There’s a Problem

The car slowed down gradually under Wen Chu’s control and eventually stopped at an intersection.

Yan Heqing asked, “Why have we stopped? Isn’t the light green ahead?”

Wen Chu met his gaze through the rearview mirror, his thin lips moving slightly. “Since I started driving you, this is the third time I’ve brought the car to this spot. The pottery cake shop just a few meters ahead is the one you tried to convince Cuihong to go buy from an hour ago.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Heqing leaned over to the window, and Cuihong flew to the edge of the window. Both of them looked out and indeed saw the cake shop not far ahead.

The shop looked just as it did before. The customers kept flowing in and out, and outside, there was a pale blue pottery jar standing at waist height with a sign that read “Pottery Cake Shop.” Nothing seemed special.

But as they continued to look, Cuihong suddenly let out a small shriek.

Yan Heqing immediately looked at it. “What’s wrong?”

“An hour ago, that cake shop looked exactly like this. No changes, and even the people standing there haven’t moved. I swear on my food rations for the next week, I’m not lying,” Cuihong said, flying into the air with excitement, flapping its wings so forcefully that Yan Heqing’s bangs were blown around.

He adjusted his hair and turned to Wen Chu, sitting in the driver’s seat. “Since Cuihong says so, it seems there’s something strange going on. You’re just an ordinary person, so don’t get out of the car. I’ll go with Cuihong and check it out.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Heqing opened the car door. Cuihong, full of energy, rushed out first, but the next second, it regretted it.

Its wings, which had been flapping at full speed, suddenly slowed down, and it tried to speak but found it couldn’t open its mouth.

“Yan—Xian—what—what’s—happening—?”

Cuihong slowly articulated each word, and seeing that something was wrong, Yan Heqing immediately pulled his leg back, which had almost been fully extended.

“This must be the strange thing in this area,” Wen Chu said.

Outside the car, Cuihong could hear the normal speech pace from inside, and it felt so envious that tears almost fell: “What—should—I—do—now?”

However, Wen Chu wasn’t focusing on the upset bird outside. His attention was fixed on the familiar side profile of the person sitting next to him.

The owner of that side profile had his palm facing up, and suddenly, a one-meter-long conductor’s baton appeared out of nowhere.

He tried to extend the baton outside the window, but immediately encountered a tremendous resistance, as though he were pushing it into the deep sea, pressing on the baton. The part of the baton outside the car began to resonate with Cuihong, and changing its direction became incredibly difficult.

Yan Heqing extended the baton toward Cuihong’s feet. Once Cuihong stepped on it, he dragged the baton back.

After more than ten minutes, Cuihong collapsed exhaustedly onto the leather backseat, lying motionless like it was dead.

“This entire area has been controlled by an unknown force. The sensation I felt when extending this baton outside the car was very similar to water pressure in the deep sea. Right now, everything inside the car seems normal, but anywhere else could have problems.” Yan Heqing rested for a moment, arriving at this pessimistic conclusion.

Wen Chu tried to start the car again, but it stalled quickly. “The resistance is too great; the car can’t move forward.”

In the current situation, Yan Heqing frowned without speaking, his hand instinctively clenched into a fist.

Wen Chu noticed this and, after a brief pause, pulled out his phone and made a call, hitting the speakerphone button.

The phone was quickly picked up, and a clear voice of a young girl rang out in the small space of the car: “Brother, what’s going on with the call?”

Yan Heqing recognized the voice as Wen Ya’s and unconsciously sat up straighter, this small gesture catching Wen Chu’s silent attention.

Yan Heqing gestured with his eyes: “What are you staring at? I’m just respecting Wen Ya on the phone!”

After observing for a few seconds, Wen Chu turned his attention back to the phone and said, “We’ve encountered a problem on Guangming Avenue in Ningcheng’s Area B. Bring Wen He and Li Lian with you. Don’t step onto Guangming Avenue. When you arrive, listen to me.”

On the other end, Wen Ya, apparently surprised by her sudden assignment, replied in a daze: “Oh, okay, I’ll get right on it.”

After hanging up, Wen Chu waved his phone at Yan Heqing. “Sometimes, when you can’t solve a problem by yourself, it’s good to ask for help from others.”

Yan Heqing scoffed at Wen Chu’s words. “I can solve it myself; I just haven’t made a move yet.”

