Zhao Yiyi settled herself and hugged Yu Daochen, her voice shy, "Alright, let's go."
Seeing that Zhao Yiyi hadn't fully reacted, Yu Daochen asked, "You've never ridden an electric scooter before?"
Zhao Yiyi tightened her grip on Yu Daochen, saying, "No, why?"
Yu Daochen shook his head, twisted the throttle, and the electric scooter sped off. Because he was short on money at the time, he bought a second-hand one, and now its fastest speed was only 50 kilometers per hour.
Zhao Yiyi felt the speed wasn't as fast as she'd imagined, but perhaps due to fear, her grip on Yu Daochen didn't loosen. Gazing at Yu Daochen's retreating back, she felt an inexplicable sense of security.
In the dark night, the scooter's headlight seemed exceptionally bright. Stray cats sleeping by the roadside were startled awake by the sound of the wheels on the ground and began to cry out. Zhao Yiyi looked at these stray cats, her heart tightening involuntarily.
She glanced at Yu Daochen, who was focused on riding, and leaned her cheek against his back, feeling inexplicably at ease.
Looking at the rows of houses they passed, it felt like a dream, both illusory and real. She looked up at the starry sky and asked, "Do you think there are immortals in the sky?"
Yu Daochen looked up at the stars and shook his head, "I don't know. Maybe there are."
"Oh," Zhao Yiyi replied. She leaned against Yu Daochen again without speaking. Surprisingly, he, who usually didn't initiate conversations, now spoke up, "What is your dream?"
Zhao Yiyi was startled. Why was this antique man, who normally paid her no mind, suddenly asking about her dream? Just as she hesitated, wondering if she'd misheard, Yu Daochen's voice sounded again, "Did I say something wrong?"
Zhao Yiyi snapped out of her surprise and quickly explained, "No, no, I haven't thought about it yet."
After a moment's thought, she replied, "I don't really have a dream, but ideally, I like to paint."
Yu Daochen glanced at the remaining battery on the scooter, "Painting, huh? So you want to be a painter then."
"More or less," Zhao Yiyi replied.
"Then what's your dream?" Zhao Yiyi asked curiously.
Yu Daochen sighed, "Me? I just want to live a peaceful life."
Zhao Yiyi looked at Yu Daochen's back. This boy, without the drive and recklessness expected of his age, instead exuded a mature composure, as if he had experienced everything.
The electric scooter soon exited the old street and arrived at a place designated for taxis. Seeing Yu Daochen stop, Zhao Yiyi asked, "Is this as far as we go?"
Yu Daochen looked at the parked taxis and said, "From Jiangdu to Yangzhou City takes at least half an hour, and my electric scooter can't make it."
As Zhao Yiyi dismounted from the scooter, a man around forty years old approached. He had a prominent scar on his face, and his black t-shirt accentuated his muscular physique. Combined with his tall stature, he clearly wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Zhao Yiyi, startled, moved closer to Yu Daochen. The man stood before Yu Daochen and said, "You're here, Master Yu."
Yu Daochen nodded. The man then looked at Zhao Yiyi and said in a gruff voice, "Hello, my name is Dai Chengfan. Everyone calls me Old Dai."
Zhao Yiyi's fear subsided upon hearing Old Dai's kind voice, and she lowered her guard. Yu Daochen glanced at Zhao Yiyi and introduced him, "Old Dai was the deputy instructor of the special forces in Qianyun District."
Hearing Yu Daochen's words, a hint of admiration flashed in Zhao Yiyi's eyes. "I'm Zhao Yiyi. Hello, Uncle Dai."
"Alright, I'll take her from here, Old Dai." With that, Yu Daochen got back on his electric scooter and turned to leave.
Zhao Yiyi was momentarily stunned and said shyly, "Um, thank you!"
"Let Old Dai know when you get home," Yu Daochen tossed back a sentence, and the electric scooter was already speeding away.
Zhao Yiyi watched Yu Daochen's receding figure. It was the same figure, without any extra words, like a solitary lamp in the dark night, arriving gently and leaving quietly. When you think of him, it's always his departing back. Perhaps the night is his true friend.
Dai Chengfan rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly, "Miss Zhao, please get in first. Master Yu said he wants you safely delivered home."
Zhao Yiyi nodded and got into the taxi with Dai Chengfan.
The electric scooter soon entered the old street. Yu Daochen looked ahead, and suddenly, the scooter braked sharply, its wheels leaving a deep track on the ground. Fortunately, Yu Daochen had one foot on the ground and his hands gripping the handlebars, otherwise, he would have been thrown off.
Yu Daochen stared at the figure ahead, dressed in red, his face obscured by his hair. His feet were not touching the ground, hovering about three inches above it. It was a ghost, but not the same one as last time; its Yin energy was not even a fifth as strong.
As the ghost approached step by step, Yu Daochen laughed instead of fearing. He dismounted from the scooter and said in a cold voice, "In Yangzhou, I might fear you somewhat, but here in Jiangdu, you are nothing."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure shot forward like a sword towards the ghost, muttering, "Five Elements Technique, Heaven's Gate Palm." A faint golden light appeared in Yu Daochen's right hand.
The two figures collided rapidly. Just as the ghost's hand was about to touch Yu Daochen's neck, Yu Daochen flashed to the left and simultaneously struck out heavily with his right hand. The ghost, not expecting Yu Daochen to dodge like that, was sent flying by the palm strike.
As he got up, the spot hit by Yu Daochen was emitting black smoke. Just as Yu Daochen was about to strike again, he felt a chill coming from behind the ghost.
"A good skill, fellow Daoist." A figure emerged from behind.
In the scooter's headlight, Yu Daochen saw a man wearing a long-sleeved Daoist robe and a straw hat, pulled down low, obscuring his face. However, judging by his voice, he seemed to be around fifty years old.
The man walked to the ghost, waved his long sleeve, and the ghost turned into a wisp of smoke and hid in the man's sleeve. The man looked up at Yu Daochen. Yu Daochen looked closely and finally saw the man's appearance: his gaunt face was covered in freckles, and his eyes, in particular, were like a cat's.
Seeing Yu Daochen looking at him, the man chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, the technique you just used resembles the Great Strength Vajra Palm of Buddhism, but it lacks some Buddhist and Daoist essence. May I ask which school you learned from?"
Yu Daochen shook his head, glanced at the red box on the man's back, and chuckled, "Freckles on the face, cat-like eyes, wearing a straw hat, carrying a red box on your back. You are an Yin Ghost Person!"