Chapter 1: Huasheng Xianfu - Qinan

  The winter in the south is always gloomy and cold, it's a boarding school, a girl sits by the window in the classroom, her expression drifting away and profound as she gazes out of the window.

  "Musu, it's time for lunch!" A voice broke her daydream, she responded with a sound and got up to walk outside. As soon as she came into contact with the outdoor air, she shivered with cold, "Time really flies, there are still three months until the college entrance examination, I'll be free soon! After that, I want to travel, eat and drink, and have fun! Li Yanghua, what do you want to do after that?" She asked the petite girl beside her.

  Li Yanghua has a lovely doll-like face, her soft voice is as gentle as raindrops tapping on a ceramic bowl, and she says with pouted lips, "I don't know, or else, you take me to explore? You've been telling me about the mysteries of the world every day, I want to see them for myself."

  "Let's just forget it, it's too dangerous! What if something happens to us, what about our families? I often think that if there's an afterlife, being an orphan would be great, you can do whatever you want without worrying about anything. Even if you die, you won't have any regrets." In fact, she hoped that when she died, she could be cremated and scattered by the wind, never to be reborn again.

  Evening self-study, "Mu Shu Qing, Mu Shu Qing!" Hearing the voice, she came back to her senses, blinked her eyes looking out the window, and turned her head to look at her deskmate, Xu Jing.

  "What's wrong with you, spacing out again? I'm asking you a question!" Xu Jing complained, "Every time you're in a daze! I really don't know what you're thinking about, with this scenery you can stare at without even blinking."

  She rubbed her nose and smiled shallowly, "What's the question?"

  Xu Jing sighed and repeated helplessly: "You've been in Qinan for over a decade, I've also heard that it's a very beautiful and clean place, known as the 'Hua Sheng Xian Fu'. Such a great place, why did you come back here?"

  Mushu Dao said, "Sichuan is also known as the Heavenly State."

  Xu Jing stared at her with a straight gaze, you know what I want to ask.

  Sichuan, she never really liked it and didn't want to come back here, but there's no choice.

  "If I didn't come here for the college entrance exam, I wouldn't want to come here. It's freezing in winter and boiling in summer!"

  Xu Jing asked in confusion, "Didn't you say you didn't want to take the college entrance exam?"

  "Two birds with one stone, my mom wants me to take the exam anyway. Since we're already here, why not give it a try? Even if I don't do well, what's the harm in participating in the college entrance exam?"

  "Hey, what's fun and delicious in Qinan? Tell me about it. There's hardly any information online, it's as if Qinan is a mysterious place that nobody knows much about, but at the same time, it's very famous with many rumors surrounding it. What's going on?" Xu Jing asked curiously, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at her. Li Yanghua heard their conversation and ran over to sit down at their table, since the boarding students had left an hour early, they were all gone by 8:30."

  Qinan, famous for its scenery, is most attractive to tourists with the Kabul Lake, whose water is always shallow and blue. After each rain, a colorful glow appears on the lake's surface, and there are also many unknown creatures that make visitors stop and watch, so it is also called Qi Hong Bo.

  In addition, the four seasons in Qinan are extraordinary. In spring, there is cool but not cold rain; in summer, it is warm but not hot; in autumn, the golden and crimson leaves blend together beautifully, leaving people amazed. In winter, the white snow covers Qinan with a silver coat. What's even more surprising is that the temperature of the four seasons in Qinan remains constant, never exceeding 25 degrees Celsius or falling below 5 degrees Celsius.

  If it were Sichuan, there would be temperatures above 25°, but no autumn charm of red leaves, nor snow covering the ground. And the third point is a strange phenomenon that shocks people, natural circulation, the beginning and end of life are all decided, even if the vitality is strong, the living time is long, one day will return to dust, plants are our common things, withering and rebirth is normal, but the plants in Qin'an are different from others, their growth period is extremely short.

  At the same time, on May 5th, from five o'clock in the morning to five o'clock in the evening, all leaves wither and fall off, and at dusk they sprout again. As for other flowers and grasses, it is also the case, as if they have been baptized, after a day of settling, they bloom even more beautifully, and emit a faint halo, incredibly beautiful and beyond compare.

  In addition, there is a tree called Lishui Tree, which never withers, including on May 5th. It is known as the Divine Tree by people. The flowers of Lishui Tree are light blue and emit a unique fragrance that is naturally sweet. Many scientists have investigated this phenomenon but none have found any answers. Nobody knows when it started or why it happens. There is no record in literature either. Later, there was a legend passed down: It's the gift from the creator of all things, it's the place closest to the fairy world, or a similar place.

  Huasheng Xianfu, Honglan Xiandu and so on are all titles of Qinan, but she personally prefers the latter name, which is more beautiful.

