When Ding Ruola heard Fang Siyan's sarcastic theory, she wanted to defend Bi Shuang. But after careful recollection, Bi Shuang's romantic relationships indeed never lasted more than three months, just as Fang Siyan had said.
"This time is different."
"I don't think so."
Fang Siyan whispered some sarcastic remarks in Ding Ruola's ear. He glanced at the little pout on her face, then reached out and pulled her head into his arms.
He knew Ding Ruola got carsick easily, so he let her rest on his shoulder.
"Sorry, I was just joking."
The man tried his best to soothe Ding Ruola's emotions. He tucked the hair around her lips behind her ear.
"Take a nap. I'll wake you up when we arrive."
Not long after Ding Ruola fell asleep, she started to dream.
She dreamed that Fang Siyan suddenly disappeared from her side, leaving only a pile of sand.
"Laofang!"
The girl woke up with a start from her dream. Her hand was tightly held in Fang Siyan's.
"Baby! I'm right here with you. Always."
Ding Ruola had only been asleep for a short while when Fang Siyan noticed her body twitching. She seemed to be having a nightmare.
He was just about to soothe her when, unexpectedly, she sat up after calling his name.
"It's okay now. We'll be at the airport in ten minutes."
This time, Ding Ruola didn't fall back asleep. She just closed her eyes and laid her head on Fang Siyan's chest, listening intently to his heartbeat.
After four hours of travel, the two finally reached their destination.
As soon as Ding Ruola entered the hotel, she flopped onto the bed, spreading out like a starfish.
"I'm so exhausted. I wonder if I'll have the energy for tomorrow."
Fang Siyan put the luggage on his back on the sofa beside the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and nudged Ding Ruola's arm.
The girl groaned but didn't open her eyes.
Fang Siyan had no choice but to go wash up first. When he came back from his shower, the girl had changed her position on the bed.
"Get up and wash your face."
The man leaned over, propping his hands on the bed, and looked down at Ding Ruola's face.
The water droplets from his hair fell on her face.
"Laofang, it's raining. I'm so unlucky."
Fang Siyan was amused by the girl. He didn't expect Ding Ruola to look so cute when she was half - asleep.
He went to the bathroom, soaked the disposable facial wipes Ding Ruola had brought, and wiped her face.
Then he turned off the lights in the room, leaving only the bedside lamp on.
After they both lay down, Fang Siyan tucked the quilt under his body a bit.
He was worried that Ding Ruola would be restless in her sleep and roll all the quilt onto herself.
His "little trick" was completely unnecessary. Ding Ruola didn't care about the quilt under Fang Siyan and managed to wrap herself up well.
When they woke up the next morning, Fang Siyan was only covered by a corner of the quilt.
"Laofang, you didn't even wake me up. You let me turn into a dirty dog last night."
Fang Siyan looked innocent. Didn't he try to wake Ding Ruola up? The girl was just impossible to wake.
The man exaggeratedly told Ding Ruola about her behavior last night.
After he finished speaking, Ding Ruola punched him in the chest.
It was just a little play fight between the two, and Ding Ruola didn't use much force.
The first stop of their trip to Alxa was the Ghost Forest.
The desolate feeling Ding Ruola wanted could be perfectly satisfied here.
The couple set off in the morning. On the way, Fang Siyan rented a car at a local rental place.
With the car, their journey became much more convenient.
It was still 400 kilometers from the entrance of Badain Jaran Desert to the Ghost Forest.
They drove for about five hours, stopping for a while in the middle. Ding Ruola ate something, and Fang Siyan took a short rest in the car.
The couple arrived at the Ghost Forest at around 5 pm.
They would be able to watch the sunset in an hour.
Most of the people in this desert were couples. Ding Ruola looked around and saw middle - aged couples as well as young lovers.
These were all poplar trees. Due to climate change, they had all died.
The remaining tree trunks were in various shapes. Some looked like emaciated animals, some like lovers snuggling together, and some like the last struggle of life.
When the sun was setting, the sky was filled with red light, mixed with the earthy smell of the sand.
An idea suddenly flashed through Ding Ruola's mind. Maybe this was life.
When life and death coexisted, life seemed so beautiful.
The girl took out her phone and took a picture of the scene in front of her.
"Laofang, if there was a doomsday, would these people still hug each other?"
"At least we would."
Fang Siyan didn't care about other people's relationships. He just wanted Ding Ruola to know that their relationship would never change.
Suddenly, the crowd rushed in one direction. Ding Ruola wasn't the type to like to join in the fun, but driven by such a spectacular sight, she pulled Fang Siyan and followed the crowd.
When the crowd dispersed, Ding Ruola saw two intertwined trees in the twilight. They were twisted and had formed a heart shape with their remaining trunks.
Ding Ruola was transfixed.
"Little girl. Making a wish here will be blessed by the god of love."
The couple were both atheists, but for the sake of so - called love, they still made a wish under this tree.
They didn't know what the other was thinking.
But their hands didn't let go while making the wish.
They didn't rent a hotel nearby, so they had to sleep in the car for the night.
"Laofang! I have an idea now."
At first, Ding Ruola thought that the so - called desolate feeling could be expressed by using colors like withered grass and eerie plants or animals.
Now she understood that everything needed a contrast.
The desert covered the buildings, and bridges were built between the buildings, connecting them to each other.
"Go to sleep! I'm a bit tired."
Fang Siyan wasn't being perfunctory. He had driven for a long time and then run around in the poplar forest with Ding Ruola, so he had exhausted a lot of his energy.
"My phone is out of battery, and there's not much power left in the power bank either."
Ding Ruola put her phone and power bank aside. She adjusted the front seat of the car like Fang Siyan did and then lay down.
Everything was unknown, and Ding Ruola had another dream all night.
The girl always felt that something was going to happen. These dreams were like warnings to her.
The dreams seemed to be saying the same thing - Fang Siyan would leave her.
When Ding Ruola woke up the next morning, the car was already moving.
They had left the Badain Jaran Desert scenic area, but they were still in the desert.
"Ruoruo, do you want to get out and have breakfast?"
There happened to be some local households here. Fang Siyan remembered that Ding Ruola hadn't had breakfast yet. Her stomach was rather weak and needed extra care.
"Sure. Let's take a break here."
After Ding Ruola got out of the car, she stretched her arms.
Because of the sand, Ding Ruola wrapped herself up tightly.