TL Note: I’m not sure if I explained the meaning of Yu Nian'An’s name, so I’ll do so here: Yu (余) is a common surname, but there are multiple meanings including: surplus, remaining, I, me, or ‘in excess of’. Nian (念) can mean ‘to study’, ‘to miss’, or ‘an idea’. And An (安)— content; calm; quiet; safe; or secure. So if we were to combine these meanings, Yu Nian'An’s name would mean ‘extra thoughts of tranquility/peace.’ The reason I bring her name up is because of the title of this chapter, "不安". 不 dictates the absence of, or can mean ‘no’ or ‘none’, so logically, it should just translate to "not at peace," but we also have to keep in mind it can also be referring to QX’s wife—The absence of An.
Chapter 93 Unease
"Crack?" The driver yawned and stated, "We’re on Qingyin Expressway now; we’ll be passing through Qingdao soon. At that point, we’ll see whose shoddy construction project is being exposed."
"A crack has appeared {above}?" Qi Xia experienced a fleeting moment of doubt. Although he knew the earthquake would strike tomorrow afternoon, he wondered if any unusual signs might precede it.
Before Qi Xia could ponder this further, the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes, the speed dropping abruptly from one hundred and twenty miles per hour. With no seatbelt fastened, Qi Xia nearly collided with the front seat due to the emergency stop. "What happened?" Once he steadied himself, he raised his head in confusion.
"Strange… there’s a long line of traffic on the expressway," the driver said.
Following the driver’s gaze into the distance, Qi Xia noticed that traffic was indeed severely congested, with a kaleidoscope of vehicles stretching endlessly along the road.
The driver anxiously checked the time. "Aiya… It looks like there’s been a multi-vehicle collision. I’ve encountered it before; it usually takes at least an hour to clear up. The entrance to Qingdao is just ahead… and it’s almost seven-thirty. What are we going to do now?" He kept glancing around, seemingly contemplating how to switch lanes and navigate through the congested traffic.
"Don’t worry, sir. This counts as arriving in Qingdao," Qi Xia reassured him. "Just drive slowly."
"Aiya…" The driver glanced at Qi Xia through the rearview mirror, a hint of shame on his face. "You’re quite down-to-earth. Don’t worry; I’ll definitely get you home before eight-thirty."
Qi Xia nodded and fell silent, while the driver slowly positioned the car at the end of the line.
What neither of them anticipated was that the traffic jam would remain stagnant from the moment they joined. More and more cars continued to stream in behind them, leaving them trapped in the middle of the queue, unable to move forward or backward.
"What a strange situation…" After waiting for over an hour, with the clock nearing eight-thirty, the driver could only scratch his head in frustration. "Even if there’s been a pileup, it should have been cleared up by now…"
Qi Xia felt a growing sense of urgency, but at that moment, waiting was the only option available. They were still twenty to thirty kilometers away from his home, and if he attempted to walk like before, he wouldn’t arrive until dawn. With this thought in mind, he once again pulled out his phone to call Yu Nian'An, but still, no one answered. The busy signal from the other end only intensified his frustration.
Both of them fell into silence, the only sound filling the car being the static from the radio.
"Attention, listeners: An unexplained climatic phenomena has occurred on the Qingyin Expressway. The actual situation is pending analysis by experts. Drivers with alternate routes are advised to take them."
"Climatic phenomena?" The driver, hearing such an unusual term on the radio for the first time, seemed puzzled.
"It’s probably a {ball lightning} or {mirage}," Qi Xia explained. "It could attract a large crowd, potentially leading to traffic accidents as a result."
"Is that so? You really know a lot, young man—are you a college student?"
Qi Xia chose to ignore the driver, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes to rest. In his previous memory, he hadn’t opted to return to Qingdao that evening, leaving him completely unaware of the events that transpired on the expressway. All he knew was that when he set off the next morning, the roads had already returned to normal.
This meant that the current traffic jam wouldn’t last long, and for now, the best course of action for Qi Xia was simply to wait. However, prolonged, aimless waiting often stirs feelings of frustration, especially since no one knew how long the delay would continue.
As time passed, the sound of honking horns began to fill the air, creating an unsettling atmosphere. Eventually, drivers started turning off their engines and stepping out of their vehicles, engaging in conversation with one another. His taxi driver was clearly a man who couldn’t stay idle; seeing others moving about, he also hopped out of the car. He paid no further attention to Qi Xia and instead lit a cigarette, joining a few nearby drivers for a casual chat.
Qi Xia sighed and took out his phone to send a message to Yu Nian'An.
"An, something might happen tomorrow. Pack some daily necessities; I’ll take you out in the morning."
He deliberately emphasized the seriousness of the situation, prioritizing the need for Yu Nian'An to grasp its significance immediately. Discussions regarding the {earthquake} or {phenomena} could be set aside for the time being.
After sending the message, Qi Xia leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.
For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, the mere presence of Yu Nian'An made him feel secure, even knowing that an earthquake awaited them the next day. His capabilities were limited, and he couldn’t save everyone. Spreading the news about the impending earthquake would likely lead to his arrest for disturbing public order. Thus, within limited parameters, Qi Xia could only choose to save a select few.
He had never considered himself a savior; everything he did was merely an attempt to survive in this world.
Qi Xia closed his eyes and dozed for a while, though he lost track of how long it had been. Suddenly, he was jolted awake by the sound of the driver opening the door. "Young man, you need to come see this!" The driver shouted without regard for whether Qi Xia was still sleeping.
"What is it?" Qi Xia blinked in confusion as he saw the driver waving a phone in his direction.
Taking the phone, he discovered the photo that appeared to have been taken at the toll station at the entrance of the expressway ahead.
"This was taken by a driver in front of us! It’s spreading all over the road!" The driver said excitedly. "You’re knowledgeable; can you help me figure out what this climatic phenomena is?"
Qi Xia zoomed in on the image and couldn’t help but frown. If this were a {climatic phenomenon}, it certainly seemed to be a neglected branch of study.
In the sky above hung a gaping fissure, with luminous objects cascading down from it, resembling stars plummeting to Earth. Many vehicles were trapped beneath this radiant veil, unable to advance.
"The sky is splitting open?" Qi Xia asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, it really looks like there’s a tear in the sky. Could this phenomenon be called {Suspecting the Milky Way has Descended from the Ninth Level of Heaven}?"
Qi Xia flattened his lips, with a hint of resignation, "I’m not sure what this is, but I can assure you that the phenomenon you mentioned doesn’t exist."
The driver chuckled sheepishly and returned to the driver’s seat. "Well, they say the crack is shrinking, so it should disappear soon. Once those glowing objects are no longer blocking the road, we’ll be able to move again."
Qi Xia nodded, but then pulled out his phone and froze momentarily. "It’s already past three in the morning?!"
"Yeah…" The driver stretched lazily. "You’re quite down-to-earth, young man. I’m not stingy either, so I turned off the meter long ago. Otherwise, the waiting time would have racked up quite a bill."
What truly concerned Qi Xia wasn’t the phenomenon at all; rather, he was troubled by the fact that Yu Nian'An had yet to respond. A wave of unease spread through him.