Love on the Turquoise Land

Lin Xirou sighed helplessly, "Why are you so stubborn? This incident has nothing to do with you. It's Gou Ya who acted inhumanely and dragged you into this."

Yan Tuo withdrew his hand from the doorknob. "Gou Ya?"

Lin Xirou nodded with a grim expression. "It's too complicated to explain now. I'll tell you later. In any case, it wasn't your negligence at all. Don't burden yourself with guilt."

After a long pause, Yan Tuo finally spoke, "If that's the case, Aunt Lin, I'll settle my own grudges. If everything is handled by you, others will look down on me."

Lin Xirou chuckled. "Silly child, who cares about what others think? There's no need to distinguish between you and me in this. Do you remember that woman who was burned when Xiong Hei set the fire?"

Yan Tuo remained expressionless. "That Hua Saozi? She woke up? Are we getting information from her?"

Lin Xirou smirked disdainfully. "She never woke up. She's long dead."

Yan Tuo's heart sank.

Hua Saozi was indeed one of those who had wronged him, but no matter how resentful he was, he never wished for her death.

Lin Xirou said bitterly, "Banya and his group disappeared too thoroughly. Only this Hua Saozi was left. I had Xiong Hei keep people watching her—from her hospitalization to her death, to her cremation, to her burial. Even after the burial, I had him watch the grave..."

Yan Tuo felt a chill run down his spine.

"...Finally, just now, Xiong Hei reported to me that on the eighteenth night after the burial, an old man sneaked to burn paper offerings—a crippled old man with a cane. I've given orders: not a single hair on that old man's head is to be harmed. He must be brought back to me."

As she spoke, a picture message came in.

Lin Xirou smiled as she opened it. "Here, take a look. Is this the crippled old man you mentioned—"

She suddenly fell silent. Without exaggeration, Yan Tuo felt that in that instant, the color drained from her face, even her lips turning ashen.

He had never seen her like this before—utterly unprecedented.

She stared fixedly at the photo on her phone screen, her fingers gripping the device turning pale, her knuckles protruding, revealing the immense force she was exerting.

Yan Tuo glanced at the screen.

Yes, it was that crippled old man. Generally, as people age, their features soften into kindness, but not his—his brows were furrowed, his eyes fierce, his aged face radiating a combative intensity.

He said, "That's him, Aunt Lin. Do you know him?"

She must know him, because Lin Xirou still hadn't recovered from her initial shock.

Hearing Yan Tuo's words, she shuddered as if waking from a dream, letting out a dazed "Ah." Then, color rushed back to her pale face, her breathing grew rapid, and she stammered incoherently, "Xiao Tuo, pour me... pour me a glass of water..."

As she spoke, she stumbled back two steps and collapsed numbly into an armchair.

Yan Tuo poured her a cup of herbal tea from the kettle and handed it to her. Her hands trembled as she took it, tilting her head back to gulp it all down, completely abandoning her usual graceful tea-drinking manner.

That crippled old man was just a minor figure in Banya's group, not even as prominent as Que Cha, let alone compared to the top boss, "Old Jiang." Why did Aunt Lin react so strongly to his photo?

Suspicion swirled in Yan Tuo's mind, but he kept it hidden, his eyes filled with concern.

Lin Xirou finally calmed down somewhat, though her words were still disjointed. "Xiao Tuo, you must be tired from this trip. Go... go rest. Aunt Lin just remembered there are some matters I need to attend to."Yan Tuo responded and deliberately walked very slowly. After stepping out, he closed the door behind him even more slowly—

Through the gradually narrowing gap of the door, he saw Lin Xirou already answering the call: "Can you deliver him to the farm tonight? Yes, this person."

As the city lights came on, at Jiang Baichuan’s home.

It was dinnertime, and the housekeeper brought dish after dish to the table—large plates and bowls filled with red meat and white broth, looking incredibly appetizing.

Yet, none of the people seated around the table touched their chopsticks. Jiang Baichuan’s face was dark, his expression suggesting suppressed fury. Da Tou sat sullenly, occasionally glancing at Shan Qiang, who was frantically dialing a number, sweat beading on his forehead as the call refused to connect.

Only Que Cha seemed detached from the tension, engrossed in a game. She felt the city she managed was a bit too peaceful and prosperous, so she decided to introduce some troublemakers to heighten the citizens’ sense of crisis.

When the last dish was served, Jiang Baichuan waved his hand, signaling the housekeeper not to return. At the same time, he barked at Shan Qiang, "Still calling? It’s been a whole day—he’s most likely in trouble!"

Shan Qiang, startled by the sudden shout, nearly dropped his phone. He carefully placed it back on the table. "It’s not really Crippled Father’s fault..."

Jiang Baichuan’s anger flared. "I told everyone not to wander around lately! He refused to come stay with me, insisting he could take care of himself. And look what happened!"

Shan Qiang mustered the courage to defend Crippled Father. "But Hua Saozi was badly injured. It’s understandable he didn’t want to leave."

