The Ghost Car and the Fractured Memory

The wound Li Chen had sliced was long and deep. Dark red blood mingled with the bright pink of torn flesh—a truly gruesome sight.

“Quick, quick! Stop the bleeding!” Lin Yi shouted in a panic, his voice finally snapping the others out of their stupor.

Shi Ji reacted instantly. He grabbed a small first-aid kit from the glove compartment, threw open the door, and hurried to the passenger side. He gripped Li Chen’s wrist, pulling the boy toward the curb to straighten his arm. He unscrewed a bottle of disinfectant and began flushing the wound.

The alcohol-laden liquid stung as it flowed over the raw skin. Li Chen couldn’t help but wince, his lips parting in a quiet hiss of pain.

Shi Ji’s movements were far from gentle. In fact, they were bordering on rough. His fingers gripped the boy’s arm so tightly they left visible white marks on the pale skin. Li Chen stared at those marks, then cautiously lifted his eyes to look at Shi Ji. He saw a man with a cold, set face and pressed lips—a man whose eyes held only him.

The “little wolf pup” had achieved his goal. The pain on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a hidden, downward smile.

But because they were so close, Shi Ji heard the faint chuckle. He glared at the boy and deliberately applied more pressure.

Li Chen’s smile collapsed into a pout. He puffed out his cheeks, looking the picture of wronged innocence.

“Oh, so you do know what pain feels like?” Shi Ji said dryly. After disinfecting the cut, he pulled out a roll of gauze and wrapped it around Li Chen’s arm. Fumbling through the kit and finding nothing to secure it with, he pressed his own fingers against the bandage. “Hold this yourself to stop the bleeding.”

The youth looked down at the long, slender fingers pressing against his skin and didn’t move for a long time.

With Jiang Mo and Lin Yi still watching, Shi Ji let out an impatient breath. “Li Chen, don’t be a child. I have to drive.”

Only then did Li Chen sluggishly reach out to press the spot Shi Ji had just touched. He leaned back and settled into his seat.

Seeing him finally behave, Shi Ji rubbed the bridge of his nose. He turned to the two boys in the back. “I’ll drop you off.”

“Is… is that too much trouble?” Jiang Mo blinked.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t find a taxi?” Shi Ji looked up at the orange-red sky. “It’ll be dark soon.”

The two hesitated but eventually agreed. As Lin Yi climbed in, he flashed a bright smile at Shi Ji. “Thank you!”

Shi Ji didn’t respond. He got back in and buckled up, glancing at Li Chen. The brat was spacing out again. His hand had slipped from the gauze, revealing the arm beneath. The pale skin was smooth and fair—aside from Shi Ji’s fingerprints, there wasn’t a single trace of a scratch or a wound.

Ha. So, having a system means you can just do whatever you want, huh?

Shi Ji snorted inwardly and hit the gas. A heavy silence filled the car. Li Chen bit his lip and said nothing, while Jiang Mo and Lin Yi didn’t dare speak. The atmosphere was stifling.

The silence was finally broken by the vibration of a phone in Li Chen’s pocket.

Li Chen pulled out his phone. Lin Yi was spamming the group chat with a play-by-play of his “emotional journey” after meeting Shi Ji. Li Chen scrolled past the fluff until his eyes caught the last few messages.

[AAA Assignment Writing – Mr. Lin]: @LC, I think your brother is the stable type. He definitely likes someone mature. [Don’t Eat Cilantro]: Lin Yi, what’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying our baby Li Chen isn’t mature?! [f*ck Your Tomatoes]: Warning: he bites! [Mo]: Would you guys just shut up! [AAA Assignment Writing – Mr. Lin]: My bad! Brother Li Chen, stop glaring at me!

The constant pinging irritated Li Chen. He knit his brows and muted the group. Silence returned, save for the rustle of the autumn wind outside.

Li Chen stared out the window, but he wasn’t looking at the passing streetscape or the birds in the sky. He was staring at the reflection of Shi Ji’s profile in the glass. If his gaze were physical, it would have traced the curve of the man’s brow and the slight lift of his lips a thousand times over. Those were places he had kissed.

His heart began to race uncontrollably. The skin Shi Ji had touched felt like it was on fire.

I like him so much. Truly, truly. I love Shi Ji.

The thick scent of Iris pheromones began to leak into the air. Sensing the danger, Jiang Mo and Lin Yi scrambled to get out as soon as the car slowed.

“This is the spot?” Shi Ji leaned out the window to ask.

As the scent billowed out, the two boys took a synchronized step back. “Mhm!” they chirped in unison.

Their reaction was strange, but Shi Ji didn’t press them. He turned the car around and drove toward the bridge.

The setting sun was sinking, wrapping the world in a golden haze. Empty old trees stood like silent sentinels. Shi Ji didn’t notice Li Chen turning to look at him, his cheeks flushed with the sunset’s glow, his eyes shimmering with an emotion ready to burst.

“You…” Li Chen’s lips moved. He was about to say something.

“BEEP—!!!”

A piercing horn cut him off. Li Chen snapped his head forward. A car had appeared out of nowhere, driving in a bizarre, erratic pattern. It saw Shi Ji’s car approaching but made no move to swerve.

It was driving on the wrong side of the road—straight at them!

Shi Ji gripped the steering wheel, slamming his horn. The oncoming vehicle ignored it, charging ahead. Heart tightening, Shi Ji yanked the wheel to avoid a collision, but the other car followed his movement as if possessed. No matter which way Shi Ji turned, the “ghost car” mirrored him.

As the distance closed, the other car accelerated. The roar of the engine sent cold sweat pouring down Shi Ji’s face.

They were on a bridge. On either side were iron railings, and below was a river. The oncoming car was forcing them toward the edge.

Who is doing this?!

Shi Ji widened his eyes, trying to see the license plate, but the space where the plate should be was empty. Then, as the car drew closer, he looked through its windshield.

There was no one inside.

His breath hitched. Both the driver and passenger seats were empty.

His blood ran cold. His face went ghostly pale as the car began to skid. The side of his vehicle scraped against the iron railing, sending up sparks that looked like they would ignite the air.

He instinctively closed his eyes. In that moment, white light flashed in his mind. Fragmented memories he had never touched began to piece themselves together. Deafening thunder. Torrential rain. Muddy footsteps.

His head felt like it was splitting open. Sweat stung his eyes, blinding him.

CRASH!!

The front of the car slammed into the railing. Suddenly, his wrist was seized by Li Chen. The youth kicked the door open and dragged Shi Ji out as they jumped.

The moment they hit the ground, the car broke through the railing and plunged into the river. The unmanned vehicle slammed into the opposite side, its engine finally dying in a twisted wreck.

[System 0373: Crisis resolved.]

Li Chen held Shi Ji, rolling several times on the asphalt until the mechanical voice echoed in Shi Ji’s mind. Shi Ji opened his eyes to a scene of destruction. Black smoke billowed into the sky; shattered glass littered the ground. The smell of scorched engine oil filled the air.

Coughing, Shi Ji leaned against Li Chen, gasping for air. He clutched the boy’s clothes tightly. Li Chen held him close, stroking his back and whispering reassurances into his ear.

“Don’t be afraid,” Li Chen murmured. He stared at Shi Ji’s pale face and reddened eyes, then nuzzled the man’s cheek. “I’m here.”

He had used the system to help at the last second, but the cause of the accident remained a mystery.

Shi Ji was trembling violently, his bloodless lips moving as he whispered something. Li Chen frowned and leaned in to listen. After a long moment, he finally made out what Shi Ji was saying:

“That car accident ten years ago… what really happened?”