Chang Dong reached out instinctively, only to find his hand empty. The melon was still in Ye Liuxi's hands—she had feigned a motion, just released it, then caught it again, securing it before he could, and smiled, placing it gently into his open palm. "Didn't I just hand it over a moment ago? That settles it—phone." Chang Dong took the phone from her. She dialed her own number, listened to one ring, then hung up and returned it to him. "Just let me know when you're ready to leave, and I'll be here all day. If you can't find me, give me a call." Everything had been arranged without any negotiation. Chang Dong didn't want to say more, so as he turned to go, Ye Liuxi called him back. "Hey, Chang Dong." He turned around. "Are you staying at a hotel?" Chang Dong nodded, pointing in a direction: the hotel he was staying at was the best and most prominent in the town. "Can I go over to your place to take a shower tonight?" She explained, "You've already paid for the overnight room, so don't waste the hot water—there's no point in me going to the public bath." Chang Dong frowned, "Doesn't your home have a bathroom?" Ye Liuxi picked up the watermelon knife and tapped the back of it against the carriage twice, producing a clear, resonant sound. "I just live in the car." —— Chang Dong had taken the car to the largest auto parts store in the town for pre-trip maintenance. The technician, initially unimpressed by the car's modest appearance, only became truly attentive when it came time to address the engine issues, often exclaiming in surprise, "You really know what you're doing! This level of customization is incredible!" Chang Dong remained silent, sitting cross-legged on the ground beside the workers, borrowing paper and pen to slowly sketch out the route. For two years, most of the time he'd been confined to a cramped backstage area in the Hui Min Street theater, with nothing but curtains and shadow puppets filling the space. Suddenly, it felt as though a storm had swept through, scattering the vibrant colors and lively sounds around him into fragments. Looking out as far as he could see, he realized He had always known that one day he would return: with eighteen people dead, how could only he survive? His ink stroke traced a winding, meandering route across the paper, each stop as if etched into his memory. The east-west traverse of Lop Nur could go either way—this one, running from west to east, began at the Yangguan Pass, known within the industry as "westward out of Yangguan." He studied the route he had marked. Yangguan Pass—Sanlongsha Devil City—Peng Jia'mu's disappearance site—Hóngliǔ Dūn—Lop Nur Town—Lake Center—Yu Chunshun's tomb—Long City. Over and over, he circled the characters "Long City." How could Kong Yang's body have ended up there? There was a strange legend deep in the desert— People who died in the desert were never found, because beneath the shifting dunes, invisible spirits dwelled, carrying their bodies on the winds of the Gobi, wandering back and forth across the desert until they carried them hundreds of miles away. Besides Kong Yang, are there others embedded in the gray-white loam hillocks too? —— The car repairs were completed by evening, and several damaged parts still needed to be arranged for delivery tomorrow. Chang Dong had a bowl of noodles at a restaurant next to the garage and then walked back to the hotel. When he reached the hotel entrance, through the glass doors, he noticed a difference in the lobby from the previous two days: several young women, dressed attractively, were chatting on the sofas, evidently amused by something humorous, laughing heartily, leaning forward and backward. At the stairwell on the side, a couple was embracing and ascending the stairs—there, the woman seemed familiar. Ye Liuxi? Chang Dong recalled Sunny’s words. —— The ones who will be placing ads here tomorrow are precisely that couple… Indeed, there is a difference between the north and south: the south is more reserved, while the north’s advertising efforts are vibrant and lively. Since Ye Liuxi has already found a new place to stay tonight, it seems he no longer needs to go to his room to bathe. Chang Dong pushed the door open and, as he passed by the sofa with his eyes lowered, a few low, whispered conversations reached his ears: —“He’s been secretly giving Liu Xi medicine—did you notice?” —“I did. Probably trying to play some tricks, fearing she might not be pleased… Will that man be satisfied tonight?” —“I didn’t remind her. In fact, she’s already enthusiastic—she’s going off on her own.” The group burst into laughter. In the world of social gatherings, personal warmth often fell short: when one’s own life felt unsatisfying, they naturally enjoyed seeing others’ misfortunes. Chang Dong furrowed his brows and walked to the elevator, pressing the button. Most guests who took the stairs lived on the second floor; those above needed the elevator. When the elevator arrived, Chang Dong stepped in and pressed the floor button. No one shared the ride. The elevator doors closed slowly. In this smaller town, the elevator was heavily advertised—on all four walls, even on the carpet, with restaurant slogans promoting an all-year 85% discount. This was Liu Xi’s own responsibility—her guests’ tastes and preferences were surely nothing new When she reached the floor, Chang Dong stepped out of the elevator and was about to walk toward her room when she suddenly hesitated. Someone had given her a sedative—on both emotional and logical grounds, shouldn’t she have reminded her? She walked past the room’s door and descended to the second floor via the emergency staircase. The corridor was quiet. The hotel’s main hall was high-ceilinged, which made the second-floor space feel cramped. Rooms were arranged in single rows, with doors facing the corridor—several were unlit, empty and not yet occupied. Around ten rooms were occupied, and only one had a "Do Not Disturb" sign on its door handle. Chang Dong knocked on the door, but received no answer. He increased the strength of his knock: "Ye Liuxi?" After trying several times, there was still no response. He looked down at the door handle just then, when suddenly someone spoke from behind: "Did you call me?" Chang Dong quickly turned