Night fell. There was one person missing at the dinner table. Ding Hanbai explained it away, saying Ji Shenyu wasn't feeling well due to the new environment. In truth, he didn't have much of an appetite either. Every time he blinked, all he could see were Fang Huaiqing's severed hands. How much pain must a living person feel when they were chopped off?

No one could predict the future. He had always looked forward to a bright and promising one, but now, his food tasted like wax, and he couldn't stop thinking of terrible things. Later, Boss Wu came to discuss the next day's purchases with him. He forced himself to listen but didn't absorb a single word.

Ding Hanbai paced back to his room. It was dark and empty. Nothing had been touched, except for a missing bag of Eight Treasures Candy from the suitcase. He had no intention of confronting him, but he couldn't let Ji Shenyu's cowardly behavior go unpunished. He went to the other room. It was also dark. He turned on the light to find Ji Shenyu sitting on the bed in a daze, surrounded by a dozen candy wrappers.

Ding Hanbai asked, "Moved back into this room again? Hiding from me?"

Ji Shenyu lowered his head. Having his thoughts exposed made him feel a little guilty. Ding Hanbai continued, "Hide if you want, but you also took my candy. Did I say you could eat it?"

Permission or not, he had already eaten them. He couldn't very well spit them out. Ji Shenyu remained silent, playing dead. He swept his hand over the bedsheet, gathering the candy wrappers in his fist. Ding Hanbai came over, wishing he could lift the other's chin and get a straight answer about how he was feeling.

"Pathetic. So you're scared now?" He sat down. "As spineless as Jiang Ting'en."

Ji Shenyu slowly raised his face. "I'm not afraid." His gaze was earnest but held little fear. "Senior Brother Fang went down the wrong path, but you can't assume I will too. I took Master Liang as my master because I didn't want the skills my father taught me to go to waste. I had no other intentions. Besides, I'm going to do my best for Jade Pavilion in the future. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let Master turn you down back then."

He delivered a long statement, clearly and logically expressing his stance. It wasn't enough. He refuted what was said during the day: "As for you, you were the one sucking up to my master asking for a partnership. I make forgeries, you trade them. It sounds like a perfect match, but I think you're in much more danger in the future."

This comeback left Ding Hanbai speechless. He patiently explained, "Who said you'd be making forgeries for me to trade? Ninety-nine percent of the items in the antiques market are fakes. Without forgers, this industry would basically be empty. But making a forgery isn't the same as maliciously seeking wealth."

He moved a little closer. "The reason authentic pieces are rare is that they're hard to preserve over centuries, and most are damaged. Your skills include restoration, right? If you take a damaged piece and restore it without a trace, even if you tell the buyer which part is a forgery, its value can still double."

Acquiring authentic pieces required Ding Hanbai's eye, and restoring them required Ji Shenyu's hands. This was an upright skill, a task very few people could accomplish. Ji Shenyu was stunned upon hearing this, as if in disbelief. "But from the way you scolded me today, I thought you didn't want me to learn from Master anymore."

Ding Hanbai was slightly embarrassed. "I was agitated by Fang Huaiqing at the time. I couldn't help but get a little worked up."

Ji Shenyu asked, "Do you really want to do this, and then open an Antique City in the future?"

Ding Hanbai replied, "Yes." Everyone has greed. Whether one walks the righteous path or engages in shady business has nothing to do with skill; it all depends on the individual. He reached for Ji Shenyu's hand, but the other pulled away. He missed, and his voice lowered. "If you do as I say, whether it's the Antique City or something else in the future, there will be a share for you."

It was a tempting offer, but Ji Shenyu thought that with Ding Hanbai's sharp eye, he would be fine even without him. So he asked, "What if I'm not willing?"

But Ding Hanbai misunderstood. "If you're not willing, then you'll have to promise me something else. You'll still get your share."

Before Ji Shenyu could ask further, Ding Erhe pushed the door open, and Ding Hanbai instantly looked like a casual visitor. He stood up, took the remaining half bag of candy, and asked lightly, "Not sleeping with me anymore?"

His bedding had already been moved back. It would be too embarrassing to move it again. Ji Shenyu said, "Yeah, I'll sleep in this room."

Ding Hanbai's nonchalant posture didn't change, but his words were as sharp as ever. "You think you can just hide after stealing my candy? Come with me now. Don't think you can skip out on rubbing my medicine or massaging my shoulders."

Ji Shenyu hurriedly followed, and slept with Ding Hanbai again.

Three or four days of the trip had passed. They had observed enough of the Annual Stone Market. For their final trip, they went to Balin Right Banner to finalize their purchases. Ding Hanbai met Tong Peifan again and bought several pieces of top-grade Chicken-Blood Stone without haggling over the price. He turned his head and saw Ji Shenyu lingering outside the car, seemingly trying to peek at Fang Huaiqing.

Fang Huaiqing struggled to roll down the car window. "What is it?"

