Everything happened in the blink of an eye. People scrambled to escape to the other carriages, Jiang Yan included.
But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zheng Bin lunging at the scarred man. She spun around instantly. “No!”
She had been given a second chance at life. She had family to save. She didn’t want to die!
Yet, how could she abandon Huo Ying’s comrade when he was in danger?
Especially since he was only here because of her!
“Get back!” Zheng Bin’s eyes were fixed only on the criminal. With one hand he shoved Jiang Yan away, and with the other, he reached out to grab the gun bare-handed, moving with lightning speed.
The gun went off, the bullet missing its mark. The criminal swiftly swung the barrel toward Zheng Bin.
Zheng Bin was a seasoned fighter and was about to dodge, but suddenly his ankle was locked in a death grip.
The old woman had woken up. Delirious with grief, she thought Zheng Bin was the villain. “I’ll fight you to the death!” she screamed, biting down hard on his leg.
If it had been the real criminal, he would have kicked her away instantly without hesitation.
But Zheng Bin couldn’t do it. No matter how badly she had treated him, he was a soldier of the people. He couldn’t hurt an elderly civilian.
He was trapped, staring down the barrel of the gun at point-blank range.
Suddenly, a figure appeared on the back of the seat behind the criminal. Eyes wide open, Jiang Yan leaped. In mid-air, she drove the fruit knife straight into the back of his skull.
In her past life, Huo Ying had wanted to teach her how to use a dagger.
She had refused stubbornly.
He had coaxed her: “Be good, don’t be afraid. It’s just like playing. Don’t you want to raise little rabbits? If you learn this, I’ll get you a white one and a grey one right away.”
But she had given up halfway. “It’s too cruel. I don’t want to learn.”
Now, only Huo Ying’s stern warning echoed in her mind:
“Being kind to evil is being cruel to yourself. Focus completely. Strike steady, strike accurate, strike vital points. Evil people will never give you a second chance.”
BANG!
A gunshot rang out!
No! She was too late! Was Zheng Bin dead?
Had she caused the death of someone good to her again?
Her mind went blank for a second. The scarred man roared and spun around, aiming the black muzzle at her. But before he could fire, his massive body suddenly crashed forward.
Zheng Bin, covered in blood, had tackled him from behind and pinned him to the floor, raining down punches. But blood was pouring into his eyes, blurring his vision, and the criminal began to struggle free.
Jiang Yan screamed and without hesitation, drove the knife deeper into his skull!
Blood spurted out. The man’s eyes bulged as he stared at her, his limbs twitching violently before going still. It was a terrifying sight.
Jiang Yan held onto the handle, staring fixedly.
Huo Ying had said: Once you have faced life and death, you will fear nothing else.
The train made an emergency stop. A swarm of police and conductors rushed in.
“Miss, let go! He’s dead.”
Jiang Yan released her grip and stood up with their help. She was drenched in sweat and shaking. “How is my friend?”
“The bullet was meant for his forehead. Your surprise attack made him miss. It just grazed the top of his head. He’s lost a lot of blood but he’ll live. He’s just unconscious. You should go to the hospital too for a check-up.”
Jiang Yan shook her head. “I’m fine. Make sure he gets treated. I need to get to my assignment. Supporting the countryside can’t wait.”
Finding my parents can’t wait.
The officers were impressed. “What integrity! Miss, you are so brave! This man was a wanted fugitive with over a dozen lives on his hands. If not for you and your friend, many more would have died today.”
“Please leave your contact information. We must report this for commendation!”
The conductor approached. “Miss, we have arranged a sleeper berth for you. Please rest comfortably for the rest of the journey.”
“Thank you.”
As Jiang Yan followed him, she heard a chaotic screeching behind her.
“It’s all your fault, you bitch!” the old woman screamed. “You told my grandsons to steal seats! That’s why they angered that monster and got thrown out the window! They were smashed to pieces!”
Jiang Yan turned.
The grandmother, looking like a mad ghost, was riding on top of Shi Hongmei, pulling her hair and scratching her face.
“You spoiled those children until they were monsters! Why take it out on me?!” Shi Hongmei shrieked, trying to fight back.
But the old woman choked her by the throat. “Their father is crippled, their mother is ruined! I have lost everything! What is there left to live for? I’ll kill you!”
She bit down hard on Shi Hongmei’s ear.
A scream like a pig being slaughtered pierced the air.
It was total chaos. With so many passengers to calm down, Jiang Yan told the conductor to handle it and went ahead to find her carriage.
As she located her compartment, she stopped short.
Not far away, Su Zhenzhen was standing by the window with her arms crossed. Zhu Kaimo and Yao Qingsong stood on either side, listening attentively.
“…The place I’m being sent to is right near the capital of Nan Province,” Su Zhenzhen was saying. “There are even buses running there!”
Buses? That’s hardly the countryside.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was confirmed: In this life, just like the last, Su Zhenzhen was going to a civilized area. She could never have been sent to the remote mountain village where Jiang Yan’s adoptive parents were.
Which meant… the photo Su Zhenzhen had shown her in the past life was deliberately found and used. She had planned it all along, waiting until Jiang Yan was pregnant to strike her mentally.
And it worked. After losing the twins, Jiang Yan could never conceive again. She lived under the weight of guilt and shame, which eventually led to her suicide.
Jiang Yan bit her lip hard to steady her breathing.
Su Zhenzhen was hateful, but right now, finding her parents was priority number one. She must avoid conflict.
“For me, going to the countryside is just a formality,” Su Zhenzhen bragged. “My parents already talked to the right people. I’ll get some merit awards, come back wearing flowers, and Grandpa won’t scold me anymore.”
In her past life, Jiang Yan remembered, Su Zhenzhen became Union Chairwoman immediately upon return, then rose to Department Head, and eventually Minister. All because she ‘caught a spy’ during her time in the countryside.
The two men fawned over her endlessly.
“Zhenzhen, you were born to live a life of luxury! We are so lucky to meet you…”
“Zhenzhen, the train is moving. Let me massage your legs. And fan you, the air is so stale here…”
Jiang Yan couldn’t listen anymore. She was about to turn away and wait until they left.
But then she heard Su Zhenzhen’s sharp voice:
“You two have been massaging and fanning me the whole way. It’s boring. If you really want to please me, go find that wretched girl in the hard seat car the one who lied that I tried to hit her with a bottle!”
Jiang Yan turned her head instinctively.
The woman was grinding her teeth, ordering her lackeys:
“Find a way to push her head out the window and smash it against the wall! Or better yet, find human traffickers to sell her deep into the mountains where she’ll never get out!”
“Whoever makes her suffer the most, I’ll get my father to transfer you to the same place as me. We’ll go back to the city together!”