"My appearance on Golden Peak Mountain was no accident. I went there specifically to find her..."
Xu Gui explained her situation clearly and concisely, outlining the whole story of her appearance on Golden Peak Mountain in just a few words. However, her talk of fortune-telling and people who were supposed to die...
to the two policemen, it was nothing short of a fantasy, a ridiculous story.
Their first reaction was disbelief, but they had thoroughly investigated Xu Gui before coming.
According to their investigation, Xu Gui had only arrived in their province three days prior for work. Before that, she had never been to their province. As for her and the girl involved in the accident, there was absolutely no connection between them.
In short, aside from the strange fact that Xu Gui seemed to have prior knowledge of the accident, this incident had absolutely nothing to do with her.
As for Xu Gui's apparent precognition, seemingly knowing everything that had happened on the mountain... considering her reputation for being a fortune teller online, this seemed to explain things.
However, the two police officers couldn't help but have some doubts: Could all of this really have been predicted by this Miss Xu? Could there really be people in this world who can tell fortunes?
At this moment, the two police officers felt their long-held belief in scientism was crumbling.
...
After taking Xu Gui's statement, the two police officers politely said goodbye and left.
Yuan Lu was actually very curious about something. She asked Xu Gui, "...Who was the girl who fell down? Do you think her friend might have pushed her?"
Xu Gui looked at her strangely and asked, "Why do you think her friend pushed her?"
Yuan Lu humbly replied, "Isn't that how it's always portrayed on TV? Behind every accident, there's always a conspiracy brewing!" Based on her years of experience watching dramas, if this were a script, it would definitely unfold like this.
"I told you, this was really an accident, nothing like the conspiracy theories you're thinking of." Xu Gui's tone became somewhat complicated. "As for the girl's best friend…"
She glanced at Yuan Lu and said, "You've actually already met her."
Me too?
Yuan Lu was surprised at first, then a figure flashed through her mind, and she blurted out, "Could it be the little girl in the black dress on Golden Peak Mountain?"
Xu Gui nodded at her.
Yuan Lu was shocked. "She, she was the girl's best friend?" At the same time, she had a sudden realization.
"No wonder she reacted so strongly when she heard you found an injured person down there…" Actually, thinking back now, the girl's appearance was strange from the beginning.
While she and Xu Gui were trying to figure out how to get down to the back of the mountain, the girl in the black dress had been watching them from a distance, her expression very subtle.
"What exactly happened?" Yuan Lu couldn't help but ask Xu Gui, her curiosity now completely piqued.
Xu Gui said, "It's actually quite simple. Two good friends were taking pictures of each other on Jinding Mountain when one of them accidentally fell due to a sudden gust of wind..."
The wind is strong by the sea, and even stronger on Jinding Mountain. Both girls were only eleven or twelve years old, still growing, tall and thin with little weight. So when the sea breeze blew, the girl sitting on the railing taking pictures was blown off the large platform above Jinding Mountain.
The other girl, the one in the black dress that Xu Gui and the others had seen, was completely terrified by what she saw.
Being young and indecisive, she didn't dare tell anyone after the incident, living in constant fear and confusion, which ultimately led to this situation.
"...Why?" Yuan Lu couldn't help but ask, "If she had called the police immediately, her friend would have been rescued right away. Why would she have suffered for so long down the mountain?"
"Could she have deliberately not called the police?" Yuan Lu felt herself starting to suspect a conspiracy.
Xu Gui said, "She was genuinely terrified at the time; her mind went completely blank. She thought her friend was definitely dead. After all, the slope on the back of the mountain is so steep; how could someone survive falling from such a height as the mountaintop platform?"
However, the girl in the black dress didn't expect that her friend was far luckier and more resilient than she imagined. Not only did she survive the fall, but she also tenaciously lived on the mountain for over half a month until Xu Gui found and rescued her today.
"Thank goodness you saved her, Teacher Xu!" Yuan Lu exclaimed. "Otherwise, it would have been such a pity. This girl is so outstanding, with such a strong will."
Xu Gui nodded in agreement—such a resilient life, if it had simply died silently on the mountain according to its predetermined fate, would have been a tragedy for everyone who knew about it. Even
the tortoise would have felt sorry.
*
Kuang Ming said that Xu Gui always encountered strange things, but fortunately, in the following days on the island, Xu Gui finally encountered nothing else.
The staff from *fashion* magazine, acting as hosts, later arranged a tour guide for them. This guide was incredibly professional, leading Xu Gui and her friends on beachcombing and surfing.
