Ficorpio
Chapter 1
My buddy told me that before getting married, he was determined to find a female travel companion and take a road trip through Xinjiang.
I thought he was joking. I was wrong. He was completely serious.
He even asked whether I wanted to go and told me to find a travel companion of my own.
I said no. I still had work to deal with, and unlike him, I didn’t have that kind of money to burn.
So he went by himself.
Before he left, he sent me a photograph of his travel companion. She was beautiful, with an incredible figure.
I replied, “Not bad.”
“Not bad, right? It took me forever to find her.”
“Did you send me this in case something happens to you, so I have a photograph to help the police find the suspect?”
“Damn it. I sent it so you could be jealous.”
“Aren’t you worried Claire will find out?”
“If she asks, tell her I went with you.”
“Seriously? I have to lie for you now?”
“Who else would do it? We’re brothers.”
With that, the guy hung up.
My buddy and his travel companion set off along the Duku Highway.
On the third day, Claire sent me a message.
She wrote, “I’m worried he might be driving, so I thought I’d message you instead. Hey, where are you two now?”
My heart lurched. I immediately typed back, “Claire, you’re right. We’re on the road.”
“Which route did you take? The Duku Highway?”
I remembered Ethan saying that they were planning to drive along the Duku Highway, so I replied, “That’s right.”
“How’s the weather there? The forecast says there might be blowing dust. Be careful on the road, especially in the wind and sand. Stop and rest when you’re tired. Don’t push yourselves.”
“Sure. Don’t worry, Claire.”
“I trust him behind the wheel. I’m just worried you two are having too much fun and forgetting to stay safe. Thanks for keeping him company on his last trip as a bachelor.”
“Don’t mention it.”
After I sent that, I found myself thinking that Claire was such a good woman.
Ethan had really gone too far.
If she ever learned the truth, how heartbroken would she be?
But for the moment, all I could do was cover for him.
Once I finished handling Claire’s questions, I sent Ethan a message.
“Claire checked in. She told us to be careful on the road and protect ourselves from the blowing dust. She also said you should enjoy your bachelor trip. I smoothed everything over.”
Two hours later, Ethan finally replied.
“That’s what I call a reliable brother.”
He even sent me a thumbs-up sticker.
Over the next two or three days, Ethan sent me photographs of the scenery.
Grass. Mud. Horses. Sand. Gobi.
Chapter 2
There were pictures of Sayram Lake, pictures of himself, and, of course, a few accidental shots of his travel companion.
Her clothes kept changing, too.
Shorts. Skirts. Leather pants.
Yoga pants. A heavy winter coat.
I asked Ethan why her outfits changed so much.
He said it was because of the huge difference between the daytime and nighttime temperatures.
On the eighth day, Ethan called me.
“I have to catch a flight back.”
“What are you going to do with the car?”
“Easy. I’ll ship it back. It only costs a little over two thousand yuan. Totally worth it.”
“You really have money to spare.”
“Mostly because driving all the way back would be exhausting. I’m worn out.”
“You’re not tired just from driving, are you?”
“I am tired from driving. You know what I mean.”
“Want me to pick you up?”
“No need. She’s still with me.”
“It’s not time yet. I’m not going home.”
“Then where are you going?”
“Heh. Guess.”
Guess what? As if I had a clue.
I hung up.
On the evening of the ninth day, Ethan called me again.
“Come out for a drink. The usual place.”
I went to a barbecue restaurant near his house.
He was already sitting at our usual table.
He’d gotten several shades darker.
I said, “You’re so sunburned. Do you think Claire will even recognize you?”
“Perfect if she doesn’t. I’ll just tell her I’m my own twin brother.”
“Hahaha.”
“You’d better. You need to get a little sun, too.”
“Why do I have to get burned?”
“We went together. I’m this dark now, and you’re still as pale as ever. Do you really think Claire won’t get suspicious?”
“Uh…”
“You’re going to have to spend the next few days roasting in the sun.”
“What kind of life is this? I didn’t even go, and I still have to suffer for it.”
“Help your buddy out. We can’t let Claire start asking questions.”
“Fine. You had your fun.”
“Did I ever. It was fucking incredible.”
“I can tell.”
“That girl was smart. She knew exactly how to handle herself, and she knew a lot about everything. I got to do everything I wanted along the way.”
“Everything? Like what?”
My buddy smacked me hard.
“Just do your part.”
“That girl knew where the boundaries were. She didn’t ask questions she shouldn’t ask, and she didn’t say anything she shouldn’t say. I was very satisfied.”
“Oh.”
“So I’ve made up my mind. Once I get home, I’m going to start preparing for the wedding.”
“You don’t have a choice. There isn’t much time left.”
“Yeah. I’m going to settle down. From now on, I’ll live a quiet life with Claire.”
“You’d better actually mean that.”
I said it sincerely.
“I do. Look. I deleted every photo of her. Even the ones I sent you.”
Chapter 3
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and swiped through the gallery. Sure enough, all that remained were landscape shots and pictures of himself.
While I was looking, he pulled up another photo.
“Check this out.”
I glanced at the screen. It showed the two of us standing side by side in a desert.
I had never been to a desert.
“How did you manage that?” I asked.
“Photoshop. I even darkened your skin. Looks real enough to fool anyone, right?”
I honestly couldn’t tell the difference.
“I’ll send it to Claire when the time comes. It’ll prove we went together.”
“You really thought of everything.”
“Her family has money and connections. I can’t let her see through it.”
“So you’re not marrying Claire because you love her?”
“At our level, every marriage is a strategic alliance. Our families don’t want us choosing for ourselves. How much is love really worth?” He paused. “Of course, it’s not that there’s no love at all.”
I said nothing. What he was saying was painfully realistic.
I had seen plenty of his girlfriends over the years. None of them had made it to the altar.
He continued, “That trip was my one last reckless getaway before marriage. Once I’m married, Claire will keep a pretty tight leash on me. I won’t have another chance to go wild.”
“Have you really not gone wild enough already?”
“That’s different. The last time has to be worth commemorating. It’s like the first time.”
I took a sip of my drink and asked, “Does that girl know you’re getting married?”
“No. She didn’t ask, and I didn’t tell her. I just said I was single and wanted someone to travel with.”
“How much did the trip cost you?”
“I didn’t add it up. Less than a hundred thousand yuan, probably. Not that much.”
That night, we drank until two in the morning.
He was clearly drunk by then, and he kept rambling to me about the trip.
Which places had the best scenery. Which barbecue restaurant was the most authentic.
The night they stopped beside a lake to look at the stars.
The night they slept in the SUV.
Everything lined up with the story he had sent me.
I listened and answered every now and then.
After we paid the bill, just before we went our separate ways, we stood by the roadside to relieve ourselves.
“Buddy,” he said, “this stays between us.”
“I know.”
“When you see Claire, don’t let anything slip.”
“Just make sure you don’t give it away yourself after a few drinks.”
“I won’t. I’m heading home in a couple of days to start getting everything ready.”
“You should.”
“Go three days early. I’ll buy your airline ticket. Come see our hometown. You’ve never been there.”
“No need.”
“What do you mean, no need? Listen to me. I’ll make the arrangements.”