Chapter 26 Then Sleep With Me

While Qiao Ruyi was tending to her hand injury on her own, Xing Lin approached. She raised her eyelids slightly, not pausing the motion of wiping her wound.

Shengqing, coiled around her slender wrist, began to circle Qiao Ruyi’s arm upon seeing Xing Lin, even raising its head to hiss at him.

Qiao Ruyi did not stop Shengqing, letting it frolic around her wrist. She spoke to Xing Lin, "Do they look very similar?"

It was a sentence without a beginning or an end, but Xing Lin paused for a moment before he understood. He stepped forward, took the cotton ball from her hand, and gave a soft "mm."

Qiao Ruyi sighed. "When the Black Sand transformed into Tao Jiang, it was also quite similar, but if you look closely, you can still find flaws. Sss..." The cotton ball, soaked in medicine, stung when it touched the wound.

Xing Lin lightened his touch. "Bear with it."

Qiao Ruyi looked down. He was skilled at treating wounds, meticulous and gentle, and with his slowed pace, it no longer hurt at all.

It was better than when she did it herself.

"She didn't talk much," Qiao Ruyi continued the topic. "Maybe she was afraid that if she spoke, she would give herself away. In the end, she said two sentences, and as expected, it wasn't really like her."

Xing Lin remained silent. She spoke, and he focused on tending to her wound, though it was unclear if he was truly listening.

"Actually, I should have realized it," Qiao Ruyi added.

Xing Lin looked up at her and asked, "Realized what?"

"After all, it is the Black Sand imitating a human; no matter how vivid it is, there will always be flaws," Qiao Ruyi said. "When I was fighting you back then, I should have realized it."

She paused here before continuing, "Did it hurt you? If so, I am sorry."

Xing Lin’s fingers faltered slightly, then returned to normal after a moment. "No need to apologize to me. The Black Sand is fickle; it was right of you to be cautious."

Qiao Ruyi nodded, then asked him, puzzled, "You said earlier that the Black Sand's imitation of me was very similar. Could it really be so convincing that even you didn't recognize it at first?"

"Unlike your encounter, the one on my side could talk." With the wound mostly treated, Xing Lin found some gauze and spoke casually.

"What did it say?" Qiao Ruyi was even more curious now.

Xing Lin’s jaw tightened slightly.

Seeing this, Qiao Ruyi guessed, "Did it say something nasty? Did it scold you?"

Xing Lin looked up at her, countering, "Do you often scold me?"

The question left Qiao Ruyi bewildered. "Why would I scold you?"

And often, at that.

Yes, she had secretly scolded Xing Lin at times, especially when she was targeted by Shen Que because of him; naturally, she wanted to give Xing Lin a good piece of her mind.

But thinking that everyone would eventually end up in an urn, she suddenly found everyone agreeable.

This question seemed to bring Xing Lin back to his senses. His eyes darkened slightly, and he said as if brushing it off, "She didn't say much. Just random nonsense."

Qiao Ruyi said "Oh" and smiled. "Boss Xing, that clearly wasn't me. How could I possibly talk to you about random nonsense?"

Xing Lin froze, a dull ache spreading in his chest.

It felt as if a hand were clutching his heart tightly, causing a sudden, suffocating sensation that made it hard to breathe.

Yes, how could she talk to him about nonsense? To her, he was just someone she had met a few days ago, not even a friend. In her eyes, he was merely a guide who could lead her into Guyang City, and nothing more.

She would not chat with him about daily life, nor would she share her inner thoughts, and certainly would not call him "Xing Lin" like that Black Sand shadow did.

The pain in his chest gradually spread.

His bones, blood, and skin... all were screaming in agony.

"Yes," he said bitterly after a long silence. "That is why I said I was careless."

"It's fine," Qiao Ruyi waved her hand and asked, "When the Black Sand imitates a human, what happens if it gains the upper hand? Like with Uncle Ge and his family?"

"It kills," Xing Lin said coldly. "Even those who barely survive are better off dead."

Qiao Ruyi furrowed her brows.

"You cannot use your blood anymore." Xing Lin’s eyes were bright like moonlight, yet tinged with the coldness of roof tiles. "Qiao Ruyi, you can fight, but you aren't made of iron. Getting yourself covered in wounds will only bring half the result with double the effort; it's not worth it."

Qiao Ruyi was lost in thought and did not respond to Xing Lin for a moment.

"Did you hear me?" Xing Lin raised his voice slightly, his tone stern.

Qiao Ruyi finally responded, "I had no choice at the time."

"The Black Sand creates shadows; for every bit of Black Sand, there will be a human shadow," Xing Lin stared at her. "How much blood do you have?"

Qiao Ruyi met his gaze. "Besides your hunting knife and my blood, is there any other way to deal with the Black Sand?"

