Love on the Turquoise Land

Just as Yan Tuo had anticipated, Nie Jiuluo woke up the moment he opened the car door.

Yan Tuo slid into the driver’s seat and placed the bags he was carrying in the back. “Want something to eat?”

Nie Jiuluo: “No.”

Yan Tuo said, “I bought a lot—Chinese and Western options. They’re best eaten fresh. Whether you eat now or later, this or that, you’ll have to eat eventually. Don’t worry, the shop packed everything themselves—no chance for me to tamper with it.”

Fair point. After a night of exertion, she needed to replenish her energy. Besides, the warm, rich aromas were tempting.

Nie Jiuluo leaned slightly to rifle through the bags in Yan Tuo’s hands.

True enough, there was a mix of Chinese and Western fare—coffee, dumpling wrappers, tofu pudding, burgers, fried dough twists, spicy soup, and even crispy fried dough sticks, puffed up golden and fluffy.

She reached for a dough stick but hesitated just before touching it, put off by the grease that might dirty her fingers.

Yan Tuo reminded her, “There are small plastic bags tucked at the side.”

Nie Jiuluo pulled one out, wrapped the dough stick, and picked up a cup of soy milk. She poked the straw in and took a sip.

It really was best eaten now—warm, lightly sweet, soothing her throat, stomach, and limbs in an instant.

Yan Tuo had initially considered opening a bowl of tofu pudding drenched in chili oil but reconsidered. The smell would be too strong in the confined space of the car, so he opted for something milder.

He also grabbed a cup of soy milk and wrapped a fried dough stick in a plastic bag.

Outside, the street bustled with elementary school students. A little boy tugged at a girl’s braid, provoking her into swinging her backpack at him. The chase and retaliatory strikes continued halfway down the street.

Yan Tuo munched on half a dough stick while watching the scene.

Nie Jiuluo asked him, “Ever heard of Nanba Houtou?”

Yan Tuo said, “Kept hearing about it the past couple of days, but I’ve never been. Don’t even know exactly where it is. Heard they’re supposed to hand someone over to you guys there?”

Nie Jiuluo nodded. “Supposedly, they’ll hang the person from a tree. If we don’t show up, they’ll leave them there. In this weather, it wouldn’t take more than a few days for them to freeze to death. After that, they’ll hang another one up—until they’ve gone through everyone they’ve captured.”

Yan Tuo pictured the scene, a chill creeping down his spine.

Nie Jiuluo: “Do you think they’d actually do something like that? Or is it just talk?”

After a long pause, Yan Tuo said, “They’d do it.”

Nie Jiuluo’s last bite of dough stick caught in her throat, and she struggled to swallow it. “Would calling the police help?”

Yan Tuo shook his head. “First, I’ve never been to Nanba Houtou, but just from the name, you can tell it’s deep in the mountains—no roads, probably takes a day or two to reach. How would the police even get there?”

“Second, for the police to act, there has to be a report. Like you said, it’s all ‘supposedly.’ What proof do you have that there are actually people hanging from trees there?”

Nie Jiuluo stayed silent. She’d had experience calling the police before and knew the basic procedures. As things stood, there really was no evidence.

“Finally, even if the police did go, do you really think they’d find anything once they got there? Isn’t that obvious?”

Nie Jiuluo crumpled the plastic bag in her hand and tossed it into the car’s trash bin. “It is obvious. Hearing someone else say it just makes it easier to accept. If it were you, would you go and save them?”Yan Tuo stuffed the remaining half of the fried dough stick into his mouth, chewing it hastily before washing it down with a big gulp of soy milk. "In principle, no. It's too obvious a trap. Most likely, we wouldn't save anyone and would just end up trapped ourselves."

"What about outside of principle?"

"Outside of principle, it depends on who's in trouble. If it were my parents tied up and hanging there, even knowing there's a tiger on the mountain, I'd still climb it."

At this point, Yan Tuo glanced out the window and murmured, "On such a cold day..."

