Chapter 1

"You're not a kid anymore!"

"Over thirty and still not married, in our place, that's considered a leftover. It doesn't sound good, you know. Why are you still so stubborn?"

The sharp voice of the woman pierced through the darkness, jolting Zhou Jia awake from his drowsiness.

He slowly opened his eyes. The early autumn noon sunlight filtered through the dark brown window glass, warming his body and making him reluctant to move.

Outside, the trees were lush, their shadows intertwining.

The mountain road was rugged, and the uneven ground made the bus even more conducive to sleep.

His consciousness was still a bit fuzzy after just waking up, but the incessant chatter of the woman two rows ahead kept reaching his ears.

"Do you think I don't want to get married? It's just that I haven't found the right person yet, right?" The voice that rang out again was clear and resonant, showing no signs of age.

"Haven't found the right person?" The woman's voice rose, tinged with a hint of resentment:

"Tell me, you've been out of school for several years, right? Not to mention getting married, have you ever brought a boyfriend home for your parents to meet? You haven't found the right person? I think you just haven't put your heart into it."

"Don't think I'm nagging, but you really need to take this seriously."

"I know, I know." The young woman's voice was somewhat impatient, and she shifted her body, turning her face toward the aisle.

Zhou Jia shifted his gaze and, from his position, could see the side of the woman's face.

It was very delicate, with a hint of baby fat.

She was already over thirty, right?

It was hard to tell.

The woman clearly wasn't about to give up on her persuasion: "Your neighbor, Xiaoli, is the same age as you. I heard she's already pregnant with her third child."

"No way..."

"Why not? Go back and see for yourself. And Ming Shui, who also went to college, has already married a wife."

"Uh-huh."

"Your parents didn't raise you easily. They're not young anymore, and you can't keep them worrying. Finding a partner is a serious matter. What's the point of spending all day with those cats and dogs? They're just animals."

"Aunt, you can't say that. Cats and dogs have feelings too!"

"You're still upset!" The woman straightened her back:

"If it weren't for those cats and dogs always clinging to you, would you still not find a partner? Do you expect them to take care of you in your old age?"

"Your parents have been very upset about this."

"Alright, alright." The young woman looked helpless, unwilling to continue the argument:

"Haven't I already agreed to go on a blind date?"

"Is that what you call a blind date? It's just a敷衍!" (Note: "敷衍" can be translated as "going through the motions" or "being perfunctory.")

Talking about this, the woman's voice became even more urgent:

"The child from the Lao Qian family may not be very good-looking, but he has a good temper, is tall, and has a good job in a big city. What do you have to offer?"

"Leaving him there, what kind of attitude is that? Do you expect everyone to indulge you?"

"How can I just go with anyone? Marriage is a lifetime commitment. I need to find someone who looks good and has a compatible personality. Why should I waste my time on someone who isn't right?"

"What does 'looks good' mean? What does 'compatible personality' mean? There's no one who is a perfect match. Your mother has a good temper, but has she never argued with your father over the years? It's all about gradually getting used to each other. You need to change your attitude first."

"Change? Do I have to compromise? It's not my parents' fault."

"How is it compromising? Two people grow up in different environments, so they naturally have different habits. Living together will inevitably lead to conflicts. Both sides need to make concessions. If no one makes concessions or only one person does, the relationship won't last."

The woman, clearly experienced in this area, earnestly advised:

"Aunt isn't asking you to compromise, but to understand a principle."

"Your parents are getting older, and you will have a lot of responsibilities. Without someone to support you, it won't be easy. Also, you need to learn to control your temper when living with someone. This isn't a sacrifice, but a sign of maturity. Remember, your spouse is your closest relative, even closer than your parents. Since you're willing to come back for a blind date for your parents, it's normal to make some changes for your partner."

"Hmph..." The young woman pouted.

"Don't be skeptical." The woman frowned:

"Think about your grandparents. Is your mother closer to your father or to your grandparents? Your father is so filial, but he still argues with your grandmother because of your mother."

"Even though they are all family, you need to understand who is closer and who is farther."

This time, the young woman didn't respond. Her expression was blank, clearly she had never considered these things.

But mostly, she was just impatient.

Being single is so much better!

Zhou Jia looked out the window, lost in thought.

The woman's words reminded him of a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Jilan, "Eight Extremes."

