Chang Dong was heartbroken by the gasoline he had burned just this morning, driving back and forth. He drove the car back to the work shed. No one got out, no one spoke. The lake, which had been bustling all day, now appeared calm, its surface shimmering like a mirror. Chang Dong took out his map, thinking he would reach the Welcome Gate soon—only to find himself stumbling at the final stretch. Fei Tang suggested, "Why don't we take a look at other work sheds? So many people have stayed here—there must be some traces left behind." That was all they could do. Chang Dong carried the tool box down, Gao Shen took out the drill to unlock the doors one by one, while the others searched through the open sheds. Each shed had a similar layout, yet there were always subtle differences: some had cabinets, others had clothes racks, and some even had movie posters. The poster was for *The World of Chu-Tun*, an older film, the paper now yellowed and brittle, the edges curled. Fei Tang seemed to have discovered a new land: "Hey Dong brother, it's still possible to watch foreign films inside the city!" Chang Dong replied, "Isn't it odd not to look? People who go out to buy records always come back with a whole bundle—how could they only pick domestic ones?" They found numerous fragments in each work shed, with candle ends being the most common, followed by pencil stubs and triangular rulers. There were also a few drawings, though incomplete—torn at the edges and missing parts—lacking new content, still depicting separate houses, roofs, staircases, etc. The handwriting was more legible, beyond the usual "renovation" and "engineering," though most of it had been torn away. Chang Dong painstakingly deciphered the surviving characters: the first one preserved only its upper half, which he copied as if it were a "ying" character; the second remained only its roof-like component—the base of that character could be many different ones... As he continued to look, Chang Dong suddenly had an idea: "Bring me the map." Fei Tang quickly brought over the leather map. Chang Dong’s heart was racing. He first pointed to the landmark “Yingbin Gate,” then to the two faded characters: “Could these be the characters ‘Yingbin’?” Fei Tang replied, “That’s possible—the character ‘Bin’ also has a roof-like component.” Chang Dong stared at him. Fei Tang was puzzled: “What? Did I make a mistake? It does have a roof-like component—I’m… I’m really stunned!” His tongue seemed to freeze as he exclaimed, “Is this really here?” Chang Dong nodded. “Last time in Xiaoyangzhou, I also saw a map seller. The maps inside the city were not very detailed—the roads didn’t have highway markers either. I could only guess roughly where we were, based on my experience and the mileage.” “Regarding Yingbin Gate, according to my earlier estimate, we should have arrived there either last night or this morning. In your imagination, what should a Yingbin Gate look like?” Fei Tang said, “Not on the level of the Arc de Triomphe, at least give me a massive arch gate.” It was just a vast lake, nothing else?" It seemed he still hadn't quite figured it out. Chang Dong corrected him: "It wasn't just a vast lake." "What then?" "Having the character 'door' doesn't necessarily mean a physical door. 'Front door' is a brand of cigarettes, 'shutter' is used in cameras, and 'guest接待 door' might even be a village." Fei Tang wanted to say something, but upon reflection, he realized it truly felt that way. This village could arrange itself and reconfigure like a well-oiled mechanism, requiring regular maintenance by an engineering team. It appeared at night—'opening'—and vanished during the day—'closing'. When heading toward Black Stone City, if one didn't pass through this village, they'd constantly encounter water walls, with no 'doors' at all—truly, it was the sole 'gateway' controlling access to the city. Ye Liuxi suddenly recalled: "Last night, when we went around it and stayed in the temporary shelters, it came drifting over on its own—indeed, quite 'welcoming'." So the word 'guest接待' wasn't just an adjective—it was a verb. Ding Liu burst out laughing: "Then Dongge said, let's just ignore it—let it knock on its own door. Dongge, you've really hurt the feelings of the door!" Fei Tang continued: "The door said, these people are so dramatic—every time I open the door, they don't even say hello. Well, I'm done. I'm going to jump into the river!" Chang Dong sighed, and indeed, it was his idea. After a pause, he said: "But... what about all those sounds and people moving around? And the cooked meals, still steaming—can't that also be part of the renovation work?" Fei Tang thought he was overthinking: "Dongge, the map clearly marks it as official. We just wait for it to open the door, don't we?" — It's expected to open in the evening. It's rare to have such a full day of leisure, and the weather is excellent—early autumn, with cool mornings and evenings, but pleasantly warm and comfortable during the day when the sun shines, perfect for outdoor activities. At noon, they cooked a proper meal. After dinner, Ding Liu invited everyone to play Mahjong, but Chang Dong didn't join—he didn't particularly enjoy noisy