“Just as the era left him behind, he now wishes to leave us behind,”
Yu Wen spoke with a heavy tone, her eyes filled with sorrow as she gazed out the window at the night sky.
“Is this about not getting a raise?”
Bai Lian cut straight to the point.
Yu Wen glanced at him and shook her head:
“Sorry, I should’ve realized discussing such topics with you is pointless.”
Though their brief interaction hadn’t allowed her to fully understand him, she could still form a general impression.
To her, Bai Lian was a man devoid of sentint.
He was an NPC, yet he maintained an unbridgeable distance, never letting her get closer.
It felt deliberate, though perhaps it was simply his nature.
He wouldn’t reveal his true thoughts to others, and the topics Yu Wen broached left him utterly unfazed.
“Why is it pointless?”
Bai Lian smiled faintly, folding his hands on the table.
“Fate brought us together. Since you want to talk, I’ll gladly listen.”
“Better not discuss the Train of the Century,”
Yu Wen shook her head, deciding to drop the subject.
“As soone once said: life isn’t a Ferris wheel where you return to the start after one rotation.”
Her hand rose, chin resting on her palm as she smiled at Bai Lian. Her smile blood like a rose.
“Let ask you this. Do you truly love won?” she added:
“You know what kind of love I an.”
Bai Lian shrugged:
“To be precise, I like beautiful won. All n love beautiful won… well, except Mr. David.”
“Mr. David?”
“The butler. He prefers gentlen at the estate,” Bai Lian explained.
Yu Wen suddenly regarded him with an odd expression, sizing him up:
“You… and him—are you friends?”
She emphasized “friends” with a peculiar inflection, her tone leaving no doubt she ant sothing else.
“What, you think I’m that kind of person?” Bai Lian shot her an irritated look. “Mr. David prefers n who resemble pandas, nothing more.”
Though airing others’ secrets was impolite, it was the truth. That estate gentleman did sowhat resemble a panda—how had Bai Lian noticed?
When he’d torn the painting, the man’s clothes were shredded as if from battle. Catching an accidental glimpse, Bai Lian had been utterly traumatized.
“I see…”
“Let’s change the subject,” Bai Lian said, unwilling to dwell on it. Strange images kept surfacing in his mind, ones he’d rather not revisit.
Perhaps it stemd from his childhood habit of overimagining—any information instantly transford into vivid, intrusive ntal imagery.
“Fine. Then… do you love ?” Yu Wen suddenly asked.
Bai Lian looked at her. This wasn’t re curiosity—her gaze was deadly serious.
“Why ask such things?” Bai Lian replied, perplexed.
They’d known each other for barely half an hour.
Half an hour! Not enough ti for feelings to develop, let alone friendship. Regardless of their current rapport, they might forget each other in days.
Yu Wen frowned:
“Didn’t you say all n love beautiful won? Are you implying I’m unattractive?”
“You’re exceptionally beautiful!” Bai Lian acknowledged sincerely.
Yu Wen truly was exquisite, like fine porcelain.
Though not genetically flawless like Mo Lu, among ordinary people, she stood peerless.
“But you must understand—love requires more than just appearance.”
Yu Wen nodded as if comprehending, yet clearly didn’t.
She looked at Bai Lian, puffing her cheeks in mock irritation:
“Returning to my question—do you love ?”
Bai Lian straightened:
“I only speak truth to those I love.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t love you,” he stated gravely.
The gravity of his words left Yu Wen so bewildered she couldn’t parse them:
“What does that an?”
He claims to only tell the truth to those he loves, then says he doesn’t love her—so does he or doesn’t he?
【Wait… my brain’s overheating from this RPG logic…】
【Let simplify: She tells the truth only to those she loves. Those she loves hear her truth, but it might not be true. So her saying she doesn’t love you could be a lie to hide that she does.】
【Above comnter, you’re overcomplicating things!】
【So does he love her or not?! My head’s spinning!】
【Guys, I’m burning out here…】
…
“Figure it out yourself,” Bai Lian smirked, silently watching Yu Wen agonize over the riddle.
Creak!
The Ferris wheel halted, bringing them to the tunnel exit.
Bai Lian stood, turned, and walked out.
Yu Wen snapped back to reality and chased after him:
“Hey, wait! At least explain what you ant!”
The screen displayed the next car number—1.
“Hm?” Bai Lian glanced at the display, sensing sothing amiss.
“What were you even saying? Do you love or not?” Yu Wen persisted.
Bai Lian raised a hand, instantly silencing her.
“This car’s strange. Car No. 1 should be at the front. Why’s it here?” He pointed at the screen.
Typically, Car No. 1 marked the train’s front.
But if the front had been transplanted mid-train, how could the train even move?
Yu Wen stared blankly, equally baffled.
GRRRRR—
Suddenly, the entire Century Express shuddered violently, its fra groaning as earthquake-like tremors rocked through.
Bai Lian stood unfazed, rooted like an ancient tree.
Yu Wen lacked such stability but managed to grip his arm to avoid falling.
The quaking lasted ten minutes before subsiding.
“What was that?” Yu Wen asked grimly, clearly unsettled.
She turned to find Bai Lian retrieving Facai from his backpack.
Thwack!
Facai, still half-asleep, jolted awake as a heavy paw smacked his face.
“Sleeping again?! You’d nap through an earthquake?! Don’t groundhogs have seismic instincts?!”
Facai: …We live underground! We don’t get earthquake warnings!
Groundhog voices: Haaa!!!
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