Little Pink Starfish

The winding mountain road was extremely dangerous. Sichuan was full of mountains, the terrain steep, and the scenery equally beautiful.

Pei Qing was driving, with Qi Xi sitting in the passenger seat. The two occasionally discussed which direction to go.

“Turn left at the fork up ahead.”

“I remember it’s the northern mountain—just keep going forward.”

“If you drive like this, be careful not to fall into the river. I’m absolutely sure.”

“If falling into the river meant we’d arrived, that’d be nice.”

The two argued for a while, glanced at each other, and Pei Qing pulled the car over. He turned back to say, “This is strange. We clearly have a general direction, but the closer we get, the more off the path we go.”

Qi Xi also felt something was wrong.

Li Shu sat in the back, looked out the window. It was almost dark. He said, “Let’s find a place to rest for the night. I’ll fly up tonight to scout.”

“That works.” Qi Xi nodded.

A hissing sound came from the walkie-talkie in the car. Gao Zhihao’s impatient and urgent voice came through. “What’s going on? Are we there yet?”

“Not yet, we got lost. We’ll find a place to stay tonight, continue tomorrow.” Zhang Qiu said.

Gao Zhihao grumbled through the walkie-talkie, “Those two were only out for an hour, and now it’s taken a whole day? Are you doing this on purpose…”

Zhang Qiu had no words. Up front, the two acted like they were super busy and kept driving.

After less than an hour, faint lights appeared ahead—it was a village. The three vehicles entered one after another. The village was deep in the mountains, the scenery beautiful. During holidays, many people from the city drove here for leisure, so the village had some farmhouse lodges and small inns. But since it was late, and late autumn, there were few tourists. The village was quiet and cold.

They followed a winding path into the village and stopped at the first inn they saw.

Qi Xi pulled up his scarf to cover his face and knocked on the door. Soon the innkeeper, who had already gone to bed, opened the door, looking alert and guarded.

“Kind sir, we are here seeking alms.” Qi Xi grinned.

Zhang Qiu held his forehead and quickly said, “He’s joking. We want to stay here. Do you take guests?”

The innkeeper saw several large men getting out of the cars and gripped the door handle tightly, ready to slam the door. But when he saw Li Shu carrying a child in his arms, he slightly relaxed his guard.

“Come in, then.” The innkeeper let go of the door, opened it wide, and shouted inside, “Boss, second brother, more guests are here. Come out and tidy up the remaining rooms. And move their cars to the back—the front path is narrow. If you park here, the ox cart can’t pass tomorrow.”

Pei Qing and the others drove to the backyard to park. Zhang Qiu and the others unloaded their luggage and carried it in. The courtyard was square-shaped like a recessed square, the main house at the back, guest rooms on both sides, all one-story tiled roofs. It was clean and well-kept.

While carrying luggage, Xiao Jiang had woken up and was energetic, carrying his little car-shaped backpack and hopping in front. After a few steps, he turned around and pointed, “Daddy, someone is watching me.”

Zhang Qiu followed his son’s finger and looked—across from them, the curtain of a side room swayed slightly, and the light inside quickly turned off. Zhang Qiu hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it did seem a little suspicious.

“Boss, who’s staying over there?”

“Oh, arrived at noon. A young man, pretty good-looking.” The innkeeper said, then added, “It’s late now—no hot water. Hot water’s only at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. There’s no food left either. If you haven’t eaten, we have instant noodles.”

A young man? So it wasn’t Qi Zhirong.

Zhang Qiu nodded, bought a few packs of instant noodles from the boss, borrowed a pot. They had canned lunch meat and beef—threw everything together in the pot. In this chilly mountain setting, it smelled really good. They had only nibbled dry food earlier; now the scent made everyone’s stomach growl, so they gathered around the stone table under the courtyard canopy.

They used disposable bowls to share the hotpot.

The King of Xiapi took a sip of the broth and praised, “Xiao Qiu, your noodles are well cooked.”

“Rare to see you with an appetite.” Zhang Yushui swapped his own bowl and drank from the nearly empty one of the King of Xiapi, smiling, “You haven’t had much appetite lately. Now you can eat more.”

The King of Xiapi was indeed hungry and didn’t think too deeply about Zhang Yushui’s smiling expression. He quietly ate with his bowl.

While eating, Zhang Qiu kept glancing at the dark room across from them. That curtain movement earlier—maybe he was just overthinking. The person might’ve been a tourist who looked out due to the noise—perfectly normal.

