Chapter 25: She Has Arrived, Bringing With Her That Signature Knife-Twisting Touch

Jiang Jing scoffed and nudged Wang Lianjun with his foot. "She’s such a little chatterbox; if you asked her to look up words in a dictionary to express herself, we’d be here from dawn until dusk!"

He hadn't forgotten how many times the little girl had told him he was useless back when she had just learned to speak in three-word sentences.

Wang Lianjun, who had been feeling a bit awkward, burst into laughter at Jiang Jing’s remark. Jiang Xiaxia hummed in annoyance and turned her back to him.

Jiang Hua kept her eyes closed. Even though she heard the commotion, she didn't open them, merely patting the girl’s back gently while the corners of her lips curved upward.

Xiaxia snuggled obediently into her grandmother’s arms. As she listened to the rhythmic rumbling of the train, her brain—or rather, the system inside her little head—was spinning rapidly. The high-speed processing left the system no room to rest, so she simply reached out toward Jiang Jing, signaling to be held.

With three people and only two resting, someone had to stay awake. Seeing the little girl reaching for him again, Wang Lianjun, who had been keeping guard, felt a wave of amusement. He nudged Jiang Jing. Once Jiang Jing opened his eyes, Wang Lianjun immediately curled his arms and drifted off to sleep.

Jiang Jing helplessly took the little girl into his arms and asked softly, "What do you want to talk to your uncle about?"

Xiaxia tilted her head, her bright, intelligent eyes darting around. She chirped, "Uncle, who was bribed?"

Jiang Jing was stunned, inwardly sighing that the little girl was still fixated on the plane accident. Seeing Xiaxia’s serious expression as she emphasized the importance of the matter, a smile touched his eyes. He gently ruffled her messy hair. "It was the airport cleaning staff in that country; they were bribed by agents."

"Cleaning?" Xiaxia nodded thoughtfully, then pointed at the trash in the aisle.

Jiang Jing followed her gaze, shook his head, and said helplessly, "Look at this mess. There’s barely any room to step, so who would be cleaning now? We’ll have to wait until the train reaches the final stop for someone to clear it out."

Xiaxia wrinkled her small nose in disgust and quickly looked away. She tilted her head up, her eyes shining, and while rubbing her little hands together, she looked at Jiang Jing with a flattering smile. "Uncle, mission, take me."

Jiang Jing raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To save you!" Xiaxia’s crisp, childish voice carried a strange, baffling excitement.

Jiang Jing’s eyelid twitched uncontrollably. How she put it made it sound as if he ran into trouble every time he went on a mission—it felt quite ominous. Lifting his gaze, he glanced at his mother sitting opposite them. Seeing her brow furrowed, he assumed she didn't like such talk, so he pinched the little girl’s nose. "I’m about to retire, so there are no missions for me! Go to sleep, or you won't grow tall!"

With that, he grabbed a coat and covered her. As the coat fell over her, Xiaxia trembled. The instinctual fear of a child made her cry out, "Grandma!"

The coat was immediately thrown off. Jiang Hua pulled the girl into her arms, soothing her gently as she shivered. "It’s alright, Grandma is here! Grandma is here, Xiaxia, don't be afraid!"

Wang Lianjun looked at the trembling girl with a grave expression and leaned toward the grim-faced Jiang Jing. "Why is she so afraid of the dark? Could it be that in the past—"

Jiang Jing couldn't help but touch his pocket, feeling a craving for a cigarette. "Yeah, it must be related to her past experiences."

He exchanged a look with Jiang Hua. They both believed that her intense fear suggested she had been locked in dark places while being subjected to experiments, resulting in a phobia of the dark.

At first, Xiaxia had only felt the suffocating sensation of darkness, but a tide of terror had instantly engulfed her, causing her to shrink away in panic. A moment later, regaining her senses, she felt a flush of embarrassment and whispered softly, "Grandma!"

Jiang Hua stroked her thin cheek with tenderness, comforting her. "Don't be afraid, Grandma is here."

"Mm!" Xiaxia replied. She stopped fidgeting and, like a well-behaved kitten, curled up in Jiang Hua's arms. Soon, her breathing became deep and rhythmic, and the surroundings seemed to quiet down along with her.

However, just as she was drifting off into a hazy dream in the warmth of her grandmother's embrace, a gaze full of malice pierced through like an icy blade. A chill raced up her spine, shocking her into partial consciousness and scattering her sleepiness.

Xiaxia quickly lifted her head from Jiang Hua’s arms, her dark, round eyes filled with vigilance as she scanned her surroundings.

It was late, and the dim lights cast a faint glow over the carriage. Only a few passengers remained awake, speaking in hushed tones so as not to disturb the others, filling the carriage with a quiet, heavy atmosphere.

The crowded aisle had thinned out slightly. Perhaps that was why an elderly man in a train conductor's uniform was hunched over, holding a small broom and sweeping the floor with light, careful movements. His actions were incredibly soft, the broom making only a faint, barely audible rustling sound.

It was an ordinary cleaning task, yet in Xiaxia’s eyes, everything about it felt wrong.

She stared unblinkingly at the old man, her gaze sharp, as if she could see right through him. The man seemed to sense her eyes; his sweeping paused, and he slowly looked up, his gaze meeting hers. For a moment, a kind smile appeared on his weathered face.

Caught in the act, Xiaxia suddenly jerked her head away and, like a startled rabbit, buried her face back into Jiang Hua’s arms. She looked for all the world like a child embarrassed at being caught peeking, her small face flushed with shyness.

The old man simply smiled indulgently, not paying it much mind, and continued his sweeping at a leisurely pace.

Xiaxia kept her ears pricked, carefully listening to the sound of his footsteps. Only when the faint rustling had faded did she jump down from Jiang Hua’s arms and scurry over to Jiang Jing.

Jiang Jing and Wang Lianjun were startled awake by the movement. Both opened their eyes, their gazes instantly turning sharp and scanning the surroundings.

Wang Lianjun, seeing the little girl’s stern, set face, assumed she needed to use the restroom but didn't want to wake Jiang Hua, so she had woken Jiang Jing instead. He glanced at her casually, let out a yawn, and closed his eyes again.

But Jiang Jing, seeing the look on the little girl’s face, felt his eyelid twitch. A sense of foreboding washed over him.

"There’s a bad guy!"

Hearing those words, the tension in Jiang Jing’s heart finally settled, replaced by a strange sense of inevitability. She was here, and with her unique talent for digging out nests of villains, she reached out and took his large hand.