Chapter 8

When Qu Yixian entered, I almost thought I was looking at a still image

He waved his hand and urged the driver, Xu San, "Hurry, hurry, turn off the headlights. Be careful, if Master Qu gets unhappy, he will dismantle all the lights on my car"

Yuan Ye continued to flatter: "We have had a spiritual connection for a long time."

At that time, the sky was too dark, and Qu Yiqian did not notice that there was still a notebook in the bag. Upon opening it and looking through a few pages, he found that it contained nothing but trivial accounts from the past few days

Qu Yixian glanced at him and coldly smiled, "I came out to get some fresh air"

Shengzi smiled, somewhat puzzled by how this girl, looking so beautiful, could speak so sharply

As the string was about to be cut, Yuan Ye was so frightened that he quickly covered his head and moved far away from her

"Before I came out, the police had just made contact." Upon saying this, Yuan Ye became angry: "This kid doesn't know if he is truly poor or just seeking novelty in a desperate situation; he has never stayed in a hotel. After Xu San reported to the police, they spent considerable effort verifying his identity."

His surname is Xun, and his name is Xun Haichao. He hails from Jiangxi and is the only son in his family. Yuan Ye nudged Qu Yiqian and asked, "Do you have any cigarettes? I feel restless inside."

Fu Xun raised his eyes and looked at her with considerable interest: "What video?"

Although he does not carry a line, he has been operating along the Northwest Ring Road for many years. Occasionally, he takes on business from regular customers to provide support and supplies, and he has also had contact with some fleets

When two people suddenly squeeze into the tent, even the most spacious area feels somewhat cramped

"You misunderstood, I do not look down on her." Shengzi furrowed his brows and explained, "The time of that girl's disappearance is quite sensitive; June happens to be the season when the Tibetan antelope in Hoh Xil migrate in droves. Several rescue teams have gone in, searching for a whole week. When they found no one, they were planning to withdraw, but the family did not give up and insisted on extending the search for another month.

As soon as the tent flap was lifted, a vehicle was seen parked not far away. The modified car's headlights emitted a harsh red and white light, piercing through the wind and sand, causing a stinging pain in the eyes.

Yuan Ye was indeed in a bad mood. He took out a cigarette, tapped the cigarette case, and looked up at her: "Where is the lighter? Even when sending a Buddha, one doesn't know to send it to the West"

I secretly pondered: "It is simply that I do not appear compassionate enough"

Thus, it became more enthusiastic in popular science education

Shengzi felt a bit shy and thought it was not the right time, but after considering that if she missed this evening, there might not be such a suitable opportunity again, she decided to speak up: "Xiaoqu Ye, about that video of yours with the rolling knife..."

The melody of a single string feels as if I have just awakened from a dream, my heart is anxious, and I am drenched in sweat

Yuan Ye interjected from the side: "Those with space are called Qiu Qiu, do you have any culture?"

Shengzi waited for a moment before restarting, and after a few seconds, he responded: "Yes, yes, yes." As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly lowered his head and eagerly took out a lighter to hand it to her

Yuan Ye extended his hand, looking at Fu Xun with a flattering smile: "Mr. Fu, I have long admired you."

The performance of Master Qu in Alashan during that year, titled "Rolling Knife Edge," was stunning and captivated all who attended

He was rather oblivious and did not notice that Fu Xun and Qu Yixian were both reticent about this topic, merely thinking that although they were natives of Nanjing, they did not know as much as he did.

The seat beside me had just become vacant when, in the blink of an eye, another person moved in next to me

She got up, intending to go outside for some fresh air

Qin Yixian smiled: "Does your Skywalker club also have a line?"

The hand that was pressing against the seam of the pants stiffened, and suddenly, he raised his eyes to look at Shengzi

He felt a subtle excitement, but recalling his earlier unrestrained words in front of Master Qu, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him to the core.

When Qu Yixian was at the Yadan landform, he had already turned over this bag. Upon hearing this, a thought crossed his mind, and he emptied all the items from the bag onto the moisture-proof mat

A person like him, if placed in ancient times, would likely be the legendary enlightened monk who is highly revered by the world

It is easy to imagine how expensive the rescue costs were at that time; just for the rescue team alone, it cost hundreds of thousands. I heard that that family went bankrupt in their efforts to find this girl, yet in the end, they didn't even find her body

Qu Yi Xian smiled and secretly twisted a circle on his leg. Seeing him endure the pain to the point of contorting his face, she finally released her grip with satisfaction and said with a smile, "Let us discuss serious matters"

Seeing Qu Yixian waiting outside the tent, her eyes curved like a fox: "How long has it been since I've received such treatment"

This "blade" refers to the peak of a sand dune formed by sand being pushed by the wind. The top is not like a mountain peak adorned with a gentle cone shape, but rather is vertical to the direction from which the wind comes, resembling a blade.

There are indeed many stories about Qu Yixian, one of which goes: "To recognize the young master of the tune, one must recognize the cigarettes; along the entire line, only she smokes the imported Sanwu cigarettes"

Through the sound of the wind, the sound of the plucked string is faint and indistinct, yet this does not hinder Yuan Ye from sensing the anger of his family’s Master Qu from a distance

There are some unwritten messages on the road

Qu Yi Xian could not help but glance at him

Fu Xun glanced at a few pages with her hand and asked Yuan Ye: "Have you contacted the family of the missing tourist?"

With a flick of the wrist, he raised his hand to shield himself, and in a fit of rage exclaimed: "You little brat, why aren't you turning off the light quickly!"

Yuan Ye: "... ..."

