Lu Ban instinctively moved to answer the phone.
But just as his finger touched the answer button, Lu Ban suddenly remembered something.
His phone had lost its signal long ago. So how could he receive a call?
He looked at the signal bar above the phone. There was clearly an X.
That made this call highly questionable.
The cheerful default ringtone echoed through the fog. The contrast created a strangely twisted sense of dislocation. Lu Ban waited for several seconds, but the phone continued ringing, so he pressed the answer button.
He held the phone to his ear and heard a voice coming from the other end.
"Is that Lu Ban?"
Amber's voice was gentle, like a ray of sunlight in the heavy fog.
"It's me."
Lu Ban replied. He could hear the other party's breathing, and it sounded incredibly real.
"Where are you? It's gotten dark here, and it seems like the power's out."
Amber's voice carried a hint of unease, like a kitten trapped in a predicament.
"Don't worry."
Lu Ban said this as he looked around. The fog seemed to have shifted slightly in the breeze. The lights ahead were still flickering, but they had become much clearer.
He saw the hotel's sign, seemingly right within reach.
"When are you coming back? I'm a little scared."
Amber's voice trembled slightly, making her sound pitiful.
"Don't worry."
Lu Ban said calmly.
"Why are you being so cold? Are you planning to abandon us?"
Amber suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of urgency and panic.
"Please, don't abandon us. Don't leave, okay?"
Her voice turned pleading, filled with apprehension and a hint of madness.
"I know. You've changed. You don't want to come back anymore. You never wanted to be with us from the beginning!"
Suddenly, Amber's voice