Chapter 23

Chapter 23

After Qu Yi Xian got in the car, Jiang Yun glanced out the window a couple of times.

She saw the young man who had said he wanted to take her on the loop tour, and after finishing his conversation with Qu Yi Xian, he went straight to the SUV parked nearby.

At first, Jiang Yun was too embarrassed to ask, but once the Cruiser drove over the gravel away from the temple and onto the asphalt road, she tapped Qu Yi Xian on the seatback and couldn’t hold back: “Did he change his mind?”

Qu Yi Xian glanced through the side mirrors at the car behind: “Isn’t he right behind us? He’s following.”

Jiang Yun turned her head.

Indeed, there was a car behind them, a champagne-colored Audi SUV, with a Sichuan license plate.

She frowned: “Liar.”

“Who lied to you?” Qu Yi Xian glanced back through the mirror again.

Oh, the car was blocked.

She took down the walkie-talkie from the seat net, set the channel, and shouted across the distance: “What are you dawdling for? Keep up!”

No one responded.

Qu Yi Xian tested again: “Yuan Ye?”

This time there was a response; Yuan Ye let out two “ah” sounds in a row and explained: “Just couldn’t find the walkie-talkie earlier…”

Qu Yi Xian snorted: “Why don’t you just forget your own name while you’re at it?”

The car was going downhill. She steered with one hand, smoothly navigating a steep slope: “I have a client, so I’m keeping it steady. Speed won’t be too fast. If you’re heading to Qinghai Lake, follow the car—I’ll lead. If you have other plans, suit yourself.”

There seemed to be some discussion on the other end.

Yuan Ye replied: “Same direction, I’ll stay behind you. You go to Qinghai Lake; we’ll head to Heimahe first to check in.”

Qu Yi Xian felt something was off: “We? Where does this ‘we’ come from?”

Yuan Ye gave a forced laugh, his tone flattering: “I happen to be going back to Dunhuang, too. It’s boring to go alone, so I’ll be your support car these few days. No charge, pure labor!”

Qu Yi Xian tugged at the corner of her lips, not immediately agreeing.

She glanced at the back seat and explained to Jiang Yun: “A support vehicle usually follows during outdoor adventures. It has some off-road capability, can chat to pass the time, supply materials, and provide protection. The car behind is pretty good, won’t hold us back. Other than that, it’s mainly for chatting…”

Jiang Yun didn’t object; she was curious about everything here.

As long as it’s something new, she was willing to try: “He’s your friend. I have no objections.”

Implied: It’s up to you.

She stayed silent for so long that Yuan Ye’s heart was anxious. He could only plaster a grin on his face and boast like Wang Po selling melons: “I can carry, I can lift, I can help heat water, run errands to buy tickets. Whatever you need, I can do!”

Another downhill.

On the two-lane road, a truck honked urgently, the sound piercing their ears.

Qu Yi Xian touched her ear, magnanimous: “Fine, you behave yourself.”

——

Yuan Ye had one redeeming quality—he kept his word.

By the afternoon, they reached the Daotang River scenic area. He overtook and parked first on the open space of the scenic area’s lot. When Qu Yi Xian’s car arrived, he courteously moved to the back seat to open the door for Jiang Yun.

“Miss, we’re at Daotang River.”

Jiang Yun wasn’t strikingly beautiful, but her small face, fair skin, and delicate features gave a soft, pitiful charm from any angle, triggering people’s protective instincts.

A classic innocent-type beauty.

Perhaps accustomed to boys fawning over her since childhood, she showed no reaction to Yuan Ye’s enthusiasm. When she got out, she just slightly nodded in thanks.

Qu Yi Xian followed her out, seeing Fu Xun sitting in the car with no interest, and only said to Jiang Yun: “This spot only has the Daotang River. You can just look at the river; you don’t need to pay, but if you’re interested, you can go in. The visit takes about half an hour.”

Jiang Yun was a typical “since we’re here” tourist. She glanced at the scenic entrance, hesitated for two seconds, then said: “Let’s go in.”

Qu Yi Xian nodded, raised a hand, and gestured for Yuan Ye to lead Jiang Yun to buy tickets.

