As soon as they entered the city, the landscape was dominated by a pale yellow hue, punctuated by patches of silver white. It reminded him of Zhennibao in Ningxia—its earthen walls weathered and slightly worn, the buildings embodying the most enduring, practical style. Though not particularly modern in the past, they remain just as relevant today. The silver-white elements were solar panel supports installed at an angle on the higher levels; occasionally, one could spot the large blades of wind turbines. From a higher vantage point, tangled black power lines often stretched across the view. On the streets, people moved in small groups. Changdong deliberately slowed his vehicle, and from the cracked window of his car, Gao Shen shouted loudly, "Where is the hospital? Where do the doctors live? Are there any doctors here?" He wasn't sure how to address the doctors, but observing the people's attire—only slightly outdated in style, otherwise quite modern—he felt a sudden surge of hope. Though his voice was rough, the pedestrians generally understood. Some pointed in a direction, and Changdong continued without stopping. Gao Shen kept asking people along the way until the vehicle finally came to a halt in front of a two-story earthen building. Gao Shen surged in, quickly pulling out a middle-aged man in a white coat. The man leaned in to look at Ding Liu, himself startled, unsure of what to say: "Just... just bring her in first." Chang Dong and Gao Shen lifted Ding Liu together, while Ye Liuxi supported her head to prevent any jostling. Amid the rush, he hurried to give a brief instruction to Fei Tang: "Watch the car!" Fei Tang, with eyes that seemed sightless, responded loudly, then reached out to close each car door one by one. Inside the room, Ye Liuxi was disappointed. It didn't even compare to the village clinic in Qizhen. There were just two cabinets standing in the corner—one holding a modest supply of Western medicine, which was already generous when he said "modest," truly sparse, and the other a cabinet of traditional Chinese medicine, with small drawers, each drawer labeled with items like dried ginger, peach kernels, and Wuliuliu. On the table, there were several medical instruments—surgical scissors, needle holders, sutures, and synthetic fiber threads—placed in a medical white porcelain dish. Ding Liu was being transferred to the inner room, which had a bed, likely serving as the operating table. Ye Liuxi’s mind buzzed with activity, listening as the doctor spoke to Chang Dong. "We can't make it to Black Stone City—Li Xiao Liu simply can't afford to delay any longer. Our fuel won't last that far, and the doctor assured us the surgery can be completed and the blade removed." "What would be the worst-case scenario?" Chang Dong said plainly. "We won't be able to do a CT scan, so we don't know if there's any intracranial bleeding. We'll have to treat it without opening the skull. The outcomes range from mild to severe—temporary loss of consciousness, coma, hemiplegia, aphasia, or even death." Ye Liu Xi nodded slightly. Now Chang Dong had no time to comfort her. "I'll fetch the emergency kit—the supplies on board will be quite useful." He held back the thought—he had to provide the hospital with even basic items like surgical masks and gloves. Opening the back compartment, he found the frail man still unconscious inside. Chang Dong taped his mouth shut, secured his ankles, and wrapped the undamaged hand around the interior beam of the vehicle. Only then did he carry the emergency kit back into the house. Ye Liuxi stood there a moment, took a basin from the car, went inside and asked someone, then found a well in the backyard. After pressing half the basin full of water, she carried it back and led Fei Tang down to the car to wash his face. Fei Tang washed with great care, gently scooping water and lightly patting his eyes. Though he couldn’t see, he had heard the conversation on the bus and knew Ding Liu’s condition was not good. Even though his eyes were stinging and sore, he said nothing. As he washed, he said, “Xī Jiě, will Xiao Liu be all right?” Ye Liuxi nodded, her gaze fixed on a wall opposite. There, a display window embedded in the wall displayed posters. The posters had faded and curled at the edges, each featuring a different celebrity. She recognized the first one as Zhang Xiuyou and the third as Liu Dehua. It seemed unlikely that there would be concerts in the inland region as well—she walked over curiously, only to realize they were all related to fashion. After all, the inland region often imitated the coastal one, especially in clothing and hairstyles. Fei Tang washed himself. Ye Liuxi had originally intended to pour out the water, but when he lifted the bowl, he changed his mind and simply waved it, splashing the entire contents over the roof’s Zhenshan He. Zhenshan He shivered and finally woke up, blinking in bewilderment—then, as if realizing he hadn’t died after all, his eyes filled with serene relief. Ye Liuxi said nothing. She felt she wasn’t good at comforting people. As she turned to leave, she glanced casually at the trash bin in the corner and saw a knife tossed inside. It was short, slightly slender, with a willow-leaf shape—a small hand knife—and had a few streaks of blood on it. For some unexplained reason, she bent down and picked it up. Chang Dong went back to chat with the doctor again, asking about what to pay attention to when caring for the patient, and filled a whole page with notes before coming to find Gao Shen. Gao Shen remained still, his dinner untouched, exactly as it had been. Chang Dong remembered his own state a few days ago and knew that Gao Shen now didn’t want to hear any unnecessary talk. He tore off the page of notes and handed it to Gao Shen: "There’s a lot you’ll need to do—eat well, and