The closest and the most distant are spouses!

Spouses are indeed the closest, but they can also be the most distant.

His mind wandered, and he subconsciously took out his phone. The familiar smile on the screen made him purse his lips and raise the corners of his eyes.

Fortunately, he was lucky.

He didn't have to deal with the pressure of being urged to get married.

Unlocking the screen, a series of WeChat notifications made him rub his temples and sigh before opening the messages.

"Junior, I don't understand this question?"

"Where are the materials you mentioned?"

"Why can't I find them?"

"..."

Sure enough!

Zhou Jia's major was classical literature, with a minor in linguistics. His job prospects were limited, so he had asked a senior from the same department to help him find a job.

He and the senior had a good relationship, not just in work but also in personal life. His current girlfriend was introduced to him by the senior.

The senior, Huang Tingting, had a straightforward personality and a wide circle of friends.

Perhaps because she had spent all her skill points on making friends, Huang Tingting's academic performance was abysmal.

And she had chosen the linguistics major.

Zhou Jia had some talent in linguistics, and over time, he became Huang Tingting's go-to person for information and answers.

"The answer is in the caption of the video the teacher posted last year. Look it up yourself."

"Checking the materials requires a membership. Borrow a colleague's... Never mind, I'll give you my membership number. Look it up yourself."

"..."

Not long after, a reply came.

"I still don't understand this question (smiley face)"

"Study!"

Zhou Jia replied with a single word, expressionless.

After a moment's thought, he still sent the answer, along with the solution method, hoping the other person would understand how to get the answer.

But,

Huang Tingting probably wouldn't bother to understand.

"Thanks!"

As expected, the reply came quickly, and the student had likely just glanced at the final answer without reading the document.

Shaking his head, he put away his phone and looked forward. The argument had ended, and the woman was resting on her side, while the young woman was scrolling through her phone.

Outside the window...

"Huh?"

Zhou Jia was taken aback:

"Why is there fog?"

He traveled this mountain road several times a year, and it had never been foggy. Moreover, fog on such a mountain road would be very dangerous.

After a moment's thought, he looked toward the driver:

"Driver, there's fog, be careful..."

"Bang!"

Before he could finish, a loud noise interrupted him, and a powerful force from the side threw him toward the window.

"Boom!"

Zhou Jia felt a flash before his eyes, and the next moment, intense pain shot through his left arm and spread throughout his body. His forehead seemed to have a cut.

Then,

"Crash..."

"Clang!"

The window shattered, and countless glass shards flew around. The people in the bus were tossed about like rag dolls in a blender.

Branches, twisted and gnarled, tore through the bus, and some people, unable to avoid them, were impaled, screaming in agony.

Warm blood spattered, mingling with terrified screams, onto the not-so-clean seats.

The situation changed abruptly!

Did the bus roll over?

Did it fall down the mountain?

Am I... going to die?

The sudden change left Zhou Jia's mind blank, and even the pain in his body became numb as he was involuntarily tossed around in the bus.

The terrified, anguished screams around him became less clear, everything seemed so unreal.

Only the rapid, thudding heartbeat was distinctly audible.

After an unknown amount of time,

Perhaps just a moment, perhaps a long time, the bus stopped rolling, and Zhou Jia landed heavily on a seat.

His spirit seemed to return to his body at that moment.

"What... what happened?"

Someone stuttered, their voice trembling.

"It must have rolled down the mountain!" Zhou Jia gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain, and struggled to take out his phone, trembling as he dialed the emergency number:

"Damn, no signal!"

"Dogs, no... wolves!"

Just as one crisis was averted, another arose.

Suddenly, a woman's scream came from the front of the bus, followed by a series of chaotic noises.

Zhou Jia instinctively looked up, his blurred vision sweeping over the mess inside the bus and landing on a wolf's head covered in black fur, poking through a crack in the bus.

The crack was small, and the wolf's head was frantically shaking, widening the gap, inching its way into the bus.

"Hiss..."

Zhou Jia's eyes narrowed, his breath caught, and like the other survivors, he was filled with terror.

"What is this thing?"

But behind the wolf's head, what followed was not the body of a wolf but human-like arms, chest, and legs, clearly a creature with a wolf's head and a human body.

This is...

What kind of thing!