The night was deep as the sea. One by one, the lights of New Eridu went out, and the whole city sank into soft sleep.
Only a single lamp still burned in the window of one small home.
Zhu Yuan was bent over her desk, her pen scratching softly across the page, as if she were trying to pour every emotion she had nowhere else to put into her work report. Her guilt toward her parents wound itself around her heart like a thin cord, leaving her restless and unable to sleep. In the end, she could only numb herself with work. It was not until two in the morning that exhaustion finally overcame her will. The pen slipped from her fingers, dragging a sudden streak of ink across the document. She slumped over the desk piled high with case files and fell into an uneasy dream.
On the other side of the city, Zhe set down his phone in satisfaction.
The warmth of the concert replay still lingered in his blanket, along with the afterglow of Jiayin's songs and stage lights. With no little sister suddenly barging in and no Nicole making a racket, he could finally enjoy a moment of peace by himself. A faint smile at the corner of his lips, he sank deeper into the covers, looking forward to a good dream tonight.
Somewhere in that drifting haze, his consciousness rose lightly, like a feather.
When Zhe became aware again, he found himself sitting beside the window of a night train. The rhythmic clatter of wheels against rails sounded like a hypnotic beat, while beyond the glass flowed a river of stars and the silhouettes of distant mountains. He looked down at himself—just a simple white T-shirt and casual trousers, an unusually ordinary outfit for him.
It seemed tonight's dream was going to be a peaceful one.
"So what identity do I have this time?" Zhe wondered inwardly.
Just then, an unfamiliar elderly couple waved him over with warm enthusiasm.
"Xiao Zhe, come here quickly." The old lady smiled as she tugged at his arm. "This is the precious daughter we're always talking about."
The old gentleman chimed in as well. "Daughter, this is Xiao Zhe. Aunt Wang introduced him to us. He's a very fine young man."
Only then did Zhe understand—
so this was a blind date setup.
Come to think of it, in real life he had never once gone on a blind date. In fact, his romantic experience was a perfect blank. Who would have thought he'd get to try it out in a dream of all places? Since it was only a dream anyway, there was no harm in meeting this "date."
But when he stepped in front of the seat and finally got a clear look at the person there, he froze.
Black hair streaked with a flame-colored highlight. A tall figure. And, most unforgettable of all, those strikingly beautiful curves—
"It's you?!"
"How is it you?!"
The two of them blurted it out in unison and both went still.
The person standing in front of Zhe was none other than Zhu Yuan, dressed in everyday clothes.
Without her uniform, she had lost some of her usual sternness and gained a softness that made her seem almost like a different person.
"So you already know each other? That's wonderful!" the elderly couple said happily. "When did you two meet?"
That question instantly left both of them speechless.
At once, Zhe's mind jumped back to the scene of their first meeting: the day he had gone to the Public Security Bureau to file a report, only to be "welcomed" face-first by Zhu Yuan's shapely backside when she turned around in a hurry. The embarrassing memory made a faint awkwardness flicker across both their faces.
Zhu Yuan gave a small cough, the tips of her ears turning slightly pink.
"We... have had some work-related contact."
Zhe nodded quickly in agreement, doing his best to maintain outward calm.
But his gaze kept drifting back to Zhu Yuan in spite of himself.
He had never seen her this relaxed before.
No uniform, no sidearm, no tightly drawn brows. At that moment she looked less like the eternally perfect Peace Officer and more like a young woman one might happen to meet while traveling—someone carrying a quiet sorrow.
The train rolled steadily along the tracks while the night landscape flowed outside the windows. Sitting beside Zhu Yuan, listening to her mother list off her daughter's excellent qualities as if counting treasured heirlooms, Zhe could not help smiling bitterly to himself.
"Xiao Zhe, our Xiao Yuan has been outstanding since she was little. She's won countless honors, and now she works at the Public Security Bureau. She has a stable government position, her own apartment in downtown New Eridu, and she's an only child..." The mother only grew more enthusiastic as she spoke. "But she's hardly ever interacted with boys since childhood, so in this area she's terribly shy..."
On the outside, Zhe kept an appropriate, polite smile. On the inside, however, his thoughts were racing:
Her conditions are this good? Then what am I even supposed to bring to the table? I'm just an ordinary young man running a video store. Are blind dates really this competitive now?
"Mom, that's enough." Zhu Yuan interrupted softly, the tips of her ears now flushed a delicate pink. The fingers resting on her knees unconsciously twisted together, making it obvious just how uncomfortable this sudden blind date had made her.
Zhe drew a quiet breath and straightened his back.
As a highly trained agent in dreams, there was no way he could lose on presence alone.