Xu San scrutinized for a long time before daring to nod: "He has a travelogue in his bag, with the bottom corner of the spine still affixed with a torn half of the book number and the name of the library"

The original intention of Shengzi was that sitting idly and waiting for someone is also boring, so it is better to find some topics to pass the time

Qu Yi Xian raised an eyebrow: "Then why do you look down on Xinghui so much?"

Qu Yi Xian felt a severe tightness in his chest, and his facial expression gradually became unpleasant

Shengzi also felt embarrassed to lie down any longer... He was large and took up space. Moreover, with everyone else sitting in the room and him lying down, it felt just like being watched while soliciting, which made even a big man like him blush.

The latter was kicking off his flip-flops, lying in his sleeping bag, and turned to meet her gaze, thinking she was interested in the matter, and continued: "Back then, I was just an amateur off-road enthusiast and hadn't even joined the Skywalker Outdoor Club. I only dared to visit some well-established tourist attractions for self-driving trips. I saw that news on my phone notifications."

In a single night, it went viral among all off-road enthusiasts' social circles

After she brought back the backpack that she had tossed into the corner, she sat back down in her original position with her legs crossed and beckoned the two to take a seat

As soon as Shengzi saw Qu Yiqian throw out that pack of imported Sanwu brand cigarettes, his eyes went wide in astonishment

All these years she has been in the northwest, unwilling to believe that Jiang Yuan is already dead. Hearing the other side of this matter from the mouth of someone completely unrelated felt like falling back into a cliff in a recurring nightmare

General Manager Fu

His eyebrows drooped, and he no longer wished to pay attention to Qu Yixian, turning around to call out to Xu San: "Hurry up and come in with me."

The entire process is challenging, as moving too quickly can lead to accidents, while moving too slowly can result in a loss of control, which greatly tests one's operational skills

According to my later understanding, those two girls did not enter Kekexili alone; they were part of a convoy and had registered for rescue. As a result, on the first night they entered, an incident occurred

You should know about the Xinghui Team if you have ever done any travel planning; they are the most famous team on our Northwest Ring route. During the peak tourist season, reservations must be made in advance. With that, he sighed and murmured: "Unfortunately, almost no one remembers the accident that happened back then, which was caused by the route taken by the Xinghui Team"

Can you show me?

Upon arriving at the camp, Yuan Ye was the first to exit the vehicle

He was so lost in thought that it was only after Qu Yiqian called him three times that he finally came back to his senses

The first thing I saw was Shengzi, who was already covered with a sleeping bag at the door—this young man must have a pretty good diet, with solid forearms, a round face, and big ears; he looks like a man raised in the Northwest.

Jiang Yuan's name is etched in her heart, and over the years, it has become a scar

Three individuals, all of whom met halfway, are not familiar with one another.

When driving on a rolling knife edge, it is necessary to approach the sand ridge at an angle. The angle of entry and the speed of the vehicle must be continuously adjusted according to the direction and height of the sand ridge. Then, relying on the vehicle's inertia, turn towards the other side of the sand ridge.

Two years ago, at the Alashan Off-Road Heroes Conference, he participated in a race with Yuan Ye as the team leader of the Tianxing Outdoor Club

It was only at this moment that Fu Xun, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up: "Are you still receiving the signal?"

I am still puzzled; the disappearance of that girl must be directly related to the convoy. However, at that time, I did not hear about the victims' families causing trouble for the convoy, and there were only two or three articles about this convoy. Such a significant event, like a meteorite, falling into the water is as inconspicuous as a piece of paper; isn't that strange

This was the first time today that she looked at him directly

No wonder I felt he looked familiar when I ran into Yuan Ye earlier

Before Qu Yixian had the chance to feel surprised, Fu Xun nodded, gently grasped, and quickly released.

Fu Xun was still sitting cross-legged on the moisture-proof mat, with a book that had been half-read turned upside down on the mat beside him. At this moment, he was raising his eyes, quietly observing Yuan Ye.

Qu Yixian connected and tossed it to Yuan Ye, casually saying: "Once there is a signal, let's add each other on WeChat, and I will take a look at your space"

In addition to that travel journal, there is a power bank with a depleted battery, a toiletry bag, a nail clipper, a small medicine box, a compressed U-shaped pillow, and a notebook of size 32 open.

His complexion was normal, and he did not say a word from beginning to end, yet his innate aura made it impossible for others to ignore his presence

"We don't bring the line." Shengzi touched the back of his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed: "I am the leader of the Tianxing Outdoor Club."

Shengzi did not notice her unusual behavior, picked up her phone, and said: "I haven't deleted my space, let me find it for you to see"

Off-roading is purely a hobby. Nowadays, there are many short video platforms, so I usually do some live streaming. The members of the team all have jobs to support their families, and I occasionally take on some work, mostly related to ensuring supplies, without getting involved in other matters

He has never been to Nanjing; discussing local customs and culture is not just talking oneself into a corner. The only thing he can remember is the incident of the two girls from Nanjing who went missing in Kekexili back then

Qu Yixian cast a glance at Yuan Ye, his tone dangerous: "So you two did not know each other before?"

Qu Yi Xian glanced at him and tossed him a cigarette box, saying: "Aren't you supposed to be quitting smoking?"

Qu Yi Xian frowned and repeated, "Do you have a lighter? Can I borrow a flame"

She pushed the backpack in front of Xu San and said, "Take a look, is this the bag?"

His voice was deep, colliding with the sound of the wind outside the tent, dissipating completely in just a few moments

If it weren't for his wife's pressing insistence at home, he would have had the opportunity to stay and watch Master Qu's "Rolling Knife Edge" that year

Several people took their seats

Then there is only one left

After Yuan Ye entered, he first looked for Fu Xun

With a casual remark, Fu Xun barely registered what he had said. Yet that voice, like a profound chime, pierced through her nightmare, awakening her from the dream.