Wen Chu nodded in affirmation. “You were indeed impressive back then, but I won’t make a judgment now.”

Yan Heqing: Hey! Underestimating me.

No one can remain calm after hearing such a provocation, remember—no one.

Thus, he started rummaging through the bag he brought, but found nothing. All that remained was the gourd and a whip made from a vine soaked in Hainan Yellow Rosewood sap.

Having found no useful tools, Yan Heqing glanced at Wen Chu and saw that he was staring at him again. For a moment, unwilling to lose out, he decided to go in empty-handed and bare-handed.

In the heat of Wen Chu’s gaze, Yan Heqing closed his eyes, pressed his hands together, muttered a few incantations, and within moments, his palms began to glow with golden light.

The golden light spread outward from his hands, gradually enveloping his entire body. Soon, Cuihong was also caught within the glow.

The golden light continued to spread, surrounding everything nearby.

When Wen Ya, along with Wen He and Li Lian, arrived at the edge of Guangming Avenue near Light Source Avenue, they thought they would need to search for a while. However, just standing there, they could already see the golden glow from the car not far off.

Wen He shielded his eyes from the blinding golden light and cautiously asked, “Yaya, is that the car where Wen Chu and the others are? I feel like we might not need to do anything.”

Unexpectedly, as soon as the words were out, the golden light vanished with a whoosh, and the car returned to its normal appearance.

Wen Ya and Li Lian: “…”

Wen He, who had spoken earlier, mumbled, “Uh, Yaya, Uncle Li, sorry.”

Inside the car, with the golden light gone, Yan Heqing looked at his hands in disbelief, muttering to himself, “This can’t be, it’s not supposed to be like this.”

Just then, a hand with distinct knuckles covered his hand.

Yan Heqing looked up to see Wen Chu, his expression showing a hint of tension. “Are you okay?”

The warmth from Wen Chu’s palm spread through Yan Heqing’s hand, but Wen Chu, with his cold face and heart, had unusually dry and warm hands.

Yan Heqing turned his head, pretending not to notice as he pulled his hand back from where Wen Chu had covered it. He answered, a bit dazed, “I’m fine, just didn’t expect I could only hold on for such a short time.”

Suddenly, Cuihong’s surprised voice came from the side, “Yan Xian, why are your ears red?”

Yan Heqing: “Ah! Are you trying to kill me!”

Before he could finish, Cuihong, not paying attention, fell right into Yan Heqing’s hands. “Help! Someone’s trying to harm the bird!”

As one person and one bird began their “life-or-death struggle,” Wen Chu’s phone rang.

After a few seconds of music, the car finally fell silent. Wen Chu looked at the exhausted man and bird, a slight curve appearing on his lips.

The phone call connected, and Wen He’s timid voice sounded, “Wen, Wen Chu, we’ve already arrived at the edge of Guangming Street. What should we do?”

Wen Chu: “Give the phone to Yaya.”

After hearing this, Wen He handed the phone over, and soon, Wen Ya’s clear voice came through.

“Brother.”

Wen Chu: “Did you bring the car cover and eye masks? Also, the golf club I left in the backyard.”

Wen Ya quickly started rummaging through things on the other end, with the occasional voice of her and the others talking.

“Brother, I have them.”

Wen Chu, without missing a beat, instructed, “Let Wen He bring them over to me.”

“Oh, okay.”

A moment later, there was a knock on the car window. Wen He, holding something, smiled at the two in the car. “Yan Daoist, Wen Chu, here’s the stuff you wanted.”

Following Wen Chu’s instructions, Wen He draped the car cover over the car. In an instant, the car’s interior darkened, and Yan Heqing, along with Cuihong, dared not breathe, fearing it would ruin Wen Chu’s plan.

Not long after, Wen He’s voice came again from outside the window. “Wen Chu, the golf club has been fixed.”

In the dark environment, Yan Heqing only heard Wen Chu’s deep voice, responding with a simple “Mm.”

The golden light slowly surrounded them, and Yan Heqing, who had been nervous, relaxed. He whispered, “You can do this too.”

“I’ve only learned a little, just showing off,” Wen Chu replied casually.

The golden light continued to spread, creeping into the car’s crevices. Soon, Yan Heqing could feel the car start moving, and the speed was as usual.

Not long later, the car drove away from Guangming Avenue.