The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

After Teresa Teng sang this passage about three times in her sweet voice, the phone finally went silent.

The little bundle curled up in the blankets let out a soft moan, turned over, and continued to sleep soundly under the covers.

"I smile the moment I see you..."

"Ah—" A muffled roar suddenly came from under the covers. Then, a disheveled head popped out, its sleepy eyes scanning the surroundings, but nothing came of it.

"I smile the moment I see you..."

The phone rang even louder, and Nie Suwen slammed her fist on the mattress in annoyance. Wrapped herself in a large quilt, she slowly climbed off the bed and rummaged through the pile of clothes on the floor until she finally found the source of the noise.

"Xiao Rong..." After finally rubbing his eyes open, he frowned and read out the telecommander's name, his head still feeling a little dazed.

thump—

The phone was turned off. It was tossed into a corner.

I clumsily climbed back onto the bed and lay there like a corpse.

The sky outside the window was dim, I couldn't tell if it was day or night, and I didn't remember how long I had slept in this daze. I didn't get up to call for food, my stomach was growling, I woke up once from hunger, then drifted back to sleep, and later, I got too hungry and stopped feeling it.

She was staying in a single room, but downstairs there was a large dormitory room for twelve people. For some reason, people kept coming in and out, shouting loudly in various dialects, making a lot of noise.

Once woken up, it's hard to fall back asleep. Suwen scratched his head, turned over, and covered his ears with a pillow, but the sound still penetrated everywhere.

The hunger pangs returned, but her limbs felt weak and limp. It took her a while to muster the courage to finally sit up from her warm bed.

She felt dizzy for a moment, but after half a minute, her vision cleared, and she looked around blankly.

After changing her clothes and slipping on her shoes, she went out, and a hotel staff member greeted her as she passed by.

Sitting on the bar on the fifth floor of the Pingcuo Hotel in Lhasa, I sipped the unsweetened yak yogurt, frowning as I drank it, the sourness piercing my heart.

The commotion on the other side continued.

"Did you know that Xianzu Island is haunted? Legend has it that the bottom of the island is full of human bones. I'd rather come and go in the same day than stay in a hotel on the island again!"

"Really? You've seen a ghost?" A burst of disbelieving laughter erupted around them.

"Believe it or not, it's up to you. If you don't believe it, you can go live over there yourself. Anyway, I'm moving here. It's better to be closer to the Jokhang Temple for protection against evil spirits."

"I've heard that the Jokhang Temple is also quite eerie..."

"Go! The Buddha is merciful and will surely sweep away all demons and monsters!"

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

Suwen pricked up his ears, feeling that this haunted Immortal Foot Island was somewhat interesting.

It was really just a reason to give her a few more days to stay in Tibet.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the bar, someone raised an eyebrow. Because he was currently living on Fairy Foot Island.

Suwen walked to the bar, slapped the table, and called out to the owner, "Two bottles of barley wine, please."

This crisp, clear sound attracted the attention of many people.

"Good job—" The bar owner was a tall, thin Beijing man with long hair, as thin as a bamboo pole, with long, narrow features: long, narrow eyes, a long, narrow mouth, a long, narrow nose, and a long, narrow face. He always had a lazy smile.

When Suwen first came to order wine, his Beijing accent instantly bridged the gap between the two strangers on this remote plateau.

The boss smiled, his narrow eyes squinting: "Miss Nie, where have you been these past few days?"

Su Wen slumped weakly on the bar counter and mumbled, "Don't even mention it, it's so stuffy in the hotel."

She was telling the absolute truth. She hadn't left the house since Lu Zheng brought her back.

The shop owner initially thought she was a tourist, and now he simply assumed she was suffering from severe altitude sickness, which had delayed her trip.

"It's okay. Lao Fang and his friends are seasoned travelers. They come here to stay for a month every year. If you want to go somewhere, just ask them to take you."

The shopkeeper took two bottles of barley wine from the counter and handed them to her, pointing towards the table where the noise had been.

Suwen took the wine and walked straight to that table.

Soon after, the bar was filled with the noise of men and women, their chatter occasionally punctuated by Nie Suwen's voice. Each time this happened, Xiao Rong couldn't help but smile.

She has already integrated well with the group of fellow travelers. These people come from all over the country, and perhaps because of their faith, or perhaps because of their unique love for this highland city, they gather here every year at this time, and they have become familiar with each other.

Suwen invited them to drink, and they gradually became close friends. They told her about the fun of living in a dormitory, where men and women shared a room, which was exciting and flavorful.

Suwen was skeptical.

Xiao Rong silently finished his drink, paid the bill, and turned to go downstairs.

The journey back to the hotel on Xianzu Island from Pingcuo is another ten yuan – taxis in Lhasa charge ten yuan for indoor rides.

