Watching the light dim instantly, Chen Sixuan immediately crawled into the driver's cabin, using Lin Xian's phone light to check the train's mileage.
Then she returned to the corner, took out the notebook, trembling as she carefully took notes with a pen
"Day 1, departing from Jiang City, travel time 50 minutes, distance traveled 54 kilometers, daylight at 16:00, dark at 18:45"
Chen Sixuan's eyes trembled continuously, and she was on the verge of breaking down, like she was possessed, deliberately trying not to think about the outside world.
Not to think about Lin Xian, not to consider the family of three, not the darkness outside the train, nor the death she was soon to face...
Just then, the door to the driver's cabin automatically opened and the corridor lights turned on, startling Chen Sixuan into sitting abruptly on the ground.
As the door opened, a blood-covered Lin Xian holding a Short Knife leapt in. Chen Sixuan, overwhelmed with relief, quickly got up to close the door tightly, and stood up again to shut the door leading to the driver's cabin to prevent the light from revealing their position in the dark.
"Lin, are you alright?" Inside the train cabin, Chen Sixuan knelt down, looking at the wounded Lin Xian with astonishment.
"I won't die." Lin Xian picked up a bottle of Qingshui, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down half the bottle before finally taking a long breath.
Seeing his blood-stained appearance, Chen Sixuan immediately pulled out a towel to wipe him down but was stopped as Lin Xian grabbed her wrist.
"Ah... What's wrong?"
Chen Sixuan lifted her head in surprise, meeting Lin Xian's direct and piercing gaze, his tone questioning,
"Why didn't you open the door earlier?"
Lin Xian had actually climbed up a while ago, knowing that Da Fei and his group would definitely leave before dark. So he hid on the slope for a while and managed to find his Short Knife.
Chen Sixuan looked up at him, seeing his serious expression, she involuntarily bit her lip, lowered her gaze, and after a prolonged silence, she said,
"If I had opened the door, would you have thrown me out too?"
Lin Xian's voice was icy.
Chen Sixuan's expression dimmed, hearing Lin Xian's words, she deflated against the wall, eyes filled with pain as she shut them, tears slowly streaming down.
Lin Xian sighed softly, watching Chen Sixuan cry, and spoke,
"You couldn't bear it, I understand."
"We are all human, witnessing someone's death and not helping hurts especially if one has a kind heart."
Hearing his words, Chen Sixuan finally broke down emotionally, throwing herself into Lin Xian's arms, her shoulders shaking as she cried from sobbing to loudly bawling.
Crying heartbreakingly without any care for appearance, like a child who has made a mistake.
"I really don't know what to do..."
Lin Xian held her gently, speaking solemnly, "Buddhism teaches that to save others, one must first save oneself, and before that should save one's own spirit. If heaven doesn't save someone, they must save themselves. If you can't protect yourself, you cannot protect anyone. If you had opened that door, not only those three would have died, you too, and I might have died along with you."
"I know..." Chen Sixuan cried pitifully, her eyes filled with self-reproach and guilt, "but I heard the baby's cry, it sounded like it was only a few months old..."
Women are inherently imbued with maternal warmth; at that moment, Chen Sixuan felt like she had become a demon.
Lin Xian remained calm, watching Chen Sixuan nearly collapse emotionally, and sighed lightly,
"What if I told you, all of this was fake, what would you think?"
Chen Sixuan, still sobbing in Lin Xian's embrace, paused when she heard his words, and slowly lifted her head, looking into his eyes through her tear-laden gaze.
"You... what did you say?"
Lin Xian's eyes hardened slightly, explaining,
"We're right behind Yushan Station, even without the train the best choice would have been to take refuge in the station. Right after those people left, that family hurried over to knock on the door, their intentions were too obvious. And... I've never seen a mother so cruel to make her child cry like that!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Sixuan's pupils shook violently, tears glistening, her face in disbelief.
"Are you saying, they are... deceiving?"
Lin Xian gave a helpless smile.
"Teacher Chen, you must have heard the story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf.' If I'm not mistaken, this 'family of three' is just a ruse used by these people to knock on doors."
In a post-apocalyptic world, everyone is on guard for themselves, and exploiting others' sympathy is indeed an effective tactic.
Moreover, Lin Xian had just experienced this the day before...
Hearing Lin Xian's words, Chen Sixuan incredulously covered her mouth.
She couldn't imagine how evil people's hearts could be.
She thought again of Director Liang, immediately her entire body felt cold, realizing she was too naive. At this moment, she finally witnessed what truly evil hearts looked like!
At this time, Chen Sixuan felt somewhat powerless, her eyes vacant.
Lin Xian looked at her, and couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at her reaction.
He was well aware of the sinister nature of humanity in a post-apocalyptic survival situation. If Chen Sixuan was too altruistic, even if she only asked to open the door to help, he would not hesitate to abandon her as well.
How could he dare to trust such a teammate to guard the car?
But through this incident, his view of Chen Sixuan subtly changed.
Developing such courage in a short time from a star-surrounded campus belle shows that she is not only extremely intelligent but also has an extraordinary temperament. Honestly, Lin Xian had a certain admiration for this woman at this moment.
After a long silence, Chen Sixuan suddenly spoke.
Lin Xian shifted his position, smiling as he responded, "Very foolish, very naive."
Hearing Lin Xian's comment about her, Chen Sixuan wore a self-mocking expression, silently laughing.
Lin Xian had just undergone a fierce battle, feeling pain all over. He glanced at the supply corner and asked, "Aren't you hungry, why don't you grab something to eat?"
Chen Sixuan stared wide-eyed, responding seriously,
"You... you didn't allow me to eat."
Hearing this, Lin Xian looked at her with a peculiar expression, unable to tell if it was amusement or surprise,
"Teacher Chen, you really are adorable."
"What do you mean?" Chen Sixuan looked puzzled.
"What I mean is, Teacher Chen, I want to sleep with you now."
Chen Sixuan was taken aback by Lin Xian's words, not reacting before he pulled her into his embrace.
She instantly panicked like a rabbit, repeatedly saying,
"Wait... wait a moment, Lin, aren't you hurt?"
"Oh, does it have to be now...?"
"Wait a moment, you're all bloody..."
"Lin Xian, I... have no experience..."
"Ah... wait, wait, in my bag... there's... that..."
The night was as dark as ink, and the snow fluttered down.
However, at this moment, the girl who lay asleep on the couch nearby, even with eyes closed, her delicate eyebrows slowly furrowed...