A one-and-a-half-hour drive: the first hour on highways, the last half-hour winding through the desert. Though dark and dim, Ye Liuxi knew his way—though the route meandered, he had never turned back. Ye Liuxi stopped the car. Chang Dong stepped out. The desert at night was cold; he unconsciously pulled his half-opened coat tighter. Underfoot, the sand layer was thin; he stepped on it and felt the firmness of the desert's underlying soil. This was on the outskirts of the desert, where the sand was carried by the wind from the interior, settling over time and forming dunes. Ye Liuxi called out for Chang Dong to follow, and they would have to walk a bit further—neither of them had turned on their flashlights: once their eyes adapted to the natural night light, they could see farther. There was a half-moon in the sky, occasionally passing by clusters of dry but still living camel thorn bushes, their thorny shadows cast on the ground, swaying gently in the wind. Ye Liuxi paused on a sand slope, pointing ahead: "Look." "Looking at the outline, it's dark and solid, about half a person's height, with a short stretch of wall." "It's compacted earth, and the cultural heritage unit inspected it and said it might have been part of an ancient驿站's wall—yet only this section remains, incomplete. Nothing has been uncovered nearby, and transportation is inconvenient, so it's just been left as is." "So you're asking me to examine the wall?" Ye Liuxi pointed to a tree not far behind the wall. "Of course not. Have you seen that tree?" Yes, there was just one, standing alone, its silhouette against the cobalt-blue sky. Chang Dong recognized it as a poplar tree—specifically, a dead one. Its posture was tragic and hard to describe. In the area of Black Water City, there are large stretches of dead poplars, according to local legends, which are said to be the spirits of soldiers who died in battle, transformed into trees—each one embodying the suffering of life in hell. So no matter how often the spirit of the poplar is sung—no matter how many times people speak of "living for a thousand years without dying, standing for a thousand years after death, and becoming immortal even when fallen"—Chang Dong has never truly warmed to the poplars. The image of a withered poplar twisting and struggling to stay upright always reminds him of someone who dies without peace. "Look at the tree?" "Not exactly. Your position isn't quite right—you need to move a bit further." She gently pulled at the fabric of Chang Dong's shirt at his shoulder, guiding him a few steps to the side, then adjusted his viewing angle. "Now look." As his gaze settled, a slight tingling sensation ran through his scalp. There, hanging from the tree, was a rope loop—its height and circumference clearly indicating it had been used for hanging. Late at night, in a remote countryside area, at an abandoned ancient驿站—withered trees, a hanging rope loop… all that was missing now was a ghost who had perished by hanging. Chang Dong kept his composure, letting the handle of the chisel he had tucked into his sleeve settle gently into his palm. Ye Liuxi said: "Once, I had a terrible nightmare—listen carefully, I'll begin my story from this dream." "In the dream, I was quite young, around eleven or twelve, hiding in a water cistern tucked in a corner. The cistern had a lid on top, with a toothed opening at the rim, and stacks of wood piled outside. I watched out through the gaps between the teeth and the wood." "I saw it was evening, and the wooden door was being blown back and forth by the wind, knocking against the walls. The room was simple, with a fire blazing in the center, so intense that sparks were being pushed upward by the heat and flying about in the air." "By the fire, there sat a person eating someone, making a series of creaking, chewing sounds." "I kept staring at them, and suddenly realized that the person was holding a filter-tipped cigarette in their mouth—yet, what they were actually using to eat with wasn't their mouth." She indicated the area above her nose: "More precisely, there was another mouth at this location, open wide." Most of the people had been eaten, only their feet sticking out, swaying up and down with each chewing motion, still wearing a rubber shoe with a slightly loose lace. "Then, as the shoe was about to fall, he took a swallow, and with one gulp, swallowed both the shoe and the foot." "After finishing, he belched deeply, his face contorted, the mouth shrinking progressively—only then did I realize that he was using one of his eyes to eat people." "That eye was bright red, as