The poor girl from the 1970s was forced to kiss by the damp educated youth.

Under a bright moon and sparse stars, amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, Xi Lang, dressed in dark blue, was at home just minutes before, but a few minutes later he crossed the mountains and appeared in the black market.

As soon as he arrived, Shi Xin's men immediately went to inform Shi Xin.

Shi Xin jogged along and, upon seeing Xi Lang, asked, "You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

Xi Lang shook his head. "No."

Shi Xin immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Then let's set off now and go in our car."

The vehicle was a small truck. Shi Xin was driving, Xi Lang was in the passenger seat, and the truck bed was loaded with goods.

"The patient is in the city, and the journey will take a long time. You can take a nap first, brother," Shi Xin said.

Xi Lang frowned. He had promised Chen Zhi he would be back soon. Would she keep waiting for him?

"Drive faster," Xi Lang said impatiently.

Shi Xin nodded repeatedly, "Okay. It will be very bumpy, brother, be prepared."

What should have been a four-hour drive was compressed into two and a half hours by Shi Xin. When he got off the bus, Shi Xin felt like his body had been shaken apart; it was numb and sore. Xi Lang, on the other hand, remained expressionless, his expression cool and aloof.

Shi Xin led the way, saying, "The patient is on the fourth floor of the hospital. I've been here once before, but I don't know if the ward has been changed."

Xi Lang didn't say anything, and quietly followed behind him.

Shi Xin added, "I didn't tell them your name. When you come to the ward, we'll treat you if we can, and leave if we can't. Let's pretend nothing happened tonight."

Xi Lang hummed in agreement, knowing that Shi Xin was doing this to protect him.

During such a critical period, the less you are exposed, the safer you are.

"Of course, I also have to keep the patient's information confidential. But if you cure the patient, and the patient agrees to treat you like family from now on."

"No need."

Xi Lang refused decisively; he was content with getting what he wanted.

Shi Xin choked, his expression helpless. "You, you just don't understand social etiquette. Being too aloof isn't a good thing. In life, there will always be times when you need to ask for favors. Having more connections makes things easier."

Xi Lang remained noncommittal, but he would fight for what he wanted himself.

Seeing that he was unyielding, Shi Xin gave up trying to persuade him. Only someone like Xi Lang would be trustworthy; he wouldn't feel at ease with anyone else.

The two went up to the fourth floor and headed towards the easternmost ward.

The hospital was quiet at night, with hardly anyone in the corridors. Under the dim yellow light, two long shadows were cast.

Shi Xin stood outside the door and knocked three times. A voice came from inside the ward, asking, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Lao Shi."

The next second, the door to the ward was opened, and a lean man opened the door.

Shi Xin was taken aback. "You're personally guarding it?"

The man was wearing a military green short-sleeved shirt and black trousers. His hair was cut very short, with graying temples. He had an average appearance, but his eyes were bright and piercing, as if they could see into the darkest and most hidden parts of a person's heart at a glance.

Even Shi Xin, the boss of the black market, couldn't help but feel less imposing in front of this man.

Xi Lang, on the other hand, remained indifferent. When the other person looked over, he gave a slight nod as a greeting.

"You mean him?" The man's expression betrayed his disappointment; he was far too young.

"It's him. He saved my life. If he didn't have some real skills, I wouldn't dare bring him to your side." Shi Xin was afraid that the man wouldn't give Xi Lang a chance because he was young, so he quickly explained.

"Then let's give it a try."

Ultimately, he's too young. Even if someone like that has some skill, he's still some distance from being a master.

The ward was clean and there was no foul smell.

Xi Lang walked step by step toward the hospital bed, still unaware of anything amiss.

The man in the hospital bed was around twenty-five years old. He had been in a coma for a year, and his muscles had been lost. He was extremely thin, his cheeks were sunken, and he looked unrecognizable.

Xi Lang sat down by the hospital bed. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the things in his vision had lost their color, but instead had various kinds of "qi".

"He's quite blessed."

This was the first thing he said after entering the ward.

Shi Xin asked, puzzled, "Who are you talking about, brother?"

"The person in the bed," Xi Lang said calmly, "has the protection of his ancestors and the merits he has accumulated. Otherwise, he would have been drained of his life force by now."

hiss!

Shi Xin gasped. "Could it be that he's in the same situation as me?"

"It's different. The mountain spirit only wants your blood and energy, but the thing inside it not only wants your blood and energy, but also wants to take over your body. It's a wood spirit."

"What is a wood spirit?" the man interjected.

"Mountain spirits and tree spirits are roughly the same kind of thing. They are spirits that have become sentient in the mountains and can imitate human speech and behavior. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, they could no longer become sentient, so they thought of taking over human bodies, replacing them, and living as humans in secret. As they grow old in human bodies, they change into new bodies, repeating this process over and over again."

Upon hearing Xi Lang's words, the man's expression changed drastically. "Then is my son still my son?"

"Yes. Otherwise, he wouldn't be lying here. The wood spirit failed thanks to the merits of your son." Xi Lang glanced at the man, then looked at the young man on the bed. One was full of killing intent, the other full of merits. How interesting.

"Please save my son's life." The man bowed to Xi Lang.

Xi Lang stepped aside; he was here to resolve the issue.

Chen Zhi is having trouble sleeping again.

She lay in bed, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the empty space on either side.

During the day, she noticed that the bed in the room had been changed; the bed was obviously not as big when she last came.

When did Celine change?

How many things did Xi Lang do without her knowledge?

Chen Zhi felt a warm feeling in her heart.