you’ll be stronger and more capable." After saying that, he patted Gao Shen on the shoulder and turned to leave. Back in the room, he didn’t see Ye Liuxi. When asked, Fei Tang replied, "She said she felt stuffy, so she went out for a walk." Chang Dong instinctively knew that Ye Liuxi wasn’t someone who would simply lose her composure and leave the city when feeling stagnant. He went out to look again, and indeed found her in the corner where firewood was stacked outside the kitchen. It was already dark—without close observation, one would easily miss her. She leaned against the wall "Yexiaoxi hummed, 'Li Xiao'er is still so young.' Changdong smiled, 'What does this opening remark mean? It sounds as if she's certain to die. At seventeen or eighteen, she's young—this is precisely when the body has the strongest capacity for recovery and the most vitality. Even if injured, her chances of survival are quite high.' Yexiaoxi replied, 'The conditions here are so poor. The operating room isn't even sterile, and they can't even take a brain scan.' Changdong responded, 'That's true. Yet in ancient times, during battles with cold weapons, the brutal slashing wounds often allowed many patients to survive. Back then, doctors had no advanced equipment at all.' 'Do you always just repeat what I say?' 'Otherwise, wouldn't we just keep saying one thing after another, and end up crying together in each other's arms?' Yexiaoxi laughed. She straightened up and looked at Changdong. The weather inside is turning cooler, just at the season's transition. With such unfamiliar surroundings, a sense of loneliness, and still having someone able to speak—this is truly good. Chang Dong looked down at her, while Ye Liuxi took a step forward, close enough to clearly hear his breath. She leaned into his arms. She didn't care—after all, she was just in a bad mood now. If Chang Dong stepped back, she'd say, "Can't I just hold you for a moment? I'm not used to holding Xiao Liu. Tang, who's plump, is shorter than me, and even when I hold him, it's uncomfortable. I'm not particularly familiar with the tall, refined ones—only you seem to be able to hold me well." If he pushed her, making her feel embarrassed, then they'd have a fight—after all, she'd already been wanting to hit someone. She didn't set any new circumstances. A gentle tightening around her waist signaled that Chang Dong had wrapped his arms around her. He said, "Liuxi, don't think too much." Yefei leaned against his broad chest, slightly weary yet deeply drawn to the warmth and breath, unwilling to move anymore. "I've been thinking lately—how hard it is to get used to people. When I first met Xiao Liu, whether she was alive or dead, I never blinked. But now, I can't quite put my finger on this feeling..." She had never before been so concerned about anyone, and when such emotions arose, she felt restless, as though trapped like a wild beast. Changdong said, "When Xiao Liu called you 'Xici' all the time and followed you around like a little puppy, did you ever feel unhappy? To not feel worried, you have to truly be indifferent. But usually, indifference is mutual. If you're always indifferent to others, it means you're never truly noticed—Liu Xi, that wouldn't be good." Yefei remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Changdong, I've been so stressed over Xiao Liu... How about you? Did you feel uncomfortable then?" "Having lost everything, with no one standing by him, when she first discovered these details at the internet cafe, she took a long sip of her carbonated drink, thinking: This guy really is a true underdog. Chang Dong smiled. Pausing, he said: 'Liu Xi, you're the first person since the incident who's comforted me—truly.' Even Ding Zhou had said to him: 'On a personal level, I won't abandon you, my nephew, but on a rational level, if I'm being honest with myself, you've truly done yourself harm.' At that moment, a news report about the tea plant was airing on television. The elderly are especially sensitive—when the family on screen began to cry, Ding Zhou couldn't sit still anymore: 'When people learn that my nephew has come, and ask about you, I'm actually embarrassed to mention your name...' ... Chang Dong hadn't spoken about this for a long time. Even when sudden incidents occurred—like when Qi Haoliu and Fei Tang were competing to watch the video, or during the Dunhuang incident—he had been mocked and criticized, and had long since grown accustomed to it. It was only the first time someone had asked him how he felt Changdong lifted his head and saw the moon peeping through the clouds. …… He didn’t know how long it had been before the cold gradually seeped into his clothes. He looked down and asked her, “Shall we go back?” He didn’t hear her reply. Looking down, he saw her eyes closed, her breathing shallow—she was asleep. Changdong found it amusing. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and gently brushed his fingers against the top of her hair. She woke up like a leopard with hyperactivity—restless and energetic—but when asleep, she was as calm as a quiet cat. Changdong waited a little longer, then bent down, reached for the curve of her thigh, and carried her across. Using the light from the courtyard, he gently guided her back to her room and laid her down, then, in the dark, pulled the blanket over her. He could always tease her about it—she’d always manage to fall asleep. He sat by the bedside for a while, then rose and stepped out. In the darkness, Ye Liuxi opened her eyes. There’s an old saying: “Grip a conch shell with three fingers The frail man had already woken up, his body suddenly tensing at the sound, emitting a series of dull, raspy sounds from his throat, his eyes shining with a startling intensity. Chang Dong smiled and said, "It's time we had a chat."