games. Ye Liuxi excused him: "Let the old artist go; let him go make shadow puppets." Amidst laughter, Chang Dong walked back to his car, bringing down his shadow puppet box and opening it—the puppets are prone to mold and need regular exposure to sunlight. The brightly colored shadow figures emerged, shining brilliantly in the sunlight, drawing a spell of admiration from Zhunshanhe—yet within two minutes, the town's attention shifted to Ding Liu and her group playing cards. Chang Dong took out a sketchbook, flipped to the latest page, only to realize he hadn't yet drawn the belt with the sword-holstered belt he'd sketched for Ye Liuxi. He glanced at Ye Liuxi nearby, folded the corner of that page as a reminder to himself not to forget, then began a fresh page for a new composition. On the other side, the card game was intense—after three rounds, Ye Liuxi was unexpectedly eliminated. Ding Liu complained, "I absolutely hate people who aren't fully focused while playing cards. Xi-jie, where's your mind? Your eyes? You're looking at my Dong-guo while making moves—do you treat the game with any respect? Off we go!" Ye Liuxi tossed her cards, straightened up, and said, "Let's go." Perfect. She sat down beside Chang Dong and tilted her head to study his sketches. Now that she wasn't picking issues, Chang Dong found himself uncomfortable. With a subtle thought, she gently adjusted her hand, and the face began to look like a baozi. Indeed, she immediately said, "This isn't right." Chang Dong asked, "Not right?" "Your sense of aesthetics—everything should be balanced. How can a face be this large?" She picked up an eraser, brushed it across the lines several times, and erased them: "Let's try again." Chang Dong worked diligently, but soon his arms became uneven. Then Ye Liuxi said to him, "Have you completely lost your sense of symmetry? You really are falling behind in your technical skills. How can you still claim the Golden Knife Award? If you don't make a serious comeback, you'll She stepped in again, taking over to wipe the glasses, only to suddenly realize, lifting her head to look at him, one side of her hair gilded by the sunlight: "Changdong, was this intentional?" Changdong nodded: "Yes." "Why?" Changdong replied: "Because your most beautiful moment is when you're slightly proud—trying to smile but holding it back, your lips slightly upturned, gently pressing your lower lip..." But life doesn't have so many small moments of pride—only that he made her feel them. Each of her small moments of pride became a unique scene in his eyes. The light was bright, yet his gaze grew deeper, thicker, more substantial. Ye Liuxi felt her breath a little disordered. Suddenly, she sensed the temperature of the air had risen, warming her ears and cheeks. She tossed the eraser back to him and stood up, waving her hand to fan herself. The air at the higher level was still better. —The sun hadn't yet set, and Fei Tang and Ding Liu had already taken turns guarding the telescope. Gao Shen quietly packed up his things, carefully loading them onto the vehicle. Since he didn't speak Ye Liuxi happened to catch him glance, and at once called out, "Gao Shen, come here—I have something to say to you." Gao Shen was taken aback; by the time he realized what was happening, Ye Liuxi had already moved away. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped after her. Ding Liu heard the movement and intended to ignore it, but ultimately couldn't resist and turned her head back. How could there possibly be anything meaningful between Xi Jie and Gao Shen—two people as different as wind and cattle? Ye Liuxi walked as far as she could, then stopped. Gao Shen felt a bit awkward, standing at least two meters away, speaking politely, "Miss Xi, what is it you'd like to say?" He glanced back uncomfortably, fearing that Changdong might see them and find it awkward. "You're afraid Changdong will see you," Ye Liuxi said, "or are you afraid that Xiao Liu will?" Gao Shen remained silent. Besides Ding Liu, he didn't really talk much to young women. His hands knew no place to go—first hanging down, then slipping into his pocket, finally, unconsciously, ending up behind his back. Ye Liuxi burst out laughing: "Hey, I'm asking you—do you actually like Xiao Liu?" Gao Shen hadn't expected this topic at all; he felt suddenly embarrassed and said, "If you have no other business, I'll be going." Ye Liuxi replied, "Alright, go then. And from now on, you and Xiao Liu will just keep being awkward—knowing that I'm helping you." Gao Shen remained still. Ye Liuxi glanced at him sideways, "Now, answer me honestly. Did you already like Xiao Liu before Master Liu mentioned to you that he wanted her to marry you?" If so, Ding Liu could finally ease her heart's concerns. To his surprise, Gao Shen paused and said, "No. It was only after Master Liu told me that I began to like her." Good heavens—what kind of logic was that? Ye Liuxi seemed puzzled: "...So, was it for money?" Gao Shen blushed deeply, "No. Even if Master Liu didn't give Xiao Liu a single penny, that wouldn't matter." Ye Liuxi said, "Wait a moment—let me organize my thoughts." She gradually came back to herself. Gao Shen was a