Chapter 24: Secrets in the Compartnt
The wind in the corridor was sowhat cool, blowing against her flushed face, yet it could not suppress the dryness and heat emanating from deep within her bones.
Lin Wan walked behind Jiang Chen, her gaze uncontrollably falling upon his broad back.
Just a few minutes ago, the owner of this back was in that cramped space, allowing her to act recklessly.
That chaotic feeling of control and being controlled was like a strong liquor, its aftereffect so potent it caused dizziness.
She subconsciously licked her lips; a certain unique taste seed to linger there.
"We're here."
Jiang Chen stopped walking, placed his hand on the handle of Compartnt No. 8, and turned back to glance at her.
Lin Wan took a deep breath, forcing down the ssy thoughts, and straightened her slightly disheveled collar.
The door opened.
The warmth from the compartnt rushed out, mixed with a faint scent of perfu.
Chen Man was sitting on the lower bunk, touching up her makeup with a small mirror, while Su Qingge was still staring blankly at the notebook computer that had run out of battery.
Hearing the door open, both won looked up simultaneously.
"Oh, you're back?" Chen Man snapped the cap onto her lipstick and swept her gaze, like a searchlight, over the two of them. "You two took quite a long ti to get so air. I almost thought you two eloped."
If it were before, Lin Wan would probably have panicked to explain or been too ashad to speak.
But now, she simply tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, wearing a faint smile she had never possessed before. "It was a bit long. The scenery outside was nice, so we stayed a while longer."
She walked to her bunk and sat down, her movents relaxed.
Chen Man raised an eyebrow, her eyes showing a hint of surprise.
As soone who had navigated the nightlife for many years, she was overly sensitive to matters between n and won.
The current Lin Wan, although dressed neatly and her hair tidied, her entire deanor had completely changed.
If the forr Lin Wan was a lily about to wither, the present her was a rose freshly watered by rain and dew, every petal unfurling, every part glowing.
Especially her eyes, they were bright and shimring with light.
"Nice scenery?" Chen Man stared at Lin Wan’s neck with a half-smile. "What’s there to see outside? I think it must be... a nice person, right?"
Lin Wan’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure.
"Sister Man is such a joker." She picked up the bottled water on the table and twisted the cap open, taking a sip.
The water was sowhat cool, sliding down her throat, but it couldn't extinguish the fire in her heart.
"Ahem." Su Qingge suddenly coughed, closed the computer, "We'll be there soon. Pack up."
She did not join Chen Man's teasing, but her eyes, hidden behind her lenses, thoughtfully flickered between Jiang Chen and Lin Wan.
Jiang Chen acted as if nothing had happened, returned to his seat, and took out a pack of wet wipes to clean his hands.
"Sister Wan, I noticed the wheels on your suitcase seed a bit stuck earlier. Want to take a look?" he asked casually, his tone as natural as asking, "How's the weather today?"
"Ah? Oh... okay." Lin Wan was montarily stunned, then reacted.
Jiang Chen stood up, pulled over Lin Wan's suitcase resting on the floor, and squatted down to pretend to check the wheels.
Lin Wan also squatted down to look closer.
Their heads were very close together.
At an angle invisible to Su Qingge and Chen Man, Jiang Chen’s finger lightly brushed across the back of Lin Wan's hand.
Lin Wan’s hand trembled slightly, but she did not pull away; instead, using the suitcase as cover, she hooked her little finger around his finger.
This montary touch was more heart-fluttering than their previous encounter in the restroom.
It was the tacit understanding of co-conspirators.
It was having a secret belonging only to the two of them, out in the open, right under the noses of two sharp won.
"It’s nothing major, just a small pebble got stuck," Jiang Chen quickly stood up, patted his hands. "It’s cleared now."
"Thank you," Lin Wan looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tenderness.
"Alright, alright, stop acting out an idol drama here." Chen Man rolled her eyes, pulled the zipper of her makeup bag shut with a "zizla" sound. "I’m about to pass out from this sickening sweetness. Little brother, if you can’t find a job in the future, you won’t starve as a chanic."
"I’ll take Sister Man’s good wishes," Jiang Chen replied with a smile. "It never hurts to have extra skills."
"Attention, passengers, the train is about to arrive at the transfer station... Please take your personal belongings..."
The broadcast sounded again, clearer and more urgent than before.
The speed of the train noticeably slowed down, and the lights outside the window gradually increased, no longer just monotonous darkness and white snow, but showing the outline of a city.
That anxiety of impending separation once again enveloped everyone’s heart.
Lin Wan looked at the streetlights rushing past the window, her palms covered in sweat.
They had arrived.
Would the absurd events that happened on this journey also co to an end as the train stopped?
That so-called ho, that nominal husband, and that always critical mother-in-law were like a huge net, already open ahead, waiting for her to crawl back in.
She didn't want to go back.
She truly didn't want to.
"Sister Su, Sister Man, Sister Wan," Jiang Chen suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. "It will be crowded when we get off. Let’s try not to get separated. No matter what happens in the future, the bond we ford on this'Snow Country Express' must not be broken."
"That’s a given," Chen Man stood up and stretched, her figure, where curves were clearly displayed, making the air feel a few degrees hotter. "If anyone dares to leave the group chat, I’ll track them down to their ho."
Su Qingge also showed a rare smile and nodded.
Lin Wan looked at those faces, finally letting her gaze settle on Jiang Chen.
The young man, who was almost ten years younger than her, was leaning against the window, his profile looking exceptionally resolute under the light.
He seed to sense her gaze, turned his head, and winked at her.
In that look, there was a reassuring strength.
Lin Wan’s anxious heart suddenly settled.
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