Chapter 106: The Accident

Chapter 106: Chapter 106: The Accident

The gathering continued for another hour, though Xi Yunxui found little reason to enjoy herself.

If anything, the longer she remained in the private room, the more convinced she became that Huo Yuning’s so-called friends were a troublesome bunch. They were perfectly capable of smiling at her while making remarks that would have irritated even the most patient person, and whenever Huo Yuning responded with her usual composure, they seemed to take it as an invitation to continue.

Fortunately, Huo Yuning appeared to have a good understanding of when she had had enough.

After checking the time on her phone, she set her glass down and rose from the sofa.

"It’s getting late. I should be going."

Lin Qiaoqiao looked up from her drink. "Leaving already? We haven’t even finished catching up."

"We’ve been here for quite a while," Huo Yuning replied with an easy smile. "Besides, I have things to take care of tomorrow."

"You’re always so busy these days." Fang Meilin tilted her head. "I suppose being a popular actress doesn’t leave you with much time for your old friends."

The emphasis she placed on old friends was subtle, but Xi Yunxui caught it.

Huo Yuning, however, merely smiled as she picked up her handbag.

"You’re right. It’s difficult to find time for everyone."

For the first time that evening, Xi Yunxui almost smiled at the answer. Huo Yuning had delivered it so smoothly that anyone unfamiliar with their earlier conversation might have mistaken it for a simple acknowledgment. Yet the slight change in Fang Meilin’s expression suggested that she had understood the meaning behind it.

Chen Haoran laughed awkwardly and raised his glass.

"All right, we won’t keep you. Let’s arrange another gathering soon."

"Of course," Huo Yuning replied.

Nobody made any effort to accompany them to the door.

Xi Yunxui followed Huo Yuning out of the private room, and the moment the door closed behind them, she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Huo Yuning glanced at her.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You’re making that face again."

"What face?"

"The one that says you’re thinking very unpleasant things about someone."

Xi Yunxui hesitated before answering honestly, "I don’t understand why you spend time with people who don’t seem to like you."

Huo Yuning’s steps slowed slightly.

For a moment, she said nothing. Then she looked ahead and gave a faint, almost amused smile.

"People’s relationships aren’t always as simple as they appear."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

"I know."

Huo Yuning turned to her, amusement returning to her eyes. "But if I explain every complicated relationship in my life to you, we’ll be standing in this corridor until morning."

Xi Yunxui considered that possibility and decided she didn’t particularly want to spend the night listening to stories about people she already disliked.

"All right. You don’t have to explain."

"How understanding of you."

"I’m always understanding."

Huo Yuning laughed. "Of course you are."

They continued toward the exit, leaving the noise of the private rooms behind. Once they reached the lobby, Huo Yuning informed the staff that she was leaving, and a short while later, they stepped out into the night.

The air outside was cooler than it had been earlier, carrying the faint scent of rain from somewhere in the distance. Traffic moved steadily along the road beyond the entrance, headlights sweeping across the pavement as cars passed beneath the streetlights.

Their driver was waiting near the entrance.

He stepped forward when he saw them and opened the rear door.

"Miss Yuning."

Huo Yuning nodded before getting into the car.

Xi Yunxui followed her inside, settling into the seat beside her. Once the door closed, the sounds of the nightclub became muffled, leaving only the low hum of the engine and the occasional noise from the road outside.

The driver checked that they were both seated before pulling away from the curb.

For the first few minutes, the journey was uneventful.

Huo Yuning leaned back against the seat and took out her phone, glancing through a few messages while Xi Yunxui watched the city pass beyond the window. The streets were still busy, although traffic had begun to thin in some areas. Bright signs illuminated the shops lining the road, and the headlights of passing vehicles stretched across the glass in brief flashes of white and yellow.

Xi Yunxui had almost forgotten about the unpleasant gathering when Huo Yuning spoke.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

Xi Yunxui turned toward her.

"Was that a serious question?"

Huo Yuning laughed. "I suppose not."

"Those people were annoying."

"That’s one way to describe them."

"Was I wrong?"

"No." Huo Yuning slipped her phone into her handbag. "But you should learn to hide your feelings a little better. You looked as though you were preparing to throw someone through the window."

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

"I did not!"

"You did. I was worried you might actually do it."

"I would never do something like that!"

Huo Yuning looked at her pointedly.

Xi Yunxui fell silent.

She had, in fact, considered several possible ways to make the gathering more entertaining for the people who had spent the evening insulting Huo Yuning. Throwing someone through a window had not been her first choice, but it had certainly crossed her mind.

Fortunately, she had enough self-control not to say so aloud.

Huo Yuning laughed at her expression before turning toward the window.

"Don’t worry. I’m used to them."

Xi Yunxui followed her gaze.

"That doesn’t mean you should have to put up with it."

The words came out more seriously than she intended.

