QTIMP -Chapter 278 Character Persona – Violent (Part 6)

In another hour and a half, it would be time for the train to arrive.

Of course, train schedules were rarely exact, but it was unlikely to come earlier. Originally, Si Qiu wasn’t in any hurry.

But now, those two people had disturbed her.

So she figured she might as well go early and wait.

Before leaving, she carefully checked the surroundings—there didn’t seem to be anyone keeping watch outside.

Inside the train station, quite a few people were resting there; staying overnight at the station saved them accommodation costs and made the place feel somewhat lively.

Seated or lying down on benches, there was barely any space left for her.

She found a corner of the hall instead, placed her luggage against the wall, leaned back, rinsed her mouth, and took out some snacks to eat.

As for when those two people would be discovered—it had nothing to do with her anymore.

The herbs she had added would gradually weaken their bodies until they died.

The pastries weren’t freshly baked, but when bitten into, they still released a sweet fragrance, and the sounds of swallowing could be heard all around her.

Si Qiu didn’t care at all, but her appearance was too delicate, giving people the impression that she was easy to bully.

It was normal for her to be targeted.

People kept walking back and forth in front of her—some eyeing her, others eyeing her belongings or even her person, all harboring intentions.

Si Qiu said nothing. While eating her pastries, she toyed with a dagger in one hand, flipping it effortlessly between her fingers.

The blade flashed coldly, while her slender, pale fingers contrasted beautifully with it. If an ordinary person did this, they would have already cut off a few fingers.

But in her hands, the dagger was as obedient as a tame cat.

Because of this, anyone with ill intentions quietly backed off.

Si Qiu’s gaze swept across the surroundings. No one dared meet her eyes; instead, they all pretended to be busy—looking down or turning away to talk.

Although the train was delayed by nearly an hour, it fortunately wasn’t canceled. Si Qiu slung her oversized crossbody bag over her shoulder and squeezed onto the train.

After getting her ticket, she found her seat: a three-person wooden bench. The windows couldn’t close properly, and there was no dining car.

However, vendors would walk along the windows selling homemade pancakes, boiled eggs, and roasted sweet potatoes.

Si Qiu didn’t buy anything. The environment of this train made her not even want to open her mouth.

She sat by the window, propped her bag upright and hugged it, resting her cheek on top of it, preparing to nap. After all, she hadn’t slept much the night before.

Fortunately, the seat beside her was taken by an elderly man traveling with his granddaughter. The old man deliberately let the girl sit in the middle. The girl was about Si Qiu’s age, and although her clothes weren’t luxurious, they were clearly made of good fabric.

Seeing Si Qiu open her eyes to look at them, the girl smiled and nodded at her. Si Qiu gave a faint smile in return and closed her eyes again to rest.

The train whistle sounded as it left the station.

Meanwhile, the two people at the inn were discovered. By then, their expressions had become dull and foolish, and saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths.

No matter how they were questioned, they couldn’t explain anything clearly. The inn staff only knew that the room had previously been occupied by a thin, pale girl.

People made all kinds of guesses, but in the end, they were only guesses.

The train was full of all kinds of people from every walk of life, and civility on the ride was not something worth expecting—loud talking was already considered polite behavior.

Just like the man sitting across from them—he actually took off his shoes, stretched out his feet, and propped them on the seat between the two girls.

At first, Si Qiu was half-asleep. When she felt the contact, she only thought it was the girl accidentally touching her. But then came a sour, foul smell, followed by the man’s deliberate and occasional brushing.

Si Qiu immediately opened her eyes—and met the man’s malicious smile across from her. Without hesitation, she reached into her bag and pulled out a dagger.

She drove it straight toward his ankle.

The blade flashed coldly in the air, swift and unexpected as it stabbed downward. The man jerked his foot back in panic.

The dagger plunged deep into the seat instead.

The man glanced at his foot in lingering fear—fortunately, he wasn’t injured. Slapping the small table in front of him, he stood up. “You little bi—”

But Si Qiu didn’t even let him finish. Since the first strike missed, she immediately reversed her grip and slashed at him again.

The man stumbled back, tripped over the chair, and fell into it, narrowly avoiding the blade.

This time, he didn’t even have the courage to speak. He had just felt the dagger’s chilling edge moments ago. His shirt around his waist had been cut into a long tear.

When he looked up again and met Si Qiu’s icy gaze, he swallowed hard, not daring to move at all—afraid that provoking this demon would get him stabbed for real.

Si Qiu slowly withdrew her arm and returned the dagger to her bag.

Then she hugged her bundle, leaned against the carriage wall, and closed her eyes again.

Everyone, shaken by what had just happened, suddenly realized they had been holding their breath the entire time.

They quietly exhaled, and though they resumed their own activities, their voices and movements became noticeably softer. But their eyes still kept glancing toward Si Qiu from the corner of their vision.

This is exactly how it goes: the timid fear the bold, and the bold fear those who have nothing to lose.

The girl sitting next to Si Qiu, however, had bright, sparkling eyes. She wanted to talk to her, but was afraid of disturbing her. So she kept looking back at her every so often.

The man across from them, seeing that Si Qiu hadn’t moved for a long time, quietly got up and left—never returning to his seat for the rest of the ride.

After getting off the train, and learning that Si Qiu still needed to transfer the next day, the grandfather and granddaughter insisted she come home with them.

“Sister Qiu, aren’t you still transferring tomorrow? I’ll take you shopping then.”

The girl’s name was Jiang Siyue. She looked sweet and was holding Si Qiu’s arm. Si Qiu smiled and refused.

“I still need to find a place to stay. How about this—you come find me tomorrow, and we’ll go shopping together. As for going to your home, let’s skip it. You just got back; you should spend time with your family.”

Jiang Siyue had no choice but to agree. She helped Si Qiu find a place to stay, repeatedly reminding her to wait for her tomorrow before finally leaving.

The guesthouse was much better than the one in the county town. The room had a private bathroom, complete bedding, and a soft, comfortable mattress.

The nightly price was 40,000 yuan, which even Jiang Siyue found staggering.

There were more bicycles on the streets now, and occasionally even cars passed by. People were dressed much more neatly as well. Women no longer all wore plain side-button jackets.

There were colorful cheongsams and western-style dresses; men wore long robes, suits, and some still wore short jackets while pulling rickshaws.

On the streets, there were vendors, street performers, barbers shaving faces, and shoemakers—far more bustling than in later-era photographs.

Since the ticket voucher system hadn’t been implemented yet, and there had been no later famine or great upheaval, the peace and prosperity of this era made Si Qiu feel quite at ease.

As evening fell, she found a restaurant and ordered four dishes and a soup, listening to a storyteller recount tales of old dynasties.

Resting her chin on her hand, Si Qiu quietly felt the human warmth and bustle of the tavern around her.