Chapter 34: The 1924 Train Murder Case (7)

Tang Mu felt a quiet delight within, though her expression remained calm and composed.

“Mr. Eli, I’m merely recounting my past with my boyfriend to you. Why are you getting upset?” she asked.

Before he could reply, Tang Mu suddenly raised a hand, stirring the air near her neck to quicken its movement and bring a cooling sensation to her skin.

“It’s a bit warm. I suppose I should wear less,” she said, deliberately tugging her collar open.

After loosening it, she made no attempt to restore her collar, boldly striding toward the door.

Eli’s brows knitted in displeasure.

He rose as well.

But just as Tang Mu’s slender, pale fingers twisted the door handle, about to leave, Eli pressed the door shut again.

In the cramped conductor’s cabin, the atmosphere shifted subtly.

Tang Mu blinked her innocent eyes, gazing back at Eli with pure bewilderment.

Her look seemed to ask, “Hmm? Why are you stopping me?” and “Why do this, Mr. Eli?”—utterly harmless.

Eli knew he had revealed his true feelings, but he could no longer contain himself.

The idea that a group of strange men outside might see the enticing whiteness of Tang Mu’s neck made him restless.

Aside from himself, those inferior scoundrels who ogled beautiful women with lascivious eyes had no right to covet his beloved.

They were nothing but trash.

None of them deserved to share the same space as Tang Mu.

“Miss Tang Mu, if you wish to remove your outerwear, there’s no need. I can lower the temperature of the entire train a bit,” he offered.

Tang Mu replied, “Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?”

She blinked again, “Though spring has arrived, it’s still not very warm.”

“It’s fine,” Eli said. “Everyone is wearing thick clothing. We could all use a little cooling.”

His reasoning was odd, but Eli managed to persuade Tang Mu with a face of absolute certainty.

He took out the remote and, right in front of Tang Mu, set the train’s temperature to fifteen degrees Celsius.

Tang Mu fell silent.

So be it.

With that tactic blocked, Tang Mu simply switched to another.

“Alright, then I won’t need to wear less,” she said.

She took out the cosmetics provided by the game system, along with a mirror, and began to touch up her makeup in front of Eli.

“I’ll just freshen up—if that’s alright, Mr. Eli. Since it’s quiet here and there aren’t many people, I can properly tidy my pretty face.”

Eli grew increasingly agitated seeing Tang Mu so comfortably share this tiny space with him—a “strange man.”

She had a boyfriend, after all.

Granted, it was himself.

But right now, he was a stranger to Tang Mu, in body if not in soul—a man she barely knew.

How could she, without a second thought, spend hours alone in a cramped room with someone she’d just met?

Was it simply because his new face was handsome?

Eli’s expression soured, and he became colder.

“Miss Tang Mu, I don’t think my small room can accommodate you for much longer,” he said.

“This is private space for the staff, after all.”

“It’s not suitable for guests to linger.”

“Oh, I see,” Tang Mu replied as though only just realizing, accepting his words. She apologized, “Sorry for disturbing you. I’ll leave at once. But before I go, thank you, Mr. Eli, for helping me deal with that lady, Ottilia.”

As she spoke, she winked at Eli, playful and mischievous, almost pitiable.

“See you later, sir.”

Eli was speechless.

When he was Xue Fen, Tang Mu had never been so warm.

As Tang Mu’s boyfriend, Eli knew her preferences well.

Tang Mu didn’t actually like children; she preferred mature, broad-shouldered men.

Like that infuriating Josiah from the last chapter—he was precisely Tang Mu’s type.

But Josiah had crossed Tang Mu’s boundaries, which led to his merciless abandonment.

Eli’s new form—both physique and temperament—matched Tang Mu’s tastes perfectly.

Would she forget Yan Xingwen altogether and fall for someone like “Eli,” so similar to him?

The more Eli pondered this, the more uneasy he felt.

But there was no helping it.

The chapter had already begun; he couldn’t go back to adjust his appearance or build.

With this deeply unpleasant mood, Eli returned to the public area.

Bang!

A tremendous sound shook the entire train.

The passengers were startled, quickly whispering among themselves as they glanced around, searching for the source of the noise.

At the same time, the train screeched to an emergency halt.

Several carriages collided in succession due to the abrupt braking. Many passengers, unable to steady themselves in time, were thrown from their seats by the force of the impact.

Fortunately, no carriages overturned, which spared many from greater harm—a stroke of luck amid misfortune.

Tang Mu, having already returned to her seat, was protected by the table and chairs in front, preventing her from being thrown. Even so, she couldn’t avoid a few scrapes.

The locomotive conductor rushed out from his cabin, finding Eli with anxious urgency.

“Something terrible has happened—the viaduct ahead suddenly collapsed for reasons unknown. Oh, God, it broke right before my eyes… If I hadn’t braked in time, everyone aboard would have ended up in the water!”

Eli, familiar with the storyline, remained unmoved.

“The automatic block system will signal the trains behind us, but it might take a while.”

“Hurry—notify the fire department to send rescue teams. Also, inform the viaduct’s supervisor. They’ll need to draft a detailed report explaining how their shoddy construction caused us this trouble!”

“Yes, Mr. Eli,” the conductor replied, his nerves soothed somewhat, and returned to his duties.

But now, Eli still had to calm the passengers.

“As you can see, the viaduct ahead has suddenly collapsed, preventing our passage. The front half of the train is still on the bridge, so we can’t open the doors for anyone to leave. Until rescue arrives, we may have to spend several miserable days aboard.”

“Oh, God!”

The passengers began to complain.

“We took this train to get to London as quickly as possible!”

“Exactly! Will we ever reach our destination safely now?” The crowd grew increasingly anxious.