Even in summer, the nights in the mountains are not too hot. Throughout the year, the blankets on the bed change from thick to thin, but they are always there.

Chen Zhi hugged Xi Lang's quilt and smelled the sandalwood scent. She couldn't help but wonder, Xi Lang doesn't burn incense, so where did the sandalwood scent come from?

The thought of sleeping in the same bed with Xi Lang in the future filled Chen Zhi with unease and anticipation.

When will Xilang be back?

Xi Lang went downstairs, walking hurriedly.

"Hey, bro, wait for me!" Shi Xin chased after him, but suddenly stopped the car three steps away from Xi Lang. He shivered. "Bro, why did the weather suddenly get so cold?"

Xi Lang glanced at Shi Xin indifferently, and in that one glance, Shi Xin felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave; he froze.

"I'm going back now," Xi Lang said.

"what?"

Shi Xin was puzzled. What do you mean you have to go back first? Aren't we going back together?

The next second, Xi Lang took a step, just one step, but Shi Xin saw Xi Lang fly away quickly and disappear in the next second.

Shi Xin: "......"

Is this even human?

Shi Xin returned to his ward on the fourth floor.

The patient in the bed had opened his eyes and was looking around blankly.

"Zu Feng?" the man called out hoarsely.

"Dad? Why is your hair all white?" Guo Zufeng looked bewildered. He had only taken a nap, how could his father have turned into such an old man?

With just one sentence, Guo Yijun's eyes welled up with tears: his son had returned.

dong dong!

Shi Xin knocked on the door. "Uncle Guo, I'm just saying hello. We're heading back now."

"Stay for a couple of days, stay at your uncle's house," Guo Yijun sincerely invited.

Shi Xin's calling him "Uncle Guo" was merely a shameless attempt to establish a connection, but Guo Yijun actually accepted the connection.

Shi Xin was overjoyed, but calmly said, "My brother came out secretly without a letter of introduction, so he has to go back. I'll bring him to visit again next time."

Guo Yijun nodded. "Okay, let me know in advance when you come, and I'll make sure you have time. What did he ask for after he cured Zufeng?"

"My younger brother said he wanted to build a house, but he couldn't get bricks and cement," Shi Xin said.

Upon hearing this, Guo Yijun breathed a sigh of relief. No one was making an exorbitant demand. This was a small matter; he could simply give them a word. "I'll give you a list tomorrow, and you can pick up the goods yourself."

Shi Xin's eyes lit up. "Okay."

Chen Zhi had been awake for most of the night, and just as sleepiness began to wash over her, she heard a noise outside the door.

"Who?"

"it's me."

Chen Zhi got up to open the door, and the moment she pulled it open, a tall figure loomed over her.

Chen Zhi felt a weight on her body and quickly caught Xi Lang.

Ouch, so cold.

"How-"

As soon as she opened her mouth, it was blocked. The next second, she felt a cool sensation in her mouth and swallowed instinctively, almost choking.

"What is it?" she asked.

"A Wood Sprite. A fully grown Wood Sprite," Xi Lang said, leading Chen Zhi to the bedside. "Go to sleep, you're sleepy."

Chen Zhi climbed into bed first, while Xi Lang slept outside.

The two lay flat on their backs, covered by the same blanket, with a hand's width of space between them.

Chen Zhi was initially a little nervous, but after eating the thing called "Wood Spirit," her body warmed up within seconds, feeling warm and cozy, like she had drunk scalding hot water, and she started sweating from the inside out.

Her consciousness became blurred, and she sensed a chill coming from beside her. She instinctively moved over and hugged the "source of coldness".

Xi Lang, who was already half asleep, opened his eyes again when she hugged him like that, and his sigh, full of affection and helplessness, came from the darkness.

The sun was high in the sky, but the two people inside showed no sign of waking up.

It wasn't until the sun was setting in the afternoon that Xi Lang was the first to push open the door and come out.

The water tank at home was empty, so he carried two empty buckets out. As he passed the gate of the educated youth settlement, Zhao Jinbao said, "Oh, you're finally up."

The other person's smile was ambiguous, and Xi Lang knew without a doubt what Zhao Jinbao had misunderstood.

He ignored the other person and continued walking forward with the buckets of water on his back.

"Oh dear, going to fetch water? I'll go too."

Zhao Jinbao went back to get the bucket and jogged after Xi Lang.

"Your legs are really long, two of your steps are as long as my three steps." Zhao Jinbao, who is just over 1.7 meters tall, said with envy.

Xi Lang remained silent.

"Are you from Beijing?" Zhao Jinbao asked again.

Xi Lang hummed in agreement.

"But you don't have a Beijing accent."

"My household registration is in Beijing, but I didn't grow up there."

"No wonder. Your family seems well-off, why are you here in the countryside?"

"Support rural development."

"...Brother, you have a high level of awareness."

Chen Zhi didn't know how long she had slept; when she woke up, it was still dark.

"woke up?"

Xi Lang's voice came from the darkness, and the next second, a glass of warm water was placed in front of her.

Chen Zhi took the glass, drank it in two or three gulps, and then handed the glass to Xi Lang, saying, "I want more."

She drank four glasses before stopping.

"Are you feeling any better?" Xi Lang asked.

Chen Zhi nodded, "Okay. I feel sticky all over, I want to take a shower."

"Okay, I'll go get you some water."

Xi Lang brought in two buckets of water and a wooden basin. "Wash slowly, I'll go cook you some steamed buns."

He raised the wick of the kerosene lamp a little higher, then turned and went out, closing the door behind him.