The tsampa balls the herders carried on them were limited after all. Ba Yunye paid with a large bill and took nearly all of them, dividing them among everyone — each person received a ball roughly the size of a ping-pong ball.

The tsampa sold to tourists in Lhasa is mixed with large amounts of dried cheese curds and white sugar, its flavor adjusted for modern palates, yet some people still couldn’t get used to it and would fart nonstop afterward — a rapid-fire crackling, like someone rattling out a quick-beat rhythm on clappers. Ba Yunye herself didn’t particularly like the stuff, let alone now, when the tsampa balls in her hand were of the most “primitive and authentic” Tibetan variety. But this was no time to be picky. She didn’t bother washing her hands — she kneaded it a few times with her left hand, pinched off a piece with her right, and tossed it into her mouth. The texture of the highland barley was dry and coarse. Without the softening of butter tea, it would normally be very hard to swallow for the uninitiated — but perhaps because she was ravenously hungry, she actually tasted something faintly reminiscent of soy milk. That aroma reminded her of the fragrance on the lid of a gongfu tea set when she was steeping leaves called White Bud Qilan, a type of tea brought by a Fujian guest.

Before noon, the vehicles arrived at the buffer-zone grasslands of Qiang Tang. Regrettably, they hadn’t encountered Ye Xun anywhere along the way — no one knew whether he had already made it out, or had gotten lost somewhere. Ahead, several tents were dimly visible, and even an old pickup truck could be seen crawling slowly past.

In front of them lay an irregular riverbed. Ba Yunye’s mood grew increasingly relaxed. She picked up the walkie-talkie and said, “This is the Tuotuo River. Let’s follow it.”

The Tuotuo River originates from the Jianggendiru Glacier. In ancient times it was called the “River That Reaches the Heavens.” It marks the boundary between Hoh Xil and the source of the Yangtze River — the western source of the Yangtze. The vehicles drove along the road beside the Tuotuo River toward Maqu Township. There was only this one road between the uninhabited zone and Maqu Township. All along the way, there was still no sign of Ye Xun or the pickup truck he had driven off. Everyone felt a quiet unease.

Maqu Township had a population of barely over a thousand. Though it bore the name of a township, it was more like a nomadic tribe, under the administration of Amdo County in the Naqu region — yet its actual location fell within Qinghai Province, so remote that even travel journals rarely mentioned it. The county government of Amdo County was still more than 300 kilometers from Maqu Township. For the rescue team, it was the first place with genuine signs of life they entered after successfully crossing the Qiang Tang uninhabited zone.

After the township government reviewed the Beidou Rescue Team’s letters of introduction and credentials, they received them warmly. Diao Zhuo asked about Ye Xun, and a staff member named Sangzhu Zhuoma said that no outsiders had come to the township government seeking help in the past few days. To be safe, Sangzhu Zhuoma contacted the local police, who also said they had not seen Ye Xun and knew nothing of the discovery of a body believed to be Zou Kaigui’s.

Sangzhu Zhuoma speculated, “Is it possible he didn’t stop here at all and went directly to the county government — or even to Golmud or Lhasa?”

The police officer said, “Stay here for now. I’ll ask around and see if anyone has seen this person called Ye Xun. Oh — write down his ID number and license plate number for me.”

There are many checkpoints along the roads into Tibet. After entering Tibet, travelers frequently encounter checks of their ID cards and driver’s licenses. If Ye Xun had driven straight from Qiang Tang to Amdo County government or toward Lhasa, he would certainly have been stopped by armed police or officers checking for identification.

Ba Yunye carefully washed her face and hands with hot water and immediately felt refreshed and clear-headed. Knowing she’d be able to shower soon made her more excited than winning the lottery. Water splashed onto her ear — a sharp sting. She looked at herself seriously in the mirror and let out a sigh. Despite how well she had covered up, her ear cartilage had inevitably been sunburned. The scorched color of the burn was more disheartening than the pain itself.

