Chen Xi sat at the table drawing.

Four days had passed since she last saw Qin Lie at the hospital, yet she still hadn’t finalized the sketch for the third character.

She rarely drew male characters.

Already not particularly skilled at it, and wanting to impress Qin Lie, she found herself increasingly uncertain about how to draw.

She twirled the carbon pencil in her hand and looked up toward the window.

Afternoon sunlight filled the courtyard.

Her aunt Chen Mei had come and was making pickled vegetable soup with Fan Mingsu under the shade of the grape arbor.

Chen Xi tore up the half-finished sketch, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the wastebasket.

She simply threw down her pen, stood up, and wandered outside.

In the northwest spring, temperatures rose day by day.

Both Chen Mei and Chen Xi wore short sleeves, while Fan Mingsu had also changed to lighter clothing, still wearing a windbreaker vest over it.

Chen Xi walked under the grape arbor.

She casually picked up a goat’s milk fruit, and when she broke it open, thick milky white juice flowed out. Taking a bite, the taste was refreshingly sweet.

This was the fruit of a vine plant that Chen Mei had picked from the fence of her vineyard.

Every year at this time, she would pick many goat’s milk fruits to bring to Fan Mingsu—they were perfect for making pickled vegetable soup.

Chen Mei had heard from Fan Mingsu about Chen Xi quitting her job.

She asked worriedly, “Did you think it through before quitting? You’re still young—what will you do in the future?”

Chen Xi stretched her stiff shoulders and neck, saying casually, “Repair cars.”

Chen Mei truly didn’t understand, but she had always been good-tempered and didn’t like to lecture people.

She only asked with concern, “Then won’t all those years of education be wasted?”

Chen Xi smiled and said, “How could they be wasted? Going to university wasn’t just about sitting in an office.”

Chen Mei thought about it and sighed softly, “That’s true. Education is about living with understanding.”

Her casual remark struck Fan Mingsu like a thorn.

Fan Mingsu broke celery stalks and said leisurely, “Of my three children, I delayed you the most.”

Chen Mei was her first child.

Back then, she and Chen Mei’s father were out in the Gobi Desert working on wind and sand control, treating each fragile little sapling as more precious than their child.

Chen Mei was raised like a free-range sheep, didn’t get much education, but was remarkably sensible, learning to cook before she turned ten.

Every evening when Fan Mingsu and her husband returned home covered in sand and dust, exhausted and hungry, there was always a hot meal waiting on the table.

Fan Mingsu felt the person she owed most in this lifetime was this child.

Chen Mei put the goat’s milk fruits, celery, and cabbage into an old earthenware jar, poured in cooled noodle broth, and finally added a bit of old pickle brine.

She covered it with a lid and smiled, “What’s there to regret? I’m living quite well now.”

Chen Xi stayed in the courtyard for a while, then went up to the roof to collect the raisins that had been drying since early morning.

She lowered the raisins down with a rope, then sat on the eaves.

A flock of pigeons flew overhead with a whooshing sound.

Looking around, there were quite small courtyards in all directions, each with a grape arbor.

Grandpa Guan’s house still had red peppers drying on the roof that hadn’t been collected, while another house had steamed buns and sweet potato strips drying on its roof.

Not far away, a residential complex had been built.

Perhaps in a few years, this quiet area of small courtyards would also be developed into commercial housing.

This was what Chen Xi least wanted to see happen.

Her phone’s WeChat notification sounded.

Chen Xi looked down—it was from Qin Lie.

“How’s the third character coming along?”

Chen Xi stared at the screen, not replying for a long time.

After a while, Qin Lie sent a second message.

“Having difficulties?”

Chen Xi stared at the screen for a moment, then replied with two words: “No.”

She climbed down the ladder and returned to her room to sit at the desk again.

Another fruitless day.

In the evening, Bai Yuning called, reminding her not to keep her head down drawing all the time, warning about potential neck problems.

He had gone to Jiuquan for a conference today and wouldn’t return until the day after tomorrow.

