1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

The two climbed onto the train.

The carriage was narrow, with berths on both sides, divided into upper, middle and lower levels.

The passageway is only wide enough for one person to pass at a time.

Passengers were already organizing their luggage; their voices and footsteps mingled together.

Xie Lu and Zhao Wanwan's berths were in the middle of the carriage.

Xie Lu put his luggage on the luggage rack, stuffed his bedding roll under his bunk, and placed Zhao Wanwan's travel bag on her bunk.

After settling in, the two walked to the car window.

On the platform, Zhao Jianguo, Li Xiuqin, Liu Zhenyu, and Xiao Jun were still standing there, looking up in this direction.

Zhao Wanwan opened the window and poked her head out: "Dad, Mom, you should go back!"

Li Xiuqin looked up and waved at her.

Zhao Jianguo also waved.

Liu Zhenyu shouted, "Ritsuko, write the letter when we arrive!"

"Got it!" Xie Lu also poked his head out.

The train whistled.

The long, resounding bang made my ears go numb.

The train conductor began closing the doors: "Those seeing off relatives and friends, please move away, the train is about to depart!"

On the platform, those seeing people off stepped back.

Zhao Wanwan's tears finally fell. She quickly wiped them away and forced a smile: "Dad, Mom, take care!"

"Take care of yourself too!" Li Xiuqin called out.

The train started moving.

It was very slow. First, there was a slight tremor, and then the wheels began to turn, making a rhythmic "clanging" sound.

The platform slid backward.

The figures of Zhao Jianguo, Li Xiuqin, Liu Zhenyu, and Xiaojun grew smaller and smaller, becoming increasingly blurry.

Zhao Wanwan kept waving until they were out of sight.

She withdrew her hand, closed the window, sat down in a small spot in the aisle, lowered her head, and remained silent.

Xie Lu sat opposite her without saying a word.

The carriage gradually quieted down.

The train accelerated, and the scenery outside the window rushed past.

Farmland, villages, trees, and utility poles flash by.

After a long time, Zhao Wanwan raised her head.

Her eyes were still a little red, but she had calmed down.

"Attorney Xie, we really have to go to Wuhan."

"Yes." Xie Lu nodded.

What is Wuhan like?

Zhao Wanwan felt a sense of anticipation; this was the place she would be staying for the next four years or even longer.

After thinking carefully, Xie Lu said, "It's very big. There's the Yangtze River, a bridge, and the Yellow Crane Tower. Wuhan University is on Luojia Mountain, where there are cherry blossoms in spring and red leaves in autumn. East China Normal University is also in Wuchang, not far away."

As Zhao Wanwan listened, her eyes slowly brightened.

"Cherry blossoms," she said softly, "I've never seen cherry blossoms before."

"We'll see it next spring."

Zhao Wanwan nodded and looked out the window.

The train rumbled forward.

Inside the carriage, some people started chatting, some took out playing cards, and some spread out their bedding to prepare for sleep. The train conductor pushed a cart over, calling out, "Cigarettes, sunflower seeds, bottled water..."

All of this was both unfamiliar and new to Zhao Wanwan.

This feeling of unfamiliarity was mixed with fear.

But as soon as she thought that Xie Lu was by her side, she suddenly had nothing to be afraid of.

She turned her head and looked at Xie Lu.

Xie Lu also looked out the window, his profile bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, appearing very serene.

"Lawyer Xie," she called again.

Xie Lu turned his head.

"Thank you," Zhao Wanwan said earnestly.

"Thank me for what?" Xie Lu asked, somewhat puzzled.

"There are so many." Zhao Wanwan counted Xie Lu's good points on her fingers: "Thank you for buying me the train ticket, thank you for taking care of me on the way, thank you for making me feel that going to Wuhan is not so scary."

Xie Lu smiled: "Of course."

Zhao Wanwan smiled too.

night.

The lights in the carriage came on.

It was one of those dim, yellowish light bulbs hanging from the ceiling of the aisle, swaying gently with the movement of the train. The light wasn't very bright, but you could barely see the berths and the aisle.

The sleeper carriages are quieter than the hard-seat carriages, but they are not completely silent.

Some people were already asleep, and the sound of snoring filled the air.

Some people were still chatting, their voices very low, as if they were talking about some secret.

Someone sat on a small chair by the aisle, looking out at the dark night.

Xie Lu and Zhao Wanwan were both on the upper bunk.

The upper bunk is small, so you can't straighten your back and can only lie down or lean against something.

The two beds faced each other, separated by a narrow aisle. They were so close that you could reach out and touch them.

After the train started moving, the two of them only chatted for a few minutes at the beginning, and then spent most of their time lying down.

Every now and then, Zhao Wanwan would ask, "Lawyer Xie, are you asleep?"

"without."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything. What about you?"

Zhao Wanwan's voice was soft: "I'm wondering what Wuhan is really like. Is it really that big? Bigger than our county town?"

"It really is several times bigger than our county town."

"Several times larger! That would be huge!"

Xie Lu did not respond.

He knew that Zhao Wanwan, who grew up in a county town, still had a vague concept of big cities.

Just like when he first went to Wuhan in his previous life, he was completely stunned when he stood in the square of Wuchang Railway Station and looked at the bustling traffic.

But Zhao Wanwan couldn't imagine it now; she'd have to see it for herself.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Wanwan asked again, "Lawyer Xie, are you scared?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid that when I get to a new place, I won't know anyone and I'll have to start everything from scratch."

Xie Lu thought for a moment and said, "I wouldn't say I'm afraid; it's more like I'm looking forward to it."

"What are you expecting?"

"I'm looking forward to a new life, new friends, and new knowledge," Xie said. "It's like going on an adventure to a new place. Even though you don't know what's ahead, you always feel like there will be surprises."

Zhao Wanwan smiled: "You always make a lot of sense."

"It's not just a matter of reason, it's a fact."

After a while, Zhao Wanwan turned over and faced Xie Lu.

The light from the side of the corridor shone on her face, making it clear that her eyes were bright and sparkling in the dim light.

"Thank you, Attorney Xie."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for coming with me. I would have been scared if I had to sit on the train alone for such a long time."

Xie Lu turned over to face her: "No need to thank me. We're classmates and from the same hometown, so it's only right that we look after each other."

Zhao Wanwan pouted and didn't say anything more.

The two lay face to face, less than a meter apart, and could hear each other's breathing.

The carriage gradually quieted down; most people were asleep, and only the sound of the train moving along, "clang, clang," rhythmically resounded like a lullaby.

After an unknown amount of time, the train slowed down.

Then it stopped.

We've arrived at our destination.

At a small station, a few lights were on on the platform, and you could see a few people getting on and off the train.

The carriage doors opened, and people got off and got on. The sounds of talking, footsteps, and luggage being dragged briefly broke the silence.

Soon, the train started moving again.

Zhao Wanwan sat up. The upper bunk was low, so she had to bend over. She took out the mesh bag from the luggage mesh bag on the upper bunk. Inside was the aluminum lunchbox that Li Xiuqin had prepared during the day.

There were five lunchboxes in total, stacked together.

She took out two lunch boxes, then bent down, moved to the edge of the bunk, and handed one of the lunch boxes to Xie Lu.