Love on the Turquoise Land

Although the car was parked by the side of the road, and there were hardly any vehicles on this route, it was almost dark. For safety's sake, Nie Jiuluo took out the fluorescent triangular warning sign from the car and set it up in the direction of oncoming traffic before walking over with a handheld flashlight.

On the way, she bent down to pick up a stone.

Just as she reached the edge of the wild hemp field, she heard Lao Qian's voice calling from deeper within: "Oh dear, young man, what... what happened here?"

Nie Jiuluo quickened her steps toward the sound and saw a white off-road vehicle that looked familiar. A closer look at the front revealed a crash guard.

Was it that Yan Tuo?

The driver's door was open, and Lao Qian stood by it, wringing his hands uncertainly. "I never learned first aid. Shouldn't we avoid moving an injured person? Should we call an ambulance?"

Nie Jiuluo walked to the door and raised the flashlight to look inside. The airbag had deployed, and Yan Tuo was slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious—or more accurately, in a deep sleep.

His breathing sounded steady, not labored as if injured. Nie Jiuluo instinctively glanced at the passenger seat.

The plush duck hadn’t been so lucky. Clearly, its small frame wasn’t compatible with the seatbelt. During the collision, it had tumbled under the seat, landing headfirst with its bottom sticking up.

Beside the plush duck, something glinted coldly in the metallic light.

Nie Jiuluo dropped the stone, pushed aside the airbag, and leaned in to pick up the object.

It was a hand-operated syringe, but unlike the disposable medical kind. The needle was thicker, and the body was made of stainless steel with a glass graduated tube. Most of the light brown liquid inside remained, sloshing gently.

She turned the syringe and saw a small steel stamp near the top. Typically, stainless steel products bore either a brand logo or the marking "304" to indicate quality. But this stamp was a small seal-script character for "fire"—though even those unfamiliar with seal script could recognize it, as the character hadn’t changed much over time.

Lao Qian gasped. "Is this... drugs?"

He had never seen drugs or how they were used, only knowing from news reports that injection was one method. Seeing Yan Tuo unconscious and Nie Jiuluo examining the syringe so intently, his mind naturally drifted to the worst possibilities.

Nie Jiuluo found it somewhat amusing. She pointed at the needle. "The inner diameter is over a millimeter. It's too thick for human use."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on the back of Yan Tuo’s neck. Since he was face-down, the puncture mark wasn’t hard to spot.

Hearing her speak with such authority, Lao Qian relaxed slightly. Just as he was about to say something, Yan Tuo groaned and lifted his head with difficulty.

Lao Qian was both relieved and nervous. "Y-young man, are you okay? Hey, hey, don’t move around too much..."

Yan Tuo’s ears were ringing, the voices around him grating. His head throbbed painfully, his vision flickered between light and dark, and his body felt weightless, as if the ground beneath him was tilting back and forth. Fumbling, he unbuckled his seatbelt, took a large step out of the car, and staggered, nearly falling. Once he steadied himself, a wave of nausea hit him. He bent over, bracing his hands on his knees, and dry-heaved twice before mumbling, "Where... is this?"Lao Qian was genuinely concerned, gesturing with his hands outstretched as if ready to shield a young one like a protective goose, afraid he might fall: "Young man, you've been in a car accident. Don't walk too fast—better yet, don't move at all. Come, sit down first, take it slow and steady."

Since Lao Qian was already acting as a dedicated caretaker, Nie Jiuluo saw no need to join in. She shifted the flashlight beam toward the car's back seat, illuminating the tilted suitcase.

Lao Qian's words echoed in her ears: "That suitcase must have something valuable inside."

How valuable could it be? A suitcase full of diamonds?

She glanced sideways at Yan Tuo, who was sitting on the ground with his back turned, exhausted, his head buried between his hunched shoulders.

Lao Qian called out to her: "Miss Nie, is there any water in the car? He's... dazed, completely out of it. Some water might help."

Nie Jiuluo leaned into the car, scanning the interior. "No—"

Before she could finish, a chill ran down her spine.

The car had a continuous cabin design. From outside, she hadn't been able to see the rear compartment, but now, standing taller with the flashlight, she could see clearly: there was a duffel bag in the back, its shape oddly irregular.

A duffel bag?

Her mind flashed with rapid-cut images: a duffel bag, the one Yan Tuo had forcefully thrown into the back of the car in Xingbazi Village; the night before, the ugly man had carried one out of Sun Zhou's room.

