The most difficult people to deal with when I went back home this time were my grandma and my aunt.

However, since she was prepared, she had nothing to be afraid of.

We'll just have to take it one step at a time.

Changxi bought sleeper berths for the three of them: two lower berths and one middle berth.

Although the berths were small, they were arranged properly.

The two lower bunks were given to Su Qingzhi and Zhu Xiuqin respectively, while Shen Zhiyu slept in the middle bunk above them.

Su Qingzhi sat on her bunk and looked up at Shen Zhiyu as he struggled to stuff the luggage rack above.

Zhu Xiuqin slowly tidied her bedding, muttering to herself.

"This berth is cramped, but it's better than a standing ticket."

Su Qingzhi nodded gently, her heart filled with anticipation for the journey.

I was just drifting off to sleep in the middle of the night when I suddenly felt the car stop.

Just as she was about to sit up, she heard Shen Zhiyu say in a low voice.

"Don't move, it's a stop along the way, someone's getting on the train."

Shen Zhiyu lay on the edge of the middle bunk, his gaze sweeping towards the entrance of the carriage.

His body tensed slightly, and one hand was already pressing down on the backpack zipper.

Su Qingzhi heeded Shen Zhiyu's advice and slowly shrank back into the quilt, but her heartbeat involuntarily quickened.

She pricked up her ears and listened carefully to the sounds around her.

A muffled female voice came from the platform announcement in the distance.

Someone was carrying a ballast box and walking hurriedly in the aisle, and a few whispers came from the other end of the carriage.

Everything seemed perfectly normal, but she had a vague feeling that something was off.

Not long after, she noticed someone standing by her bed.

Su Qingzhi closed her eyes, held her breath, and her palms slowly began to sweat.

When she opened her eyes, Shen Zhiyu had already jumped down and was blocking her way.

"A-Shuo, what's wrong?"

Su Qingzhi sat up, her voice still a little hoarse.

She watched Shen Zhiyu's retreating figure, feeling both relieved and uneasy.

He never gets nervous for no reason, so there must be a reason for his reaction now.

Before he could finish speaking, a woman's voice came from behind him.

"Oh, it's a young girl. Come on, let's switch places. You're young, climbing the ladder won't be a problem for you."

The speaker was a woman around fifty years old, holding a bulging snakeskin bag, standing by the bunk.

"Please give me a sip of your water! I'm in a rush to catch my train and I didn't bring any water with me!"

As he spoke, he reached for the kettle on the table.

Su Qingzhi frowned, but remained silent.

Before she could even speak, the woman urged her again.

"Little girl, hurry up, I'm exhausted after a long day, I need to get some sleep."

As she spoke, she placed the snakeskin bag she was holding next to the bed.

Shen Zhiyu replied coldly.

"No change."

His arm was still blocking Su Qingzhi's way, and his body leaned slightly forward, forming a human wall.

"How can you be so insensible, child? I'm so old, what's wrong with me giving in to you?"

The woman's expression immediately changed, and her voice rose several octaves.

She glared at Shen Zhiyu, her eyes filled with anger.

"Give up what? This shop was bought with money, there's no reason to just give it away like that!"

Zhu Xiuqin was also woken up by the noise.

The moment she opened her eyes, she heard someone taking Su Qingzhi's seat.

She abruptly threw off the covers and sat up, glaring fiercely at the woman.

The woman was taken aback when she saw Zhu Xiuqin step forward and speak.

She took a small step back, a hint of hesitation flashing across her face.

But he quickly regained his composure and pretended to be calm.

"I was just chatting with those two young people for a bit, I didn't ask you to give up your seat, why are you getting involved?"

"They are my son and daughter-in-law. Whether I care or not is none of your business."

Zhu Xiuqin gave a cold laugh.

She stared directly at the woman, showing no intention of backing down.

Su Qingzhi then sat up straight.

In the dim light of the carriage, she finally saw the face clearly.

His skin was sallow, his eyes were full of wrinkles, his mouth was slightly downturned, and his eyes revealed a shrewdness.

Su Qingzhi silently gripped the corner of the blanket, having already quietly made up her mind.

We absolutely cannot give up this position.

The woman looked Su Qingzhi up and down, and said in a dissatisfied tone.

"Oh, the little girl is finally awake? I thought you hadn't heard me at all."

After she finished speaking, she pointed to the side.

"My bunk is on the upper bunk over there, let's switch. Can you bear to see someone my age climbing so high?"

His eyes secretly glanced at Su Qingzhi's reaction, waiting for her to soften her heart and give in.

She'd seen plenty of girls like this; a few sarcastic remarks were enough to bring tears to their eyes.

Unexpectedly, Su Qingzhi pulled Shen Zhiyu aside, stood up, and looked the woman up and down.

"Oh my, I thought you were much older! Your hair isn't gray, and you're quite nimble. What's wrong? You can't even climb two steps of the ladder?"

Her tone was light and cheerful.

As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely wondering what was "inconvenient" about the other person.

The woman's expression froze instantly.

"You're so young, why are you so rude? All you want is to change seats, don't you know how to respect your elders? My legs aren't very mobile, the lower bunk is easier to get in and out of."

She quickly regained her composure, raising her voice several decibels in an attempt to morally intimidate the other person.

As he spoke, he deliberately patted his knee, making a painful gesture.

"I bought the stall, so it's my decision whether or not to move. If I don't want to move, I won't, and what can you do about it?"

Su Qingzhi stood ramrod straight, her hands resting lightly on the back of the chair, her gaze unwavering.

The moment those words were spoken, the carriage fell noticeably silent for a few seconds.

The woman's eyes darted around, and she made a move to squeeze closer to Su Qingzhi.

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