Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Qu Yixian calmed herself for a moment, turned off the engine, and pulled the handbrake.

After getting out, she walked around the vehicle to inspect it.

All four tires had normal pressure, and the bumper showed no signs of scratches or damage. Clearly, the strange noise earlier wasn’t from the body but from the undercarriage.

She opened the trunk, dragged out a small jack from the innermost layer, and propped up the chassis.

The portable jack was tiny, and the soft sand reduced its effectiveness, but it was better than nothing. At least Qu Yixian didn’t have to worry about the chassis collapsing on her while she checked underneath.

She crouched, picked out a wrench, and slid under the vehicle.

Over the years running the northwest loop, she had encountered bad weather, rough roads, and times she ignored the almanac. Flat tires, loose screws, stuck vehicles—Qu Yixian had seen it all.

From feeling helpless at first to now, she had half a foot in the mechanics world, basically an apprentice.

The underside of the vehicle was scorching, with slight oil leakage.

Qu Yixian held the wrench, tapping gently on the frame.

Mud and sand from the river valley had dried on the chassis, mixed with dust accumulated from the fast drive. The wrench shook loose debris, sending up clouds like a mini sandstorm.

She frowned, annoyed, and slid a few inches along the frame for a better view.

Now, the cause of the malfunction was clear—the Cruiser’s shock absorber had blown.

Shock absorber problems could be minor or catastrophic.

Lightly, it only affected damping; severely, it could destroy the vehicle and injure the driver.

Right now, she wasn’t sure what to do.

The sand was hot, and through the thin layer of clothing, the radiating heat pressed against her skin like an iron.

The space between the chassis and ground was like a furnace. She felt like a piece of meat wrapped in foil, roasting over charcoal—heat intense and evenly applied.

If not for the absence of a “sizzle” sound, she could almost smell the aroma of grilled meat.

Climbing out from under the vehicle, Qu Yixian got back in and grabbed a pack of cigarettes.

Leaning against the door, she exhaled a stream of white smoke, squinting at the rear wheel. Her gaze was sharp, as if she could dismantle the frame into a pile of scrap metal.

She bit the cigarette, muttering vaguely, “Always in the way.”

Qu Yixian hesitated for a moment, rubbing her finger on the call button, unable to decide.

The Cruiser would likely be stranded in place, waiting for a tow.

If she called Yuan Ye for help, she’d probably have to wait for the team to pick her up and retreat from the desert. After chasing all the way from Yumen Pass, her precious vehicle damaged, retreating like that felt unbearable.

But continuing forward alone was even less practical.

Single-person desert missions were already taboo; now, with the situation changed, she was at a severe disadvantage.

Qu Yixian was annoyed, unaware that her cigarette had burned halfway down. When the hot ash touched her exposed ankle, she snapped out of it.

She flicked the remaining cigarette with her slender fingers, just as she was about to bring it to her lips. Her gaze fell on the cigarette butt, and she paused for a moment.

Then, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

How could she have forgotten him!

Qu Yixian sat back in the vehicle and dialed the number Yuan Ye had just given her.

Before the call connected, she lazily leaned against the cushion, fiddling with the cigarette pack, running through a mental script, thinking about how to coax him into joining her search.

When the call connected, she cleared her throat and said, “Hello.”

“Who is this?” The man’s voice was clear and deep, calm and steady.

Unexpectedly pleasant, warm yet rich, with a subtle, ear-pleasing quality.

Qu Yixian felt her ears flush. When introducing herself, she unconsciously lowered her volume by several degrees: “Is this Mr. Fu? I’m Qu Yixian from the Starshine Convoy.”

There was silence on the other end.

Qu Yixian stayed quiet for a few seconds as well.

For a brief moment, that inexplicable sense of familiarity almost made her feel as if she actually knew the other person.

But realistically, a surname like “Fu,” which is uncommon in many places, should still ring a bell.

Qu Yixian decided to be reserved, especially when she needed help.

So when the other person didn’t speak, she remained silent too, and she certainly wouldn’t ask, “Have we met before?”—a question that could easily cause misunderstanding.

Fortunately, after a short pause, the man got straight to the point: “What’s the matter?”

It was more than an hour before their agreed time. Qu Yixian couldn’t fly, so a call at this hour clearly meant he needed help.

