After saying goodbye to the elderly Qin couple, Gu Panpan boarded a green train from the 1970s and officially set off on her journey to find her husband.
She took a deep breath, only for the pungent smell of coal smoke to rush straight into her nose. The irritation triggered a nonstop barrage of sneezes.
“Ah-choo! Ah-choo! Ah-choo!”
Her eyes watered, and her nose nearly started running.
Wonderful!
Her chronic rhinitis had chosen the perfect moment to flare up.
Meanwhile, on Gu Li’s side, she had successfully extorted twenty yuan and five jin of grain coupons from her adoptive parents. She left them a copied version of the letters while keeping the original correspondence hidden for herself.
Then she boarded the same green train and officially began her journey to find her biological family.
The moment Gu Li sat down, she heard a series of oddly familiar sneezes coming from across the aisle.
Looking up, she saw a young woman dressed in a faded blue blouse, her hair tied into two braids. Her skin was fair, and her large eyes sparkled brightly.
What a delicate little beauty.
The more Gu Li looked, the more familiar she seemed.
The way the girl sneezed was especially distinctive. She rattled off more than ten sneezes in a row without even pausing for breath.
It was exactly the same as her best friend.
No wonder she had found it so familiar.
As Gu Panpan continued sneezing, she felt someone’s gaze fixed firmly on her, making her increasingly uncomfortable.
After finally managing to stop, she wiped away the tears clouding her vision and looked across at the source of the stare.
What she saw hardly seemed human.
It was like a breathtaking beauty had stepped straight out of a painting.
Countless alpacas stampeded through Gu Panpan’s mind.
This was the 1970s. An era without beauty filters or cosmetic enhancements.
Yet a natural beauty of this level was sitting right in front of her.
If this were the modern world, even famous actresses would have to step aside.
She opened her mouth, intending to snap, Which blind pervert keeps staring at me?
Yet no words came out. The woman was so beautiful.
Why would someone like her stare at a little cutie like Gu Panpan?
Obviously to laugh at her.
Gu Panpan rolled her eyes dramatically at the stunning beauty across from her and let out a loud huff.
A surge of excitement erupted inside Gu Li.
That eye roll felt incredibly familiar.
Other than her eccentric best friend, who else could produce such a uniquely expressive eye roll?
The longer she looked at Gu Panpan, the more certain she became.
This was her best friend.
Damn it, she had transmigrated into the novel too!
The realization made her grin from ear to ear.
Seeing the beautiful woman looking so excited and happy, Gu Panpan silently shook her head.
The world of beautiful people was truly beyond her understanding.
Could this woman have something wrong with her head?
Why did she seem so delightfully unhinged?
Unable to hold herself back any longer, Gu Li opened her mouth, intending to confirm her suspicions.
At that moment, a baby’s cries rang out from a nearby seat.
Both Gu Panpan and Gu Li turned to look.
A woman in her thirties was awkwardly holding a baby only a few months old. Her expression was impatient as she repeatedly urged the child’s father to hurry up and get some water.
When Gu Panpan had first boarded the train, she had specifically noticed the baby sleeping soundly between the couple on the seat.
The husband and wife had each slept separately, paying little attention to the child.
The baby itself was absolutely adorable, as delicate as a doll carved from jade.
Looking at the couple and then at the child, Gu Panpan could only conclude that some miraculous genetic mutation must have occurred.
Yet now the baby had suddenly awakened and was crying at the top of its lungs.
A helpful older woman nearby leaned over.
“Is the baby hungry?”
The child’s mother immediately waved her hands and hurriedly explained.
“No, no. The baby just wants some water. Look, the father is bringing it now.”
As she spoke, the baby’s father came jogging back carrying a cup of water.
Holding a spoon, he tried feeding the baby. When the child refused to open its mouth, he increased the force and forcibly poured several spoonfuls in.
The baby cried even harder.
Concerned looks appeared on the faces of the surrounding passengers as quiet discussions broke out.
An older woman who had boarded at the same station as the couple finally spoke up.
“This baby fell asleep as soon as it got on the train and has been sleeping for several hours. What kind of parents only give a child this young water to drink? They won’t even mix some malted milk. The poor thing could get sick from hunger.”
The moment those words were spoken, shocked expressions appeared throughout the carriage.
Another young mother holding her chubby son frowned sympathetically.
“Oh dear, that’s terrible. Such a tiny baby needs proper nutrition. Water alone isn’t enough.”
At that moment, after being force-fed several spoonfuls of water, the baby suddenly fell silent.
Everyone found it strange and began whispering among themselves.
“Why did the baby stop crying all of a sudden?”
“Yeah, it was crying so hard just a moment ago.”
Hearing the discussion, the man immediately turned and glared viciously at everyone.
“What are you all looking at? Mind your own business!”
His roar startled the passengers, and the conversations quickly quieted down.
Gu Panpan and Gu Li exchanged a glance.
The truth was already obvious.
Lowering her voice, Gu Panpan said angrily, “Those two are probably human traffickers. What biological parents would treat their child like that?”
Gu Li nodded vigorously.
Even the way she got angry was exactly like her best friend.
Her eyes filled with fury.
“This is disgusting. We can’t let them get away with it. We need to think of something.”
But the train carriage was crowded, and acting rashly might alert the traffickers.
If they escaped with the baby, finding them again would be nearly impossible.
Gu Li frowned as she thought. Suddenly, a spark lit up her beautiful face.
Leaning closer, she whispered a few words into Gu Panpan’s ear.
Gu Panpan’s eyes immediately brightened.
She nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
Then Gu Li rose to her feet and deliberately bumped into the male trafficker as if by accident.
“Oh!”
she cried softly.
The trafficker had already been on edge, and he jumped up immediately, glaring furiously.
“What are you doing?”
Gu Li hurriedly put on a frightened expression and stammered,
“Big Brother, s-sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to get some water.”
As she spoke, she bit her lip and innocently pointed to the kettle in her hand.
The man had been ready to curse at her.
But the moment he got a good look at Gu Li’s radiant face, he froze.
His eyes immediately became lecherous as they traveled over her face and figure.
A crooked idea formed in his mind.
If he could take this beauty away, enjoy her for a while, and then sell her for a huge sum of money, he would make a fortune.
The female trafficker had been keeping an eye on her partner the entire time.
The moment she saw the look on his face, she understood exactly what he was thinking.
Her face flushed with anger. She stomped her foot anxiously, cursing his stupidity inside her heart.
Of all times to start entertaining such thoughts.
But she didn’t dare make a scene in public.
The male trafficker was completely blinded by lust.
With Gu Li standing before him, he couldn’t think of anything else.
All he knew was that he couldn’t miss such a rare opportunity.
Beautiful women like this didn’t come around often.
Putting on a friendly smile, he said, “Little sister, you’re so careless. Be careful not to fall again. Why don’t I accompany you to get some water?”
Revulsion churned inside Gu Li.
Still, she endured it and lowered her head shyly before nodding.