Chapter 56

Chapter 56

What that plane was for went without saying.

Qu Yixian hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to say.

She completely understood Fu Xun’s evacuation in Kekexili. Clearing up the misunderstanding in the handover process was no problem; she wasn’t a petty person, so she had long let it go.

But at the time, it also involved this hidden matter, which Fu Xun had never mentioned, and naturally she had never known either, which only showed Fu Xun’s steadiness and restraint.

His elegance unintentionally landed in the right place, making one feel like basking in spring sunshine.

Qu Yixian didn’t even notice that a subtle, delicate emotion toward Fu Xun had risen within her.

She was about to say something to continue the conversation when she looked up and saw a rugged, sturdy Jeep approaching from the end of the highway.

Her lips curved slightly. “Yuan Ye is here.”

The Jeep was moving fast.

The two vehicles met at the fork in the road. Yuan Ye rolled down his window, turned his head, and made a funny face toward the Tulu on the small path.

Qu Yixian saw Jiang Yun sitting in the passenger seat, the strands of hair at her temples lifted by the wind, brushing her lips. Jiang Yun glanced coldly in her direction, then quickly lowered her head to fidget with her phone.

Although Qu Yixian didn’t mind, Jiang Yun’s coldness inevitably stirred some less-than-pleasant thoughts in her.

Qu Yixian realized she might have thought communicating with Jiang Yun would be simpler than it actually was.

The Tulu’s engine had never been turned off. She pressed the accelerator, shifted gears quickly, and accelerated. The steering wheel turned under her hands, and soon she was chasing out from the fork.

After catching up with the Jeep, the Tulu maintained a safe distance, occasionally slowing down on purpose to fall behind the convoy, letting the Jeep overtake and merge back in.

After several maneuvers, Qu Yixian was surprised to find, “No one’s following?”

Though it was reality, her tone carried some uncertainty.

Last night, the Explorer convoy seemed to appear out of nowhere and vanish just as mysteriously; not even a shadow remained.

Fu Xun had advised her, “After one night, the undercurrents have long hidden beneath the surface.”

Qu Yixian thought about it and agreed.

She needed to keep calm and steady.

She had a premonition that this ambitiously cast net, sown by someone unknown, was about to be pulled in.

The Jeep and the Tulu entered the city one after the other and checked into the Seven Star Grand Hotel.

Qu Yixian was not suited to show herself. After parking the car in the lot, she avoided the room, waiting for Yuan Ye and Jiang Yun to finish checking in.

When she entered the room, Diao Chan was still curled up by the pillow, snoring heavily.

She turned the car key in her hands, glanced at the bag of ferret food on the table. The ferret food and chicken breast left by Fu Xun in the morning had mostly been eaten, leaving just a thin layer.

Clearly, the ferret knew how to live well, even when staying behind.

She didn’t bother it and sat on the single sofa, lost in thought for a moment.

When the knock came at the door, she had just finished sorting through all the threads of information.

No results, and no useful clues.

At this point, there were too many threads, as if someone was deliberately covering the real purpose. Whatever the outcome, every “dish” had been served.

She pondered that she would still have to see Quan Xiao tonight.

Opening the door, Jiang Yun stood leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed, a half-height suitcase beside her.

She hadn’t gone back to her room yet; after taking the room card, she came to find Qu Yixian first.

Qu Yixian glanced back, didn’t see Yuan Ye, and was a bit puzzled.

Jiang Yun seemed to see through her thoughts. “I left my phone in his car. I had him grab it for me.”

Her tone was unceremonious, cold. No sweet “Qu Jie” like before, not even polite on the surface—she wore a stern face as if everyone owed her eight million.

Qu Yixian knew she was in the wrong and didn’t argue, stepping back to let her in.

Jiang Yun didn’t move.

Her brows lifted slightly, scanning Qu Yixian from head to toe. “I rented your car to travel in the Northwest. How many days has it been? Not a single explanation, and you left me standing in Dacha Dan. What, is this an unlicensed car or are you trying to extort money?”

“Something unexpected happened,” Qu Yixian replied calmly, neither humble nor arrogant. “If you’re willing to negotiate a solution, come inside and talk. If you want compensation or to complain, I can have Yuan Ye take you to our convoy headquarters.”

Jiang Yun’s anger turned to amusement. “Are you threatening me?”

“No,” Qu Yixian said slowly. “Customer first. I’m offering you a solution.”

The words Jiang Yun had on her tongue were instantly blocked.

After all, she hadn’t really come to argue with Qu Yixian. She stood at the door, frowning, for a moment longer before stepping inside.

Qu Yixian exhaled slowly, then, a few seconds later, pushed Jiang Yun’s suitcase inside and closed the door.

Jiang Yun looked around and, seeing Qu Yixian take a seat on the single sofa, waited to hear an explanation.

Qu Yixian, unhurried, first opened a bottle of mineral water for her.

“Last night, a stranger entered the four-person room in Dacha Dan. At the time, I was the only one in the room. From noticing to reacting, only a few minutes passed. I only learned afterward that Yuan Ye’s car had two slashed tires and couldn’t move. As long as you weren’t with me, you were safe.”

After the incident, Yuan Ye, concerned about the convoy’s reputation, indeed didn’t know the details. After calming Jiang Yun, he hadn’t appeared all day. He only told her to wait until she saw Qu Yixian personally to ask questions.

Jiang Yun didn’t know the circumstances and had been holding in a lot of frustration. Hearing this explanation, her anger didn’t completely disappear, but her expression softened a bit. “Who did you offend?”