The man was direct, so Qu Yixian didn’t beat around the bush: “Heading west from the ancient Shule River Valley, there’s a big Chaidan sand ridge. My car’s shock absorber blew, and the vehicle and I are stuck on the ridge.”

The man’s voice dropped a few degrees: “Have you checked the undercarriage?”

“Yes. The shock absorber is leaking slightly.”

He paused, then said, “A leaking shock affects the suspension and increases fuel consumption. What’s your plan?”

Hearing this, Qu Yixian knew he was experienced.

She tapped off the ash from her cigarette, straightened her otherwise lazy posture: “Drive down first.”

There was a faint laugh, almost sarcastic. Before Qu Yixian could register it, his tone grew serious: “You don’t know the depth of sand on the dunes. One wrong move and getting stuck would be minor; tipping over or breaking an axle downhill could have you heroically meet your end right in the sand.”

Qu Yixian: “……” Either this guy was scaring her or cursing her!

“So, stay put. I’ll be there in half an hour.”

Even after the call ended, Qu Yixian was still reeling.

Was that… flirting?

Half an hour was just enough time for Qu Yixian to listen to a few songs.

The radio had no signal, only a harsh “zzzz” noise. She patiently dug out the USB Yuan Ye had given her for her last birthday and plugged it in.

The songs were old, but the melodies were nice—some Cantonese classics from who knows which era.

After twenty minutes, her patience ran out. She couldn’t stay inside the car, so she kicked off the door and climbed onto the roof in a few swift moves.

The sky darkened, and the desert began to stir with wind.

The wind carried fine sand and loose stones, gently rattling the Cruiser parked in the blowing dust.

In the distance, sunlight barely tinged the horizon with a pale yellow. A black SUV wound around a dirt plateau, emerging from behind layers of gobi.

Facing the wind, its rear kicked up a cloud of dust like a thousand charging horses, with the gobi ridges behind serving as dramatic scenery.

Amidst the swirling wind and sand, the roaring engine slammed into Qu Yixian’s chest like a wave of heat, making her throat dry, as if she’d swallowed scalding dust and gravel.

She squinted at the approaching vehicle—the sleek black SUV contrasting sharply with the desert dust. As it drew closer, the line between it and the sand ridge narrowed, and she finally saw—it was a heavily modified G-Class.

…Even a G-Class, even a modified one, was delicate!

Qu Yixian suddenly felt a wave of despair.

She completely forgot the appreciation and approval she’d felt earlier, thinking the man was an expert, and now could only think: “I hope Yuan Ye didn’t send me some rich kid who’ll just burn money and cause trouble!”

Who would normally dare drive a G-Class into this terrain? Most people would take beat-up vehicles—scratched, dented, or stuck—without a second thought.

Despite being displeased with his vehicle choice, Qu Yixian hadn’t forgotten that she needed his help.

When the car stopped at the base of the sand ridge, she jumped down from the roof, holding onto the frame.

Driving up the sand ridge was tough, but for a grown man, climbing a sand slope was effortless.

The man was tall and straight-backed, wearing a black baseball cap. Though his features were hard to see, his aura was sharp and restrained, hinting at unfathomable depth.

He showed no struggle, no off-balance steps. From the moment Qu Yixian saw him get out to when he silently appeared atop the ridge, the entire process took less than two minutes.

She instinctively glanced at her wrist. Exactly half an hour had passed since the last call—no more, no less.

Qu Yixian was unusually stunned for a moment.

She realized her judgment of this young man had been far too shallow… He didn’t have her wait half an hour to flirt with her; it was a show of authority!

She couldn’t help but sneak a look at him. Her gaze traveled from the black naval cap marked “81,” with a tassel drawn above the brim, down to the tattoo on his forearm revealed by his rolled-up sleeve. She formed a vague guess.

Looks like a retired naval special forces soldier, and his skills… are impressive.

She cleared her throat lightly, thinking she should greet him first.

In this vast uninhabited area, standing silently like this was awkward.

Just as she was about to extend a friendly hand, the man suddenly turned his head. Through the dark lenses of his sunglasses, his gaze swept from her eyes straight to the work badge on her chest, silently inspecting.

The look felt almost tangible, as if an invisible pressure gripped her throat in an instant.

Qu Yixian froze, tense and wary, letting him scrutinize her.

She decided to retract the words she was about to say.

The reinforcements Yuan Ye sent weren’t some cute, charming rich kid—this was clearly someone capable of handling her like the King of Hell himself!