They had only been apart for one day, yet were already being affectionate on the phone, with him asking if Chen Xi missed him.

Chen Xi smiled and said, “Why are you being so mushy?”

Bai Yuning’s call didn’t improve her mood.

After hanging up, she leaned back tiredly in her chair, looking at the sketch she had just finished.

This was only the third character, and she already felt overwhelmed.

If she had to make ten characters, each one stunning, it seemed much more difficult than she had imagined.

Chen Xi suddenly lost confidence.

Unconsciously, she picked up her phone and found the number of the landlord in Qili Town.

Although the location of the Qili Town venue was far inferior to the VR arcade, after searching for so long, besides the VR arcade, only that place was somewhat suitable.

If she couldn’t get the VR arcade, she had to secure the Qili Town venue.

She called the landlord, but he didn’t answer.

Chen Xi stared at the darkened phone screen, suddenly stood up, grabbed her jacket, and left.

She rode her motorcycle at full speed to near the experience center and took off her helmet.

Standing in the evening wind, she silently gazed at the VR arcade standing quietly in the Gobi Desert, feeling dejected.

Chen Xi still wasn’t willing to give up.

This experience center had such a great location, and now knowing it was owned by someone she knew, it could be negotiated, could be fought for.

The opportunity seemed right in front of her, yet somehow remained just out of reach.

She bent over and leaned on the motorcycle handlebars, her long hair flying in the wind, staring longingly at the experience center.

The wind from the Gobi whistled past her ears.

Chen Xi was lost in thought, completely unaware of the sound of wheels crushing gravel not far behind her.

Until a shadow fell over her and a low male voice sounded in her ear: “What are you doing here?”

Chen Xi looked up to see Qin Lie wearing a black baseball cap standing in front of her.

The gauze that had been wrapped around Qin Lie’s head was removed, leaving only a small piece mostly hidden by the brim of his cap. The injuries on his forehead and cheekbones had darkened, adding an even more unapproachable coldness to his entire presence.

Chen Xi sat up. “Nothing.”

She didn’t particularly want to talk to anyone, just silently looked at the experience center in the distance.

Qin Lie also turned to look at the experience center.

Wind passed between the two of them, making a hunting sound.

Qin Lie took out cigarettes and asked Chen Xi, “May I?”

Chen Xi nodded and reached out to him, “Give me one.”

The wind was strong, and it took several tries for the lighter to spark.

Qin Lie cupped the flickering flame with one hand and lowered his head to light the cigarette in his mouth.

Chen Xi held her cigarette and leaned over to light it.

She brushed the messy hair from her face and exhaled smoke toward the sky, as if trying to release all the frustration in her heart.

Qin Lie smoked half his cigarette in silence, noticing Chen Xi kept looking at the VR arcade.

He suddenly smiled and hit a sore spot: “Envious? If you’re envious, draw well for me.”

Chen Xi held the cigarette between her slender fingers and turned to look at him.

The sunset had infinite warmth, and even being blown through by cold wind couldn’t diminish its warmth.

But the light couldn’t warm his cold, hard features, and those pitch-black pupils held a pool of icy stagnant water.

She exhaled smoke and said calmly, “You haven’t promised me yet that half of this place will be mine if I finish the drawings.”

Qin Lie still wouldn’t give an inch: “First show me the third character.”

He hit right at the source of her frustration.

She lowered her head and took another drag.

Her phone suddenly rang.

Chen Xi pulled out her phone to answer, frowning as Qin Zhan’s urgent, loud voice startled her.

“Sister Xi, this is bad—someone’s moving stuff into that Qili Town venue—”

“I asked around and found out the landlord rented the place out. You better come take a look.”

Chen Xi’s eyelid twitched twice, and her voice unconsciously changed: “Rented out so quickly?”

Qin Zhan said, “Yeah, that landlord has no integrity—why didn’t he tell us?”

Chen Xi said, “I’ll be right there.”

