Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Hey, wait…

Qu Yixian looked down at the ferret in her arms, initially dazed but gradually waking up. Her scalp tingled, and she nearly dropped it in surprise.

Locking eyes with it, Qu Yixian tried negotiating: “If you stay still in my hands, I’ll give you an extra serving of chicken breast tonight. Deal?”

The ferret, Diao Chan, glanced sideways.

Its pink nose twitched, and an expression of contemplation appeared on its fluffy little face.

Qu Yixian froze for a moment, a bizarre thought flashing through her mind—could this ferret have been brought out by Fu Xun during some archaeological trip? It must be magically clever!

Perhaps sensing Qu Yixian’s jumpy, unsettled demeanor, Diao Chan lifted its head, rubbed its nose against her palm, and then lightly licked the area between her thumb and forefinger.

Its tongue was soft, with faint roughness like tiny barbs, subtle but noticeable.

That lick was identical to the old practice of sealing a contract with a thumb dipped in saliva. So… did the ferret just agree?

As if to confirm Qu Yixian’s suspicion, Diao Chan curled up in her palm and closed its eyes, falling asleep again.

Qu Yixian: “……” Quite bold.

——

Having lost a bit of time, by the time Qu Yixian reached the lakeside, Jiang Yun had already been pulled out by Yuan Ye.

She was soaked through, sitting in the sand with arms wrapped around herself. The wind blew, making her shiver violently.

In September, Tuosu Lake’s water was cold. Even wet fingertips felt like ice, let alone Jiang Yun, who had fallen entirely into the lake.

Qu Yixian had a small “ancestor” in her hands, so she couldn’t help. She looked up and saw Fu Xun pulling Yuan Ye out of the water, calling quickly: “Fu Xun.”

Fu Xun turned and, at a glance, couldn’t help but laugh.

Qu Yixian had no experience with pets and was somewhat wary and unfamiliar with Diao Chan. How he had handed the ferret over to her still left her frozen—hands stiff, holding it as carefully as if cradling a Buddha statue.

He released Yuan Ye, took a few steps back, and retrieved Diao Chan and the jacket: “You go keep Jiang Yun company in the car. I’ll watch Yuan Ye.”

Freed of the soft, limp creature, Qu Yixian exhaled in relief. She draped her own jacket over Jiang Yun, helped her up, and carefully avoided the crowd as they walked toward the parking lot.

Even the short walk was unsteady for Jiang Yun. Once inside the car, she couldn’t hold it and buried her face, crying.

Qu Yixian wasn’t good at comforting others and didn’t fully understand what had happened, so she remained silent. She turned on the heater first.

Seeing Jiang Yun’s tears were sincere, with no hope of stopping them, she fetched a clean bath towel and blanket from the trunk: “Dry off first. I’ll get you some clothes to change into.”

Jiang Yun sobbed in broken sentences: “In the trunk… open it… you’ll see…”

Qu Yixian retrieved the clothes for her, folded a scarf to cover the window, shielding them from outside view. Once Jiang Yun calmed down, Qu Yixian asked: “How did you fall into the lake?”

Jiang Yun’s eyes reddened, and she sobbed: “I saw everyone standing there taking photos, so I went over. Who knew…” Who knew the sand under her feet was soft, and she lost footing, sinking in.

Qu Yixian didn’t know what to say to that.

She casually grabbed a candy from her pack, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. The sweet, tangy citrus flavor spread instantly. She looked up, made eye contact with Jiang Yun, and said: “Accidental falls, next time be careful. Don’t slip on purpose—I can’t watch every step.”

The light in her eyes, shifting and elusive, made Jiang Yun uneasy. She even forgot to argue, shyly avoiding Qu Yixian’s gaze and stuffing her wet clothes into a waterproof bag.

Qu Yixian sat in the car for a while.

Since she couldn’t go to Yuan Ye, she calculated the time and contacted him via walkie-talkie.

Luckily, Yuan Ye had brought several sets of spare clothes. He, more accustomed to the weather and climate than Jiang Yun, drank a few cups of hot water and was fine.

