Chapter 16

“You not only tried to steal, now you’re being a pervert too. Truly shameless,” Xue Miaoyun said as she yanked the man up off the ground. “Come on, let’s go find a police officer.”

“Ah! Let me go, you crazy woman! Let me go, or you’ll regret it!”

Xue Miaoyun frowned. Was this guy really that arrogant? As they passed the door of the train car, she gave a quick twist of her hand—bang!—he crashed right into the door.

“How could you be so careless? Don’t you even know how to walk? If you break public property, can you afford to pay for it?”

Liu Ermao: ……

Seeing that he had finally quieted down, Xue Miaoyun raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. Some people just needed a bit of force to be dealt with.

Liu Ermao fell silent, subdued by the overwhelming strength gripping the back of his collar. But in his heart, he was furious. He was already thinking about alerting his accomplices to teach her a lesson later.

“Need any help, comrade?” A somewhat familiar voice came from a nearby seat.

“It’s you,” Xue Miaoyun said, looking at the handsome soldier from the People’s Liberation Army who had just stood up. Instinctively, she pulled her hand away from holding onto the thief.

Feeling the force that was restricting him disappear, Liu Ermao prepared to make a run for it. As for getting revenge, once he saw the tall soldier standing nearby, he immediately gave up the thought. In their line of work, the most important thing was knowing who you could provoke and who you couldn’t. If you made a wrong move, your life could end up in prison.

However, just as he was about to escape, Cang Ling was not going to let him off so easily. He immediately grabbed the thief’s neck again, sealing his fate.

“Thank you, comrade. He’s a thief. When I caught him, he even tried to act indecently,” Xue Miaoyun said, immediately reporting him when she saw the thief still glaring at her.

“What do you mean I acted indecently? You’re wearing such a huge mask I can’t even see your face—how could I be indecent to you?” Liu Ermao felt utterly wronged.

“Shut up!” Cang Ling applied more force, making Liu Ermao cry out in pain.

“Let’s go. We’ll take this to the police officer on board.” With that, Cang Ling escorted Liu Ermao toward the back of the train car.

As they passed through the aisle, people noticed the soldier in uniform escorting the lecherous thief, and immediately stepped aside, casting disdainful glances at Liu Ermao.

“…Could he be a bad guy…”

“…An enemy spy… People’s Liberation Army…”

“…Damn…”

Trailing behind them, Xue Miaoyun let out a small laugh. People in this era truly held boundless admiration for the military.

The group quickly found the train police. Xue Miaoyun explained what had happened. Liu Ermao, of course, cried injustice, but as a repeat offender, and with the imposing presence of the soldier who had brought him in, it was obvious whom the two train police officers believed.

“Comrade, could you take off your mask?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m very sensitive to smells…” Xue Miaoyun replied as she removed the mask.

In an instant, the entire compartment fell silent. Every eye was fixed on Xue Miaoyun’s face.

The younger train officer turned visibly red.

Liu Ermao’s eyes were practically glued to her. He stared in a daze, completely captivated. He hadn’t expected the person he tried to steal from to be such a breathtaking beauty.

Cang Ling’s eyes flashed with awe, and his mind recalled a line from a book he had read in his youth: “No beauty endures forever, but the one who pleases the eyes is a true beauty.”

“Apologies,” Xue Miaoyun smiled apologetically at the two officers.

“N-no problem… ahem.” The younger officer was so flustered, he even stammered.

Cang Ling frowned slightly and stepped forward, blocking Liu Ermao’s line of sight.

Liu Ermao had just been about to lash out, but when he looked up and met Cang Ling’s cold, sharp gaze, he trembled and immediately backed down, not daring to say another word.

The oldest train officer there reacted quickly, asking a few questions and promptly resolving the matter.

Xue Miaoyun and Cang Ling left the office together.

“Phew.” Xue Miaoyun finally relaxed.

“My name is Cang Ling—Cang as in ‘soaring eagle,’ and Ling as in ‘reaching the clouds.’” The man’s gaze was steady and focused, making it feel more like he was giving a formal report than introducing himself.

Xue Miaoyun felt a little embarrassed under his gaze, but being looked at by a handsome man didn’t exactly make her uncomfortable either.

“I’m Xue Miaoyun. And thank you for earlier.”

“I was only doing what I should.” A trace of gentleness flickered in Cang Ling’s eyes. “Wearing a mask while traveling is definitely the right choice.”

This girl’s beauty was dazzling, far too noticeable in a crowd. A wave of concern rose in Cang Ling’s heart.

Xue Miaoyun touched her own face. “I think so too.”

She liked being beautiful, but she really didn’t want to be too striking. Yet, as her “Jiao Spirit Essence” power grew stronger, her appearance became more dazzling by the day.

It was becoming a burden.

Frowning, Xue Miaoyun put the mask back on.

“Let me escort you back to your seat, Comrade Xue.” With his presence, he could deter any potential troublemakers.

“Thank you.” She understood his good intentions. She didn’t dislike him—after all, a chance encounter was still a kind of fate.

Cang Ling walked behind her, watching the girl ahead. He wanted to ask where she was headed, but the words caught in his throat every time. That wasn’t like him at all.

“I’ve arrived, Comrade… Cang, thank you,” Xue Miaoyun said.

“You’re in a sleeper car—does that mean your destination is far?” Cang Ling asked.

“No, I’ll be getting off soon. Lin’an Station is my stop,” Xue Miaoyun replied.

Cang Ling’s eyes lit up. “You’re getting off at Lin’an too?”

Xue Miaoyun smiled. “That’s your destination as well?”

When Cang Ling saw the delight sparkling in those beautiful peach blossom eyes, he felt momentarily dazed. Fortunately, his willpower held firm.

“That Liu Ermao is clearly a repeat offender. People like him don’t usually act alone. There’s probably an accomplice on the train. Even the stations along the route may not be safe. Will someone be picking you up at the station?”

Xue Miaoyun blinked. Was it really that dangerous? She started to feel a bit nervous. Sure, she was strong, but what if the other party had weapons? This wasn’t like the future, where gun control was strict.

Back then, train security checks weren’t thorough either.

Noticing the fear in her eyes, Cang Ling lowered his voice to reassure her. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep watch. Lin’an is almost here—I’ll make sure you get off safely.”

Xue Miaoyun looked at him in surprise. Was this soldier really this kind-hearted?

They stood in the narrow corridor, close enough to easily feel each other’s presence.

His facial features were sharp and defined—strong brow bones, high nose bridge—and combined with that distinct military decisiveness, he exuded both strength and reliability. If this were modern times, Xue Miaoyun would definitely be tempted to “abduct” him.

Unfortunately, in this era, nothing was that simple. Just meeting someone once in a crowd was already fate. Besides, she wasn’t interested in romance at the moment. She only wanted to make money and get into university. Handsome as he was, she wasn’t willing to throw off her plans just for that.

A bit regretful, Xue Miaoyun prepared to turn him down. She wasn’t the type to lead someone on or keep a backup around. Especially in this time period—doing something like that could come with serious risks. It just wasn’t worth it.