Dark clouds completely obscured the sunlight, making the sky so gloomy that it seemed ready to drip with ink. The atmospheric pressure at this moment was extremely low, making it difficult to breathe and giving a foretaste of an impending storm.
“Mom! I want to play on the phone!”
“Damn it, I am almost there. Hurry up and come to the train station to pick me up!”
“Brother, lend me a few hundred more. I will definitely pay you back in a few days.”
On the train, sweat and the smell of smoke permeated the air, making people feel suffocated. The screaming of children was deafening, men talked loudly, and women cracked melon seeds while chatting about domestic trivia. The entire carriage was restless.
“Cough, cough.”
In a small corner of the train sat a young man.
Even though it was the middle of summer, the young man seemed unable to feel the heat. He wore long sleeves and long pants, with a mask covering his face. He wrapped himself up tightly, exposing only a pair of eyes from head to toe.
“In the heat of summer, is he not afraid of smothering himself until he gets sick? Just watching him makes me feel hot.”
“Yes, exactly. To my eyes, this young man does not look like a good person.”
Two middle-aged women sitting opposite him chatted while cracking melon seeds, their eyes glancing at the man across from them from time to time.
One of the women said, “I watched reports on television saying that bad people wrap themselves up tightly so they do not expose who they are.” She covered her mouth and spoke in a low voice, yet her eyes remained fixed on the man’s face.
Noticing the woman’s gaze, the man looked toward her. Nothing bright could be seen in his dark eyes, making people think of the pitch-black darkness of midnight, terrifyingly dark.
The woman immediately shut her mouth and stopped looking at him. Seeing her turn her gaze away, the man looked out the window, his gaze drifting.
The man was named Lin Shuhuai, a freshman at A University.
“Cough, cough.”
A fit of violent coughing sounded. Lin Shuhuai pulled his mask higher, attempting to block out the odors in the air. His eyes were tinged red, and there were dark circles under the corners of his eyes, showing that he clearly had not slept well.
“Ding-dong.”
Through his clothes, Lin Shuhuai felt the vibration sound coming from his phone. Taking out his phone to check, he saw a message from his second aunt.
“Lin Shuhuai, let me know once you reach the station so I can come pick you up.”
Lin Shuhuai looked at the message on his phone screen. His eyelashes covered his eyes, making it impossible for anyone to see the expression within them.
He typed two words on his phone, “Alright.” Afterward, he turned off his phone.
What a hassle, Lin Shuhuai sighed softly, complaining in his heart. Leaning his head against the glass window, he stared blankly outside, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
His return to Lin Family Village this time was to attend his grand-uncle’s funeral. His grand-uncle was his grandmother’s eldest brother, who had passed away two days ago. As a member of the younger generation, Lin Shuhuai ought to attend.
However, he resisted coming to this village from the bottom of his heart. For no other reason than the fact that Lin Family Village had left him with bad memories. He was not his grandmother’s biological grandson; he was an abandoned orphan. Seeing how pitiable he was, Grandma Lin had insisted on keeping him by her side and raising him to adulthood despite everyone’s objections and attempts to stop her.
Lin Family Village was not large, so any gossip could reach everyone’s ears. Therefore, his origin was no secret in this small village.
The adults were still fairly polite to him, after all, Grandma Lin held a senior generation status in the village. But the children were different. They only cared about having fun and did not understand compassion. Consequently, Lin Shuhuai had suffered a lot of bullying when he was young.
He originally did not want to come back, but his second aunt told him that while cleaning up his grand-uncle’s belongings, she had found some of Grandma Lin’s items. Only then did Lin Shuhuai agree. He asked his academic counselor for a week of leave, intending to return home to attend the funeral.
Lin Family Village was too remote, so Lin Shuhuai could only return by train.
The train passed through continuous green mountains and entered a tunnel. The pitch-black cave opening was like the mouth of a monster, roaring as it swallowed the train in one bite.
The scenery outside the window was instantly covered by blackness, becoming pitch black. Through the glass, Lin Shuhuai could see himself wearing a mask, as well as the dark circles under his eyes.
He wrapped himself up tightly, not letting a single draft of air through. It was just like putting a protective cover over himself; only inside the shell could he feel at ease.
So sleepy.
Lin Shuhuai’s mind was in total chaos, and his consciousness began to blur. His eyelids gradually dropped, finally closing shut. Not long after, Lin Shuhuai fell into a light sleep, giving off even breathing sounds. Two consecutive days of traveling had left him physically and mentally exhausted, and right now he only wanted to rest.
“Excuse me, is anyone sitting beside you?”
In his daze, Lin Shuhuai heard a deep voice coming from beside him. The voice was steady and powerful, faintly carrying the explosive presence of a wild beast. It sounded like the male lead in a radio drama, the kind where listening for one more second would make one’s ears melt.
Lin Shuhuai shrank his body inward and did not reply to the man’s question.