He grew more concerned for Jiang Yun: “After all this, she probably doesn’t want to stay much longer. We could head to Dachaidan now. Tonight, I’ll have the innkeeper cook some ginger soup to warm her up.”

Qu Yixian naturally agreed. The back seat was coated with salt from the lake and the saltwater Jiang Yun brought in; she was eager to reach the hotel and wash the car.

Originally, today’s itinerary was to depart from Heimahe Township, visit Chaka Salt Lake, pass by Feicui Lake in the afternoon, and finally stay in Golmud.

But with the sudden addition of the alien ruins, reaching Golmud would be too late, so they had to take the detour through Dachaidan.

However, given the current situation, with Jiang Yun having fallen into the water, if her body feels unwell tonight, whether they can go to Kekexili tomorrow remains uncertain.

——

In the evening, the car arrived at Dachaidan, and they checked into a hotel.

Qu Yixian settled Jiang Yun, and she and Yuan Ye took the free four-person dormitory.

She just put down her luggage, skipped dinner, and went to wash the car.

The parking lot was basic, only offering a single soft water hose, with water running freely.

Qu Yixian had brought a small portable vacuum and two specialized towels. Having traveled this route for years, her car cleaning skills rivaled those of professional car washers.

Before nightfall, she started cleaning the car interior.

For convenience, all the doors were open as she used the vacuum to filter out the dust.

The northwest wind carried a lot of sand; dust storms were common in March and April. The interior looked clean, but the vacuum revealed sand that had settled in hidden corners.

Qu Yixian often traveled this route and had gone through several portable vacuums. Her Taobao store reviews were filled with detailed evaluations written during idle moments.

Listening to the vacuum’s hum was like hearing the wind cutting across National Highway 315, relaxing her completely.

Rarely, she enjoyed this “off-duty” time.

But the relaxed state didn’t last long. After finishing the interior, as she turned to the trunk, something brushed against her foot.

Looking down, she saw a ferret sneaking across the car, stepping on her shoe for leverage, and quickly climbing onto the car.

Qu Yixian raised an eyebrow and instinctively looked around for Fu Xun.

The parking lot was empty. Not a single sign of him.

Qu Yixian stood outside, trying to communicate: “Why did you come alone, little ferret? Where’s your dad?”

Diao Chan ignored her, gripping the rear seat air vent with its short legs, and hopped easily to the front seat.

Qu Yixian observed it for a while; it was just exploring, sniffing around. It neither caused damage nor trouble, so she let it be, only glancing occasionally while cleaning.

By the time she finished, thinking to take the ferret with her, the big white rat that had been hopping on her seat vanished in the blink of an eye.

Qu Yixian turned the car inside and out, even checking under the seats—nothing. Not a trace of Diao Chan, not even a single hair.

Refusing to believe it, she wandered through the parking lot, searching everywhere.

Not only did she fail to find the ferret, she nearly got mistaken for a car thief doing a stakeout.

Yuan Ye, waiting in the hotel lobby for Qu Yixian to have dinner, peeked through the parking lot. Seeing her searching, he was puzzled: “Qu Yixian, aren’t you eating? What are you dawdling for?”

“Did you see Fu Xun’s ferret?” Qu Yixian asked.

Yuan Ye hesitated briefly, then nodded: “Yeah, I saw it. I’m telling you, stop thinking about cooking that ferret… It has an owner. Fu Xun never lets go of it. If it went missing, you’d be the first one blamed.”

Nonsense!

If she weren’t the prime suspect, would she bother searching everywhere?

“When did you see the ferret?” she asked.

“Just now, while I was waiting for you to eat.” Yuan Ye was puzzled about her insistence but patiently explained: “After Fu Xun finished eating and came back, the ferret was perched on his shoulder.”

Qu Yixian glanced at her watch. She had spent half an hour just washing the car. If Yuan Ye had just seen the ferret, it likely passed by during that time.

Good, it wasn’t lost.

She gathered her coat and waved: “Let’s go eat.”

——

The next morning, before dawn, Qu Yixian woke first.

The four-person dormitory, reserved for team leaders, was filled with snoring. She had endured it all night and, with daybreak, took a basin to wash up without worrying about the time.

