Era: Rise from the Wilderness

The afterglow of the setting sun grew darker and darker, casting a weary orange hue over the interior of the carriage.

The air remained stuffy and sticky, mixed with various indescribable smells.

The monotonous clanging of wheels against the rails, "clang...clang...", was like a hypnotic drumbeat, making many passengers drowsy.

Lu Ruoxi's head rested against the dirty train window, nodding gently with the swaying of the train, as if she had really fallen asleep.

Li Yunjing maintained his half-closed eyelids, seemingly relaxed, but in reality, all his senses were in a subtle state of alertness.

He could feel the outline of the backpack pressed against his leg, he could distinguish the slightly heavy breathing of the man in the floral shirt diagonally opposite him, and he could hear the sound of someone dragging their feet to the toilet in the aisle.

Just about twenty minutes from Pu City, as the train passed through a cornfield, Lü Ruoxi, who had been quietly sitting by the window, suddenly stirred.

She didn't wake up, but her body suddenly tensed up, as if she had been startled by something.

Then, with her eyes closed, she quietly reached out her right hand from her side and gently touched the back of Li Yunjing's hand, which was resting on his lap.

It felt icy to the touch, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

Li Yunjing immediately opened his eyes and quickly turned his gaze to her.

Lu Ruoxi remained in the position of leaning against the window with her eyes closed, but her eyeballs under her eyelids were moving rapidly, and her long eyelashes trembled like the wings of a startled butterfly.

She didn't open her eyes, but with her fingertip, she pointed very lightly towards the aisle diagonally ahead.

Li Yunjing followed her gaze in the direction she indicated and looked over discreetly.

About three or four rows ahead of them, in the aisle near the connecting passage between carriages, stood a short man in an old gray jacket, his back to them, seemingly swaying with the train.

Beside him, an elderly man in blue overalls with gray hair was dozing off against his woven bag, his head nodding slightly, clutching a worn-out black faux leather handbag tightly in his arms.

The man in the gray jacket moved very discreetly, taking advantage of a slight sway of the train to naturally lean his body towards the old man.

In that instant, Li Yunjing saw his right hand, hanging by his side, extend two fingers with lightning speed, like a viper flicking its tongue. A flash of cold light appeared at the fingertips (it could be a blade or a specially made pair of tweezers), and the fingers precisely sliced ​​through a barely noticeable tear on the side of the old man's handbag.

The movement was so fast that it was almost just a blur.

If Lü Ruoxi hadn't happened to see it from that angle, and if Li Yunjing hadn't been so vigilant, he would have had no chance of noticing it.

Did they succeed?

Li Yunjing's heart tightened.

He saw that the man in the gray jacket had regained his balance due to the train's inertia, and his hand quickly retracted and tucked into the jacket sleeve.

The entire process was smooth and silent, and the surrounding passengers remained engrossed in their own sleep or conversations, unaware of what was happening.

Lu Ruoxi's fingers were still gently resting on the back of Li Yunjing's hand, and she could feel the muscles in Li Yunjing's arm tense up instantly.

She dared not open her eyes or make any other movements, but her breathing became noticeably rapid.

Li Yunjing's mind raced instantly, a flurry of thoughts colliding violently.

call?

Should we not shout?

Shouting might stop the theft and help the seemingly poor old man keep his belongings.

But what are the consequences?

The man in the gray jacket was clearly a veteran; his movements were ruthless and practiced.

These pickpockets on trains often don't operate alone; they may have accomplices nearby.

If he gets angry and embarrassed once he speaks out, will he resort to desperate measures?

Drawing a knife?

Injury?

He and Lü Ruoxi were not far away and were the first to be affected.

These days, it's not uncommon for people to fight and even draw blood on trains over a few dozen or a hundred yuan.

Not going to shout?

Watching helplessly as a thief succeeds, watching the old man's handbag, which might contain his hard-earned money, being slashed open?

Can you live with yourself if you go through with this?

What will Lü Ruoxi think?

Time seemed to stand still in the stuffy, noisy carriage.

The clanging sound of the wheels became particularly jarring.

Across from him, the man in the floral shirt seemed to be awake, idly picking at his nails.

In the distance, the students were still chatting and laughing casually.

After succeeding, the man in the gray jacket did not leave immediately. He remained standing there with his back to them, seemingly waiting for the next "opportunity" or observing the situation.

Li Yunjing's gaze swept over the old man.

The old man was fast asleep, completely unaware of the "surgery" that had just taken place in his arms. His wrinkled face showed deep exhaustion from his long journey.

The tear in the black handbag he was carrying seemed to have gotten bigger, and you could vaguely see the edges of old clothes stuffed inside.

Sweat trickled down Li Yunjing's forehead and into his eyes, stinging slightly.

He felt Lü Ruoxi's fingers lightly touch him again, with a hint of inquiry and unease.

help?

How can I help?

Shouting "Catch the thief!" directly is too risky.

Pretend to bump into the elderly person unintentionally to warn them?

It might alert the enemy, or it might expose you to danger.

In the midst of this split second of confusion, Li Yunjing caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that the man in the gray jacket seemed to have moved again, his body slightly turned to the side, and his gaze seemed to have swept over their direction intentionally or unintentionally.

Although it was only a fleeting glance, Li Yunjing clearly sensed a cold, predatory wariness and assessment in those eyes.

That look sent a chill down his spine.

The other party has probably already realized something.

Perhaps it was his own fleeting gaze, or perhaps it was Lü Ruoxi's overly stiff posture.

We can't hesitate any longer.

Li Yunjing took a deep breath, trying to restore a natural look of drowsiness to his expression.

He gently turned his hand over and grasped Lü Ruoxi's fingers that were resting on the back of his hand, squeezing them firmly to signal her not to move or open her eyes.

Then, as if he was a little uncomfortable from the swaying of the train, he stretched and let out a muffled, sleepy murmur.

"Ugh, this lousy car...it's so bumpy..."

His voice wasn't loud, just loud enough for people in the nearby rows to faintly hear him.

The act of stretching caused his upper body to naturally lean towards the aisle, and his arm "unintentionally" brushed against the enamel mug of the middle-aged man dozing on the edge of the small table.

"Bang!"

The enamel mug fell to the ground with a crisp thud, spilling out a little cool water that wet a small patch of ground nearby.

The sound was particularly jarring in the otherwise dull carriage.

"What's wrong?"

The middle-aged man, who had been dozing, suddenly woke up and looked up blankly: "What's wrong?"

In the corridor, the man in the gray jacket paused noticeably, quickly withdrawing his gaze from the other target and looking warily toward the source of the sound.