No Ghosting Allowed

Xi’an was hit by heavy rain, and it affected Xianyang Airport. The flight that was scheduled to arrive around midnight was delayed for almost two hours, finally landing after two in the morning.

That flight was the last incoming flight of the night. When they got off the plane, the airport terminal was already dark, and all the shops had closed for the night. Only a row of illuminated passages at the exit guided them outside.

Zhou Qingbai and Pei You didn’t have any checked luggage, only carrying two small suitcases, so they came out swiftly. As they headed to the parking lot along the escalator, there wasn’t a single person in sight.

“It’s too quiet,” Zhou Qingbai leaned on the handrail bonelessly and looked around, casually saying, “Don’t you think this looks like a scene from a survival game?”

The modern airport building was tall and spacious. It was fine when it was filled with people, but in moments like this when it was completely empty, it felt a bit eerie. Pei You turned to look at Zhou Qingbai beside him and replied, “Then let’s hope it doesn’t end like one.”

Pei You paused for a moment and added, “I only have clothes and a laptop in my suitcase, no survival weapons.”

Zhou Qingbai didn’t expect Pei You to play along with his joke. He was momentarily stunned and then burst into laughter, patting Pei You’s shoulder.

“It’s alright, no need to worry,” Zhou Qingbai stood up straight and proudly said, “I have plenty of experience with outdoor survival. Follow me, and I promise you’ll be fine.”

That answer surprised Pei You a little. He looked at Zhou Qingbai with a puzzled expression; he didn’t expect Zhou Qingbai to have such a niche interest.

After all, in Pei You’s eyes, Zhou Qingbai was someone who preferred lying down and barely moved, except when he was active during cocktail mixing. At other times, he was like he was in energy-saving mode.

“You’ve participated in outdoor survival training camps?” Pei You asked.

“No,” Zhou Qingbai answered straightforwardly and confidently, “But I’ve watched The Hunger Games three times, completed all the levels of Silent Hill, and finished the Resident Evil series on hard mode. I also spent 328 hours in the game Ice Steam Era.”

Pei You: “…”

Understood, Pei You thought, a theory expert on paper.

Pei You didn’t put much trust in theoretical experience gained from games and movies, but he didn’t want to dampen Zhou Qingbai’s enthusiasm. So he cleared his throat and somewhat awkwardly changed the topic.

“By the way, where’s the car arranged by your brother?” Pei You asked, “Where should we wait?”

The airport shuttle bus only went to Xi’an city center, so Zhou Cangshan had arranged a car to pick them up and take them to Weinan city.

Zhou Cangshan wanted to surprise Liu Xin, so he hadn’t informed him in advance about the auditing of the accounts. They would directly go to Dongjiang to check the accounts once they arrived in Weinan.

“It’s in the parking lot,” Zhou Qingbai said, “A gray vehicle. At this hour, there probably aren’t many people in the parking lot, so it should be easy to spot.”

As he finished speaking, the parking spot near the escalator entrance lit up with the car’s headlights. Then, the horn sounded twice in short bursts, trying to get their attention.

“Is that the one?” Pei You asked.

Zhou Qingbai squinted to observe for a while, then nodded, “Yes, that’s the one.”

As they spoke, the escalator had already descended to the lowest point. Zhou Qingbai put away his phone, took his suitcase from Pei You’s hand, and began walking confidently towards the car.

The underground parking lot was spacious and flat. Zhou Qingbai glanced briefly while on the escalator and didn’t see any railings or obstacles. He felt at ease walking.

But Pei You still had some concerns. He quickly caught up to Zhou Qingbai, exchanged the suitcase to his other hand, and then reached out to hold Zhou Qingbai’s hand.

“Slow down,” Pei You whispered, “There’s a small slope ahead.”

He spoke a bit late, and before he could finish his words, Zhou Qingbai had already stepped down the stairs.

Not prepared for it, Zhou Qingbai’s foot missed a step, and he lost his balance. Pei You acted swiftly and grabbed his hand, pulling him back just in time to prevent a catastrophe.

Zhou Qingbai swayed in place for a moment, barely regaining his balance. He then heard Pei You sigh helplessly by his ear before releasing his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Qingbai was fearless, not feeling scared at all. He even shook the hand that Pei You had pulled back and jokingly said, “Are you afraid that I’ll trip and drag you down? Don’t worry, I won’t—”

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qingbai noticed Pei You taking a step closer to him, and in the next second, an arm gently wrapped around his waist from behind, steadying him.

“There are steps in front of you,” Pei You said, “Only two, be careful where you step.”