Chapter 11: The Child's Mother Has Passed Away

“My lifesaver, are you going to Xin City too?! That’s wonderful, I thought I’d never see you again!...”

Qian Lai recognized the girl in front of her as the very one she had unexpectedly saved from Si’s deadly weapon that night. The girl was cheerful and outgoing, though a bit talkative, and clung to her arm, chattering excitedly without end.

“Make way, make way! Can’t you take your conversation elsewhere?” an old man grumbled, straining to hoist a large sack onto the luggage rack, his voice filled with complaints.

“Exactly! You just go on and on, now you’ve taken our seats!” a woman across from them wore a perpetual dead-fish expression, her tone dripping with disdain.

“Sorry! We’ll leave right away!” the girl replied, and quickly pulled Qian Lai with her. “Lifesaver, let’s talk in my sleeper compartment.”

Qian Lai instinctively refused; she had no desire to grow close to anyone who knew about the events of that night.

The train slowly began to move, yet the noise and commotion in the carriage only grew louder and more chaotic.

“If you have a sleeper, why stay here and suffer with us?” the dead-fish-faced woman said sourly.

Seeing her hesitate, the girl smiled generously, “My name is Hua Rui. I’m a reporter for the Xin City Daily. Come on, I’m not a bad person.” Her good-natured personality was infectious.

Qian Lai found it hard to refuse and let Hua Rui drag her toward the sleeper car.

“I brought roast chicken, tea eggs, sunflower seeds, and crispy fried peanuts... I even packed a few bottles of orange soda. Let’s feast together later! Hahaha...”

Her hearty generosity was impossible to resist.

Qian Lai said, “Um... could we not mention what happened that night again? I snuck out behind my family’s back, I...”

Seeing her hesitate, Hua Rui immediately understood, her eyes twinkling with a look that said, “I get it,” and she replied cheerily, “Understood, understood. Don’t worry, I won’t mention it again. I’ll just worship you silently in my heart, alright? Hahaha.”

Qian Lai was taken aback.

Worship!

That’s really not necessary!

...

A girl who loves to laugh is truly blessed!

Hua Rui was lucky indeed! In her compartment, there were no unruly children or unkempt men—just young people, two women and two men, all easy to get along with. The only exception was the woman on the middle bunk opposite her, who slept facing the wall and never said a word. She was so still that she seemed to fade into the background.

The young people soon gathered together, chatting animatedly about everything under the sun, and Qian Lai found herself swept up in their excitement. Though her later life had been affluent, she had never known a genuine friend. Those who surrounded her were either family-appointed companions or sycophants.

“Hypocrisy” had been her constant companion as she grew up. Eventually, she stopped making friends altogether—no need to cater to others, pretend not to see their ambitions, or play mind games. Living honestly was most comfortable.

“Qian Lai, what brings you to Xin City?”

To break off an engagement?!

To care for a paralyzed patient?!

“I... am going to visit some distant relatives.”

“Where do your relatives live? When we get off, my family will pick me up by car. We can give you a ride.”

Hua Rui really was kindhearted.

“No need. I can find my way there.”

When conversation flows, time passes quickly.

Soon it was lunch time. Qian Lai had often read about dining cars on green trains in novels and was filled with curiosity. She wondered what kind of meals could be made on a train in this era.

She mentioned her idea, and to her delight, Hua Rui agreed immediately. Arm in arm, the two of them made their way to the dining car.

The dining car was in the middle carriage. By the time they arrived, only a small table by the door was left. As soon as they sat, the attendant handed them a menu.

There were five dishes: stewed chicken with mushrooms, glass noodles with minced pork, Kung Pao chicken, sweet and sour eggplant, and tomato and egg drop soup.

Exchanging a look, the two foodies spoke in unison, “We’ll have them all, plus two bowls of rice.”

Then they burst into laughter.

In just half a day, Qian Lai had been completely drawn in by Hua Rui’s exuberance; every sentence ended in laughter.

Their food arrived quickly, and just as they picked up their chopsticks, the door behind Qian Lai slid open.

Hua Rui glanced up instinctively, her eyes sparkling.

“Comrade Qiao, is that you? What a coincidence!”

Qian Lai turned to see Wenquan and Wennuan.

Following the long legs upward, she saw the towering figure of Qiao Muting, his gaze bright with amusement as he looked at her.

“Auntie.” Little Wenquan actually recognized Qian Lai, tilting his head up with a wide grin.

“Sweetheart, are you here to eat? But there aren’t any seats,” Qian Lai said, glancing around for a spot, but there truly wasn’t an empty chair.

