Teacher

As the light dimmed instantly, Chen Sixuan scrambled into the driver's cabin on her knees, using Lin Xian's phone flashlight to check the train's mileage.

Then she returned to the corner, pulled out the notebook, and trembling, carefully wrote with a pen:

"Day 1, departed from Jiang City, travel time 50 minutes, distance 54 kilometers, sunrise 16:00, sunset 18:45."

Chen Sixuan's eyes kept flickering; she was on the edge of collapse, almost possessed, deliberately forcing herself not to think about what was outside.

Not to think about Lin Xian, not to think about that family of three, not to think about the darkness beyond the train, not to think about the death she was about to face...

Just then, the driver's cabin hatch opened automatically, and the corridor lights flicked on, startling Chen Sixuan so badly she fell to the floor.

The hatch opened, and Lin Xian, covered in blood and holding a short blade, leaped inside. Chen Sixuan was overjoyed and quickly got up to close the main door, locking it tight. To keep the corridor light from spilling into the darkness, she also got up and shut the small door leading to the driver's cabin.

"Lin Xian... are you okay?" In the carriage, Chen Sixuan knelt down, staring in shock at Lin Xian, now battered and wounded.

"Not dead yet." Lin Xian grabbed a bottle of water from behind, twisted off the cap, and gulped down half of it before letting out a long sigh.

Seeing him covered in bloodstains, Chen Sixuan immediately pulled out a towel to wipe him down, but Lin Xian grabbed her wrist.

"Ah... what's wrong?"

Chen Sixuan looked up in surprise and saw Lin Xian staring straight at her, his eyes icy cold, questioning her in an accusatory tone:

"Why didn't you open the door just now?"

Lin Xian had actually climbed up a while ago. He was injured and knew Da Fei's group would leave before dark, so he hid on the slope for a bit, also looking for his short blade.

Chen Sixuan looked up at him, saw his serious expression, bit her lower lip, lowered her eyes, and after a moment of silence, said:

"If I opened the door, would you throw me off too?"

"Yes."

Lin Xian's tone was like ice.

Chen Sixuan's expression dimmed. At his words, she seemed to deflate, leaning against the wall, closing her eyes in pain as clear tears slowly streamed down.

Lin Xian sighed softly, watching Chen Sixuan cry, and said:

"I understand your reluctance."

"We're all human. Turning a blind eye to a fellow person in need—if you have any kindness in your heart, it will always hurt."

Hearing this, Chen Sixuan finally broke down, throwing herself into Lin Xian's arms, her delicate shoulders trembling as sobs turned into loud wails.

She cried heartbreakingly, without any dignity, like a child who had made a mistake.

"I really don't know what to do..."

Lin Xian gently held her, saying in a low voice, "There's a Buddhist saying: to save others, first save yourself; to save yourself, first save your heart. If heaven won't save you, you must save yourself. If you can't even protect yourself, you can't protect anyone. If you had opened the door, not only would those three have died, but you would have too, and even me—all of us together."

"I know..." Chen Sixuan cried like rain on pear blossoms, her eyes full of self-blame and guilt. "But I heard the baby crying—it seemed only a few months old..."

Women are naturally born with a maternal glow. At that moment, Chen Sixuan felt like she had turned into a demon.

Lin Xian's expression didn't change. Seeing Chen Sixuan on the verge of collapse, he sighed softly and said:

"What would you think if I told you it was all fake?"

Chen Sixuan was buried in Lin Xian's arms, sobbing continuously. At his words, her crying paused. She slowly lifted her head, looking at him with tear-filled eyes:

"What... what did you say?"

Lin Xian's gaze sharpened as he explained:

"Yushan Station is right behind us. Even without the train, the best choice would be to hide inside the station. But right after that group left, this 'family of three' came knocking—too obvious a setup. And besides... I've never seen a mother heartless enough to pinch her own child until it cries!"

At this, Chen Sixuan's pupils trembled violently, tears glistening, her face full of disbelief.

"You mean they were... lying?"

Lin Xian gave a helpless smile:

"Teacher Chen, you've heard the story of the boy who cried wolf, right? If I'm not mistaken, this 'family of three' was specifically used by that group to knock on doors."

In the apocalypse, everyone fears for themselves. Using others' sympathy is indeed an effective tactic.

And Lin Xian had just gone through this himself yesterday...

Hearing Lin Xian's words, Chen Sixuan covered her mouth in disbelief.

She couldn't imagine how rotten the human heart could be.

Then she thought of Director Liang, and a chill ran through her. She felt she had been far too naive. At that moment, she finally saw what true evil in the human heart really was!

Chen Sixuan now felt drained, her eyes vacant.

Lin Xian glanced at her. He had to admit, her reaction was reassuring.

He knew all too well the malice of human nature in survival situations. If Chen Sixuan had been a bleeding heart, even if she had only begged him to open the door and help, he would have abandoned her without hesitation.

How could he trust a teammate like that to guard the train?

But this incident had subtly changed his view of her.

In such a short time, she had grown from a campus princess surrounded by admirers into someone with this kind of courage. It showed she was not only an extremely intelligent woman but also had extraordinary character. Honestly, Lin Xian now had a certain respect for her.

"Am I too stupid?"

After a long silence, Chen Sixuan suddenly spoke.

Lin Xian shifted his position, a faint smile on his face as he replied, "Naive and foolish."

Hearing his assessment of her, Chen Sixuan's eyes carried a hint of self-mockery as she let out a silent laugh.

Having just fought a desperate battle, Lin Xian's whole body ached. He glanced toward the corner where supplies were stored and asked, "Aren't you hungry? Why haven't you eaten anything?"

Chen Sixuan's eyes widened at his question, and she answered with utter seriousness.

"You... you didn't give me permission to eat."

Lin Xian stared at her with a strange look in his eyes, unsure whether it was amusement or surprise.

"Teacher Chen, you're adorable."

"What do you mean?" Chen Sixuan looked bewildered.

"What I mean is, Teacher Chen, I want to sleep with you right now."

"Ah...?"

His words caught Chen Sixuan off guard. Before she could react, Lin Xian pulled her into his arms.

She immediately panicked like a startled rabbit, stammering.

"W-Wait... Lin Xian, aren't you injured?"

"Ah... does it have to be now..."

"Hold on, you're covered in blood..."

"Lin Xian, Teacher... has no experience..."

"Ah... wait, wait, in my bag... there's that..."

The night was as dark as ink, with snowflakes swirling in the air.

But at that moment, the young girl lying asleep on the sofa not far away—though her eyes were shut—slowly furrowed her faint brows...

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