  Quiet, is the symbol of Jinan, there are also amusement parks and snack stalls, but absolutely not noisy, the snacks there are not less than 100 kinds, extremely rich, most of which are self-created, places to play are not few, ice rink, garden square, surfing sea...... After all, Jinan is China's fourth largest place, it is neither a city nor a village, but an island.

  "In short, it's a great place. After the college entrance exam is over, I will definitely go back there, and you can also go there to play." Mu Shuqian said as she reminisced, her thoughts drifting far away, her eyes gazing vaguely into the distance, lost in thought. Perhaps even she herself wasn't clear about what she was thinking, her listless gaze out the window had become a daily habit, and a hint of faint sadness seeped from the bottom of her eyes.

  The evening self-study session ended, and Mu Shuqin, as usual, tidied up early and lay down on her bed. The dormitory was a room with two beds, the room was quite large, and the lighting was also very good. Mu Shuqin greeted her roommate Zhao Xinyu, turned off the lights, closed her eyes to rest, and the moonlight outside shone brightly, casting a glow on the girl's face.

  The next day, I thought it would be just another ordinary day, but something unexpected happened, like shattering glass, breaking the balance of the trajectory.

  "Musu, come out for a moment." The class teacher suddenly came into the classroom and called her out. She was stunned for a moment, then followed him out. She stood at the door and saw a man in police uniform, very puzzled, why would the police come, and still look for her?

  She walked into the office, furrowed her brow and felt uncomfortable. Was this an interrogation? As expected, the head teacher asked her to relax, just answering some questions.

  The police officer sat in the chair behind the desk, holding a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other. Mu Shu gazed at him, her first impression being that he was a handsome young man with a refined appearance, probably around 25 or 26 years old, likely a recent graduate. He looked rather cold, but... wasn't this a police officer? It's a pity he didn't become a star instead - steady, cool, and handsome, definitely the type many girls would like. But she wasn't some lovesick fool; could it be that interrogating suspects required using good looks as a tactic? The more she thought about it, the more possible it seemed, and she couldn't help but sigh and shake her head. Had even the police fallen in this society?

  That little policeman had no idea what she was thinking, and when he looked up to ask her, he just saw her staring at him shaking her head, with a pitiful and sorrowful gaze. He was stunned for a moment, then asked: "What's wrong?"

  Mu Shu hastily shook his head, coughed, and cleared his throat, saying, "Nothing's wrong. What about you? Is there something I can help you with?" Listening to his gentle yet authoritative voice, which didn't match his expression, made her feel at ease. This policeman spoke standard Mandarin, so he must be from another province; if he had spoken Sichuan dialect, she would have fainted.

  The little policeman took a glance at the notebook in his hand, slammed it shut and raised his head, looking at Mu Shuqian. Although he looked unchanged, she clearly felt the pressure of a serious atmosphere. It seemed that this was not an ordinary little policeman. Looking like this, it should be a major event.

  "Where were you at 2:20 last night?"

  She was depressed, who would be idle and look at the time in the middle of the night? Even if she looked at it dazedly in the middle of the night and slept for a while, she would have forgotten about it. The little policeman's patience and endurance were first-rate, seeing her looking at him with a foolish expression, he remained calm and changed his questioning method.

  "Did you stay in your dorm all night yesterday?"

  "No." He hadn't even thought of responding so quickly that it left him bewildered and raised an eyebrow.

  "What have you been up to?"

  Go to the bathroom.

  "Is there anything else?"

  "Can't you just ask directly? Why beat around the bush?" Mu Shu said with a chuckle. "In this situation, shouldn't you be asking my roommate instead of me? Aren't you tired of this?" He himself wasn't tired, but he was getting impatient with her slow and hesitant questioning. How long would it take to get to the point?!

  "I received a call from her last night and went to see my friend, whom I met in Qinan. Her name is Hu Fei. She said she was having some trouble and sounded very anxious, so I went out to meet her at midnight. What's more, it's strange that she came to Sichuan and told me that her family member was ill and urgently needed money. The reason she found me in Sichuan at midnight is that her relatives are here, but they refused to lend her medical expenses. Hu Fei had no money, and her family member was rushed into the operating room, so she had no choice but to contact me. Although I don't have much money, she could only think of me here. She spoke in one breath without pausing for air, looking at him with a hint of disdain, which was enough."

  The little policeman still looked calm and asked: "Is she your classmate?"

  "No, it's like we used to be when we go out and have fun."

  "Oh, how well do you know her?"

  "Just casual chat, not much, I'm not that nosy."

  "She doesn't have any so-called relatives, she's an orphan, how would she run thousands of miles to come here?" Hearing his suspicious tone, Mu Shu calmly said, "You think she came specifically looking for me?"

  The little policeman smiled ambiguously, neither confirming nor denying.

  Mushu couldn't help it, she really didn't know, he didn't believe and there was nothing she could do.