Chapter 329
This was her first time traveling far from home, and her worries about the unknown were not much less than those of Xia'er—but the things they were concerned about were not the same.
At that moment, the flower that Adele had discovered and preserved in the medicinal solution was now hanging at Xia'er’s waist.
With her **Prophetic Vision**, Xia'er could react faster than anyone else, even if she were attacked.
Moreover, after a few days of rest, her previously overloaded **Nemesis** had recovered; at least within the city of Bole, she wouldn’t encounter any opponents.
But once they left Bole, Xia'er couldn’t guarantee absolute safety.
Because the people outside hadn’t killed much yet.
To ease Xia'er’s tension, Aivina took the initiative to chat with the equally nervous Lichi about the amusing incidents they had experienced in the Bell Tower Alley.
This was also something Aivina was curious about; she wanted to know what kind of life Xia'er had lived before.
It wasn’t something that needed to be hidden, and Xia'er didn’t interrupt their conversation; she simply listened quietly.
When Aivina learned that Xia'er had taken on almost all the household chores and cooking while her sister was out working, a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes.
No wonder Xia'er was so skilled at cooking… it turned out she had practiced a lot.
When Aivina asked if Xia'er complained daily that the food in other parts of Bole was inedible, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
She could relate to that.
However, Xia'er’s life before she got involved with that organization had been so tough…
To be honest, Aivina hadn’t had much exposure to life at the bottom of society, and this conversation allowed her to imagine a scene.
…In a shabby two-story house in Bole, little Xia'er, wearing an apron, cleaned the house and prepared delicious meals. When she returned home after a long day of hard work, she would be greeted by the lovely Xia'er and a steaming hot dinner…
Without Xia'er, Aivina couldn’t see the point of such a life, but with Xia'er in the picture, it seemed a bit more bearable…
Where they were and what they were doing didn’t matter; what mattered was Xia'er.
“Xia'er.”
Aivina turned to Xia'er, who was leaning against the car window, her expression blank. “I want to eat the meals you make.”
“You’ve had them before, haven’t you?”
Xia'er shifted her gaze to Aivina.
“I want to eat them every day.”
Aivina said earnestly.
“The maid game is over; denied.”
Xia'er turned her gaze back to the window, remaining vigilant.
Beside them, Lichi felt a bit awkward upon hearing the term “maid game” and turned her eyes to the ornate ceiling of the carriage…
What a fancy design… Did little Xia'er and Aivina play such games? What on earth was a “maid game”? Lichi couldn’t even begin to imagine what that scene looked like.
Fortunately, Aivina’s topic had successfully lightened the mood in the carriage, easing the tension for both Xia'er and Lichi.
By the time the convoy arrived at the train station three hours later, nothing dangerous had occurred.
Once the drivers had moved everything onto the train, Xia'er and the others disembarked, passing through the VIP waiting area and directly boarding their private train.
This train was nothing like the crowded ordinary trains and freight trains Xia'er had simulated before; it was spacious inside, with classical and exquisite decorations, and hardly any of the unpleasant odors typical of trains.
To Xia'er’s surprise, although this train station was much smaller than the one in Ansu City, it still had a decent scale. However, today, apart from a few attendants, she hadn’t seen many passengers or travelers.
“Isn’t there a bit too few people?”
Xia'er quickened her pace to catch up with Aivina, whispering her inquiry.
“A small compensation from the Great Western Railway Company.”
Aivina didn’t seem surprised; after all, she had directly communicated the need for a charter to the company’s representative.
“Probably, they won’t sell any tickets before we leave.”
What a grand arrangement.
Boarding was very quick. After Tara conducted a thorough check of the train crew, and after another twenty minutes of mechanical checks and waiting for dispatch, the train finally let out a whistle and began to move around noon.
Adele and Lichi had never been on a train before, and everything felt incredibly novel to them as they leaned against the window, watching the scenery slowly retreat behind them.
Once the train picked up speed, Xia'er leaned back against the soft seat and let out a slow breath.
Had she been overthinking it?
Scaring herself.
Everyone was now seated in the luxurious carriage, surrounded by exquisite wooden decorations, plush seats, heavy curtains, fine carpets, and intricately carved furniture, making it easy to mistake it for a special banquet hall—if one ignored the scenery moving past the window.
Knowing this was a long journey, Lucy stood up and headed toward the front of the train, planning to grab a snack and take a short nap. As she passed by Xia'er, Xia'er called out to her.
“Lucy.”
Xia'er looked at Lucy and asked, “The coin?”
This was important; if Lucy’s “Lucky Coin” was tails today, Xia'er would have to consider sending her to the last carriage to stay.
“Don’t worry, Miss Xia'er, if it’s tails, the train might not even start.”
Lucy joked with a smile.
Xia'er nodded slightly, not wanting to disturb Lucy as she continued toward the front of the train.
Leaning against the soft cushion, Xia'er closed her eyes to relax a bit. She didn’t have much to bring; her suitcase contained dozens of books she planned to read to pass the twelve hours on the train.
It was mealtime, and the passengers hadn’t eaten yet. The train attendants pushed a cart filled with pre-prepared snacks and drinks, which a few maids who had boarded with them distributed to everyone.
Adele, who had boarded the train, seemed to have completely forgotten her earlier anxiety. Just a short while after everyone sat down, she was already off exploring.
After a while, she returned to Xia'er’s side, pointing excitedly toward the back of the carriage. “Xia'er! There’s actually a bar car back there! And a bathroom car!”
Amy felt a bit carsick and was lacking in enthusiasm, while Aivina was clearly unfazed by it all. Lichi and Adele weren’t very familiar with each other, and Nia was completely silent, a quiet presence. The only one she could share her joy with was Xia'er.
At least Xia'er never dampened her spirits.
“Then we should definitely use the bathroom when we get off, so Aivina doesn’t lose out too much.”
Xia'er shifted her gaze from her book and smiled at Adele.
“True.”
Adele pondered for a moment. “But how much do we need to eat to break even?”
You’d have to eat the whole train to break even.
Aivina, sitting across from Xia'er, wore a somewhat helpless expression.
However, Adele’s excitement was fleeting; after lunch, she went to the sleeper car to rest. Carsick Amy said a few words to Xia'er and Aivina before heading to the sleeper car as well.
Lichi also felt uncomfortable on the train and went to the rest car. At this point, only Xia'er and Aivina remained in the luxurious carriage, along with Nia standing behind Aivina and Tara standing behind Xia'er.
Xia'er continued reading, while Aivina flipped through recent newspapers from Ansu City, even pulling out a few from months ago, seemingly searching for some business opportunities.
Time flowed quietly like water, continuing until eleven-thirty at night.
Outside the train, it was pitch black, with hardly any visible light except for the occasional passing town and platform, though the starry sky was still bright.
Xia'er hadn’t closed her eyes the entire time. After glancing at the time, she looked out the window again.
At this point, she could see the brightly lit Ansu City in the distance. The moment she spotted the city skyline, a sense of relief washed over her.
There had been some scares, but they had ultimately arrived safely in Ansu City…
“Tara, please wake everyone up; we’re getting off.”
Xia'er instructed Tara in a low voice.
“Understood, Lady Xia'er.”
Tara, who had been standing behind Xia'er for almost the entire day, took the command and walked toward the front of the train.
Xia'er turned her gaze back to Aivina.
At that moment, Aivina had already taken off her glasses, and a large pile of newspapers lay in front of her. She was resting her head on the stack, looking as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.
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