She ground out her cigarette butt, put on her helmet, and said to Qin Lie, “I have something to handle. I’m leaving first.”

Qin Lie could see she was anxious and upset: “Need help?”

Chen Xi started her motorcycle and looked at him heavily from under her helmet.

“Yes. Give me half of the VR arcade.”

She left with those words, kicked the throttle, and sped away like lightning.

Chen Xi rushed to the Qili Town venue in a hurry.

As soon as she entered, she saw Qin Zhan’s red jeep blocking the gate, preventing people from moving things inside.

Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang stood in front of the car, arguing heatedly with the landlord, their faces red with anger.

Chen Xi walked up to them.

She pulled back Qin Zhan, who looked ready to start a fight, and addressed the landlord in a stern voice.

“Brother Zhao, what’s going on?”

Landlord Old Zhao had already fallen out with Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang.

He said to Chen Xi irritably, “Can’t you see for yourself? I rented out my venue. What are you all making trouble for?”

Chen Xi suppressed her anger and said reasonably, “Brother Zhao, we’ve been negotiating the rental contract all along. You rented it to someone else without even giving us a heads up—that’s not right.”

Old Zhao said, “What’s wrong with it? It’s my property. I can rent to whoever I want.”

Chen Xi said, “We haven’t settled on the price yet. If you want to raise it, we’re not unwilling to accept that.”

“How much is the other party paying? Can’t we offer a bit more than them?”

Old Zhao waved at her irritably, “Where were you earlier? Always dragging your feet, never able to make a decision.”

“I’ve already signed the contract, and they’ve brought their stuff right to the door. What do you expect me to do?”

Chen Xi said, “If you were going to rent to someone else, you should have at least given us a heads up.”

Old Zhao said, “Go on, get out of here. Stop blocking the way. It’s already rented out—what’s left to discuss?”

He tried to separate everyone and impatiently pushed Chen Xi.

Chen Xi staggered back a step. Before she could steady herself, she was knocked aside by two people who suddenly charged out from behind her.

Qin Zhan: “You fucking—”

Liu Boyang: “Who are you pushing?”

Before Chen Xi could stop them, the two lit fuses had already pounced forward.

Northwesterners’ tempers ignited at the slightest spark, and the two groups were immediately fighting.

Chen Xi rushed between them and took a couple of hits, but couldn’t separate them.

Seeing that the other side had twice as many people, Chen Xi worried that Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang would be at a disadvantage and joined the melee.

…

Qin Lie was driving when he received Qin Zhan’s call.

“Pick you up from where?”

He asked incredulously.

“Qili Town police station. Ouch, it’s nothing, Sister Xi—this little injury is nothing.”

Qin Lie listened without saying a word.

After some commotion on the other end, Qin Zhan’s voice came through again: “Bro, you absolutely can’t tell Mom and Dad.”

Qin Lie was completely speechless.

In less than half a month, this kid had been to the police station twice.

He turned around and headed toward the Qili Town police station.

When he arrived.

Qin Lie pushed open the police station door with a cold expression, just meeting Chen Xi’s eyes as she looked over at the sound.

Their cool gazes met, and Qin Lie was suddenly stunned, as if burned.

Both froze for a moment, then simultaneously looked away with expressions that were hard to describe.

On the way home with Qin Zhan.

Qin Lie asked him, “You guys were fighting—how did you let a woman get hurt along with you?”

Qin Zhan used a can of cola from the car’s mini-fridge to ice the bruise on his face.

He said glumly, “Don’t even mention it. That idiot Old Zhao was about to smash Boyang’s head with half a brick.”

“If Sister Xi hadn’t pushed Old Zhao away, Boyang’s head would have split open.”

Qin Lie drove silently, looking ahead.

After a while, he said flatly, “Is it worth it for a broken venue?”

Qin Zhan suddenly sat up straight and said stubbornly, “How is it not worth it? She’s had her eye on that place for a long time. Besides the VR arcade, only that place is suitable.”

Qin Lie drove in silence, saying nothing more.