As Hou Mingzhu spoke, she directly placed a beautiful bracelet into Liu Lanying's hand, which indeed startled her.
"Sister Ye, you are too kind. I usually work in the village and don't wear such accessories. Moreover, I've seen this brand before; a small bracelet like this costs tens of thousands of yuan. It's truly too precious."
"Remember, any ornament is just to add charm to a woman. Because I feel you are very precious, you deserve any accessory. What are tens of thousands of yuan in comparison?"
The key point was that Liu Lanying hadn't done anything, yet she received such a valuable gift. She felt very uneasy about it, as she wasn't accustomed to accepting things casually.
"I really can't accept this, Sister Ye. It seems you've been through a lot recently. As a friend of Brother Ye, I haven't been able to help at all, and I already feel guilty. If I were to accept your gift, I would truly feel… very uneasy."
Liu Lanying simply couldn't bring herself to accept Hou Mingzhu's gift. She felt she should withdraw from their lives. If she continued to linger between them as a couple, it would make her seem truly inconsiderate.
"How about this, Sister-in-law, I won't accept this gift for now. We can discuss it later."
Liu Lanying couldn't directly refuse,
so she could only postpone it slightly. After all, Hou Mingzhu had been good to her, and she couldn't just dismiss her good intentions.
"Alright, I won't force you. Take your time. I also want you to see my sincerity, Miss Liu. If someone must accompany Ye Tiancheng, I truly hope that person can be you."
Liu Lanying could sense Hou Mingzhu's sincerity, but she couldn't do such a thing. Being with Ye Tiancheng required affection, and the crucial point was that there was no affection now. Ye Tiancheng's heart wasn't with her. What was the use of forcing it now? It would only bring her distress.
"Sister-in-law, you and Brother Ye are good people. You should live happily together. Please don't overthink things."
Liu Lanying felt that Hou Mingzhu's state was not right and also worried that her presence might have caused this woman's emotional turmoil. Liu Lanying regretted being so impulsive in coming over and immediately decided she had to leave.
After Liu Lanying left, Hou Mingzhu began to pack her things silently. At the same time, she was texting Ye Tiancheng to keep him stable. Ye Tiancheng had said he was tired from work today and wanted to reward himself, planning to take Hou Mingzhu and Fatty Lin Xue out for a big meal later. Fatty's health had also recovered quite well, and the nutritionist had been dismissed. He could now eat with normal people, and there were no issues.
When Ye Tiancheng returned, Hou Mingzhu was nowhere to be found. Only a note was left, telling Ye Tiancheng not to look for her for the time being. Hou Mingzhu had mainly found a place to recuperate and calm her mind, wanting to avoid so many negative emotions that were constantly plaguing her, causing immense pain.
The message was clear, but Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but worry. Hou Mingzhu must still be bothered by the matter of her appearance, otherwise, she wouldn't have run away. However, Ye Tiancheng felt that it wasn't a big deal. It was likely due to his own incompetence, being unable to help Hou Mingzhu return to her original state, which led to her fleeing.
Just as Ye Tiancheng was frowning, Lin Xue suddenly discovered something peculiar in a book about lifting curses. It might require a trip to a place called Miao Miao Xian Ju.
"I've heard of this place, but in the versions I've heard, Miao Miao Xian Ju seems to be just a legend. Since it's a legend, there's no basis for it, so it won't be easy for us to find."
Ye Tiancheng could barely distinguish whether this was from a fairy tale or if such a place as Miao Miao Xian Ju truly existed. Based on the information he had previously received, this place was not easy to find.
"Master, even if this place is hard to find, at least there's a sliver of a clue. We must try our best. Otherwise, if Sister-in-law's mood remains poor, it's not her fault. No woman can truly not care about her appearance, especially since Sister-in-law was originally a stunning beauty."
"Alright, even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, we must try. Otherwise, I truly won't be reconciled."
Thus, Ye Tiancheng, Fatty, and Lin Xue began to plan their journey. The location mentioned in the hint was in a place called Hope City.
It was said that there was an entrance to Miao Miao Xian Ju there. However, that Hope City had prospered for a period decades ago. Primarily, many people who came to Hope City wanted to find the immortal dwelling. Back then, there were many treasure hunters, and even people from different factions became friends. Some who got along particularly well even formed alliances.
However, later, major incidents occurred in Hope City, and it even suffered a great fire. After that, it began to decline. Everyone started to spread rumors that Hope City was cursed and that Miao Miao Xian Ju couldn't be found. It was merely an excuse fabricated by others to harm those seeking treasure.
After this rumor spread, no one came anymore. The so-called Hope City became a misnomer. It would be more appropriate to call it a ghost town, as there were hardly any people left. Only some elderly people who lacked the means remained there. Those who were slightly younger and capable were able to leave.