“Never mind, we’ll come back when it’s less crowded,” said Qiao Muting, turning to leave with the children, though his gaze lingered on Qian Lai.

“Oh come on, if you wait, there won’t be any dishes left! We ordered so much, there’s more than enough for all of us. Squeeze in—a little one can sit on a lap. There’s plenty of room.”

Qiao Muting silently thanked Comrade Hua Rui for her divine intervention.

The two children looked up at Qiao Muting in unison, waiting for his decision. When they saw him watching Qian Lai for her opinion, they both turned their expectant faces to her as well.

“I’ll hold the little one,” Qian Lai said, lifting Wenquan onto her lap.

“Then, let me pay for the meal,” Qiao Muting offered, settling Wennuan beside Hua Rui and seating himself next to Qian Lai.

Qian Lai scooted over as far as she could, but with limited space and his long limbs, their arms brushed from time to time. To avoid awkwardness, Qian Lai focused all her attention on the child in her lap.

“Sweetheart, what’s your name?” she asked.

“Wenquan,” he said, pointing to himself, then gesturing to his sister, “Wennuan.” The little boy spoke clearly.

Qiao Wenquan!

Qiao Wennuan!

“Those are beautiful names!” Qian Lai praised.

“Daddy named us,” Wennuan replied. A hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly looked at Qiao Muting.

How could she forget! Now, Uncle Qiao was their “dad.” If she kept mentioning her biological parents, would he be upset?

Qian Lai, seeing all this, assumed the children meant Qiao Muting had named them.

“That day after you told me to call the police, Comrade Qiao was the first to arrive. He asked me about you, but I didn’t know when you’d left. Who would have thought we’d all end up on the same train? Hahaha! Fate is a marvelous thing!”

Hua Rui’s laughter dissolved the tension among the group.

Qian Lai thought, I wished everyone would forget, but why are all the witnesses showing up one by one?

“You two knew each other before?” Hua Rui asked.

“We did,”

“We didn’t,”

They spoke at the same time.

Qiao Muting: How is that not knowing each other!?

Qian Lai: We only exchanged a few words, how does that count as knowing each other!?

Hua Rui: There’s something odd about these two...

Qiao Muting glanced anxiously at Qian Lai. He watched as she fed Wenquan bite after bite; the afternoon sun slanted through the window, bathing her and Wenquan in a gentle halo, as if radiating the glow of maternal love. Her voice was soft and warm, her manner patient and attentive, and she chatted with Wenquan as she fed him. The child nestled in her arms like a docile kitten.

The scene was so beautiful, he was transfixed, suddenly overcome by the illusion of dining with his own wife and child. Being near this woman filled him with a profound sense of happiness and an irresistible attraction. Whenever their forearms brushed, only he knew how exhilarated he felt.

“Comrade Qiao, don’t just watch the children, eat something yourself,” Hua Rui chided.

Was he really watching the children? He was clearly watching the woman holding them!

“Comrade Qiao, why are you wearing gloves in this heat?” Hua Rui asked frankly, as was her nature.

“I...” For a moment, Qiao Muting didn’t know how to answer. He couldn’t very well say he had a condition where touching women could kill him—that would make anyone think he was mad.

“It’s because...”

“You have a cleanliness obsession, don’t you?” Qian Lai interjected, glancing at Qiao Muting and helping him out.

“Yes. I’m a doctor, with severe germaphobia.”

His surname is Qiao! And he’s a doctor.

Qian Lai racked her memory for traces of this character in the original novel. She recalled that he was the pitiful one who ultimately died by suicide due to depression, but there hadn’t been much detail in the book.

Hua Rui looked from Qian Lai to Qiao Muting. “So you’re Doctor Qiao,” she said, then asked, “You’re taking two young children on the train by yourself—where’s their mother?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, both man and child fell silent, the atmosphere turning instantly cold.

“She’s passed away,” Qiao Muting said quietly, a shadow crossing his face.

Hua Rui gasped, and Qian Lai paused, her chopsticks frozen in midair as she fed Wenquan.

Their hearts filled with a thousand sighs.

“I’m sorry, I...” Hua Rui blamed herself for her careless words.

“It’s alright, it’s all in the past. They still have me,” Qiao Muting replied, helping Wennuan to some meat.

The two women exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing. Such an attractive man, married and a father so young, and now already a widower, raising two children alone—it was truly lamentable.

After that, Hua Rui fell quiet, and at the table of five, only Wenquan grinned at Qian Lai with every bite he took, while the others ate in silence.

Until the carriage door behind them was flung open again and a shrill female voice suddenly pierced the air!