The scenic area was very rudimentary. The ticket booth didn’t even have a proper building, just a sunshade over the ticket checkpoint. The ticket seller had moved a table and a chair under the umbrella and sat there selling tickets.

It was September, nearing the off-season for Northwest loop tourism, and the sparse line of people buying tickets made the scenic area feel especially desolate.

Seeing Jiang Yun hesitate, Yuan Ye said, “If you don’t want to go, we can just head straight to Qinghai Lake.”

Jiang Yun asked, “Is there really only one river in the scenic area? Daotang River—does that mean it flows backward?”

“You could put it that way,” he explained. “Most rivers flow from west to east, but the Daotang River flows from east to west, into Qinghai Lake, hence the name. Even this small town is called Daotang River Town.”

Jiang Yun, having gained some understanding of local naming culture, turned back to glance at Fu Xun, who had already gotten out of the car, and lowered her voice: “Are you and Sister Qu in the same convoy?”

Hearing Jiang Yun call Qu Yi Xian “Sister Qu,” Yuan Ye was momentarily surprised. The young girl was really too young—she didn’t know what it meant to know a face but not the heart. She actually called the notorious Qu Yi Xian “Sister Qu.”

So inexperienced in the world, so inexperienced!

Seeing him drift off, Jiang Yun pouted slightly, half-teasing, and queued up to buy tickets.

Yuan Ye scratched his head and followed: “She’s the leader of our convoy.”

Jiang Yun said “Oh” and took out her coin purse to buy tickets. She bought one bright red sheet and asked for two tickets—one for herself, one for Yuan Ye.

Seeing the tickets, the big man instantly turned crimson, even stammering: “Buying me a ticket is wasting money! We’re bringing clients; usually, we don’t enter the scenic spots.”

He took the tickets, about to go back and return the money, when someone gently tugged on his sleeve.

Yuan Ye turned.

Jiang Yun looked at him like a wronged little rabbit: “I came alone. I want you to go in with me and take pictures.”

Seeing Yuan Ye freeze, she added pitifully: “I’m shy, I only know you guys.”

Yuan Ye’s heart immediately softened: “Alright, alright, I’ll go in with you.”

——

By the time Qu Yi Xian went back to the car to get a pack of cigarettes and returned, Yuan Ye was gone.

She glanced at the ticket checkpoint, feeling a little curious.

No one was around, so she asked Fu Xun: “Did Yuan Ye go in?”

Fu Xun was playing with a candy wrapper and hadn’t heard her. He looked up.

The focus in his eyes hadn’t yet receded, deep and black like a tunnel in the mountains at night.

Qu Yi Xian was taken aback, waved her hand: “It’s nothing, nothing, go play with your candy wrapper.”

She turned, intending to find someone nearby to chat with. Just as she took a step, something hit the top of her head.

She turned back.

Fu Xun was calm, hands in his pockets.

She instinctively glanced down.

At her feet lay a crumpled candy wrapper, sparkling in the early sunlight of Daotang River Town.

She smiled.

No anger, no anger—couldn’t quarrel with the benefactor.

——

By the time Jiang Yun came out, she had already gotten familiar with Yuan Ye. From afar, you could hear her sweet voice calling him “Brother Yuan Ye” over and over.

Qu Yi Xian shivered at the goosebumps, getting back to the car first.

Not long after she sat down, Yuan Ye came around to her side and tapped on the car window: “Master Qu, Jiang Yun is in my car. When we get to Heimahe, swap back.”

Qu Yi Xian raised an eyebrow: “She said that?”

“Yeah,” Yuan Ye said, pointing to Jiang Yun at his car, flipping through photos: “She wanted me to explain the Daotang River story to her.”

Qu Yi Xian lightly tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, smiling with her eyes squinted: “Alright.”

She felt relaxed and happy.

The drive from Daotang River to the Erlangjian scenic area at Qinghai Lake took about fifty minutes. Qu Yi Xian drove an empty car at high speed.

Seeing the scenic area approaching, she finally slowed down and pulled over at the fork in the road leading to the Qinghai Lake scenic area and Heimahe Township.

After crossing Riyue Mountain, the sky had cleared.

On both sides of the road were herds of cattle and sheep, and in the distance, snow-capped peaks faintly covered large patches of black gravel rocks.

