Chapter 8

We were lost in the vast mountain ranges.

What could be more terrifying, more dreadful than this?

　　Green trees, almost black in their intensity, surrounded us on all sides. Occasionally, birds would streak past, leaving no trace behind. The path grew narrower and more desolate, overgrown with weeds along the edges.

The sky darkened steadily, yet we seemed to be venturing deeper into the wilderness. We even turned back at one point, but no matter how we tried, we couldn’t find the way we’d come.

　　It felt like we’d fallen into a gigantic maze.

Not a single signpost along the way—just trees, nothing but trees. I switched back to the driver’s seat, focusing every ounce of my concentration to memorize these seemingly identical paths.

But still, no way out.

It was like being trapped in a thick fog, with layer upon layer of dense forest blocking our path. We couldn’t see through it, couldn’t break free.

　　I even suspected we were circling back to where we started.

Night had fallen completely—another terrifying reality. Traveling in darkness made it harder to see what lay ahead. And we hadn’t eaten in half a day; our stomachs growled in turn.

　　At this moment, I found myself genuinely grateful for Qiu Lu’s thoughtfulness. She’d packed the trunk full of local specialties—cakes, dried meats. We wouldn’t go hungry anytime soon.

Wen Lingyu set down her phone, shaking her head helplessly. “Still no signal. Calls won’t go through, and WeChat just keeps spinning before showing that exclamation mark.”

　　Qiu Lu muttered dejectedly, “It’s all your fault, Xu Zirong! Why did you drive if you don’t know the way? Now we’re stuck here!”

Xu Zirong had been hanging his head in shame the whole time. He knew he’d made a mistake and dared not lift his gaze. But everyone’s capacity for self-blame has its limits—once it hits rock bottom, it inevitably rebounds.

　　Sitting in the passenger seat, Xu Zirong clenched his fists. Suddenly, his voice turned cold. “You’re so smart, why didn’t you drive? Instead, you were snoring away in the back!”

“You!” Qiu Lu’s eyes widened in fury, her voice shrill enough to tear the roof off the car. “You did something stupid and now you’re blaming me!”

　　“If it weren’t for you, why would I be stuck in this godforsaken place? Wouldn’t I be better off drinking and gaming in the city?” Xu Zirong retorted.

“So now it’s all about me? Xu Zirong, you have no conscience!” Qiu Lu, pushed beyond endurance, trembled as she pointed her pink-painted finger at him.

　　I glanced at the rearview mirror and said in a subdued voice, “Stop arguing. Save your energy. Keep an eye on your phones. If we find a spot with stronger signal, we absolutely can’t miss it!”

Qiu Lu pouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. Wen Lingyu moved closer to embrace her. Qiu Lu clung to her like a lifeline, sobbing, “Yu, I’m scared… I, waaah, I want to go home…”

Wen Lingyu sighed softly, gently patting Qiu Lu’s back.

　　Through the rearview mirror, I saw panic mirrored in Wen Lingyu’s eyes.

Negative emotions spread through the confined space of the car.

This road seemed endless, no matter which way we turned. My heart began to sink, fear steadily rising within me.

I looked down and realized my hands were trembling on the steering wheel!

　　No, we couldn’t keep going like this.

I slammed on the brakes to a stop and said, “It’s too dark now. We can’t see our surroundings. We probably won’t make it out tonight. We’ll just have to make do in the car for the night.”

The three of them had long since lost all sense of direction. Hearing my words, they all nodded in agreement.

　　“Qiu Lu, can we have some of the local specialties you bought?” I brightened the interior lights.

Qiu Lu had stopped crying long ago, her eyes still red. She nodded, nestled against Wen Lingyu’s neck.

I opened the trunk and got out to fetch some dry rations.

　　The temperature outside was bitterly cold. Even though it was early summer, deep within this dense, shadowy forest, the night chill could drop to just over ten degrees Celsius.

I instinctively pulled my shirt tighter around me, determined to get this done quickly.

The entire trunk was packed with Qiu Lu’s belongings—enough to keep us comfortable for ten days or even a fortnight.

　　I grabbed a bag of dry biscuits and a bag of jerky, then slammed the trunk shut with a loud thud.

Just then, I glanced up. The surroundings were pitch black, like ink. A faint, hazy moon hung in the sky, emitting a dim glow that couldn’t even illuminate the clouds. The only other light came from the tiny, orange glow inside our car. It felt as if these two pitiful lights were the only sources of illumination left in the world.

Only then did fear begin to creep into my consciousness.

I’d never been one to believe in ghosts or spirits, but in a night like this, after what we’d been through, even the bravest soul would break out in a cold sweat.

　　Just as I was thinking of hurrying back to the car, a rustling sound suddenly and unexpectedly reached my ears.

