The universe is vast and boundless, with scarcely a glimmer of light to be seen.
Even though the lights in the train carriage are always on, peering out through the window reveals nothing but darkness. After a while, this monotonous scenery loses its appeal.
Xia Miao lazed in bed a little longer today, only sitting up when her growling stomach finally forced her to. As usual, she first pressed her face against the window and stared blankly at the pitch-black view outside, her drowsy eyes slowly regaining focus.
She stretched her arms wide and let out a big yawn.
The person who had risen just after her quickly pulled her into his embrace. He, too, had his own routine—holding her for a while in a daze before kissing her cheek, his hands wandering mischievously beneath her nightgown, eager to drag her back into bed for another round.
But Xia Miao nudged him away with her elbow, slightly annoyed. "Don’t you have work to do?"
"I worked so late yesterday. I deserve a little extra rest today."
No. 13 nuzzled against her cheek, chuckling in that clingy way of his.
Xia Miao thought he was like some kind of love-struck fool. From the very first day they started dating, he had been this unbearably affectionate.
No—now that she thought about it, even from their first meeting, his gaze had been just as sticky and smitten.
She tilted her head to look at him, intrigued. "Did you fall for me at first sight?"
He smiled. "Why do you ask?"
"Because the first time you saw me, you came up to talk to me, and you were so warm and eager. Isn’t that because you liked me?"
No. 13 lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers, his blue eyes crinkling with fondness as they reflected her face. "Yes. I fell for you at first sight."
Xia Miao preened, deliberately ruffling his orange hair before meeting his azure gaze, her heart swelling with delight.
"Of course you did! I’m smart, adorable, beautiful, generous, and absolutely flawless. It’s only natural you’d fall head over heels for me!"
He peppered light kisses on her lips, laughter spilling out. "You’re absolutely right, my lady."
Xia Miao loved how he spoiled her without reservation, so she decided to reward him—suddenly pouncing on him and yanking at his pants.
"A great day starts with a workout!"
After an hour of being "exercised" by his partner, No. 13 stepped out for work in high spirits, leaving his teammates green with envy.
No. 13 was like this, and so was No. 6—as if falling in love had given them some kind of youth-restoring elixir, leaving them radiant and glowing.
No. 8 watched with itching curiosity, sidling up to ask, "Hey, 13, give us some tips. How do we get girlfriends?"
No. 7 chimed in with a snide remark, "If you had a face like 13’s, you’d already be halfway there."
No. 8 scowled. "Shut it! I’m not bad-looking either!"
Suddenly, a commotion erupted ahead.
"It’s fake! All of this is fake! This world isn’t real!"
A middle-aged man, wild-eyed and raving, kept repeating these words, sending nearby passengers into a panic.
Just as he lunged at a train attendant, the armed team swiftly intervened, restraining him.
No. 7 glanced back. "Linda, you okay?"
Linda seemed too shaken to react immediately, but after a pause, she shook her head. "I’m fine."
No. 8 turned to No. 13. "What do we do?"
No. 13 smiled calmly. "He’s likely suffering from Long-Distance Travel Syndrome—lost control, started rambling. Send him to the medical bay for treatment."
Word of the disturbance spread quickly through the train.
Xia Miao sat in the starlit lounge sipping afternoon tea. Just as she finished a pastry, she overheard the rumors and paused, spoon in hand.
Jiang Jiang looked uneasy. "My boyfriend mentioned Long-Distance Travel Syndrome before. Our journey’s still so long… What if I get it too?"
"You won’t," Xia Miao reassured. "No. 6 is with you every day. If anything’s wrong, he’d be the first to notice. He takes such good care of you—you’ll be fine."
Thinking of No. 6’s unwavering attentiveness, Jiang Jiang visibly relaxed. She stole another glance at Xia Miao, quietly surprised that the rumored "high-maintenance lady" wasn’t nearly as intimidating as the stories made her out to be.
With few passengers aboard, Jiang Jiang had no friends aside from No. 6. Encouraged by him, she’d mustered the courage to strike up a conversation with Xia Miao, who shared their carriage. Now, the two were something like friends.
"Ladies, pardon the interruption."
Linda approached, setting two glasses of crimson liquid on the table. "It’s time for your nutrient supplements."
Jiang Jiang frowned slightly. For some reason, as time passed, she’d grown increasingly averse to the supplements. "I don’t want any."
Linda replied matter-of-factly, "The nutrients provide essential energy. That passenger earlier? He skipped his dose—that’s why he had an episode."
"Missing one dose can’t hurt," Jiang Jiang muttered.
"Just drink it," Xia Miao said evenly, lifting her own glass. "If you really got sick, No. 6 would worry himself to death, wouldn’t he?"
Watching Xia Miao down the supplement without batting an eye—and reminded of No. 6—Jiang Jiang relented and drank hers too.
As Linda turned to leave, Xia Miao asked casually, "Did you take yours?"
Linda paused, faintly touched by the concern. "I did."
Normally, work made her forget sometimes, but after today’s incident, she’d resolved to be more punctual.
At 6 PM by interstellar time, the armed team’s shift changed.
No. 13 and No. 6 arrived at the lounge to pick up their partners. Jiang Jiang left with No. 6 first, while No. 13 strolled hand-in-hand with Xia Miao along the corridor.
Xia Miao hugged his arm. "Rough day at work?"
"Very rough." He bent down, eyes gleaming expectantly. "So I need a reward."
With no one around, Xia Miao rose on her toes to peck the corner of his mouth—only for him to cup the back of her head and deepen the kiss.
Flustered, she pushed his face away, worried about passersby.
He laughed. "Miao Miao, I love you."
Declarations like this came effortlessly to him—day or night, anytime, anywhere—flooding her with warmth.
Xia Miao playfully pinched his cheeks, grinning. "I know!"
No. 13 promptly swept her off her feet. Tall and broad, he carried her slight frame as easily as a doll, leaning down to nuzzle her nose. "What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook."
Xia Miao wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs swinging gently as she pondered for a moment. Then, a sparkle lit up her eyes. "I want strawberry mousse cake!"
No. 13 tilted his head. "Miao Miao, you had so many sweets this afternoon. Do you really want cake tonight?"
"What's the big deal? It's not like I'll gain weight." She pinched the flesh on his arm. "Are you making it for me or not? This is the only thing I want!"
"Fine, fine, I'll make it. Right now!"
They stepped into the small room, and as the door closed behind them, the warm glow inside was sealed away.
The next instant, the hallway lights flickered out.
A soundless darkness encroached, as if the black void of the universe could swallow this tiny train at any moment. This little room had long been enveloped by the shadows, unnoticed.
Bottomless. Silent.
Even the faint sliver of warm light seeping beneath the door—so feeble it might as well have been an illusion—felt as hollow as this train that would never reach its destination.
