Ruan Tinghe said, “This is a traffickers’ scheme. They first stage a hit-and-run scam to trick you into getting off the vehicle. If you don’t fall for it, another person will pretend to be a good Samaritan to help you and lower your guard.”
“Everyone, if it were you, would you suspect the person who helped you is actually a bad person?”
After a round of murmuring among the crowd, everyone shook their heads.
“Who would suspect their benefactor?”
“She’s dressed so luxuriously, and she doesn’t look like a bad person either.”
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Ruan Tinghe spread her hands. “Exactly. That’s why they use this two-person act to first gain your trust, then coax you into following them willingly. Think about it—if I had taken the children and gotten off with her, once we reached a deserted place, would I and the kids still be able to escape?”
After hearing her explanation, everyone suddenly understood. Their gaze toward Sister Huang also turned contemptuous.
Sister Huang still wanted to argue, but Ruan Tinghe didn’t give her the chance.
“Safety officer, please detain her first. Whether she’s a trafficker or not—everything will be clear once we get to the police station!”
The safety officer thought that made sense and was just about to act when Sister Huang suddenly pulled out a handful of grain coupons from her handbag and scattered them into the air. Instantly, many passengers rushed to grab them, and the carriage descended into chaos.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Sister Huang tried to escape. The train had just arrived at a station, and she squeezed through the crowd and jumped off—only to be forced back onto the train in the next second, retreating step by step with her hands raised.
A gun was pointed at her forehead.
The man holding it wore a cap, a long trench coat, and tall leather boots.
He stepped into the carriage. His tall, imposing frame radiated overwhelming pressure, causing many passengers to shrink back in fear.
Ruan Tinghe’s brows furrowed slightly.
Why is Shen Yan here?
Didn’t he rush home to see his sick son? Could it be that his home is in Su City?
Shen Yan advanced step by step, forcing the woman into a corner. Two men in police uniforms rushed onto the train and quickly restrained and tied up Sister Huang in a few swift movements.
Sister Huang glared unwillingly at Ruan Tinghe. She never expected she would be caught by a young girl!
Shen Yan followed her gaze and looked at Ruan Tinghe, who was holding a child. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
He instructed the police officers, “Take her back first.”
With his long legs, he strode over to Ruan Tinghe. “Where are you going?”
Ruan Tinghe replied indifferently, “What does it have to do with you?”
“Wait one day. I’ll take you. It’s inconvenient for you to travel alone with three children.”
Shen Yan reached out to take her hand.
Ruan Tinghe forcefully shook him off. Now that she knew Shen Yan had a wife and child, she would absolutely not allow herself to have any inappropriate contact with him.
“The children’s father is still waiting for us. We won’t trouble Officer Shen.”
Shen Yan froze. “The children’s father? Isn’t he dead?”
“If he’s dead, does that mean I can’t remarry?”
“Uh—” The safety officer awkwardly interrupted them. “The train is about to depart. Are you continuing your ride or getting off? If you’re riding, please pay for your tickets.”
This was only a transit stop, not the final destination, so after a short halt, the train had to continue.
Ruan Tinghe ignored Shen Yan and returned to her seat with the three children.
Shen Yan frowned as he watched her for a long moment, but in the end, he got off the train.
He had received reliable intelligence that a traffickers’ group led by Sister Huang had been very active in Su City recently. According to confessions from arrested traffickers, this group had been working together for over ten years.
After committing multiple crimes in one city, they would immediately move to another, making them extremely difficult to track. Coincidentally, the year his younger sister disappeared, this group had been operating in Shanghai.
He suspected his sister’s disappearance might be related to them, which was why he rushed to Su City. After learning Sister Huang was on this train, he immediately brought people to wait at the station.
And as expected, they caught her.
The train slowly started moving. Ruan Tinghe sat by the window holding Little Treasure, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the platform outside.
She saw Shen Yan and several police officers standing together, seemingly discussing something. Sister Huang was handcuffed and squatting on the ground, with the old woman who had staged the hit-and-run beside her, as well as a middle-aged man who was likely her accomplice in helping her escape.
Ruan Tinghe withdrew her gaze and reminded the three little ones.
“Dabao, Erbao, Sanbao, remember this: people who are good to you aren’t necessarily good people. Don’t judge others by appearances. Don’t be fooled by how someone looks.”
The three little ones nodded eagerly.
“Got it, Mommy.”
Erbao climbed onto Ruan Tinghe’s arm and crawled up onto the seat. “Mommy, do we have a new daddy?”
Dabao and Little Treasure also looked at her expectantly.
Ruan Tinghe hadn’t expected her offhand excuse to Shen Yan to be taken seriously by the children.
Looking at their hopeful eyes, her heart softened.
Before their hope could fade, she promised, “If fate allows it, getting you a new dad isn’t impossible.”
“Yay!”
On the platform, after finishing his orders, Shen Yan looked up and saw Ruan Tinghe in the carriage talking and laughing with the children. Her expression was completely different from the cold attitude she had shown him earlier.
Yet the last time they met, she had still been fairly friendly toward him.
What had happened in the past few days while he was away that made her suddenly dislike him so much?
Yes, he could see it in her eyes—dislike.
Song Kaiyuan jogged over and gave Shen Yan a thumbs-up. “Brother, you’re amazing. We really caught the other traffickers at the fishing dock. The abducted women and children have all been rescued too. Tsk, if we had been a step later, they would’ve been shipped away by boat.”
Only then did he notice Shen Yan’s expression was off. “Brother, what’s wrong? Did we not catch Sister Huang?”
Sister Huang was the leader of this traffickers’ group. If she wasn’t caught, it would be very difficult to investigate all the victims’ identities.
“We caught her,” Shen Yan said coldly. “There’s nothing for you here. Go back and help me check what happened to her these past few days.”
Song Kaiyuan scratched his head. “Who is ‘she’?”
Shen Yan glanced at him. “Who do you think?”
After thinking for a moment, Song Kaiyuan could only think of one person. “Alright, I’ll go right away!”
“Also check everything that happened to her over the past four years.”
Song Kaiyuan waved and ran off, indicating he understood.
Another day passed, and the train finally arrived at Shanghai Station—the final stop. Everyone rushed to disembark.
Ruan Tinghe wasn’t being picked up, so she wasn’t in a hurry.
After everyone got off, she slung on her hiking backpack. It was something she had bought in her previous life for hiking and photography. She never got to use it back then, but after transmigrating, it finally came in handy.
Inside the backpack were only food, water, tissues, and other lightweight daily necessities. The rest of her belongings were stored in her space.
If not for the fear that showing up empty-handed would raise suspicion, she wouldn’t have brought anything at all—it would have been so much more convenient to keep everything in her space.
Ruan Tinghe crouched down and gently pinched Little Treasure’s cheek. “Little Treasure, hold your brother’s hand, okay?”
Little Treasure nodded obediently, her lips moving.
Erbao immediately translated, “She said she’ll hold Big Brother’s hand and won’t let him get lost.”
Dabao raised the hand holding Little Treasure’s, patting his chest. “Mommy, I’ll also hold my sister’s hand. I’ll protect her too.”
Erbao pointed at himself. “Big Brother, what about me?”
“Aren’t you holding Mommy’s hand? Or should I switch with you?”
“No, I want to hold Mommy’s hand.” Erbao grabbed Ruan Tinghe’s left hand with both hands and rubbed against it coquettishly. “Mommy, I’ll protect you!”
Ruan Tinghe patted his head. “Erbao is very good too.”