Strands of black hair stuck to Lin Shuhuai’s cheeks, setting off his snow-white skin and revealing a delicate, sickly beauty. Perhaps due to wearing the mask, Lin Shuhuai was panting, his mask rising and falling with his breath.
His head rested against the window, exposing his fair and slender neck, making people want to leave their own marks upon it.
Lin Shuhuai was just like a porcelain doll that needed to be protected in the palm of one’s hand, unable to endure any fright.
Seeing that he did not speak, the man sat down on his own accord. Lin Shuhuai could clearly feel the sensation of the seat sinking down.
Lin Shuhuai was submerged in a light sleep. He felt his surroundings become quiet, as if someone had pressed the mute button, and all the noise receded far away.
The only thing that remained unchanged was the man’s even breathing. He sat quietly beside Lin Shuhuai without making a single sound.
No, that is wrong. The surroundings are too quiet. A train could not possibly be this quiet.
Lin Shuhuai’s mind was completely scrambled, but he instinctively sensed that something was wrong. He wanted to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt very heavy. No matter how hard he tried, he could not open them. This situation reminded him of sleep paralysis, where he would lie on his bed unable to get up no matter what, until his alarm clock finally woke him up.
Could it be a nightmare?
Lin Shuhuai frowned. It had been a long time since his last nightmare. Sleep paralysis was too terrifying, and he did not want to experience it again.
At this moment, the man beside him made a move.
“Hehe.” The man let out a low laugh, slowly leaning closer to Lin Shuhuai’s side. As he moved, the eerie feeling in Lin Shuhuai’s heart grew stronger and stronger.
“Lin Shuhuai, Lin Shuhuai.”
The man drew close to Lin Shuhuai’s ear, softly calling his name. His voice was lingering and affectionate, like calling out to a lover, pricking at Lin Shuhuai’s heart again and again.
Even with his eyes closed, Lin Shuhuai could feel the man’s cold gaze falling upon his body, wandering slowly like a poisonous snake. First from his hands, then his fair neck, and finally his gaze settled on his face. The man’s scorching gaze pierced through his physical shell, as if wanting to see straight through his soul.
He is observing me, this pervert.
Goosebumps broke out all over Lin Shuhuai’s body, and his frame trembled slightly. With his eyes closed, he still believed up until now that he was inside a nightmare.
I need to wake up quickly, otherwise the monster will appear in my dream.
Thinking of this, Lin Shuhuai bit down hard on the tip of his tongue with his teeth. His mouth was instantly filled with the taste of blood, and the intense pain caused him to shudder violently.
No, this is not a dream! Could I have been drugged?
At this thought, Lin Shuhuai felt his blood begin to freeze, and his entire body turned ice-cold. He would never have imagined that despite taking precautions against everything, he would still fall into the hands of a bad person in the end.
What should I do? Is there any way to escape? Are all the people around me blind!
Lin Shuhuai was extremely panicked at this moment. He was like a trapped beast, caught in a trap set in advance by a hunter. He could not call for help, he could not shout out loud, and he could not even see the hunter’s face.
Now, the hunter was holding a gun, walking toward his prey. Meanwhile, Lin Shuhuai could only watch helplessly as he fell into the hands of a bad person.
“Phoo.”
The man leaned close to his neck, gently blowing air beside Lin Shuhuai’s ear.
“Cough, cough!”
Startled, Lin Shuhuai began to cough violently. The intense coughing caused a flush of crimson to spread across his face, looking as though a layer of rouge had been applied to his skin.
About a minute later, Lin Shuhuai finally managed to quell his coughing. He felt his mouth full of a metallic taste, and his whole throat burned with pain. His face crumpled from the pain, and his complexion turned even paler, like a sheet of white paper that made one’s heart ache.
“Your physical constitution is so poor. How did your parents raise you? It really breaks my heart.” The man caressed Lin Shuhuai’s face, speaking gently as if uttering sweet talk between lovers.
The man’s hand was extremely cold, devoid of any warmth, no different from a corpse. When his hand touched Lin Shuhuai’s face, the freezing sensation made Lin Shuhuai shiver. His stomach churned with nausea, and he felt deeply uncomfortable inside.
Lin Shuhuai hated it when others touched him, let alone a pervert he did not even know.
“Don’t… don’t touch me.” Lin Shuhuai’s brow furrowed even tighter, and he spoke those words almost through gritted teeth. Yet his words were soft and powerless, completely ineffective against the man, serving only to heighten the sense of mistreatment.
Lin Shuhuai heard the man let out a soft sigh, and in the next second, he was pulled into the man’s embrace.
His head rested against the man’s shoulder, his body locked inside a broad chest. The man’s body was very sturdy. Through his clothes, Lin Shuhuai could clearly feel firm, well-proportioned pectoral muscles, while eight-pack abs were hidden beneath his clothing, revealing a sense of immense strength.
The man seemed to have long hair. His hair fell across Lin Shuhuai’s face and neck, creating a subtle itching sensation.
