“Who’s there?” the man struggled, but couldn’t free his hand. He glared at the person holding him, his expression fierce. “I’m just teaching my crazy sister a lesson. What’s that got to do with you?”
He spoke as if it were perfectly reasonable: “If a woman misbehaves, she deserves a beating. If she keeps misbehaving, she deserves two. This is my family business—you’ve got no say!”
The young man who had drawn his blade to intervene didn’t let go; he even tightened his grip, practically willing to snap the unreasonable man’s wrist on the spot. “Even if this woman really were your sister, you still don’t have the right to hit her just because you feel like it,” he said, his eyes sharp and commanding.
“Your sister, you say? What’s her name? Where is she from? Why are you here? Show me your ID and reference letter,” the young man pressed.
“She’s not his sister! He’s a trafficker!” Wen Yining stated clearly, her voice crisp and precise. “He and his accomplices abducted this child! And now he’s trying to kidnap me too!”
She recalled the tactics of human traffickers in the future—abducting young women in broad daylight—just like the man in front of her.
They would beat the victim indiscriminately at first, and when bystanders gathered, they’d deflect responsibility with excuses like “the woman ran off with her lover” or “my sister eloped with a foreign boy and made our father furious,” so that no one intervened for the woman being beaten.
And shockingly, some people actually believed them, even advising the abused woman to go home and behave.
After speaking, Wen Yining discreetly studied the young man standing beside her: tall and straight-backed, thick brows, large eyes, handsome features radiating integrity and masculinity.
She quietly withdrew her surgical blade, held the unconscious child closer, and stepped behind the young man. “The child has been knocked out with ether. When his accomplice administered the drug, he was probably affected too,” she said.
“My ID and reference letter are on me. I can show them to you,” Wen Yining continued, pretending to reach into her pocket while actually manipulating objects in her extra-dimensional space.
Having space like this was useful—no need to worry about thieves targeting valuables.
Lu Yanzhou’s keen eyes scanned the documents. Reference letter and ID—he trusted her almost completely.
He pressed on: “She’s already shown documents proving her identity. What about you?”
The trafficker’s eyes glinted with malice. “Who are you? Why should I show you anything? What if you two are in cahoots, orchestrating a scene?”
He had initially suspected encountering a rival trafficker trying to intercept his operation.
But Lu Yanzhou exuded a commanding aura, not at all like a criminal. He looked like a disciplined soldier, not a street thug.
The trafficker hadn’t expected a young woman to see through their tactics.
Panicking, he shouted to cover his escape: “They stole my child! You shameless bastard! I won’t stop you and some man from running off together, but leave my child! I raised this boy with my own hands! Whether or not he’s biologically mine, I have feelings for him!”
He struggled and reached for the child in Wen Yining’s arms.
Wen Yining couldn’t help thinking: this damn trafficker is really good at acting. Not even drunk, and yet he can make you tear up with his performance. She wasn’t blind—she could see right through his crooked face.
Even though Cheng Yifeng looked proper, she still found him unappealing.
The train had stopped and the doors opened. The man tried to seize the child amidst the chaos, but Lu Yanzhou acted faster, kicking him in the knee. The man nearly collapsed.
Even then, Lu Yanzhou didn’t release his grip on the man’s hand.
He stared him down. “Earlier you said she’s your sister, now you claim she’s cheating on you. What’s your relationship?”
The man felt his hand being forced into an impossible angle. One hand had barely grasped the child, and now he had to let go.
Wen Yining quickly pulled the child close, stepping back out of the trafficker’s reach.
The man looked at Lu Yanzhou’s impassive expression and cursed his luck. He hadn’t checked the almanac today and ended up facing a tough opponent.
And that seemingly innocent, talkative, meddling young woman was clearly out to ruin him.
Damn it—all his efforts were wasted. He’d leave empty-handed.
Better to preserve his life than risk the money.
Seizing a moment while Lu Yanzhou’s attention was on the young woman, the trafficker shook off his grip and pushed into the crowd, trying to escape.
“Be careful. He might have other accomplices,” Lu Yanzhou warned Wen Yining, then, like a predator chasing its prey, dashed after the fleeing man.
Soon, on the crowded platform, Lu Yanzhou quickly pinned the man to the ground.
The sudden commotion drew a crowd. Station staff immediately called the police.
Lu Yanzhou handcuffed the man’s hands behind his back and pressed his knee into the man’s lower back, making him scream in pain.
“These are my documents,” Lu Yanzhou showed his ID to the station staff. “This man is a trafficker I encountered on the train. A young woman exposed his crime, and he tried to escape.”
“Thank you, Comrade Lu,” the station chief said gravely, returning his ID. “You’ll need to explain the details to the police later. Looks like you’ll have to catch the next train.”
The chief glanced at the trafficker, whose face was distorted in pain, and suggested, “Should we tie him up first?”
The station staff only handled train arrivals and departures—they didn’t have law enforcement authority. Mishandling such a big case could get everyone in trouble.
Lu Yanzhou took the rope the staff handed him and bound the trafficker securely.
The train’s whistle sounded—it was about to depart.
Worried the staff couldn’t watch the trafficker, Lu Yanzhou stayed behind to wait for the police, planning to report what happened on the train as well. Being close to the military base, he could catch the next train back without issue.
Looking toward the train, his eyes met Wen Yining’s. She stood at the window, holding the child, returning his gaze.
Their eyes locked for a moment. Wen Yining gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Comrade! Your bravery saved a family. I’ll make sure the child’s mother writes you a letter of thanks.”
The train slowly pulled out, masking Wen Yining’s voice with its engine.
Lu Yanzhou watched it go, distracted. Somehow, he felt that young woman looked familiar…