Chapter 356: Enjoy Yourself
Inside her room, Lin Chuxing took out an exceptionally long needle.
Unlike an ordinary needle, this one was black and looked as if it had been steeped in some unknown substance.
Lin Chuxing plunged the needle into the cloth doll's head. "Enjoy it!"
「Meanwhile.」
Jin Mingzhu, who was in the car, felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her head.
However, it came and went in a flash.
She didn't think much of it, assuming she just hadn't slept well the night before.
She closed her eyes and, lulled by the rocking of the car, slowly drifted off to sleep.
Xiao Ye was also resting with his eyes closed.
An hour later, he opened his eyes and glanced to his side.
Jin Mingzhu's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Her brows were knitted together, and she looked as if she were having a nightmare.
Xiao Ye gently nudged her. "Are you all right?"
Jin Mingzhu woke up, feeling utterly exhausted. Her head, in particular, felt heavy and groggy. "I'm fine. I probably just didn't get enough rest."
She gave an apologetic smile. "I was dreaming all last night."
Although she couldn't remember the content of her dreams, she was sure they weren't good ones.
Xiao Ye nodded. "Then get some more rest."
They soon arrived at the airport and boarded a plane. Their next stop was the northernmost part of the Dragon Country.
The weather here was like spring all year round, but the winters were exceptionally long.
It bordered Country E, so one could always spot some tall foreigners.
Jin Mingzhu glanced at the GPS. "The place we're going is Da'anling. It has a lot of wildlife, and the temperature is quite low right now."
"We should get some thermal gear before we go."
The pair went to a nearby shopping center, changed into professional cold-weather gear, and then set out again.
The SUV crested a hill, finally arriving at the outskirts of the Da'anling range.
The moment Jin Mingzhu stepped out of the car, she vaguely saw a black bear charging toward them.
She instinctively prepared to defend herself, but in the blink of an eye, the black bear vanished. It was as if the whole thing had been a hallucination.
"Did you… see a black bear?"
Xiao Ye looked at her. "No. Did you see something?"
"I must have been seeing things."
Jin Mingzhu shook her head. "Come on, let's go in."
Although the Da'anling range was very far north, its scenery was beautiful, so ski teams and backpackers would occasionally visit.
A guesthouse had been built on the outskirts. Business was usually mediocre, but for the locals who lived off the land, it wasn't their main source of income.
The two of them first booked rooms at the guesthouse, dropped off their extra supplies, and then set out again.
The Da'anling was less a mountain range and more of a vast forest.
Small, man-made paths wound through the dense groves of trees.
But they soon came to an end, and the remaining area was cordoned off with an iron fence, preventing anyone from getting closer.
Jin Mingzhu skirted the fence and found an entrance. "Let's go. We can get in from here. This way leads directly to the Site of National Destiny."
The Site of National Destiny was located in the heart of the Da'anling range.
It was right around the time when animals were emerging from hibernation, so they still needed to be careful of wild beasts.
Luckily, the two of them made it to the heart of the range without any trouble.
Xiao Ye pinpointed their position using photos from a drone.
But before they could get close, the roar of a tiger suddenly echoed through the forest!
Even Jin Mingzhu's face paled at the sound.
Compared to a predator like that, a human was undeniably weak!
Even Jin Mingzhu couldn't get away unscathed without harming the tiger.
Unless she used a firearm!
"What do we do?"
Xiao Ye glanced at the sky, then determined the direction the roar had come from. "Judging by the sound, it's a tigress, and she has cubs with her."
Jin Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"
"Because I've heard a similar sound before. It's a little different from an ordinary tiger's roar. Plus, if you listen carefully, you can hear tiger cubs."
Xiao Ye turned around. "Let's go. A tigress with cubs is extremely protective; we can't get close."
"The sound came from the exact direction we need to go. We'll come back tomorrow."
"All right. I'll follow your lead."
By the time they returned to the guesthouse, the sky was completely dark.
Jin Mingzhu shook her head. 'Why do I keep seeing things?'
'Am I really just not getting enough rest?'
Back in her room, she took a shower and sat on her bed, intending to turn in early.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
A knock sounded at the door.
Immediately after, Xiao Ye pushed the door open and entered. "I came to discuss the plan for tomorrow. It's best if the tigress isn't there, but if she is…"
Jin Mingzhu stared at him, dumbfounded.
'Xiao Ye… Why isn't he wearing any clothes?'
Her face instantly flushed red. Even as worldly as she was, she had never seen a man's body so openly and boldly displayed!
But Jin Mingzhu was a bold woman. 'Since Xiao Ye is delivering himself to my doorstep, there's no reason to say no!'
Thinking this, she stood up and walked, step by step, to stand before Xiao Ye.
"And here I thought you were the type of man who could resist temptation."
Xiao Ye looked at her, his brow slightly furrowed. "Mingzhu, what are you talking about?"
Jin Mingzhu smiled faintly, her eyes full of allure. She placed a hand lightly on Xiao Ye's chest and began to slide it slowly downward.
"I may not have done this before, but I've seen it done, and I've studied up."
"I'll do my best to satisfy you."
Her hand came to rest on his lower abdomen. Just a little bit lower… and she would be grabbing something she shouldn't touch!
At the last second, Xiao Ye grabbed her hand. "Mingzhu!"
His angry shout exploded in her ear, and Jin Mingzhu violently snapped back to her senses.
She looked at Xiao Ye. He wasn't naked; he was fully clothed, not even his arms were bare!
Jin Mingzhu knew then that she must have been seeing things!
She stumbled back a step. "I… I'm sorry!"
"I was mistaken. I thought…"
Xiao Ye had already noticed something was off about her, so he didn't press the matter. "You've misseen things several times on our way into the mountains today."
"First the bear, then a tree, and a pool of water, and now… me!"
Jin Mingzhu's face paled. "Yes, it's happening too often. It's strange."
"I've misseen things before, but never so many times in the span of a few hours."
"At first, I thought it was because I hadn't rested well. Now, it seems… am I getting sick?"
Xiao Ye grabbed her wrist. "No, you're not sick. You're in excellent health."
"Then what's happening?"
Xiao Ye didn't speak. Instead, he lifted one of her eyelids, then reached out and pinched the base of Jin Mingzhu's middle finger.
After a long moment, he finally let go.
"Someone's targeted you. It's most likely a curse!"
Jin Mingzhu froze. "A curse? That should be impossible. No one knows my birthdate and time except for my superior."
"A curse doesn't necessarily require your birthdate and time."
"And I haven't given any of my personal belongings to anyone. Could it be my hair?"
Xiao Ye pondered for a moment. "If it were just a strand of hair, it shouldn't be affecting you this much. You have a strong will and a powerful vital energy!"