The train slowly pulled into the station in southern Yunnan.
The air was filled with humid heat and the faint scent of flowers.
As Bai Yanzhou and his group walked out of the station, they were immediately captivated by the unique atmosphere.
“The architecture here is so peculiar!” Bai Jimu curiously examined the colorful roofs outside the station. “Bro, look at the decorations on those eaves. Don’t they look like birds spreading their wings?”
Ming Shu transformed into human form and opened an oil-paper umbrella. “Finally, a place that’s interesting. This damp heat actually suits my fur.”
Bai Yanzhou looked at the excited pair with a smile. “Let’s find a place to stay first.”
They found a clean inn at the foot of the mountain.
The proprietress was a hospitable local woman wearing an embroidered apron, drying herbs in the courtyard.
“Are you folks from out of town?” the proprietress asked in accented Mandarin. “You came to the right place for tourism! But if you’re planning to go into the mountains, I suggest you reconsider.”
Bai Jimu asked curiously, “What’s wrong with the mountains?”
The proprietress lowered her voice. “I heard strange things happen deep inside. Several herb pickers never came back. We, locals, don’t dare go deep anymore.”
Ming Shu raised an eyebrow. “What kind of strange things?”
“Can’t say for sure…” The proprietress shook her head mysteriously. “Just that you can hear weird noises at night, and some people have seen huge shadows moving in the fog.”
After settling their luggage, the three had dinner in the inn’s small courtyard.
The proprietress prepared local specialties: mushroom hotpot and bamboo tube rice, the aroma filling the air.
“This is way too delicious!” Bai Jimu ate until his mouth was oily. “Bro, can we bring some mushrooms back when we leave?”
Ming Shu elegantly picked up a slice of termite mushroom. “The dumb dog knows how to eat, at least.”
Just as they were speaking, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and a tall man dressed in dark outdoor gear walked in.
A black cat sat on his shoulder, its golden pupils striking in the twilight.
“Proprietress, do you have any vacant rooms?” The man’s voice was deep and pleasant.
Bai Jimu’s eyes widened abruptly, pointing at the black cat. “C-Coal Ball?!”
Ming Shu narrowed her eyes, sizing up the stranger. “And who is this?”
The man smiled faintly, his gaze landing on Bai Yanzhou. “Xiao Duchuan. It seems my cat has caused you trouble?”
Coal Ball leaped lightly from his shoulder, jumped familiarly onto Bai Yanzhou’s lap, and rubbed affectionately against his hand.
Bai Yanzhou gently stroked Coal Ball’s fur, his fingertips scratching lightly behind the cat’s ears. His tone was calm. “I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
Xiao Duchuan naturally sat in the empty seat next to him, his gaze never leaving Bai Yanzhou. “I came to southern Yunnan to inspect a project. I heard the ecological resources here are rich, and I plan to develop an eco-tourism zone.”
His voice held a hint of a smile, but his eyes were so deep they seemed capable of sucking a person in.
Ming Shu keenly sensed the unusual atmosphere between the two and noted his words. “You are also interested in the Ailao Mountains?”
“Of course.” Xiao Duchuan took the teacup handed by the proprietress, his fingertips inadvertently brushing the back of Bai Yanzhou’s hand. “But I heard the mountains aren’t very safe, so I was looking for a few guides.”
Bai Yanzhou withdrew his hand nonchalantly and took a sip of tea. “We are just ordinary tourists here to gather herbs. I’m afraid we can’t be of much help.”
“Gather herbs?” Xiao Duchuan raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. “Coincidentally, I also have some knowledge of medicinal herbs. This area is rich in Panax notoginseng and Paris polyphylla, both rare and excellent medicines.”
His gaze was too focused, causing Bai Yanzhou to look away involuntarily.
Coal Ball rolled over on Bai Yanzhou’s lap, exposing his belly and purring contentedly, as if assisting his owner.
Watching this scene, Bai Jimu whispered to Ming Shu, “Do they know each other?”
Ming Shu chuckled, looking like she had seen through everything. “More than just know each other.”
Xiao Duchuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his tone lazy. “Since we are all going into the mountains, wouldn’t it be better to travel together? I have prepared quite a bit of equipment, which we can share.”
Bai Yanzhou looked up at him. “Mr. Xiao is certainly enthusiastic.”
“I always am.” The corners of Xiao Duchuan’s lips curled up meaningfully. “Especially toward… people and things that interest me.”
The night grew deeper, and the Ailao Mountains looked mysterious and dangerous under the moonlight.
The lights of the inn flickered in the night, elongating the shadows of the two men, intertwining on the wall in an ambiguous pattern.
Coal Ball lay on Bai Yanzhou’s lap, his golden pupils shifting between the two, his tail swaying gently.
Xiao Duchuan joined their table naturally, as if he belonged there.
“This matsutake stewed chicken is cooked perfectly.” Xiao Duchuan ladled a bowl of soup for Bai Yanzhou, the movement so natural it seemed he had done it thousands of times. “Teacher, try it.”
