As expected, when the conductor came to check tickets, Chen Lang had not managed to secure a sleeper berth.
“I slept plenty during the day, I’m not sleepy at all.”
Compared to her, Chen Lang was the one who should be sleeping.
He hadn’t slept a wink last night and had been busy until now—anyone would be tired.
Chen Lang took a jacket from his bag and draped it over her shoulders without saying a word.
This rushed trip was entirely due to the nature of his work.
Even before they were married, he was already beginning to feel a sense of guilt.
The elderly lady sitting opposite them looked at them with a smile in her eyes and asked, “Just married?”
Lian Qiao nodded shyly.
“Ah, how wonderful. These are the best times.”
“Are you saying I’m old?” the old man grumbled discontentedly.
“Well, aren’t you old? How can you compare to a young fellow like him?”
“In my youth, I was a top hand in the production brigade too.”
“Yes, yes, a top hand.”
Lian Qiao found the elderly couple quite endearing. She turned to look at Chen Lang but found him resting with his eyes closed.
She fell silent and quieted down.
As the train moved forward, the night outside the window grew deeper, and the carriage became increasingly quiet.
Lian Qiao also began to feel drowsy.
She was somewhat worried about the milk powder in the luggage bag—trains weren’t very safe these days, with thieves and kidnappers lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.
But with Chen Lang by her side, she felt secure enough.
She struggled to keep her eyes open, nodding off repeatedly, until a large hand gently pressed her head against his shoulder.
Lian Qiao tried to sit up straight, but Chen Lang’s voice sounded in her ear, “Sleep.”
These two words seemed to possess a kind of magic. She relaxed against his shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.
Chen Lang dozed for a while, regaining some energy.
On the way here, he hadn’t been able to get a sleeper berth either. He had given up his seat to a pregnant woman and stood the entire way.
Then, after finding Lian Qiao, he had barely closed his eyes for a day and a night.
He had seized the chance to rest just now so that Lian Qiao could sleep peacefully during the latter half of the night.
He looked down at the luggage bag she held in her arms, knowing it contained the milk powder she was bringing back for her cousin. He reached out and adjusted the jacket draped over her. Her eyelashes were long and trembled slightly—who knew who appeared in her dreams?
The carriage was quiet, with only the clattering of the train wheels against the tracks and the rising and falling sounds of snoring.
The entire carriage settled into complete stillness in the night.
The train stopped from time to time, with people getting on and off.
The elderly couple opposite them were about to reach their stop. They picked up their burlap bags and stood up.
The old lady fished out two apples from her bag and placed them on the small table. “Grown at home, very sweet.”
Chen Lang instinctively replied, “No need, thank you.”
“Oh, don’t be polite. Wishing you an early arrival of a precious son.”
Chen Lang was taken aback. As the train whistle blew and the train slowly started moving again, he lowered his head to look at the person sleeping soundly against his shoulder and smiled wryly.
An early arrival of a precious son?
Such a blessing seemed rather useless for the two of them.
As dawn began to break, the travelers on the train woke early, and the sounds of conversation and laughter roused Lian Qiao.
She had slept very soundly and felt a lingering reluctance to wake up as she opened her eyes.
Oh no!
She quickly sat up and looked at Chen Lang, who had been her pillow.
He sat upright, his hands resting on his knees. Sensing her sudden movement, he turned his head and smiled faintly. “Awake?”
Lian Qiao felt a bit embarrassed. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You were sleeping so well. Why would I wake you?”
His matter-of-fact tone made her even more embarrassed.
“You sat like this all night?” Lian Qiao felt she was stating the obvious.
“Little sister, you’re truly blessed. Your man can really sit still—he hasn’t moved an inch since we got on the train.”
The seat opposite was now occupied by a country-dressed woman who spoke with a booming, cheerful voice.
Lian Qiao realized she had been careless, sleeping the whole way and causing him trouble yet again.
