles.

Ten minutes later, the app was still spinning.

Luan Ye sighed, switching back to check the location. The supermarket appeared to be in the nearest town, shown as a chain store in the pictures, seemingly better than the previous two.

The key point was that the town should have everything he needed for the upcoming period.

The app indicated a walking time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. If he walked quickly, he could make it in two hours, buy what he needed, and then take a ride back.

Two hours.

Maybe he should leave it for tomorrow. He could endure it tonight, just as he had all along. If necessary, he could go back to the previous supermarket for a bar of soap. As for the clothes he hadn't changed since leaving, and the bed sheets in his room, which he wasn't sure if the previous tenant had cleaned...

Luan Ye turned around and started walking in the direction indicated by the navigation.

Two hours was two hours. Even if he died tomorrow, he had to change these things today.

So what if he was being fussy?

When he had hiked in places not even on the map, slept less than three hours in five days, nearly fallen off a thousand-meter cliff, and almost died of illness in the rainforest, why hadn't anyone said he didn't love photography?

No matter, he thought. If it came to it, he'd just quit.

By now, it was completely dark, and there were no streetlights. Luan Ye used his phone for light. On either side of the asphalt road were endless rows of weeds and uneven pine trees. The wind blew from ahead, making the vegetation sway.

Alone in a strange mountain village, walking ten kilometers on the first night just to visit a supermarket.

A unique life experience.

The wind made his head ache again, and that voice returned. The person sighed, speaking earnestly.

"I don't understand why you always stubbornly insist on trivial things, making others worry about you."

"Haven't you thought that these things are completely unnecessary?"

"Their only purpose is to make the people who love you sad."

What had he said in response back then? Oh, he hadn't spoken.

What a coward, Luan Ye.

His throat started to hurt again, and he instinctively reached for his pocket. There was one last cigarette left in the pack, which he put in his mouth and lit with the newly bought lighter.

In the faint smoke, Luan Ye looked up. It was dark all around, and the distant snow-capped mountains were no longer visible, the continuous peaks turned into endless shadows. The overcast sky was pitch black above, with the only light source being the small area illuminated by his phone. In the night wind, the grass made a slight rustling sound.

The whole world felt lonely.

It was as if he could die here and no one would ever find him.

Whether it was the tobacco or the environment, Luan Ye's thoughts began to wander aimlessly.

If I really died here—what was this village called again?

Although this place was just a small mountain village he had stumbled upon a few days ago, whose name he barely remembered, a spur-of-the-moment destination, if he really died here... it wouldn't be so bad.

Suddenly, a light approached from behind, illuminating a large stretch of road. Luan Ye was enveloped in the light, his shadow stretching long in front of him before slowly shortening.

"Beep—"

The car behind him slowed down noticeably, and a short honk sounded.

Luan Ye stepped aside to the edge of the road, continuing to walk forward.

It would be best if no one noticed him. Being alone from birth to death was fine; after all, there might not be anyone willing to come and collect his body.

"Beep—"

Luan Ye frowned, stepping further to the side.

He might not want to see whoever was coming; the dead should be left in peace, not disturbed.

"Beep—"

Damn it.

Luan Ye abruptly stopped and turned to glare at the car behind him.

Honk, honk, honk, honk. Can't you get past on such a wide road? Did you rent your driver's license?

Behind him was an ordinary white minivan. The headlights were too bright for Luan Ye to make out the driver's features until the vehicle slowly pulled up beside him.

The window rolled down halfway, revealing the driver, who turned to look at Luan Ye. "Where are you headed?"

The person was quite rude, but their voice was pleasant.

It was a very clean, deep voice, sounding particularly melodious in the night, indicating they were quite young.

Luan Ye glanced at the person, and after three seconds, he chose to show them the supermarket address on his phone.

The person glanced at it and, without much hesitation, said, "Thirty to drop you off, fifty for a round trip."

As expected, encountering someone at night was more likely to be a black-market driver than a good Samaritan.

The price was actually quite reasonable. The location was probably too remote; the app had shown a higher price—assuming the car in front of him was just passing by.

It was already dark, and it was his first day here.

In the morning, the car had left him 800 meters from his destination, and he had managed to walk there. At this time of night, if he were dropped off anywhere, his earlier assumption could easily become reality.

Luan Ye put his phone away. The car's warm yellow interior light was on, and he used it to scrutinize the person inside.

Judging by appearance alone, the person seemed young, with distinct brow bones and a high nose bridge. Their skin was a healthy tan, and their eyes met Luan Ye's with a calmness reminiscent of the puddles on the road earlier.

With looks like that, they shouldn't be a kidnapper; it would be a waste of talent.

"At this time, only my car will pass by on this road within an hour."

The person looked at Luan Ye, their tone indifferent. "Are you coming or not?"

Luan Ye didn't speak, simply opening the rear door. Before he could get in, a large creature sprang up from the seat, wagging its tail excitedly at him.

What the hell! What is this!

Luan Ye instinctively stepped back, realizing it was a large Labrador sprawled on the back seat, thrilled to finally encounter a stranger.

Is this a pig or a dog?

Luan Ye and the dog stared at each other until the person in the front called back, "Laifu!"

The Labrador immediately sat down, though its tail continued to wag like a propeller, likely painful if it hit someone.

"It doesn't bite," the driver paused, "maybe you should sit in the front."

Luan Ye stared at the dog, eager to pounce on him, then glanced at the driver, opening the front passenger door instead.

The car's interior was small, a bit old but quite clean. A small Doraemon figurine bobbed its head at Luan Ye from the dashboard.

The person next to him turned the wheel. "Seatbelt."

Luan Ye pulled the seatbelt over and buckled it.

The next moment, the driver continued, "Put out the cigarette."

Tch.

Luan Ye immediately turned to look at the driver, who wasn't looking at him. From this angle, he could only see the sharply defined profile.

A few seconds later, Luan Ye looked away and extinguished the cigarette.

The driver said nothing more.

Luan Ye put his phone back in his pocket, staring straight ahead.

The young black-market driver drove steadily, the trees on either side of the road retreating silently into the night. Three minutes into the drive, rain began to splatter against the windshield, quickly increasing in intensity, blurring the view ahead.

It was raining.

The window wasn't fully closed, and the rain mixed with the night wind hit Luan Ye's face, feeling more sobering than tobacco. The person beside him was so silent it was as if they weren't there, and the dog in the back, after a brief excitement, lay quietly again.

In such an environment, Luan Ye felt his mind clearing a bit, or perhaps transcending, moving from personal life and death to a broader perspective.

Dying here would indeed be fine, Luan Ye thought. But—

Before dying, I must take out Bai Mingchuan.

Author's note:

A driver focused on making money suddenly appears.