Chapter 2: The Seer
1015 Words
The acrid scent of hospital disinfectant stung Jiang Yuyan’s nostrils. Despite the doctor’s repeated assurances that she’d only suffered shock, her company insisted on a full medical examination.
“Yuyan, are you sure you’re okay?” Her best friend, Lin Xiaoyu, clutched her hand, eyes red-rimmed. “I almost fainted when I saw the news—they said a car ran a red light near Financial Street and hit someone…”
“I’m fine, really,” Jiang Yuyan forced a smile, her fingers instinctively brushing her neck—empty now, the shattered white jade pendant gone.
When the police came to take her statement, they informed her the driver had been drunk driving and was now in custody. But something felt off—the car’s speed as it barreled toward her hadn’t felt like loss of control. It felt like… targeting.
The examination ended at 2 a.m. Lin Xiaoyu insisted on escorting her home, but Jiang Yuyan declined. “I need to be alone for a bit.”
Stepping out of the hospital, the night wind brushed her cheeks. Jiang Yuyan stood waiting for a taxi, a prickling sensation of being watched crawling up her spine. She spun around sharply—and froze. Across the street, a familiar black sedan idled, identical to the one that had nearly struck her.
Her heart lurched. She fumbled for her phone, fingers trembling as she opened her ride-hailing app, but focus eluded her. The car inched forward…
“Need a lift?”
A dark silhouette blocked her view. Jiang Yuyan looked up, meeting Shen Mochuan’s unfathomable gaze. He wore a charcoal-gray trench coat today, towering in the night.
“You… how did you…?” Her voice wavered.
Shen Mochuan didn’t answer, instead glancing across the street. “That car’s gone now.” He turned to her. “The pendant broke?”
Jiang Yuyan pulled the fractured jade from her pocket. “How did you know—”
“Because it fulfilled its purpose.” He took the fragments, his brow furrowing. “Sooner than I expected.”
A taxi pulled up. Shen Mochuan opened the door for her. “I’ll see you home.”
The silence inside the cab was suffocating. Jiang Yuyan stole glances at the man beside her—his profile flickering in the streetlights, sharp as a blade.
“That car… it wasn’t an accident, was it?” She finally broke the silence.
Shen Mochuan turned to her. “Smarter than I thought.”
“Who’s trying to hurt me? And why are you here? Were you following me?”
“Too many questions,” Shen Mochuan’s voice was eerily calm. “First: I wasn’t following you. Second: It wasn’t a ‘who’ trying to harm you.”
The taxi stopped at her apartment building. Shen Mochuan paid the fare and followed her out.
“Wait—I didn’t invite you upstairs,” Jiang Yuyan backed away warily.
Shen Mochuan withdrew a compass from his trench coat pocket. Its needle spun wildly before locking onto the apartment building. “Something’s in your home.”
“What kind of something?”
“Unsure. But it’s not good.” He pocketed the compass. “Two choices: I accompany you upstairs, or you don’t go home tonight.”
Jiang Yuyan bit her lip. Logic told her to call the police, but instinct urged her to trust this enigmatic man. Finally, she nodded. “You can come up, but if anything feels off, I’m calling security.”
In the elevator, Jiang Yuyan noticed Shen Mochuan’s fingers flickering in rapid calculations, murmuring under his breath. His nails were neatly trimmed, his knuckles defined, yet a strange scar slashed across his palm.
“What do you do?” she couldn’t help asking.
He glanced at her. “Antique dealer. Occasionally, I help people with… special problems.”
The elevator stopped on the 21st floor. The hallway lights flickered ominously. Jiang Yuyan’s hands trembled as she fumbled with her keys. The door creaked open, revealing pitch darkness inside.
“Don’t turn on the lights,” Shen Mochuan pressed a hand over hers, withdrawing a yellow talisman from his pocket. With a flick of his wrist, it ignited spontaneously, casting an eerie blue glow.
In the ghostly light, Jiang Yuyan gasped—her living room was in disarray. By the window, a trail of wet footprints stretched from the balcony to the bedroom.
“They’ve been here,” Shen Mochuan’s voice was grave. “And not just one.”
Jiang Yuyan’s legs buckled. Shen Mochuan caught her, his grip firm and warm. “Don’t panic. They’re gone… for now.”
“Gone… what?” she whispered, trembling.
Shen Mochuan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he walked to her desk and picked up a photo—taken last year during her trip to Yunnan, featuring an ancient stone bridge in the background.
“You visited Suolong Bridge?” His expression darkened.
“Just passed by to take a picture…” Jiang Yuyan was bewildered. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Shen Mochuan set the photo down, meeting her gaze. “Miss Jiang, I’m afraid you’ve been marked by something unclean. And it all might trace back to that bridge you inadvertently photographed.”
Thunder cracked outside, illuminating Shen Mochuan’s solemn face. Jiang Yuyan felt dizzy, clutching the sofa to steady herself.
“What do I do?” she heard her own faint voice.
Shen Mochuan paused. “First, you can’t stay here tonight. Second…” He hesitated. “I need more information about you—your birth date and time, for starters.”
“You’re going to read my fortune?” Jiang Yuyan managed a weak smile.
“No.” Shen Mochuan’s eyes deepened. “I need to find out why those things are after you.”
Rain lashed the windows, like countless tiny fingers scratching at the glass. Jiang Yuyan realized—from the moment she’d stepped into that antique shop, her life had veered off course.
And this mysterious man before her might be her only lifeline.
- Writer
