The Leading Stars

"Nоthing else, I'm hеаding bасk." Тhis placе wаsn't safe tо linger.

"Diaо Zhuо!"

"Саll mе Unсle." Hе didn't even turn his head.

"Are уоu going bаck tо thе mining аrеa?" Меng Хiао Ai rаn up and bloсkеd his pаth. "Look, I cаme all this wаy and dоn't knоw аnуоnе hеre. Your соlleаguеs sаid yоu're оff wоrk after rеturning frоm the fiеld. Why don't yоu show me arоund fоr а cоuple of dауs?"

Diаo Zhuо didn't аnswеr аnd wаlkеd straight tоwаrd the еlevаtor.

"Diaо Zhuo!" Меng Хiaо Аi сhаsed after him аnd grabbed his arm. "I asked аround and found оut you'rе not mаrriеd, no first оr second child—Master Ba lied to me. You saved me from the desert, and I'm grateful. Also! I... I realized I really like..."

"Master Ba?" Diao Zhuo repeated the name, a faint smile suddenly appearing in his eyes.

4:00 PM, Ranwu Lake, Tibet.

On the way back from the Renlongba Glacier, heavy snow fell again, covering both sides of the road. The towering mountains were completely blanketed in ice and snow, forming a stark contrast with the black asphalt. In the distance, Ranwu Lake was frozen with a thick layer of ice. Through the slightly thinner ice at the center of the lake, one could vaguely see the clear, emerald-green water beneath.

"When we came in autumn, the lake water was murky. After spring, when all the snow melts, water from the glaciers and snow-capped mountains flows into Ranwu. The water then... looks like jelly with blue-green dye added." Bayunye said while driving.

The three passengers in the car had been shivering and complaining about the cold during their hike at Renlongba and were still trembling now, barely paying attention to her introduction. They asked with chattering teeth, "Why is it so cold here..."

"Look around—there are tall snow-capped mountains everywhere. Even in October, you need an electric blanket at night to avoid waking up from the cold."

"Achoo!" One of the passengers sneezed loudly, clearly freezing.

"You guys are something else. You started hiking at ten and didn't get back to the starting point until three in the afternoon. You're the slowest group I've ever guided. If I went alone, I might even make it back in time for a meal." She teased with a smile, glancing subtly at the rearview mirror. The black Jeep Cherokee that had been following them since Lhasa was still there, disappearing around a bend two or three hundred meters away, only to reappear at the next curve.

Compared to the more famous Laigu Glacier nearby, Renlongba Glacier was located in a small uninhabited area, requiring a river crossing. After snowfall, the road became slippery and prone to getting stuck. Even during the National Day Golden Week, few people visited, let alone now. From morning until afternoon, theirs was the only vehicle heading in. With the freezing weather and the approaching Tibetan New Year, even the locals who usually charged tolls for passing vehicles were nowhere to be seen. The Jeep Cherokee had been following them since morning, clearly not a tourist vehicle.

The car stopped in front of a familiar hotpot restaurant. Bayunye, like a fussy mother, carried a thermos and poured hot water into disposable cups. Cold medicine gradually dissolved, turning each cup a coffee-like color, with faint wisps of steam rising. The three passengers, still freezing, teased each other while puffing their cheeks to cool the liquid in their cups, taking small sips.

"Drink up first. You absolutely must not catch a cold. I told the owner earlier to stew a chicken for you. Look—" She pointed toward the steaming kitchen. "The chicken is raised by them, stewed in a Motuo stone pot. You'll taste it later. If you want to add any other ingredients, just tell the owner yourselves. I... need to use the restroom."With that, Bayunye quickly entered the restroom and locked the door. There was a small window above the restroom, about half a person’s height. She leaped up nimbly, grabbed the ledge, and peeked out slightly. Three men had gotten out of the Jeep Cherokee and were staring in their direction for a long while before entering a Sichuan stir-fry restaurant across the street, taking seats by the window.

Bayunye climbed out through the window. It was a seamless, uninterrupted motion, as effortless as a child playing house.

She had already scoped out the area—the shop next to the restaurant was under renovation. She slipped inside, picked up two wooden planks, sawed them into shape, hammered two nails into them, then dashed out and crouched to place them under the rear wheels of the Cherokee. Moving to the front wheels, she pulled out a small knife hidden in her pocket and scraped the sidewall of the tire thin.

After finishing all this, the corners of her lips curled upward in a silent, cold smirk, revealing a hint of roguishness—dare to follow me, and you’ll pay the price! She retraced her steps, leaping and climbing with monkey-like agility, slipping back in through the restroom window, then casually rejoined the guests to eat and chat as if nothing had happened.

After eating haphazardly for a while, Bayunye finally remembered to check her phone, which had been without signal for hours. She saw a message from Diao Zhuo sent around noon, saying he had arrived and asking her to open the door.

She blinked, instinctively glancing outside. After a moment, she snapped back to reality, her mind seething with suspicion—Damn it, could this guy be cheating on me?!

An image flashed in her mind: Diao Zhuo with his back to her, embracing a woman who was also holding him, her fingers slender and tipped with red nail polish. Diao Zhuo kissed her neck, and she laughed. Bayunye couldn’t see her face, only her pursed crimson lips, delicate and tender... Bayunye’s mood plummeted, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her from head to toe. She wasn’t inexperienced in breakups and reconciliations, but one principle remained unchanged: both feet must stay on the same boat at the same time. If distant waters couldn’t quench a nearby fire, it was better to part ways amicably sooner rather than later.

