The night wind of the Northwest howled fiercely, whipping grains of sand against their faces hard enough to sting.
“Hurry! The train leaves in five minutes!”
Cheng Beitang gripped Su Huaijin’s wrist tightly as he fought his way through the packed crowd with her in tow.
Because the trip had been arranged so suddenly, all sleeper tickets had long since sold out. Using the priority privileges of his military officer identification, they had barely managed to obtain two hard-seat tickets.
And not even assigned seats—just standing-room hard-seat tickets where passengers fought for any empty spot after boarding.
“Woooo—!”
The train whistle split the night sky as the enormous steam locomotive spewed white smoke like a steel beast preparing to charge forward.
“Stay close to me!”
Cheng Beitang barked lowly, using his tall, powerful frame to forcefully carve a path through the suffocating crowd at the ticket checkpoint. Shielding Su Huaijin against his chest, he practically half-carried her into the train car.
The moment they stepped inside—
A suffocating wave of heat mixed with the smells of sweat, foot odor, and instant noodle seasoning slammed into them.
Su Huaijin had spent her entire life traveling in sleeper compartments or airplanes. She had never witnessed anything like this before.
The carriage was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. The aisles overflowed with luggage bundles and people sitting directly on the floor. The air was so filthy it felt almost tangible, and beneath the dim yellow lights were countless exhausted, greasy faces.
“Ugh…”
The smell made her stomach churn violently. Covering her mouth, she gagged softly.
She was already frantic with worry over her grandfather, and now the miserable environment drained the last bit of color from her face.
Cheng Beitang’s brows tightened sharply.
He knew she was delicate and unaccustomed to hardship.
But there was no other choice.
“Bear with it.”
His large hand rubbed her back gently as he spoke in a low voice.
“Grab my belt. Don’t let go.”
Like a bulldozer, he pushed through the overcrowded carriage, his sharp eyes searching for even the tiniest bit of space.
Finally, near the connection between two train cars, he found a relatively “spacious” corner—a tiny patch of floor between the restroom door and the hot water station.
The smell there was even worse, but at least they could stand upright.
“Stand here.”
He guided her into the corner so her back rested against the wall of the carriage.
Then he turned around and planted both arms against the walls on either side of her.
Using his broad back and tall frame, he created an absolutely safe little world for her.
“What are you shoving for? Didn’t you see there’s a woman here?”
A drunken man tried squeezing into their space, but Cheng Beitang shot him one cold, murderous glance. The terrifying aura of someone who had truly survived battlefields burst forth instantly, sobering the man on the spot. He shrank away in fear.
Nestled within Cheng Beitang’s arms, the smells surrounding Su Huaijin were no longer the foul odors of the carriage, but the familiar comforting scent of sandalwood soap mixed with his sweat.
She looked up at the firm line of his jaw only inches away, and at the tense muscles along his neck as he braced himself to shield her.
He was like a mountain, blocking away every bit of chaos, filth, and noise from the outside world.
“Cheng Beitang…”
Her eyes reddened again.
“Aren’t you tired? Maybe… maybe you should rest for a bit and let me—”
“No need.”
He glanced down at her, his tone rough but undeniably indulgent.
“I could sleep standing up just fine. With your tiny body, if you got pushed around out there, you’d lose half your life.”
Su Huaijin’s heart softened completely.
She knew he was protecting her.
Without saying anything more, she wrapped her arms tightly around his lean, powerful waist.
…
The train clattered forward.
The long journey had begun.
From the Northwest to Beijing, this slow green train would take three full days and nights.
The carriage grew hotter and stuffier by the hour.
Soon, Su Huaijin’s throat became painfully dry. She licked her cracked lips but said nothing. Trying to fight through the crowd to the hot water station would be like going to war.
But how could such a tiny movement escape Cheng Beitang’s notice?
“Wait here.”
Letting go with one hand, he removed the military canteen hanging from his waist and squeezed back into the crowd.
