Chapter 95: An Ex’s Invitation

If they were going to decide right now to head for Xiang Province and track down the Yin amulet and the person who owned it, then the sooner they left, the better. After all, they still had the advantage; if they waited until their enemies had found everything too, things would become far more troublesome.

If it had not been for the interruption of the Asian Cultural and Art Expo after they returned to Xinzhou, Yan Bo and the others would already have set out.

But it was impossible for everyone to go. They were not some organization devoted solely to this kind of work; each of them still had his or her own life.

As the leader among them, Yan Bo would certainly have to go in person. Xuanxuan would definitely be involved too. Xiang Province was her hometown, so in any case it was practically her home turf, and Yan Bo had called her back to the country mainly for this matter. Hao Dalong was the same, though Qi Yan was not very familiar with him yet.

Li Ruoke had also wanted to go along and help, but with Li Lan needing care right now, she simply could not leave.

Qi Yan did not have anything else to do, and he said he was willing to go as well. It was only a matter of finding someone; there should not be any danger.

Besides, since he was already caught up in it, as Hao Dalong had just said, this was, in the first place, the business of the people who held the Yin Palace amulets. Even Ding Ling, with her purple eyes and all the inconvenience they brought, was still going along, so he certainly could not just stay home and wait.

Yan Bo had a point: once their enemies gathered the other six Yin amulets, would he still have anywhere to run?

No matter what, they were coming for him sooner or later. So Qi Yan staying close to Yan Bo and the others was relatively safer, since these people, one way or another, all had some real ability.

Their opponents were so strong, and their own side had only a handful of people. If they did not unite, they would likely die far more easily than they would survive.

Luckily, Xiang Province was right next door, and the journey was not long. If everything went smoothly, the round trip would take about a week at most.

They began discussing the details immediately: how to arrange everything, who should go together, and so on. After Yan Bo and the others left, Qi Yan also prepared to go home and pack. Before he left, Li Ruoke stopped him and handed him a Buddhist amulet that looked somewhat old, though very well preserved.

"I can’t go with you this time. Take this and wear it on you."

Qi Yan took it and looked at it. The amulet was flat and round, a yellowish powder amulet, with the figure of a monk holding a staff carved on the surface.

"This is Sivali, also known as the Traveler Buddha. Its main material is Jintamani, Thailand’s foremost herb for attracting good fortune, and it also contains the powder of more than a hundred old amulets. The back has been blessed with a life-protecting talisman tube, and it is said to help you handle any misfortune with ease. I used to wear it myself, but since you’re all going away now, I’m giving it to you. I hope it can protect you in ways we can’t see..."

Qi Yan held the amulet in his hand and gently stroked its case with his fingers. He thought that since this was something Li Ruoke had worn for a long time as a protective charm, it might not be right to accept it so casually. So he grinned and said, "I don’t want it... I don’t believe in gods or Buddhas."

He was about to hand it back, but when he saw the slightly worried look in her eyes, he finally accepted it in silence.

"All right... then I’ll keep it. Once we find that person and come back, I’ll return it to you exactly as it is."

He put the amulet directly around his neck. It was only an ordinary blessed amulet, so it was fine to wear it in the open.

Then he left as well.

Because she could not take part in the operation this time, Li Ruoke could only pray for them in secret.

"You all... please, stay safe..."

Qi Yan returned home and began packing his things.

They had just agreed to take the train later that afternoon. It was already October, and the weather in the southwestern provinces was gradually turning cool, no longer as fiercely hot as it had been in summer.

At night, after lying down in bed, Qi Yan still had the habit of scrolling through his social feed before sleep. But when he opened WeChat, he saw a new friend request in his contacts.

When he opened it, the nickname alone made him burst out laughing.

"Lan Kwai Fong Dilraba"!

It was obvious the sender was a woman. The world of young women these days was really impossible to understand; the naming style alone was enough to make people laugh themselves silly.

Names like "Ma Lanshan Wang Zuxian," "Down-on-the-Farm Youth Ding Sitian," and "Guanyang Lake An Zula Baby" were all the same kind of thing. He simply could not make sense of it.

The profile picture was a chibi-style anime character, and the note was very clear:

"Add me, jerk. It’s Chen Huiting."

Qi Yan had of course once had Chen Huiting on WeChat, but they had unfriended each other long ago. It had been two years since they last had any contact, and even their phone numbers had changed.

He guessed she had probably run into him again at the expo and asked Xu Dan for his contact. Since everyone had already let the old matters go back then, being ordinary friends again should still be possible.

Not long after he accepted the request, she sent him a message. Because the two of them were familiar with each other, there was no need for any formal opening; Chen Huiting went straight to the point.

"How’s your dad doing?"

Hadn’t Qi Guoheng gone into the hospital for heart surgery before? Dong Ye and Xu Dan had both been helping care for him, and Chen Huiting had come to visit several times as well.

Qi Yan still felt quite relieved as he replied, "He was discharged long ago. He’s fine now and has already gone back to the old hometown. Thanks for your concern."

"That’s good."

After that, there was a pause. A few minutes later, Chen Huiting sent another message.

"From your feed, are you really in the Thai amulet business now?"

"Yeah, sales are pretty good. Want one too? My amulets are genuine, fair to both young and old, and the effects are obvious... [grinning face]" Qi Yan teased her back.

On the other end, there was another silence before she asked, "Are you busy these next few days? Come out and sit with me when you have time."

Qi Yan was a little taken aback. When he had met Chen Huiting before, she really had said they should keep in touch more often, but at the time he had just assumed she was being polite. Now she had actually added him on purpose to invite him out, so perhaps she really did have something to say.

Though they could indeed become ordinary friends again, an ex was still an ex... and besides, he had been the one in the wrong back then. Qi Yan still found it somewhat awkward.

Even if everything was in the past and everyone had grown up, there was still bound to be some knot in the heart.

"I’m busy these next few days. How about we get Xu Dan and her husband together for a meal after a while?"

If Dong Ye and Xu Dan came too, that would be fine. With more people, it would not feel awkward.

Chen Huiting went on to ask, "You’re busy? What could you possibly be busy with? A monk going to see a priest... [eye-roll, eye-roll]"

"Uh... just really busy," Qi Yan said without telling her his exact schedule. These were extraordinary times, and he was doing extraordinary things. He was even trying not to post much on social media, after all he was someone being watched by certain dark organizations...

Seeing that he did not want to say more, she did not press further.

"Fine, fine. Message me first thing when you’re free."

After they exchanged goodnights, they did not keep chatting. Qi Yan also did not take the matter to heart.

Still, that night he slept unusually well for the first time in a long while. There were no bizarre dreams, his hands and feet were not nearly as cold, and he did not wake in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat. That should have been the change brought about by suppressing the Yin amulet with the talisman tube...