Chapter 20 – More Accomplices

“Yuyu, how come you went to buy a ticket and came back with a child?”

Ning Songyun tiptoed closer and poked the little one’s cheek. “She’s so cute—where did she come from?”

“I saved her from a trafficker’s sack.”

“What? From where? A trafficker?!”

Songyun immediately forgot about teasing the child and pulled Zhao Yu aside to check her over carefully. “Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine.” Zhao Yu gently set the child down on the bunk. “The traffickers have already been caught.”

“Then why did you bring the child back with you?” Songyun sucked in a sharp breath. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to raise her!”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Zhao Yu swatted her hand. “The child doesn’t have anywhere to be placed right now. They just asked me to look after her for a bit. At the next station, the police will come to take her.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.” Songyun gave an awkward laugh, then frowned in worry. “But… will the police be able to find her parents?”

“Not sure. But even if they can’t, it’s still better than being taken away by traffickers.”

“That’s true.”

Songyun figured babysitting the child for a while was no big deal. She stretched, flopped onto her own bunk, and just then her stomach growled loudly.

“Go have dinner first. Just bring something back for me later.” Zhao Yu handed her money and meal tickets.

“Alright, I’ll buy some and eat with you.”

Songyun skipped off toward the dining car, not noticing when she brushed past a tall man.

The man turned his head slightly, glanced at her, then slipped into their compartment.

Zhao Yu sensed someone entering, but when she saw him put his things on the middle bunk and sit in the aisle seat, she assumed he was just another passenger and didn’t think much of it.

But once the train started moving, the man suddenly spoke to her.

“Comrade, didn’t expect you to be so young and already married. Why are you alone? Where’s the child’s father?”

Something about it felt off. But Zhao Yu was alone now, and if this man turned violent, she wasn’t sure she could handle him. She decided to stall.

“He went to buy food.”

“Oh.” The man seemed convinced. Then he glanced around both sides of the carriage. “That comrade in blue earlier—she’s with you, right?”

He pushed his glasses up, smiling awkwardly. “I don’t suppose you know who she is?”

“I don’t know her. Why are you asking these things?”

Zhao Yu’s initial wariness turned into full alarm.

Maybe he’d seen Songyun leave this compartment earlier. But why was he so fixated on this place?

Uneasy, Zhao Yu tried to pick up the child to find Songyun, but the man stood up and blocked the doorway.

“It’s been quite a while. Your husband still hasn’t come back?”

“What’s it to you? Move!”

He acted like he didn’t hear, eyes glued to her, then dropped his gaze to the child in her arms.

“Such a beautiful child. Must take after her father.”

Zhao Yu stepped back, voice taut. “What’s that got to do—”

“What’s that got to do with you?” Ning Songyi suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

He came forward, set an aluminum lunchbox on the small table, and caught Zhao Yu’s eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but he just shook his head lightly, glancing at the man with narrowed eyes. “Eat first.”

Zhao Yu immediately caught on. “Alright.”

She handed the child into his arms. “Here, hold your daughter. Don’t let her cry.”

Holding the baby, Ning Songyi sat on Songyun’s bunk, his gaze sharp as blades at the man. “If you have questions, you can ask me.”

The man stared at them for a long while, then suddenly pretended to notice his ticket.

“Oh no, I must’ve come into the wrong car.”

He grabbed his bag and strode toward the carriage door.

“Don’t wander around. Keep yourself safe.”

Ning Songyi set the child back on the bed and still took the time to remind Zhao Yu.

“You’re going after him? Who was that?”

Songyun didn’t even know why, but her body reacted before her mind—she grabbed her brother’s sleeve.

“I’ll explain after this is dealt with.” Ning Songyi gave Zhao Yu a reassuring smile before slipping out silently to follow the man.

“Yuyu? You already started eating? Where’d this food come from?”

Songyun returned not long after, carrying two boxes of meals.

“Your brother left them here.”

“My brother? He’s on this train too?” She frowned. “Strange, Mom didn’t mention it.”

“Probably some kind of assignment.”

While opening the box Songyun brought, Zhao Yu recounted what had just happened.

“Ugh, what kind of shady guy just blocks people like that in public?” Songyun wrinkled her nose in disgust.

But Zhao Yu’s expression was grave, her chopsticks tapping unconsciously at the rice.

“Something’s not right… He didn’t just ask if I was alone with the child. He went into detail about the child’s father. The way he looked at me—it felt like I was his enemy. And… I swear I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

She tilted her head, thinking hard. Then her eyes widened. She clutched Songyun’s hand.

“Songyun—no, that man was a trafficker too. There are accomplices on this train. I glimpsed him earlier, in the carriage where I bought the ticket!”

“What?” Songyun cried out before quickly lowering her voice. “Then aren’t we in danger?”

“Exactly.” Zhao Yu’s heart pounded.

Just then, the child who had been dozing stirred awake. Not seeing any familiar faces, she pouted, then burst out in loud sobs.

Flustered, Zhao Yu bounced her and tried to soothe her, raising her voice over the crying.

“I ruined one of their operations and got a child back. As long as they still have people on this train, we’re not safe.”

“Then what do we do?” Songyun looked lost.

“Don’t panic. Since your brother’s on board, that means they’ve already been watching. As long as we’re careful, nothing big will happen. Until we get off this train, we just can’t separate.”

“Yuyu, don’t worry. I’ll stick to you like glue.”

“Not just us two. The child can’t leave our sight either.”

Zhao Yu thought back carefully about the man’s clothing. “He was wearing a thick coat, but I caught a glimpse of his shirt inside…”

Her brows furrowed, and her voice suddenly wavered.

“It looked like… a police uniform!”