Chapter 187

Xie Shiqing didn’t bother her either, just sat beside her and openly turned her head to look, showing no intention of hiding it at all.

She was practically thrilled to the point of wanting to lift off on the spot.

Zhong Ning had just helped her out—how could that not excite her? No matter the reason, she had spoken up for her.

Just sitting next to this person already made her feel very happy.

Zhong Ning had gotten a little tanned, and she was at the age of rapid growth. Her facial features had also become more defined—she had a grand and striking kind of beauty. Her phoenix eyes were clear and cold. When she wasn’t smiling, they looked exceptionally sharp.

From this angle, the tiny mole on the bridge of her nose couldn’t be seen, which was a bit of a pity.

Xie Shiqing lightly licked her lips, somehow feeling that it would be very kissable.

Perhaps her gaze was too direct, Zhong Ning slightly shifted her body and turned her head away.

Xie Shiqing felt a bit disheartened, but then quickly cheered up again. She hadn’t walked away, nor had she issued a warning—that meant she could continue.

Over the past half year, what she had learned best was how to comfort herself.

If it weren’t for the constant self-hypnosis and reassurance, she wouldn’t have been able to survive.

The corners of Xie Shiqing’s lips held a warm smile, and the way she looked at Zhong Ning was as if she were watching a butterfly land on a flower petal. Her heart was already drifting on the clouds of fantasy, lost in delusions of a beautiful future.

Zhong Ning quietly closed her eyes, pretending not to feel how scorching the gaze beside her was.

She kept her eyes shut, resting, until the alarm went off. It was almost time for ticket inspection. Only then did she open her eyes, take off her earphones and hang them around her neck, turning her head to say, “Time to queue up for the ticket check.”

Queueing.

A word just as unfamiliar to Miss Xie.

As she dragged her suitcase and stood in line, she even found it a little novel—until she caught a whiff of cigarette smoke from the person in front of her. That novelty immediately turned into disgust.

Almost instinctively, she stepped back two paces.

And nearly stepped on Zhong Ning’s foot.

Zhong Ning: “……”

“You insisted on choosing the train.”

She lowered her voice and spoke unhurriedly, “On trains, people often talk loudly. Even in sleeper cars, you’ll hear others chatting. Kids crying, people with smelly feet, snoring at night, grinding teeth. The restroom is shared. You can’t shower or change clothes.”

“Still want to sleep in the sleeper car, Jingjing?”

Her tone wasn’t mocking—just flat and straightforward—but the content was far from friendly. Xie Shiqing clenched her teeth tightly. “I can handle it.”

Zhong Ning didn’t say anything more.

She had already asked twice. If this person insisted on suffering just to maintain her ‘Jingjing’ persona, then there was nothing else to say.

After boarding the train, Zhong Ning found their compartment and saw that there was already a passenger there. They were in luck—a young woman, probably in her twenties. The carriage didn’t have any odd smells; instead, a faint perfume scent lingered in the air.

The young woman was sitting on the lower bunk. When she saw the two of them enter, she clearly looked relieved.

On a train, who you ended up sharing space with—and whether they were civil or not—really came down to luck.

Their tickets had been assigned already: Zhong Ning had the lower bunk, and Xie Shiqing had the upper bunk.

Without much hesitation, Zhong Ning put away both of their suitcases and said, “You sleep on the bottom.”

She was genuinely worried this person would fall and hurt herself while climbing up and down the bunks.

Xie Shiqing stood a little helplessly in the small space, looking at the narrow bunks with a rare trace of confusion on her face.

She had seen the dormitories at Fengcheng University back when her eyesight was still good. Even then, they already had the “bed on top, desk below” setup, but they were much more spacious than this. Not to mention, in recent years, she had donated quite a bit of money to the university. With her taking the lead, others who wanted to follow suit—or simply curry favor with her—had also donated a lot.

The campus facilities had been completely renovated. Each dorm room now had its own small air conditioner. The environment was far better than a train.

After regaining her sight, she had actually visited the school to give a speech, and had toured the recent improvements. Naturally, she had seen the new dormitories too.

After the event, she even sought out the principal to ask about Zhong Ning’s suspension from school.

The principal had looked at her with the expression of someone who had “seen it all,” gifted her a calligraphy copybook bearing the words “stay humble and patient”, and sent her away.

But Xie Shiqing had only seen dorms—she had never actually slept in such a small bed before. And this one was even smaller, even narrower.

Zhong Ning leaned against the ladder. “The sleeper bunk you asked for.”

Xie Shiqing bit her lip. “I just want you to look at who I am now separately from who I was before.”

Zhong Ning said, “I am looking at you separately, Jingjing.”

Xie Shiqing took a deep breath and climbed into the lower bunk. Zhong Ning gave her a glance, took off her shoes, stepped on the ladder, and climbed up.

Always up to something dramatic. She was curious how long this one would last.

But not even half an hour passed before Zhong Ning heard rustling and fidgeting from the lower bunk. A short while later, someone patted the headboard of her bed.

“Ning Ning, I… I’m so itchy…”

Zhong Ning’s eyes snapped open. She turned her head to look and saw that Xie Shiqing’s face was flushed an abnormal red.

She jumped down from the top bunk without hesitation, her tone serious. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know… it just itches so much.” Xie Shiqing’s voice trembled, as if she were about to cry.

Zhong Ning didn’t waste time. She lifted her clothes for a look and saw that a large patch of her back had turned red—clearly distinct from the surrounding pale skin. The area felt hot to the touch.

“Could it be an allergic reaction?” The young woman on the nearby bunk peeked her head out.

The more Zhong Ning looked, the more convinced she became. She pulled two pieces of clothing from her suitcase and spread them over the bed. “Sit on this for now. I’ll go find the attendant. I’ll be right back.”

With that, she dashed out quickly.

The train attendants were walking up and down the carriage. One was pushing a small cart, and the other—with a slick tongue—was promoting local specialties and handing out samples to passengers.

Zhong Ning rushed over and said quickly, “My friend might be having an allergic reaction. Do you have any antihistamines?”

Allergy medicine and things like suppressants were standard emergency items on the train. Without a word, the attendant pushing the cart handed it off to the other one and followed her at a brisk pace. When they reached the space between train cars, he retrieved a first-aid box from the top shelf and carried it with him.