Xu Ping'an stepped out of the building, the night air greeting him as he walked onto the street.
The air outside was cold and freezing.
Not biting… but enough to make the skin feel it.
He walked toward the subway station with steady steps, hands tucked into his coat pockets, his expression calm… almost indifferent.
Then, his phone buzzed.
He pulled it out casually and saw a message notification appearing on his lock screen.
He saw the name of the sender.
~My Rumi~
For a brief moment, his steps slowed and then stopped completely.
The message was short.
-Let's break up. This isn't working out.
He stared at the screen once… twice…
As if the words might rearrange themselves into something else.
"…What?"
The word slipped out before he realized it.
His thumb moved quickly as he made a call.
The phone rang… once… twice… three times.
No one answered.
"Come on… pick up."
He started walking again, faster now.
The calm rhythm of his steps broke as he called again.
Yet, no one picked up.
Still nothing.
His breathing grew uneven.
By the time he reached the subway entrance, his grip on the phone had tightened.
He switched to voicemail.
"Rumi… call me back," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"You can't just send something like that and disappear. At least tell me what happened… this isn't fair."
The line cut, and silence followed.
He quickly reached the subway station, scanned his pass and boarded the train.
*****
The subway train was crowded.
It was not packed to the point of suffocation, but close enough that personal space no longer existed.
Bodies stood shoulder to shoulder, and voices overlapped.
The train doors closed.
Xu Ping'an stood near the side, one hand holding the overhead rail.
His eyes fixated on his phone screen, just like others in the same carriage.
He scrolled through reels and kept checking the notification bar again & again… in case someone messaged.
Unknowingly, his foot tapped rapidly... showing his anxiety.
Then, a loud voice cut through the carriage.
"…I told you already! If they don't like it, they can quit!"
Xu Ping'an glanced over along with others around him.
A young man with funky hair and a tattoo covering his entire right arm was talking loudly on the phone, disturbing everyone around him.
Some frowned at him, and most of them ignored it as it was none of their business.
They looked at him once and then went back to their phones…
Xu Ping'an was no exception.
The noise didn't bother him.
Or rather, he chose not to let it bother him.
Just as he was about to look back at his phone, he noticed an old man approaching the loud man.
"Young man," the old man said softly.
The man turned.
"What?" he replied rudely.
"You're disturbing everyone. Please lower your voice," the old man said politely.
A brief silence followed.
Then, the man scoffed.
"Who are you to tell me what to do? My father?" he said, his voice rising with each word.
People glanced over again.
The old man stood firm.
"This is a public space. It requires basic consideration. Can't you lower your voice while speaking?"
The man stepped closer.
"If you have a problem, cover your ears. Don't tell me what to do!"
"It's not just about me. Everyone here—"
"Will you just shut up, old geezer?" he snapped. "Stop being so annoying and go away!"
He shoved the old man slightly and turned back to his call.
Thud!
The old man lost his balance and fell… right near Xu Ping'an.
For a brief second, time seemed to slow.
Xu Ping'an looked at the old man.
Their eyes met...
There was no anger in the gaze of the old man and not even accusation.
Just a quiet expectation.
A simple hope for help.
For most people, it would have been easy.
But for Xu Ping'an… it wasn't.
He immediately looked away and buried his face in his phone.
Nearby, a woman stepped forward and reached out her hand.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," the old man replied quietly, brushing off his clothes as he stood.
The train slowed down.
Ting!
The doors opened.
Ping'an stepped out quickly, without looking back.
It wasn't his stop.
He got off just to escape the discomfort.
He exited the station and the air outside felt lighter.
But inside his chest… something felt heavier.
He walked forward with no destination in mind.
He just kept walking until…his phone rang.
He froze upon looking at the phone screen.
It was Rumi.
He answered immediately.
"Finally… I reached you," he said, relief slipping into his voice despite his disturbed mind a moment ago.
"What was that message? You're joking, right?"
"…"
"…Rumi?"
There was no response.
His grip tightened slightly.
"Say something!"
Then, a cold voice resounded in his ears.
"It's over, Ping'an."
The words landed without warning.
Xu Ping'an frowned.
"What are you talking about? What did I do?"
A short, tired laugh came from the other end.
"That's the problem." She paused. "You don't do anything."
His brows drew together.
"I don't understand."
"You wouldn't," she replied quietly.
Then her tone hardened.
"You're a coward, Ping'an."
The word 'coward' hit harder than it should have.
"What…?" His voice dropped.
"You know exactly what I mean," she continued.
"When I needed you… you weren't there."
Xu Ping'an opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
The memory surfaced… something he had ignored.
Something he had chosen not to get involved in.
Something that mattered to her.
"I…" he tried to speak…
But the words didn't form.
"It's over," she said firmly. "Don't contact me again."
"Rumi, wait—"
The call ended.
And a long beep sound echoed in his ear constantly.
He stood there, still in shock, with the phone still pressed against his head.
Not moving.
Not thinking.
He was just… stuck in the moment.
Sometime later, his hand lowered slowly, and the sound faded.
But the silence remained.
He walked without realizing it, carrying a blank expression on his face.
With slow steps, he reached a crossing.
The red signal glowed.
Cars rushed past in streaks of light.
Beside him, a couple was arguing loudly.
"You never listen to me!"
"Oh, and you do?"
Their loud voices overlapped.
Xu Ping'an frowned slightly.
The noise annoyed him.
He almost turned and said something.
Then, he noticed a child.
A small boy stood near the edge of the pavement, holding a ball.
Xu Ping'an's gaze lingered for a moment.
The boy bounced it once, twice…
Then, it slipped and rolled forward off the curb.
The boy followed it, one step and then another.
Xu Ping'an was still in a daze.
For a moment, he thought he was seeing things…
Then, a horn blared.
He snapped back to reality.
He saw an incoming truck coming toward the boy at an insane speed.
In that instant, Xu Ping'an realised and understood everything.
He knew very well what was about to happen.
He could ignore it.
It wasn't his problem.
Someone else would step in.
He could even just shout and warn the parents…
But there was no time.
The vehicle was already too close.
The horn roared.
Bong!
And before he could think any further… his body moved on its own.
He quickly rushed forward, his hand reaching out to grab the boy and then, he pushed him away from the road.
The truck didn't slow and…
Bam!
A deafening sound tore through everything.
Xu Ping'an felt it… it was like a wall crashing into him.
His body lifted into the air.
The world spun around him.
Then, his body crashed onto the ground.
The pain rushed through his veins quickly and then faded in a flash.
His body felt… light.
As if something had been taken away.
Or perhaps, as if he had been emptied.
He lay there, staring at the sky, watching the same beautiful moon as a thought came to him.
'…So much for staying out of trouble…'
His vision blurred… and darkness slowly crept in from the edges.
'Father, you were wrong… meddling in another's business… always brings trouble…'
A faint breath escaped him as he fell into a deep slumber.
That day, Xu Ping'an lost everything and died.
Then…
+
[Star System Activated]
[Accumulating Good Karma Points…]
[Accumulating Bad Karma Points…]
[Good Karma Exceeding Limit]
[Searching for a Suitable Body…]
[Search Results: 1]
[Body Condition: Deceased — Blood Loss (Head Injury)]
[Extracting Soul…]
[Preparing for Transmigration…]
+
…his new life was about to begin.