It was a very low, faint sound, one that would normally be hard to notice. But now, with everything utterly silent—not even the wind rustling through the trees—any slight noise seemed amplified countless times in my ears.

　　Rustle—rustle—

Rustle—rustle—

Goosebumps involuntarily rose on my skin.

Like a swarm of insects crawling in unison, their legs scraping across the hard floor produced a sound that made my teeth ache and sent shivers down my spine…

　　Summoning my courage, I pulled out my phone to illuminate the floor beneath me—only to witness a scene that left me utterly stunned.

A mass of black insects, their forms indistinct and their names unknown to me, their shells faintly reflecting my phone’s light. Head to tail, one after another, they crawled relentlessly, encircling our car!

　　“Ah!” I couldn’t help but scream, nearly dropping everything I held!

“What’s wrong?” Hearing my voice, Wen Lingyu rolled down the window and asked with concern.

　　I yanked open the door and practically scrambled inside, terrified those eerie insects might follow. I even bent down to inspect every crack and crevice multiple times.

“What’s wrong? You’re scared out of your wits!” Xu Zirong asked.

　　I set my things down and took several deep breaths, trying to shake off that bone-chilling coldness that clung to me like a festering sore.

“Outside the car… there are so many bugs…” I forced my voice steady, trying not to let them hear my trembling.

　　“What?” Qiu Lu could scarcely believe her ears. “You’re afraid of bugs?”

Now that she’d calmed down, she started mocking me: “Who’d have thought the aloof, straight-laced guy would be scared of bugs!”

I frowned. “I’m not afraid of bugs, but… it was really bizarre…”

　　I quickly started the engine, ready to leave. At least, at least get away from these bugs.

Wen Lingyu said, “Li Yuze isn’t a coward. There must be something else going on.”

Qiu Lu was about to say something else, but Xu Zirong spoke up in a low voice beside her: “I know what you’re talking about…”

　　At that, all eyes turned to him.

He continued, “I thought it was a coincidence, or some biological phenomenon, so I didn’t pay it much mind.”

“Yuze, did you see a swarm of black insects crawling end-to-end, blocking the road ahead?”

I gasped. “You saw it too?”

　　Xu Zirong lowered his eyes guiltily. “This afternoon when I was driving, you were all asleep in the cabin. Suddenly I saw a line of insects ahead, moving with remarkable coordination, head-to-tail, forming a long black thread. I thought it was some biological phenomenon—like ants moving before rain or something…” I was about to drive right over them, but then I remembered what the elders in the Miao village had said—that all living things here possess spirit, and disturbing them would invite misfortune. So I hesitated. There happened to be a narrow path by the roadside. My navigation showed it should also lead out, though it would take a slight detour, so I turned onto that path.”

　　I pressed, “Then what happened?”

After a pause, he gathered his courage: “Then… the phone navigation lost signal. That’s how we got completely lost in the mountains.”

By the end of his story, Xu Zirong was nearly breathless, consumed by regret: “I’m sorry. If I hadn’t been superstitious in that moment, none of this would have happened…”

　　This guy, nearly six feet tall, couldn’t hold back his tears.

Hearing the whole story, we all fell silent.

It was just too bizarre.

Qiu Lu, who’d been arguing moments before, softened her voice: “Zirong, don’t be sad. Don’t blame yourself… You’re just too kind…”

　　Hearing this, Xu Zirong leaned back from the passenger seat toward Qiu Lu, his voice strained with sorrow. “Lu Lu, it’s all my fault. I’ve caused you so much pain too!”

Qiu Lu moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was just scared and lashed out. Don’t blame me.”

“Mm!”

　　And just like that, they were inexplicably reconciled?

I was utterly baffled, feeling that the saying “love makes you stupid” held more truth than I’d ever imagined.

Sighing silently, I glanced up at the rearview mirror and met Wen Lingyu’s gaze. We both let out a wry smile at the same time.

　　We probably belonged under the car, not inside it.

We were definitely getting in the way of this little couple pouring their hearts out to each other.

Even though we now understood the cause and effect, realizing why we’d suddenly gotten lost, it didn’t change anything. We were still trapped in this vast forest, unable to find our way out.

　　Knowing the truth only added a layer of eerie strangeness to our predicament.

Those insects… I truly never want to see them again.

We ate our dry rations, barely filling our stomachs. Earlier, I’d complained about their poor appearance and assumed they’d taste awful. But now, they seemed surprisingly passable.

　　“We’ll have to rest in the car tonight,” I announced our plan for the night. “After all, this is the middle of nowhere, and there are dangers we can’t predict. The four of us will take turns keeping watch. If anything threatens us, wake everyone immediately. Does that sound good?”

They naturally had no objections.

And so, we officially began our first night lost in the forest.