After finishing the dumplings and drinking the malted milk, Qin Ziqi went to wash her lunch box. For Qin Ziqi, using the toilet on the train was nothing short of torture.
Unfortunately, the sink was also in there. Holding her breath, Qin Ziqi quickly washed the lunch box clean. On her way back down the aisle, she brushed past a middle-aged man.
Qin Ziqi was at least 165 centimeters tall, and this man was about the same height as her. He had an ordinary appearance, the kind that would be completely overlooked in a crowd.
But as he passed by, Qin Ziqi caught a peculiar smell.
It was faintly reminiscent of rotten eggs, yet also somewhat like the scent given off by a hot spring.
Qin Ziqi froze on the spot.
Could she have stumbled upon an enemy agent?
Was that the smell of gunpowder? Could he be carrying a bomb?
Qin Ziqi didn’t dare stop the man rashly. She had to think of a way to notify the train police or some other professional.
She turned around and headed toward the carriage where the train staff stayed. As she passed the sleeper carriage, a man in military uniform stepped out of one of the compartments, and Qin Ziqi nearly bumped into him.
“Comrade, are you all right?” The soldier reached out and steadied her lightly.
Qin Ziqi shook her head. “I’m fine. I didn’t hit you.”
She was about to leave, but seeing his uniform, she stopped. “You’re a soldier, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Do you need something, Comrade?”
“Are you alone?” Although the question was somewhat inappropriate, Qin Ziqi still wanted to make sure. If he was merely traveling alone while on leave, it would be better to find the train police instead. It would be too dangerous for him to deal with it alone.
“No. There are several of my fellow soldiers traveling together.”
“Lu He, what happened?” A deep, magnetic voice came from inside the compartment.
The soldier called Lu He replied, “Regimental Commander, nothing happened. I just almost bumped into a female comrade.”
Qin Ziqi’s eyes lit up.
Regimental Commander? Wasn’t that someone important?
“I have something to discuss with your regimental commander.”
Lu He was stunned. This female comrade was incredibly beautiful, but there seemed to be something strange about her. What was she trying to do? Was she trying to seduce their regimental commander?
“Comrade, if you have something to say, you can tell me directly. Our regimental commander isn’t available.”
“It’s something very important. I have to tell you in person. It’s inconvenient to talk about it in the aisle.”
Lu He was just about to refuse when the compartment door was pulled open, and a tall figure appeared in Qin Ziqi’s line of sight.
Qin Ziqi looked up.
This man was really tall. Men in this era were generally just over 170 centimeters, but this man had to be around 185 centimeters.
His features were especially striking. His slightly downturned phoenix-shaped eyes made him look as though he could gaze affectionately even at a dog.
No, retract that thought.
His gaze was far too cold to be described as affectionate.
He had a straight, handsome nose, though the tip was relatively small for a man. The corners of his lips curved slightly upward, but at the moment they were pressed into a straight line.
What a handsome face.
He could easily rival some of the top male celebrities from the modern era. It was even the same type of look—the rare kind that could make Qin Ziqi indulge in a moment of fangirling.
Si Chenye noticed Qin Ziqi staring straight at him and frowned slightly.
“Comrade, is there something you need?”
Sensing his displeasure, Qin Ziqi withdrew her gaze and became serious.
“I just discovered something on the train that I need to report to you.”
“Come in.”
After saying that, Si Chenye turned and walked back into the compartment.
Qin Ziqi quickly followed.
Only after entering did she realize that there were four other men in military uniforms inside. At the moment, all four were staring at her curiously.
After Lu He came in and closed the door, Qin Ziqi finally spoke.
“I just went to the sink to wash my lunch box. I brushed past a middle-aged man and smelled a faint odor similar to rotten eggs. I suspect it might have been the smell of sulfur, or possibly gunpowder.”
“Are you sure?”
Si Chenye’s gaze immediately sharpened.
They were already on a mission this time. They had previously captured an enemy agent, and after interrogating him, they learned that his accomplices were on this very train.
“My sense of smell has been particularly sensitive since I was young. I’m very sensitive to different odors, so I don’t think I could have mistaken it,” Qin Ziqi said firmly. “And that man was about the same height as me. Although he had the appearance of a Chinese man, there was something about him that gave me an inexplicable sense of incongruity.”
She wasn’t making that up.
In the modern era, although everyone was Asian, it was often possible to distinguish people from Country Z and Country R, as well as people from the country known for its kimchi. Their features might be similar, but their overall presence and mannerisms were completely different.
“Did you see which way he went?”
“I didn’t dare stare at him openly. I only sneaked a few glances. I think he went toward the dining car.”
Qin Ziqi valued her life. She knew exactly how capable she was and wasn’t about to take on more than she could handle.
Although her body had become noticeably stronger after being nourished by the spiritual spring water, and her physical strength had improved considerably, she still didn’t know any martial arts. At most, she could barely defend herself.
“We understand. Just in case, Comrade, please stay here. I’ll find a train attendant to stay with you,” Si Chenye instructed.
Qin Ziqi thought for a moment.
“Do you know what that man looks like? Can any of you recognize the smell?”
The soldiers looked at one another.
They really didn’t know.
And none of them had such a sensitive sense of smell.
“How about this? You’d better change into civilian clothes so you don’t alert him. Then send one person with me. I know what he looks like, and I can recognize the smell.”
Si Chenye didn’t want to put a female comrade in danger, but if they went out recklessly, they neither knew the man nor had any idea what he looked like. They could easily alert the enemy agent.
“All right. I’ll go with you. We all brought civilian clothes.”
They had originally planned to change into civilian clothes and carry out their mission after identifying their target. If they went out wearing military uniforms, would the enemy agent really stay there and wait to be caught?
“Okay. I’ll wait outside while you change.”
Although Qin Ziqi really wanted to see the soldiers’ eight-pack abs—
Ahem.
Their heroic bearing.
But this wasn’t the modern era. Qin Ziqi couldn’t shamelessly stay in the compartment and watch them change.
With a look of regret on her face, Qin Ziqi walked out.
Si Chenye caught that expression.
He raised an eyebrow.
What was this female comrade regretting?
Surely she wasn’t regretting that she couldn’t watch them change clothes?
Interesting.
Si Chenye quickly took a white shirt and a pair of black trousers from his luggage and changed. He also replaced his Liberation-style cloth shoes with a pair of white canvas shoes.
As he rolled his sleeves up twice, he walked out.
Qin Ziqi’s eyes lit up when she saw Si Chenye in his civilian clothes.
Wow.
That physique.
Sure enough, a white shirt was the best test of a man’s physique.
It had been impossible to tell while he was wearing his military uniform, but beneath the white shirt, the faint outlines of his muscles were visible through the white undershirt.
He was seriously built.
Si Chenye was certain now.
This female comrade had indeed been regretting that she couldn’t watch them change.
She had quite some nerve.
“My name is Si Chenye. What’s your name, Comrade?”
Si Chenye felt that Qin Ziqi’s gaze was practically burning into him, so he quickly interrupted her.
“My name is Qin Ziqi. I’m a sent-down educated youth heading to Harbin.”
The two maintained a certain distance as they walked side by side, chatting intermittently while their eyes occasionally swept over the crowds on either side of the aisle.