Chapter 16

But there was nothing he could do—he had already spoken those words.

It was late now, and most of the people in the train carriage had already fallen asleep.

Chi Yiyi felt uncomfortable. She missed her space terribly, but she couldn’t possibly stay in the bathroom forever.

After Bai Jiaojiao got her seat back, she suddenly realized she had just been bullied by Chi Yiyi. She turned and glared at Chi Yiyi, who was resting with her eyes closed.

In Bai Jiaojiao’s view, Chi Yiyi was the first difficult person she had encountered during this trip. She hadn’t expected that even among the educated youth, there could be “bad people.” She decided she had to be cautious around Chi Yiyi in the future.

In the neighboring carriage, Chi Junshu and Chi Junjie were so hungry they couldn’t sleep. Each of them spent fifty cents to buy food from the train staff.

The next morning, Chi Yiyi woke up with neck and hip pain. She needed to return to her space to recover.

As she stood up, she saw a male educated youth who had stood all night and now looked utterly exhausted and pale. His eyes lit up when he saw Chi Yiyi stand.

Chi Yiyi immediately warned him, “I’ll be right back. Don’t even think about taking my seat, understand?”

The young man nodded helplessly.

Only then did Chi Yiyi head to the restroom.

Inside the space, it was morning as well. The weather was perfect, the air crisp and clean—it instantly lifted her spirits.

Chi Yiyi drank a big bowl of spiritual spring water and soon felt rejuvenated.

She went to the villa’s luxurious bathroom, used the toilet, then took the elevator up to the third floor to soak in the indoor swimming pool.

After bathing and dressing, she stood facing the misty spiritual mountains and shouted cheerfully:

“Hey! Good morning!”

So wonderful.

At this moment, Chi Yiyi felt the space she had exchanged for with boxes of gold and antiques was absolutely worth it.

On the mist-covered side of the space, Gu Xuan—who had been lying on the grass in his own space—was startled awake by that cheerful “Good morning.”

There was someone else in his space?

And it sounded like… a woman’s voice?

Gu Xuan had lived 28 years and considered himself worldly, but that voice lingered in his ears—sweet and tender, warming his heart.

“Good morning,” she’d said?

Gu Xuan looked up at the sky. Was it a fairy from the heavens greeting him?

He chuckled foolishly. For the first time, he realized he might be in love.

He had to find the woman whose voice had somehow reached his space.

Gu Xuan couldn’t fall back asleep. He exited the space and returned to the train. The moment he did, a thought struck him.

The woman who said “Good morning” might also be on this very train.

Gu Xuan was in a high-class single sleeper carriage. When he opened his door, he saw the train attendant standing in the corridor.

The attendant greeted him with a smile, “Good morning, Director Gu.”

This attendant was likely a second-generation military dependent from North City. Gu Xuan was very well known in the military compound, and his being sent to the Northeast to serve as a factory director in a remote mountain area was big news.

Gu Xuan nodded slightly and stepped out.

Beyond the sleeper was the hard seat carriage—packed with people.

Gu Xuan knew that finding the mysterious woman who could communicate across spaces in such a crowd was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Still, he couldn’t help but want to try.

Wearing an expensive black coat, tailored slacks, and polished leather shoes, Gu Xuan’s refined looks and noble aura made him stand out like a beacon in the crowded carriage.

Chi Junjie excitedly elbowed his brother Chi Junshu, “Bro, look! I bet this guy is even richer and more spoiled than Zhou Zixiao. Can you believe someone like him is also taking the train?”

Chi Junshu looked at his brother like he was an idiot. “He’s not even a girl. What’s wrong with you? Anyone who sees you might think you swing the other way.”

Chi Junjie felt deflated. “You just don’t get it.”

Chi Junshu was hungry again. He reached into his pocket for breakfast money—only to find it gone.

His heart sank.

He searched both pockets and then suddenly stood up and shouted in panic, “Thief! My money—my money’s gone again!”

Having recently experienced the Chi family being cleaned out by thieves, and now losing his only nine yuan and fifty cents, Chi Junshu felt like he was cursed. His scalp tingled in fear.

His voice was so loud it roused the nearby carriages. Everyone immediately reached for their own hidden money stashes.

Chi Junjie nervously glanced at his brother, barely suppressing his glee.

He thought he’d hidden his actions well—but had no idea Gu Xuan had seen everything.

In the chaos, Chi Junshu suddenly had a thought. He grabbed his brother’s shoulder and asked, “Junjie, quick! Check if your 9.50 yuan is still there!”

Chi Junjie pushed him away. “Are you stupid? Don’t you know we shouldn’t flash money around? If I take it out now, won’t I get robbed too?”

Chi Junshu thought about it and realized it did make sense.

But his money was still gone.

Chi Yiyi stepped out of the restroom just in time to hear Chi Junshu shouting about being robbed again.

She wondered if the poor fool would starve once they got to the countryside.

Still, she didn’t want to get involved. She turned to head back to her own carriage.

Just then, a group of on-duty train police arrived.

Chi Yiyi stepped aside to let them pass.

Gu Xuan, feeling sympathetic for the simple-minded Chi Junshu, discreetly whispered a tip to one of the officers.

The officer then walked up and bluntly asked Chi Junjie, “What’s your relationship to this guy?”

Chi Junshu replied, “Officer, he’s my younger brother. We’re biological siblings.”

Chi Yiyi stopped in her tracks upon hearing this.

The officer continued, “Well, if you’re brothers, then you should know exactly how much money your brother has, right?”

The implication was clear.

Chi Junjie realized he was under suspicion. Panicking, he tried to reach for his pocket, but was immediately grabbed by another officer.

“Ahhh!” he yelped in pain.

“What are you trying to do?” the officer asked coldly.

Chi Junjie continued pretending to be clueless. “I—my brother lost his money, so I was just gonna take mine out and show him…”