'Hey Yuxuan, what should Mum cook for us for dinner today?' asked Yuxuan's father, a man in his early thirties with short hair and laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. He looked at him through the rearview mirror.
'Steamed dumplings!' Yuxuan shouted from the back seat and grinned. His mother laughed.
'Okay, I'll make steamed dumplings,' said his mother, laughing.
'But I wanted fried tofu and vegetables,' grumbled the man playfully.
'Dumplings!' shouted Yuxuan, knowing full well that he would get what he wanted anyway.
'Fried tofu!' countered his father.
'Dumplings!'
'If you keep arguing, I'll make herb soup,' his mother scolded, laughing. Yuxuan and his father grimaced. Herb soup tasted bitter, and neither of them liked the aroma.
'Dumplings!' said Yuxuan firmly, rocking back and forth in his child seat. His father rolled his eyes.
'All right, dumplings today and fried tofu tomorrow,' he conceded.
'And the day after tomorrow...' his mother began slowly.
'No herbal soup!' Yuxuan and his father exclaimed in unison. The three of them laughed. It was a long drive on Tuen Mun Road, and it was already dark.
A light but persistent drizzle had set in, making visibility difficult. Nü Yuxuan rocked his feet and traced the raindrops running down the car window while humming a tune. His mother joined in:
"What a pretty jasmine flower, beautiful to look at and beautiful to smell! So white that I want to pick you..."
Yuxuan's humming stopped; he sat up straight and peered out of the window. A fine, white mist had rolled in. The wind drew swirling patterns in it, making it look as if faces and grimaces were rising out of it.
'Mum, who is that woman?' Yuxuan asked as they passed a ghostly figure. His parents exchanged a brief, meaningful glance. His mother turned to him.
'The doctor explained it to you, my darling,' she began, smiling warmly at him. 'It's all in your imagination. None of it is real. There are no ghosts, no monsters, or evil demons,' she explained. Yuxuan nodded sheepishly. Then he pointed ahead.
'Dad, watch out!' he cried in alarm.
As if out of nowhere, the ghostly woman appeared in front of them, in the middle of the road. She had long, flowing hair held in place by a simple hairpin, was barefoot, and wore an old priestess's robe decorated with pearls and feathers.
'What the...?' Yuxuan's father slammed on the brakes in horror and jerked the steering wheel. His mother barely had time to turn around before the car skidded and rolled over.
Yuxuan felt himself being thrown back and forth in his seat. The seatbelt cut into his chest, and everything spun around. The windshield shattered, sending shards flying through the interior of the car. His mother screamed.
The car rolled over a few times before skidding to a halt on the wet road. Yuxuan had his eyes tightly closed, just as his mother had taught him to do when he saw things that couldn't be real.
"What a pretty jasmine flower, beautiful to look at and beautiful to smell! So white that I want to pick you..." he sang with a trembling voice. But the dizzy feeling and the pain did not go away. He smelled smoke and the spicy scent of the cold fog creeping into the car.
Yulan! Nü Yulan!
The voices rose. At first, it was just an unreal, hoarse whisper. Soon it swelled into a roaring wave. When he could no longer bear it, Yuxuan opened his eyes.
He was hanging upside down from his seat, unable to see his father or mother. Instead, he saw transparent arms and hands trying to break into the car from outside. His heart clenched, and cold panic rose within him.
'Go away, hasn't anyone taught you manners?' a clear, strong voice rang out. It was melodious, like someone who could captivate you for hours, no matter how nonsensical the things they said.
The side door of the car was torn off with a squeaking, sharp noise. Cold air rushed into the car. The smoke and heat from the fire brushed against Yuxuan's skin. Someone leaned into the car and freed him from the seatbelt. As he landed on the roof of the car, a sharp pain shot through his arm.
This snapped him out of his stupor. Yuxuan cried out. And with that cry, the fear and grief were released. He began to cry uncontrollably. Someone hoisted him out of the wreckage and took him in their arms. Through his tear-filled eyes, he recognized a tall man with long black hair and an elegant three-piece suit.
He cradled Yuxuan in his arms and calmed him down. Grotesque figures emerged from the fog that crept lazily across the street. Some looked human, others like animals, and still others like mythical creatures that Yuxuan knew only from books.
'I won't say it again, go away,' said the man seriously, his voice taking on a dark, dangerous tone.
With Yuxuan sitting on one of his arms, he pressed the air and the thick fog to the ground with his other hand.
A shock wave erupted and swept away the white veil. The noises and voices fell silent instantly. 'It's all right now; no one will hurt you anymore,' the man said to him. When Yuxuan let go of him and looked at him, he saw a pair of dark, almond-shaped eyes.
The man's eyes were as black as a moonless night, and a purple veil, moving like a velvety, liquid curtain, had settled over them.
'Ah, I think it's better if you get some sleep now,' the man said gently, running his hand over his eyes.