bit rigid—someone who belonged to the old-fashioned type: once his family had decided he should marry this woman, he’d take a look and decide he liked her, then settle in, completely devoted, without complaint or regret. Ye Liuxi said, “Then that’s not love, is it?” Gao Shen replied, “I don’t have much for romance, nor am I good at speaking. All I know is that I just want Xiao Liu to be happy. When something happens to her, I’m more anxious than anyone else. When she’s happy, I’m just as joyful. When she agrees to marry me, I’ll treat her well. As for other women, I hardly ever look at them.” Ye Liuxi frowned, puzzled. Xiao Liu was so lively and dynamic—how could Gao Shen be such a solid, square, unyielding block of wood? He’d sink right to the bottom if dropped into water. At that very moment, suddenly, Fei Tang shouted from afar, “West Sister! Hey, West Sister! Look over there!” Ye Liuxi raised her head. Without realizing it, the dusk had already settled The distance is quite far, yet this welcoming gate moves with real agility. Several people patiently waited inside the car until dark. It took some time for the car to reach the village. On the way, Ding Liu spotted an opening, leaned forward, and whispered to Ye Liuxi, "Miss Xi, what did you talk about with Gao Shen?" Ye Liuxi said, "Want to know?" Ding Liu nodded. "Come closer to my ear." Ding Liu promptly leaned in. Ye Liuxi lowered her voice: "I told him we should plant more wheat and less soybeans this year, because wheat sells better." Ding Liu was completely confused, only realizing it after a while, and angrily stomped her feet: "Brother Dong, Miss Xi is playing tricks on us—look at her!" Chang Dong replied, "I've seen her, she's quite attractive." Pausing briefly, he suddenly remembered something: "Didn't Miss Xiao Liu say something?" Fei Tang answered smoothly: "Oh, my head!" ... The car stopped just before the village. Indeed, yesterday's sight had been only half-finished—today, it's much more complete. An arch has been erected at the village entrance, with light cascading along the twisted iron bars, outlining three bold characters: Welcome Gate. Even more surprising, other travelers have already arrived early, several of them gathered around a table inside the nearest building, having lunch. Fei Tang approached curiously, impressed by the simplicity of today's meal—just rice porridge and steamed buns. Leading the group was a sturdy man, who warmly greeted them: "You're also heading to Black Stone City, aren't you?" He glanced at the iron-wheeled vehicle parked not far behind Fei Tang, his face showing clear admiration. "It's a nice one, isn't it?" Fei Tang stammered, "Yes, yes, that's right." "Which room are you staying in?" "Which room?" The man casually pulled the door open and pointed to the characters above: "This is Room 01. Shouldn't it be printed on your tickets? Oh, right—your tickets must be the premium ones." Fei Tang only then noticed a plaque on the door, similar to room numbers in a hotel, bearing the number "01." He was a bit puzzled, but fortunately, Ding Liu arrived promptly, smiling warmly. "Uncle, the ticket is kept by my brother—doesn't it still count as a ticket? I didn't even know! This is the first time I've traveled far, and I'm finally getting to see what you all look like," she said. The sturdy man was very enthusiastic and pulled out a ticket-sized A5 sheet. Chang Dong immediately sensed something was going wrong. The ticket had several stamps on it. Ding Liu deliberately furrowed her brows. "Ah, it's different from ours—I'm not quite sure what this means, Uncle..." She pointed to a section. "What does this mean?" The man, eager to establish a connection with them, said, "There's been a lot of trouble with the scorpion eyes lately—the inspections have been very strict." We need to apply in advance for tickets. We came from Xiaolyang—you see, this stamp says "Xiaolyang to Xi'an," approved by the Yulin Wei of Xiaolyang; this one here is the stamp from Yingbin Gate confirming their hospitality... There's also our room number here, the date of arrival—we must be precise. Ticket fees include one night's accommodation and meals. We paid only for plain rice and steamed buns—perhaps you have more elaborate meals, after all, you're traveling in a steel-wheeled vehicle. Meals are served first, and once we've finished dining, security checks are conducted later. After passing the checks, we can proceed through Yingbin Gate the next morning. As guests, your procedures may differ. The most convenient option is the Fangshi—they reportedly don't need tickets at all, just a Fangshi card. Now, someone has arrived—I should be going back. The tall man suddenly felt a bit uneasy, took his ticket and hurried back to his seat. Ding Liu turned around and saw two people approaching their room. Both were young women, dressed exactly like hotel receptionists' greeting uniforms. As they approached, Zhun Shanhe gave a quick flap of his wings on the roof of the car, neither calling out nor trying to escape—he simply settled back down. The two women kept their eyes straight ahead, walked straight into Room 01, and closed the door behind them without looking back.