around. It was Ye Liuxi—holding a bath basket and a clothing bag in her left hand, and a pair of slippers in her right—her expression was even more puzzled than his own. "You know I can't afford to stay in Chang Dong pulled his hand back: "How come you're here?" "Didn't you say I was supposed to go to your place later to take a shower? My car is parked in the back parking area, and I came up the rear staircase. I heard you calling my name... Isn't your apartment on the third floor?" Chang Dong said: "I must have mistaken you for someone else." — While Ye Liu was taking a shower, Chang Dong went down to the second floor again: something about what had just happened felt off. The room door was clearly lit, yet no matter how many times he knocked, no one answered. He tried calling the room number from the hallway phone, but again, no one picked up. Chang Dong walked around the staircase into the hotel's rear parking area. The parking area was a semi-open space, with several cars parked in it—private sedans and electric tricycles—open not only to hotel guests. Standing there for a while, he looked up at the hotel building. The dark walls blended almost seamlessly with the night sky, while the lit windows appeared like enormous eyes embedded in a dark curtain. Some rooms had curtains drawn, occasionally casting shadows of people onto A cold breeze blew past, and Changdong shivered, turning to head upstairs. After taking a few steps, he suddenly paused. He glanced back at a window on the second floor. The room was dark—nothing unusual, since the hotel wasn’t very busy and many rooms remained vacant. What was unusual was that the window of that room was open. In Qizhen, the wind and sand were constant; windows were rarely opened, and even when people wanted fresh air, they usually chose midday when the wind was light. Now it was evening, and the temperature was steadily dropping. Among all the rooms in the building, only that one had its window open. Changdong loosened the top zipper of his coat, moved his head and neck, stepped back, then quickened his pace, leaping forward with a strong stride, lifting himself off the wall and reaching out to grasp the air conditioner unit, using its support to propel himself into the room. There was movement inside. Standing at the window, he waited, letting the faint light from outside gradually reveal the details. A stout man lay on the bed, naked, his arms and legs bound, a pillowcase stuffed in his mouth, gasping as he struggled to free himself, though in vain. Chang Dong approached the bedside. The man fought harder, as if trying to call for help, yet also afraid that the visitor might be detrimental to him. After a while, Chang Dong bent down, picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor, and tossed it over the man. —— The hotel's hot water flows steadily and powerfully; in comparison, the public bathroom's water flow is like an old ox dragging a broken cart—neither can you urge it nor kick it. Ye Liuxi felt thoroughly satisfied with her shower, dressed herself and then wiped her hair with a towel. Chang Dong was watching TV, and it was surprising how such a large man could be so fond of the melodramatic mother-in-law and daughter-in-law soap operas: the daughter-in-law was pulling the man by the arms, refusing to let go, while the mother-in-law, perched like a donkey on the window ledge, screamed passionately, "If you don't send her away today, I'll jump off!" Yefei Li brushed her hair, glancing at the TV: she wanted to see whether the mother-in-law would actually dance. Just then, Chang Dong raised the remote and pressed a button— the screen went black. Li felt it was intentional, frowning at him. Chang Dong met her gaze: "I've been to that guest room." "What?" "You did?" It seemed clear now that she couldn't pretend any longer. Li set her towel aside, reached for her hair to smooth it: "You let him go?" "You covered him with a blanket." Li spoke with a touch of irony: "Really, I never suspected you had a heart of a bodhisattva." "Do you know how cold it is now? If you leave the windows open, people will lose their clothes overnight—light cases will suffer frostbite, and in severe cases, they'll go hypothermic and die." Li remained unconcerned: "So what?" Chang Dong looked steadily at her: "If he dies, it's a homicide. All those eyes will witness you holding him close—police will come straight to you first." Li smiled: "All this for me? So you're afraid I'll end "Chang Dong replied, "It doesn't matter if you go to prison or even pay with your life— it will disrupt my plans. "Until the matter in Long City is settled, I hope you'll abide by the rules, show some legal awareness, and avoid creating trouble for everyone. After that, if you want to set fire to buildings or commit murder, go ahead— it's no longer my concern." Ye Liuxi said nothing, maintaining her smile. After a while, she nodded, "Alright." Her tone was gentle, as if completely unconcerned. Yet when she walked away, she closed the door with a decisive sound, and the echo reverberated through the entire hallway. That sound... Chang Dong knew he had offended her. — Ye Liuxxi descended the stairs, mentally cursing Chang Dong: What a lesson to give me! She glanced back at the half-open, dark window of the building. If she now climbed in through the window and started causing trouble, it would seem rather ungracious. Good luck to you! She walked toward her hatchback car. Just a few steps away, she suddenly stopped. The car door was open, and a figure could be seen inside, Ye Liuxi smiled: What a day—it seems as if one after another has come to challenge her. She took light steps, moving silently, leaning against the half-open car door, and reached into the seat closest to her, drawing out a knife slowly. A straight-handled watermelon knife, sleek and polished, gleaming with a cold sheen in the night. The man was still searching inside the car, his movements subtle, the rustling sounds like mice nibbling at food. Ye Liuxi tapped the car frame gently with the blade of the knife, and the man, startled, trembled, froze, and remained still. Ye Liuxi said, "What are you looking for? I'm familiar with this vehicle—why don't you tell me, and let me help you search together?"