“Maybe someone… I haven’t figured it out myself,” Qu Yixian replied.

Jiang Yun snorted. “You left me in Dacha Dan for a whole day and you think you can cover it up with some excuse I can’t verify?”

Qu Yixian smiled faintly. “I’m not so petty as to lie to you.”

Jiang Yun had no retort and could only sulk. She couldn’t understand why, even though she was the one affected, she couldn’t be assertive in front of Qu Yixian.

In fact, she was even somewhat persuaded.

It had been an unexpected situation, and Qu Yixian had arranged things for her; she hadn’t truly been left alone at the hotel.

Qu Yixian played with the glass, observing her reaction.

Seeing Jiang Yun had thought it through enough, she timed it perfectly and said, “This was my fault. While in work mode, I didn’t handle my personal matters properly, causing you trouble and delaying your schedule. You can state your compensation requirements or method, and reasonable ones I will definitely agree to.”

She intended to use this to test Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun seemed to notice and pursed her lips, silent, lost in thought.

Qu Yixian didn’t disturb her, went to the bathroom to boil water, and asked, “Do you want a cup of hot coffee?” She shook the instant coffee packet in her hand.

Jiang Yun noticed that Qu Yixian was very skilled at calming emotions.

She said aloud, “Customer first,” but her actions were far from humble. And if you said she had no service awareness, her thoughtfulness was just right, like comforting a child.

Although her words, tone, and behavior had no softness at all, Jiang Yun could feel her concession.

She couldn’t lose her temper, but she also didn’t want to let it go so easily.

After thinking it over, she asked stiffly, “So what happens next? What about my schedule?”

Qu Yixian tested, “End the trip with a full refund?”

Jiang Yun disagreed. “I came to travel. I don’t care about a refund? I’ve only done half the trip and you want to brush me off? Do you know how much I left behind to come here…” She realized she might have said too much and immediately stopped, looking at her with displeasure.

“Then change the tour leader, still with a full refund,” Qu Yixian said.

Jiang Yun was stunned, still refusing. “No.”

“I came alone. I’m worried about safety with another leader. Isn’t your convoy led by only you?”

Another jab at her.

Qu Yixian’s mind was clear as a mirror, her face revealed nothing. She smiled lightly. “You’ve rejected both options. Then tell me, which one will you accept?”

Jiang Yun’s face stiffened, realizing she had fallen into a trap.

She lowered her head and took a sip of water.

The words on the tip of her tongue suddenly felt impossible to say, yet impossible not to say—a dilemma she couldn’t escape.

Qu Yixian deliberately left her hanging for a moment.

The sound of boiling water gradually became clear, with steam rising from the spout, slowly fogging the glass in front of her.

After a moment, Qu Yixian offered Jiang Yun a way out. “If you’re not comfortable, I’ll remain the tour leader.”

Jiang Yun had just left, and Yuan Ye arrived.

He handed the phone back to Jiang Yun, watched her swipe the card and enter the room, then stealthily closed the door behind her, lowering his voice to ask Qu Yixian, “Qu Ye, what did Jiang Yun say?”

Qu Yixian picked up the kettle of boiling water and made herself a cup of coffee.

Seeing this, Yuan Ye naturally grabbed an upside-down glass to drink as well. “I didn’t sleep well last night, keeping an eye on the movements outside the room every moment.”

Qu Yixian casually tore open a packet of instant coffee and said, “Jiang Yun didn’t accept a refund.”

Yuan Ye was dumbfounded. “Someone actually refuses money?”

Qu Yixian gave him a nonchalant glance and asked, “Did you notice anything off about her?”

“She didn’t speak to me much today, even seemed a bit cold toward me. Judging by that, she’s really angry. I thought she’d come to Dunhuang, have a big argument with you, and then take the money and leave,” Yuan Ye said, lifting his glass. He took a sip, found it too hot, set down his wash bag, and poured in a few packets of brown sugar.

“But… this morning, when I went with her back to the hotel to pack, I saw something.”

Qu Yixian glanced at him, silently exerting pressure with her eyes, signaling him not to tease at the wrong time.

Yuan Ye understood, grinning, and said, “A press ID.”

“You know how nervous I was today? Afraid of saying the wrong thing and she’d write it down in her little notebook, then publicly criticize me,” Yuan Ye said, tasting the coffee until he was satisfied.

A press ID?

Qu Yixian furrowed her brows, a question forming. “She brought a press ID on a trip? Why?”

“For convenience,” Yuan Ye answered casually. “Some places will make things easier if you show a press ID. It’s like when someone from Zhejiang goes to Chaka Salt Lake—they bring an ID instead of buying a ticket. It’s like a pass.”

Bringing a few useful documents when traveling—what’s wrong with that?

He was about to joke that Qu Yixian was overreacting, but seeing her strange expression, he fell silent.

After a moment, he cautiously asked, “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

“I just can’t figure it out,” Qu Yixian said, pressing her fingers hard against her brow. “She might not be from Zhejiang.”

Yuan Ye was momentarily confused. “Well, if she’s not, she’s not…”

Qu Yixian’s brow furrowed deeply; she didn’t respond.

Yuan Ye didn’t understand the significance, but Qu Yixian couldn’t stop overthinking.

Jiang Yun wasn’t from Zhejiang—but pretended to be.

What was she hiding?

…No.

A flash of insight struck Qu Yixian’s mind. She suddenly understood.

Jiang Yun wasn’t hiding—she was concealing herself.

She wasn’t from Zhejiang.

Because she was from Nanjiang—and, moreover, a Nanjiang native who knew Qu Yixian very well.