Was it the same one? The more she looked, the more it seemed so.

Her heart pounded as she quickly glanced back at Yan Tuo. Thankfully, he was still propping his head up, not fully alert yet.

Nie Jiuluo swiftly climbed into the back seat. The seatback was high, making it difficult to climb over. She braced herself against the seat, stretching forward as far as she could while reaching for the duffel bag's zipper.

Once, twice—her abdominal muscles ached from the strain. On the third try, the zipper finally gave way with a sharp shhh , opening about ten centimeters.

Sun Zhou's pale, lifeless face seemed to leap out at her, framed by the unzipped opening, his skin swollen and translucent under the light.

Nie Jiuluo's scalp prickled, but she stayed alert. Hearing movement outside, she immediately turned around.

It was Yan Tuo, holding his head as he staggered toward the car. Lao Qian was nowhere in sight.

There was no time to zip the bag back up now. Nie Jiuluo forced herself to act casual, subtly shifting her body to block Yan Tuo's line of sight.

Yan Tuo only noticed her when he reached the car. Frowning, he asked, "You... who are you? What are you doing in my car?"

Nie Jiuluo forced a smile. "Looking for water. Where's my... friend?"

"He went to get water. There's none in my car..."

As he spoke, he stepped one foot into the car. Midway through climbing in, his entire body suddenly tensed.

This tension was palpable even to Nie Jiuluo.

It was an understandable reaction—like an office worker who overslept, one moment groggy and disoriented, the next suddenly realizing, Shit, I'm late, I'm gonna get docked pay , and instantly snapping to full alertness, hair standing on end.

Yan Tuo was like that. In an instant, he was fully awake—even hyperaware. The earlier incident, the danger of his situation, the secret in the car—it all came rushing back, his entire body taut like a drawn bowstring.

He raised his head and looked straight at Nie Jiuluo.The outside of the car was quiet. When the wind blew, the wild hemp rustled softly. It was no longer summer, yet there was still that feeling of "the cicadas' chirp making the forest seem even more tranquil." Further away, the faint sound of the rear compartment opening and closing could be heard—Lao Qian must have been searching for water.

Yan Tuo's gaze reminded Nie Jiuluo of a falcon she had once seen—sharp, dangerous, unfathomable, yet calm.

Her fingers, hooked around the handle of the lamp, loosened slightly, tilting the light downward in an attempt to dim the interior enough that Yan Tuo wouldn’t notice the open slit in the canvas bag. Though deep down, she knew it was probably futile.

Yan Tuo said, "Looking for water… Did you check the rear compartment too?"

Nie Jiuluo forced a stiff smile and gave a vague hum of acknowledgment.

Yan Tuo realized his line of sight was blocked. Without moving his lower body, he kept his knee pressed against the seat, only leaning his upper body to the side to peer past her. His gaze lingered on the rear compartment for two seconds before returning.

Nie Jiuluo didn’t call him out. "Since you’re fine, I won’t disturb you any longer."

She reached for the rear door handle. Yan Tuo tapped the glove compartment, and the lid popped open with a click, revealing a pistol lying diagonally inside.

He picked up the pistol but didn’t point it at her, just let it hang loosely at his side. Then he asked, "What’s your name? I’m Yan Tuo."

"Nie Jiuluo."

Yan Tuo nodded and gestured toward the passenger seat. "Miss Nie, since you’re here, let’s talk. No need to rush off."

As he spoke, he noticed the overturned plush duck, bent down to pick it up, dusted it off, and placed it by the windshield.

Since things had come to this, there was no point in pretending. Nie Jiuluo decided to lay her cards on the table. "Mr. Yan, I’m not alone. My hired driver is still outside."

Yan Tuo looked out. Through the gaps in the wild hemp, he could vaguely make out a figure carefully descending the dirt slope, heading their way.

"A hired driver, working all day for barely any pay. If you want him to end up like Sun Zhou—in my hands—go ahead and drag him into this."

Nie Jiuluo fell silent for a moment. "What do you want?"

Yan Tuo gestured to the passenger seat again. "Like I said, let’s talk. If it goes well, nothing happens. If it doesn’t… we’ll see."

Fine, they’d talk. Better to cooperate and keep some dignity than wait for Yan Tuo to "invite" her with force.

Nie Jiuluo gripped the front seat, swung herself over, and sat down in the passenger seat.

