Time really was tight. After leaving the bridal shop, Uncle Driver sped straight to the train station.

It was still early morning, the station nearly empty. Our group of over ten people had the place to ourselves. These were the first batch of allies; dozens more had already arrived in the Provincial City to make arrangements. We barely waited before boarding.

Train rides were inevitably boring. Phoneless, I shamelessly borrowed Yejia Yin’s device. No games installed—just web browsing and forum drama.

Yejia Yin pulled a train magazine from the seat pocket ahead. She crossed her right leg, laid the magazine flat on her knee, and read intently, gaze lowered.

Her delicate profile merged with the window’s reflection like something out of a master’s painting.

Pity she stayed so expressionless. If only she’d smile more…

“What are you thinking?”

“That you should smile more.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them. I looked up—Yejia Yin was watching me, amused.

*Damn it. Why do I always short-circuit at the worst times?*

She studied me for a moment, then chuckled lightly. “What, tired of my poker face? Suffering from family cold violence?”

*Pfft—no! Family cold violence? Wait…*

I blinked, stunned. Had Yejia Yin just… joked?

That teasing tone belonged to her “student mode” persona—the mask she wore back in school.

Her own realization flashed across her face—a flicker of surprise quickly smoothed over. But I’d caught it. *Could constant pretending be warping her real self?*

I’d heard of people switching personalities so long they lost control… developing split identities.

*Oh god.* Panic made me grab her hands. “Yejia Yin, stop this. No more masks, okay? Truly—I think your cold, expressionless self is cute too.”

She hadn’t dodged my sudden move. Eyebrows lifting, she stared at my “suicidal” hands. “What are you doing.”

Blind to the murder in her voice, I barreled on: “Seriously! This could lead to dissociative identity disorder!”

“Let. Go.” Her tone turned icy.

“I—”

***BONK!***

*—I was only trying to help!*

I yanked my hands back, clutching my throbbing forehead, tears pricking my eyes. *Family violence!*

I stayed perfectly behaved for the rest of the trip, eyes glued to her phone. The maglev train was smooth and swift—true to Yejia Yin’s word, even my chronic motion sickness stayed quiet. After downloading and testing a few games, we finally arrived.

First time in the Provincial City. Honestly, it wasn’t much different from home—same public facilities, same urban sprawl. My curiosity faded fast.

Yejia Yin had planned everything. After dropping our luggage, she handed me keys and a few red bills.

“I have arrangements to make. Do what you want—sleep or explore. Just remember this address.”

I nodded eagerly, stuffing the cash into my pocket. Then I stared at her hopefully.

“What?”

I scratched my cheek, embarrassed. “Uh… can I borrow your phone?”

As a die-hard shut-in, no electronics meant torture! I’d just downloaded a game I wanted to try…

Her face darkened. “*No.*”

I flinched back. “R-right! You go ahead. I’ll just… nap.”

*Oh. Duh.* She’d need it to coordinate with her team. Still… no need to be *that* scary.