After eating, they cleaned up quickly. That side row, besides the noon arrival, was all Gao Zhihao’s people. Zhang Qiu and his group were on the other side—two per room. Qi Xi, being single, had a room to himself.

The next morning at six, Zhang Qiu yawned and washed his face, feeling much more awake. The two daughters-in-law of the innkeeper had already prepared breakfast: pickled vegetables, cured meat, hot steamed buns, and congee—all placed on the stone table under the canopy.

Qi Xi lazily came out of his room, saw Zhang Qiu, and greeted him cheerfully. Then he saw Li Shu coming out with a cold face and shrugged. “Aren’t you watching too closely? Between Xiao Qiuqiu and me, it’s just pure male friendship.”

“Please don’t.” Zhang Qiu hurriedly said. Friendship was enough—no need to make it all gay sounding. Dealing with Qi Xi gave him a headache. He didn’t know who could control this drama king.

“Xiao Qiuqiu, you’ve hurt me deeply.” Qi Xi clutched his chest and flopped into a chair.

Zhang Qiu ignored him. The man was born to act—never seen anyone so dramatic.

Soon, the King of Xiapi and Zhang Yushui came out too. They sat for breakfast. Pei Qing came in from the backyard, wearing only a T-shirt despite the autumn chill, dripping wet—obviously just showered, showing off his good physique. He got a bowl of porridge and pickles and returned to the room—probably for Lingdang.

Qi Xi clicked his tongue, propped his chin, and said, “Pei Qing sure is busy. Went out last night, still has energy to mess with little Lingdang.”

“Careful Pei Qing punches you.” Zhang Qiu calmly fed a bun to Xiao Jiang. He glanced at the still-closed room across the courtyard. Gao Zhihao’s subordinate had come out to get breakfast, but the room with the moving curtain had been quiet since last night.

Qi Xi sighed emotionally, “Xiao Qiuqiu, you still care about me.”

Zhang Qiu: ……

He didn’t want to talk to Qi Xi anymore and mentally threw Qi Zhirong at him.

They chatted casually over breakfast. After eating, Gao Zhihao kept looking toward the main gate of the courtyard, sent his men to bring the car around. Though he didn’t rush them openly, his attitude made it clear—Zhang Qiu and the others couldn’t delay any longer.

Leaving the village, Pei Qing pulled out a hand-drawn map. Though messy and rough, all important landmarks were clear—it was the terrain map he and Qi Xi made last night.

“This river is tricky. We’ve been circling it. There’s a shortcut—drive to the top, then hike down. About an hour later, we’ll see the river. If we drive, it loops around and we’ll have to pass the wild monkey area. The forest is too dense—can’t drive through, must walk.” Pei Qing explained.

Zhang Qiu saw the river hung like a waterfall between encircling mountains, then flowed down.

“If we take the shortcut, we’ll reach the top of the waterfall. If we circle and go through the flat area, we reach—” Pei Qing pointed at a wider stretch of river. “Right now, we don’t know which spot it is.”

The river was long, from one mountain peak to another valley. The area was too vast to be certain.

Zhang Yushui relayed the info via walkie-talkie. Gao Zhihao rustled through his notebook on the other end, but after a long while, still didn’t make a decision. Seemed the notes only mentioned “river,” nothing else.

“Waterfall,” Li Shu finally said.

On the walkie-talkie, Gao Zhihao immediately agreed, “Let’s take the shortcut. If that doesn’t work, we can follow the river downstream and find it eventually.”

Pei Qing had no objections. He drove toward the mountaintop. The higher they went, the narrower the road. Bumpy and with no guardrails—it felt like the whole car could flip off the cliff.

Zhang Qiu looked out the window at the steep mountainside—terrifying.

“We’re here. Can’t go higher.” Pei Qing parked in sparse woods. The road ahead was blocked.

The two cars behind arrived. Gao Zhihao got out and vomited by a tree root, face pale. Zhang Qiu had been fine until he heard the retching—then his own stomach turned. He held his mouth and dry-heaved. Li Shu supported him and brought him to the breezy side, away from Gao Zhihao.

Zhang Qiu drank water to settle his stomach. Gao Zhihao finished puking. His men moved luggage from the car—they only brought essentials now, like tents were left behind.

The mountain was steep and tall. Everyone carried bulky backpacks, feeling like they could fall backward. Li Shu picked a tree and expertly tied a knot. The knot would tighten under weight, but could be loosened with a skillful pull.