"The sandstorms there are severe, Brother Ye. We might even lack water, as we have to cross a desert. So, I will prepare more supplies because this journey might be unprecedentedly difficult."
Fatty, having just recovered, had to start preparing supplies for this trip. Ye Tiancheng felt a bit guilty. After saying a few words, he was retorted by Fatty.
"Brother Ye, we've been through life and death together so many times. If you're being formal with me, I'll get angry. Between us brothers, our hearts have always been in sync, and our efforts have always been directed towards the same goal. I believe this time, we will definitely find a way to break the curse and allow Sister-in-law to return to normal, and her mood will also become more cheerful."
What Fatty said gave Ye Tiancheng a lot of hope. Although Lin Xue had mentioned earlier that going to Hope City might lead to disappointment and a fruitless search, after all, so many groups had gone before, not only failing to find Miao Miao Xian Ju but also losing their lives in Hope City.
That place was not a good place at all. It was highly possible that their group would suffer losses. However, outwardly, they had to maintain sufficient confidence, lest Ye Tiancheng worry too much.
"Alright, I've already handled most of the company's affairs these past two days. There shouldn't be any major issues. If there are urgent matters, someone will handle them. Let's set off tomorrow morning. There's no need to delay any further. I'm already impatient."
"Okay, then let's not waste any more time. Let's strike while the iron is hot."
Fatty spent the entire day preparing various items, loading a full large truck. Although he was almost poisoned by that junior apprentice last time, his master was quite skilled. He meticulously repaired Fatty's SUV, making it look like new. Furthermore, he didn't charge Fatty, saying it was to apologize. This made Fatty feel quite good. In terms of the junior apprentice, he had managed to leave some goodwill. Anyway, the junior apprentice was ultimately fine, only needing to serve a year in prison, which was a greatly reduced sentence compared to his crimes.
The next morning, accompanied by the thin morning mist, Fatty set off with Ye Tiancheng and the others. Fatty still served as the driver, while Lin Xue sat in the back seat reading, occasionally murmuring to herself, likely searching for directions. After finding the directions, she would immediately sit in meditation and cultivate.
As for a cultivator, Lin Xue was the diligent type. If she were a student, she would be a pure academic prodigy, exceptionally brilliant.
Thus, the group traveled west for nearly a day. As dusk approached, they realized they should rest in this small town first. The supplies they brought were not yet needed. Since there were still people here, they decided to stay in the town and perhaps try some local delicacies.
Although the mission was arduous, life is a process. It was important to maintain a positive mindset and be more optimistic. This would be very beneficial for the successful completion of their mission. There was no need to view things too seriously.
Thus, they settled down to rest in the small town. There weren't many people in this town, and only a few restaurants. Following Fatty's intuition, he directly found a place with a relatively large number of customers.
This indicated it was a place frequented by locals, and such places were usually tastier. Fatty's choice was quite correct. After eating, he discovered how wonderfully lamb soup and fried pancakes paired together. Fatty's stomach was so full it was bulging. Upon returning to the inn, he kept burping, feeling quite uncomfortable.
"Fortunately, I brought some indigestion tablets. I didn't expect to eat so much. It seems since my stomach was injured last time, I can't eat as much as before. I need to be a bit more careful from now on."
Fatty, having narrowly escaped death, was quite health-conscious. After taking the indigestion tablets, he lay down and rubbed his stomach with his hands, closing his eyes in enjoyment. He even felt that the medicine had already started working as soon as it entered his stomach.
"Feeling good?"
"It's different when you're out and about. It's like traveling. As long as you don't overthink things, you feel quite relaxed."
Fatty and Ye Tiancheng chatted for a while. Then, Ye Tiancheng was called over by Lin Xue to discuss the next plan. When he returned, he found Fatty sleeping soundly.
Fortunately, everything wasn't too dire. The important people were by his side. Even if they were affected by the curse, it was a minor issue that could likely be resolved soon.
Thinking of this, Ye Tiancheng felt that everything was still full of hope. It was alright; the difficulties would be resolved soon.
Thus, Ye Tiancheng and Fatty shared a standard room and soon fell asleep. Perhaps it was due to the matters on his mind, but despite admonishing himself, he didn't sleep very soundly. Ye Tiancheng had many nightmares that night, even waking up startled several times.
In fact, this was not the first time Ye Tiancheng had this dream. He dreamt that Hou Mingzhu was being dragged away by a monster. The situation was terrifying, and Ye Tiancheng even let out a scream, waking Fatty up.
When morning arrived, he realized those dreams were illusory and would not affect reality. After getting up, Ye Tiancheng was silent for a moment. Suddenly, his stomach rumbled. He needed to find something to eat.