On such a cold day, people outside exhaled visible white breath as they spoke. If it were his parents suffering like that in the mountains, he wouldn't be able to stay put for even a second.

Nie Jiuluo asked, "So we just let those people freeze to death one by one?"

Yan Tuo pondered for a moment. "Not necessarily. Those who were going to freeze to death probably already have. The rest likely won't."

Nie Jiuluo found his words incredibly convoluted. "What do you mean?"

Yan Tuo explained, "Hanging people from trees and letting them freeze to death is indeed cruel in appearance. But at its core, it's just a performance meant to provoke you. The more frantic and desperate you become, the more they revel in it. Right?"

That made sense, and Nie Jiuluo had no objections.

"But a performance needs an audience to continue. It's like a movie—if no one buys tickets, it gets pulled from theaters quickly. The Nanba Monkey Heads have prepared this show, and your presence would fuel their enthusiasm. They might even escalate to more extreme acts. But if no one shows up from morning till night, who are they performing for? Just hanging people from trees for exercise?"

"They're capable of such things, but actions serve a purpose. Their goal isn't to freeze people to death but to lure the rest of you into a trap. Once they realize this method isn't working, they'll find another approach—after all, even idiots know that live hostages are more valuable."

Nie Jiuluo understood now and silently let out a long breath.

They had been out long enough. Yan Tuo started the car. "Where should I drop you? I'll take you somewhere convenient to hail a taxi."

Nie Jiuluo ignored his question and returned to the earlier topic. "Won't you reconsider helping me rescue them?"

Yan Tuo sighed. "Miss Nie, it's truly impossible. Since Jiang Baichuan is the leader, he'll be under the tightest surveillance. A small fry like me would struggle just to see him, let alone rescue him."

Nie Jiuluo pressed, "I can offer compensation."

Yan Tuo gave a bitter smile, too tired to respond.

Nie Jiuluo looked at him. "Aren't you going to ask what the compensation is?"

Yan Tuo said, "This isn't about compensation—"

Nie Jiuluo cut him off. "You once asked me how to kill a Dixing."

Yan Tuo's heart skipped a beat. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, but he kept his expression neutral as he stared ahead. "At the time, you said you didn't know."

Nie Jiuluo smiled. "You didn't listen carefully. I never said I didn't know. I said, 'I can't answer'—but you were too disappointed to notice the difference."

It had been so long that Yan Tuo couldn't recall her exact words back then, but "I can't answer" was indeed not the same as "I don't know." It was a sly play on semantics.

His throat felt dry. "So you do know?"

Nie Jiuluo hummed in affirmation. "How does that sound as compensation?"Yan Tuo suddenly laughed: "You've all been reduced to this state by the dixaos, with your leader's fate unknown. And you still think you can kill them?"

Nie Jiuluo also smiled: "So what if we're in this state? Football has two halves, and boxing goes three rounds. A bad start doesn't mean total defeat, does it?"

Yan Tuo turned right at the fork. He no longer cared where he was driving, as long as there was a road to follow: "Dixaos aren't the same as before. They've taken human form now, and even the dog family can't sniff them out. Can you guarantee your method still works?"

"Of course. Didn't Gou Ya lie in bed for months?"

"Gou Ya's different. He's omnivorous."

Nie Jiuluo was momentarily speechless.

It was true. Mazha had been "killed" by her, but Mazha was a traditional dixao. Gou Ya had also been taken down by her, but he was omnivorous.

She really couldn't guarantee her blade would still be effective.

Nie Jiuluo said, "If you're not interested, forget it. Just help take care of him for now—make sure he's fed and suffers less."

Then she pointed to the intersection ahead: "Drop me off there. It's easier to get a taxi."

Yan Tuo slowed down and pulled into the parking lane. Nie Jiuluo unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door to get out. Just as one foot stepped out, she heard Yan Tuo call her: "Miss Nie."

She sat back and looked at him: "What is it?"

"As long as I can do it, this deal stands, right?"

Yes. Nie Jiuluo nodded, then added, "He has to be alive."

After a pause, Yan Tuo finally said, "Then I'll try."

