“This year’s snowfall is larger than in previous years. The old and dilapidated train station in Guangyuan, about to be demolished, is covered with a thick layer of snow.
It’s eleven o’clock at night.
Shen Lin hands over his train ticket. The person checking the tickets glances at the ticket, then looks up at him and asks, “How old are you?”
Shen Lin, who didn’t sleep well last night, with a slightly hoarse voice, says, “Nineteen.”
“Where’s your ID?”
He pulls out an identification card from his pocket, and a slender, delicate hand extends from under the oversized sleeve, pushing the ID through the window.
The ticket checker scans the ID, verifies the information on the computer, confirms it’s correct, and can’t help but look up at Shen Lin, saying, “You look quite young.”
In the late night, the light from the street lamps is too dim, but the thick layer of snow on the ground reflects enough light for him to barely see the appearance of the young man standing outside the ticket checkpoint. He looks well-behaved and clean, with deep blue headphones hanging around his neck. His short hair is neatly trimmed, his face is reddened by the cold wind, and a layer of mist has frozen in his jet-black eyes, giving him an innocent and inexperienced look.
Shen Lin smiles faintly and says obediently, “Everyone says that. Sometimes I even get checked for my ID when going to an internet cafe.” He reaches out to take back the returned ticket and ID but struggles for a moment. He furrows his brow, uses some force, and finally retrieves the ticket and ID from the other person’s hand.
Suddenly, the person says, “Kid, it’s almost New Year. Go home early and don’t wander around.”
A stiffness appears in Shen Lin’s smile. He pulls up the corners of his mouth, but his eyes seem cold. He says politely, “Thank you, Uncle. Don’t worry; I’m of legal age. I’m just going to visit relatives over there, not running away from home.”
The man finally shows a relieved expression, saying, “The world is chaotic. Take care.”
“Yeah, you’re a kind-hearted person.”
He smiles and says, “Go on.”
After walking a few steps, Shen Lin’s tense body gradually relaxes. He sighs in relief, thinking that the fake ID he got really works; it helped him board this train.
He takes out his phone, and as soon as it turns on, a flood of missed calls and unread messages inundates the screen. He casually swipes open a few—
“Xiaolin, Mom knows that this decision is difficult for you, and I shouldn’t force you to make a decision at this time. You’re in a crucial moment for the college entrance exam, but Mom loves you and hopes you can give up the domestic exam and go abroad with me.”
“Shen Lin, I’ve already arranged a university for you in China, studying architecture, and a seamless transition from bachelor’s to master’s. Your mentor will be a colleague of your dad’s from his studio.”
“Time is running out; make a decision quickly, it will be difficult to handle the procedures if you delay.”
“Xiaolin, you need to make a decision quickly. Dad and I, which one will you choose?”
“Why aren’t you coming home?”
“Baby, where are you?”
“Answer the phone! Now!”
……
He expressionlessly marked all the messages as read.
It was 11:16 PM.
The train departure was in fourteen minutes.
This train had infrequent schedules, and the tickets were very hard to come by. Fortunately, he was in luck and managed to snag a sleeper ticket as someone had just canceled.
Shen Lin exhaled, and the white mist dissipated quickly in the cold air. He put on his headphones, briskly walked towards the train platform.
“Halt!”
The sudden shout made Shen Lin freeze, and behind him, he heard a commotion. Turning around, in the snowy landscape, a young man dressed very lightly was being chased by the station’s security patrol. Two adult men suddenly lunged forward, pushing him to the ground. Despite the man’s swift struggle and even a kick, he managed to break free and sprinted towards Shen Lin.
Shen Lin: “!!!”
The age was fake, the ID was fake, and Shen Lin didn’t want trouble. He quickly jumped onto the nearest train car, pulled up his hoodie, leaving only a pair of dark eyes visible, and glanced outside the door.
That man passed by without a glance, moving swiftly like a cheetah on the grasslands. Two security personnel stumbled in their pursuit, unable to match his speed.
No time to waste, he withdrew his gaze, found his compartment based on the ticket number, pushed open the door, and a musty smell hit him.