Huo Yuning’s smile softened. She turned her head to look at Xi Yunxui, studying her face for a moment before reaching over to pat her hand.

"I know. Thank you."

Xi Yunxui blinked.

The simple gesture caught her off guard, and she found herself looking away, suddenly uncertain about what to say.

Fortunately, Huo Yuning didn’t press her. She withdrew her hand and settled back into her seat, allowing the conversation to fade as the car continued through the city.

For a while, everything remained peaceful.

Then the driver spoke.

"Miss Yuning, the road ahead appears to be slowing down. I’ll take the next turn and use the other route."

"All right," Huo Yuning replied without looking up.

The car moved into the next lane, leaving the heavier traffic behind. The road ahead was relatively clear, with a few vehicles traveling in the same direction and others approaching from the opposite side. Streetlights illuminated the lanes, though some stretches between them remained dim.

Xi Yunxui watched a large vehicle pass on the other side of the road.

She didn’t know why, but something about the sight made her feel vaguely uneasy.

Perhaps she was simply tired.

She shifted in her seat and glanced at Huo Yuning, who had begun answering a message on her phone. The actress looked perfectly relaxed, seemingly unaware of the strange feeling that had settled over Xi Yunxui.

The car continued forward.

A few seconds later, the driver frowned.

"That’s strange."

Huo Yuning looked up. "What is it?"

"That truck."

Xi Yunxui turned toward the windshield.

Farther ahead, a large truck was approaching from a side road. At first, there was nothing particularly unusual about it. Trucks traveled through the city at all hours, and the driver appeared to be moving toward the main road as other vehicles passed.

Then the truck lurched forward.

Its front end swung sharply into the road.

The driver of their car reacted immediately, easing off the accelerator and gripping the steering wheel more firmly.

"What is he doing?" he muttered.

The truck continued moving.

For one brief moment, it seemed as though the driver would correct its direction and remain in his lane. Instead, the enormous vehicle veered farther toward the road, cutting across the path of the approaching cars.

A horn blared.

Another vehicle swerved to avoid it.

The truck did not stop.

"Hold on!" their driver shouted.

He slammed on the brakes and wrenched the steering wheel to the side, attempting to put as much distance as possible between their car and the approaching vehicle.

Everything happened too quickly.

Xi Yunxui heard Huo Yuning gasp beside her. Through the window, she saw the truck’s massive body bearing down on them, its side looming so close that the distinction between the road and the vehicle seemed to disappear.

Their driver tried to turn away.

There was nowhere to go.

The truck struck them from the side.

The impact came with a deafening crash.

Metal screamed against metal, and the entire car lurched violently sideways. Xi Yunxui was thrown against the door, her shoulder slamming into it as the windows rattled in their frames. Huo Yuning cried out, her phone flying from her hand as the car spun partway across the road.

For a fraction of a second, Xi Yunxui couldn’t understand what had happened.

Then the car struck something else.

Another violent jolt shook the cabin, sending the two women lurching forward against their seat belts. The airbags deployed with a sharp burst, filling the front of the car with white fabric and a cloud of powder. The vehicle skidded across the road before finally grinding to a halt at an awkward angle, its damaged side crushed inward.

The world seemed to fall silent.

Xi Yunxui’s ears rang. Her chest ached beneath the restraint of the seat belt, and her shoulder throbbed where it had struck the door. For several seconds, she could hear nothing clearly beyond the high-pitched ringing that filled her ears.

She blinked, struggling to make sense of the airbag in front of her.

Then she remembered Huo Yuning.

"Miss Yuning!"

Xi Yunxui turned sharply toward the other woman.

Huo Yuning was slumped against her seat, one hand pressed against her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. Her face had gone pale, and her eyes were wide with shock.

"Miss Yuning, can you hear me?"

Huo Yuning blinked several times before turning toward her.

"Xi... Yunxui?"

"I’m here." Xi Yunxui leaned toward her as far as her seat belt allowed. "Are you hurt? Can you move?"

"I... I think so."

Huo Yuning tried to straighten, only to wince and clutch her arm.

Xi Yunxui’s expression tightened.

"Don’t move too much. Let me check."

She reached toward Huo Yuning, carefully examining her face and the arm she was holding. There was a small cut near Huo Yuning’s temple, and a thin trail of blood had begun to run down the side of her face. Her breathing was uneven, but she was conscious and responsive.

That was something.

At least she was conscious.

Xi Yunxui forced herself to take a breath, trying to steady her thoughts. She needed to remain calm, assess their condition, and get them out of the damaged vehicle before another car struck them.

But the moment she shifted to unfasten her seat belt, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.

She sucked in a breath.

At the same time, something strange stirred deep within her body.

It began as a faint warmth beneath her skin, spreading outward from the center of her chest. Xi Yunxui froze, her fingers hovering over the buckle of her seat belt.

She knew that sensation.

Spiritual energy.

Except she had never felt it behave like this before.

