It brought tears to Sudan's eyes, making them red and moist, as if he had met an old friend in a foreign land.

“I enjoy reading all sorts of books,” Xia Lan explained.

"Yes, I am from an ethnic minority. My family sold two of their cows so that I could go to university, so I must study hard."

Sudan clenched his fist to cheer himself on.

Xia Lan looked at Sudan. Her deep features had a distinctly exotic look, making her a truly unique beauty.

"The way you looked just now..."

"This is the first time I've left my husband. I'm sorry you had to see this," Xia Lan replied frankly.

“I didn’t mean to make fun of you, I just saw that you looked very sad.” Sultan looked at Xia Lan with concern, and Xia Lan was stunned.

Do I look...very sad?

Xia Lan touched her face.

Sudan nodded.

"He stared out the window, as if he had lost his soul..."

"Thank you." Xia Lan looked up and smiled slightly at Sudan.

Seeing that Xia Lan had regained her spirits, the Sultan was relieved.

By noon, Xia Lan and Sudan had become good friends. Sudan was attracted by Xia Lan's erudition; she was like a dictionary, seemingly knowing everything, and was quite amazing.

Xia Lan was touched by the Sultan's enthusiasm and sincerity. Being with the Sultan was simply wonderful; she never cared about anything and could relax completely.

The two sat down to eat together. Xia Lan took out the rice balls that Qin Yu had made for her, as well as the boiled eggs. Although they were a little cold, the taste was still the same.

The Sultan then took out a large flatbread and ate it with water.

Xia Lan was taken aback. "You're just having a pancake for lunch?"

“Yes! This bread is delicious, would you like to try some?” Sultan said happily, tearing off a piece and bringing it to Xia Lan’s lips. “You should try some.”

"It's delicious, but a bit dry." Xia Lan took a bite; it was fragrant and crispy, with a hint of saltiness.

It's too dry; it needs water.

"This should actually be served with meat and milk tea, but it's not easy to carry, so I didn't bring it."

Sultan said regretfully that he wanted to give Xia Lan the best, but she couldn't bring it with her because she was going on a long trip.

"But I brought some ghee and tsampa. I'll make some for you when I have the chance!"

Sudan excitedly explained to Xia Lan what tsampa was, and Xia Lan nodded in agreement.

“It’s only fair to reciprocate. You treated me to cakes, so I’ll treat you to a meal! This was made for me by my husband; he’s a great cook.” Xia Lan handed Sudan a rice ball.

Sultan smiled at Xia Lan, generously accepted the food, and took a bite.

His eyes lit up instantly.

"What is this? It's delicious!" the Sultan exclaimed. "Your husband is amazing, it's so delicious."

"I'm glad you like it." Seeing that Sudan liked it, Xia Lan proudly puffed out her chest, her eyes full of pride.

The two shared the food they had brought. The train stopped midway, and a couple and a woman with a child boarded.

The couple's berths were right next to Xia Lan's, but there was only one berth available, and the man's other berth was a seat ticket.

For the woman, with a four-year-old boy in tow, it was a difficult task to climb up with the child after putting down her things.

The four-year-old boy was at a very mischievous age. While the woman was getting something, he came to Xia Lan's bed and reached out to rummage through her things.

Even after Xia Lan stopped him, the boy still wouldn't listen to reason and insisted that Xia Lan take out the milk candy from her bag.

Xia Lan coldly put away her bag, glanced at the boy's mother, who made no attempt to stop the boy.

After the boy's mother finished packing and put her things down, she secretly glanced at the young couple, then looked at Xia Lan, her eyes darting around before she led her child to Xia Lan.

"Comrade, I have a child with me, so it's inconvenient for me to get a sleeper berth. Could you please switch seats with me?"

The woman's words stunned everyone present.

Xia Lan glanced at the woman, then at the boy, and said indifferently.

"Excuse me, this seat is mine, and I don't want to give it up."

Unexpectedly, Xia Lan refused. The woman's expression changed, clearly indicating that Xia Lan was being unreasonable.

"Comrade, it's really inconvenient for me to be with my child. I'm just trying to help others, so please kindly switch places with me."

The woman deliberately spoke loudly, attracting the attention of the people in the nearby berths.

Those who were drawn over glanced at Xia Lan, then at the woman; there are always busybodies willing to play the good guy.

Immediately, a man spoke up, hoping that Xia Lan would voluntarily give up her seat.

"Lady, you're so young, you should be kind. This lady has a child and it's inconvenient for her. It wouldn't hurt for you to switch places with her..."

"Yes! You're still young, climbing stairs is no big deal for you, but it's really inconvenient for her with a child..."

"We should be helpful to others, so just let her have it..."

"..."

Once it happens, it happens again. Many people have started to condemn Xia Lan, as if Xia Lan is guilty of something heinous for not giving up her position.

Xia Lan glanced at the bewildered crowd, then at the somewhat smug woman, and was about to speak.

The Sultan, however, could not stand by and watch.

"If it's inconvenient for you to climb with your child, why didn't you buy a lower bunk in the first place?"

The woman was taken aback by the Sultan's words and quickly explained.

"I...I...I finally managed to save up enough money to buy a ticket, but I really can't afford a lower berth..."

"Oh, I see. Then let's call the flight attendant over! There should be other empty lower berths. You can take the child to one of those empty lower berths. There's no need for Xia Lan to give it up for you!"

Sudan said straightforwardly, pointing to another lower berth in the carriage.

There are still quite a few empty shops left over there.

Xia Lan looked at the woman whose face had turned red with embarrassment, and saw that she was speechless after being rebuked by the sincere Sultan. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Miss, I've already put my things away, so I don't need to trouble the flight attendant, right? I can just exchange them with this lady..."

Clearly, the woman didn't want to let Xia Lan go. Looking at Xia Lan's delicate face, she thought she must be easy to bully and that she couldn't beat her.

Everyone around looked at Xia Lan. Xia Lan slowly stood up as if she had suffered a great injustice, but as if she couldn't balance, she fell back down. She tried three times before she could barely stand up.

"I...I don't mean to not give it to you, I...I was born with a leg disability and can't exert any force. If you really need this position, I'll give it to you..."

Looking at Xia Lan's frail appearance, and then at her dragging her unsteady legs, and the words she had just spoken up for women, I felt like slapping myself.

They were actually forcing a woman with mobility issues to give up her seat to a healthy woman...

In an instant, the scales tipped in Xia Lan's favor.

"Lady, you'd better not change. Just stay where you are! You can't climb up like this..."

An older woman rushed over and quickly helped Xia Lan sit down, so she didn't need to give up her seat.