Love on the Turquoise Land

Nie Jiuluo spent the first two days at Liu Changxi's house mostly asleep, waking only briefly. By the third day, her sleep schedule gradually normalized, and life began to feel increasingly dull.

After all, she was confined to bed most of the time, and there wasn’t much entertainment in Liu Changxi’s home—they had even moved the TV into her room, but she had never been fond of television to begin with. Besides, flipping through the channels yielded nothing worth watching.

She wanted to use her phone, but hers was likely destroyed in the well house, probably disposed of by Yan Tuo. She couldn’t very well monopolize Liu Changxi’s phone either—it was an outdated model at that.

She thought about reading, but Liu Changxi wasn’t the bookish type. After scouring the house, he managed to dig up a copy of The Highly Profitable Restaurant Owner’s Business Guide . She flipped through a couple of pages before deciding that eating out was perfectly fine—running a business was entirely unnecessary.

She considered chatting, but she and the auntie had little in common. The auntie was a chatterbox, launching into endless stories about her neighbor’s sister-in-law’s marital woes. Nie Jiuluo had never been one for idle gossip, let alone the emotional sagas of complete strangers.

So whenever the auntie showed signs of rambling, Nie Jiuluo would gently close her eyes, feigning exhaustion with an expression that screamed I’m frail and desperately need rest . The auntie, adept at reading the room, would promptly fall silent and tiptoe out, leaving her to "recuperate" in peace.

During this time, she called Yan Tuo once, intending to ask about what had happened after the well house incident—though she could piece together some of it herself, he would know the full story. For instance, she had escaped, but what about Chen Fu and Han Guan? Where had they gone?

Unfortunately, the timing was bad. She called around eleven, only to find out he was in the middle of "tracking several dixiao ." After exchanging a few words, she hung up. Putting herself in his shoes, she knew she wouldn’t have the patience for phone calls in a tense situation either.

But waiting for Yan Tuo’s confirmation of safety took forever. Having narrowly escaped death at the hands of a dixiao herself, she knew how dangerous they were. The longer the wait, the more anxious she became, her mind conjuring up images of Yan Tuo’s demise—throat slit, shot, mauled, torn apart, buried.

When the text "I’m back, safe" finally arrived, she exhaled deeply, her body giving out as she sank back into sleep. Just before drifting off, a pang of guilt flickered through her—Yan Tuo was perfectly fine, yet in her mind, he had died in eighty different ways.

She slept straight through until the next afternoon.

Her phone was no longer by the pillow—likely taken by Liu Changxi—but a few new items had appeared, probably meant to keep her entertained.

A deck of playing cards—was this a joke? Was she supposed to play solitaire?

A Great Hero Escapes the Demon’s Lair board game, technically a two-player game but passable for solo play. It was clearly a knockoff, mimicking the design but with a slapped-together storyline.

And two small cloth sandbags.

All relics of pastimes from a bygone era, perfectly matching Liu Changxi’s age and temperament.

The sun was at its brightest, just before beginning to fade. Lying in bed, Nie Jiuluo watched the sunlight illuminate the sheer curtains, sighed softly, then tapped the headboard to summon the auntie.

Another day of arduous hygiene routines and boredom awaited her.After washing up, Nie Jiuluo drank half a bowl of bone broth and ate two steamed taro cakes. When the housekeeper came to clear the dishes, she asked for leave, explaining she had some family matters to attend to and had already informed Liu Changxi—she wouldn’t be staying overnight.

Nie Jiuluo hesitated but nodded. It couldn’t be helped. Her nighttime needs were minimal anyway, though she was slightly worried about how she’d manage if she needed to use the bathroom.

The housekeeper seemed to read her mind. "Miss Nie, you could ask Old Liu to help you to the door, or you could just lean against the wall and walk slowly. As long as you don’t strain your wound, it’ll be fine. Women who’ve just given birth are walking around the next day—a few steps won’t hurt."

Fine.

After the housekeeper left, Nie Jiuluo lay bored in bed, tossing a beanbag to pass the time. At one point, she accidentally threw it off the bed and couldn’t reach it, so she had no choice but to lie there idly.

Around eight o’clock, Liu Changxi returned.

He was on the phone as he walked in. Nie Jiuluo heard him say, "No, she’s fine. The housekeeper said she’s eating better now…"

He must be talking about her—probably with Yan Tuo on the line. She pricked up her ears.

