"…Xiaotai, we've still got over an hour until the next gas station. Why don't you get some sleep?"
Fu Tailan looked up from his phone and glanced at his mom.
The car's AC hissed as if the fan blades were about to break, yet the cabin remained muggy.
The faint smell of her sweat, the half-finished Red Bull she'd been drinking, the lingering scent of cheap shampoo, and the bag of fast-food trash in the back seat… it all turned the air into a heady brew, making him a little dizzy.
'I feel like I just forgot something…?'
'Whatever. If I forgot it, it couldn't have been that important.'
"Don't forget our deal. You're taking the next shift. I'm exhausted—I've been driving for four or five hours straight."
His mom's curly hair was tied into a messy ponytail that tossed at the nape of her neck as she turned to look out the window. "I can't believe this road hasn't changed in over a decade. You hardly see any other cars… You'll be fine to drive, right?"