Walking out of the restroom, Ba Yunye saw everyone already eating flatbreads, one in each hand. “Ha — how dare you start without me!” She laughed and walked over, grabbing a flatbread and stuffing it into her mouth too. She glanced around — but Diao Zhuo was nowhere to be seen.

Xiang’an poured her a cup of sweet tea. “Master Ba, without you on this trip, we’d have been in real trouble.”

Ba Yunye laughed it off and took a big sip of the sweet tea. It had a smooth, mild flavor, somewhat like Assam milk tea but lighter. She raised her eyes and looked him up and down. “I’ve noticed everyone has gotten a shade darker — except you, you fair-skinned little thing. How do you manage to stay so pale from start to finish?”

“I just don’t tan. Always been like this since I was born.” Xiang’an answered honestly. “During military training in my first year of university, I peeled a whole layer of skin — and came out even paler than before.”

She waved her fist, cheeks puffed out with flatbread, mumbling indistinctly: “Makes me want to beat the daylights out of people like you who were born unable to tan.”

At that moment, Diao Zhuo walked in from outside with two police officers. They had apparently been discussing what the team had witnessed in the uninhabited zone. The two officers mentioned that the matter had been reported to the county public security bureau. The illegal off-road convoy that had last been seen with Zou Kaigui would be difficult to track down, but they wouldn’t be allowed to simply get away with it.

After Diao Zhuo sat down, his expression grew grave. “The Amdo County Public Security Bureau also says no one has seen Ye Xun. As for Zou Kaigui’s situation, nothing has surfaced publicly yet.”

“Is Ye Xun holding off until he reaches Lhasa before going public? Or…” Ba Yunye propped her chin on her hand, blinked, and said, “He hasn’t made it out of Qiang Tang yet.”

That last sentence made everyone’s hair stand on end.

They had kept their eyes open and checked everywhere along the way — and hadn’t seen that pickup truck at all.

Da Qin furrowed his brow and muttered, “He had a GPS and a Beidou box, plus plenty of food and fuel — how could he possibly not have made it out…”

River Horse asked, “Could he have taken a shortcut to Sewu Township?”

The officer said, “There’s been no word from Sewu Township either.”

River Horse stared blankly, mouth half open. He finally slapped his thigh. “Damn it! Don’t tell me Zou Kaigui has been found and now Ye Xun has gone missing!”

Everyone instinctively looked toward Ba Yunye, who had been sitting quite quietly. She was calmly chewing her flatbread with a small side of pickled vegetables, listening to it all as if it were a story being told to her. Noticing all eyes on her, she had no intention of putting down her chopsticks. Instead, she said with cold matter-of-factness:

“He damn well should have thought about this day when he slipped us the drugs.”

She was only a guide hired by the rescue team — her job was to get them safely out of Qiang Tang, and that task was done. Deep down, she had no desire whatsoever to get involved in whether Ye Xun had gone to Amdo County or Lhasa. He had drugged her, abandoned the group without permission — even if he died, it was no responsibility of hers.

“Enough of that — let’s eat!” Ba Yunye said, clearly displeased.

That afternoon, news trickled in from various directions. Xiao Zi had returned safely to Lhasa, was emotionally and mentally stable, had booked a flight, and was about to head home. Lao Jin, Baldy, and the others were suspected of intentional homicide and illegal hunting of endangered wildlife, and had been handed over to the public security authorities for processing. The carcasses of the Tibetan antelopes that had collapsed by the lake were also sent by conservation team members for examination. The results confirmed abnormal deaths — some had died of sudden cardiac arrest from high-speed running, others had suffered fatal internal hemorrhaging from violent collisions. It was determined to be human-caused.

This meant the illegal off-road convoy that Zou Kaigui had encountered bore enormous criminal suspicion, and a criminal case had been formally opened.