"I will handle the Black Sand," Xing Lin answered, ignoring her question. "You just focus on your goal; don't worry about anything else."

Qiao Ruyi was so annoyed she laughed. "What do you mean 'don't worry about anything else'? Should I just sit and wait to die?"

Xing Lin frowned. "Do you think I can just watch you get into trouble and do nothing?"

Qiao Ruyi argued with him, "In a situation like last night, how could you have helped?"

If she had reacted a second slower, she might have ended up just like Uncle Ge.

"I will be more careful next time," Xing Lin dismissed it lightly.

But Qiao Ruyi was persistent. "That works during the day, but how can you be careful at night? Can you know what's happening inside my tent?"

"Then sleep with me," Xing Lin snapped irritably.

Only after the words left his mouth did he realize what he had said, and his face instantly turned awkward.

"What I meant was..."

What did he mean?

His statement was so simple that it was hard to explain it in any complex way.

Qiao Ruyi stared at his face, her lips curling into a knowing smile.

Xing Lin felt even more uncomfortable under her gaze and cleared his throat. "I didn't mean anything else."

Qiao Ruyi suddenly leaned in close to him.

He faltered for a moment before taking two steps back. Qiao Ruyi couldn't help but laugh, "You're a grown man, why are you so prone to blushing?"

Xing Lin felt his temples throbbing. Every smile, every frown, and even the gestures of the Qiao Ruyi before him were once again uncannily like the one the Black Sand had imitated.

Seeing him stay silent, Qiao Ruyi's urge to tease him grew stronger. She tilted her head to look at him, staring directly into his eyes. "I really want you to sleep with me, do you dare?"

Xing Lin felt his heart skip a beat.

But seeing Qiao Ruyi's eyes curved into crescents and the wide arc of her smile, filled with mischief, he immediately realized she was doing it on purpose.

"Stop messing around," he frowned.

While sounding righteous, Xing Lin was inwardly despising his own affectations. Did he not want to? He simply did not allow himself to want it.

The woman the Black Sand had conjured was actually full of flaws, but he knew clearly that for a moment, he had enjoyed it. He was greedy for the sense of reality induced by the illusion; even if it were fake, he wished to possess it.

"Fine," Qiao Ruyi stopped teasing him and returned to the main topic. "Even if I sleep in the same tent as you, what about Zhou Bie and the others? I don't believe the Black Sand only circles around the two of us. So, can you handle all of them?"

She pointed at his tent. "We can't have everyone cramming into your tent to sleep."

Xing Lin was left speechless.

This was truly a logical reality that was both calm and grounded.

-

That night, the two of them failed to reach a unified strategy. Xing Lin wouldn't agree to her plan and finally brushed it off by saying, "Go back and get some sleep; it's almost dawn."

Because of the commotion the previous night, everyone was groggy when they woke up the next day. Zhou Bie was in charge of providing cold water. Everyone took a small eco-friendly towel, soaked it in the water that had naturally cooled overnight, and pressed it to their faces—everyone was instantly awake.

As they were loading the cars, Shen Que came to "settle accounts" with Xing Lin.

But before Shen Que could speak, Xing Lin, not wanting to waste breath, said bluntly, "I wasn't stalling; when the Black Sand turned into a shadow last night, I was indeed careless."

"Just because it was Qiao Ruyi?" Shen Que lowered her voice, gritting her teeth.

Xing Lin threw the packed tent onto the car without hesitation. "Yes."

Shen Que grabbed his arm, her expression as grim as could be. "Are you in your right mind? Do you know what you're saying?"

"Shen Que," Xing Lin sighed softly and gently pulled her hand away. "Don't worry, I am very clear-headed."

"You should know what happens once you fall into an illusion," Shen Que said, still deeply worried and not eased by Xing Lin's assurance.

Xing Lin's attitude was firm. "I know, which is why I will not allow such a thing to happen."

-

With that, the group continued their journey.

After crossing the desolate sea of sand, everyone felt even more shocked by what lay ahead.

It was a cluster of Yardangs.

Xing Lin hadn't lied to them. At the end of the vast black Gobi Desert was an endless sea of sand, and past the sand, they entered this breathtaking Yardang landscape.

It was a nameless Yardang canyon. Xing Lin told the group, "Few people come here anymore."

There was no signal, and directions here were useless.

The convoy drove slowly through the vast Yardang mounds, which possessed an aged, time-frozen quality.

Xing Lin warned everyone to take care of their tires, as there was a lot of gravel here, which was very hard on the rubber.

It was too easy to get lost here.

And there were constant complications.

One of the supply trucks belonging to Yu Renyou disappeared for a while.