The energy surged through her body without warning, rushing along her limbs and gathering around her chest in a forceful wave. It was not the controlled flow she experienced when cultivating, nor was it the familiar warmth that accompanied the circulation of spiritual energy through her meridians.

This was different.

It felt instinctive, as though something inside her had awakened in response to the danger.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

’What is happening?’

Before she could make sense of it, a loud metallic groan came from outside.

The truck had not stopped cleanly after the collision.

Its enormous body had continued forward before grinding to a halt farther along the road, leaving the wrecked car in its wake. Somewhere nearby, another driver was shouting, and the shrill sound of a horn cut through the night.

Xi Yunxui barely heard any of it.

Her attention was fixed on Huo Yuning, who had begun trembling.

"Xi Yunxui..." Huo Yuning’s voice shook. "What happened?"

"We were hit by a truck."

"I know that, but..."

Huo Yuning stopped, swallowing hard as she looked toward the damaged side of the car. The door beside Xi Yunxui had been badly dented, and cracks spread across the nearest window. The force of the collision had left the interior in disarray, with fragments of broken plastic scattered across the floor.

Her gaze returned to Xi Yunxui.

"Are you hurt?"

The question caught Xi Yunxui by surprise.

Even after a collision like this, Huo Yuning was worried about her.

"I’m fine," she answered quickly, although her aching shoulder suggested otherwise. "Don’t worry about me. Just stay still for a moment."

Huo Yuning didn’t look convinced, but she nodded.

Xi Yunxui reached for the buckle of her seat belt again.

The moment she pressed it, a sudden wave of dizziness swept through her. Her vision blurred, and the spiritual energy inside her body surged so violently that she instinctively gripped the seat beside her.

For a heartbeat, she felt as though something vast had unfurled within her.

A thin shimmer appeared around her body.

It was so faint that she might have mistaken it for a reflection from the damaged window, except that the air around her seemed to ripple, like heat rising from sun-warmed ground. The shimmer spread outward, encompassing the space between her and Huo Yuning before vanishing almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Xi Yunxui stared at her hands.

What had that been?

She hadn’t activated a technique. She hadn’t even consciously directed her spiritual energy.

It had simply happened.

And somehow, she had the unsettling feeling that the energy had not been responding to her own pain.

It had been responding to Huo Yuning’s danger.

"Xi Yunxui?"

Huo Yuning’s voice drew her attention back.

The actress was watching her with a worried frown.

"What’s wrong with you? Your face is so pale."

Xi Yunxui quickly lowered her hands.

"Nothing. I might have hit my shoulder."

"Then don’t move! We need to get help."

Huo Yuning reached for her phone, only to discover that it had fallen somewhere near her feet. She bent forward to retrieve it, but Xi Yunxui immediately caught her wrist.

"Don’t bend down like that. You might have injured yourself."

"But your shoulder—"

"We can worry about my shoulder after we get help."

Xi Yunxui tried to sound reassuring, although her own heart was beating so hard that she could feel each thud against her ribs.

Outside, footsteps approached the car.

Someone knocked on the intact side window.

"Can you hear me? Is anyone injured?"

Xi Yunxui turned toward the voice.

"Yes! We’re inside!"

"Stay where you are! The emergency services are on their way!"

The stranger moved away, shouting toward the other people gathered around the scene.

Xi Yunxui released a breath of relief. At least someone had seen what happened, and help was coming.

Yet even as she tried to focus on the immediate situation, the strange warmth within her body refused to settle completely. Her spiritual energy continued to flow in restless currents, as though it were standing guard against a danger that had not entirely passed.

She looked toward Huo Yuning again.

The actress was still pale, her fingers trembling slightly as she held her injured arm. There was no doubt that she had been frightened, and Xi Yunxui felt an unfamiliar tightness in her chest at the sight.

She had accepted the mission to ensure Huo Yuning returned home safely.

She had spent the entire day following her, even enduring the teasing and the uncomfortable gathering because she believed the task would be straightforward.

Yet here they were, trapped inside a wrecked car after a truck had crashed into them.

Xi Yunxui swallowed.

’System, what exactly is going on?’

There was no immediate response.

No cheerful notification appeared before her eyes. No familiar voice explained the strange reaction of her spiritual energy, and no mission update appeared to reassure her that everything would be fine.

For once, the system offered no answers.

Xi Yunxui pressed her lips together and turned back to Huo Yuning.

Whatever had happened to her spiritual energy, she could investigate it later. Right now, she needed to make sure Huo Yuning was safe.

"Miss Yuning," she said, reaching over to hold the actress’s uninjured hand, "help is coming. We’ll get out of here soon."

Huo Yuning looked at her, and despite the fear still lingering in her eyes, she managed a small nod.

"All right."

Xi Yunxui tightened her grip on her hand.

Outside, sirens began to sound in the distance.

The night was far from over.