The lodging conditions weren’t great — a single dim bathroom on the first floor, fitted with an old yellowing Haier water heater, probably a model from over a decade ago. It heated just enough water for one person to bathe, and one had to move quickly; otherwise the second half of the shower would be cold water. Ba Yunye went first, and felt all the filth of her journey gurgling away with the water. The toiletries in the bathroom were some unknown brand — after washing up, her whole body smelled faintly of cheap fragrance.

But it was still refreshing.

As she stepped out, she ran into Diao Zhuo standing outside smoking. Seeing her emerge, he picked up a bag of fresh clothes and headed toward the bathroom.

Men don’t make a big deal of these things — he’d shower fast, and there were still several people waiting behind him.

“You dropped your soap.”

Diao Zhuo turned around. Ba Yunye stood there with her half-wet hair hanging loose over her shoulders, her striking brows still carrying a soft, dewy moisture. Her features were sharply defined, her almond-shaped eyes clear and bright — black and white in perfect contrast. Perhaps because she’d eaten and drunk her fill, her eyes were brighter than they’d been these past few days, and even more striking.

“I’d have to bend down to pick up the soap. What good would you be, being a woman.” He casually stubbed out his cigarette and let his gaze travel from her legs all the way up to the top of her head. She was quite tall — but standing straight, the top of her head barely reached his chin—

“Besides, could you even reach?”

Ba Yunye felt the distinct sting of an insult delivered by this utterly dense man regarding their height difference. She shot him a fierce glare. He strolled into the bathroom without a care.

“Get your ass down on the floor and pick it up yourself — then we’ll see if I can reach!” She slammed a fist against the bathroom door. The wooden door rang out with a loud thud. She’d lost count of how many times she’d traded barbs with him through this door.

“Come talk to me when you can make me get down on the floor.”

Ba Yunye planted one hand on her hip and pointed at the closed door — suddenly channeling the spirit of someone utterly unhinged. “Open the door! Open the door! If you’re so brave, open the door! Let’s fight! We’ll see who ends up on the floor!”

“Whoosh—” The door was actually pulled open by Diao Zhuo.

Ba Yunye was caught off guard and instinctively took a step back.

A few rooms away, the rest of the rescue team had been crammed together playing cards. Hearing the commotion, they stacked themselves up like a human totem pole at the doorway. River Horse whispered, “Is Master Ba really about to kick down the bathroom door?”

“Looks like Diao’s reputation for integrity is about to take a hit tonight…” Da Qin said, barely containing his excitement.

River Horse scratched the back of his head. “Am I the only one who feels like these two might actually come to blows?”

“A fight? No way!” everyone chimed in.

“Why not?”

The chorus came back as one: “Diao Zhuo doesn’t hit women!”

“Come in, if you’ve got the guts.” Diao Zhuo leaned one hand against the doorframe and fixed her with a steady, pressing stare.

Ba Yunye looked at Diao Zhuo, who stood there with nothing on his lower half but a bath towel. She felt a surge of heat shoot straight from the soles of her feet to her brain. The veins at her temples throbbed once, twice — and her scalp went slightly numb along with them.

He gave a contemptuous smile. “Fine — forget it, if you don’t dare.” With that, he raised his hand to close the door.

I don’t dare?

Just as the door was about to shut, Ba Yunye kicked it wide open and strode right in.

In the amber glow of the dim light, his bare upper body was lean and chiseled — abdominals clearly defined, the V-line sharp and unmistakable. Contrary to the slim, boyish look so fashionable these days, his solid frame radiated the raw, primal appeal of a mature man. He met her gaze without flinching, not giving an inch — in fact, there was a domineering, almost invasive edge to his presence. That kind of bearing was the same as when Ba Yunye had first laid eyes on him, and if anything, it had only grown stronger.

Her throat went dry. She swallowed involuntarily — as if confronted with a full imperial banquet spread before her. She, who had always considered herself fearless, suddenly felt the faint urge to back down. She pressed her lips together, was just about to make a joke to break the tension — when he abruptly seized her and pressed her entire body against the wall.