The Yardang landscape was different from the sea of sand and the Gobi Desert; the field of view wasn't as vast, with Yardang mounds of all sizes obstructing the sight.

Xing Lin went to look for it himself, instructing everyone to wait where they were and not to leave easily.

Qiao Ruyi went along with him.

After all, Yu Renyou was one of her people.

Fortunately, they found Yu Renyou and his truck, but they were already about three or four kilometers away from the main group.

Qiao Ruyi was surprised. "Did we go that far?"

Xing Lin, controlling the steering wheel, said calmly, "Not necessarily; it's very easy to go in circles here."

Having lost his way once, Yu Renyou followed obediently once found. He whispered to Qiao Ruyi, "This place is quite eerie. I clearly saw you guys right in front, but no matter how I chased, I couldn't catch up."

"Oh, and I also saw you, Ancestor, wearing that big, flowing dress. You looked so beautiful."

Qiao Ruyi was nearly dying from the sun beating down on her head; she had no energy to discuss whether she was wearing a dress or not, so she just said casually, "A mirage, I suppose."

Yu Renyou was surprised. "There are mirages in the Yardangs?"

Regarding questions about geography, weather, and geological conditions, Qiao Ruyi couldn't answer, so she asked Xing Lin.

Xing Lin was quite professional and actually had the patience to explain. "Specific weather conditions can trigger mirages, such as intense direct sunlight and differences in air temperature."

Yu Renyou nodded repeatedly.

Qiao Ruyi sighed and whispered to Xing Lin, "Actually, he's easy to dismiss. He won't remember all that you said."

"What about you? Did you remember?" Xing Lin asked out of the blue.

Qiao Ruyi didn't even think. "Isn't it just a mirage?"

Xing Lin sighed softly. "If you encounter the Black Sand, stay far away and let me handle it."

This was the conclusion of their long, "unpleasant" discussion from last night.

Yu Renyou's disappearance delayed them, and the cars couldn't drive fast in the Yardang cluster; the tires felt like they were walking on thin ice.

The beautiful and eerie Yardang cluster was very rare. Xing Lin told everyone that some no-man's-lands had these kinds of Yardang circles, but this area was the largest.

The ring-shaped textures were clear and layered; this was a rare type of folded Yardang landform. Of course, it also placed high demands on the choice of vehicles, as the accessibility was poor, and it was covered in sharp ventifacts and rock debris, making it extremely easy to puncture tires.

The road became increasingly difficult.

After finding Yu Renyou, Zhou Bie and Shen Que ran into trouble too.

Zhou Bie's car went missing, and Shen Que's car had a flat tire.

Xing Lin divided the group again, and it took an hour to bring Zhou Bie's car back. Fortunately, Shen Que was extremely experienced; she changed the tire in no time and patched up the old one, making it usable again.

It was a very long road, and although they were driving, they couldn't go fast.

Despite the constant complications, it didn't dampen Tao Jiang's spirits. She leaned more than half of her body out of the sunroof, spreading her arms as if to embrace the Yardang cluster.

It was clear she genuinely loved the scenery.

Qiao Ruyi looked through the rearview mirror and smiled.

Regardless of how tricky the situations were, everyone's morale was still quite high, especially Tao Jiang and Yu Renyou, who adapted quite well to this kind of place.

"Boss Xing, you just said that Yardang landscapes can also have mirages," Qiao Ruyi recalled a key point. "But here, do you think it's a mirage or a Black Sand projection?"

Xing Lin pondered for a moment before answering, "Both."

This answer was standard and completely lacking in constructiveness. But Qiao Ruyi was used to his non-committal responses, so she continued, "Perhaps what appears here was never a mirage at all."

In other words, what was rampaging in this Yardang canyon was most likely the Black Sand.

Qiao Ruyi was just about to expand the discussion when Xing Lin suddenly slammed on the brakes. Fortunately, she reacted quickly, preventing her from slamming into the windshield.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

The three cars behind them stopped one after another.

The wind whistled through the Yardang cluster, like a devil using sharp claws to gnaw at the desolation.

Xing Lin didn't speak; he narrowed his eyes, staring through the windshield at something not far away.

It was embedded among the many Yardang mounds, standing upright, looking like a person, yet somewhat different. Qiao Ruyi rolled down the window, and sand and wind poured in.

She leaned out and took a closer look. "A person?"

But it looked as if it had grown right out of the Yardang stone pile, and its posture was very strange. If it were a person, how could such an unfathomable way of existing be possible?

"Let's go down and check," Qiao Ruyi said, preparing to get out of the car.

Her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Xing Lin, his brow furrowed in seriousness. "I'll go down and check."

Qiao Ruyi caught a glimpse of the gravity in his eyes, and her heart sank.

It seemed that the real danger was beginning to descend.