if blood and flesh were stirring inside it. Then, he picked up a water pitcher from beside him and walked steadily toward the water basin—probably thirsty from eating so dryly." As she said this, she took a deep breath, patting her chest with her hand: "I was so startled, I woke up instantly." Did she really just wake up? Is this dream connected to what he cares about? Yefu Xi seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. She lifted her hand slowly, pointing gently at the rope loop hanging from the tree. From this angle, the half-moon just crept into the rope loop, forming a full, contented mouth slightly pursed. "Whenever I wake up, I'm hanging in that rope loop," Chang Dong asked coldly, "alive, right?" Ye Liuxi chuckled, "You're so unkind—how come you never hope people recover? If I were to die hanging here, wouldn't the person talking to you now be a ghost? That'd be quite frightening... The knot in the rope was a dead one; I struggled a bit and then fell to the ground." "Then I tried to recall the events leading up to this..." Chang Dong felt uneasy—usually in such cases, combined with the context, she'd be experiencing amnesia. "I noticed my memories had large, jagged gaps." Chang Dong almost laughed—rarely had he felt this way in two years; it was the first time he'd wanted to smile. "You're forgetting things, and not just in a general way—how come they're shaped like teeth?" "Ye Liuxi said: 'That's not amnesia. I remember many things—I've delivered goods to various merchants more than once, to Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Jiuquan, and even Zhangye. I've bought all sorts of items—shoes, clothes, discs, books, celebrity posters—and every time, after driving my truck into the Gobi Desert, I just lose track of everything.' 'But the most crucial things remain forgotten—where I was born, where I grew up, my family, my friends, who I am, and who actually tied me up on that rope... I don't remember any of that.' 'To put it simply, if memory were a sheet of paper, mine seems torn—some events I remember only the beginning, others only the end, or perhaps more, or less, like it's been chewed by a dog.' Chang Dong summed it up perfectly: 'So, in other words, the things I want to know about—you've completely forgotten them—is that what you mean?" Ye Liuxi sighed, "You're making it sound like I've deliberately forgotten things you're interested in—though, well, that's about right." For the first time hearing someone could selectively forget specific details or even the length of time, Chang Dong let his expression grow increasingly displeased, showing no effort to hide his emotions. This was exactly what Ye Liuxi had expected. "It's not over yet—listen until I finish. I scanned the area and noticed a bundle under the trees—a black single shoulder bag, don't you remember? I carried it when I went to see you at the shadow puppet show." "It was quite heavy. Inside, there were several items. I took out my flashlight and shone it around, and found no footprints on the sand." "Then I checked the contents of the bag and spotted a roll of film camera—Hai Ou brand, a common model used in China during the 1980s and 1990s. There was a roll of film inside—Kong Yang's photos were developed from that film." "There's another thing that's even stranger—a jade cup with a beast's head carved entirely from a single piece. It's adorned with a gold crown, and already, just in terms of material, it's quite valuable. Even more so, I later discovered that the Shaanxi Museum has one too, which is actually their museum's treasured centerpiece. This time in Xi'an, I specifically visited an antique shop to have it appraised—the cup must date back to at least the Tang Dynasty or earlier..." Chang Dong interrupted: "When did this happen?" "About a year and a half ago?" "Then, only now are you finally investigating?" Ye Liuxi scoffed: "Chang Dong, you're barely eating or wearing enough clothes—how can you possibly be thinking about exploring the mysteries of the universe?" "I'm a practical person. Secrets don't fly, but people do starve. Besides, whether you know the truth or not, you still live day to day—what's the rush?" She pointed toward the direction they had come: "I put on my bag and walked that way. By dawn, I reached a town—that's the one with the flag. From there on, you probably know the rest. It's just about figuring out how to get by on your own." " Selling melons?" "Exactly. Starting a business is the quickest way to get going." "Also selling grilled skewers?" "Melons don't grow all year round. When I have time off, I