"Yeah, that’s right. The housekeeper washed her hair yesterday. Girls like to stay clean, you know."

"Exactly. You can tell she’s pretty bored here. Oh, right, right…"

By then, Liu Changxi had entered the room. Seeing her awake, he brightened. "Hey, Xiao Tuo, Miss Nie’s up. Want to say a few words?"

Nie Jiuluo naturally reached out to take the phone.

But just as Liu Changxi was about to hand it over, he paused, then looked at her awkwardly. "He… hung up."

Hung up?

She still had things to ask him.

Besides, how busy could he be? He had time to chat with Liu Changxi but not even a moment to greet her?

Her outstretched hand slowly curled back. She forced a polite smile. "Guess he’s busy."

But inwardly, she couldn’t shake the discomfort. Back when he was begging her for information, he hadn’t been like this. Now that he’d saved her and gotten what he wanted, was he just brushing her off?

After a pause, she asked Liu Changxi, "What did he say just now?"

Liu Changxi replied, "Same as the past couple of days—asked how you’re recovering, if you’re eating well…"

Nie Jiuluo cut in, "No, I mean when you said I was bored here. What did he say?"

Oh, that. Liu Changxi thought back, trying to recall word for word. "Xiao Tuo said, 'She’s an adult. If she’s bored, she should learn to deal with it.'"

Nie Jiuluo: "…"

Not wrong in principle, but it didn’t sit right with her.

She hummed in acknowledgment, then said, "I’ll sleep now."

She claimed she’d sleep, but after napping so much during the day, she couldn’t drift off right away.

Nie Jiuluo thought about Jiang Baichuan and Xing Shen’s side—they were probably in deep trouble. But what could she do? She’d barely clawed her way back from death’s door. She was in no state to help or lend any strength.

An indeterminate amount of time passed, her thoughts tangled, when she heard the door open outside. Then came Liu Changxi’s surprised, delighted voice: "You’re here?"

Who?

A familiar voice answered, "It’s been a few days since I dropped her off. Thought I’d check in."

Yan Tuo? If he was arriving this late, had he been on the highway when he called earlier?

Liu Changxi: "You’re a bit late. She went to bed early tonight."

Yan Tuo: "Doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving tonight anyway—it’s too late."After a while, the bedroom door opened. The movement was so light that she didn’t even hear the hinges, only noticing the living room light slowly seeping in. Nie Jiuluo didn’t know what she was thinking—instinctively, she turned slightly inward and closed her eyes.

Liu Changxi’s voice was hushed: “See? She’s asleep.”

Yan Tuo didn’t respond. After a moment, he walked in and stopped by the bed.

What was going on? Nie Jiuluo thought she was playing the part of a sleeper perfectly—even her hand resting on the side of the bed hadn’t moved a muscle. What could he possibly see?

After a pause, Yan Tuo said, “She’s not asleep.”

Nie Jiuluo sighed inwardly and had no choice but to turn over, lying flat with obvious reluctance, casting a sidelong glance at Yan Tuo.

Yan Tuo looked down at her. The room was dark, but light from outside illuminated one side of his body, creating a stark contrast between light and shadow that made his presence feel particularly imposing.

Nie Jiuluo kept her expression blank and muttered, “So annoying.”

The lights in the room flicked back on.

Liu Changxi was the busiest, bringing in tea and sliced apples. Yan Tuo pulled a chair to the bedside and set down the paper bag he’d brought. “Uncle Changxi, don’t trouble yourself. I’d like to talk with Miss Nie for a bit.”

Liu Changxi nodded eagerly, lingering for a moment before realizing this “talk” didn’t include him. He quickly retreated, even closing the door behind him.

With Liu Changxi gone, the room fell quiet. Nie Jiuluo lay on the bed, eyes downcast, silent. She wasn’t quite used to the shift in her dynamic with Yan Tuo yet—before, she had always been somewhat haughty and domineering. Now that he’d saved her life, acting high and mighty would make her seem ungrateful.

But switching to effusive gratitude right away felt… too much.

And should she thank him? Right off the bat? Would that seem too deliberate?

Yan Tuo hadn’t found the right opening either. He glanced around the room, his gaze settling on the small cot set up in the corner. “Is that for the night nurse?”