Nie Jiuluo was both surprised and unsurprised. She reminded him, "I can't guarantee my method still works."

Yan Tuo replied, "I understand. I'll contact you if there's news."

Nie Jiuluo opened the door again and got out. She had already walked some distance when she couldn't help but glance back.

She saw Yan Tuo's car still parked in the same spot. After a while, he lowered his head and rested it against the steering wheel, reminding her of the previous night when she, too, had slumped over the wheel in exhaustion, her chest and back chilled.

Was her request too much? If it was too dangerous, he didn't have to do it.

Nie Jiuluo hesitated, then took out her phone and sent him a message: Just do what you can. If it's too dangerous, forget it.

In her line of sight, Yan Tuo clearly heard the notification. He sat up, took out his phone, and after a moment of surprise, instinctively looked ahead—quickly spotting her.

Then, he typed a reply.

Nie Jiuluo checked her phone.

His message read: If I don't do it, does the deal fall through?

Nie Jiuluo replied: Jiang Baichuan is very important to me.

Yan Tuo responded: I get it. Everyone has someone important. You're setting a price for yours, and I'm taking risks for mine.

As the messages disappeared, the car started moving, passing her and stirring a faint, cold breeze.

Nie Jiuluo held her phone, thinking: Jiang Baichuan is still important to me.

Nie Jiuluo first met Jiang Baichuan when she was five.

Back then, Pei Ke hadn't had her accident yet, and she and Nie Jiuluo's father, Nie Xihong, seemed to get along fine. At least, Nie Jiuluo had never seen them argue—though, as Zhan Jing had said, maybe they just avoided fighting in front of her.

That day, after returning from kindergarten, she saw a guest at home—Uncle Jiang, Jiang Baichuan.Back in the day, Jiang Baichuan was tall, handsome, mature, and refined. Though already in his thirties, he looked no older than twenty. Nie Jiuluo had always thought her father was good-looking, but after meeting Jiang Baichuan, she realized there was always someone better.

A rather unfilial thought even flashed through her mind: If only Uncle Jiang were my dad.

According to family rules, children weren’t allowed at the table when guests came for meals. She happily finished her meal in the small kitchen, pushed her bowl aside, and went to Pei Ke to ask for money to buy snacks. Based on her experience, the chances of getting money were higher when guests were around—she might even hit two birds with one stone and get an extra thirty or fifty from the visitor.

As she approached the door, she overheard a strange conversation—they were actually talking about her.

Immediately, she pricked up her ears.

Jiang Baichuan said excitedly, "Xi Xi is such promising material. Are you really not considering—"

Pei Ke replied gently but firmly, "No, let’s not involve her in the old family trade. At least I’ve been down in the woods and hunted rabbits. Xi Xi grew up in the city—she’s an ordinary girl. Let her stay that way and live an ordinary life in the future. Brother Jiang, isn’t having me enough?"

Nie Xihong asked, "Is this really feasible?"

Pei Ke laughed. "Look at Brother Jiang’s success now—he’s leading us to fortune. Aren’t you happy about that?"

Jiang Baichuan also chuckled. "Little brother, the tradition of Bashan hunting is that everyone who comes gets a share. Whether you contribute or not, as long as you’re part of the whole process, you’ll definitely get your cut."

...

Nie Jiuluo was utterly confused. That night, as she snuggled into Pei Ke’s arms before bed, she asked, "Mom, what kind of promising material am I?"

Pei Ke smiled and tapped her little nose. "You’re a treasure. Uncle Jiang wants you to work for him, but we won’t go. No matter how much he offers."

Nie Jiuluo asked, "Not even eight thousand a month?"

Pei Ke turned off the light and settled in to sleep. "No. Study hard, go to university, and then get a Ph.D. abroad. That’s much better than eight thousand a month."

In the darkness, Nie Jiuluo felt deeply disappointed.

She really wanted to work for Jiang Baichuan. Eight thousand a month was more than enough for her. Besides, Jiang Baichuan was so handsome—she’d even be willing to take seven thousand.