Zhang Qiu hadn’t learned this yet but admired Li Shu every time.

With the rope, climbing down was safer. Zhang Qiu was worried about Xiao Jiang, but the little guy bounced on branches like a monkey, nimble and light.

This was an untouched wild zone—overgrown weeds, dead branches. Gao Zhihao, used to luxury, cursed when scratched. “Why don’t you clear the path? What is all this?!”

His five burly bodyguards were good at fighting but not at climbing. Nervous about falling, plus Gao Zhihao’s yelling, they were red-faced with irritation.

The rope wasn’t long enough. They landed on a relatively flat spot. Li Shu tugged the rope, but it didn’t fall.

“Stuck on a branch?” Zhang Qiu looked up—too many layers of branches to see.

“Forget it. We’ve got more ropes. Focus on the goal.” Gao Zhihao waved it off.

Li Shu frowned but let go, glanced upward. Gao Zhihao’s man pulled out another rope, and they continued down.

“Do you hear it? The sound of water.” Gao Zhihao said excitedly.

Zhang Qiu had heard it long ago. They’d come down from a slightly off route, still a bit from the waterfall—safer that way. He was just thinking this when something suddenly landed on his back and yanked at his bag.

In an instant, Li Shu grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

“Hold on.”

As he said this, Li Shu’s knife-hand had already struck behind him. Zhang Qiu heard screeching cries. The weight on his back disappeared. Down below, Gao Zhihao’s bodyguards yelled.

“Monkeys!”

“Damn, I’m gonna kill it.”

“F**k.”

“Help me—help!”

Zhang Qiu clung to a branch and looked down. The thing that had attacked him was a wild monkey. After Li Shu drove it off, it leapt down, attacking the bodyguards.

Luckily the slope here wasn’t too steep. Li Shu held Zhang Qiu’s waist and they reached a flatter area.

Pei Qing carried Lingdang. Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law were fine. Gao Zhihao looked terrible—face scratched. Two bodyguards were dragged farther down. Qi Xi helped pull them back. Some scrapes, but they were okay.

“There are wild monkeys here too.” Pei Qing frowned. He hadn’t seen any last night.

“Be careful,” Li Shu said.

Zhang Qiu nodded, grabbed Xiao Jiang’s hand. “Don’t run off. You’re tiny—what if a monkey grabs you?” The monkey that pounced on him earlier was small but shockingly strong. Without Li Shu, he would’ve fallen.

Xiao Jiang nodded obediently. “Daddy, I’ll protect you. If monkeys come, I’ll hit them.”

“Okay, Daddy’s counting on you.” Zhang Qiu said seriously.

They continued toward the waterfall. The path was much easier now. Bodyguards cleared the way. Aside from bugs and snakes, no major danger. The closer they got, the louder the rushing water, and the air grew damp.

“Wait.” Li Shu stopped.

Zhang Qiu tensed and scanned the surroundings—suddenly, a black shadow lunged. Li Shu pulled him down. A chorus of screeching erupted. From the dense trees, countless gray-white monkey heads appeared, surrounding them.

These wild monkeys were much bigger—like gorillas. Fur gray and white, some almost pure white.

Zhang Qiu had never seen white monkeys before. No time to admire. One hand held Xiao Jiang, the other gripped his knife, eyes alert.

“Bang—”

Someone fired a gun. The monkeys screeched and charged.

Chaos broke out. Li Shu dragged Zhang Qiu to run. Zhang Qiu looked back—and went pale.

His son stood firm, baring his soft claws and tiger teeth, ready to fight the monkeys.

“Xiao Jiang!” Zhang Qiu let go of Li Shu, rushed back, grabbed his son, and ran.

Li Shu kicked away lunging monkeys and shouted, “Run to the waterfall!”

The jungle was the monkeys’ battlefield. These ones were strong. Zhang Qiu didn’t dare linger—he ran first with Xiao Jiang on his shoulder. Li Shu covered the rear. His legs flew like lightning. Shouts and gunshots echoed behind them.

Zhang Qiu glanced back. “Li Shu—”

A white shadow flashed. His shoulders burned—he was lifted off the ground. Xiao Jiang was thrown out.

“Daddy!” the child screamed.

Sharp claws dug into Zhang Qiu’s shoulders. The white-furred monkey leapt between trees with ease. Zhang Qiu gritted his teeth from the pain. His head spun. His stomach ached. He held the knife—when the monkey jumped again, he stabbed upward.

