“After three days and two nights, I’m definitely going to smell like a pickle.”

Seeing his little wife looking so pitiful, her eyes slightly red, Sheng Zexi felt his heart ache.

He gently stroked her hair and said softly, “Alright, the moment we get back, I’ll boil water for you to take a bath. I’ll make sure you’re clean and fresh.”

“Mm.” Gu Jianing felt a little better after getting Sheng Zexi’s reassurance.

Then, Sheng Zexi took out a bedsheet, spread it on the upper bunk, and helped Gu Jianing climb up to sleep. He also brought out a blanket and carefully tucked her in.

“Sleep. I’ll stay down here and keep watch. I won’t leave.”

“Okay.”

Gu Jianing was indeed tired. She had woken up early that day, and the rocking motion of the train made it easy to feel drowsy.

As soon as her eyelids drooped, Gu Jianing fell asleep.

This time, she slept for a long time.

When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside the train had darkened, and the interior of the train was dimly lit.

“Awake?” The moment she moved, Sheng Zexi, who had been keeping his attention on her, noticed.

“Mm.” Gu Jianing sat up and climbed down.

Using the dim light, Gu Jianing barely managed to check her watch and saw that it was already past seven in the evening.

The train wasn’t completely quiet yet, but it was much quieter than during the day.

“Are you hungry? I just bought some buns. Have one.”

“Mm.”

After eating one bun, Gu Jianing couldn’t eat anymore.

In the train, where all sorts of smells mingled, Gu Jianing had no appetite. She felt listless.

A few more hours passed, and the carriage grew even darker.

The daytime noise was gone, but…

Gu Jianing listened to the rhythmic snoring around her and felt a bit down. It was too noisy.

Her eyes carried a hint of resentment.

Sheng Zexi somehow understood her unspoken thoughts.

He thought to himself, Thankfully, I don’t snore. Otherwise, even if I made it to the bed, I’d probably get kicked off.

…

And so, two days and one night passed on the train.

By now, Gu Jianing was like a wilted radish—wrinkled, dry, and completely devoid of energy.

At least she didn’t get motion sickness.

“I need to use the restroom,” Gu Jianing said.

After a day or two, the restroom had become even smellier, but there was no other option. Gu Jianing had held it in as long as she could, but now she couldn’t hold it any longer.

“Okay.”

For Gu Jianing, going to the restroom on the train felt like going through a battlefield.

After what felt like an eternity, Gu Jianing finally emerged from the restroom, feeling as though she had lost half her life.

As Sheng Zexi escorted her back, Gu Jianing, still feeling listless, was bumped into by an elderly couple carrying a child.

“I’m sorry, miss, I’m sorry,” the old woman apologized, but when she saw Gu Jianing’s face, a glint of light flashed in her eyes.

The old man beside her had the same reaction.

That look made Gu Jianing feel uneasy, as if she were a piece of merchandise being appraised.

At that moment, Sheng Zexi stepped forward, checking to see if she was hurt.

“I’m fine,” Gu Jianing said.

The two elderly people, upon seeing Sheng Zexi in his military uniform, immediately dimmed their expressions and lowered their heads, even avoiding Sheng Zexi.

While it was true that civilians naturally felt some fear toward soldiers, Gu Jianing, with her past life’s experiences, found their subtle changes in behavior a bit strange.

Their avoidance seemed more like they were afraid of Sheng Zexi.

They didn’t know Sheng Zexi, nor did they have any grudge against him. Why would they be afraid of him?

Then, Gu Jianing’s gaze fell on her husband’s olive-green uniform, and a thought struck her. Perhaps they weren’t afraid of Sheng Zexi himself, but rather his identity as a soldier.

What kind of people would be afraid of soldiers?

Criminals, of course.

So, what crime had they committed?

Almost instantly, Gu Jianing’s gaze landed on the three- or four-year-old girl the old woman was carrying, who was fast asleep.

Could they be human traffickers?

The little girl’s clothing and her slightly tanned skin seemed to match the elderly couple well, with no obvious inconsistencies.

It was worth a try.

So, as they were about to pass by, Gu Jianing’s gaze fell on the little girl.

In her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, a flash of light from a super scanner passed by, quickly scanning the little girl.

[Ding! Scan complete!]

[Gender: Female. Age: 3 years and 4 months. Physical condition: Slightly malnourished, drugged for over 20 minutes…]

There was more diagnostic information, but Gu Jianing didn’t have the heart to read it.

Her attention was fixed on the words “drugged.” Now, she understood everything.

This elderly couple were human traffickers. What grandparents would drug their own granddaughter?

“Zexi, those two are human traffickers. I can smell it. The child the old woman is carrying has been drugged. She must have been kidnapped,” Gu Jianing whispered to Sheng Zexi after they had walked a short distance.

Sheng Zexi’s expression immediately turned serious. “Actually, I also felt they were a bit off.”

Although the elderly couple had acted normally, Sheng Zexi’s instincts as a soldier told him something was wrong.

He had been planning to investigate later, but now Gu Jianing had confirmed his suspicions.

“Zexi, what should we do? We need to catch the traffickers and save that child,” Gu Jianing said. Perhaps because she had spent her previous life longing for a child but never having one, Gu Jianing had a deep attachment to children and a strong hatred for those who kidnapped them.

She couldn’t imagine how she would feel if she had a child who was taken by traffickers.

She would definitely break down.

“Ningning, I’ll take you back first. Leave this to me. Trust me, I’ll catch them.”

Gu Jianing looked into Sheng Zexi’s determined eyes and nodded.

Sheng Zexi escorted Gu Jianing back to her seat, asked Shen Huaiyuan and Bai Juan to keep an eye on her, and reminded her not to leave her seat no matter what happened. Then, he left.

After Sheng Zexi left, Gu Jianing began to feel restless, worried about the situation.

But she knew the only thing she could do was listen to him, stay put, and not cause any trouble.

After what felt like an eternity, Gu Jianing suddenly heard commotion coming from the next carriage, and the entire train grew noisier.

Soon, she heard people discussing human traffickers.

Gu Jianing’s heart skipped a beat. Had they been caught?

Not long after, she saw the carriage she was in become chaotic.

Two train staff members were escorting the elderly couple, while another staff member was carrying the child.

Sheng Zexi also returned.

As Sheng Zexi sat down and the others moved away, Gu Jianing looked at him with bright eyes. “They were caught!”