The second time she saw Jiang Baichuan was at her father Nie Xihong’s funeral.

Clutching Nie Xihong’s black-and-white portrait, wearing the white mourning cap, she couldn’t understand how she had suddenly become an "orphan." After Pei Ke died, she had been terrified that Nie Xihong would remarry—all her friends said stepmothers were cruel.

Now, even if she wanted a stepmother, it was impossible. She’d have to live with her uncle’s family. How could that possibly go well for her?

Overcome with grief, tears streamed down her face. Through her blurred vision, a tall figure crouched in front of her and called, "Xi Xi."

Nie Jiuluo looked up and recognized Jiang Baichuan. If only he were her dad—he’d never just jump off a building.

She cried even harder.

Jiang Baichuan pressed a roll of cash and a slip of paper with a phone number into her hand. "If you ever need anything, just call Uncle Jiang."

She nodded between sobs, clutching the money and note until they were damp with sweat.

...

To be fair, Nie Dongyang and his wife didn’t mistreat her. They didn’t make her wash the family’s clothes in icy water during the coldest days of winter, as she had imagined, or feed her only leftovers.

But in her uncle’s household, the scales were never balanced in her favor.Once, her aunt called her to eat sponge cake—soft and fragrant. She couldn't bear to eat it all at once, taking only tiny bites each time. After playing outside for a while, she still had more than half left in her hand.

Passing by the kitchen, she overheard her aunt whispering to Nie Yun: "Hers doesn't have cream, but yours does. Don't let her see it."

She peeked in secretly and saw that Nie Yun's cake not only had cream but was also decorated with beautiful cream flowers.

How outrageous! Was she not worthy of cream? Truly, a scholar would rather die than suffer humiliation. She threw away the remaining half of the cake. That night, she even wrote a note: "From now on, this girl only eats sponge cake with cream, or else I'm a dog!"

This note marked the beginning of her habit of folding stars to keep a diary.

Another time, she eavesdropped on her uncle and aunt discussing their daughter's education.

Her aunt said, "Both younger ones have average grades, but Yun Yun must go to a top school, even if we have to pay for it. Xi Xi can just study somewhere nearby. She's a girl, after all—a vocational school is enough. She can find a stable job later. Actually, I think working in a supermarket would be great; it's quite trendy these days. Then we’ll find her a steady partner. That way, we’ve done our duty by your brother's family."

...

Nie Jiuluo wiped away tears at the door, furious. What happened to the promise of studying abroad for a Ph.D.? And why should she settle for a "steady" partner? Her partner was supposed to be a prince!

A deep sense of crisis gripped her. She felt she stood at a freezing crossroads in life, desperately in need of rescue.

That night, she dug out the phone number Jiang Baichuan had left her and wrote: "For the sake of this girl's happy life, I've decided to negotiate with Jiang Baichuan." Then she snapped a mechanical pencil in half and drank a cup of watered-down liquor to show her determination to burn all bridges.

She still remembered making the call from a small convenience store. As soon as Jiang Baichuan answered, she burst into tears.

She said, "Jiang Baichuan... Uncle, I want to negotiate with you."

She had originally intended to address him by name to assert equality but worried it might offend him, so she added "Uncle" at the last moment.

At first, Jiang Baichuan didn’t even recognize her voice. After a long pause, he said, "Xi Xi? Why are you crying? Don’t cry, take your time."

Nie Jiuluo said, "I want to study in a big city, the kind where I can get a Ph.D. someday."

Jiang Baichuan agreed, though he had no idea which big city was specifically linked to "getting a Ph.D."

She continued, "I need a house, my own house, with servants to take care of me. After all, I’m just a kid. You have to give me money—I don’t have any now, but I can pay you back later or work for you."

For each demand, Jiang Baichuan replied, "Alright," and urged her, "Stop crying first."

Her final demand was: "When you transfer me to a new school, wear your most expensive clothes, hold my hand, and pretend to be my dad. Walk around my school once. I’ve always told everyone my parents went abroad."

Jiang Baichuan said, "Sure."