Era: Rise from the Wilderness

Passengers in the surrounding rows, startled, also turned to look in this direction.

Li Yunjing immediately put on an apologetic expression and bent down to pick up the jar: "I'm sorry, uncle, I accidentally knocked it over. Did I disturb you?"

"It's okay, it's okay..."

The middle-aged man waved his hand, clearly not fully awake yet.

As he bent down to pick up the jar, Li Yunjing's gaze quickly swept across the area diagonally in front of him.

The man in the gray jacket had stood up straight, his face expressionless, but the liveliness in his eyes had subsided considerably, turning somewhat gloomy.

He didn't linger, pretending to be nonchalant, and slowly walked towards the other end of the carriage, quickly disappearing into the crowded figures.

Li Yunjing straightened up, put the enamel mug back on the small table, smiled apologetically at the middle-aged man, and sat down again.

He could feel his heart beating a little fast, and his palms were a little sweaty.

Lu Ruoxi kept her eyes closed, but her tense body had clearly relaxed a bit.

She gently withdrew her hand from Li Yunjing's grasp; her fingertips were icy cold.

The crisis was temporarily averted in a way that was not perfect, but at least the worst outcome was avoided.

Li Yunjing couldn't put himself in danger; the old man should pay for his own negligence, he couldn't help him.

He had done his best to make some noise and protect the other passengers in the carriage.

If this were on the ground, and neither side had weapons, in a one-on-one fight, Li Yunjing might not be afraid of his opponent, but in this situation, he dared not!

I really don't dare!

There were no acts of heroism to stop it, nor were there any bloodshed.

There was only one "accidental" collision, and one silent, startling retreat.

Li Yunjing leaned back in his seat, watching the sky outside the window darken rapidly and the villages in the distance begin to show scattered lights. He couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.

Is it relief?

Is it lingering fear?

Or perhaps a complex mix of emotions—regarding the theft that couldn't be stopped, and ultimately choosing "caution" over "risk"?

The train sounded its whistle, long and deep, announcing its imminent arrival at Pushi Station.

The train's public address system began to play, reminding passengers to prepare to disembark.

The train slowly pulled into the dimly lit and simple platform of Pu City Station.

The train car rubbed against the platform, making a screeching sound, and finally came to a complete stop.

The carriage seemed to have been put on fast-forward, instantly erupting in excitement.

People got up and scrambled to take their bags from the luggage racks and squeezed towards the narrow train doors.

The sounds of rude shouts, children crying, and luggage clattering together blended together.

Li Yunjing did not get up immediately.

He quickly scanned his surroundings to make sure the man in the gray jacket was gone and the man in the floral shirt across from him had gotten off the bus with the crowd. Only then did he gently pat Lü Ruoxi, who was still pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed.

"We've arrived, get off the bus."

Lu Ruoxi opened her eyes, a trace of lingering shock still in them.

She nodded, grabbed her schoolbag, and hugged it tightly to her chest.

The two squeezed off the train with the surging crowd.

The cool evening breeze carried the distinctive smell of coal smoke and rust from the small station, but it was much more refreshing than the stuffy, humid air inside the train carriage.

The platform lights were dim, barely illuminating the uneven concrete ground beneath our feet.

At the exit, the flow of people formed a slowly moving river.

"Stay close, don't get separated."

Li Yunjing took Lü Ruoxi's wrist again, this time with a more natural movement.

They followed the flow of people through the makeshift exit.

It was actually just a passageway enclosed by iron railings. A staff member in an ill-fitting uniform leaned against the door frame, lazily watching the crowd pass by without checking tickets.

Stepping out of the station, you'll find yourself in a small square with several dilapidated tricycles and "backward donkeys" parked there, the drivers shouting to attract customers.

The square is surrounded by low bungalows and a few old tenement buildings, with scattered lights shining from their windows.

Only after leaving the station square and arriving at a relatively quiet side street, away from the noisy crowds and touts, did Lü Ruoxi finally let out a long, silent sigh, as if she had been holding it in for a long time.

"Just now... in the car..."

She finally spoke, her voice dry and trembling with lingering fear, "That person... is..."

"Thief."

Li Yunjing took over the conversation, speaking calmly as if stating a simple fact.

He stopped and stood under a dim streetlamp, looking at Lü Ruoxi.

"He slit the old man's bag."

The girl's face was pale under the light, and her eyes were filled with the fear and confusion she hadn't been able to express earlier.

"Then... what you just did..."

Lu Ruoxi instinctively hugged her schoolbag tightly, as if her bag might be slashed open.

"I knocked the jar over."

Li Yunjing said, "I made a noise and scared him away."

"Why didn't you... shout it out?"

"Tell that old man?"

"Or should we shout 'Stop thief!'"

Lu Ruoxi asked the question that had been nagging at her heart.

She was taught that when she encountered bad people and bad things, she should bravely stand up.

Li Yunjing paused for a moment.

The dim yellow light from the streetlights cast a faint shadow on his face, making his expression appear more composed than usual, even somewhat... solemn.

"Ruoxi,"

He spoke, his voice low but clear, "Remember, it's good and right to do what's right. But the prerequisite is that you must protect yourself first."

He looked into Lü Ruoxi's eyes, which still held the innocent clarity of a young girl and a hint of confusion.

"In that situation in the car, he was an experienced man, quick and ruthless."

"We were just two teenagers, with no weapons and no helpers."

"If I shout it out, and he's carrying a knife, and he's cornered, who will he stab first?"

"Is it me, or you? Or that old man?"

He paused for a moment, then added, "Even if he didn't bring a knife, he might have accomplices nearby."

"By shouting ourselves hoarse, we've made ourselves targets."

"In that enclosed, crowded, and chaotic environment, we had nowhere to run."

As Lü Ruoxi listened, she pursed her lips even tighter.

She shuddered as she recalled the last glance the man in the gray jacket had given her—that cold, warning look.

"We are not police officers; we have no responsibility or obligation to catch bad guys!"

"Of course, we should help when we have the ability and opportunity."

Li Yunjing continued, softening his tone, "But in a situation where the enemy is clearly stronger and we are weaker, and the risk is extremely high, rushing in rashly is not called bravery, it's called recklessness."

"Think about it, what if something happens to us, if we get hurt, or even... what will happen to your parents? What will happen to my parents?"

This last sentence, like a pebble thrown into Lü Ruoxi's heart, stirred up ripples.

She remembered her parents' concerned faces and the warm light in her home.

Yes, if you get injured while doing something heroic, how heartbroken and guilty your parents would feel?