1 Passenger of Death City

Qi Wei closed the door to his apartment. The clicking sound of the closing door resonated like the final judgment the jury gave to discard all the old memories sealed in the apartment, located in one of the most prestigious buildings in the city, there stood the memories of his past that he cherish the most.

A pang of pain surged through Qi Wei's chest.

This apartment had been purchased by him for his boyfriend, now an ex-boyfriend. They had lived together for a year before things soured, leaving Qi Wei alone to languish in the empty apartment, loneliness slowly tearing him apart.

Dragging his heavy feet, he walked towards the bus stop near his apartment.

It was 3 A.M, an odd time for a bus to still run, but that's what the ticket said when Qi Wei bought it.

[One ticket to Guiwei town, 3 A.M arrival at your selected bus stop.]

Qi Wei sat down on the cold iron chair, his eyes fixed on a street performer playing some classic songs with his cello.

Qi Wei chuckled, thinking that the cello street performer must have gone through a hard time too, being out in the chilly winter, playing Golden Hour and Für Elise back to back. Perhaps the street performer should buy a ticket to Guiwei as well.

Guiwei, Qi Wei's current destination, is also known as the endless life town. The town's mainstream name and its condition tragically contrast with one another.

Nestled in the high steep mountain, far from any metro madness, it is often used by people to end their lives and disappear from the face of the earth. Just like Qi Wei's intention for his trip to Guiwei tonight.

The night wind blew on Qi Wei's face, its coldness making him shiver.

The road was quiet, with only a few cars and motorcycles commuting. That, and one ambulance whose siren was so loud and perfectly timed with the current golden hour that the cello player's melody seemed to gain an additional musical instrument, adding a more dramatic twist.

"Golden hour," a sudden sound of a man, who turned out to be sitting beside him all this time, brought him back to reality.

"Huh?" Qi Wei turned to him in confusion.

"Golden Hour, the song that the cello player is playing. But, in medical terms, Golden Hour means you only have one hour to save a life. Interesting coincidence, don't you think so?" The guy asked with a small, friendly smile on his face.

Qi Wei, feeling a bit weirded out by a stranger suddenly starting a conversation at a bus stop at 3 A.M, smiled awkwardly and nodded, "I suppose."

The other guy smiled even wider, turning his face to the road, acting a bit nonchalant, "My name is Lai Yuan. A volunteer."

Qi Wei began to think that the man sitting beside him was a bit off, so he tried not to converse much and just nodded.

Lai Yuan laughed an airy laugh, "Seeing your reaction, you must be a quarry." Lai Yuan turned his head again, this time an attractive smirk playing on his face, raising one of his eyebrows, "A heartbreak, I'm guessing?"

Completely ignoring the small talk the stranger gave him, Qi Wei turned his head as a bus approached. Thank goodness, he thought, relieved that he didn't have to wait longer for the bus with the weirdo beside him.

As soon as Qi Wei got on the bus, his eyes quickly scanned the bus.

The sight was grim. Everyone had either a serious or depressed expression on their faces.

As expected for the passengers of the death city.

Not finding any empty seats, he sighed and gave up. Finally, he had to sit beside that strange Lai Yuan.

A small smile played on Lai Yuan's lips. "Tell me about your heartbreak," he said.

Qi Wei rolled his eyes, "Why should I?"

Laughing lightly, "So it is a heartbreak. Poor guy, who breaks your heart? They surely don't know what they had. If it were me, I'd cherish you forever."

Qi Wei tried not to snap back and call the guy annoying, but he couldn't help feeling like he had to answer so Qi Wei wouldn't think he is a pushover that he can bully.

Although Qi Wei, deep inside, was dying to announce to the world how broken his heart was. How much agony he was in ever since his ex-boyfriend left him.

Qi Wei is a real lover. He put his best into loving Huang Peng. Giving his all, emotionally, physically, and materialistically to put a smile on Huang Peng's face only to hear a ridiculous sentence coming out of his mouth on one random Sunday; "I'm actually not attracted to guys. I only love you as a friend."

How crazy is that? Does it mean those countless nights spent without sleep were only done as a thank you to Qi Wei because he pitied Qi Wei for loving him when he didn't feel the same?

Does it mean that every 'I love you' was a lie?

Qi Wei couldn't even cry when he heard that; he only let out a disbelieving laugh.

It felt like his chest was being torn open, and the person he trusted the most was using a small knife to engrave the most painful poem on his heart.

But, even now, Qi Wei still loves Huang Peng.

Even now, Qi Wei still thinks about that time.

No promise was kept, no word was proven to be true. Only Qi Wei and his love were left to rot all alone.

But there's no way Qi Wei will speak ill about a person he is still so madly in love with to a stranger.

Qi Wei turned his head, a small fake smile painted over his pretty lips, "What about you? Why do you want to kill yourself?"