The elderly man in the black-and-white photo wore a meaningful smile. I shivered.
"Was the picture frame in the iron basin there from the start?"
Route 14 slowly started up again. The windows weren't sealed properly, and cold wind rushed through the gaps, blowing over the passengers—if they even were passengers and not something else.
"Jianbang, scoot over a bit. Bro's gonna lie down for a nap—wake me when we get there."
A construction worker reeking of booze kicked his feet up on the seat, giving a wink to the young guy beside him.
The two younger workers nodded knowingly. They took off their hard hats and sat in front of the woman with the curled hair, intentionally blocking the view from other passengers.
The older foreman let out a sleazy chuckle and curled up on the back row.
He looked like he was sleeping, but his dangling hand wasn't behaving—it took advantage of the bus's jolts to sneak subtle touches toward the woman with the permed hair.
"Can't he see the woman in red sitting right there?" I used my phone camera to monitor everything from behind. From the lens's view, the truth was clear: the foreman was lying practically in the lap of the red-cloaked woman, with most of his face obscured by her long, draped hair. It was chilling to see.
Realizing that the permed woman wasn't resisting and was still focused on her phone, the foreman grew bolder. One of the younger men in front swallowed hard, and his hand began to reach backward, unable to resist the temptation.
"Bro, maybe I could take a nap too." The one called Jianbang looked envious.
"Dumbass, your balls haven't even dropped. Nap my ass."
From their conversation, I pieced things together: the three were from the same hometown. The oldest, the foreman, was named Wang Chunfu. The two younger ones were Niu Jianbang and Niu Jianye, both brought to the city by Wang.
All three were drunk and lust-blind. With no one calling them out, their behavior only got more brazen.
Maybe it finally became too much. The woman with the curled hair screamed and smacked away Wang Chunfu's hand as it snaked inward again.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She grabbed her small purse and stood up. Her long legs drew fire to Wang Chunfu's eyes, and his hand withdrew reluctantly.
"Hey gorgeous, I had too much to drink—my bad. Didn't even touch you, right?"
He asked, clearly lying, reeking of alcohol.
The woman let out a cold snort. Knowing she'd run into a sleazebag, she got up and moved to the front, taking the seat across from Liu Yiyi.
Strangely, the red-cloaked woman followed her like a shadow, taking the seat directly behind her—right across from me.
With only the aisle between us, I finally got a good look. The red dress draped all the way to her ankles, her face completely obscured by thick black hair. No matter what angle I tried, I couldn't see any facial features.
"Does she even have a face?"
Grim images flashed through my mind.
I looked back at the woman with the curled hair. Her face still held traces of anger. She was messaging someone, but apparently getting no response. Frustrated and tearful, she finally dialed a number.
"Rongrong, what do you want from me? I told you not to call my home number!"
A man's voice came from the speaker, intentionally lowered.
"I sent you so many messages and you didn't reply to a single one. Your company line doesn't pick up either. What do you want me to do—kill myself in front of you?!"
"Rongrong, the divorce paperwork is in progress. Dividing up the property is complicated. You have to give me some time."
"You always say that. You've dragged this out for weeks! I swear, if you don't give me a clear answer soon, I'll show up at your door with this baby in my belly!"
"Don't be stupid. You have to trust me."
"Honey, who are you on the phone with? It's so late. Don't wake the baby."
Another woman's voice came from the other end.
"Babe, you're awake? It's nothing—just work. These idiots at the office are hopeless without me."
And with that, he hung up.
"Hello? HELLO?! Li Zijian, you bastard!"
The woman threw her phone in rage, pounding her slightly bulging belly.
No one on the bus intervened. The driver didn't react either—just kept driving with a blank face, occasionally wiping the sweat pouring down his forehead.
"A guy like that doesn't deserve you," Wang Chunfu staggered forward from the back, picking the phone up off the floor. "Oh, an iPhone, huh? Did that scumbag buy it for you?"
"Give it back!"
