Chapter 24: May I Lie Beside You?

The sun was scorching and blindingly bright.

Qiao Ruyi instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes, but her ears were filled with the clamor of a bustling crowd and the distant, melodic tolling of camel bells. She opened her eyes, stunned to find herself in the heart of a thriving city.

It could be called a city, though it felt more like a settlement perched between an oasis and the Gobi Desert. The city gates, constructed from rammed earth, were towering and majestic, inscribed with seal script characters that she could not decipher from such a distance.

Within her field of vision, beneath the gates, clouds of yellow dust rose where camel caravans and warhorses converged. Along the endless main street, merchants from the Western Regions, wrapped in turbans embroidered with exotic patterns, haggled with silk traders in broken, accented Mandarin. Sogdians held gilded trays overflowing with Persian silver coins, calling out to passersby while clicking their abacuses. A Tibetan horse caravan was unloading bundles of musk from the snowy highlands; the pungent medicinal scent mingled with the dust kicked up by the camels, adding to the vibrancy of the marketplace.

Not far away, the gold bells on the ankles of Kucha dancers chimed crisply. As they spun, their skirts flared, prompting the onlookers to toss copper coins in their direction. The air was heavy with the fragrance of wine, and in the taverns, Turkic warriors used gem-encrusted daggers to carve into roasted whole lambs, the fat dripping into the fire with a sizzling sound.

Under a tea stall canopy, Central Plains monks discussed the price of palm-leaf manuscripts with spice merchants from India in Sanskrit. Suddenly, the drum tower in the city struck three times. As a flock of pigeons swept across the sky, the shouts of government runners could be heard—Qiao Ruyi couldn't make out the exact words, but it seemed they were announcing the arrival of a troop of soldiers, for the crowd began to cheer and leap with joy.

Qiao Ruyi didn't know what they were cheering for, but she could see the delight on every face; it seemed the people about to enter the city were of great importance to them.

"Move aside!" someone behind her shouted boisterously.

Qiao Ruyi turned to look and saw a young man carrying a crate of glassware pushing through the crowd, yelling in her direction.

Though she was a stranger in a strange land, such an attitude displeased her. "There are side paths, yet you insist on pushing through the crowd," she scolded. "What if you hurt someone?"

The words had come from her heart, but she was startled by her own outburst.

The young man, upon seeing her, was taken aback and hurriedly softened his tone. "Boss Lady."

Boss Lady?

Qiao Ruyi froze. Who was he calling?

Just as she was wondering, a cold voice drifted from behind her:

"Do you not know the rules? There are side paths, yet you insist on pushing through the crowd. What if you hurt someone?"

Qiao Ruyi was astonished. Who was mimicking her words?

She turned her head and saw a woman sitting atop a tall horse not far behind her. Against the light, she couldn't see the woman's face clearly, but she could see her dressed in red, her skirt fluttering willfully in the wind—much like the woman's demeanor: bold and spirited.

Behind her, at the end of the merchant street, it was as if the landscape were dissolving into the rising yellow sands, where a building with upturned eaves loomed in the distance...

-

When Qiao Ruyi suddenly opened her eyes, the vivid scene of the bustling city seemed to replay before her—the myriad races, the cacophony of languages, all flooding back.

She stared into the gloom for a long time before she realized she had been dreaming.

Why such a dream? Was it because she had ventured deep into the heart of the desert? Because she was currently in the Hexi Corridor?

Or, perhaps more metaphysically, the road leading to the ancient city of Yang held remnants of that bygone prosperity, which, under specific atmospheric conditions, could align with a person's magnetic field and manifest.

Much like the legends of the Forbidden City, where people supposedly catch glimpses of ancient palace maids during thunderstorms.

But she had just had a dream.

Could it actually enter her dreams?

The campfire outside the tent had not yet fully died out; the faint glow clung to the tent fabric, moving slowly as if it had legs.

Qiao Ruyi’s eyes adjusted to the dim light. She sat up, feeling groggy, yet the details of the dream remained sharp and chillingly real.

So real that it felt as if she had truly lived in that city, and so real that even upon waking, her nostrils seemed to retain the heavy, pungent scent of the spices from the Western Regions.

Qiao Ruyi’s heart was racing.

She reached out to touch her chest; it wasn't an illusion—her heart was beating as if it wanted to shatter her ribcage.

Beside her, Tao Jiang was sleeping soundly, completely unaware that she had awakened.

Perhaps she was too exhausted.

Usually, Tao Jiang was a light sleeper; the slightest movement would wake her, and once awake, she found it difficult to drift off again. Tao Jiang was accustomed to sleeping alone when traveling, and only when she was with Ruyi did she choose to share a tent.

She would always say, "Ruyi, oh Ruyi, I must protect you well; in truth, you are not omnipotent."