naturally sell other things." "What about her face? Isn't she always so stiff?" Ye Liuxi was slightly surprised: "Did you know all this?" She leaned against the half-constructed earthen wall, and indeed, she seemed to know everything: "It's about making money. Those ladies have no sense of safety—walking around the alleys at night, getting lost. I don't follow them, and yet, someone else will eventually. Isn't that better? They're safe, and I'm earning income. The town with the flag has a good reputation for security—how could I not have helped?" "Once I saved up a little, I started visiting each of the merchants I'd previously dealt They remembered her well, warmly greeting her, "Miss Ye, it's been a while since you last came!" Ye Liuxi had dined with them several times, clinking glasses and exchanging subtle remarks, gradually gathering information. — "Miss Ye is so generous in business—she always acts with ease and makes substantial commitments, unlike some people who insist on haggling over prices, always being so meticulous and tight-fisted!" — "Miss Ye always comes alone. I’ve been worried for you—so beautifully dressed, driving such a spacious car. What if someone took a fancy to you? Especially recently, there was a gang that ambushed vehicles on the road—before the police managed to dismantle them, quite a few cars were affected. It’s a real stroke of luck that you’ve remained unscathed every time..." ... The executives’ descriptions varied—sometimes she was from the south, sometimes from the north; sometimes married, sometimes unmarried; sometimes working for someone else, sometimes running her own business. It seemed that at the time, she often fabricated her identity at will. Ye Liuxi took out a small notebook, carefully jotting down each detail, as if stacking bricks one by one to build a maze. She dared to ask Changdong, "Don't you find me rather enigmatic, especially interesting?" Changdong didn't think so—he found her gloomy, and utterly unyielding. She'd play the memory loss game, casually carrying the whole backstory past him, only to leave behind a heap of new puzzles. He said, "Do you really think I'll believe you?" She stepped aside to make room for him, "Then go ahead. Have I stopped you?" Changdong remained silent, passed by her, and walked down toward the sand dune. Ye Liuxi chuckled softly—indeed, she hadn't stopped him. The sand was soft, sinking halfway with each step, fine grains seeping through the gaps in his shoes. It wasn't hard or uncomfortable, just a bit uninviting. He wasn't unconvinced by the oddities. People who regularly visited Luo Bu Po held a deeper reverence for the unknown than most. There, mysterious disappearances and deaths were commonplace. The popular "Double Fish Pendant" stories had originated here. Some even believed that deep within Luo Bu Po's heartland lay a parallel world. This was also the reason why Chang Dong hadn't felt much resistance or skepticism when he first saw Kong Yang's photo. But whether Ye Liuxi's words were trustworthy still needed further consideration. ... As they were approaching the sand dune, the phone rang. The caller ID read Ye Liuxi. Chang Dong answered the call and turned around. From a distance, he could only see her silhouette, seated in a meditative posture on the collapsed compacted earth wall, the poplars behind her resembling fierce, thorny bone claws. "Chang Dong, I don't force myself. I've always said that if I want to pursue something, I'll go for it—no matter if I'm asked to or not." "But I'd like to remind you: opportunities often arise. The fact that Kong Yang's photo appeared in my hands isn't a coincidence. If you think you can have your friend's body carried away without even involving me, isn't that a bit optimistic?" "Doesn't it seem like I'm expecting something from you?" You think I'm in it for you? Then first let me see if you yourself have any worth—your money’s already nearly gone, your energy’s drained, you’re always fumbling around with your work. I heard you still won’t look at your own face, only straighten up by wearing someone else’s skin. "You’ve always been like this, haven’t you? Go back and carve shadow puppets. Good luck getting a Golden Camera Award." Her silhouette, seated upright, carried an air of defiance, even her breath through the receiver seemed to challenge. Chang Dong remained silent, paused a moment before speaking: "You’re at least half a businessperson, aren’t you? When a deal falls through, you expect loyalty—don’t you? It’s not very kind to just turn cold when things don’t work out. What if I change my mind now?"