Brushing her teeth, Qu Yixian ran through the day’s itinerary in her mind.

After breakfast, she needed to check on Jiang Yun. Last night, Yuan Ye had brought a thermos of ginger soup from the cafeteria and gave half to Jiang Yun. If she had finished it, she probably wouldn’t have any aftereffects from falling into the water.

Besides, today’s itinerary wasn’t tight; the only challenge was altitude sickness.

After crossing the Kunlun Mountains, the elevation stayed above four thousand meters. Not only might Jiang Yun struggle, even Fu Xun could find it difficult to adapt.

After dinner last night, she had driven out to buy two oxygen tanks, just in case.

After the Tibetan antelope migration season, unless passing through Kekexili to Lhasa, the road rarely had other vehicles apart from transport trailers.

Plus, September was long past the tourist peak season; roadside shops had mostly closed. Buying oxygen wasn’t a matter of convenience—it was whether she could even get some.

She washed her face, woke Yuan Ye, and while he washed up, she went upstairs to check on Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun’s room door was tightly shut. She knocked for a long time, but no one came.

Just as Qu Yixian was about to get a spare key from the front desk, the door clicked, and Jiang Yun appeared pale behind it.

Qu Yixian’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Jiang Yun’s throat was dry; she cleared it lightly before whispering hoarsely, “I think I have a fever.”

Qu Yixian pressed the back of her hand to Jiang Yun’s forehead and frowned. “You’ve had it all night, haven’t you? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

She was worried but didn’t show it, just glanced her over and said, “Get dressed; I’ll take you to the hospital.”

On the way, Qu Yixian sent Yuan Ye a WeChat message.

With a fever like that, Kekexili was definitely out for today. If it didn’t subside soon, the rest of the trip would likely be affected.

She accompanied Jiang Yun through registration, consultation, and collecting medicine.

By the time Jiang Yun finished her IV, it was already noon.

Qu Yixian drove her back to the hotel. At the hospital parking exit, she reached for change in her storage compartment. When she touched it… it was gone.

Her expression changed several times in an instant. She turned to the gate attendant: “Can I pay parking with a QR code?”

“No.” The attendant glared, firm. “Cash only.”

Jiang Yun blinked and handed over a green note. “Then could you give change?”

Back at the hotel, Yuan Ye and Fu Xun were waiting in the lobby.

Spending the day in Dachaidan, Yuan Ye didn’t plan to eat in the cafeteria; he’d reserved a spot at a restaurant early to enjoy a proper meal. Seeing Qu Yixian and Jiang Yun almost back, he pulled Fu Xun downstairs to wait.

When they met, Qu Yixian’s face was cold, her expression deadly as she asked the front desk to check the parking lot surveillance.

Yuan Ye was surprised. Quietly, he asked Jiang Yun, “What happened? Did someone touch Qu Yixian’s car?”

Jiang Yun shook her head. “I think money was stolen.”

Money?!

Yuan Ye’s eyes widened. “In the parking lot?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Just after the IV, when paying at the hospital lot, I noticed it. Qu Yixian, you have a place for coins in the car, right? Looks like it’s all gone.”

Yuan Ye remembered.

Little Qu always rolled up his coins neatly in the coin pocket. Last time, it totaled seven or eight hundred.

Fu Xun had been feeding Diao Chan fish treats, indifferent, until he heard the money was stolen. He glanced at the ferret on his shoulder, tilting its head while gnawing the treats. “No need to check. I know who did it.”

Qu Yixian frowned, rage coiled in her body, yet her voice remained unusually calm. “Who?”

Fu Xun didn’t speak. He scooped up Diao Chan, lightly smacked its round rear, and asked, “Where’s the money?”

The ferret looked stunned, clearly not understanding why it was hit. It glanced at Fu Xun for a long moment, then dropped its head and chattered twice.

Qu Yixian was dumbfounded…

She looked at Diao Chan, now scampering down toward the parking lot while clinging to Fu Xun’s trousers, her mind blank. “Wait… it did this?”

Fu Xun wore a look of nonchalance and asked, “Did you promise it something and not follow through?”

Qu Yixian: “…”