With Tao Jiang around, Qiao Ruyi would indeed lower her guard, enjoying the role of the one being protected.

But tonight, Qiao Ruyi wished she could let her rest.

How quiet it was.

So this is what the desert night is like—as if all things have fallen asleep, and a vast, heavy silence envelops the entire sea of sand.

Wait.

Qiao Ruyi shivered.

Wasn't it too quiet inside and outside the tent?

Time had become distorted since they entered the Black Gobi. Qiao Ruyi wasn't sure of the exact time, but she estimated it couldn't be too early. They had traveled all day and everyone was exhausted, but it was impossible that they hadn't fallen asleep yet, even if she had already taken a nap.

Why couldn't she hear any movement from the other tents? Even if there were no snoring, there should at least be the sound of breathing. Even if the breathing was too faint to hear, what about the crackling of the campfires?

And Tao Jiang—wasn't she sleeping too silently?

She was right beside Tao Jiang, close enough that she could feel her arm through the sleeping bag, so why couldn't she hear her breath?

"Tao Jiang?" Qiao Ruyi whispered.

Tao Jiang didn't respond.

By the faint glow of the fire, Qiao Ruyi saw Tao Jiang lying with her back to her; the shoulder exposed outside the sleeping bag didn't seem to be rising or falling.

Qiao Ruyi’s breath hitched, and a strange sensation began to stir in her heart.

A very bizarre feeling.

It was as if she were the only living soul in the entire universe.

Qiao Ruyi slowly reached out, intending to nudge Tao Jiang.

Suddenly, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of something outside the tent.

Someone was standing outside!

The firelight cast the person's shadow onto the tent wall.

Qiao Ruyi gasped, instinctively blurting out, "Who's there!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but the surroundings were so quiet that any sound should have been audible.

But after she called out, there was no movement from the other tents. Even Tao Jiang didn't react.

The person was still there!

The shadow was so clear on the tent, shifting with the flickers of the fire.

"Boss Xing?" She scrutinized the shadow, thinking it looked exactly like Xing Lin.

The figure remained motionless.

"Is that you, Boss Xing? Do you need something?"

The shadow on the tent nodded slightly.

Qiao Ruyi felt an indescribable sense of unease, yet she crawled out of her sleeping bag. When she reached the tent flap, she stopped, her hand hovering.

The feeling of wrongness grew more intense.

Qiao Ruyi slowly lowered her hand, held her breath, and spoke through the tent door, "Boss Xing, just say what you need to say."

The person outside didn't reply, but they were no longer standing perfectly still. She saw them slowly raise a hand, their fingers scratching against the tent fabric with a soft, rustling sound, then slowly moving downward...

Then, she heard a very faint *zzzt* sound...

Qiao Ruyi was highly alert, and the sound came through with crystal clarity. One second she was wondering what it was, the next she realized, and her head buzzed with a sudden shock!

It was the sound of the zipper on the tent door being slowly unzipped!

The person outside.

Suddenly, Qiao Ruyi understood the source of the strangeness: the person outside was definitely not Xing Lin!

The *zzzt* sound continued; the person outside was opening the tent with agonizing slowness. Just hearing the sound was enough to send a chill down her spine.

But Qiao Ruyi was not one to sit and wait for her fate. She squinted, grabbed the zipper pull, and ripped the tent door open in one swift motion, giving the person outside no time to react.

Yet, the moment the tent door opened, Qiao Ruyi froze.

There was no one there.

Through the glow of the campfire, she could see the undulating sand dunes in the distance, standing like monsters born of the heavens and earth—dark, looming, and terrifying.

But shouldn't the terrifying thing be right at the tent door?

Qiao Ruyi suppressed her rapid breathing and leaned out to observe cautiously.

No one.

There wasn't even a shadow of a person anywhere.

Qiao Ruyi clenched her fists, her heart pounding violently against her chest. She thought of the shadows in the black sand, and the figures that had appeared in the courtyard before Uncle Ge’s family was harmed...

She grabbed a handful of sand to examine it closely, but the light was too dim to tell if there was any blackness in it.

Qiao Ruyi desperately wanted to call out for Xing Lin; his tent was right across from hers, and he would hear her if she shouted.

But a powerful intuition told her that even if she screamed until her throat bled, Xing Lin—no, everyone else—would not hear her.

"Are you looking for me?"

Behind her, a soft, ethereal woman’s voice rose.

Qiao Ruyi’s back stiffened.

She turned slowly to see Tao Jiang sitting up in her sleeping bag, her movements languid. The tent door was open, allowing more firelight to spill in, making Tao Jiang’s appearance clear.

Tao Jiang’s head was bowed, her hair spilling out of the sleeping bag to cover most of her face. Suddenly, she turned her face toward Qiao Ruyi, tilting her head, her mouth opening and closing: "Are you looking for me?"

The same words, spoken twice; the second time, there was a hint of a giggle.

