Chapter 20: Wanting You—Is It Dignified?

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Traveling from Chuguo County along the desert highway took some time, though it was an easy road to drive on. So, just as dawn was breaking, Xing Lin, Qiao Ruyi, and the other four prepared to set off.

There were three passenger vehicles and one supply truck.

Qiao Ruyi had thoughtfully planned it out privately: she would share a vehicle with Tao Jiang, taking turns driving back and forth. Yu Renyou could either take charge of the supply truck alone or carpool with someone else. In any case, with Tao Jiang nearby, even the toughest road conditions would be manageable with mutual support.

Tao Jiang agreed with this idea and was the first to climb into an off-road vehicle, waving at Qiao Ruyi. These past few days, Qiao Ruyi had been living and eating in the café, so Tao Jiang was genuinely curious about her interactions with Xing Lin.

Little did they know, their little plans were quickly shattered by Xing Lin.

"The road conditions are complicated along the way. Girls shouldn’t drive alone," he said.

Qiao Ruyi and Tao Jiang exchanged glances, then Tao Jiang chuckled wryly, "Boss Xing, do you really differentiate driving by gender?"

"Have you ever been into a no-man’s land?" Xing Lin countered.

Tao Jiang was speechless—no, she really hadn’t.

Qiao Ruyi looked at Xing Lin suspiciously. "How do you want to arrange it?"

Xing Lin replied calmly, "I, Shen Que, and Zhou Bie will each take a vehicle. Yu Renyou will be responsible for the supply truck. Tao Jiang can ride with either Shen Que or Zhou Bie, and you’ll ride with me."

Qiao Ruyi’s gaze swept across Xing Lin’s face, then at Zhou Bie and Shen Que, sizing them up. "Neither of them has been into a no-man’s land, right?"

"Shen Que has experience. Zhou Bie hasn’t been there before, but he drives very skillfully; if anything happens, he’ll be calmer than a female driver," Xing Lin explained steadily.

Qiao Ruyi thought Xing Lin’s explanation made sense, but if taken literally, it didn’t. Who said female drivers lose their cool in emergencies? That was pure discrimination.

Zhou Bie waved his hand toward Qiao Ruyi, his expression confident. "Ruyi, why don’t you ride with me? I drive steadily."

Zhou Bie was a character, and just as Qiao Ruyi was about to nod, Xing Lin opened the front passenger door of the lead vehicle and said, "Get in," looking directly at Qiao Ruyi.

Since Xing Lin was so insistent, she felt it rude to refuse and climbed into the lead vehicle.

Zhou Bie pouted and looked at Tao Jiang. "Jiang Jie, want to come with me?"

"Sure," Tao Jiang replied.

"Sure what? Come with me," Shen Que called from the second vehicle, poking his head out. "I’m covered in wounds thanks to your friend. Ride with me—we can take turns driving!"

Tao Jiang sneered.

She wasn’t superstitious.

Turning, she went to the second vehicle, slid into the front passenger seat, and slammed the door shut behind her. "Did you hurt yourself on purpose? Shen Que, do you know why I’m riding with you? Because with me watching you, you won’t be able to pull any tricks on this trip."

Shen Que scoffed, "Just you?"

"Just me," Tao Jiang tossed her backpack onto the back seat. "I’m ready to go head-to-head with you!"

Zhou Bie found himself left out and turned his head to meet Yu Renyou’s gaze.

Yu Renyou wasn’t feeling as lonely as Zhou Bie; being responsible for the supply truck was a significant task. Seeing Yu Renyou looking content, Zhou Bie cleared his throat and said to him, "It’s because Ruyi is here; otherwise, I’d ride with my brother."

Yu Renyou didn’t know why Zhou Bie was telling him this, his mind focused on his important duty, so he just mumbled a few noncommittal sounds.

Zhou Bie’s radio crackled: "Zhou Bie, get in the car, don’t waste time."

It was Xing Lin’s voice.

Zhou Bie responded with an annoyed grunt.

—

Though it was nearly dawn, the sky remained dim and unclear.

Once the four heavy-duty off-road vehicles left Chuguo County and hit the desert highway, they picked up speed. Everyone was in agreement: drive fast on the easy road to save time; the tougher path ahead would require much more time and effort.

The desert highway stretched endlessly, flanked on both sides by yellow sands covering the barren stony plains. The horizon showed a faint reddish hue, occasionally veiled by drifting dust clouds.

The vast emptiness and silence made it feel as if they were the only beings left between heaven and earth.

This was the unique desolation of the far northwest, a bleakness that gave birth to the purest sorrow and compassion between heaven and earth.

At first, Qiao Ruyi found everything novel—even the clusters of camel thorns on the rocky plains fascinated her, a testament to life’s resilience. But gradually, the barren landscape induced drowsiness.