Que Cha perked up her ears—wait, were Hua Saozi and Crippled Father involved? She hadn’t been at Banya long enough to notice.

Da Tou cleared his throat. "Uncle Jiang, Crippled Father and Hua Saozi were childhood sweethearts who got separated. Widower and widow, a pair of old lovebirds—they had feelings. When Hua Saozi was burned, Crippled Father held back from visiting out of caution. Now that she’s dead, it’s only natural he’d go pay his respects. Besides, he went late at night when it was quiet—he was careful. Who’d have thought Yan Tuo’s people would still be watching after all this time?"

Jiang Baichuan knew this was true. Emotionally, he also felt Crippled Father’s visit to the grave was justified. But now that something had gone wrong, he couldn’t exactly praise him for doing it right.

The atmosphere grew tense. Que Cha paused her game, hesitated, then leaned toward Shan Qiang beside her and whispered, "What childhood sweethearts?"

Shan Qiang glanced at Jiang Baichuan before lowering his voice and summarizing as briefly as possible.

Turns out, over twenty years ago, Crippled Father was in his prime and deeply in love with Hua Saozi. But her family disapproved of him, thinking he was poor and had no future.

That alone wasn’t a big deal—if the girl was stubborn, her parents couldn’t do much about it. After all, this was a new society with freedom in marriage and love. But Crippled Father was proud and couldn’t stand the disdain. He told Hua Saozi he’d go out to seek opportunities and return in a fancy car to marry her properly.

Unfortunately, he had an accident during that time, losing half a leg and becoming disabled.

Ashamed, Crippled Father felt he was no longer worthy of Hua Saozi and hid from her. Later, Hua Saozi married someone else, and Crippled Father, under family pressure, also married. They went their separate ways.Unfortunately, neither of their partners had long lives. When they met again twenty years later, both were alone once more. However, contrary to what others might have expected, they didn’t rekindle their past romance. Instead, they chose to live nearby, looking after each other—a relationship that surpassed ordinary lovers, not family yet closer than kin.

Que Cha was stunned by this revelation. Thinking back, she had never liked Crippled Father much—harsh-tempered, crude in manner, the very image of an old thorn. Who would have guessed he shared such a past with Hua Saozi?

Now, looking at Jiang Baichuan, she felt an inexplicable discomfort: You set up this scheme—couldn’t you have at least informed Hua Saozi? What was the point of letting her die for nothing? To make the setup more convincing?

Just as her heart grew heavy, Jiang Baichuan’s phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at it and, without looking up, instructed Que Cha: “Xing Shen’s here. Go open the garage door and welcome them in.”

At the mention of Xing Shen’s name, Que Cha’s heartbeat quickened. She responded with a nonchalant “Oh” and headed out at a leisurely pace.

Xing Shen, of course, hadn’t come alone. Being blind, he couldn’t drive.

The one behind the wheel was Lao Dao, who had been accompanying Xing Shen all this time. After the unexpected halt of their journey to Qingrang, the group had returned to Banya to recuperate. Later, when the interrogation of Yan Tuo yielded no progress and another trip to Qingrang seemed unlikely, most of them gradually dispersed. Only Xing Shen insisted on returning to the depths of the Qinba Mountains to complete the unfinished exploration of the Golden Doors.

Jiang Baichuan naturally couldn’t accompany him, but he also couldn’t let him go alone. So he assigned Lao Dao—one of the younger generation’s most skilled fighters—to go with him.

…

Que Cha had just stepped out when she encountered them. She remotely opened the garage door and guided the car in, checking the surroundings as she did.

The car windows were half-open. As it passed by her, she caught a glimpse of Xing Shen in the back seat. Perhaps because he was blind—unaffected by the distractions of sight—he always carried himself with calm and gentleness, his presence as deep as still waters.

Beside him sat… a child?

Though the car quickly entered the garage, Que Cha was certain she hadn’t misseen. Judging by the size, it was a **-year-old child wearing a blue-and-yellow hoodie, the hood pulled up. Perhaps due to poor health, the child wore a mask and sat quietly next to Xing Shen, head bowed.

Why bring a child along for such a trip?

Before she could ponder further, the car parked. Lao Dao and Xing Shen got out, locked the doors, and walked toward the exit.

Que Cha froze, blurting out, “The kid… isn’t coming out?”

Lao Dao shot her a glance. “Don’t worry about it.”

Que Cha wisely fell silent. As Jiang Baichuan’s long-time companion, she had pieced together fragments of information over the years, though never the full picture. Jiang expected her to be nothing more than a charming, pleasant presence—never a partner in his affairs.

The dining table was large enough to accommodate two more without crowding. Seeing Xing Shen and Lao Dao enter, Jiang Baichuan rose with a smile. “Perfect timing. We haven’t started yet—the food’s still hot.”

Xing Shen said, “Jiang Shu, a word in private.”

