Since it was an evening train, everyone went to sleep right after putting away their luggage, and the night passed peacefully.
Of course, that didn’t mean there weren’t underlying issues.
The old man sleeping across from Shen Nanchu was likely ill, coughing intermittently throughout the night.
Shen Nanchu had stuffed cotton in her ears the previous night, so she hadn’t heard a thing and slept soundly.
Not only did she wake up without dark circles under her eyes, but she also showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
The morning sunlight spilled over her face, highlighting her delicate, flawless skin.
Li Mei and Fang Jie, on the other hand, sported dark circles so pronounced they could barely contain their envy.
Their jealousy skyrocketed—especially when they noticed Song Qingyang, whom they both fancied, stealing glances at Shen Nanchu. It was enough to push them to the brink of explosion.
"Cough—cough—!"
Old Man Wang couldn’t suppress another fit of coughing.
Shen Nanchu had slept enough and couldn’t drift off again.
She decided she needed to do something productive instead of wasting the day away.
Her gaze lingered on the old man across from her, lost in thought.
This old man was gaunt, coughing day and night—something wasn’t right.
Glancing around the increasingly lively train car, a glint of inspiration flashed in Shen Nanchu’s eyes.
Such a grand stage shouldn’t go to waste, right?
Time to act.
She turned to Old Man Wang and suddenly flashed him a radiant smile.
Good heavens—Old Man Wang had lived most of his life without ever seeing such a beautiful young woman, let alone one smiling at him. He even forgot to cough for a moment.
"Old man, coughing day and night like this—could it be tuberculosis?"
Old Man Wang’s face instantly darkened.
"Young lady, you might be pretty, but your mouth is as poisonous as if you’d swallowed rat poison!"
[Disgust +1]
"Old man, don’t be fooled by appearances—some people look good but have black hearts!"
Li Mei chimed in, her eyes gleaming with schadenfreude.
Meanwhile, some passing passengers eyed Old Man Wang warily, covering their mouths.
Old Man Wang’s son was a village chief, and he himself had always commanded respect back home. Being treated like this was infuriating.
His face flushed red with anger.
"My daughter’s a doctor at a major hospital in the capital! I just came back from visiting her. If I were sick, wouldn’t she know?"
"Exactly! This woman isn’t even a doctor, yet she’s running her mouth about you having tuberculosis. Sounds like she’s the one who’s sick!"
Li Mei eagerly backed him up.
The onlookers nodded in agreement. If his own daughter was a doctor, surely she’d know if her father was ill?
[Disgust +1]
[Disgust +2]
[Disgust +1]
...
The sound of rising disgust was music to Shen Nanchu’s ears. She decided to stir the pot further.
"People with tuberculosis don’t just cough day and night—they also tend to be extremely thin."
And Old Man Wang fit the description perfectly.
Fang Jie, lying on the upper bunk, tugged at Li Mei’s sleeve and shook her head in warning.
Li Mei hesitated for a split second—but the moment she met Shen Nanchu’s knowing gaze, her temper flared again.
"What if it’s just a coincidence?"
Some passengers still sided with Old Man Wang.
"Right, who isn’t skinny as a twig these days?"
"If a little cold and cough meant tuberculosis, I’d have died a hundred times over!"
"Hah, no kidding!"
Seeing most passengers backing her, Li Mei grew smug, shooting Shen Nanchu a challenging look.
"Comrade, why do you keep insisting this old man has tuberculosis? What’s your game?"
"Yeah—cough!"
Another coughing fit seized Old Man Wang, but this time, he clamped his mouth shut, his face turning red from the effort.
Once the fit passed, he glared at Shen Nanchu.
"Girl, you ought to have a conscience!"
"At your age, you should be learning goodness, not how to slander people!"
[Disgust +2]
[Disgust +3]
[Disgust +1]
...
"Exactly!"
Li Mei was about to launch into another tirade when Song Qingyang stepped in, playing the peacemaker with a gentlemanly air.
"This is all just a misunderstanding."
"Comrade, I’d appreciate it if you’d let this go—no need to escalate things."
Shen Nanchu gave him a puzzled look.
"Who are you?"
"Do I know you?"
"If not, why should I give you face? Show me where your face is first."
Song Qingyang’s smile froze.
Seeing the man she liked being insulted, Li Mei couldn’t hold back.
"Qingyang, don’t stop me!"
"This woman has a foul mouth. You tried to mediate, and instead of thanking you, she insulted you!"
"Let me teach her a lesson!"
Li Mei looked ready to throw hands.
Song Qingyang pretended to hold her back for a moment before stepping aside.
In his mind, he had it all figured out—once Li Mei roughed her up a bit, he’d swoop in to "rescue" Shen Nanchu, earning her gratitude.
Too bad for him—Shen Nanchu didn’t play by the rules.
The moment Li Mei lunged, Shen Nanchu spotted the approaching train attendant just a couple of meters away.
With lightning reflexes, she dodged behind the attendant.
Li Mei couldn’t stop her momentum—her slap landed squarely on the attendant’s face instead.
"What do you think you’re doing?!"
Aunt Ma, the attendant, was a sturdy woman, but Li Mei’s full-force slap left a vivid handprint on her cheek.
Shen Nanchu winced at the sight.
Aunt Ma’s glare could have frozen hell over.
"Comrade, are you the one causing trouble here?"
"N-no, it wasn’t me!" Li Mei frantically waved her hands.
Aunt Ma wasn’t buying it—the evidence was on her face.
"It was her! She’s the one!"
Li Mei pointed at Shen Nanchu.
"Everyone here can vouch for me!"
Aunt Ma’s sharp eyes turned to Shen Nanchu.
Shen Nanchu put on a fragile, pitiful expression.
"I just noticed this old man coughing nonstop and kindly suggested it might be tuberculosis..."
The crowd scoffed.
"Kindly suggested"? More like cursed him! He already said it wasn’t, yet she kept insisting.
[Disgust +1]
[Disgust +2]
[Disgust +3]
...
Tears welled up in Shen Nanchu’s eyes.
"But instead of thanking me, he accused me of trying to harm him!"
She pointed at Li Mei and the other passengers who’d spoken up earlier.
"Her, him, them—they all called me wicked and cruel!"
Her voice trembled as she spoke, her shoulders shaking.
"What ill intent could I possibly have?"
"I—I just speak my mind, that’s all!"
"If it really were tuberculosis, early detection could save a life!"
She lowered her head, her shoulders heaving as if holding back sobs.
"My distant uncle died of tuberculosis."
"He coughed day and night, even coughing up blood in his phlegm."
"By the time he got to the hospital... it was too late."
Boom.
Old Man Wang felt as if lightning had struck him.
He—he had coughed up blood too.
