From Liyuan to Dunhuang, a distance of 130 kilometers covering just two hours of driving, the three of them effectively formed a convoy. Fei Tang led the way, full of confidence and energy—his car was the most stylish, drawing constant attention throughout the journey. At one gas station, he stopped to use the restroom. When he stepped out, he noticed two young women standing in front of his car taking selfies. Seeing him emerge, they blushed and giggled, quickly running off. Fei Tang shouted after their backs, "No problem, ladies! Would you like me to take your photos?" Chang Dong drove steadily in the middle, maintaining a slow pace, which grew increasingly thoughtful as they approached Dunhuang. Ye Liu Xi stayed at the rear, occasionally overtaking to take the lead. Whenever her car joined Fei Tang’s, Fei Tang seemed electrified, accelerating with great enthusiasm and speeding off ahead. Then, Ye Liu Xi’s car inevitably trailed behind, dragging its weary pace, as if a tired ox pulling a heavy cart. After several such occurrences, Chang Dong began to feel that Ye Liu Xi was simply teasing Fei Tang, while Fei Tang, in fact, wasn’t quite up As the vehicle approached the Dunhuang toll station, Changdong pulled over to the side. Ye Liuxi followed suit, his vehicle having gone far down the road before turning back. Changdong got out and handed over the list of items to Fei Tang: "I'm not entering Dunhuang. I'll take a detour around the city. You go in, follow my list, buy the items, and handle the matters." Dunhuang had long served as the gateway station for the western expedition route. When Changdong first arrived here, both he and his vehicle were the center of attention. Later, when the "Black Camellia" team formed, at least a quarter of its members were prominent figures within the local scene. He didn't want any complications, and entering Dunhuang would inevitably bring them. Fei Tang took the list and stammered: "GPS satellite locator, two maritime satellite phones, heavy-duty fishing lines—wait, can we even fish in the desert? Life straws—straws, straws, what does that have to do with life? Sand protection panels... rental of aerial photography drones... registration for rescue services—helicopter costs exceed our budget, so we won't go, right? That can Chang Dong felt a headache; Fei Tang probably wouldn’t be able to handle it. Unable to help himself, he glanced at Ye Liuxi, who remained expressionless. “Don’t look at me,” she said. “I’m competent, but I have my specialties. Things like life-suction tubes and sandproof panels—I simply don’t understand what they are.” Chang Dong hesitated, then folded the paper and signaled for them to keep moving. There were quite a few people in the secondhand store. Now was autumn, which marked the peak season for visiting Lop Nur—too hot in the early part of the season, too cold later on. The most dangerous time was June—both Peng Jia-mu and Yu Chun-shun had perished then. The photo was posted in the WeChat group, named "West-North Exploration Home," with over four hundred members. The group was abuzz—the comments scrolled up one after another at a rapid pace. "Wow, this is Chang Dong, isn't it?" "Seriously, I'd recognize him even if he turned to ash! Wasn't he at the 'Wolves Ruling the World' store? I saw the sign on the wall." "Chang Dong from the black camellia? Wait a minute—when I entered the auto parts shop, wasn't he supposed to be bringing a cable? This is like murder!" Chang Dong had truly become a household name for his troubles—everyone was calling for his head. Even Ye Liuxi felt a pang of sympathy for him. She turned to the phone holder and said, "I'm not saying this to be harsh—just look at it yourself, and then post it in the group. Why do you always have to make such a fuss?" Before she finished speaking, she loosened her grip and let the phone slide down, straight onto the floor. "He...?" "What do you want me to do? Your phone was going to fall anyway—should I The person was already at a disadvantage; upon reflection, he realized his words had been unkind, and with his companion gently urging reconciliation, "Well, let's not hold it against her..." He sighed, picked up the phone, only to find the screen filled with scattered snowflakes. It's still a decent-sized self-service fast-casual restaurant where guests carry their plates and serve themselves small portions of meat and vegetable dishes, with rice and nori soup provided free of charge. There aren't many other restaurants nearby. When Ye Liuxi walks in, she grabs a plate and pulls Fat Tang aside, pointing toward Chang Dong with a puzzled expression. "What's going on?" Fat Tang is equally confused. "I told you, West Sister—I really did. I even emphasized it." He tries to reassure her. "Don't worry, West Sister. Chang Dong's tough—he's been through this before." He can't help but feel eager to recommend the video of Chang Dong being hit to her. After all, he's always delighted when