Xing Lin, driving the lead vehicle steadily, noticed her head resting against the window. "The road’s smooth now, close your eyes and rest a bit; it won’t be bumpy," he said.

Qiao Ruyi wasn’t sleepy; her mind was filled with scattered thoughts.

She was thinking about the missing Jiang Cheng’an, the mural hiding the secrets of the Nine O’Clock Ruins, and the golden cakes that also appeared at Uncle Ge’s house...

None of them knew what the outcome of this trip to Guyang City would be.

"I'm not sleepy," she said, leaning back and staring at the endless road stretching to the horizon. "Boss Xing, will those missing people all be taken into Guyang City by the black sandstorm?"

Xing Lin’s large hand held the steering wheel firmly as he looked ahead, remaining silent for a long moment before speaking. "You want to ask about Jiang Cheng’an?"

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Qiao Ruyi turned to look at him.

He glanced at her briefly, then back to the road. "What’s up?"

"You seem quite hostile toward Jiang Cheng’an," Qiao Ruyi squinted slightly, eyes fixed on his profile. "What did he do to you?"

After all, they had crossed paths last year.

Unexpectedly, Xing Lin replied lightly, "Nothing. We haven’t even exchanged five words."

"That’s the problem," Qiao Ruyi mused, "If it’s nothing to do with Jiang Cheng’an’s behavior, then Boss Xing must be jealous."

The car jolted slightly—subtle, like a minor deceleration or a reaction to her words.

Morning light suddenly appeared outside, casting a few streaks of dark red into his eyes, like shimmering flames dancing within them. His lips pressed thinly, jawline sharp.

He smirked, "Jealous? What are you thinking?"

"It’s unreasonable," Qiao Ruyi said lazily, "After ruling out all possibilities, the most unreasonable one might just be the truth."

Xing Lin pursed his lips, silent.

Qiao Ruyi deliberately studied his face and smiled, "Am I right?"

He didn’t look at her, instead pulling out his sunglasses and putting them on, his tone indifferent. "You said it yourself—we barely know each other."

Qiao Ruyi smiled quietly but said nothing.

It wasn’t even sunny enough for sunglasses.

It was just a joke; she wasn’t really fishing for answers. So she steered the conversation back to the missing persons.

"Maybe they won’t even make it to Guyang City. We might see them along the way," Xing Lin said.

Qiao Ruyi was secretly surprised and asked cautiously, "If you find them along the way, will you still enter Guyang City?"

His goal was to find the missing bodies, while her ultimate purpose was the Nine O’Clock Ruins. Their interests weren’t perfectly aligned; once he achieved his goal, he could turn around and head back at any time.

Xing Lin was silent.

His silence made Qiao Ruyi uneasy.

After a long moment, he finally spoke, "If that’s the case, I won’t go any further."

Qiao Ruyi’s heart skipped a beat.

She had miscalculated. Only now, as the car moved forward, did she consider this question. She had once held Shen Que’s "crimes" over him to coerce Xing Lin into agreement. Now that they were on the road, if he played hardball, she might have no immediate counter.

In such a barren place, human malice could be magnified infinitely.

After a long pause, she said, "Boss Xing, you promised."

Hearing this, Xing Lin smiled. "That sounds very unconvincing."

Qiao Ruyi knew.

She was thinking of a way.

The car fell silent except for the sound of wheels crushing sand at speed. The view was tinged with layers of dull yellow. The clear sky was a false pretense; a black sandstorm was likely brewing.

After a long while, Xing Lin broke the silence.

"What if I don’t go any further?"

Qiao Ruyi kept her eyes forward, calm on the surface despite her inner turmoil. She parted her red lips slightly. "Boss Xing, are you the type to go back on your word?"

"You know my goal. Once it’s reached, why would I risk my brothers’ lives any further?" Xing Lin countered.

Qiao Ruyi pressed her lips together, her hand resting lightly clenched.

"Miss Qiao, you’re smart. You know if I really did that, you’d have no way to deal with me," Xing Lin’s voice was low, like a dark cloud pressing down suffocatingly.

Qiao Ruyi suddenly smiled softly. "You’re right. I wouldn’t be able to."

The barren land was not her domain. Xing Lin was tough and wouldn’t be subdued by a beating. Threatening him with Shen Que now? After what happened before, Xing Lin was likely prepared.

"So, Boss Xing, what exactly do you want?" she took the initiative. "You better be decent about it. Otherwise, with Tao Jiang and me, a fight to the death isn’t impossible."

Xing Lin wasn’t intimidated by her words; he smiled.

Qiao Ruyi turned to look at him. His profile was partly shadowed, inscrutable. His eyes deep, brow bone sharply defined.