Ji Shenyu said, "Senior Brother, I want to ask what Master went through to end up in such a miserable state."

Fang Huaiqing understood that Ji Shenyu couldn't bring himself to ask Liang Hecheng about his past. He said impatiently, "It's more or less the same as my story. His Ghost Hand fooled a Ghost Eye, and in turn, the Ghost Eye exposed him. He had to flee everywhere to lay low back then. I may have disappointed him, but it's not like he's been squeaky clean his whole life. With skills this refined, who can resist making a fortune?"

Fang Huaiqing finished with a laugh. "I'm a cautionary tale. It's not certain you won't repeat my mistakes in the future."

Ji Shenyu said, "I won't. Even if my mind goes astray, my Senior Brother will watch over me."

Fang Huaiqing squinted at him. "A senior brother isn't a real brother. Why should he care about you? What makes you think you're worth his concern?"

The words sounded cold at first, but upon closer thought, they might hold a deeper meaning. Ji Shenyu stepped forward to refute him, but Fang Huaiqing closed his eyes, unwilling to engage. He had never been one to curry favor, so seeing this, he left to accompany Ding Hanbai to collect the Balin Frosted Stone they had ordered.

They also bid farewell to the two they had met by chance.

After a full day, all the stones were purchased. That evening, they called home and set a date for their return.

The next day, the three apprentice brothers traveled light, driving their van around downtown Chifeng. They first went to the People's Mall. With a large family at home, they bought bags big and small of gifts. Everywhere he went, Ding Hanbai acted like a rich man, whipping out his wallet to pay for everything. Ding Erhe and Ji Shenyu truly became his assistants, carrying the bags with happy faces.

There were all kinds of Mongolian hats. Ding Hanbai stopped, remembering he also had one tucked away at the bottom of a trunk, a gift from Ding Yanshou on his first trip to Inner Mongolia. Ding Erhe had one too, bought by Ding Houkang. When he thought about it, only Ji Shenyu didn't have one.

The two Ding brothers looked at Ji Shenyu in unison. Ji Shenyu had a bad feeling. In a moment of inattention, his head felt heavy as a sapphire-blue hat was placed on it. He stood stiffly with his slender neck, letting the two of them scrutinize him.

Ding Hanbai was being mean, "Doesn't look very good. Get that one with the beads on it."

Ding Erhe immediately went to get it. Ji Shenyu quickly said, "That's a woman's hat!"

Ding Hanbai teased, "What's wrong with a woman's hat? Didn't you wear a dress and a wig before? With straight bangs, hair down to your chest. When I picked you up, it slapped me in the face."

Ji Shenyu went forward to cover Ding Hanbai's mouth, took off the hat, and ran. After a few steps, he turned back, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. It was the first time he had seen that kind of hat and he found it novel. If those two hadn't been messing with him, he would have liked to try it on a bit longer.

Ding Hanbai watched him run off, then smugly called the salesclerk over to pay.

A morning of shopping wasn't enough. The three of them got ready and finally went to the great grasslands they had been longing to see. The land gradually opened up. The grasslands had become a snow-covered plain, and a few yurts could be seen in the distance.

White was everywhere. Even the smoke from the chimneys was white. Ji Shenyu was dazzled. He stuck his head out the car window and couldn't pull it back in, excitedly telling Ding Hanbai to look at the sheep and Ding Erhe to look at the fine horses.

Ding Hanbai brought up the old incident again. "You should have learned to drive here. No trees to crash into."

Ji Shenyu put on his hat, slipped on his felt boots, ignored him, and charged headfirst into the vast white land. It was the first time he'd seen such a magnificent sight, and his eyes were nearly blinded. Each step sank into a hole. He didn't even feel the pain when he fell. He let out a shout, which dissipated into the vast expanse.

"Ji Zhenzhu!"

Ji Shenyu turned around. Ding Hanbai had brought two tall horses from a herdsman, their manes flying, their iron hooves occasionally lifting. He had never ridden a horse before, but he immediately imagined himself galloping freely.

Each of them took a horse. At first, they only dared to ride slowly, like the top scholar parading through the streets. Ding Hanbai and Ding Erhe had ridden before and gradually grew impatient. They tightened the reins and sped up. Ji Shenyu hadn't wanted to follow, but in his nervousness, he squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, and it also took off at a gallop.

After a wild, bumpy ride, the stomach-warming milk tea almost came back up. Ji Shenyu yelled "Whoa, whoa," and gradually fell behind the other two. Ding Hanbai had to be the best at everything. He cracked his whip and accelerated, leaving Ding Erhe behind as well.

Fast enough, far enough. Shrouded in cold air, he slowed down, the horse's hooves kicking up a white mist from the snow. When he looked back, Ji Shenyu had become a small dot. So he waited there. The howling wind and snow were torturous, but he endured it, waiting for that small dot to approach, for its features to become clear.

