Pei Jin explained, “Actually, I'm not interested in any of this.”
Ling Yu had no intention of pressing him for his reasons. If he didn't want to discuss it, there was no need to keep asking.
She merely said, “I signed a contract with you. Under the circumstances, you're supposed to accompany me for the days it covers. But now I...”
Understanding, Pei Jin nodded and interrupted. “Don't worry about that. I certainly won't take other tourists during the contract period. If anything comes up, make sure you call me.”
He wasn't comfortable leaving Ling Yu alone in the desert. But he couldn't simply involve himself in someone else's private affairs, so asking her to call if anything happened was the best he could do.
“Actually... it's fine,” Ling Yu said. “You can take clients if you want. I'll just need to use your name as a shield while I'm doing things in the desert.”
Whatever she encountered, she could say she already had a guide. That would avoid suspicion and keep those other “guides” from bothering her.
Pei Jin figured lending his name was harmless enough. If the guides she met knew him, they would certainly mention that incident from his past. But it already haunted him constantly, affecting his present state.
He nodded. “As long as hearing it doesn't scare people.”
Ling Yu rubbed her chin. “What do you mean, Mr. Pei? Does everyone here know your reputation?”
“You'll find out.”
...
Listening nearby, the man soon worked out three things. First, this woman called Ling Yu also wanted to investigate these matters. Second, the man was Pei Jin, a tour guide. Third, their relationship was simple: neither knew the other's background.
That was all he could conclude for now. Nothing revealed the more important details. He only hoped they could truly help him find her.
He really had approached them to ask about her whereabouts. He hadn't expected to end up tied inside his own car. The thought brought a long sigh.
Then Ling Yu turned toward him. “What's your name?”
At last, the conversation returned to him. After an “Ah,” he introduced himself. “Chen Mo. My girlfriend is Gu Yubai.”
“Mm. You can keep your girlfriend's name to yourself. I don't need to know.” Ling Yu had no interest in those details. “You heard what we just said, so I won't beat around the bush. I only need a nod from you. Or you can refuse my proposal.”
She knew Chen Mo wouldn't refuse lightly, so her voice grew much softer over the latter option.
He nodded quickly. “If you're willing to help, Miss Ling, I'm willing too. But how do we investigate now?”
Pei Jin stood beside them without interjecting, simply listening. Only when Ling Yu looked up and pointed at the sundial Chen Mo had placed by the windshield did his stance finally change.
He knew many vendors in the village sold such things, but the sundials all traced back to the legendary secret treasure. In the legend, a sundial governed life in the village.
Its precise origin was probably tied to the same underlying story: “The sun never sets.” In ancient times, sundials used the sun's shadow to tell time. Their meaning in the village was much the same.
Chen Mo thought for a moment. “I bought this in neighboring Xia Town. They called it a souvenir. I bought three.”
“They don't have them in this village?” Ling Yu asked.
Pei Jin answered, “This village focuses on food, drink, and entertainment. People who want souvenirs go to Xia Town next door. It's much bigger, so they've concentrated all the vendors there.”
“How far away is Xia Town?” she asked after a moment.
“Not far. It's nearby.” Still uneasy as he spoke, Pei Jin paused. “How about I drive you there?”
Smiling, she shook her head. She'd said she wouldn't involve him, and she certainly wouldn't let him stumble into it now. She had to keep that agreement.
Pei Jin nodded. Beside them, Chen Mo pressed his lips together, thought, and finally spoke. “Miss Ling, will looking for this sundial really help? That village is full of them. Apart from the prices, they're all the same from one shop to the next, aren't they?”
Ling Yu gave him a sidelong look, as though to say he'd be better off listening to her. If the desert really had swallowed his girlfriend, the timeframe she'd learned from the notebook was nearly half a month.
She quickly untied him. As he flexed his aching wrists, she thrust his phone back into his hands.
“All right. I'll take you back to the village first.”
“Thank you.”
Without getting another word in, Chen Mo found himself assigned to return to the village with them. He wasn't going to get any answers immediately, so he swallowed all his earlier questions.
He would see just what Ling Yu could do!
...
They soon reached the entrance to the desert village. It was almost fully light now, and people were already waiting at the gate to go out sightseeing. Pei Jin then drove her to the other entrance, closer to Xia Town.
More cars were soliciting passengers here. Before Ling Yu even got out, she could see through the window that several people were preparing to approach. She rubbed her forehead. “Thank you, Mr. Pei.”
Looking outside, Pei Jin reached for two radios and handed them to her. “These work in the desert. You can contact me, or call rescue.”
Ling Yu accepted them. “Seems your description of yourself was accurate, Mr. Pei. You are a reliable guide. I'll certainly recommend you.”
“Safety comes first when you're away from home.”
Over the short course of that morning, Ling Yu had found him quite dependable. Her opinion of him had improved a little. He was much more reliable than the first guide she'd hired.
Her praise certainly wasn't because of his handsome face. It was because he genuinely knew what he was doing.
She got out and, surrounded by people calling for passengers, climbed into Chen Mo's car. Rather than taking the front passenger seat, she slipped straight into the far corner of the back.
Chen Mo removed his sunglasses and asked with a cheerful smile, “Shall we go straight to where I bought it?”
Ling Yu considered it and quickly nodded.
“All right,” he said, immediately gripping the wheel and setting off toward Xia Town.
Neither spoke along the way. Then, apparently bored, Chen Mo switched on the car's music player.
A creaky, wavering sound filled Ling Yu's ears. Listening carefully, she thought the accent was northern. Listening harder didn't help her make out what was actually being sung.
She looked up to find Chen Mo already immersed in the song. Not only was he humming along, but he'd put his sunglasses back on.
Fine. She didn't mind.
Not long afterward, about four songs later, Ling Yu spotted a stream amid wooded hills. A small bridge crossed it, just wide enough for one car.
She hadn't come by this road, so she leaned to look outside with curiosity. The scenery here was different again.
It was as though one large area had brought together forests, desert, streams, and an old town into one peculiar place. It seemed complicated, yet none of it clashed. Taken as a whole, it was rather beautiful.