To give my girlfriend a surprise, I embarked on a bus journey to the northern city of S alone.

Amidst the bumpy ride, I dozed off in a daze.

"Young man, we've arrived at the destination."

I was awakened by someone's tap, and a flight attendant sister wearing a white mask was coldly looking at me.

I rubbed my eyes and looked out the window.

A pitch-black scene greeted my eyes, devoid of any lights, except for a round moon hanging high in the night sky.

"Sister, is this S City? Why is it so dark outside?"

I was puzzled. S City is supposed to be a provincial capital. How could it be so impoverished that even streetlights were absent?

The sister impatiently replied, "Didn't I tell you before we boarded that we only stop at Dongpo in S City? Why so much nonsense? Get off quickly, or else you'll end up in G City at the next stop."

I remembered that I had taken a cheap black car and reluctantly got off the bus.

There was also a mother and son being forced off the bus.

The little boy, about eight or nine years old, had delicate eyebrows and eyes that kept darting towards me, as if he wanted to talk to me.

However, his mother desperately tried to stop him, seemingly a little afraid of me.

I consciously walked ahead, and the mother and son followed behind me, heading towards the only direction with light.

By coincidence, as we approached, I realized it was a four-story small building.

Two big red lanterns hung at the entrance, casting a faint glow on a sign that read "Regular Inn!"

An inn? I felt delighted. I had been worried about not finding a pillow to sleep on while dozing off, and now it seemed like my wish had come true!

"Boss, do you have any available rooms?"

A man in a neatly dressed uniform stood behind the front desk.

He had a blank expression, and his gaze had been fixed on me since I entered.

I noticed his skin, which appeared to have just undergone a facelift, tight and glossy without a single wrinkle. Even when he smiled, it seemed oddly insincere.

"Yes, do you want a standard room, sir?"

I was about to nod, but then something felt off.

The mother and son had clearly entered right before or after me, so how did he know that I only wanted a standard room?

When I turned around, the mother and son had already vanished without a trace.

"Boss, did you see the people who came in with me?"

I felt a bit uneasy. How could two adults who were just by my side a moment ago suddenly disappear without a sound?

"What? I only saw you!"