Watching his tall figure struggle through the sea of people made Su Huaijin’s chest tighten anxiously.
After quite some time, Cheng Beitang finally returned, drenched in sweat.
His military uniform had been wrinkled from the pushing and shoving, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
But the green military canteen in his hand remained perfectly protected.
“Here. Drink slowly—it’s hot.”
He unscrewed the cap, tested the temperature himself with a sip first, then held it to her lips.
Su Huaijin drank small mouthfuls from his hand. The warm water soothed her dry throat and eased the discomfort in her body, while also calming her anxious heart.
“You drink too.”
She nudged the canteen toward him.
Cheng Beitang didn’t hesitate. Using the exact same spot she had drunk from, he tilted his head back and gulped down several large swallows.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as sweat slid from his temples, radiating a raw masculine energy.
“Hungry?” he asked.
Su Huaijin shook her head.
How could she think about food when her grandfather’s condition consumed her every thought?
“Even if you’re not hungry, you still need to eat. If your body collapses, who’s going to take care of the old man when we get there?”
Without waiting for argument, Cheng Beitang pulled out an oil-paper package from his shoulder bag.
Inside were several rock-hard compressed biscuits and a few strips of beef jerky he had bought from the supply store.
“Here. Eat this.”
He stuffed the thickest, meatiest pieces of jerky into her hands while taking a compressed biscuit for himself and biting into it with a loud crunch.
The biscuit was so dry it crumbled everywhere, nearly impossible to swallow without water.
Su Huaijin looked at the glossy red jerky in her hands, then at the stone-like biscuit in his.
“I don’t like beef jerky. It’s too hard and gets stuck in my teeth,” she lied, trying to hand it back.
Cheng Beitang saw through her instantly.
Scowling, he pushed her hand away.
“If I told you to eat it, then eat it. Why so much nonsense? I’ve got strong teeth—I like hard food.”
To prove his point, he aggressively chewed the compressed biscuit, his cheeks puffed out like a food-hoarding hamster.
Su Huaijin nearly laughed at the sight, but tears fell before she could.
She knew perfectly well those were the good things he had deliberately saved for her.
In this era of scarce supplies, that beef jerky cost more than half a month’s food expenses for an ordinary family.
She stopped refusing and quietly nibbled the jerky through her tears.
It tasted amazing.
Better than any imported snacks she had eaten in Beijing before.
Because hidden inside it was a man’s clumsy but wholehearted love.
…
Night deepened.
Most passengers in the carriage had already fallen asleep in awkward, crooked positions. Snores, teeth grinding, and crying children rose and fell endlessly.
Su Huaijin was exhausted too.
Her nerves had been stretched taut all day. Her eyelids drooped heavily, and her head bobbed forward like a pecking chick.
But how could anyone sleep standing up?
The moment she drifted off, her knees buckled and she nearly collapsed.
“Mmph…”
She startled awake, dazed.
The next second, a pair of strong hands caught her beneath the arms and lifted her upright.
“Sleepy?”
Cheng Beitang’s voice sounded above her, tinged with concern.
Rubbing her eyes, she nodded.
“Mhm… my legs hurt.”
After standing for five or six hours, how could a pampered young lady endure this?
Cheng Beitang looked around.
The floor nearby was packed with people. There wasn’t even room to place a foot, much less sit down.
He sighed softly and adjusted his posture.
Leaning back against the wall of the carriage, he spread his legs firmly for balance and patted his chest.
“Sleep here.”
Su Huaijin froze.
“Hurry up. What are you hesitating for?”
Impatiently, he pressed her head against his chest.
Her face rested against the warmth and firmness of his muscles, while the steady rhythm of his heartbeat echoed beside her ear.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Each beat sounded like the oldest and safest lullaby in the world.
“What about you?” she asked softly.
“I’ll stay awake. I’m not sleepy.”
He lied without blinking.
Of course he was tired. He was human too—someone who had only recently returned from an intense mission.
