The warning beeps sounded as the subway doors were about to close. The pastor had no choice but to get off by himself, while Gao Ming pulled Ci Nian back and set him beside him.
"You mother***ing ***!"
The red light on the platform came on. A woman led a little girl onto the train by the hand. The moment they appeared, the lingering stench of decay in the carriage vanished, replaced by the scent of flowers and a faint trace of disinfectant.
The station announcements were no longer eerie either, returning to normal. Apart from the lack of light, this seemed like an ordinary subway carriage.
"Daddy!"
The little girl seemed to spot something after boarding and ran toward An Luan's seat. She was overjoyed, her voice full of delighted surprise.
"You... why did you leave home? Why are you here?!" All traces of An Luan's earlier madness disappeared. He was as gentle as a big golden retriever, his voice filled with surprise and affection.
"Daddy!"
"Don't go over there!"
The woman stopped her daughter as she ran, holding one arm protectively in front of her. Her gaze brimmed with complicated emotions as she looked at An Luan.
An Luan, who had already opened his arms, sat frozen in his seat. He did not understand why his wife had done that. The hand holding the cake hung awkwardly in midair.
"Your master has already told me everything that happened to you." The woman wore snow-white trousers, and her voice was cool and clear, like an exquisitely carved ice crystal.
"You... want to leave me?" An Luan slowly lowered his arms.
The woman shook her head.
"Then why did you leave home? Didn't I tell you it was dangerous outside?" An Luan's voice steadily rose. Years of slaughter had soaked