A live stream that dramatically transformed a depressed schoolgirl shocked netizens across the count

6:40 a.m.

A gray van was parked outside an orchard on the east side of Songhe Village, its front covered in mud, with two Bai ethnic embroidered hats pinned behind the windshield.

The scarred man spread out a map of the Sanling route.

The red pen circles the bluestone square, and three arrows point to the stone bridge on the east side, the stage behind the incense burner, and the narrow alley leading to the village committee, respectively.

Five small circles were added around the perimeter of the square, marking the stalls, restrooms, parking areas, and two high walls.

Six people were crammed into the carriage.

Some people put on tourist coats, some tucked batons into the lining of their backpacks, and others stuffed stun guns into their sleeves.

The man near the door opened his camera bag; there wasn't even a lens inside, just straps, tape, and two sets of license plates neatly arranged.

A processed male voice came through the headphones.

"Zhou Henian will be lighting the first incense stick today. Gu Qingshang and his group will also be there."

The scarred man folded up the map.

"Is the ledger really on him?"

"pretty close."

"What about the remaining ten or twenty percent?"

"Keep a close eye on the old man. Write down everything that happened today—who spoke to him, who touched him."

The scarred man turned his head to look towards the village entrance. Villagers and tourists heading to the early market were walking along the stone-paved path, and the crowd was growing.

"When will you make your move?"

"Don't move during the ceremony."

The rustling sound of papers turning over could be heard over the channel.

"The circumambulation of the three spirits is a big day for the village. There are village police, clan elders, and hundreds of villagers in the square. If anyone dares to snatch someone by the altar, the three roads leading out of the mountain will be blocked immediately. After the third circumambulation is completed, Zhou Henian leaves the square and finds another place to take care of things."

The scarred man nudged the camera bag with the tip of his shoe.

"What if he hands over the account books in public?"

"Find out who received it, follow them, but don't touch them yet. Whoever gets the ledger will eventually leave the village."

"How should we handle Chen Lang?"

The channel was silent for a moment.

"Have one team keep an eye on him. Nobody should provoke him unless ordered to."

The people in the car looked at each other.

The man carrying the baton backpack scoffed.

"Three people are watching a kid who didn't even get into college. That's quite a show."

The scarred man slapped him on the back of the head.

"He recognized the car that was watching the Bai family compound last night. If you still treat him like an ordinary student, no one will even know where you bury him later."

The man rubbed the back of his head, said nothing more, and lowered his head to fasten the zipper of his backpack.

The car door slid open.

The six people split into three groups, walking towards the village entrance at intervals of several dozen meters. Some were buying flower garlands, while others were taking pictures of the colorful flags with their mobile phones.

The scarred man put on his sun hat and mingled with the tourists heading to the early morning market.

The first gong sounded from the other end of the village road.

Flocks of birds swept across the treetops in the orchard, leaving only a few rows of crisscrossing shoe prints on the muddy ground.

In the Bai family's courtyard, dresses and skirts covered the bamboo couch.

Bai Weiwei ran into the room carrying the silver jewelry box, her braids swinging from her shoulders to her back.

"Qingci, raise your hand."

Shen Qingci stood in front of the bronze mirror.

The indigo tie-dye long skirt reached her ankles, with silver buttons lining the neckline and a belt cinching the pleats.

Bai Weiwei straightened her shoulder line, took out a blue and white cloth strip, and wrapped it around her left wrist.

The black sandalwood beads were covered by fabric.

Bai Weiwei lowered her head to tie the knot, her gaze not lingering on the prayer beads for long.

"This is called a peace knot."

She tugged at the knot to make sure it wouldn't come undone as she walked.

"There are a lot of people in the village today, so stick close to me. We can't let any of us get lost."

Shen Qingci's hand stopped at her wrist, and after a moment, she pressed down on the blue and white cloth.

"Thanks."

"Keep it for now, I'll thank you later." Bai Weiwei gestured towards the door with her chin, "Keep an eye on Niannian for me later, don't let her start showing off her new clothes all over the place."

