As the new semester approached, Xia Miao packed her belongings, hoisted her suitcase, slung a single-shoulder bag over her shoulder, and boarded the bus bound for Wubai Town.
She hadn’t slept well the night before, so after finding a window seat in the back, she leaned against the chair and dozed off. The bus traveled for who knows how long, and the scenery outside the window grew increasingly desolate.
When the bus hit a pothole, her head knocked against the glass, jolting her awake. As she opened her eyes, she realized the once-empty bus was now filled with passengers.
Among them were men and women, young and old, but their faces all looked uneasy—some tense, some fearful, and a few even stifling quiet sobs.
Xia Miao was baffled. Even if she dreaded work, she wouldn’t go so far as to cry about it.
The bus driver, seemingly irritated, snapped, "Stop crying, or I’ll stab the lot of you!"
His joke carried an eerie weight, and the muffled sobs abruptly ceased.
"Gu Moleng, I’m scared," a girl whispered nervously, clutching the arm of the boy beside her. They looked like a couple.
The boy, Gu Moleng, patted her back gently. "Don’t be afraid, Sisi. I’m here."
Wen Sisi was strikingly beautiful—so much so that her looks bordered on intimidating. Others often described her as "fox-like."
Behind Wen Sisi sat a girl who bore a faint resemblance to her—her twin sister, Wen Yaoyao.
The twins were only somewhat alike because their temperaments were worlds apart. Wen Yaoyao was also pretty, but unlike her sister’s bold and vivacious demeanor, she was quiet and introverted.
Wen Yaoyao was just as uneasy and frightened, but she had no boyfriend to cling to. Instead, the seat beside her was occupied by a coldly composed young man—her classmate, Jiang Du.
Wen Yaoyao wasn’t close enough to Jiang Du to seek comfort from him.
At the back of the bus, a male passenger with less-than-honorable intentions eyed the sisters. Seeing Wen Sisi already taken, he turned his attention to Wen Yaoyao.
"Hey, beautiful, don’t be scared. Let’s be friends. We can help each other out if anything happens," he said.
Wen Yaoyao, uncomfortable around men, shrank back slightly, pretending not to hear him.
The man was about to say more when Jiang Du, noticing her discomfort, interjected, "If you don’t mind making more noise and angering the driver, feel free to keep talking."
The man scowled but shut his mouth, knowing full well the danger they were in. He stayed silent after that.
Wen Sisi glanced back and whispered, "Yaoyao, we’ll stick together. With Moleng here, we’ll be fine."
Wen Yaoyao lifted her eyes, glancing at Gu Moleng’s back, and gave a soft "Mm."
Elsewhere, someone else whimpered, "I want to go home… Why me? Why did it have to be me?"
"Will I even make it back alive?"
"I don’t want to die."
Whispers of fear and despair filled the air, thickening the suffocating tension.
Ming Buchang, the man who’d tried to flirt with Wen Yaoyao, had a different mindset. A reckless drifter who lived each day as if it were his last, he found the lawless, fog-shrouded world oddly liberating.
His wandering eyes suddenly brightened when they landed on a girl sitting upright at the back.
He’d been so fixated on the twins that he’d missed this stunning beauty.
Ming Buchang hunched over and sidled up to her, taking the seat beside her. "Hello, miss. I’m Ming Buchang. You seem to be alone here—no friends, right? How about we team up? Watch each other’s backs."
For a fleeting moment, Ming Buchang thought he saw the bag on her lap twitch, as if something alive were inside.
But when the girl pressed a hand over it, the movement stopped. Maybe it had just been his imagination.
Xia Miao glanced at him. She was impeccably dressed—her long, wavy hair tied into a ponytail with a vibrant red ribbon, her slim figure accentuated by a simple yet elegant blue denim dress.
Her refined appearance carried an air of aristocratic aloofness, making her seem unapproachable. Yet that only made men like Ming Buchang more determined to break through her defenses.
Xia Miao replied curtly, "I’m here to work, not make friends."
Work?
Ming Buchang was baffled. Most people on this bus were here to die—who’d heard of "work"? Was this beauty so terrified she’d lost touch with reality?
He decided to press further. "Miss, you might not know this, but Wubai Town has a lot of dark legends. It’s a terrifying place. They say no one who enters ever leaves."
Xia Miao: "Is that so?"
"Absolutely. I’ve got all the inside info—no reason to lie." Ming Buchang boasted, "I’ve trained in taekwondo. I’m a great fighter, way better than these weaklings. If you’re in trouble, don’t worry. I’ve got your back."
Xia Miao remained indifferent. "No need."
Before Ming Buchang could say more, the bus rolled into the town and stopped in an empty lot.
"Get off," the driver ordered.
Passengers rose sluggishly, filing out one by one.
Xia Miao stood in the clearing, backpack on her shoulders and suitcase in tow, scanning her surroundings. Her composed demeanor starkly contrasted with the others’ frazzled states, making her easy to spot.
"Xia Miao? Teacher Xia?"
The roar of an old engine grew louder as it approached.
Xia Miao turned toward the sound. "That’s me."
A yellow pickup truck pulled up, and a scruffy, unshaven young man stepped out. Tall but disheveled, he exuded a lazy, world-weary vibe. He grinned. "Ah, Teacher Xia! Finally, you’re here."
The others watched curiously, wondering why a town resident had singled her out. Whatever the reason, it couldn’t be good.
Ming Buchang, who’d earlier promised to "look after" her, now kept his mouth shut, afraid of drawing unwanted attention.
