Chapter 100: Taking Action

Xu Lin opened her eyes, feeling disoriented. She pricked up her ears, sensed that something was off, and immediately used her psychic perception to investigate.

What she saw made her chuckle—a thief had actually broken into their sleeper compartment.

The man moved with extreme stealth. His hands were busy rummaging through Grandma Zheng’s luggage. Finding nothing of value, he muttered a few vicious, silent curses. Unwilling to give up, the petty thief shifted the luggage toward the door; even if the contents weren't worth much, he didn't want to leave empty-handed. The bag contained quite a bit of food, which was a strong incentive for him.

Suddenly, Xu Lin saw the thief’s grubby hands reaching toward Yu Tong’s chest, and her mood soured instantly. She knew that in this era, women placed immense value on their chastity; even being touched by a thief would be enough to make Yu Tong feel violated. If Yu Tong couldn't let it go, she might even feel she was no longer "clean" and had betrayed Old Zheng, leaving her unable to hold her head up for the rest of her life.

Xu Lin didn't care about such notions of chastity herself, but she could not ignore Yu Tong’s. Without a second thought, she grabbed an apple and hurled it at the thief.

A piercing scream erupted, waking both Yu Tong and Grandma Zheng from their slumber. By the time they turned on their flashlights, Xu Lin had already subdued the thief, pinning him firmly to the floor.

Yu Tong gasped and asked with concern, "Linlin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Xu Lin smiled at her, then turned to see Grandma Zheng already climbing down from her bunk. Despite her age and bound feet, the old lady was remarkably agile. Without needing a word from Xu Lin, she stepped forward, whipped the belt off the thief, and began binding him, asking, "Linlin, are you sure you aren