Perhaps because Xu Gui is inherently connected to the sea, she learned very quickly, even though it was her first time surfing. In just over ten minutes, she was completely on the board.
Even more impressively, after a couple of tries on the surfboard under the instructor's guidance, she displayed a light and practiced ease, leaving the surfing instructor speechless.
After Xu Gui finished surfing, the instructor, supposedly a former international surfing champion, looked at her with intense enthusiasm and warmly invited her: "Ms. Xu, do you have any plans to pursue competitive surfing?"
His eyes burned with passion: "I see you have an incredible talent for surfing, Ms. Xu. If you're willing, perhaps after a few years… no, maybe not just a few years, but only a year or two, you could bring an Olympic gold medal back to China!"
"An Olympic champion!" the coach began to paint a rosy picture for Xu Gui. "That's such an honor! It's a huge achievement for the country! The whole world will know your name, you'll become a surfing star, and you'll be rolling in countless endorsements..."
Kuang Ming, who hadn't gone into the water because of his fear, felt increasingly uneasy listening to this and couldn't help but interrupt, "Coach Lian, I remember surfing isn't very popular in our country."
He gave a forced smile, "Countless endorsements? That's out of the question, isn't it? Oh, and there's something else you might not know. Xu Gui is already a star. She's an artist with [Xinghai]. If you search her online, you'll find she's very famous."
He was practically saying: Did you hear that? Even if Xu Gui didn't surf, she'd already be a big star!
Coach Lian, annoyed by his sudden interruption, gave him a disapproving look and scoffed, "What kind of celebrity? Can anyone's reputation compare to an Olympic champion? Hmph, don't think I don't know your entertainment industry is a dirty place. If Miss Xu follows you, she'll definitely be ruined, corrupted by fame and money!"
"But following me is different!" Coach Lian's tone shifted, and he began to pat himself on the back and paint a rosy picture for Xu Gui: "...I was fourth in the last surfing Olympics. If Miss Xu trains with me, I guarantee you'll win a medal at the next Olympics! Bring glory to our country!"
Xu Gui's ears perked up, and she humbly asked, "I have a question. When is the next Olympics?"
Coach Lian: "...Ahem, next year."
Xu Gui asked doubtfully, "But Coach Lian, didn't you say before that I needed to train for one or two years to win a championship?"
"This is just a hypothetical scenario. With your talent, Miss Xu, I think you could achieve it in just one year!" He held up his index finger, confidently declaring, "At most one year! Miss Xu, you'll be able to bring glory to the country and participate in the Olympic Games!"
Kuang Ming smiled politely, then very rudely covered Xu Gui's ears, preventing her from hearing Coach Lian's "pie in the sky."
"Excuse me, Coach Lian, we have other commitments, so we'll be leaving now..." With that, he turned her around and pushed her away, still covering her ears with both hands.
Xu Gui: ? What's wrong with him.
However, aside from this minor incident, Xu Gui and her group had a very enjoyable trip to the island. They experienced everything they wanted to, and finally, under the guidance of their tour guide, they tried rock climbing—their last activity.
The day after the rock climbing, Xu Gui and her group visited the girl who had the accident on Golden Summit Mountain.
It was only then that Xu Gui and his group learned the girl's name. Her surname was Jin, and she had a very resounding name: "Jin Cancan" (meaning "Golden Brilliant"). This name brought a smile to anyone who heard it.
When Jin Cancan was taken to the hospital that day, she was completely unconscious. However, when Xu Gui and his group visited her, she was fully conscious, though her entire body was in splints.
According to her father, she had fallen from the mountaintop, fracturing multiple bones. The doctors had treated her wounds, but healing would take a long time, so this was the only treatment available for now.
As he spoke, tears welled in the eyes of the gaunt middle-aged man—Jin Cancan's father, Jin Hong. He wasn't usually this thin, but after his daughter went missing for half a month, he had lost over thirty pounds.
His daughter's accident was a huge blow to him, and the only thing that made him, as a father, feel fortunate about was that his daughter was alive.
—Although Jin Cancan had multiple fractures, her internal organs were unharmed, which explained why she had survived for so long after the fall.
"...The doctor said she survived only because of the rain and dew to quench her thirst, and the insects and wild grasses from the mountain for food." Jin Hong's eyes reddened as he spoke, a hint of pain flashing in them. He said, "If I had found her sooner, she wouldn't have suffered for so long!"
Kuang Ming comforted him, "Fortunately, although the child was injured, it's nothing serious. With proper care, her injuries will heal..."
Jin Hong nodded—that was all he could comfort himself with now.