“Damn.” Pinching his nose, he cursed under his breath. After taking a deep breath, he mustered the courage to enter the compartment. As he opened the window, cold air rushed in. Shen Lin breathed heavily, waiting for the odor to dissipate before assessing the place he would inhabit for the next six days and nights.
It was a compartment for two people. The other side was unoccupied. Shen Lin chose a relatively clean-looking bed, hung his backpack on the bed frame, and observed the heavily stained bedsheet, raising his eyebrows in displeasure.
He took a deep breath, convincing himself to accept reality. He picked up the dirty sheet, tossed it on the floor, and pulled out a white shirt from his backpack, spreading it over the mattress. He curled up within the boundaries of the shirt, closed his eyes lightly, and his stomach ached.
At that moment, the train suddenly started moving. Shen Lin stood up, looked at the retreating scenery outside, the platform getting farther away. His tensed nerves finally relaxed.
Finally leaving this place.
This train from the capital to Russia would last six days and nights. Those two “social elites” would never imagine that this pampered young master would board this train. Shen Lin smirked, he would try to stay in the compartment as much as possible. Six days should be manageable with a bit of energy replenishment; starvation was not an option.
He fell asleep shortly after.
In a half-awake state, he heard rustling sounds. Shen Lin slowly opened his eyes, his mind foggy for a moment. Suddenly realizing his situation, he widened his eyes and met a pair of pitch-black eyes.
Locked in a gaze, both were somewhat bewildered.
The man took a step back, sat on the opposite bunk, and looked at Shen Lin with indifference.
Shen Lin was stunned for a moment, but after seeing the man’s features, something struck him.
His eyes gradually widened, words rolled to his lips, but he swallowed them back as if they were burning.
Shen Lin turned his head away, diverting his gaze from the man. What was he doing in the same compartment? Wasn’t he the one being chased and pinned down on the snowy platform? Who was he? A good person or a bad person? Why were the station staff chasing him? Would he expose Shen Lin’s whereabouts? What if he had ill intentions and wanted to rob him?
Shen Lin quietly observed him.
He was probably in his early twenties, tall and well-built, with handsome and cold features. His shirt, soaked from being pressed into the snow, clung to his lean and muscular body, revealing an attractive physique.
Great physique.
Shen Lin felt a bit jealous.
Adhering to the principle of not causing trouble if not provoked, Shen Lin cautiously huddled in the corner, nervously paying attention to the man’s movements.
He had been sitting on the bed since entering the compartment, resembling a statue. His body was stiff and straight, with a cold expression. However, he often used his deep gaze to look at Shen Lin.
As the journey continued, Shen Lin, enduring the increasingly painful stomachache, broke into a cold sweat. Clenching his teeth, he shivered.
There was a rustling sound from across the compartment. Shen Lin opened his eyes sharply, and his sweaty forehead was covered by a warm, large hand. The man’s deep voice sounded near his ear, “Are you sick?”
A surge of grievances rose in Shen Lin’s heart, but he forced it down.
“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth.
“You’re shivering.”
“Stop talking.”
Shen Lin struggled to sit up, searching for medicine in his backpack. His hand trembled, and the backpack fell to the ground, spilling out a bunch of miscellaneous items.
Suddenly, the back of his foot was hit by a thick spine. Looking down, Yan Xiu saw a thick mythology encyclopedia, a colorful silver bookmark sticking out from between the pages, revealing a familiar corner.
He seemed to have seen this bookmark somewhere.
Seeing that Shen Lin had little strength, Yan Xiu bent down to help pick it up. He looked at the corner for a moment, hesitated, and still pulled the bookmark out. It read:
【Invitation】
Cordially inviting Investigator ‘Shen Lin’ to participate in this game. Please take the train departing at 11:30 PM this Saturday to the game location; otherwise, the game room will be permanently closed.”
Below were two lines of iridescent silver-colored small characters:
“It’s not the deceased who sleeps forever; in the long and strange time, death also has its end.”
“Let it end by you.”
