“Someone stronger, younger than you!”
The memory returned, and Xiao Ye’s face darkened.
Weaker? He knew that was a lie.
Younger?
Xiao Ye glanced at the young man beside Su Yemang.
Yes, young looking not even twenty, younger than him back then.
Xiao Ye clenched his jaw, sat back down, picked up his notebook and pen to write up a border case, his eyes catching the reflection in the train window.
The young man had already moved beside Su Yemang, listening as she spoke.
She was still smiling, offering eggs and peach pastries, chatting softly and gently.
Xiao Ye’s fountain pen hovered mid air, his thigh muscles tensing, shoulders quivering slightly.
Not a word written.
Restless, unable to control himself.
Why was she smiling so happily?
So fond of someone young? So shallow.
Where was her husband?
Xiao Ye straightened his shoulders, gripping the pen tightly until the skin of his hand reddened.
The pen hovered, his mind in chaos.
He looked at her again.
Then his face turned pale, neck flushing red.
His fingers tapped against his knee…
Seconds later.
He stood up abruptly and went toward the train’s smoking area.
Smoking area.
The train entered a tunnel; the light dimmed. Xiao Ye had a cigarette between his lips.
Suddenly, he sensed two figures near the ventilation opening behind a hidden door.
It was Shen Yuetao.
She was pressed against a male attendant.
Xiao Ye immediately stepped aside.
He had long known of Shen Yuetao’s flirtatious ways, often getting involved with strangers.
He focused…
He saw the male attendant saying, “Later, I’ll announce on the train and lure that Su woman into the guard room. Use a handkerchief to sedate her, then I’ll deal with her. I’ll sneak away you just handle calling others…”
After a moment.
The attendant roughly groped Shen Yuetao once and went toward the guard room.
Inside the carriage.
Su Yemang was chatting when suddenly the train announcement blared:
“Passenger 037 in Car 9, please immediately proceed to the Car 9 duty room to retrieve your lost item.”
Su Yemang froze 037, that was her.
She didn’t know what she had lost, but her luggage had indeed been cut open. She instructed Zhou Cang to watch her son and headed to the Car 9 duty room.
The train still in motion, she held the wall for support as she reached the door.
Just as she was about to knock…
A strange figure yanked her inside. The door slammed with a “bang.”
A sudden, unknown fear washed over her.
Her heart raced.
She looked back.
It was Xiao Ye.
Xiao Ye released her, lazily sitting in a chair, watching her.
Su Yemang was astonished. “Xiao Ye… why are you here?”
Xiao Ye pointed to the handkerchief on the table. “This handkerchief is poisoned, Comrade Su. Be careful in the future. Even if a broadcast tells you to retrieve lost items, you must check carefully what’s actually yours.”
“What do you mean? This…” Su Yemang was confused.
Xiao Ye tilted his head. “What I mean is that Shen Yuetao colluded with the train attendant to lure you into the duty room, give you drugs, and harm you.”
“She… harm me? Drug me?” Su Yemang thought.
Moments later.
Su Yemang’s face went pale. “Harm my chastity! But why would she want to do that?”
Xiao Ye looked serious. “The attendant and Shen Yuetao have already been taken away, but you should be mentally prepared.”
Su Yemang listened carefully.
Xiao Ye swallowed and continued gravely, “Shen Yuetao’s father is the deputy commander of the Liaoning Provincial Military District. In a few days, she may be released. I’m very sorry.”
The more he spoke, the guiltier he looked.
Su Yemang nodded. “It’s okay, I’ve heard about her family background.”
Xiao Ye had hastily written a report, reporting Shen Yuetao, the deputy commander’s daughter, for carrying drugs and harming others.
He would hand it in once he got off the train.
Su Yemang noticed his distracted expression and asked in surprise, “But since they’ve been taken away, why did you bring me here?”
Xiao Ye’s eyes darkened.
Suddenly, he rose and approached, looming over Su Yemang.
“I brought you here to tell you: no matter how authoritative a broadcast seems, don’t trust it blindly.”
“Human nature good or bad is unrelated to profession. Train attendants can also behave poorly.”
Su Yemang’s expression grew serious. She quickly picked up the handkerchief from the table, examined it, then immediately put it down.
“This handkerchief does indeed smell wrong.”