When he got back, it was already dark. For some reason, as he walked up the old stairs of the hotel, he remembered the ghost story, and a chill ran down his spine. His gaze seemingly unintentionally fell on an empty corner of the stairs, he chuckled softly, and shook his head when his phone suddenly rang.

He was startled; his smile froze on his lips before it could even open. He quickly pulled out his phone and said "Hello" with lingering fear.

"..." The phone was quiet, with a slight hissing sound from the unstable signal. In this dark corridor, which was rumored to be haunted, it was a bit creepy.

"Speak your mind." This midnight ringing really dampened his spirits.

“Brother…” Xiao Yuan called out to him, then paused, “I heard from your secretary that you’ve gone missing. Where are you now?”

"In Lhasa," Xiao Rong said, trying her best to remain calm.

"Don't you know Dad's looking for you everywhere? How did you end up in that godforsaken place?"

"What does the old man want with me?" Xiao Rong asked, annoyed.

“Of course it’s Third Brother’s company,” Xiao Yuan said indignantly. “No, it’s your company now. You’ve pulled such a sly move to undermine us. Even though Dad doesn’t manage the group anymore, he can’t possibly be completely unaware. Didn’t he tell you not to mess with the Lu family? And about that car accident, the driver has turned himself in. Sooner or later he’ll implicate you. You were hiding abroad before, and now that you’re back, you’ve fled to the plateau. Do you think you can hide forever?”

"Who said I hid?" Xiao Rong was furious when she heard this and wanted to retort, but then she found it rather boring.

Yes, in everyone's eyes, his current behavior is nothing short of fleeing from justice.

There are some things he's too lazy to explain.

“If the Lu family doesn’t pursue this matter, giving Wang Bing’s family some benefits might keep him quiet. Dad just lost his temper and said he won’t help you with this. You should come back quickly. If all else fails, go apologize to Aunt Lu.”

"Xiao Yuan, is this what you call caring about me?"

"..." The woman's voice on the phone suddenly stopped.

"When did it become your business to interfere in my affairs?" With that, she hung up the phone decisively.

Xiao Yuan stared at her ringing phone and could only manage a wry smile.

Why should she care so much? If Xiao Rong were arrested, she should be happy. With him arrested, she would never have to worry about her and her mother's affair being exposed. Wasn't her initial reason for helping him cover it up precisely because she was afraid that she and her mother would be kicked out of the Xiao family?

She was tired of living the life of a wealthy heiress for so many years. It was all the same, restrictive, unable to do what she wanted, and always having to consider the consequences. She preferred to be returned to her original self, at least then she would be carefree.

But she knew her mother was no good. Li Shuilian had pinned all her hopes on Xiao Zhiyuan. It had taken her twenty years to finally enter the Xiao family. If she were to be humiliated and kicked out again, she would surely break down.

Xiao Rong had her lifeline in his grasp. He was like the most cunning executioner, knowing exactly where the fatal weaknesses of human nature lay, capable of killing someone with a single blow.

As long as Xiao Rong is gone...

The night grew colder, and Xiao Rong turned up her collar and strolled out of the hotel.

He felt it would be more appropriate to move out of Xianzu Island tonight.

He didn't have much luggage, so he hailed a tricycle along the way. By the time the Sichuan driver leisurely arrived at Pingcuo, it was already three in the morning.

At three in the morning, Lhasa was so quiet it was as if it had never woken up.

He hesitated for a moment in front of the hotel, just as he was about to turn around and walk away, when the door suddenly opened and a group of people walked out with smiles on their faces. In the middle of them was Nie Suwen, who was wearing a red down jacket and a woolen hat.

The sky was a bit gray, and Nie Suwen hadn't recognized him at first glance. Someone had already waved enthusiastically at him, saying, "Brother, we've chartered a car to Namtso to watch the sunrise, and we have an extra spot. Want to come?"

"Go." He agreed without thinking. He tossed his bag into the car.

This sound finally made Su Wen turn his head.

He thought, she finally recognized him.

The people on the bus were the same old travel buddies who had been drinking and chatting together at the bar in the evening. Unexpectedly, they had become friends with Suwen Town and even came out to watch the sunrise at dawn.

She didn't speak to him during the drive, nor did she ask him why he was there; she remained silent, like a stranger.

Xiao Rong didn't disturb the tranquility. Because of his companion's account, his curiosity about the sunrise at Namtso Lake had surpassed his curiosity about why she was staying in Lhasa.

The sunrise at Namtso Lake was truly breathtaking.

When Xiao Rong crawled out of the minibus, she felt as if she had entered a dreamlike world, with Buddha's light shining overhead and a pristine world of ice and snow before her.

Namtso Lake, the largest inland lake in Tibet, is hidden under ice in April when the weather is still chilly, and its edge can not be seen at all.

In the distance, snow-capped mountains stand tall, marking the edge of the sky.