love on the turquoise land

Chapter 4

Not to mention, he was still with this delicate Miss Nie.

The temple wasn't large. Passing through the courtyard, you'd reach the main hall. It had been damaged by vandalism and fire in earlier years. The cultural preservation bureau started to restore it, but halfway through, either due to a lack of funds or the perceived lack of significance, the project was abandoned.

In the main hall, there was an altar crowded with clay sculptures. Miss Nie, Nie Jiuluo, was sitting on top of a portable aluminum telescopic ladder, clad in a white shirt and tight black pants. She was intently examining the eyes and brows of a clay sculpture, holding a flashlight in her left hand. She had fine multiple-ring bracelets that emitted a soft silver glow.

The temple was dimly lit, and within the flashlight beam, dust particles floated up and down.

Sun Zhou remembered that when they arrived in the evening, these clay sculptures were still covered in dust. But now, the one she was inspecting was clear, with distinct features and highlighted colors, obviously cleaned.

He called out, "Miss Nie."

Nie Jiuluo turned her head.

At around twenty-five, she was slim with long pitch-black hair. Her fair skin had a cold, white tone, contrasting with her bright red lips—she used rosy lipstick. People with cold complexions tended to have pale lips. Without lipstick, it would reveal a sense of weakness.

This time when she turned, it also revealed the face of the clay sculpture—though damaged, it was beautiful. It had a mysterious and alluring appearance rather than an upright one. Nie Jiuluo's bangs rested just above her eyebrows, and her jet-black eyes, snow-white skin, and red lips matched the face of the clay sculpture.

Two faces, one living, one lifeless, one flesh, one clay. Sun Zhou was momentarily stunned, feeling that Nie Jiuluo's face was more captivating than the adjacent sculpture; it exuded a somewhat frightening charm.

He thought of what Qiao Ya had said about succumbing to temptation. In his heart, he decided, even if there was a chance, he wouldn't dare to touch her.

"Miss Nie, it's already past ten. Let's head back. We can come back tomorrow. The security in this area isn't great, and the road conditions are poor."

Nie Jiuluo was straightforward, "Alright, I'll take a few more pictures, then let's go."

After taking the pictures, Sun Zhou packed up the ladder and equipment into the trunk. When he closed the trunk, he looked back.

It seemed like there was a sound, a melancholic sob, as if a woman was...weeping.

Sun Zhou was frightened by his own imagination, and he quickly jumped into the car.

Nie Jiuluo was sitting in the back, carefully examining the photos she had just taken.

Sun Zhou cleared his throat, "Miss Nie, did you hear... any strange sounds?"

Nie Jiuluo looked puzzled, "What strange sounds?"

Indeed, Sun Zhou figured he couldn't rely on her. People deeply immersed in art, once engrossed, couldn't be easily disturbed.

He changed the topic, "You're not from around here, Miss Nie. You may not know... in this area, it used to be called Nanba Old Forest, known for bandits, murders, heavy yin energy."

Nie Jiuluo said, "I know. Nanba Old Forest was originally a primitive forest. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was declared as a prohibited mountain area. It said, 'The mountains are filled with seas; without trees, it's not a forest.' During the Qing Dynasty, a large number of refugees flooded in. The White Lotus Sect uprising started from here. Afterward, bandits took over, and it was only cleared out after the founding of the country."

Sun Zhou listened intently, "You know all of this?"
Nie Jiuluo lowered her head again to look at the photos, "I was interested in regional history during college, so I minored in it."

Minored? With her major being so accomplished, and she even minored in it. No wonder she makes big money and drives a car, while I'm stuck driving for people late at night, Sun Zhou sighed as he started the car.

***

The road in this area was uneven, and Sun Zhou, caring for his car, drove slowly. As he was about to make a turn, a woman suddenly appeared in the straw field on the right side.

At that moment, the car's light illuminated that spot, and Sun Zhou saw it clearly: the woman had a pale face, covered in blood, with bulging eyeballs, and her eye corners seemed about to split. It seemed like she was trying to rush out for help, but a thick, dark-brown arm from behind gripped her neck, dragging her back into the straw field in an instant.

This scene was fleeting, but the visual impact was incredibly strong. It was so intense that Sun Zhou was momentarily stunned. The vivid image of those two bulging eyeballs still lingered on his retinas.

Blood rushed to his head, and with an "Ah," he instinctively stepped on the brake. The car jerked, catching Nie Jiuluo off guard, almost hitting the front seat.

She stabilized herself and asked Sun Zhou, "What's wrong?"

What's wrong?

Sun Zhou was panting heavily. The straw swayed as the car moved left and right, creating a rustling sound with occasional brittle cracks as dry stems snapped.

Was it an illusion?

He felt it wasn't. At this very moment, something terrifying was happening outside the car.

What should he do? Cold sweat formed in Sun Zhou's palms. Should he intervene, or act like he saw nothing?

Seeing Sun Zhou not answering, Nie Jiuluo became even more puzzled, "Is there something wrong with the car?"

"No, no," Sun Zhou steadied his mind and started the car again, "Just saw something rushing past from the front, gave me a scare."

Nie Jiuluo didn't doubt him, "Probably a rabbit or a mouse. In this wilderness, close to the mountains, there are many small animals."

***

Finally, the car reached the county road. Sun Zhou's mind was in chaos.

What happened to that woman? Will she die? Would it be his fault?

He immediately defended himself: what he did was right, staying away from danger. Not everyone has the ability to act bravely. What if the one dragging the woman away was a murderer? If he had gotten out to help, he might have ended up in trouble. There was also Nie Jiuluo in the car; she could have been implicated...

So, this was the right thing to do.

He drove back to the hotel in a daze.

Shihe Village was a small place. The hotel, named "Golden Light," was considered a quasi four-star hotel. Nie Jiuluo, before returning to her room, arranged to meet him at 9 a.m. the next day to go to Xingbazi Township.

Going again, still have to go.

Sun Zhou fell into a troubled sleep, spending the night tossing and turning. He had many fragmented dreams, a blend of various strange legends he had heard, vivid and terrifying.