The sky was a pure blue, like a gem carved from lake water, deeply azure.

Occasional gusts of wind blew past. Though carrying the chill of the northwest, it was remarkably refreshing.

The Mustang quickly caught up, stopping behind the Cruiser.

When Yuan Ye helped Jiang Yun out of the car, his smile bloomed like a rare flower, full of warmth.

Qu Yi Xian spat out the blade of grass she’d been holding in her mouth, tilted her head, and gestured for Jiang Yun to get in.

Jiang Yun felt a little guilty.

She knew it wasn’t entirely right to leave Qu Yi Xian to get closer to Yuan Ye, but what was done was done. She could only force herself to act calm and returned to Qu Yi Xian’s car.

Qu Yi Xian noticed Jiang Yun lowering her head, almost burying her face in her chest, and was puzzled: Did she really look that fierce?

She glanced back at Fu Xun in the front passenger seat, unmoving as a mountain, and casually whistled at him.

Fu Xun had thrown a candy wrapper at her head, right?

Now she whistled to tease him!

Let’s see who gets annoyed.

——

The Cruiser got back on the road.

After passing the fork, the road to the Qinghai Lake scenic area became busier.

Most vehicles were still five-seater SUVs or passenger sedans, moving in an orderly fashion within the speed limit.

After passing two fields of rapeseed flowers, Qu Yi Xian asked Jiang Yun: “Qinghai Lake has two types of scenic areas. Do you know that?”

Jiang Yun shook her head.

She hadn’t done any research before coming, relying on a high-end travel route booked through a tourism app.

Qu Yi Xian, hearing no response, immediately understood.

This young lady probably didn’t know anything.

She explained the fees and differences of the two scenic areas to Jiang Yun, letting her choose. Then she led her along a lakeside path to the local Tibetan-run ticketing area of the Qinghai Lake scenic spot.

After Jiang Yun got out, Qu Yi Xian stayed in the car playing games.

In the northwest, except for towns and popular scenic areas, signal reception was unreliable. So she only had offline games on her phone—match-three games, puzzle games, dress-up for goddesses… all just to pass the time.

When Jiang Yun came back and heard the sound effects of the “Goddess Dress-Up” game, she couldn’t help but glance at Qu Yi Xian’s phone twice: “Sister Qu, you’re still playing this?”

Qu Yi Xian’s expression remained natural: “What else would I play?”

Jiang Yun: “……”

——

The temperature in Heimahe Township was several degrees lower than Qinghai Lake, with cold winds and thin oxygen.

Recent development around Qinghai Lake had rapidly advanced this county as well. Restaurants, hotels, and inns were everywhere on the streets.

Qu Yi Xian stayed at the Xinghui Holiday Hotel in Heimahe Township. Just from the name, it was clear—this was the official hotel designated for the Xinghui convoy.

Fortunately, Jiang Yun wasn’t too picky about the accommodations. Qu Yi Xian finished the check-in for her and escorted her to the room.

The room was on the first floor, a single room.

The hotel’s facilities weren’t great: a bed, a TV, a cramped bathroom. A window on the wall by the corridor had thick curtains drawn.

Overall, the room was clean and tidy; aside from being small, it had no major shortcomings.

Jiang Yun only frowned slightly and accepted it.

Qu Yi Xian pushed her suitcase to the side of the bed: “Rest for a bit. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat. If you feel unwell, drink some glucose. You might have a little altitude sickness here. If it gets serious, tell me immediately—I’ll take you back.”

Jiang Yun: “Ah… end the trip?”

Qu Yi Xian asked back: “Or what?”

Jiang Yun stayed silent.

After leaving, Qu Yi Xian closed the door for her, then went back to the car to get a duffel bag.

While closing the trunk, she suddenly remembered the pack of cigarettes Fu Xun had given her on the top of Laji Mountain.

She hadn’t accepted it at the time, and later it had fallen under the seat.

Qu Yi Xian adjusted the seat back, reached under, and felt around. She pulled out the pack, about to slip it into her pocket. She weighed it in her hand—something felt off.

She rubbed the lid open with her thumb—

A box of colorful fruit candies.

The wrapper was exactly the same as the one Fu Xun had used to toss at her head in Daotang River Town!