The person at the door was Tian Ke.
Her knocking was fierce and urgent, more like someone demanding repayment than just looking for someone.
The moment the door opened, she barged in, pointing at Shen Kui and shouting, out of breath, “W-what—why didn’t you answer your phone?!”
Shen Kui pulled out her phone. There were at least twenty missed calls and a long string of unread messages. She hurriedly apologized, “I had my phone on silent at the museum earlier, and I fell asleep when I got home. I’m sorry, Keke. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
Tian Ke, already flustered, fumed, “You scared me to death! You have no idea—I woke up, and you were gone, calls not answered, messages ignored. It was already the middle of the night. I thought something had happened to you!”
Tian Ke had an irregular schedule. When Shen Kui left in the morning, she hadn’t wanted to disturb her and had planned to update her later that evening, never expecting to sleep through until now.
Shen Kui poured a glass of water for Tian Ke. She gulped it down, then set the cup down and urged, “Come on, come on, pack your things and come home with me. Don’t you feel creeped out staying here?”
Shen Kui paused, then decided to be honest with Tian Ke. “I’m not going. With the way things are right now, I’m afraid I’d put you in danger.”
“Hua Hua, if you say that, I’m really going to be mad. We’ve grown up together. Whatever happens, we face it together. Remember when I was ten and almost got beaten to death by my dad? You stood in with his stick and saved me. Back then, weren’t you afraid of getting caught up in it?” Tian Ke’s eyes grew red as she spoke. “I know what you’re dealing with is strange. I know you’re scared—I’m scared, too—but no matter what, two people are always stronger than one. Didn’t you always tell me that yourself?”
Seeing Shen Kui lower her head in silence, Tian Ke softened her tone. “Look at the time—it’s almost three o’clock. Just try changing locations tonight. Let’s see if anything happens at my place. Maybe what happened yesterday was just an accident.”
Shen Kui gave a quiet “Mm,” her eyes stinging with tears. She didn’t dare look up.
For years, Shen Kui had been used to taking care of herself. Life always had its ups and downs, but she was strong-willed and resilient. She could grit her teeth and get through setbacks. Yet the recent string of events had dealt her both psychological and physical blows. She was scared, but had never considered relying on anyone. Even after everything that happened last night, she had decided to go home alone today because, deep down, she had always believed that no matter how big the difficulty, she had to face it alone.
But Tian Ke’s words opened a window for her.
Shen Kui took a deep breath and told herself: it’s okay. You have friends, teammates. It’s fine to rely on someone sometimes.
She quickly packed a few clothes. The two of them hailed a taxi downstairs, heading straight for Tian Ke’s home.
It was already 2:45 a.m., just fifteen minutes to the dreaded “three o’clock” mark. Shen Kui couldn’t help but wonder what this new round of the “3 a.m. curse” might bring.
“Almost there, almost there… luckily, my place isn’t far.” Tian Ke kept checking the time, her round face scrunched with anxiety. It was hard to tell whether she was trying to reassure Shen Kui or herself. “Just past this intersection, then we get out and run. Should be fine.”
Shen Kui wanted to say that if something were going to happen, it wouldn’t matter whether they were at home or outside. But after thinking it over, she stayed silent. Tian Ke was already anxious enough. She didn’t want to make it worse.
Just then, the driver suddenly went, “Huh?”
“W-what’s wrong, driver?!” Tian Ke sat up with a start. “Did something happen?”
“Looks like the road up ahead is blocked…” the driver said, puzzled. “That shouldn’t be… I just came this way earlier.”
Shen Kui felt a chill run through her. Just as she feared, it had happened.
She exchanged a glance with Tian Ke, and in her eyes, Shen Kui saw the panic that had been desperately restrained but still surfaced.
Shen Kui forced herself to stay calm, patting Tian Ke lightly. “It’s okay, we’ll take another route.”
Then she turned to the driver. “Sir, could you check if there’s a shortcut we can take? We’re in a hurry.”
“It’s too late,” Tian Ke kept checking the time. “Only ten minutes left. Even taking a detour would take at least eight or nine minutes, and that route has a lot of traffic lights…”
“Maybe we should just get out,” Shen Kui said suddenly. “Either way, we won’t make it on time. Let’s just find somewhere nearby to sit.”
“But it’s the middle of the night, and this area is an industrial park. Where would we find a place with people? Should we just stand by the roadside? That’d be even more dangerous.”
Shen Kui quickly pulled out her phone and searched for 24-hour stores nearby. She actually found a 7-Eleven just five hundred meters away. She handed the phone to Tian Ke. “Look, it’s only five hundred meters. Let’s go here.”
“Okay… I guess.” Tian Ke still hesitated a little. Leaving the relative safety of the car at this hour was a test in itself.
The taxi soon pulled up at the convenience store. Its lights were bright, and a few night owls were lingering inside. Both of them let out a sigh of relief.
With five minutes to go until three o’clock, the two of them found a window seat. They counted the time silently in their heads, quietly watching the empty street outside.
“Two minutes left,” Tian Ke reported again, her voice trembling slightly from anxiety.
To distract her, Shen Kui casually brought up a topic. “Look, the taxi we were just in is still waiting at the traffic light. The red lights on this road last way too long.”
“Maybe,” Tian Ke replied absentmindedly, her attention elsewhere. She fidgeted, looking left and right, her round, rosy face scrunched in unease. Compared to her, Shen Kui, though anxious herself, seemed remarkably calm.
Just as Shen Kui was about to say something else to divert Tian Ke’s attention, a heavy truck came speeding from the other side of the street. A deafening “bang” sounded as it violently collided with the taxi stopped at the intersection.
The taxi instantly shattered into pieces. A bloodied fragment of the car’s body, propelled by the force of the impact, shot straight toward Shen Kui like a bullet.
The next second, everything went black before her eyes. She lost consciousness.
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152