"Oh yeah." The boy walked a few steps, his body swaying a little, radiating a bit of cocky energy. Gu Tiancheng got out of the car, helped him fold his bicycle and placed it on the roof of the car.
The boy flopped into the back seat and let out a comfortable sigh. The car continued to move forward into the darkness.
At first, no one spoke. The boy was texting and voice messaging on his phone. You Mingxu heard him telling several people that he had finally hitched a ride with some handsome and beautiful people. He didn't care that the actual individuals were right there in the car with him.
After a while, the boy leaned forward and introduced himself, "My name is Ming Tao. I'm a fourth-year student, about to graduate. So, I came to Tibet for a dream trip. I've been on the road for three days."
"You Mingxu."
"Gu Tiancheng."
Ming Tao looked at the two of them, laughed and said, "I knew it, you two aren't a couple. You don't act like it."
To his surprise, Gu Tiancheng responded, "How should couples... look like?"
Ming Tao replied, "Well, you should be closer; when I go out with my girlfriend, she's practically clinging to me. But looking at you two, especially the woman here, she seems cool. Even sitting next to you, her body leans slightly away from you and she maintains a distance. The lack of eye contact between you two and your formal conversation implies that you're not a couple. Could you two be friends with benefits?"
Gu Tiancheng: "..."
You Mingxu: "..."
Ming Tao, thinking he had said something hilarious, started laughing. He laughed exaggeratedly, then abruptly stopped, resuming his casual expression.
You Mingxu thought to herself, this man really was a show-off.
She said, "From the looks of it, your observational skills are quite strong?"
Ming Tao chuckled and said, "More than just strong. Truth be told, I have some knowledge in psychology and behavioural analysis. Do you know what behavioural analysis is? It's a method used in criminal psychology, like in the TV show 'Criminal Minds'. It enables you to derive conclusions from behaviour. I've studied many shows and even looked at numerous cases involving foreign serial killers. I find it very interesting to analyze the people around me and the ones I meet on the road."
You Mingxu smiles without saying a word.
But Gu Tiancheng spoke lightly, "As for the criminal psychology thing you mentioned, I really don't understand. I also don't like watching American dramas. That said, I don't think your analysis is as accurate as you claim. Initially, you guessed we were a couple, then you guessed..." He paused,"...whatever kind of relationship and analyzed a whole bunch. Actually, if you had noticed that there is only one bicycle on top of the car, and considering its frame height, it's obviously a woman's bike. If we were a couple or friends who had agreed to travel together, we would have brought two bikes, wouldn't we?"
Ming Tao's eyes widen.
You Mingxu takes a glance at Gu Tiancheng and murmurs, "Not bad…just like Sherlock Holmes."
Gu Tiancheng chuckled, "Am I that exaggerated? It's just a normal inference."
Ming Tao leans forward slightly, clasping his hands as if praying, "Great master, I bow to you!"
Even Gu Tiancheng couldn't help but laugh at this point, glancing at the lively, funny young man through the rearview mirror. Ming Tao then said to You Mingxu, "So you're also hitching a ride. We're companions in adversity, shake my hand." He extended his hand, but You Mingxu didn't want to shake hands with him. She turned her head and saw his eyes, twinkling with amusement from under his bangs. She patted his hand and said, "No need to be so formal. Just sit still."
Ming Tao laughed again and studied her appearance for a couple of more seconds. He then laid back comfortably, shaking his legs leisurely.
Still, there was no sign of civilization up ahead. Though they could see one or two small houses, they were in complete darkness, old and dilapidated, likely abandoned.
The car continued to move forward.
The three of them fell quiet for a while and the music from the radio became the only sound filling up the car.
Ming Tao suddenly said, "Why listen to this? Let's listen to the news. There's a serial killer on the loose recently, who has been moving around the highway and killing every person he comes across. Have you heard about this?"
The car grew silent for a moment.
You Mingxu's voice was a little tense, "A serial killer? I haven't heard about it, what's going on?"
Gu Tiancheng added, "I haven't heard, tell us about it."
Ming Tao grinned, somewhat smugly, and said, "You don't know about this? Fortunately, you met me. I guess it's because the news only had minimal coverage, quite low-key. However, I know everything about the situation—" His voice suddenly turned a few notches lower and he whispered in their ears, "The killer killed two people in Xiang City, Hunan, but the police couldn't catch him. They don't even know if he's old, young, male or female. Isn't that amazing? He then escaped to Tibet and killed two more people along the highway. You might ask, how do we know it's the same person doing these crimes?
Because these serial killers usually have some signature behaviour. The police must have used his consistent behaviour to deduce that it was the same person and combined the cases. He targets young, attractive girls. Like Miss You."
Surprisingly, You Mingxu didn't display a scared expression. However, Gu Tiancheng told Ming Tao, "Don't scare her."
Ming Tao glanced at both of them and murmured, "Getting a bit cozy there, huh? But imagine this, doesn't it feel exhilarating? We're traveling on this road while the same serial killer might be heading in the same direction too. Who knows, you might have crossed paths with him. Hey, Miss You, are you scared?"
Even You Mingxu was somewhat annoyed by him now. She retorted, "Are you scared?"
Ming Tao nonchalantly replied, "Of course I'm not. I'm actually hoping to meet the serial killer. After all, he targets young women, not me. It's a pity that I haven't met anyone like him on this trip."
Gu Tiancheng questioned, "Do you know what he looks like?"
Ming Tao answered, "Of course I don't. But I understand serial killers. If I come across him, I'll definitely be able to identify him through my analysis of his behavioral evidence."
Gu Tiancheng laughed and turned his head, "Do you think I look like one?"
Ming Tao paused. Before he could respond, You Mingxu turned as well, her smile faint, "Didn't you say the killer could be male or female? Ming Tao, what about me? Do I look like one?"
Both of their attractive faces watched Ming Tao with playful smiles, their eyes somewhat secretive. Ming Tao was taken aback for a moment, then he suddenly clapped his hands and burst out laughing, exclaiming, "Interesting, very interesting! Here we are, three strangers in a car, not knowing whether we'll encounter a serial killer or if the killer is potentially among us. Hey, the same could be said about me as well. After talking about the serial killer, do you think I resemble him?"