Chapter 129: Li Lan's Secret

"Ugh..." Even before they had left the train station, Qi Yan was hunched over by the wall, dry-heaving. He couldn't bring anything up, but his stomach felt wretched.

"Oh my... this is strange. I don't usually get motion sickness, especially not on a modern train. How could such a stable mode of transport leave me feeling... ugh..."

Old Yan waved his small fan, shaking his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You young people these days—pampered and lacking in physical stamina. You’ve only been out of the province for a few days, and it’s just the neighboring one at that. How are you already suffering from a reaction to the change in environment?"

The long train ride had been torture for Xuanxuan, a heavy smoker. The moment she stepped out of the carriage, she lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "What reaction to the environment? I think it’s just a stomach flu. He should just go buy some medicine and he'll be fine."

Hao Dalong, struggling with several large suitcases, chimed in, "I doubt it. I think it was that breakfast this morning. That egg wasn't fresh; it’s easy to get an upset stomach from that. Even I feel a bit nauseous. Zeng Qiong, which stall did you buy that from?"

Xuanxuan blew a puff of smoke at him. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me by my real name! The eggs I bought were perfectly fine. You ate the most, anyway."

Just like that, in a matter of minutes, they had already come up with four possible causes: motion sickness, environmental adjustment, stomach flu, and food poisoning.

Qi Yan dry-heaved a few more times and rubbed his stomach. "Alright, alright. What are your plans now? I need to head back to the studio first."

Back on the train, Old Yan had already decided that since they had found the fourth tablet of the Yin Palace, they needed to study it as soon as possible to see if it held any clues about the Thai Yin Palace. Since he was a free spirit, he decided to stay in Xinzhou, and naturally, Ding Lingzi and Hao Dalong would stay with him.

As for Xuanxuan, she wasn't a drifter; after being away for so many days, she had to return to Thailand to lead her tour groups. She planned to stay at her hotel for one night and catch a flight to Bangkok in two days. Just as she was about to hail a taxi, she remembered something.

"Oh, right. Here—this is the 'Walking Buddha' you gave me back in Jinyan Village. Actually, this amulet was something I had given to Keke a long time ago. Keep it safe and return it to her."

If she hadn't mentioned it, Qi Yan would have completely forgotten. He took it from her and hung it back around his neck. Whether it was a psychological effect or a sheer coincidence, once he put the Walking Buddha amulet back on, his stomach discomfort vanished, and the urge to vomit disappeared.

With that, they parted ways at the train station. The journey to Western Hunan had come to an end. It hadn't actually taken many days—faster than originally planned—but the constant dangers and crises made the trip feel like it had dragged on forever.

Qi Yan didn't go home; he headed straight for the studio. He had already called ahead, and since it was only midday, he figured it would be a good time to tell Li Ruoke about the details of their trip.

He took a taxi downtown and walked into the studio with his backpack, immediately hit by the scent of ritual incense. Qi Yan had become so sensitive lately that he reflexively held his breath whenever he caught a whiff of it.

"How did you get back so fast? Didn't you say about a week before you left?" There were no customers in the shop—not even anyone stopping for bubble tea. Li Ruoke was in the middle of making lunch; he was lucky to have arrived just in time.

Qi Yan dropped his bag and collapsed onto the sofa, lighting a cigarette. Without even realizing it, he noticed that while he used to prefer being alone and never wanted to share a space, ever since he got caught up in this mess, the studio felt more like home than his own rented apartment.

"Don't even ask. I’m telling you, we almost didn't make it back. I couldn't explain it over the phone. Do you know what kind of thing we ran into?" Qi Yan was about to vent to her, but seeing Li Lan sitting nearby, he realized the kid knew nothing about their business, so he cut himself off. "Ahem... well, it’s nothing. Tonight—"

Li Ruoke, unaware of the situation, pursed her lips. "With Old Yan and Sister Xuanxuan leading the way, there's nothing to be afraid of." She didn't press him, simply turning back toward the kitchen.

Once she was out of the living room, Li Lan wheeled his chair quietly over to Qi Yan. Despite one leg being encased in plaster and bandages, he sat with his back straight, looking as if he had something to say but was holding back.

Qi Yan glanced at him sideways. "What is it? I didn't bring any gifts back, you know."

Li Lan shook his head shyly and lowered his voice. "No, it's just... I have a question I want to ask you. Could we talk in my room?"

Qi Yan didn't know what he was up to, but seeing the boy acting so mysterious, he decided to indulge him. Once inside the room, Li Lan, still cautious, closed and locked the door as if afraid his sister might hear.

"What's this about? What are you so afraid of your sister hearing?"

Li Lan gestured for silence, had Qi Yan sit down, and then fidgeted for a long time before gathering the courage to speak. "Brother Qi Yan, I want to ask you... a question that should be very simple for someone like you."

"Don't 'ask' me, just say it. You're a man, don't be so shy."

Qi Yan had been bracing himself for some profound, complicated question, but what Li Lan asked was incredibly simple—yet, somehow, very difficult to answer.

"I just want to ask... generally speaking, uh... when a guy is talking to a female friend he isn't very close with, how do you steer the conversation? You don't want it to be too stiff, but you don't want the atmosphere to be awkward either. You can't be too flippant, but you can't be too serious. And if the other person is the type who is very reserved, how do you..."

He rambled on with a long string of confusing jargon. Qi Yan pulled a straight face, rolled his eyes, and waved a hand to stop him. "Can't you just ask me how to hit on a girl? You made it so complicated... I almost fell asleep. Tell me, you’ve fallen for a classmate, haven't you?"

Li Lan froze, his face turning from pale to flushed, his throat dry.

"Actually... she’s not a classmate. And I wouldn't say I... I like her. It's just... after we met by chance, I felt very... very much at peace when I talked to her. I..."

Qi Yan muttered to himself: *This kid is definitely still a virgin.*

He sighed and asked, "Not a classmate? Is she... an internet friend?"

"No."

"A friend?"

"Not exactly... though I suppose that counts?"

"A friend of a friend?"

Li Lan, unable to withstand the process of elimination, solemnly declared, "I’m telling you, you absolutely, positively cannot tell my sister."

Qi Yan didn't quite understand and teased him with a laugh, "Your sister isn't that strict, is she? You're a sophomore in college. What is college for if not for dating? It’s common knowledge; everyone on Earth knows that. Why are you embarrassed? This is a good thing."

"Ah... actually, she is... very special. Extremely, extremely special. And the situation is... very complicated."

Qi Yan crossed his legs, chomping on his cigarette with interest. "Alright, let's hear it. I want to see just how special and complicated it can be. Heh heh... I'm a veteran at this; I don't believe there’s any romantic situation I haven't heard of. Go ahead."

Li Lan hesitated for a moment longer, then finally began to recount his dreamlike "adventure" during his deep coma following the car accident, describing it in a tone that was both delicate and literary.