“Rest for a bit. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Chen Lang shook his head and stood up. “I’m not tired. You sit first.”
Lian Qiao nodded, quickly folding the coat draped over her shoulders, opening his duffel bag, and placing it inside.
The bag contained only a few simple items of clothing, folded neatly into perfect rectangles—sharp-edged and tidy.
His habits are so good, Lian Qiao couldn’t help but smile slightly.
The woman opposite leaned in and whispered, “Girl, you’re really lucky. Your man looks strong—he must go at it several times a night, right?”
Lian Qiao flushed instantly. Who says such shameless things to a stranger?
She stayed silent, opening her own duffel bag and pretending to be busy.
“We’re all grown-ups here, no need to be shy! Look at his legs, his waist, his nose—tsk tsk tsk.”
Lian Qiao turned to look out the window, determined to stay quiet and ignore her.
“Time to eat.”
Chen Lang returned like a savior, holding boxed meals in his hands.
She had thought he went to the restroom, never expecting he’d go to the dining car to buy food.
After all, they were in the last carriage, while the dining car was in the middle. The aisle was packed, making it difficult to squeeze through.
Chen Lang opened the white foam containers—one with minced pork and tofu, the other with scrambled eggs and tomatoes.
“Are you running a fever?” Chen Lang finally noticed her flushed face, red as a boiled shrimp. He raised the back of his hand to touch her forehead, but Lian Qiao dodged.
“Ahem, no. Why didn’t you buy the regular boxed meals?”
Lian Qiao noticed these weren’t the pre-packaged meals sold from the trolley.
The woman opposite craned her neck to look. “Tsk, see how good your man is to you? He specially ordered stir-fried dishes. That must’ve cost a few extra yuan.”
Chen Lang handed her the chopsticks. “Eat first.”
He then passed her the container of rice.
“Why aren’t you eating together?”
“You eat first. I’ll eat after you’re done.”
Lian Qiao’s ears grew even hotter. With Chen Lang treating her like this, the woman opposite would likely say something even more outrageous.
Sure enough, the woman lived up to expectations. “Young man, a man like you is hard to find even with a lantern. Pray to the gods in this life, and maybe in the next, I’ll find someone like you.”
Chen Lang didn’t respond. He closed his eyes again to rest.
The woman, feeling snubbed, fell silent and turned to chat with the man beside her.
Lian Qiao ate quietly in small bites, her appetite not great. After a few mouthfuls, she felt full.
She gently tugged his sleeve. “I’m done.”
Chen Lang opened his eyes, picked up the half-eaten meal she had set aside, and began eating heartily.
She knew he didn’t want to waste food, but she still felt a little embarrassed. Fortunately, the woman opposite was engrossed in chatting with the man beside her and didn’t notice.
Chen Lang finished the meal quickly, wasting not a single grain. He then gathered the foam containers, wiped the table clean, and squeezed through the aisle to throw away the trash.
As soon as Chen Lang left, the older sister immediately turned to Lian Qiao with a knowing look. “Little sister, listen to me—you’ve got to hold onto this man tight.”
Lian Qiao glanced at her but said nothing.
If Chen Lang hadn’t been sitting right there, she would have snapped back at her without hesitation.
Man City was a major stop, so quite a few people got off at this station.
Even before the train arrived, everyone had already crowded into the aisle, waiting for it to come to a halt. Lian Qiao and Chen Lang were no exception.
Though it was packed, Chen Lang shielded Lian Qiao in front of him, carving out a small space for her. She could see his large, veined hand gripping the back of the seat—clearly, maintaining this little safe zone took considerable effort.
The woman standing in front of her wasn’t as comfortable. She was short and frail, getting jostled around in the crowd, looking quite disheveled.
The train was still rolling to a stop when Lian Qiao suddenly grabbed the hair of the man standing beside her.
The man yelped, turned around, and seeing it was a woman, raised his hand to strike—but Chen Lang clamped down hard on his wrist, making him cry out in pain.