"I heard that you saved my Can Can." Jin Hong's gaze fell on Xu Gui. He had only met Xu Gui and the others once, so seeing them now, he felt they looked familiar, but couldn't remember where he had seen them before.
He said gratefully, "Thank you, thank you so much!"
Xu Gui glanced into the ward. Jin Can Can was in a private room. They were all talking outside, and the ward was quiet, with only a white figure lying on the bed visible.
—Jin Cancan's medical expenses were entirely covered by the property management company of Jinding. According to information Xu Gui obtained from Lu Boyi, Jinding Property Management would also need to pay a substantial amount in compensation for Jin Cancan's situation.
This should be considered good news for the Jin family.
"Besides the fractures, what did the doctor say about your daughter's physical condition?" Xu Gui asked Jin Hong after turning his gaze away.
At this, Jin Hong frowned, sighed, and said with a bitter face, "The doctor said that although Cancan's physical injuries can heal, her psychological problems may be very difficult to cure."
No matter what, physical injuries are easy to heal, but emotional wounds are invisible and intangible, making them extremely difficult to treat.
Jin Cancan stayed on the mountain for half a month, surviving on rainwater and dew, eating insects and wild grass… No one knows how she managed to endure it, but although she survived, she developed some underlying psychological issues.
According to Jin Hong, Jin Cancan had been frequently awakened by nightmares these past few days. Each time she woke up, her whole body trembled, and she whimpered in pain.
Jin Hong said wearily, "The doctor said that she might need psychological intervention later. Whether she can completely overcome the psychological trauma depends on the subsequent treatment..."
Yuan Lu felt quite sorry for her, but Xu Gui remained calm. She simply glanced into the ward again and said, "Is that so?"
"Can I go in and see her?" she asked, looking at Jin Hong.
Jin Hong nodded quickly, "Of course, please!" He hurriedly opened the ward door, his attitude towards Xu Gui very humble and gentle.
Xu Gui walked in, stopped at the door, and turned to say, "I'd like to spend some time alone with her, is that alright?"
Jin Hong was taken aback, his expression somewhat puzzled, seemingly not understanding why Xu Gui wanted to spend time alone with his daughter. However, Xu Gui was his daughter's savior, so he didn't express any objection and simply nodded.
"Okay…"
As for Kuang Ming and Yuan Lu, they had come with Xu Gui to visit Jin Cancan. Xu Gui said he wanted to spend some time alone with her, and they naturally had no objections. So Xu Gui went into the ward alone.
Once inside, Xu Gui noticed the window was closed, making the room feel stuffy. He went over and pushed the window open completely.
Whew~
The weather was quite nice today; it looked like it was going to rain. A cool, damp breeze blew in, dissipating much of the stuffiness.
Xu Gui returned to the ward and saw the girl on the bed had opened her eyes and was looking at him. She had very dark, bright eyes, and when she looked at someone, she seemed very real and focused.
"…I remember you." Seeing Xu Gui, she spoke first, her voice weak, "On the mountain, you saved me."
Xu Gui was somewhat surprised. She walked to the bedside and sat down, saying, "Just one glance, and you remembered me?"
Jin Cancan pursed her lips, saying earnestly, "Because you're very beautiful, and you saved me, so once I saw you, I wouldn't forget you."
Xu Gui raised an eyebrow, smiled, and said, "I heard from your father that you often have nightmares when you sleep?"
Jin Cancan pursed her lips again, her gaze shifting, and said, "Not often, just occasionally…"
Xu Gui looked at her gently. Jin Cancan suddenly couldn't finish her sentence. She opened her mouth, then suddenly loosened her grip on the blanket, saying dejectedly, "...Yes, I keep having nightmares. I don't want it to be like this, but...but after I fall asleep, I always feel like I'm still on the mountain..."
She confided in Xu Gui something she had never told anyone before.
"I fell off the mountaintop and passed out immediately. When I woke up, I was lying on the ground, my whole body aching...It was already dark, and everything around me was dark. I called for help, I called for Yao Yao, but no one answered me."
As if recalling the scene, a painful expression appeared on Jin Cancan's face.
"I called all night, but then I couldn't make a sound anymore, and I felt myself getting weaker and weaker..."
She had fractures all over her body, and couldn't crawl. She lay there, feeling her strength draining away, her life draining away...Everyone said she was too resilient, too tenacious, but even she herself didn't know how she had managed to persevere.
"Later, I could feel insects crawling all over me, and birds pecking at me..."
Recalling that feeling, she shuddered, her whole body trembling. Jin Cancan didn't know how to describe the feeling; just thinking about it gave her an urge to die.
