Qingcheng.
On the top floor of a tall building was a newly opened livestreaming company.
Monkey had changed his clothes. He walked through the long corridor, hearing faint music and chatter from the surrounding rooms.
He reached the innermost room and pushed open the door.
Inside was a large office. A tall figure stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, bathed in bright sunlight.
Shen Yicong, who should have been hiding in the shadows, was enjoying the sunshine.
But the sunlight clashed with his aura.
Shen Yicong turned his head. His usual wild and untamed demeanor was tinged with a few traces of gloom and obsession.
"Were you discovered?" he asked lazily.
Monkey lowered his head. "Yes!"
Shen Yicong sneered. If Monkey wasn't at his "post" at this hour, he must have been discovered.
Putting aside Monkey's combat skills, there weren't many who could discover his abnormality, given his ability to disguise and conceal himself.
"Did you encounter Qin He?"
Monkey was startled and respectfully said to Shen Yicong, "Yes, Qin He immediately pursued me after discovering me. Fortunately, I managed to shake her off in time!"
Shen Yicong nodded. "Explain in detail."
As Monkey spoke, Shen Yicong's lips curved slightly when he heard that Qin He had stopped her pursuit because of a child she didn't recognize.
"I truly like people like her who are kind. This is her weakness. If she were ruthless about everything, it would be harder to deal with."
After speaking, Monkey stood aside. "Strategist, should I continue monitoring Liu Xingan?"
"No need," Shen Yicong said. "You've been exposed, and Qin He knows you. She'll definitely tighten security around Liu Xingan. We'll talk about it later."
Four in the afternoon.
Qin He had stayed at the Liu family's until this time and had learned the art of mother-of-pearl inlay.
Politely declining her stepmother's invitation to stay for dinner, Qin He took a drive around the area before leaving.
After finding no anomalies, Qin He still felt uneasy. She called Qi Zhen again and asked him to select five more members from Qingyan Mansion's Level 1 members to provide round-the-clock protection for Liu Xingan in six-hour shifts.
Having done all that, Qin He finally drove away.
She sent Gu Qishen a WeChat message saying she was going home.
Upon arriving home, Qin He first visited Xu Wanwan and chatted with her for a while before returning to her own room.
After washing up, she entered the study and logged into Qingyan Mansion on her computer.
The management group of Qingyan Mansion was chatting. Qin He noticed a private message in the bottom right corner.
She clicked on it and saw it was from Qian Zimo: "There's a lead on the patterns from last time."
Qin He's pupils contracted sharply: "What lead?"
Soon, Qian Zimo sent over several documents.
Mo: "There are no traces of these patterns online, but since they are ancient artifacts, I had people search various museums. The person I sent out recently found similar patterns in an old museum in Duncheng. See if it's them?"
Qin He received a few pictures and immediately clicked to view them.
The patterns were slightly different from those tucked away in the Wanfang Lun, but from the stylistic approach, they were clearly from the same culture.
She frowned and typed: "Duncheng?"
Duncheng had no historical records for a long period. If there had been a short-lived small country here, it was indeed possible.
Mo: "The old museum in Shazhen, Duncheng. That area is adjacent to the desert and economically backward."
Qin He narrowed her eyes, thought for a few seconds, and typed: "I understand. I'll research Shazhen first."
She switched to the Qingyan Mansion interface and quickly searched for introductions and history of Shazhen online.
The history clearly had gaps. Qin He gradually realized that the lost ancient kingdom was likely in Shazhen.
She brought up the satellite map, but due to its remote location near the desert, the satellite map was not as clear as that of a major city.
Qin He sat in her chair, pondering.
Shazhen, if that artifact shaped like a fierce tiger, the Kai, truly existed, it would definitely be there.
The situation in Qingcheng was not good right now, and Fang Yaozu and Song Nuan might cause trouble again at any moment.
At such a time, it was most suitable for Shen Yicong to fish in troubled waters.
An hour later, Qin He sighed.
It seemed she had to go to Shazhen. And since she had to go, it was better sooner than later.
However, once she left Qingcheng, she might not be discovered at first, but Shen Yicong's reaction would not be slow.
Shazhen was not close to Qingcheng, and it would take a considerable amount of time. There would undoubtedly be many risks along the way.
Qin He stared at the computer screen.
At this time, she truly didn't want to implicate anyone else. It all started when she bought that ancient book.
Including meeting Gu Qishen later, since it all started with her, she would end it.
Even if her friends and family were angry, she could slowly persuade them with the remaining time once she returned after resolving the issue.
After Qin He made up her mind, she immediately searched for all internal data on Shazhen within Qingyan Mansion.
After the search was complete, Qin He began planning the items she needed to bring.
Shazhen was on the edge of the desert. If she were to search for ancient ruins from a thousand years ago in present-day Shazhen, she would need many things, and might even have to venture deep into the desert.
"Compass, GPS, water... In the desert, water alone is not enough. It's summer now, so Shazhen will be even hotter. If water evaporates, the body will lose electrolytes like sodium and salt. Drinking only water can lead to water intoxication... Also bring some pickled mustard stems..."
Qin He rested her chin on her hand and opened a notepad to record.
"If there's an accident, I need to prepare a tow rope, U-hooks, an air pump, a round-headed shovel... The temperature difference between day and night in the desert is large, so I need to prepare clothes for both summer and winter, as well as sun protection clothing and sunglasses."
Soon, her list of necessities was complete.
She just needed to pack these items. Anything that could be bought in Shazhen would be bought there; if not, she would bring it from Qingcheng.
After arriving in Shazhen, she would rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Perfect.
Qin He sighed softly. She had never been to the desert, and just looking at the items she had prepared, they numbered dozens.
But even so, she didn't know what situations she might encounter then.
"This is good for now."
Qin He stood up and started packing her clothes first.
She could get a compass and GPS from the Qin family. She could order self-rescue tools like tow ropes online, and they would arrive by the time she reached Shazhen.
Qin He packed her suitcase and checked the route online.
She planned to drive out of Qingcheng herself tomorrow. Whether by plane or train, it would be too easy for Shen Yicong to discover her.
After finishing everything, Qin He lay down on the bed.
Before leaving, there was one very important thing she hadn't done.
She missed Lele. She didn't know if she could return safely from this trip, and she wanted to see her son again.
"I'll go to the Gu family's old residence tomorrow to see Lele. That can also help conceal my real whereabouts," Qin He said, staring at the ceiling with her eyes open.
She mentally reviewed the plan for tomorrow, how to change cars without being noticed, and to leave Qingcheng silently.
After mentally rehearsing, Qin He closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.