He had apparently been holding back for a very long time. Now, all of it came pouring out at once. Who told you to tease me the whole way?

The onlookers outside were jostling and shoving, crowding toward the bathroom door. The person at the very front got shoved by the one behind and half of their body slammed against the door, producing a tremendous crash. Everyone yelped and scattered in every direction.

Ba Yunye snapped back to her senses. From the sound of that commotion, it was clear there was quite an audience outside eavesdropping — she had no interest in putting on a live broadcast. She patted his shoulder; he released her. She took two steadying breaths, straightened the clothing he had rumpled, raised an eyebrow, and said, “… Let’s not hold up the others from bathing.”

Diao Zhuo opened the door for her. She walked out quickly and retreated to her room.

“Damn it, Master Ba chickened out. It’s all your fault for making such a racket!” River Horse ground his teeth, looking utterly crestfallen. Still, even so, he felt reassured that his first impression hadn’t been wrong — over all these years, the only ones who could keep Ba Yunye in check, besides Long Ge, was Diao Zhuo. No third person came to mind.

Everyone’s enthusiasm for eavesdropping was thoroughly doused. They sulked back to their cards.

Once everyone had taken turns bathing, it was already dusk. Ba Yunye called Long Ge and learned he had just returned to Lhasa from Zou Kaigui’s hometown of Kanxia Town. She relayed the story of how Ye Xun had drugged them and slipped away alone. Long Ge — a man who prized loyalty above all — responded with exactly the contempt she expected, saying simply, “Birds of a feather.”

Ba Yunye listened as Long Ge recounted what he had seen in Kanxia Town, and felt equally disgusted. “I’m starting to think Zou Xiaowen was done away with by her own father long ago. Otherwise, how could Zou Kaigui be so certain he’d never find her in this lifetime — and still feel free enough to go gallivanting all over the world looking for her?”

“Get your business wrapped up there and come back soon.” Long Ge wasn’t particularly interested in whether Ye Xun lived or died. He had recently set his sights on an old Naxi-style courtyard in Lijiang — the yard had several crabapple trees in it, and he wanted to convert it into a guesthouse. He’d already thought of a name: Haitang Yin, or “The Crabapple Chant.” He wanted Ba Yunye to head over and take a look, and while she was at it, find a manager and a few service staff.

Ba Yunye agreed, then hung up as she heard the rescue team members walking by, discussing the police’s feedback. Word was, whether from the direction of Lhasa, Golmud, or the checkpoints in the Naqu region — not a single person had reported seeing Ye Xun.

Ye Xun was very likely still stranded somewhere in Qiang Tang.

If that was the case, he was in grave danger. Every passing minute and second carried a crisis capable of claiming his life.

Diao Zhuo made the call without hesitation. “We go back. We find Ye Xun.”

Sangzhu Zhuoma quickly reported the development up the chain. The Amdo County government responded that it would contact local public security, medical personnel, and the garrison to jointly participate in the search and rescue, and would provide all necessary supplies.

Maqu Township had many herders who were intimately familiar with the buffer grassland zone of Qiang Tang and the edges of the uninhabited zone. Sangzhu Zhuoma even arranged for two of them to serve as guides. With that in place, Ba Yunye was effectively free — she could go or not go. Going would really just mean burning extra fuel.

“Master Ba, come with us.” Xiang’an said hopefully.

“Yeah, come on!” Da Qin added.

Ba Yunye, in the middle of helping haul bottled water to the vehicles, hesitated a moment and didn’t immediately agree. She stood holding a water barrel, lost in thought.

Da Qin turned to Diao Zhuo for help, nodding toward Ba Yunye. Diao Zhuo walked over, took the barrel from her, tilted his head, and looked at her. “Don’t you still owe him a beating?”

Ba Yunye felt as if someone had stepped on her tail. “Damn it — I’m going!”