Footsteps immediately sounded outside the courtyard.

"Bai Weiwei, could you please keep your voice down when you're talking badly about me?"

Su Niannian stepped through the door, wearing an embroidered hat covered with tassels on her head.

A few strands of her wolf-tail hair peeked out from under the brim of her hat, and as she put her hands on her hips, half of the tassel swept across her face.

Ye Xingyu gripped the door frame, pursed her lips, and her shoulders trembled.

Gu Qingshang changed into a camellia-patterned long dress, tied her curly hair back, and wore small silver pendants on her earlobes.

She walked to Su Niannian's side and removed the tassels that were blocking her eyes.

"The hat is fine, but the person wearing it needs more practice."

Su Niannian turned her head and stared at her.

"Gu Qingshang, you used to be so gentle. After hanging out with Chen Lang for a couple of days, your mouth has become so mean."

Gu Qingshang straightened his cuffs.

"Don't make accusations without evidence. You already have one on your head."

Ye Xingyu finally couldn't hold back her laughter, which drifted across the window and into the courtyard.

Chen Lang leaned against the courtyard gate, still wearing his all-black windbreaker and tactical work pants tucked into his high-top boots.

His indigo dress, silver ornaments, and crimson belt were bathed in the morning light. He stood at the edge of the colors, his black earring on his left ear pressing down on the dim light.

Fourteen red dots are lit up on the terminal map.

The seventeen people who entered Songhe Village last night have dispersed.

Six people were around the stone bridge on the east side, two guarded the back of the stage, three approached the square along the narrow alley, and the rest mingled in the outer circle of the crowd.

These people did not approach Zhou Henian's residence.

They are all waiting.

Chen Lang ran his thumb across the map, labeling the stone bridge, the stage, and the narrow alley with numbers. He looked up, his face still bearing that lazy smile.

Bai Weiwei clapped her hands.

"Let me say it again before you leave. Don't push forward when you light incense, don't interrupt when the elderly are chanting blessings, and don't point your phone at the villagers to take pictures."

"No one is allowed to ask Mr. Cheng or the account books unless Grandpa Zhou brings it up himself."

Gu Qingshang nodded first.

"Understood, I'll listen to you today."

Su Niannian straightened the embroidered hat.

"Don't worry, I've got a chance to speak today."

Chen Lang glanced at her.

"I don't know if there's a door, but there's definitely no lock."

"Chen Lang, do you need a beating again?"

"Look, this is only the first time I've made that promise."

Su Niannian was about to step forward when Bai Weiwei quickly blocked her way.

"Everyone behave yourselves. Whoever causes trouble today will have to wash the dishes when they get back."

Su Niannian immediately withdrew her foot.

"Then let Chen Lang live."

Chen Lang swiped twice on the terminal.

The floating ball on the roof of the RV slowly rises, and the status light then goes out.

The camera avoids residential houses, altars, and processions, focusing only on a few roads outside the village and the entrance to the square.

Villagers shouldn't be followed and filmed by cameras during festivals.

As for those unfamiliar faces mixed in with the crowd, don't even think about missing one of them.

Bai Weiwei was still a little worried and stared at him, asking.

"Is the live stream really shut down?"

Chen Lang put the terminal in his pocket.

"It's really off. Even if you make faces at the camera now, nobody will see you."

"Who's making faces at the camera?" Su Niannian kicked out, "Stop making fun of us!"

Chen Lang dodged to the side and slipped out of the courtyard.

"Teacher Bai, did you see that? I just told her not to make trouble, and she started hitting me."

Su Niannian, holding her embroidered hat, chased after them.

"Stand there, don't hide!"

Chen Lang glanced back at her.

"I'm not stupid, am I? Why would I just stand there and let you kick me?"

The second gong sound came from the direction of the stone bridge, and the two men's words fell into the drumbeat.

The procession around the three spirits passed through the village road.