"As for my parents, I don't really remember much about them anymore," he said in an even, composed tone. "Right now I live in Sixth Street with my younger sister, and we run a video store called Random Play. I may be self-employed, but I do have a home and a vehicle. As for my romantic experience..."
While the conversation was going on, Zhu Yuan's father quietly drew his daughter aside and spoke to her in a low voice.
"Well, daughter? What do you think? His conditions may be average, but I think the boy seems pretty decent. The fact that he can take care of his younger sister means he's responsible. You work so much—you need a family-oriented partner like that..."
Zhu Yuan pressed a hand to her forehead helplessly.
"Dad, this is only our first meeting. Are you already in such a hurry to marry me off? I'm only twenty-four."
"With how much of a workaholic you are, if your mother and I don't find you a reliable partner soon, how are we supposed to rest easy?" her father sighed. "Time passes in a blink. Before you know it, you'll be pushing thirty..."
"Dad!"
Just then, the train's intercom suddenly crackled to life—
but instead of the familiar conductor's voice, a low, repressed male voice came through.
"My apologies for disturbing everyone at such a lovely moment." The voice paused, as though adjusting its tone. "But I must announce that this C19 train has been hijacked by me. Which means everyone on board is now my hostage. Objections are invalid."
The carriage instantly erupted into an uproar. Passengers stared at one another in confusion, not yet fully understanding the meaning of those words.
And then—
an earth-shaking explosion roared from the rear of the train.
The entire carriage pitched violently. Passengers screamed as they staggered and collided with one another. Zhu Yuan lost her footing and was just about to fall when Zhe reacted first, wrapping an arm around her waist and steadying her in one smooth motion.
"You're not hurt, are you, Miss Zhu Yuan?"
As if by magic, he produced a red rose from nowhere and held it out to her with impeccable elegance.
Zhu Yuan stared blankly for a moment.
From childhood until now, she had never once been in such close contact with a man outside of work. Heat crept onto her cheeks as she flusteredly accepted the flower.
"N-no... I'm fine. Thank you."
The voice came over the intercom again.
"That little explosion just now was a small gift for everyone. There's an even bigger bomb on this train. If I press one little button, everyone here will be blown sky-high together. Pretty impressive, isn't it?"
Zhu Yuan and Zhe exchanged a look and immediately understood the severity of the situation.
"Dad, Mom, stay here and don't move around."
In an instant, Zhu Yuan switched fully into work mode, her voice firm and decisive.
"What comes next is my duty as a Peace Officer."
"It's too dangerous, Xiao Yuan!" her mother cried, clutching her hand tightly. "We're worried about you..."
"But this is my job, and my responsibility."
Zhu Yuan's gaze was unwavering.
"To protect the citizens, to protect you—this too is the justice I believe in."
Just as her parents were about to try to stop her again, Zhe stepped forward.
"Uncle, Auntie, please don't worry." His tone was steady and reassuring. "I'll go with her. I'll make sure Miss Zhu Yuan is protected."
The whole Zhu family looked at him in surprise.
This gentle-looking young man really did not seem like the sort of person who could handle a crisis like this.
"Don't let appearances fool you." Zhe smiled faintly and lightly tugged open his collar. "I am, in fact, a national defense agent hidden in the shadows, one who saves people from disaster. My code name is—ZZZ."
The moment those words fell, he turned neatly in place, and his casual outfit instantly became a crisp white shirt with fitted black trousers.
Maybe it was only an illusion, but his whole aura seemed to change as well.
It was like watching a blade slide free from its sheath.
"Miss Zhu Yuan," he said, extending a hand toward her, his eyes now sharp and focused, "if you don't mind, allow me to serve as your temporary partner. I'd like to assist you."
Whether it was because she had been won over by the self-assurance and presence he now radiated, or because she judged that one more capable person meant one more chance of success, Zhu Yuan finally nodded.
"Xiao Zhe, I'm entrusting Xiao Yuan to you."
"Xiao Yuan, be careful!"
Under her parents' worried gaze, the two of them hurried toward the driver's cabin.
Their top priority now was to find the hijacker—and ensure the safety of every passenger on the train.
At the same time, inside the C19 train's control cabin, a grotesque figure striped in red and blue and crisscrossed with lines like circuitry was staring at the monitor screens.
Watching Zhu Yuan and Zhe make their way toward his position, he let out a low laugh.
"Come. Come..." he murmured softly, fingers tapping lightly against the control panel. "The nightmare... is about to begin."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 119)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter79)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter125)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 73
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 55
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 66
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 63
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 55
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 31
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 31
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 31
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