But he didn’t dare sleep.
There were too many strangers around. What if someone stole her money in the chaos? What if someone tried to take advantage of her?
He had to guard her.
Su Huaijin was simply too exhausted.
Wrapped in his arms, surrounded by his scent, her anxiety and fear miraculously began to fade.
Before long, she drifted into sleep.
In her dreams, she felt as though she were floating in a warm ocean.
No matter how fierce the storms outside became, there was always a pair of hands holding her up, never letting her sink.
Cheng Beitang lowered his head to look at the sleeping woman in his arms.
Even in sleep, she looked uneasy. Her brows remained tightly furrowed, and tears still clung to her lashes.
Sometimes she whimpered softly, mumbling “Grandpa” in her dreams.
Cheng Beitang’s heart ached terribly.
Using his rough fingertips, he gently smoothed the crease between her brows.
Then he lowered his head and placed an impossibly soft kiss beside her tear-stained eye.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Silently, he swore to himself:
“Even if the King of Hell wants to take the old man, I’ll drag him back.”
…
The train continued eastward, crossing the Gobi Desert, traversing the Yellow River, and entering the plains.
Three days and three nights.
For Su Huaijin, it was pure torture.
She suffered from motion sickness and vomited repeatedly. Anxiety kept her awake through endless nights. Her delicate skin broke out in red rashes from the filthy conditions.
And during those three days and nights, Cheng Beitang barely closed his eyes once.
He became like a tireless machine.
When she vomited, he patted her back, handed her water, and cleaned up the mess without the slightest disgust.
When she couldn’t sleep, he held her in his arms and told her stories from his time in the military—though his storytelling was terribly dry and not funny at all—just to comfort her.
When her skin itched, he used his calloused hands to scratch gently through her clothes with perfect care.
He transformed himself into her all-purpose caretaker, personal bodyguard, and emotional pillar.
Finally, on the morning of the third day, the train entered Beijing territory.
Su Huaijin had lost noticeable weight. Her face was pale and sickly, her entire body exhausted.
Cheng Beitang looked even worse.
Dark circles hollowed his eyes. Stubble covered his jaw. Red veins filled his bloodshot eyes, and exhaustion radiated from every inch of him.
Yet his spine remained perfectly straight.
“Attention passengers. Next stop: Beijing Station.”
The conductor’s voice rang through the speakers.
To Su Huaijin, it sounded like heaven itself.
She immediately sat upright, staring out the window at the increasingly familiar scenery—
Tall buildings. Wide roads. Endless rivers of bicycles flowing through the city.
Beijing.
The place where she had lived for twenty years.
She had finally returned.
But this time, waiting for her was no longer her grandfather’s warm embrace and a carefree life.
Instead, it was a war without smoke.
“Cheng Beitang…”
Instinctively, she tightened her grip on his hand.
He squeezed her cold fingers firmly in return.
Turning toward her, his bloodshot eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit.
“What are you afraid of?”
His voice was hoarse, yet carried a domineering confidence that seemed capable of conquering the world.
“I told you already. If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up.”
“Come on. Let’s go home.”
“And meet those monsters head-on.”
The train slowly came to a stop at the station.
The doors opened.
Noisy voices, familiar Beijing dialects, and the dusty scent unique to a great metropolis rushed toward them.
With one hand carrying their suitcase and the other tightly holding Su Huaijin’s, Cheng Beitang stepped off the train.
Their clothes were wrinkled, their bodies exhausted, and they looked utterly worn out.
But the moment their feet touched the soil of Beijing—
Both their expressions changed.
Su Huaijin straightened her back, locking away every trace of weakness and tears. She was the eldest daughter of the Su family and Cheng Beitang’s wife. She would not allow anyone to laugh at her.
As for Cheng Beitang—
He looked like a beast returning from the wilderness to the jungle, every muscle in his body tense and ready for battle at any moment.
The battlefield of Beijing—
They had arrived.