"Who are you!" Qiao Ruyi sprang up instantly.

Tao Jiang stopped speaking, staring at her unblinkingly. Qiao Ruyi pressed her lips together and lunged forward. But Tao Jiang’s movements were faster, and she pounced.

Qiao Ruyi felt her neck constrict, and she was nearly suffocated.

The opponent’s grip was incredibly strong, clamping down on her throat. The hand was ice-cold, piercing into her skin like an icicle.

At this distance, Qiao Ruyi could see the opponent’s face clearly.

It was identical to Tao Jiang’s, even the arch of her eyebrows was the same. Qiao Ruyi caught the opponent’s wrist with one hand and grabbed at her clothes with the other, trying to fight back.

At the same time, Qiao Ruyi’s peripheral vision swept over the sleeping bag nearby; it remained puffed up, as if someone were still lying inside.

Qiao Ruyi was agile, and with a swift shoulder throw, she broke free of the grip. But when she tried to grab the opponent again, the figure moved with unnatural fluidity, quickly launching a counterattack.

In the gloom, Qiao Ruyi saw a sharp blade in "Tao Jiang’s" hand, thrusting toward her eyes.

Qiao Ruyi reacted with lightning speed, dodging the blade, and a bold thought occurred to her. She retreated rapidly and shouted, "Shengqing!"

However, Shengqing, coiled around her wrist, did not react.

To be precise, Shengqing heard her call but remained unmoved. It only raised its head and hissed threateningly at "Tao Jiang," attempting to scare the intruder away on its own.

"Shengqing!" Qiao Ruyi commanded sharply, her voice carrying the weight of a desperate order.

"Tao Jiang" thrust the blade again.

Shengqing suddenly bit down on Qiao Ruyi’s palm.

It was a vicious bite; Ruyi’s palm was punctured, and blood welled up immediately.

Qiao Ruyi used her hand as a blade, the smell of blood filling the tent. As "Tao Jiang" lunged forward, she struck a hand-blade across the opponent’s throat—clean, decisive, and without a second of hesitation.

"Tao Jiang" widened her eyes, pointing at her, her face suddenly becoming pitiful. "You... I am your best friend. You... you want to kill me?"

The tone, the expression, and the eyes were exactly like Tao Jiang’s, but she was not Tao Jiang.

Qiao Ruyi bit down hard on her own wound, drawing more blood. Staining her hand with the blood, she slapped the opponent across the face. A shrill scream erupted, and the next second, the figure collapsed.

She rushed forward and grabbed the figure by the collar, but in the next heartbeat, her hand went empty—"Tao Jiang" had simply gone limp. Qiao Ruyi tried to catch her, but ended up with a handful of sand.

The sand in her palm was a dark, murky clump, but in an instant, it turned golden yellow.

Finally, it all slipped through her fingers, leaving almost nothing behind.

But her fingers felt icy, as if what had slipped through them wasn't sand, but freezing water that could seep straight into her heart.

The chill numbed her fingers instantly. Shengqing circled her wrist frantically, seemingly anxious about her condition, stretching its head to lick her wound and nudging her with its skull.

Qiao Ruyi raised her other hand and gently patted Shengqing’s head. "I'm fine," she reassured it.

Shengqing wouldn't listen and continued to tend to her wound.

Qiao Ruyi turned to look at the sleeping bag; the real Tao Jiang was still lying there, unmoved by everything that had just occurred.

She was about to call out to Tao Jiang when she heard a muffled groan from the tent opposite.

It was Xing Lin!

-

Xing Lin saw Qiao Ruyi.

She was standing outside his tent, calling him very softly, "Xing Lin."

She seemed afraid of disturbing the others.

When the tent flap opened, Qiao Ruyi’s face was clearly illuminated by the campfire. She was wrapped in her sleeping bag, her face pale, her eyes filled with terror.

Xing Lin was startled. He glanced at the tent opposite, then brought his gaze back to Qiao Ruyi and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Qiao Ruyi’s voice remained soft, but it clearly held a plea for help. "I just heard a strange sound. It sounded like... a wolf."

Xing Lin rested a hand on the tent flap, looking down at her. "There are no wolves here."

"But I heard it." Qiao Ruyi’s tone was firm. "You promised me you would keep me safe."

Xing Lin stared at her face, his gaze flickering between shadow and light. "What do you want me to do?"

Qiao Ruyi lifted her delicate chin slightly. "Can I come in? I will feel safe if I am by your side."

Xing Lin paused for a moment, then stepped aside. "Come in."

Qiao Ruyi smiled slightly, a look of relief washing over her.

Once inside the tent, she placed her sleeping bag right next to Xing Lin’s.

She looked up at him, her eyes tinged with a faint, seductive charm under the flickering firelight. "Xing Lin, is it alright if I lie by your side?"