LUO YAN walked toward the dining car, his hand held by his "mother." Just ahead of them were the two women from their cabin, who had introduced themselves as Mrs. Thompson and Miss Thompson—a mother and daughter. They said that they were travelling to Vienna to meet Mrs. Thompson''s sister.
From their conversation, it seemed like the train would be arriving there tomorrow at noon. But with the murder that was about to happen tonight, he wondered if they would still be able to arrive there in time.
The real question was whether the train would stop or continue because of the murder. On a real train, of course, it would have to stop—police would board, and passengers would be forced to disembark. But here, inside the game, that oue would defeat the purpose of the match. Something was bound to happen to ensure this train kept moving.
Anyway, the answer to that really didn''t matter. Since from the start, the most important thing for their team was to stop Jack the Ripper from killing his target on the third night.
As he and his ''mother'' entered the dining car, Luo Yan cast a subtle, fleeting nce around the ce. ying the part of a shy, timid child, he couldn''t simply look around with open curiosity. Instead, his gaze darted cautiously, observing without drawing attention to himself.
The dining car had a refined but lively atmosphere as passengers gathered for lunch. Soft, midday light filtered through the windows, illuminating tables set with neat white linens, polished silverware, and sturdy porcin tes. A gentle hum of conversation filled the room, with the asional clink of sses and cutlery.
Passengers, dressed in their travel attire, sat in quiet but animated conversations, discussing the day''s journey or simply savoring their meals. Waiters moved gracefully between tables, bncing trays with practiced ease. Luo Yan took it all in, his gaze flickering briefly from one detail to the next, careful not to stare too openly.
Then he quickly sent a message on their team channel.
Noctis: [I just walked inside the dining car. My hand is being held by a tall woman wearing a shawl over a dark green dress.]
Then Bai Ze immediately sent a response.
White Marsh: [Wow, Xiao Yan, you''re really cute! Wait- I''m going to take some screenshot of you.]
After that, the chat fell silent, as if the rest of the team was busy doing exactly what Bai Ze had just said.
Luo Yan inwardly shook his head.
Noctis: [Where is everyone?]
AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I''m still on my way to the dining car.]
Morganite: [I''m bribing a waiter so we can switch jobs for lunch.]
White Marsh: [I''m at the third table on the left from the entrance—the olderdy endlessly nagging the poor soul to my right.]
YUN: [I''m on the right, the fourth table from where you''re standing.]
Luo Yan raised an eyebrow as he read the messages on the team channel. The fact that only Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun were here now made it clear that when Bai Ze mentioned taking screenshots earlier, Shen Ji Yun was most likely doing the same.
Well, it wasn''t exactly surprising. This was just one of Shen Ji Yun''s many adorable qualities. Besides, with him looking even prettier than usual right now, there was no way Shen Ji Yun could resist taking a photo souvenir.
With that in mind, Luo Yan casually nced in the direction Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun had mentioned. Naturally, he did it with utmost subtlety, maintaining the appearance of a shy, timid girl.
In Bai Ze''s direction, he noticed an older woman, likely in her sixties, with an unmistakable presence. Her graying hair was pinned back loosely, allowing a few stray curls to frame her face. She wore a gown of rich, vibrant color, withce trim that teetered on the edge of ostentatious. Arge brooch gleamed at her cor, catching the light as she shifted in her seat.
Seated beside her was a woman in herte thirties, dressed in a simpler, muted gown. Her posture was poised yet reserved, hands resting neatly in herp as she listened intently, offering only the asional nod. There was a quiet patience in her expression, as if she were ustomed to maintaining a silent and attentive behavior.
Luo Yan must say, his cousin was definitely doing a good job ying the role. Next, he turned to where Shen Ji Yun was. And the moment he did, his gaze was immediately met with a pair of sharp blue eyes.
The man staring back at him was tall and lean, with blond hair swept back in a way that looked almost careless, a few loose strands falling across his forehead. His sharp blue eyes held a hint of mischief, as if he enjoyed attention and knew exactly how to get it. He sat with a rxed ease, one arm draped casually over the back of his chair, fingers lightly tapping as though he had all the time in the world. The cravat at his neck was tied with a slight looseness, paired with an almost too-perfectly tailored frock coat, giving him an air that suggested charm came to him as naturally as breathing.
The description hardly matched Shen Ji Yun''s true personality, yet there he was, fullymitted to ying the part of a Victorian-era yboy. And, truth be told, Luo Yan found himself rather enjoying it.
Just as he was secretly observing Shen Ji Yun, the other was also doing the same.
Shen Ji Yun stared discreetly at the little girl being led by ''her'' ''mother''. The girl looked to be about seven, with golden ringlets that bounced with each step. ''She'' wore a simple white dress, trimmed with smallce details at the cor and sleeves. The dress reached just below ''her'' knees, and paired with ''her'' white stockings and little ck shoes, ''she'' looked every bit the picture of innocence, ''her'' wide eyes taking in everything around ''her'' with quiet curiosity.
Once again, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t resist taking another round of screenshots. He continued until Luo Yan had settled at a table with his "mother" and two other women.