An elderly man led the singing of a Bai ethnic tune, while a young man struck a gong with a mallet, and children wearing tiger-head hats squeezed through the gaps in the crowd.

Colorful flags fluttered from the eaves to the treetops, shoes trod across the bluestone, and the clinking of silver ornaments blended with the sound of drums.

Shen Qingci stepped over the stone tablet at the village entrance, his shoulders and back tense.

The crowd gathered from both sides, filling the field of vision with skirts, gongs, and colorful flags.

Her breath caught in her throat, she took a half step back, and pressed her left hand against the peace knot on her wrist.

Chen Lang stopped two steps away.

He didn't reach out to pull her, nor did he urge her, he just gave Bai Weiwei a look.

Bai Weiwei turned around and took Shen Qingci's hand.

"Come on, follow me. The first lap goes past the flowering trees. If we're late, we'll have to stand at the very back with Niannian."

Su Niannian called out from behind.

"If you're bringing people, fine, but why are you using me to scare her?"

Bai Weiwei pulled Shen Qingci into the line without turning her head.

"Because it's easy to use."

"Bai Weiwei, you just wait!"

After a few steps, Shen Qingci's palms were sweaty, and her silver ornaments bumped against her clothes. At first, she couldn't keep up with the rhythm, and her heels stepped on her skirt several times, making her steps shorter and shorter.

Bai Weiwei slowed down by half a step, but never let go of her hand.

A little boy wearing a tiger-head hat ran past them, his shoes almost stepping on the hem of their skirts.

He quickly stopped, clasped his hands together, and tilted his head back.

"Sister, I'm sorry, I didn't see it."

Shen Qingci pursed her lips and pulled her skirt to the side.

"It's okay, go have fun."

The old woman behind the boy rushed over and helped her straighten the silver ornaments on her shoulder.

"You look so handsome in this outfit, and the peace knot is tied perfectly. Once you pass the flowering trees ahead, good luck will come home with you."

After the old woman finished speaking, she caught up with the child, without staring at her wrist or asking where she came from.

Three little girls ran over from under the flowering tree, and one of them stood on tiptoe and stuffed a camellia into Shen Qingci's palm.

"Sister, this is for you."

The petals clung to the lines of my palm, glistening with the morning dew.

Shen Qingci stood with her head down for a moment, tucked the flower into her belt, and spoke in the direction the old woman had left.

"Thank you, and thank you all."

The three little girls ran away laughing.

Shen Qingci's voice was still soft, but her footsteps had already entered the drumbeat.

Flowering branches and leaves swept overhead. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on her indigo skirt, and the silver buttons jingled softly with her movements.

This time, she didn't turn back to find Chen Lang.

On the outside of the group, Chen Lang looked at the indigo figure and raised his eyebrows.

He took his phone out of his pocket.

The camera avoids the surrounding villagers, focusing only on Shen Qingci under the flowering tree.

She was led by Bai Weiwei across the colorful flag, a camellia pinned to her waist, and a blue and white cloth knot on her wrist swaying in the wind.

The girl in the picture is still not used to crowds. When a child runs towards her, she takes a half step to the side.

As the old man sang the next line of the blessing, she pursed her lips and listened for two beats, then clapped along with the people around her.

The second tap was more precise.

By the third time, she had caught up with the team's pace.

Shen Qingci turned her face to the side and found the camera through the colorful flags passing by.

She paused for a moment.

Chen Lang didn't put his phone away; instead, he gestured with his chin towards her across the crowd.

"Shen, with my master-level filming skills, I should charge at least twenty yuan for my service outside the village, right? How do you plan to settle the bill?"

Shen Qingci looked at him for two seconds, then raised her hand to straighten the camellia at her waist.

"Put it on my tab, and I'll deduct it from your fried eggs tomorrow morning."

She turned back to the group and followed Bai Weiwei as they walked under the flowering trees.

Her indigo skirt swept across the bluestone, and despite trying to suppress her smile several times, she couldn't hold it back.