Towards the end, she had almost only survived through sheer willpower, and even now, recalling it, she felt somewhat dazed.
Jin Cancan said, "I know I shouldn't think about these things. I've been rescued, I've survived... but I can't control myself, especially when I'm asleep, when I'm spacing out."
Tears streamed down her face, her expression filled with pain and grievance.
"Sister, I don't know what to do..." she said, "I... I don't dare tell Dad. Dad is already very sad; if I tell him, he'll feel even more guilty and sadder."
Hearing this, Xu Gui couldn't help but think of what their orphanage director had said: Sometimes, overly obedient children are more worrying than mischievous ones.
Because they are so obedient and sensible, they keep all their troubles and grievances bottled up inside to avoid worrying their parents. But who can guarantee that these bottled-up feelings won't explode one day?
And if things have already reached that point, it means the child's mental state has begun to collapse.
Xu Gui sighed, took out some tissues from beside her, and wiped Jin Cancan's tears.
Jin Cancan was completely immobile because her whole body was in splints. She sniffed, looked at Xu Gui with her watery eyes, and said, "Sister, please don't tell my dad what I said when you go out, okay? Dad has already worked so hard to raise me, I don't want him to suffer anymore!"
Xu Gui's eyebrows curved slightly, and she nodded, "Yes, I won't tell him... You see, I came in alone, without your dad with me."
Hearing this, Jin Cancan blinked her wet eyes, feeling slightly relieved.
Xu Gui noticed the dark circles under her eyes and asked, "Have you been sleeping poorly these past few days?"
Jin Cancan replied somewhat guiltily, "I... I'm afraid to sleep. I have nightmares as soon as I try..." She pouted, revealing a childlike innocence.
In truth, she was still a child, but she acted extremely mature.
Xu Gui wiped away her tears and said, "Go to sleep for a bit."
Jin Cancan looked at her dependently and said, "But I'm afraid to sleep."
"Sleep well, I'll stay with you," Xu Gui said, her tone certain. "Don't worry, with me here, you won't have nightmares anymore."
Jin Cancan asked, "Really?"
Xu Gui hummed in agreement, nodding and asking in return, "Don't you trust me?"
Jin Cancan quickly replied, "No, I trust you completely, sister..."
She burrowed her head further under the covers, revealing only half her face, her eyes sparkling as she said, "I'll always remember, it was you who saved me! When you appeared before me, you were like a hero! I even thought a fairy had appeared before me."
Hearing her sweet words, Xu Gui stretched out... He covered her eyes with his hand and said, "Now your great hero will let you sleep obediently, okay?"
Jin Cancan blinked—Xu Gui felt her eyelashes gently brush against his palm, and then she obediently closed her eyes, saying, "Okay, sister, you must stay with me."
Xu Gui nodded, "Mm."
Jin Cancan was actually a little uneasy, especially when her eyes were closed, it always made her feel like she was back on Golden Peak Mountain, crying out to heaven and earth in vain. But this time, not long after she closed her eyes, she felt her eyelids getting heavy, drooping uncontrollably.
How strange…
Jin Cancan thought to herself. She didn't want to sleep, but with the drowsiness constantly surging from within her, she finally closed her eyes deeply and fell into a deep sleep.
Feeling that the eyes under his hand had stopped blinking and Jin Cancan's breathing had become even, Xu Gui slowly withdrew his hand.
She looked down at her palms and suddenly sighed heavily—well, another bit of her luck had been given away. All the luck she had painstakingly accumulated was now gone.
But Xu Gui couldn't bear to watch a child be ruined by such a small problem.
"Humans are so fragile!" she muttered seriously, "especially children!"
If humans were more resilient, they wouldn't get hurt, and she wouldn't have to give away her luck—after becoming a human, this was all the luck she had to offer.
They, the Xuan Turtle, were different from ordinary creatures because they were a unique species in the world. Their power came from luck, and luck could be accumulated little by little.
After Xu Gui became human, she worked so hard, accumulating a lot of luck bit by bit (at least she felt she had accumulated a lot, but every time she felt she had accumulated a lot, she had to spend it all).
"...Is this like human money?" she thought, "The more you earn, the more you spend?"
Xu Gui sighed, stood up from the stool, and prepared to turn around and leave.
Then, as she turned around, her two feet suddenly got tangled, and she fell straight down.
"Bang!"
The three people talking outside the ward heard a loud noise coming from inside. They looked at each other, then opened the ward door and rushed in.
"Can Can..."
"Xu Gui!" The three of them, each calling out to themselves, opened the door and immediately saw the scene inside the ward
, and then they were all stunned.