others face misfortunes, and his own sense of well-being often depends on others' struggles. Ye Liuxi scoffs. "Worried? He's the guide. If he gets seriously injured and has to recover here, won't I have to eat meals for days longer? Won't that cost me money?" Fat Tang opens his mouth, but can't make sense of the logic: doesn't she have to eat meals regardless of whether Chang Dong recovers or not Ye Liuxi left him and went to get his meal, then encountered Chang Dong among the crowded stream of diners. Her plate contained bean shoots, tofu, rice, and a purple vegetable soup. His plate had braised pork with sauce, steamed dried strips, bamboo shoot braised with meat, egg custard, rice, and fish ball soup. Chang Dong glanced over her plate and remarked, "Didn't you earn money yesterday? You shouldn't settle for such plain fare." Ye Liuxi replied, "I didn't earn enough. It's only the injured who need to eat more meat for better nutrition—my case, I don't need that." She passed by Chang Dong, always sitting at a table two seats away, never joining them for meals. Halfway through, several people entered, all broad-shouldered and impatient, with one at the head flushed with anger, asking, "Is this it? Is this the place?" Ye Liuxi felt her heart leap, her spoon clutched tightly in her mouth, watching the group stop just in front of Chang Dong and Fei Tang's table. The shop gradually grew quiet. Those sitting closer to Changdong unconsciously pushed their chairs back. After a few seconds, Fei Tang, holding a tray, nodded and bowed, weaving through the group to make his way toward Ye Liuxi. Ye Liuxi said, "Didn't I help him before? I had him hide away, but he wouldn't listen—stubborn as five elements. Maybe a good beating will make him behave." Back then, he had encouraged her to develop a sense of legal awareness, so as not to cause trouble for everyone or disrupt the schedule. Now, she's returning the favor with equal measure. Don't hold up my schedule either—since you're not hiding, everything's entirely your own fault. Even if you break your leg today, tomorrow you'll still have to head into the Gobi Desert. If you don't, she'll break his other leg and give him crutches—then he'll be perfectly balanced. The situation on that side isn't looking good. Another sharp slap lands squarely on the table, shaking it to and fro. The shop owner's face turns pale, wanting to mediate but too afraid to intervene. Ye Liuxi lifts a piece of tofu to her mouth—just about to take a bite—when Chang Dong suddenly calls out to her: "Ye Liuxi!" Startled, the tofu slips from her fingers: "Ah?" Chang Dong turns, peering through the gaps in the crowd to see her: "Today, Chang Dong nodded. He picked up his plate and walked toward the dining seats several rows behind. The leading figure realized what was happening and took a step to intercept—just as quickly, Ye Liuxi kicked a long dining table toward him, aiming straight for the man’s knee. The man hurried to pull his leg, looking quite unsteady, while Ye Liuxi had already reached him. Fei Tang watched the group leave one by one, alone at a table, feeling deeply lonely. After a while, he gathered his courage and went back to share a table with Chang Dong. ... —— By late afternoon, Fei Tang returned with the last delivery: a full truckload of bottled mineral water, calculated by Chang Dong based on daily consumption—eight bottles per person per day for drinking and daily use—requiring ten boxes to cover ten days' supply. When he pushed open the door, Chang Dong was carving meat with a knife, with countless scraps scattered across the table, clearly having sat there for most of the afternoon. Fei Tang said, "Hey, Dong, Xi has returned, didn't you see?" Chang Dong replied, "Oh, really?" "We're having braised pork ribs, didn't you remember? She has pots, pans, and stoves in her car. I just passed by—water's just starting to boil, so it'll take a while to simmer. Finally, she's improving her lifestyle. Honestly, cooking at home is better—cleaner, fresher. Those bought from outside? Who knows what kind of gutter oil or substandard ingredients they use..." Fei Tang chattered on, then headed Chang Dong set down her carving knife and walked to the window, opening it slightly. It was nearly dark now. She opened the back door of her car, turning on the lights, as if setting up a stall—the light centered on a charcoal stove, with a small pot on top whose lid occasionally lifted, releasing plumes of white steam into the golden evening haze. Ye Liuxi sat on a small folding chair, wrapped in a military green cotton coat, intently watching the pot. Occasionally, she lifted the lid, stirred a spoonful of soup, and tasted it, savoring its savory depth. Many people were lively at first, yet quiet in the background. Chang Dong closed the window. Tomorrow would be the first day of the westward journey. Usually, he would take the lead, and they would stay overnight at the first stop—Ge Tou Shapo.