“Screeech—”

The monkey shrieked. Its grip loosened. Zhang Qiu was thrown off. Cold waterfall water hit his face. He grabbed wildly. His stomach churned. Vision dimmed. Strength faded.

He bit his lip to stay awake. Just then, someone grabbed his hand and shouted, “Hold on!” He looked up. Cold river water hit his face. The person holding him suddenly slipped and slammed into him.

Crap!

Zhang Qiu blacked out before he could yell.

His stomach hurt terribly. He was freezing. He shivered and opened his eyes, soaked through.

“You’re awake?”

Zhang Qiu warily turned toward the voice. “Yue Qincang?”—leaning against the rock wall, soaked, pale-faced. It was Yue Donghui’s son.

“Good memory.” Yue Qincang smiled weakly. “Don’t worry. I’m not hostile. I saved you just now.”

Mentioning that made Zhang Qiu angry. If not for Yue Qincang slamming into him, he could’ve pulled himself up. But now wasn’t the time. He clutched his belly, enduring the pain. “Where are we? Where’s Li Shu?”

Yue Qincang had a head wound. Skin pale from soaking, lips purple.

“I don’t know either. That guy you mentioned—Li Shu—they’re probably still up there.”

Zhang Qiu looked around. The waterfall roared overhead. They were on a narrow ledge, plastered to the cliff. If they stuck their heads out, they’d be drenched.

Backpacks were gone. Terrible. Zhang Qiu checked his coat pocket—two packs of jerky, some chocolate, and a lighter. But they couldn’t make fire here—no wood.

He bit his lip to stay alert. He tossed some chocolate to Yue Qincang. “Eat. Let’s get out of here.”

He tore open a pack and stuffed some into his mouth with trembling hands. Yue Qincang wasn’t doing much better. After eating, both were still weak. Zhang Qiu’s stomach hurt less now. He leaned on the wall to stand, nearly collapsed. Yue Qincang caught him. That’s when Zhang Qiu saw Yue Qincang’s arm was injured—badly.

“Were you that young man in the village last night?”

Yue Qincang nodded. Zhang Qiu understood. Yue Donghui probably had multiple copies of the research. Earlier, the rope hadn’t fallen—it was likely Yue Qincang who’d come down behind them to pick up the trail.

“Less talk, more action. If we delay, your belly is in real danger.” Yue Qincang said.

Zhang Qiu froze. “You knew—?”

“I studied medicine. If my dad hadn’t died, I wouldn’t have taken over the family business.” Yue Qincang didn’t want to talk more. “Hold on. Let’s go.”

They poked their heads out and got soaked. The autumn mountain water was bone-chilling. Zhang Qiu soon felt numb, blindly following Yue Qincang.

They’d been flung quite far. The water was calmer. But when Zhang Qiu stepped into deeper parts, his legs felt disconnected. His soaked belly felt frozen. He bit his lip to stay alert, each step painful. The rocks were slippery—he almost fell. Thankfully Yue Qincang held him.

A few meters felt like miles. Finally they reached shore. Yue Qincang’s lips had turned white. Zhang Qiu looked no better. Their lighter had been soaked—who knew if it still worked.

Zhang Qiu’s head pounded. They huddled together, moved inward. No energy to worry about monkeys—only wanted to start a fire.

Yue Qincang scrambled for branches. Zhang Qiu gave him the lighter.

“It’s waterproof. So Gao Zhihao really stole my

dad’s notebook.” Yue Qincang muttered.

They got the fire going. Zhang Qiu nearly dove in. Finally some warmth. He huffed into his hands, lips trembling. “Even if you wanted revenge, coming alone was too bold.”

“My dad worried about this on his deathbed. I just wanted to see it myself.” Yue Qincang sneered. “And I won’t let that bastard Gao Zhihao succeed either.”

Zhang Qiu shivered. His head spun. He couldn’t hear what else Yue Qincang said. He really couldn’t hold on anymore. He wanted to sleep. But Yue Qincang wouldn’t let him, shouting constantly.

“Don’t be so loud—it hurts.”

“Idiot! Don’t sleep! You want to die here?!”

“Li Shu… Li Shu, it hurts, my belly hurts…”

Zhang Qiu dreamed again—the pink mist cleared, the tiny version of his child smiled at him. Then a black fog swallowed everything.

Baby #2!