CHAPTER 30

Qi Yu had never believed in dreams, but she had been plagued by nightmares since she was a child, so she still believed in ghosts and gods.

Before going to bed, Qi Yu found out that her old friend had committed suicide. In her dream, she saw the woman in front of her talking and laughing with her friends. This still made Qi Yu feel a little scared.

Could this be a f * cking dream? Qi Yu looked at Lan Ting, who was taking selfies with his friends, and felt a little scared.

"They all say that the desert turns boys into men and women into girls."

A dark-skinned man who looked like a guide spoke to Lan Ting with a heavy accent in Mandarin.

Qi Yu glanced at the group of people and knew that they were all in the literary industry. They all looked very familiar.

A girl with a DSLR in front of her chest laughed when she heard this. "That's interesting. This is the first time I've heard it." Her hair was very short, and her skin was a healthy wheat color.

It was obvious that she was a girl who liked sports and had a cheerful personality.

At first glance, it was obvious that they were not short of money. Qi Yu looked at the smiling guide with a cunning gleam in her eyes. No one knew what kind of bad idea she was thinking.

"Bosses, I know a place that's even more beautiful than the Haizi Ruins here.

You've all worked so hard to drive here, so you should at least see the best style in the desert, right? "He stroked his mustache and showed a harmless expression.

Sure enough, he was a businessman. With just a few words, he had hit the nail on the head of everyone present.

Qi Yu noticed that after the guide finished speaking, he looked at Lan Ting expectantly. Everyone else present was also waiting for Lan Ting's response.

Qi Yu then realized that this tour group in the desert was organized by Lan Ting.

She was still in her familiar outfit, with wavy curls and flaming red lips.

She wore a necklace and bracelet, paired with a bohemian-style long dress and shoulder slacks. She was tall and had a unique temperament. She was a beautiful woman who could be noticed at a glance in a crowd.

"We're here in Badan Jilin for sightseeing. Guide, do you have any good places to bring us?"

Lan Ting was a very fussy person. Qi Yu knew that she must have prepared a strategy before she went on a trip.

"Boss, this is China's third largest desert.

There are countless beautiful sceneries that only we, the natives, know about. "

The guide chuckled as he spoke. Qi Yu couldn't understand what this person meant.

"If we go any further, we'll be in a no-man's land. Lan Ting, don't listen to him.

He just wants to trick us into going to some scenic spot and then give us extra money. "The short-haired photographer secretly whispered in Lan Ting's ear. Her voice was very low.

After all, this was a desert with barren hills and turbulent rivers. If they really offended the tour guide, who knew what would happen?

The tour guide lowered his head. After noticing Lan Ting's hesitant expression, he said, "We have a very famous place in the no man's land. It's a very mysterious and unique place.

There are many legends that have been passed down since ancient times. Coincidentally, it's not far from here. "

"Bosses, it's rare for you to come to our place. If you don't go to a place like this, you won't be able to enjoy yourself." The tour guide tricked them. In the end, Lan Ting agreed.

They drove the car while the tour guide rode a camel.

When they arrived at the ancient site mentioned by the tour guide, Qi Yu was a little disappointed when she saw the rocky desert in front of her.

The scenery here didn't look any different from other places. It looked just like an ordinary desert.

It was a sea of sand, ordinary and unremarkable.

Qi Yu got out of the car. When she got closer, she suddenly shivered.

She suddenly had a very strange feeling in this place that didn't seem to be scary. She was clearly standing under the sun, but she still couldn't help but feel nervous and her heart palpitated.

Qi Yu felt that her body was instinctively afraid of this place.

However, she didn't stop walking. Instead, she continued to follow the group into the depths of Gu Tong Jing.

Qi Yu pursed her lips as she looked at Lan Ting, who was walking side by side with her. She felt that she could see the same resistance and fear in Lan Ting's eyes.

No matter how she put it, she felt like she was suffering from a heat stroke.

After walking for almost an hour, Qi Yu saw that the group was finally ready to rest.

They stopped behind a short rocky mountain. The wind erosion of the desert had already created spiral-like patterns. The surrounding hills were gentle and beautiful, giving one a sense of the magic of nature.

Although Qi Yu hadn't been to the desert, she had seen many photos taken by Wu Ye.

She knew that Wu Ye loved the desert. He had participated in many desert expedition activities as a photographer. His highest record was staying in the no man's land for three months with his friends.

While the group was resting, Qi Yu walked and stopped to observe the surrounding scenery.

Similarly, the photographer Daodao, who had been taking photos with Lan Ting, didn't rest. She found a unique black stone here.

It was a pure black stone. It was square and looked like it had been carved. However, after being here for so many years, it showed no signs of being eroded by the wind.

Qi Yu stopped about a metre away from the rock. This was the first time in her life that she felt a chill down her spine, and her body stiffened in fear.

Her instincts didn't allow her to take another step forward. Qi Yu could only watch as the young woman approached the stone.

"No."

"Stop."

"Don't go over."

Qi Yu couldn't do anything. She could only watch as the Daodao stood on the big stone and waved to her friends happily.

The desert was full of sunshine and the sun was very bright.

Looking up at the Daodao, Qi Yu felt her lips go dry. She felt like she had fallen into an ice cave. There was no warmth in her body.

Subconsciously, a feeling appeared in her mind. The girl standing on the black rock was like a sacrificial offering that had climbed onto the altar.

This strange thought made Qi Yu feel goosebumps all over her body. She didn't know if it was an illusion, but she noticed that after coming down from the stone, the lively girl became less and less talkative, and her smile became fainter and fainter.

This dream was much longer than Qi Yu expected. After a long drive, they returned to the place nicknamed 'Donkey' Shangri-La.

At the bonfire party that night, Qi Yu saw a scene that made her scalp go numb.

Backpackers from all over the world were drinking and partying around the bonfire. No one noticed the change in the Daodao.

Qi Yu, who had been observing the girl, noticed that the Daodao had disappeared in an instant.

Her whole body and shadow had disappeared. It wasn't an illusion or a visual error.

The Daodao had disappeared in front of Qi Yu for a moment.

Qi Yu also noticed that the Daodao's face was pale as if she had seen a ghost.

The people around them were partying. The Daodao, who was holding a wine glass in her hand, was like a hen whose throat had been grabbed. She opened her mouth but couldn't say anything.

Qi Yu sat up on the bed, panting heavily. She took the laptop from the living room back to the bedroom and nestled in the corner, preparing to search for something.

Under the bed, she found Wu Ye's steel knife and the lethal mechanical crossbow she had bought from the club.

Opening the search bar, Qi Yu's fingers trembled as she searched for the photographer Daodao.

The first thing that popped up was a website that reported on social news.

Then she found out that the photographer, whose real name was Li Fusheng, had died a month ago.

Just like Lan Ting, he had committed suicide at home.

Qi Yu looked at the high-definition photo attached to the news and took a deep breath. She really didn't know why she had such a dream.

Could it be that the person had appeared in her dream to ask her to help him find out the truth?

They weren't that close. Qi Yu bit her finger anxiously and continued to search for useful information on the Internet like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Then her eyes stopped on an old news. The title read: Famous photographer Sekine and new writer Lan Ting are about to collaborate. The rest of the words were blocked. Qi Yu wasn't in the mood to read it.

She looked at the time of the news release and found that it happened to be the seventh day of the Daodao's first birthday.