Gu Yu had already woken up before Yan Ming started speaking. He hadn’t been sleeping well anyway. Now, he was flipping through a book to pass the time.

A soft and delicate voice reached his ears.

His fingertips paused slightly as he turned the page, then he followed the sound with his gaze.

The girl was stunningly beautiful. Her complexion was as flawless as the purest porcelain, delicate and unblemished, exuding an aura of freshness and elegance.

Yet, her every movement as she spoke carried a natural charm and grace.

Her face, still drowsy from sleep, was tinged with a subtle blush.

She swiftly climbed down from the bed, her slender figure curvy and graceful, captivating the eye. She appeared effortlessly in Gu Yu’s dark gaze.

Lin’s mother had come from a wealthy family, paying close attention to balanced nutrition. As a result, Xiu Zhu had developed better than most girls her age.

At this time, most families were struggling, and poor nutrition often led to stunted development in girls.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the train window, casting a glow on the girl’s face, making her skin appear even fairer.

She raised her slender hands, picked up a biscuit, and slowly parted her cherry-red lips, savoring each bite.

As she indulged in the taste of the food, her eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile played on her lips.

Gu Yu’s gaze subtly tightened as he looked at Xiu Zhu.

The perfect blend of innocence and allure in her beauty was striking—even with all his life experiences, he still found himself momentarily stunned.

That said, it was only natural for people to appreciate beauty—especially at his young and vigorous age.

She was just a little girl. He merely admired her appearance, nothing more. He wasn’t a good person, but he wasn’t a beast either.

His eyes fell back onto the open pages of his book, pretending to read as if nothing had happened.

As for how much he was actually absorbing, only he knew.

…

“Xiu Zhu, I’m going to get food. Stay in the compartment and don’t go out alone. If you need to use the restroom, wait until I get back,” Yan Ming instructed before striding toward the door.

“Okay, Uncle Yan! I won’t go out alone. Get more meat and vegetables—I’m really hungry!”

Her voice was always so sweet, like a babbling brook—clear and pleasant to the ear.

Chen Yuling was reclining on her bunk. Hearing the commotion, she looked up. When she saw the girl’s face, a flash of jealousy flickered in her eyes.

The girl across from her wasn’t very old, yet she had the look of a temptress.

If she remembered correctly, the girl was quite young, but her figure was no worse than her own. And that soft, coquettish voice—it was as if she was seducing everyone.

And that dark-skinned, burly man wasn’t even related to her, yet he treated her with such care.

A girl this young, traveling in a soft sleeper cabin—there had to be something shady going on between them, right?

Chen Yuling couldn’t suppress her most malicious thoughts.

Taking advantage of the burly man’s absence, she put on a friendly smile and tested the waters.

“Hello, comrade. My name is Chen Yuling. We just heard Comrade Yan’s introduction—he said you two are uncle and niece, but you don’t seem to have the same last name.”

Xiu Zhu finally looked up at the two new passengers in the compartment—a man and a woman.

The woman speaking to her was sitting on the opposite bunk, her expression seemingly kind.

Hearing the question, Xiu Zhu paused her snacking, swallowed her food, and replied simply, “Hello, I’m Lin Xiu Zhu. Uncle Yan is my father’s friend.”

Chen Yuling frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with that answer. She continued probing, “He treats you really well. Earlier, he even reminded us to keep our voices down so we wouldn’t disturb your sleep.”

“He’s even better than my own uncle. Did he also book this soft sleeper ticket for you?”

Xiu Zhu wasn’t particularly sharp when it came to people, but she had little patience for outsiders. She disliked small talk, especially about herself.

Even when she met someone she found interesting, she would only engage in conversations that piqued her interest.

Right now, she wasn’t in the mood. She had no desire to continue talking to the girl across from her.

Out of politeness, she simply replied, “Then your uncle must not treat you very well.”

Inside the small compartment, the conversation was easily overheard by Gu Yu.

That scheming female comrade had used the word “we” in her phrasing.

Gu Yu was displeased by her presumptuousness in dragging him into the conversation.

But for these small matters, he couldn’t even be bothered to speak.

Then, hearing the girl named Xiuzhu respond impatiently, he pressed his lips together, but the laughter he had been holding in finally slipped out.