As if sensing her thoughts, the phone rang the very next second.

Bayunye threw down her chopsticks, avoided the other guests, and walked to a corner before answering the call. Without waiting for him to speak, she fired off a rapid series of questions: “Did someone open the door for you? How’s it going now?” She glanced at her watch—over three hours had passed since his message. “Finished your business?”

“Where are you?” he asked, ignoring her questions.

“What’s it to you where I am?” she retorted irritably. “Where are you? Who did you ask to open the door? Did you accidentally send a hookup message to my phone?”

She was angry.

Diao Zhuo replied, “Besides you, who have I ever hooked up with?”

“Cut the crap, words mean nothing without proof,” Bayunye shot back, suppressing a surge of anger. She felt like a warrior ready to charge into battle, spear raised and aimed straight at the enemy. Just as she was about to launch her attack, he explained that Xiao Ai had gone to the worksite to find him. Stunned, she took a moment to process it. “—You couldn’t reach me, thought I was waiting for you in Kashgar, rushed all the way there, and then slunk back?”

“Drop those adjectives... I wasted over a hundred kilometers round trip for nothing.” Besides Diao Zhuo’s voice, the call carried the sounds of machinery and the scraping of rolling stones. It seemed that after his pointless detour, he had thrown himself back into work.

Bayunye was taken aback, her indignation gradually fading. “You... left her alone at the hotel?”

“Are you suggesting... I should’ve slept with her before leaving?”Bayunye couldn't help but imagine Diao Zhuo and Meng Xiaoai together... She felt a shiver run down her spine, her nose grew warm, and she nearly had a nosebleed. Pinching her nose, she said, "Well... I mean, if she goes to find you alone, I'm afraid something like going missing or losing contact might happen again. If the police come looking for you later, you, 'Master Diao,' will become famous nationwide."

He let out a soft snort. "Since I have no interest in her, staying longer or saying more would just be a waste of time for both of us."

"Did she cry?"

"Yes."

"And you?"

"I didn't cry."

What a pointless question! Bayunye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You really don't consider a girl's feelings."

"If I cared about her feelings, who would care about yours?"

Bayunye was at a loss for words. Deep down, she knew his approach, though harsh, was for the best—especially for her, without a doubt. Stumbling over her words, she said, "At least... treat her... treat her to a meal?"

"Did she come just to have a meal with me?" The straightforward, no-nonsense man spoke nothing but the truth.

Bayunye's mood lifted, and she couldn't resist teasing him. "True, after wasting over a hundred yuan on gas, treating her to a meal would be like wasting another hundred yuan on gas."

"You're responsible for compensating me."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"It does."

"Master Ba! If you don't come soon, we'll finish everything!" Several guests called out to her. She quickly replied, "Coming, coming!" and then brushed him off, saying, "It's just a hundred yuan. I'll send you a red packet later as a reward."

"Compensation? Hmph..." he said. "We'll discuss it in detail when we meet."

"..."

Bayunye pretended to cough to hide her embarrassment, hung up the phone, adjusted her expression, and put on a serious face as she returned to her seat. She pretended to pick at the food in her bowl, though she had no idea what she was eating. Her mind was entirely filled with the conversation she had just had with Diao Zhuo. Thinking about how he believed she was waiting for him at the hotel and drove straight to Kashgar, she couldn't help but lower her head and chuckle quietly.

"Master Ba, it's clearly winter outside..." one guest blinked and pointed at her, saying, "but looking at you, it seems like spring has arrived."

The second flat tire—Li Haozhang angrily slapped the steering wheel. "Damn that Bayunye!!"

After Bayunye drove away with her guests, their car had just left the restaurant when both rear tires went flat. Upon inspection, they found a nail in each side. By the time they found a place to repair the tires, it was already dark. Later, while navigating a curve on the mountain road, they had to slam on the brakes to avoid an oncoming car, causing the front tire to blow out as well. Another inspection revealed that the sidewall of one tire was unusually thin, not like normal wear and tear but clearly tampered with.

Even though several pairs of eyes had been watching, they hadn't seen her leave the restaurant after going in. When had she managed to pull this off? No one could say.

What other problems would the car face next? No one dared to predict.

Ruthless, absolutely fucking ruthless.

Only then did Li Haozhang deeply understand what He Zhengren meant by "don't treat Bayunye like an ordinary woman."

"Lost her?" He Zhengren's tone on the phone was calm, as if he had expected it all along.

"Sorry," Li Haozhang said shamefully. "We were discovered by her. She... really isn't an ordinary woman."

"Head straight to Lijiang and wait for her there. This time, you must stay hidden. The Spring Festival is approaching. Keep an eye on whether she returns to Pu'er. Hippo said she goes back once every year.""This year... those arrangements, as usual?"

"As usual," He Zhengren said. "All these years, why has Bayunye, with her temperament, endured the grievances from the 'bereaved families' who came knocking? Because she’s uncertain about whether her older sister was involved in an extramarital affair. The day she starts to resist will mean her mindset has changed, and we’ll need to give her more 'attention.'"

Li Haozhang nodded. "I understand."

"Brother Hao, should we... leave now?" the other two men in the car asked.

Li Haozhang waved his hand. "We won’t follow anymore. Let’s get the car fixed and head straight to Yunnan. Once we reach Lijiang, we’ll split into three groups. I’ll take care of some matters, and you two keep an eye on the two inns run by Renlong Duoji."