Bai Yanzhou looked at the bowl pushed in front of him, his fingers gently rubbing the rim. “You still remember my tastes.”
“How could I forget?” Xiao Duchuan’s voice was low, carrying a faint sigh. “Teacher prefers light flavors and dislikes greasy food the most. Every time there was a palace banquet, I always had to order the imperial kitchen in advance to prepare some refreshing side dishes.”
Ming Shu observed their interaction with interest and casually put a drumstick—the fattest piece—into Bai Jimu’s bowl. “Eat up, dumb dog. Seems tonight’s show is better than the food.”
Bai Jimu gnawed on the drumstick while curiously looking back and forth between the two. “Mr. Xiao, did you know my brother before?”
Bai Jimu only knew that Bai Yanzhou’s identity wasn’t simple and that he had lived for many years; he knew nothing else, as Bai Yanzhou disliked discussing the past.
Xiao Duchuan gently swirled his teacup, his gaze fixed on Bai Yanzhou. “More than just knew him. If Teacher hadn’t left without saying goodbye back then, we would be…”
“Let the past stay in the past,” Bai Yanzhou interrupted, his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable firmness.
Coal Ball seemed to sense the change in atmosphere. He meowed softly and rubbed his head against Bai Yanzhou’s wrist, as if to comfort him.
Xiao Duchuan watched this, his eyes darkening slightly. “It seems he wins Teacher’s favor more than I do.”
“At least he wins my favor more.” Bai Yanzhou scratched Coal Ball’s chin gently, his tone indifferent.
These words seemed to strike a nerve.
Xiao Duchuan’s fingers tightened slightly, causing ripples in his tea, but he quickly returned to his lazy, composed demeanor. “Is Teacher blaming me?”
Ming Shu interjected at the right moment, breaking the increasingly tense atmosphere. “Speaking of which, how long does Mr. Xiao plan to stay in the Ailao Mountains?”
“Depends.” Xiao Duchuan’s gaze remained locked on Bai Yanzhou. “If I find a reason worth staying for, staying a bit longer won’t hurt.”
Bai Yanzhou put down his chopsticks. “We enter the mountains early tomorrow morning. Please suit yourself, Mr. Xiao.”
“Coincidentally, I also plan to enter the mountains for inspection tomorrow.” Xiao Duchuan smiled. “Since we are going the same way, why not go together? I have prepared professional hiking gear and guides. Surely it’s safer than Teacher entering the mountains alone with two children.”
Bai Jimu immediately protested, “I’m not a child!”
Ming Shu scoffed. “Indeed, a certain dumb dog isn’t a child. He’s a puppy.”
Night deepened, and the lanterns in the courtyard swayed gently in the evening breeze.
When the proprietress came to clear the table, she offered a kind reminder. “If you folks are going into the mountains tomorrow, it’s best to come back before dark. It gets dark very quickly in the mountains lately, and it’s easy to get lost when the fog rises.”
Xiao Duchuan nodded. “Thank you for the reminder. We will return before sunset.”
After the proprietress left, Bai Yanzhou stood up. “We have to get up early tomorrow. Let’s all go rest.”
Just as he was about to turn, Xiao Duchuan gently caught his sleeve. “Teacher, we haven’t seen each other for years. Why not sit for a moment longer?”
Bai Yanzhou looked down at the hand with well-defined knuckles, feeling as if he had returned to a thousand years ago.
Back then, the young boy used to tug at his sleeve just like this, begging him to lecture a little longer.
“What is left for us to say?” Bai Yanzhou’s voice was very soft.
“A lot.” Xiao Duchuan released his hand, his fingertips brushing ghost-like over Bai Yanzhou’s wrist. “For instance, why did Teacher choose to come to the Ailao Mountains at this time? Or… where did the meteorite core in Teacher’s hand come from?”
Bai Yanzhou’s eyes flickered. “You know about the meteorite core?”
“Not only do I know,” Xiao Duchuan gently stroked Coal Ball’s spine, “I also know Teacher is looking for other fragments. Coincidentally… I have some clues about that.”
Ming Shu pulled up Bai Jimu, who still wanted to watch the drama. “Dumb dog, time to sleep. Some shows aren’t meant for our eyes.”
Once only the two men and one cat remained in the courtyard, Xiao Duchuan continued, “Teacher must have sensed it too. The abnormalities in the Ailao Mountains aren’t accidental. Xiangliu’s seal is loosening, and the meteorite core is the key.”
“What do you know?” Bai Yanzhou sat down opposite him.
Xiao Duchuan poured him a fresh cup of tea. “Enough. Enough to help Teacher avoid many dangers, and enough to… require Teacher to pay a corresponding price.”
“What price?”
Xiao Duchuan leaned forward, gazing into Bai Yanzhou’s eyes under the moonlight. “This time, don’t leave without saying goodbye.”
The night breeze blew past, bringing the fresh scent of mountain wildflowers.
Coal Ball lay on the stone table between them, his tail swaying gently.