"Whoa, listen to that voice. Like a little wildcat." He leered, stepping in close. "He doesn't want you, but me and my bros sure do."
With that, he reached for her shoulder.
"Stop!"
A clear voice rang out across the silent bus—not from me, but from little Liu Yiyi, barely four-foot-nine, standing up clutching her backpack.
"Stay out of this," I sighed.
"What kind of kid runs around at 1 a.m.? Probably from a messed-up home."
Wang Chunfu stared at Yiyi, visibly aroused.
"Come here, sweetheart. Come teach your uncle how to behave himself."
Things had gone too far. I stood up.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? I'm her guardian. You've got a problem—take it up with me."
"You've got a big mouth, don't you?"
Wang Chunfu motioned to Jianbang and Jianye, and the three came at me menacingly. I clenched my fists, ready for a fight.
"Ding-dong! Arriving at En Village. Please take your belongings and exit through the rear door. Mind your step."
The bus's PA system interrupted, announcing our stop.
Both doors opened.
A line of grim-faced people dressed in Mourning Linen, faces pale as death, stood waiting at the doors.
I caught a glimpse of the driver—his face was contorted in terror. Sweat poured in sheets as his hands clutched the steering wheel, twitching slightly.
"What a damn buzzkill."
Seeing the funeral party board, Wang Chunfu cursed, tossed the phone back to the woman, and moved to sit next to the guy in the hospital gown.
As soon as he sat down, the man hugged his knees and scooted to the window, muttering nonstop:
"I didn't see anything. I didn't do anything. Please don't kill me. I swear I don't know anything…"
Wang spat at the floor.
"What the hell's wrong with you? Damn near gave me a heart attack."
I didn't hear the exchange—my full attention was on the new passengers.
"Something's off."
Middle of the night, not at a funeral, and they're roaming around in full mourning garb?
Five people boarded at En Village—men and women both. All deathly pale. None removed their mourning clothes, as if they'd long grown used to wearing them.
They sat in the back row without saying a word.
"Human or ghost?"
As they passed me, I felt a bitter chill. Once they boarded, silence fell again like a shroud.
"Vehicle departing. Please sit tight and hold on. Welcome aboard Route 14 unmanned fare bus. Please prepare exact fare of 1 yuan. Next stop: Chrysanthemum Garden."
The scenery slid past as shadows devoured both sides of the road. Route 14 felt like a lone boat drifting through endless night.
The atmosphere was suffocating. I stole a glance toward the back row.
The five new passengers wore all white, their garments unfinished at the edges, rough twine tied at the waist. Their faces were stiff, muscles frozen as if they'd cried so long they'd gone numb.
"There's a ritual to mourning dress, but theirs is all wrong."
Something about them set me on edge, but I couldn't say exactly what.
"Thank you… for earlier."
Liu Yiyi tugged at my sleeve and whispered, clearly still shaken.
"Don't talk. Don't move. When your stop comes, get off. I'm not joking."
I glared at her. So far, she was the only one on this bus who felt human. I couldn't help wanting to protect her.
She pouted and muttered:
"Got it…"
No one spoke. Only the old engine groaned like a dying man gasping for air. Every second dragged on painfully slow.
I don't know how much time passed. In moments of extreme tension, time always seems to crawl.
"Ding-dong! Chrysanthemum Garden. Please take your belongings and exit through the rear door."
Both front and back doors opened. No one boarded.
I turned to look toward the rear door.
The couple—the clingy girl and the guy who looked annoyed—stood up. The man rushed her along while she reluctantly picked up her bag. They got off together.
"Vehicle departing. Please sit tight and hold on. Welcome aboard Route 14 unmanned fare bus. Next stop: Martyrs' Street."
Just as the vehicle began moving again, the older woman sitting behind me suddenly jumped up.
"WAIT!"
She lunged forward and grabbed me by the throat.
"You thief! Come with me to the police! You stole my stuff—come on, get off!"