He truly hadn’t expected that such a delicate-looking girl could be so sharp-tongued.

Xiuzhu heard a faint chuckle and looked over. Their eyes met.

She hadn’t expected to encounter such an outstandingly handsome man on the train—he was even more attractive than the celebrities she had seen in her past life.

The man had long, narrow phoenix eyes and a laid-back aura. He sat leisurely by the bed, having casually undone two buttons of his shirt. His sleeves were rolled up past his forearms, revealing well-defined, muscular arms—like a sculptor’s masterpiece, meticulously carved.

But whether he was good-looking or not had nothing to do with her. What mattered was that he had clearly just been laughing at her.

Xiuzhu was a little annoyed at being laughed at. She pouted slightly and shot him a glare.

Gu Yu felt his heartbeat quicken at the look she had just given him. A strange, unfamiliar feeling surged within him.

His fingers twitched on the book in his hands as he recalled the fierce little kitten his grandmother had raised when he was a child. It made people’s hearts itch, making them want to reach out and smooth its fur.

The space was too cramped for secrets. Chen Yuling had also heard the man’s laughter. Her face flushed red, and anger instantly surged in her heart, making her dislike Xiuzhu even more.

But she was always good at hiding her emotions. Her voice remained as gentle as ever. “Comrade Lin, you’re joking.”

Xiuzhu couldn’t be bothered to pay any more attention to these two strangers. She continued munching on her biscuits, dried meat, and salted peanuts…

Her cheeks were puffed up, making her look like a little hamster.

Gu Yu had an even stronger urge to pinch them. But afraid of being mistaken for a rogue and scaring the little girl, he quickly restrained himself, shifted his gaze, and tried to focus elsewhere.

After a long while, Yan Ming finally pushed the door open and entered.

Xiuzhu’s eyes instantly lit up. She took a deep breath, and the aroma in the air seemed to carry a kind of magic, making the corners of her lips lift unconsciously.

“Uncle Yan, you’re back! What took you so long?”

“Let me see what good food you brought. I have no idea what the train meals taste like.” Her rosy lips chattered away.

“It’s past mealtime now, but our Xiuzhu has great luck—there was exactly one portion left of every meat dish.”

“There was an old lady behind me with her daughter-in-law, swearing and cursing at me, demanding that I give up the meat. She was so vulgar.”

“Seeing how shameless she was, I wasn’t about to give her a single bite. Here, take it and eat.” Yan Ming’s tone was still filled with anger as he recalled the incident.

He carefully handed the meal box to Xiuzhu.

Xiuzhu didn’t care about the minor conflict.

She eagerly opened her meal: two dishes—stir-fried cucumber with eggs and braised pork, served with steamed rice.

The braised pork looked plump and glossy red, as if each piece had been soaked in rich sauce.

She sniffed with her small nose—its color, aroma, and taste were all perfect.

Then, she turned to look at Yan Ming’s meal, which contained only shredded potatoes with coarse rice. Compared to her meal, it was utterly meager.

Yan Ming earned 50 yuan a month—a decent income.

But with four children to support at home, the household expenses were high. As a result, he was always extremely frugal.

Xiuzhu casually turned her head back and used a clean pair of chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised pork. She frowned in complaint. “The meat is cut so fatty. How am I supposed to eat this? I don’t like fatty meat.”

“Sigh, wasting food is shameful. What should I do?”

“Fatty meat is fragrant! I even specifically got it for you. Look at your skinny arms and legs—you should eat more to grow stronger.” Yan Ming tried to persuade her earnestly.

“No, I just can’t eat it. And there’s so much of it—I won’t be able to finish it all! I don’t care. We can’t waste food. You ordered it, so you have to eat it.”

Pouting, Xiuzhu threw a little tantrum. But her hands moved swiftly, transferring two-thirds of the braised pork into Yan Ming’s meal box. Then, just as quickly, she added half of her rice and two large pieces of egg.

Yan Ming had already used his chopsticks, and knowing how particular Xiuzhu was, he could only accept the food she had given him.

Only then did he realize—Xiuzhu was feeling sorry for him.

He almost teared up.