"I want you," Xing Lin suddenly said. "Decent enough?"

Qiao Ruyi was momentarily stunned.

But she quickly laughed, "Which kind of want? Dating? Or a one-night stand?"

The smile at the corner of Xing Lin’s mouth slowly faded.

"Which can Miss Qiao accept?" His voice was icy.

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Qiao Ruyi wasn’t led astray. She countered, "Boss Xing, which are you good at?"

The coldness in his words deepened, spreading to his brow. He said nothing, but suddenly slammed on the accelerator. The vehicle surged forward, racing along the desert highway.

Qiao Ruyi half-raised a hand to grasp the handle, neither nervous nor afraid, just staring ahead, giving herself time to adjust to the speed.

Xing Lin was the lead and navigator. When the lead car accelerated, the other three followed suit.

At the rear, Yu Renyou was leisurely enjoying the scenery. Seeing the situation ahead, he was stunned. No speed limit on this road?

Finally, Xing Lin stabilized the speed slightly.

Qiao Ruyi breathed a quiet sigh of relief. With the wheel in his hands, there was no need for provocative talk. She remained silent, quietly adjusting her strategy.

Her earlier words had some stubbornness in them. Now calm, she realized the situation wasn’t hopeless. After all, they hadn’t yet found the missing bodies. There was still hope.

Xing Lin broke the silence again.

"Afraid I’d abandon you and you’d think of throwing yourself at me. What kind of spell did Jiang Cheng’an put on you to make you so reckless?"

He seemed to ask this repeatedly, with clear resentment in his tone.

It was resentment, not curiosity.

Qiao Ruyi naturally wouldn’t tell him about her past with Jiang Cheng’an. She smiled and said, "I never said I’d throw myself at you. I believe in your gentlemanly nature."

Light-hearted, she tried to turn the unfavorable situation around.

Unexpectedly, Xing Lin sneered, "Why refuse when it’s offered on a silver platter? I’m not a eunuch!"

His tone was cocky and rogue-like, but Qiao Ruyi knew Xing Lin wouldn’t really abandon her.

The two cars behind started to get restless. They had been driving politely, never overtaking the lead car even at high speed. But the road ahead was straight, signal strong, and low risk. Shen Que suddenly made a sharp turn to overtake, speeding past with a roar.

Zhou Bie wasn’t to be outdone. He floored the gas and overtook Xing Lin’s car, rolling down the window and shouting, "Bro, you’re getting old, huh?"

Xing Lin laughed and cursed, "Damn!"

Then he turned and warned Qiao Ruyi, "Hold on tight."

Just as she gripped the handle, Xing Lin slammed the accelerator. The car shot forward like a swift dragon.

Yu Renyou at the back saw this and thought, "Oh, a race? Bring it on!" and also floored the gas.

On the straight desert highway, four cars chased each other, stirring up thin clouds of yellow sand.

Qiao Ruyi’s phone rang.

She freed a hand, pulled it out, and glanced at it—it was a WeChat message from Tao Jiang.

Looking up, she saw Shen Que’s car far behind, clearly outpaced by Xing Lin. That guy still had time to send messages.

Tao Jiang: Don’t you think what Xing Lin said was quite ambiguous?

Qiao Ruyi’s body swayed gently with the speed, eyes fixed on the phone screen, the words misaligned. Since it was about Xing Lin, she chose not to reply by voice, instead typing:

Which sentence?

Tao Jiang: What he said before we set off.

Qiao Ruyi thought hard. He said so many things before departure, which one? And why was Tao Jiang pondering Xing Lin’s words in her spare time?

Maybe realizing Qiao Ruyi’s confusion, Tao Jiang quickly sent another message—

His exact words were: Tao Jiang rides with Shen Que or Zhou Bie, you ride with me.

Qiao Ruyi remembered and replied with a question mark.

What’s ambiguous about that? Isn’t it a normal car-sharing arrangement?

Tao Jiang: Normally, it should be "You ride with my car," right? Why didn’t he say that? Why did he say, "You ride with me?"

Qiao Ruyi sighed. Even if Tao Jiang’s car was beside hers, she could still roll down the window to see how free Tao Jiang really was. She replied:

Tao Jiang, don’t tell me gossip. I’ll tell myself; I don’t trust other people’s stories.

Tao Jiang sent a rolling eye emoji: Haven’t you thought about why he insisted on having you in his car?

Qiao Ruyi replied calmly: Then why don’t you think about why Shen Que wanted you in his car?

The other side went silent for a long while…

Qiao Ruyi stared at the chat window. Seeing no typing indicator, she guessed Tao Jiang was speechless. Just as she was about to put away her phone, Tao Jiang sent one last message—

Maybe—he really has a thing for you.