Nie Jiuluo gave a noncommittal hum.

“Uncle Changxi mentioned you’ve been pretty bored here?”

Good. If this was the topic, she could work with it.

Nie Jiuluo replied coolly, “Boredom is something adults deal with. Small potatoes.”

Yan Tuo said, “I brought you something to pass the time on the way here. But it seems you don’t need it?”

What could it be? Nie Jiuluo turned her head to look at him.

Yan Tuo leaned down and pulled out a stack of books from the bag.

Nie Jiuluo had planned to play it cool, maybe brush it off with an excuse about reading being too taxing. But her eyes skimmed over the spines—and stuck.

Practical Techniques of Sculpture , Elements of Sculpture , Folk Dough Figurines , The Sculptor’s Handbook …

She couldn’t help it—she laughed.

Yan Tuo had seen her smile many times, but those were always social gestures, each carrying a meaning—a hint, a jab, a veiled threat. He’d never seen her laugh like this, so unguarded.

Perhaps the most genuine smiles were the most disarming. All the others, no matter how polished or perfectly timed, were just expressions painted on the surface.

Nie Jiuluo reached out and tapped two of the books. “I already have these.”

Yan Tuo said, “I figured since you’re stuck here anyway, might as well brush up on your craft. No sense wasting time. I flipped through them—lots of pictures, so it won’t strain your eyes.”Nie Jiuluo nodded, watching as he stacked the books by the bedside, and asked, "Did you clean up the machine room?"

"I did."

"Then... did you see my knife?"

Yan Tuo looked up at her, his words laced with meaning: "The Mad Knife?"

Nie Jiuluo met his gaze. After a moment, she said, "I want to sit up to talk."

He was seated, while she was lying down—uncomfortable, and having to look up at him made her feel somewhat at a disadvantage in terms of presence.

Yan Tuo: "Can you sit up now?"

"I can."

"Will it hurt?"

"Just go slowly."

Yan Tuo nodded, stood up, and approached the bed. He bent down, slipping one hand under the blanket and quickly finding her waist. "Lift a little."

Nie Jiuluo exhaled softly, shifting slightly. After hesitating for a few seconds, her right arm circled Yan Tuo's neck. His hand slid behind her waist, supporting her on the other side, his taut arm bracing her lower back as he slowly exerted force, leaning back while pulling a nearby pillow to prop behind her.

Considering her injuries, Yan Tuo had tried to be as gentle as possible, but Nie Jiuluo still winced in pain midway, sucking in a sharp breath and lowering her head to rest against the crook of his neck.

Yan Tuo immediately stopped. When he looked down, his chin brushed against the top of her head, and a few loose strands of her hair, stirred by her slightly damp exhales, tickled his neck—light, warm, and faintly itchy.

After a pause, she said, "Alright."

Yan Tuo steadied himself, adjusted the pillow firmly behind her, then let go and returned to his chair.

Nie Jiuluo took a moment to recover, pulling the blanket back over herself. "It’s the Mad Knife. Is it... still there?"

"Yes, your phone is too. I’ll give them to you later. Also, before turning off your phone, I replied to a few urgent messages for you. Since you’ll be 'disappearing' for a while, I thought it’d be better to let people know. Otherwise, if your friends or family reported you missing, it could cause unnecessary trouble."

That sounded reasonable. Nie Jiuluo asked, "Who messaged?"

"A Sister Lu asked when you’d be back. I replied that you’d be out gathering inspiration for a while."

That was fine. Nie Jiuluo pressed, "Anyone else?"

"Someone named Lao Cai asked when you’d arrange the blind date. Said the other party had been pushing for it several times."

Blind date? It took Nie Jiuluo a while to recall. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a blind date—just a gathering Lao Cai had set up for her to meet someone who admired her work...

Well, no point explaining now. Nie Jiuluo gave a vague acknowledgment.

"I replied that you had urgent matters and would be delayed for a while, and that you’d contact him after things settled." Here, he glanced at Nie Jiuluo. "I hope that reply didn’t interfere with your... plans? Lao Cai also asked if you could add the person as a friend first, but I declined. Chatting isn’t my strong suit. I figured if they’re truly interested, waiting a few days shouldn’t be a problem. If they can’t even wait that long, then it’s not worth meeting, right?"