Jiang Baichuan had expected this. After everything that had happened, Xing Shen had been bombarded with information since his return. A conversation was inevitable. He stepped away from the table, calling to the others, “Go ahead and eat. No need to wait for us—the food will get cold.”Though that's what they said, they couldn't really let the two eat leftovers. Que Cha brought out fresh containers and portioned small servings of each dish into them. Only after seeing the two upstairs did she turn to Shan Qiang and ask, "Hey, how does Xing Shen manage to walk and go upstairs without needing anyone to guide or support him if he can't see?"

Shan Qiang looked blank. "How would I know? Maybe he's just adapted to the world after being blind for so long."

Da Tou, however, looked smug as he picked up a piece of cucumber dipped in sauce and crunched into it. "The Dog Family people... well, they're just different."

...

Jiang Baichuan took Xing Shen to the top floor. With few high-rises around, the view was decent. On the roads outside, cars flashed by, mixed with numerous food delivery scooters.

The new industries were truly thriving and unstoppable. Jiang Baichuan sighed inwardly. If he had invested in courier services or food delivery back in the day instead of manufacturing, he wouldn’t be nearing old age with his fortune drained.

Xing Shen got straight to the point. "I heard Crippled Father can’t be reached. Could he have been..."

Jiang Baichuan cut in, "Most likely. But Crippled Father’s fine. We’ve been friends for over thirty years—he’s loyal, tough, and tight-lipped. So it’s not a big issue."

"But we can’t just do nothing. Can’t we find anything on Yan Tuo’s side?"

Jiang Baichuan gave a bitter smile.

They could find things—his company, address, license plate, phone number—all traceable.

But the problem was, his company was operating normally, his house was empty, and his car and phone had been scrapped in Banya. The man had "evaporated" perfectly.

Not just Yan Tuo—even that "Lin Ling," who had shown up once, had vanished without a trace.

After the "counterplot" that day, he had arranged for someone to secretly follow Yan Tuo’s accomplices. But they were shaken off quickly, and the license plates they noted were all fake. The other side’s vigilance far exceeded his expectations.

He had also considered exploiting Yan Tuo’s bedridden mother as a weak point. But first, it was a high-end care center—ordinary people couldn’t get in. After painstakingly stealing a client card to enter, they triggered a security alarm, and now the place had overhauled its entire system. Second, he heard Yan Tuo barely visited once or twice a year. Jiang Baichuan simply didn’t have the manpower for a long-term stakeout.

Xing Shen said, "What worries me is A Luo. She’s not like us. Didn’t you arrange anything for her?"

Jiang Baichuan sighed. "I did, but she refused. She thinks she’s tough and can handle anything. I couldn’t have people watching her either—if she noticed, given how sharp she is, it’d get ugly. I gave her a number to call in emergencies, so she can reach help if needed."

Xing Shen found this unreliable. "If it’s something even she can’t handle, the people you arranged won’t be of much use. Maybe I should go."

Jiang Baichuan fell silent. After a while, he chuckled. "Xing Shen, let it go. The two of you can’t go back."

"Uncle Jiang has watched you both grow up. Nie Er’s temper—if she wants something, she takes it; if she doesn’t, she won’t pick it up even if it’s thrown at her. She’s long moved on. Why are you still stuck in place? Listen to Uncle Jiang—she’s not worthy of you. You deserve better."Xing Shen was silent for a long moment before speaking. "Jiang Shu, you're overthinking it. I have a connection with A-Luo. Now that Hua Saozi is dead and Crippled Father has gone missing, A-Luo is an obvious target. I don’t even know how they might come after her. At a time like this, why worry about past grievances? Of course, I’ll help as much as I can. At the very least, I can still sniff out danger for her or give her a warning, right?"

Jiang Baichuan gave a dry laugh. "Suit yourself. Later, I’ll send a message to ask on your behalf."

Xing Shen hesitated. "Better not. If you send a message, she’ll probably refuse outright. I think it might be better to just go there directly... What do you think?"

Jiang Baichuan’s first instinct was to say absolutely not, but then he reconsidered. Maybe it would be good for Xing Shen to get rejected in person. Among the younger generation, he admired Xing Shen the most—he just couldn’t stand how wishy-washy the guy became over a woman. But then again, it wasn’t a big deal. Every man had a year or two in his youth when he got sentimental over love. Once he got past it, the world would open up, and he could focus on his ambitions.

"Up to you," he said. "It’s your business, so decide for yourself... By the way, is Mazha back?"

"Yeah, he’s in the car."

"How was he on the trip?"

"Good. Very obedient and eager to prove himself."

Jiang Baichuan nodded. "It really comes down to fate—he just takes to you. Does he prefer raw or cooked meat now?"

"Cooked. He hardly touches raw anymore. If you toss him bloody meat, he even gets angry."

Jiang Baichuan looked surprised. "Really?"

Then he burst out laughing. "Alright, tonight we’ll serve him boiled ribs. That little beast is learning to act more and more like a human."