"I've mentioned so much about serial killers, do you think I look like one?" Ming Tao said these words in a low, cold voice. His eyes, hidden beneath his fringe, seemed to glow with a sinister light.
A silence fell over the cabin.
Finally, Gu Tiancheng was the first to chuckle; he couldn't contain his laughter and turned back to drive. You Mingxu chuckled too, an empathetic laugh, and crossed his legs casually. Gu Tiancheng softly said, "Give me five." You Mingxu hesitated, for some reason, she didn't want to get too close to him. She didn't extend her hand, only softly chuckled and said, "Stop messing around."
Gu Tiancheng glanced at her, his eyes still filled with laughter, but he didn't say anything.
Ming Tao, realising that they were making fun of him, slowly withdrew the exaggerated smile on his face as it went unappreciated. However, he couldn't sit still for long, and instructed You Mingxu, "Change the channel to listen to the news. There might be a report about the serial killer."
As per his instruction, You Mingxu switched the channel. But the local news station was broadcasting massive rainfalls, causing some roads to collapse amid a landslide. A large number of police officers were drawn away to aid in the disaster relief. Ming Tao smacked his lips, "With this, catching the killer is even harder. But this weather isn't favorable for killing either, sigh…"
You Mingxu let out a light chuckle, while Gu Tiancheng simply ignored him.
"There's a house over there!" Ming Tao suddenly exclaimed with delight.
You Mingxu lifted her head, and sure enough, at the foot of a distant mountain, there were several houses faintly visible, even the orange light was visible. But it was a bit of a distance off the road. However, that didn't matter now.
You Mingxu asked, "Shall we go check it out?"
Gu Tiancheng responded, "Sure."
As they drove closer, under the car's headlights, the buildings became clearer. They were simple, low mud-brick houses, old beyond repair, with one building only half remaining. From the windows of two of the houses, two girls were peering out.
The three of them got out of the car. The two girls didn't leave the buildings. They were dressed in storm jackets, apparently backpackers. Seeing the three's appearance and attire, the girls seemed to relax a bit.
You Mingxu looked around and noticed two bicycles parked beside the houses. These two must have cycled their way here. Suddenly, someone nudged her arm. It was Gu Tiancheng, standing beside her and said, "Go say hello." He probably figured it'd be easier if a girl started the conversation.
"I understand." You Mingxu softly replied, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
Gu Tiancheng chuckled, put his hands in his pockets, and stood behind her waiting. Ming Tao, swayed from side to side, looking carefree as if everything was under his control. After a while, presumably finding nothing to control, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Gu Tiancheng.
Together they watched You Mingxu stand outside the little shanty, smiling and talking to the two girls. Even in her oversized storm jacket and sports pants, she appeared svelte and her legs seemed extraordinarily long.
Gu Tiancheng observed for a while before leaning against the car and lighting a cigarette. Ming Tao commented appreciatively, "Three young girls, if the serial killer was here, it'd be a feast for him."
Gu Tiancheng coldly replied, "Speak nonsense again, and I'll throw you out."
Ming Tao gave a slight humpf, but fell quiet.
The two girls were around the same age as You Mingxu, both urban white-collar workers. They had several years of outdoor adventure experience and had already braved the Tibet Line twice, hence they were not apprehensive about travelling as a pair of two girls. One was named Song Lan, the other was called Zou Fuyu. Song Lan was tall with a lean face showing a hint of stubbornness and she had single-fold eyelids making her look very pretty. She appeared competent and opinionated. Zou Fuyu was true to her name, with an oval face and a sweet appearance. Underneath her storm jacket, she inexplicably wore a red skirt, and even had light makeup on. As she leaned on a windowsill, she chatted with You Mingxu while examining the two men standing behind her. She exuded a confident attitude of "I know I'm beautiful, whether someone appreciates it or not".
Now that they were acquainted, the two girls soon left the room and the two men came over, introducing themselves.
Song Lan said, "Few people come here. We chose to rest here because we wanted to see the sunrise from a lake behind the mountain tomorrow morning. Why did you guys come?"
Ming Tao was the first to raise his hand, "I got lost, couldn't cycle anymore, so I hitched a ride with them."
You Mingxu said, "I just wanted to see the scenery around here."
Gu Tiancheng said, "I just came here without a particular destination in mind." He was tall and dashing and spoke in a low, gentle voice, making Song Lan let out a "Oh" and laugh.
Zou Fuyu spoke in a soft and gentle voice, "So the three of you just met each other?"
Gu Tiancheng replied, "Yes."
Song Lan said, "This place probably used to be a small camp, but it's now abandoned. We stumbled upon it too. The rooms are very small and there are no sleeping bags. We even set up tents inside the rooms. Would you like to take a look?"
The three of them followed Song Lan to the doors of the two rooms for a look. The rooms were indeed cramped. Song Lan's tent almost filled up the entire space in her room and the same was true for Zou Fuyu's room.
Song Lan looked at You Mingxu, "Do you want to sleep with me? It might be a little cramped."
You Mingxu said, "No need, we brought our own tents. We'll sleep outside. It's good enough to have each other's company tonight."
Ming Tao, to his credit, turned out to be good at setting up a tent. He did it swiftly and efficiently. In contrast, You Mingxu and Gu Tiancheng seemed quite clumsy and had to rely on him.
Soon, three single-person tents were standing. Ming Tao clapped his hands and tauntingly said, "Are you guys really outdoor enthusiasts? Even the simplest tents took you forever to set up."
You Mingxu was silent for a while before saying to Gu Tiancheng, "I've always been sloppy with these things. I'm not nimble or dexterous. But how come you're not good either?"
Gu Tiancheng answered, "I only brought the tent as a precaution, I usually stay in hotels or guesthouses. I'll put more efforts into learning it later."
Both of them laughed after his response.
Having made his taunt, Ming Tao turned back, only to see two beautiful people, a girl and a boy, standing between the tents under the faint light, smiling at each other. Ming Tao felt unexpectedly dull and lonely. After a moment of silence, he muttered to himself, "Fake affection, it's boring. No wonder he likes to kill."
This dark world was vast and endless. The sky was black, the mountains were black, and the earth was black. Breezes were blowing constantly, whispering in the hollow wind and reminding you that you were in a remote corner far away from modern society.
However, the gathering of five strangers brought warmth to this small, abandoned campsite.
Ming Tao crawled into his sleeping bag, sat in the tent, and started bragging to the two girls who were two meters away in the hut. Listening to him, Song Lan smiled in silence, while Zou Fuyu gave a half-hearted smile.