Bai Ci's face showed a hint of confusion. “I'm not quite sure. This is my first time riding this train too, so I don't know much about this route. Why, is there something special about it?”
Seeing that she didn't know, Arbiter wasn't disappointed. Instead, she began to speak in an endless torrent. “I have heard that this path is a cursed road of secret realms.”
“Every few years, the mountain's furious roar overturns heaven and earth, with mudslides and torrents singing the funeral dirge, as thousands of living souls fall into an eternal slumber beneath the barren wastes.”
“Yet, even with skeletons paving the road, fools still rush forward one after another, willing to hasten toward this catastrophe of destiny. Only because this is the sole shortcut to tear through the mist of falsehood. By wagering one's life, one can bypass the long trials and break free from all shackles.”
Yan Zheng was just about to translate, but Bai Ci waved her hand gently and said with a smile, “Wait, I think I understand.”
“You mean a major mudslide occurs on this route every few years, but because it's so convenient and saves a lot of time, they've never abandoned it, right?”
Hearing Bai Ci's words, a look of pleasant surprise washed over Arbiter's face. “My companion, you truly are my fated soulmate! To be able to understand the whispers of my destiny and join me in this trial.”
“You are simply a gift bestowed upon me by the heavens, the strongest bond on my path to uncovering the truth.”
Yan Zheng looked at the excited Arbiter, smiled helplessly, and said to Bai Ci, “Apologies for the display. Milady rarely meets anyone who can understand her. She's very happy.”
“It's fine, I think it's quite interesting.” Bai Ci smiled as well, playing along with her. “I didn't expect such a thing to happen on this route. I had no idea before.”
The two of them chatted for a while longer. It was mostly Arbiter speaking, Yan Zheng translating, and Bai Ci occasionally chiming in to ask questions based on her words. However, she still couldn't pry out many secrets about the train itself.
For a newly made acquaintance, pushing the conversation to this extent was already the limit.
Just then, Yan Zheng glanced at the wall clock by the dining car's entrance and reminded Arbiter, “Milady, it's getting late. We should head back.”
A trace of reluctance showed on Arbiter's face, but she still nodded. She stood up and said to Bai Ci, “My companion, the bond of destiny has been forged. I shall take my leave for today.”
“May you be favored by fortune on this journey, and may you remain far from thorns and gloom.”
“Milady says she will visit you in Carriage One tomorrow, and she wishes you a safe journey. We'll take our leave first.” After Yan Zheng finished translating, he bowed slightly to Bai Ci as a farewell.
Bai Ci also stood up, feeling that it was indeed time to end this unproductive conversation. “Alright, I'll be waiting for you, Arbiter.”
After bidding farewell to Bai Ci, Arbiter and Yan Zheng walked out of the dining car together.
Seeing this, the cleaning woman also hurriedly put down her rag and quietly followed them.
After finishing her muffin and drinking the rest of her black tea, Bai Ci smoothed out her skirt, picked up her small handbag, and returned to Carriage One.
Just as she reached the door of Carriage One, she heard a muffled groan of pain coming from inside.
Feeling puzzled, Bai Ci pushed open the door and walked in.
She saw Violita curled up in his wheelchair, his lips bitten purple and his body trembling uncontrollably. His hands gripped the armrests tightly, clearly in immense pain.
Marg stood nearby, looking anxious. He held a small medicine bottle, hurriedly twisting it open and offering it to Violita.
“Young Master, quickly, take your medicine. It won't hurt once you take it. Just bear with it a little longer.”
Besides pain, Violita's expression held intense disgust. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped the medicine bottle away.
With a clatter, the bottle fell to the floor, scattering white pills everywhere. A few of them even bounced onto Bai Ci's skirt.
“I'm not taking it,” Violita said, his voice hoarse and weak, yet carrying a stubborn resistance. “So what if I take it? I'd rather stay awake in pain than be tortured by the medicine.”
Marg quickly knelt down to gather the pills on the floor, still pleading, “Young Master, you can't refuse to take it. Your mental state is already...”
“I won't die before then anyway,” Violita interrupted, a trace of irritation in his voice.
Just as he finished speaking, he noticed Bai Ci standing nearby. A look of guilt immediately flashed across his face, and he struggled to sit up straight.
“Miss Lora, I'm sorry. That was so impolite of me. The pills must have bounced onto you. I...”
Bai Ci quickly walked over, bent down to pick up the medicine bottle, and said in a gentle tone, “It's fine, it's just a small thing. Don't worry about it. How are you? You don't look well. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Her gaze landed on Violita's pale face. Having spent her childhood playing in the hospital, she knew exactly how to look at a patient.
It was the perfect amount of concern—neither overly enthusiastic nor showing any hint of aversion.
Violita leaned back in his wheelchair, panting heavily. Looking at her gentle eyes, he shook his head slightly. “I'm sorry you had to see that.”
“I've had this condition since I was a child. Every once in a while, my body starts hurting for no reason, as if fire is burning my bones. I can only rely on painkillers to ease it.”
“But taking too many of those painkillers makes me feel awful. It makes me dizzy, weak, and sometimes I even hallucinate. I really don't want to take them anymore.”
“I'd rather suffer a little pain than feel so completely out of it.”
Hearing this, Bai Ci understood.
She knew very well that taking too many painkillers would lead to drug tolerance, and the side effects were massive. Long-term use would cause severe damage to the body, even affecting one's nervous and mental state.
It was completely understandable that Violita didn't want to take them.
Looking at Violita's painful state, Bai Ci couldn't help but recall a distant memory.
When she was young, her mother, who had to work, would leave her to play by herself at the hospital's nurse station. She had once seen a patient whose situation was very similar to Violita's.
That person suffered from phantom limb pain after an amputation and had to take massive amounts of painkillers every day.
Eventually, the medication lost its efficacy. He rolled on the ground in agony, unable to bear the pain, and chose to commit suicide not long after.
Thinking of this, Bai Ci felt a bit more pity for Violita.
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, “Since you don't want to take the medicine, why don't you try distracting yourself?”
“I once heard a doctor say that sometimes pain isn't just physical; it's also related to one's state of mind.”
“If you can shift your focus and ease your psychological stress and anxiety, it might alleviate some of the pain. Think of it as a form of psychological therapy.”
Violita dazed for a moment, seemingly not expecting her to say this.
He looked at Bai Ci, a trace of doubt in his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed. “Alright. Then let's have a chat, Miss Lora.”
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