She continued, “Comrade Xiao Ye… or perhaps I should say, Captain Xiao…”
“Today… thank you.”
Xiao Ye swallowed. “You…”
Su Yemang took a deep breath. “Sorry… I accidentally glimpsed at your notes on the table. You’ve joined the army and been promoted to battalion commander, right? Congratulations.”
Xiao Ye’s eyelids shot up.
His back stiffened.
A tide of emotion surged within him…
The duty room was quiet, the only sound the low “whirr” of the exhaust fan.
After a long moment, Xiao Ye exhaled slowly.
“Su Yemang… where have you been these past five years?” His voice was hoarse.
His hand tendons trembled; it felt like a line of defense inside him had collapsed.
Pain finally confessed itself.
His peach blossom eyes gathered mist, gradually reddening.
Su Yemang pinched her fingers together. “I don’t want to answer.”
When she had her contract marriage and divorce with Xia Guanfeng, she had promised him that she wouldn’t date anyone until he returned to the country.
Xiao Ye exhaled, suppressing his emotions as he studied her.
He blew out a breath past her face. “Then tell me… why did you break off with me and leave without a word?”
Su Yemang’s heart skipped.
She was momentarily speechless, choked up.
Seeing her silent, Xiao Ye let out a bitter laugh. “Huh.”
“Not saying anything?” He suddenly stepped forward, gripping her hand firmly.
He skillfully avoided the hand she had been stepping on before.
Su Yemang pushed him. “Let go…”
Xiao Ye’s face went iron gray. With a “thud!” he pressed her against the door.
He swallowed his anger, sneering coldly. “Here’s the deal: you tell me, and I’ll let you go.”
Su Yemang gritted her teeth, thinking.
Seconds later, she spoke. “It’s because of the same reason back then… the bedroom… we weren’t compatible.”
“You’re lying.” Xiao Ye’s forehead veins bulged.
There was fire burning in his eyes.
Su Yemang looked up. “I’m not lying.”
In a daze, she thought she heard a chorus of pigs outside the train.
She immediately pulled back her hand. “Wait!”
In a breathy voice, she said, “Xiao Ye, do you hear that? Pigs are… screaming?”
“Slap ”
Suddenly, the duty room was plunged into darkness. The exhaust fan screeched and stopped.
Nothing could be seen.
Su Yemang’s breathing quickened.
Her sense of air and balance seemed snatched away, as if someone was choking her.
Cold sweat broke out.
Her body leaned backward…
Xiao Ye, in the darkness, grabbed her into his arms. “Su Yemang!”
He had long known she suffered from severe claustrophobia.
During an episode, she would have difficulty breathing… even cramps.
“Su Yemang, are you okay? Calm down.”
Her mind was a haze; she could only hear the man’s voice gently calling her ear.
Her limbs grew numb, her breathing slowed.
She whispered, “Help me…”
Xiao Ye pulled her close, kissing her.
He breathed into her… sending oxygen.
He didn’t think twice saving her was the priority.
When he touched her waist, he realized she was thinner than he had imagined.
The kiss… slow, gradually… lingering and intense.
The intimacy from five years ago resurfaced in the present.
Su Yemang felt like a parched tree finally receiving water.
Oxygen filled her lungs.
Her breathing and body temperature gradually recovered.
Her long lost sensitivity returned; her legs trembled.
Her head spun, strange yet… thrilling.
Xiao Ye held her against the train door.
Sticky…
Suddenly, he too heard the pigs outside.
Gradually, the train slowed down.
Xiao Ye immediately released Su Yemang. “No! It’s not just a power outage in the duty room.”
He slammed open the duty room door.
At that moment, the train screeched to a halt.
Outside came the clamor of voices. “What’s happening? Why is it dark…”
Then, from beneath the tracks, a thunderous chorus of pig screams echoed.
Xiao Ye’s expression instantly turned solemn. He fastened his military belt and exited the guard room.
The train doors were open.
In a few strides, he jumped off the train…
Darkness surrounded him, only faint light filtering into the carriage.
Su Yemang thought of her son and hurried out of the guard room.
As she reached the aisle, she heard voices from the other carriages.
“Oh my heavens, wild boars came down from the mountain, knocking down a bunch of rocks and even damaging the railway power lines…”
“The train’s stopped!”
“What do we do? We’re trapped here!”