Lin Shuhuai wanted to struggle, but his body was held tightly in place, unable to move at all. The man was like a hard piece of iron, locking Lin Shuhuai in his arms so he could not break free.
Suddenly, Lin Shuhuai’s body went stiff. He could not help swallowing his saliva, a strange sense of panic welling up inside him.
At this moment, Lin Shuhuai finally realized what was wrong. His head was resting against the man’s shoulder, yet he could not hear any heartbeat at all.
Impossible, I must have made a mistake. Maybe his heartbeat is just weak.
Lin Shuhuai kept reassuring himself in his heart, frantically brainwashing himself to believe that the man was merely an ordinary pervert.
However, the man’s body temperature could not deceive Lin Shuhuai. Lin Shuhuai felt a surge of chill travel from the soles of his feet straight up to his crown. He could not help thinking of the horror movies he had seen, where every ghost opened a bloody mouth, revealing sharp teeth inside, to swallow passersby in one bite.
Thinking of this, Lin Shuhuai’s body began to tremble slightly. He did not understand what kind of terrible luck he had to encounter a ghost, and a lecherous male ghost at that.
After guessing that the man was a ghost, everything that had happened before became logical.
The vanished sounds, the onlookers who turned a blind eye, all of this was the work of this man.
Lin Shuhuai was so frightened that he dared not move, deeply afraid that if the man became unhappy, he would leave him dead without a burial place.
Yet the man showed no desire to harm him. Both of his hands held Lin Shuhuai tightly. His right hand initially patted his back gently. After Lin Shuhuai stopped coughing, his right hand started from his shoulder blade, stroking downward along his spine all the way to his tailbone.
Every single touch caused Lin Shuhuai’s body to shudder. Finally, the man pressed lightly on his tailbone, and Lin Shuhuai could not hold back a low whimper.
The man’s hand froze for a moment, then increased the pressing force at the tailbone. Lin Shuhuai was stripped of all strength by his actions and could only lie limp in his embrace, allowing himself to be manipulated.
This bastard.
Lin Shuhuai cursed the man in his heart, yet he had no way to deal with him.
Lin Shuhuai’s face flushed bright red from his teasing, and the corners of his eyes turned pink. If he could open his eyes, they would surely be filled with tears.
Suddenly, the man lowered his head. The moment his cold lips touched Lin Shuhuai’s ear, Lin Shuhuai’s body shuddered violently. He heard the man speak softly beside his ear, “Gu Rong. Remember my name. I will come back to find you.” His words carried a tone of absolute certainty, far from making a joke.
After saying this, he rubbed his face gently against Lin Shuhuai’s face, as if saying goodbye.
Following that, Lin Shuhuai felt his body lighten. The noisy sounds from the train flooded into his mind, and his consciousness gradually cleared. He opened his eyes in confusion, looking at the familiar train carriage, feeling a sense of unreality.
The train had already passed through the tunnel. Sunlight poured in through the glass window, dispersing the darkness while bringing a bit of calm back to Lin Shuhuai’s heart.
Phew, it really was a dream after all.
Lin Shuhuai comforted himself in his heart. He reached out to touch the jade Bodhisattva hanging on his chest, letting his heart settle once again.
This jade Bodhisattva was something Grandma Lin had prayed for at a temple when he was young, and it had even been blessed by the abbot, said to ward off evil spirits. Lin Shuhuai had worn it for over a decade.
Suddenly, he felt his lower leg get bumped by something. He looked down and saw a rubber ball. Lin Shuhuai bent down and picked up the ball.
In the distance, a little girl with two sky-pointing pigtails ran over wearing sandals. She raised her head, looking at this big brother wrapped up so tightly, and spoke in a soft voice, “I am sorry, big brother, I accidentally hit you.”
Lin Shuhuai shook his head, not blaming a child. He handed the ball to the girl, “It is alright.”
The little girl took the ball, “Thank you, big brother.” However, she did not leave. Instead, she asked, “Is big brother not hot?”
Her little face was chubby, her big eyes like black grapes blinked, curiosity spilling out from within them.
Lin Shuhuai could not resist. His slender fingers pinched the little girl’s cheek, squeezing it gently, “I am not afraid of the heat.”
Before his words fully landed, a woman ran over from not far away. She yanked the little girl into her arms in one motion, “How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers? You just won’t listen. Be careful or someone will abduct you!”
Saying so, her gaze fell upon Lin Shuhuai, filled with vigilance and suspicion. Holding the girl, she walked back toward her seat.
“Bye-bye, big brother!” The little girl waved her hand to say goodbye to him.
Lin Shuhuai also waved his hand to say goodbye to the girl. Naturally, he noticed the woman’s gaze, but he did not mind. He returned his gaze to the window.
The train’s speed gradually slowed down. The surrounding mountains became sparse, and houses began to appear.
A moment later, the train successfully arrived at the station.
“Dear passengers, the train has arrived at the station. Please make sure to take all your personal belongings with you.”