Yan Tuo leaned down. "Left hand, tilt it downward a bit."

Was there a specific way to sit? Nie Jiuluo didn’t overthink it and lowered her hand as instructed. Yan Tuo reached under the seat, pulled out something, and with a click, fastened it around her wrist.

Nie Jiuluo froze, only now realizing it was a single-wrist handcuff, its chain disappearing beneath the seat. She tugged—no give. The other end was clearly welded in place.

But that wasn’t all. Yan Tuo bent down again and pulled another cuff from beneath the car’s floor mat. "Move your foot over."

Nie Jiuluo said nothing, shifting her foot as directed.

She was wearing ankle boots, the cuffs of her pants tucked just inside. Below that were slender, pale ankles. Yan Tuo found it inconvenient to cuff her like this and considered asking her to remove her shoes, but after a brief hesitation, he decided against it. With a click, the cuff locked into place.

Once done, he straightened up and held out his palm. "Phone."

Nie Jiuluo handed it over without protest.Yan Tuo took the phone back and pointed at Lao Qian, who was walking towards them: "Send your driver away. Make it reasonable, don't raise suspicion."

Was he joking? Nie Jiuluo was annoyed: "That's my hired driver, specifically responsible for my transportation. He's supposed to take me back to the hotel. How am I supposed to send him away?"

Yan Tuo coldly replied: "That's your problem. If you can't do it, then invite him into the car. My car has space, and I still have enough bags for people."

Nie Jiuluo cursed inwardly, "Damn."

What the hell!

Lao Qian arrived, panting heavily, holding a bottle of water. He looked confused as he approached: "Young man, you're okay? Miss Nie, why... why are you in his car?"

Nie Jiuluo said, "You can go back. I'll ride with him."

Lao Qian was even more bewildered: "But Miss Nie, I'm supposed to take you back to the hotel. If you go with him... do you two know each other?"

They didn't seem acquainted. When Nie Jiuluo saw the person in the driver's seat earlier, her reaction had been completely neutral—if this was someone you knew, wouldn't you show concern or at least say something?

Nie Jiuluo smiled, reached out the window to take the water, then gestured toward Yan Tuo: "What do you think of him?"

What did she mean? Lao Qian was baffled: "He... seems fine, but just to be safe, he should still get checked at the hospital."

Nie Jiuluo cut him off: "I meant his looks."

Lao Qian stammered: "Huh?"

Well, looks-wise, there was nothing to criticize—his face and build spoke for themselves. But why was she asking about his appearance out of the blue?

Lao Qian answered honestly: "He's good-looking."

Nie Jiuluo said calmly, "I think so too. I just asked about the price, and it's pretty cheap. I plan to hire him for a few days. You can go back—I'll still pay for the car. I'll call you if I need a ride again."

Lao Qian's expression was as if he'd just been struck by lightning.

He'd heard that young people these days had more liberal private lives—that they could hook up with strangers at bars without even knowing their names—but that was just hearsay. Everyone around him was still relatively conservative. To suddenly witness it firsthand was a bit hard to process.

Besides, he'd always had a good impression of Miss Nie—young, beautiful, cultured, talented, and with a pleasant personality, always speaking kindly...

Who would've thought? Appearances could be deceiving. Artists were terrifying. Here he was, busy trying to help, and she was already making moves. And she was talking about such shady business so openly, as if it were completely normal! Of course, the guy was no saint either—just got into a car accident, could barely walk straight, and was already taking jobs. Desperate for repair money?

Morals were declining, and there was no bottom in sight!

Still, business was business. Lao Qian tried not to let his personal feelings interfere and prioritized his client's safety: "But... Miss Nie, isn't this unsafe?"

Even for shopping, you'd go to a reputable store. Picking someone up on the roadside was like buying from a street stall.

Nie Jiuluo said, "It's fine. I checked the reviews—there are a lot of positive ones."

There were reviews?

Lao Qian's worldview shattered into pieces. This kind of thing could be listed online? With reviews? How was this even legal?

Before leaving, he gave Yan Tuo a look reserved for male escorts—and just then, he noticed a toy duck by the windshield on Natou's side.

Suddenly, it all made sense.This must be a symbol of the profession, he thought, just like how in TV dramas, the Red Flower Society opposing the Qing Dynasty would flash a red flower, and the other party would immediately know who they were—this Miss Nie clearly played this game often. If you weren't part of the industry or a seasoned player, you really wouldn't be able to tell.