Ji Shenyu said with envy, "Senior Brother, you ride so fast, it's like something out of a movie."

Ding Hanbai asked, "Do you want to try? I'll take you."

He jumped off his horse and mounted Ji Shenyu's, wrapping his arms around him from behind, over his padded coat. He was so soft. He pulled the reins, shouted to make the horse run, and intentionally or not, slammed his chest hard against Ji Shenyu's back.

Ji Shenyu's mouth was open, ice and snow filling his lungs, but his body grew scorching hot from the jolting. With each bump, he felt as if his soul was being knocked out of his body by Ding Hanbai. The sheep, the haystacks, everything they passed flew backward. He was trapped in Ding Hanbai's embrace, forging straight ahead.

The world was vast, time was eternal, and four hands were tangled on a single rein.

The wind was silent, the snow was silent, one pair of eyes, then two, reddened by the wind.

The horse stopped. The vast surroundings were empty. Ding Hanbai, panting, dismounted and walked with difficulty through the snow. Finding a place where the snow was thick, he raised his arms and caught Ji Shenyu as he leaped.

He was tired, but also exhilarated. Yet, the mix of emotions still gave rise to a sliver of mischief. The moment he caught him, his knees buckled. He fell backward with Ji Shenyu in his arms, landing on the snow, forcing Ji Shenyu to press down on his heart, liver, spleen, and lungs.

Ji Shenyu let out a cry of surprise, then laughed from under his hat. He rolled to the side and lay face up on the snow next to Ding Hanbai. The sky was like blue-green jadeite, the ground like flawless white jade. Just the two of them were immersed in it, listening to each other breathe.

Ding Hanbai turned his head, reached out and pushed down Ji Shenyu's hat, revealing the side of his face. "Little Ji. The first time, I called you Little Ji," he said. "Later, to mess with you, I called you Ji Zhenzhu."

Ji Shenyu turned his face to look at him, his cheeks red from the cold, his pupils translucent. "Senior Brother, I feel like you've been a little different these past two days." He hesitated. "No, that's not right. Lately, I've just felt that something about you is different."

Ding Hanbai asked, "Am I annoying you?"

Ji Shenyu denied it. He glanced at the hand Ding Hanbai had used to push his hat down; it was bright red. He took off one of his gloves and clumsily turned to put it on Ding Hanbai's hand. It was thick with cotton and a little small. Ding Hanbai let him, and once one hand was warm, he said, "Is your other hand cold?"

It would be a lie to say it wasn't. Ji Shenyu made a fist and smiled softly.

Ding Hanbai stopped pressing on the hat. He took Ji Shenyu's bare hand, wrapping it so tightly no air could get in, and rambled, "That skill of yours is too damaging. A moment of carelessness could lead to danger, and the worst-case scenario is death or disability. Even if you're safe and sound, by the time you master the craft, your fingers will be worn down and gnarled into dead scars. Aren't you afraid? Forget the first part, aren't you afraid of just the latter? You're so afraid of pain, how can you endure that kind of suffering?"

Ji Shenyu was in a trance and called out, "Senior Brother."

Ding Hanbai's sigh melted into the snow. "I told you, I'm just asking for it. I'm afraid for you, I feel pain for you. I've scolded countless people, all to vent my own anger and make myself feel better. But with you, every single time, every single word, is fucking because I'm worried about you."

Ji Shenyu's heart suddenly panicked. He curled his arm to pull his hand back. This movement made Ding Hanbai look over, his eyes filled with disappointment, anger, as if he wanted to devour him. Of course Ding Hanbai was angry. He had given all his concern to this ungrateful brat, who didn't understand his hints and instead wanted to push him a thousand miles away.

Why?

On what grounds?!

"Zhenzhu," he said in a low voice, a smile hiding a dagger. "The scenery is so beautiful. Senior Brother will leave you with a souvenir."

After he spoke, like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey, the moment Ji Shenyu looked over, he sprang up! He loomed over Ji Shenyu, forceful and impossible to resist. Acting strange lately? It wasn't just lately. His heart had been overturned and cooked through, no longer what it once was.

"Senior Brother?" Ji Shenyu called out in alarm.

Ding Hanbai didn't answer. He bent down and pressed his cold lips against Ji Shenyu's slightly parted mouth, melting a snowflake. Just as he had fantasized, he broke past his teeth, captured his tongue, and stirred mercilessly yet passionately until a whimpering cry of protest escaped.

Soft, sweet, enough to drive a man mad.

The Little Southern Barbarian's eyes widened. He yelled and struggled, landing a limp slap on his face. Ding Hanbai rolled over onto his back, savoring the sweet taste on his lips and teeth, his gaze like a hook and arrow, pinning Ji Shenyu firmly in the center of his vision.

He laughed wildly, lewdly, and freely.

This grassland, this world, Ding Hanbai thought, it wasn't a wasted trip after all.