As Meng Changyi recalled the regulations, her hand froze mid-reach for her charger.
Train Rule No. 5: Please sit according to your assigned seat. Unauthorized seat changes are prohibited. For special requirements, contact the attendant.
Would offering her seat to someone else count as an unauthorized exchange?
I can't just give it away!
But if I say something outright… would they think I'm being difficult?
Saying it in front of everyone—they'd definitely all look over!
No, please… the introvert in me is panicking…
Seeing the young mother with a child about to sit down—
Meng Changyi stood abruptly, her face crimson, hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. She stammered in a barely audible voice,
"N-no… this isn't right… We can't just… the rules say…"
Perhaps she spoke too softly—the mother only heard the beginning.
She paused, puzzled, and turned to Meng Changyi.
"Why not? Everyone agreed. What's the problem?"
The older man who had offered the seat also seemed confused but asked kindly,
"She's a mother with a baby—it's not good for her to stand too long. Is there something you're concerned about?"
Everyone's eyes turned toward her. Meng Changyi felt mortified to the core, her blush deepening. Just as she was about to explain again, she was interrupted.
The girl seated in front rolled her eyes and said sarcastically,
"Oh please, quit pretending to be some righteous hero…"
She stood, casting a disdainful glance at Meng Changyi.
"What's it got to do with you whether someone gives up their seat?"
"T-the rules… they forbid switching seats without permission…"
An elderly man stroked his beard thoughtfully and finally nodded.
"Well… perhaps we should ask a train attendant for guidance?"
Hearing the commotion, a train attendant approached, her face adorned with a polished, professional smile as she walked down the aisle.
"Dear passengers, if you have any questions, feel free to consult me. Please refrain from causing a disturbance."
She turned to the young mother.
"Do you require any assistance?"
The mother pointed to the seat, her voice tinged with helplessness.
"I'm holding my child and it's hard to stand. These kind people offered me a seat, but this young lady said we're not allowed to switch without permission. What should we do?"
After assessing the situation, the attendant lifted her communicator.
"Please wait a moment. I'll confirm with the conductor how to proceed."
Through the static-filled buzz of the device, a garbled response filtered through.
Meng Changyi could just barely make out:
"…zzz… permissible… zzz…"
Eventually, the young mother sat in the bespectacled man's seat.
Ahhh… Maybe I really did overstep…
This is mortifying…
Face still burning, Meng Changyi sank into her seat and pretended to be engrossed in her phone.
Strangely enough, though she could play games and watch videos here, she couldn't connect with the outside world.
Her eyes flicked to the upper corner of her phone screen.
16:02.
Clatter…
Before the figure appeared, the sound of rolling wheels echoed faintly.
"Hello there, do you have any trash you'd like to dispose of?"
The janitor wheeled her cleaning cart down the aisle.
Clatter…
The cart drew nearer…
Yet something was different this time. Where before the janitor moved like a worn-out machine, now she seemed… alive. More human.
She pushed the cart, broom and dustpan in hand, cleaning as she went, murmuring,
"Passengers, please help maintain the cleanliness of the carriage. Kindly place your trash in the designated bags. Thank you for your cooperation."
She reached the man with glasses and casually asked,
"Young man, do you remember the list of things the announcement said we mustn't do aboard the train?"
The man had been resting with eyes closed. At her voice, his eyes snapped open, momentarily confused.
"No… no running, roughhousing, or making loud noise…"
The janitor nodded with a pleasant smile, then turned to the young couple beside him.
"And how about you two? Do you know the rules?"
The pair had been whispering sweet nothings to each other, and the sudden interruption clearly annoyed them.
The boy, arm around his girlfriend, replied lazily,
"Oh come on, who pays attention to that stuff? There are so many rules—who can remember them all?"
At that, the janitor's expression darkened, her tone suddenly stern.
"This is no trivial matter. The rules exist to ensure everyone's safety. Every passenger must be aware of them."
Her gaze swept over the rest of the carriage.
"And the rest of you? Do you all know the rules?"