When Tang Yan woke up that morning, her vision was a little blurry, and for a moment, she thought she was still dreaming. The Gobi desert landscape outside her window looked like a high-definition desktop wallpaper—surreal and stunning. She couldn’t resist pulling out her phone to snap a photo she thought turned out pretty well. Without delay, she sent it to Aunt Ji with the message, “Aunt Ji, look—it’s so beautiful.”
At that very moment, Ji Yuqing was in the dining car, sipping coffee and having breakfast while admiring the same scenery. She smiled faintly and replied, “It really is beautiful. Have you had breakfast yet? The sandwiches on the train are quite good.”
Just as Tang Yan received that message, a train attendant happened to pass by promoting breakfast. They were recommending the popular sandwiches, so Tang Yan and her roommates each bought one. It was still warm in her hand.
Curious, she asked, “How did Aunt Ji know they had sandwiches?”
“I heard it from someone else,” Ji Yuqing quickly typed back, feeling flustered.
Right then, the attendant told the girls that there were plenty of empty seats in Car 8 where they could eat more comfortably. The group decided to head over and enjoy breakfast properly. Tang Yan was initially reluctant to move—she didn’t want the hassle—but her friends practically dragged her along.
From a distance, Ji Yuqing could already hear the laughter and chatter of a few young women. She had a feeling and, sure enough, when she looked up, she caught sight of Tang Yan trailing behind them, heading toward the dining car. Panicking, Ji Yuqing quickly started clearing her table and scooped up her laptop, ready to leave.
But to her surprise, the girls ended up sitting far away—so far, in fact, that there were several passengers seated between them. Tang Yan didn’t even glance in her direction and certainly hadn’t noticed her.
“Hey, this spot is so much roomier! The view outside looks even clearer,” one of the girls said.
“Right? Why didn’t we come over here yesterday?”
“Let’s order drinks—coffee, milk tea, maybe just milk?”
The four girls chirped excitedly, filling the space with energy. Ji Yuqing hesitated for a couple of seconds, then sat back down, opened her laptop, and resumed working on a document she had left half-finished. But every now and then, she couldn’t help glancing up. Tang Yan looked a bit distracted compared to the other three—quieter, eating her sandwich and sipping juice with a contemplative expression.
Suddenly, Tang Yan, who had been staring out the window, turned her gaze forward. Ji Yuqing’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly ducked her head behind her screen, trying to block her face and hide the rising panic.
“Hey Tang Yan, what’s up? Want a chicken wing?” Xia Zihan offered, having just ordered a honey-glazed chicken wings set—enough for four.
Tang Yan waved her off politely. “I’m not really hungry this early. You guys eat.” But then her eyes drifted forward again, settling on the woman sitting there working on her laptop. There was something about her—a sense of familiarity she couldn’t quite put into words. It reminded her so much of Aunt Ji.
But that wasn’t possible. Aunt Ji was away on a business trip, driving no less. There was no way she’d be on the same train. Tang Yan figured she probably missed her too much. That must be why anyone with even the slightest resemblance made her think of her.
Even though Ji Yuqing couldn’t see the other side of the car, she could feel the intensity of Tang Yan’s stare through the screen. She was terrified of being discovered, unsure how she could possibly explain her presence here—especially when she herself didn’t fully understand why she’d come. It was as if some part of her had slipped beyond her own control.
This girl… was becoming impossible to ignore.
“What are you looking at?” Xia Zihan asked, leaning over curiously and following Tang Yan’s gaze.
Tang Yan quickly looked away. “Oh, nothing. Just thought that person kind of looked like my aunt.”
“Your aunt? The really pretty one who’s been to our school a few times?” Xia Zihan asked.
Tang Yan nodded, a smile forming on her lips. It always made her happy to hear others praise Aunt Ji.
“But you can’t even see her face from here—how can you tell?” Xia Zihan squinted, unimpressed. “I don’t see the resemblance.”
But Tang Yan still felt it. Maybe only she could see it.
“These wings are seriously good. Are you sure you don’t want one?” Xia Zihan asked, licking the sauce from her fingers.
Tang Yan shook her head. “No, thanks.” Then she looked forward again—just in time to see the woman standing up with her laptop in her arms, preparing to leave the dining car. Her back was to Tang Yan, so her face was still hidden.
Tang Yan rested her chin on her hand. From her figure, to her posture, even to the way she dressed—she really did look just like Aunt Ji. Was it possible for two people in the world to resemble each other this much?
After breakfast, the girls lingered for a bit before heading back to their sleeper car. As the train moved westward, the landscape outside the window grew more striking and the elevation gradually rose. Though it wasn’t as high as Tibet overall, some people still experienced altitude sickness. The train staff had thoughtfully prepared oxygen kits for those feeling unwell.
Tang Yan felt fine, likely because she had been working out regularly over the past year. Her body was much stronger than before. But two of her roommates weren’t doing so well—they were lying in bed, moaning with headaches.
After almost forty hours of travel, the long train journey was finally nearing its end. Just then, Tang Yan received a message from Aunt Ji.
Aunt Ji: Have you settled on where you’ll be staying? Send me the address so I can rest easy.
It felt a bit like sharing your ride details with someone you trust when using a ride-hailing app. Tang Yan didn’t think too much of it. She leaned over and asked Xia Zihan on the lower bunk to send her their lodging info. Looking wilted like a dried flower, Xia Zihan unlocked her phone with a fingerprint and handed it up.
“It’s in the booking info. Find it yourself.”
Tang Yan followed the instructions, sent the details to her own phone, and handed the phone back down. Then she forwarded the info to Aunt Ji.
The reply came almost instantly: Got it. Stay safe out there. Call me if you need anything.
Tang Yan found it a little odd. Aunt Ji was supposed to be on a business trip. How did she respond so fast?
Using the info Tang Yan had sent, Ji Yuqing quickly found the place online. It was a well-known guesthouse in the area with lots of positive, thoughtful reviews and lovely pictures. That eased her mind. As she scrolled through the listing, she noticed there was only one room left—the most expensive one. Without hesitation, she booked it. Not long after, she received a call from the guesthouse.
The voice on the other end was soft and pleasant. They confirmed her booking details and check-in time, then asked if she needed a pickup from the station, mentioning that a few other girls would be arriving at the same time.
Ji Yuqing immediately guessed it was Tang Yan and her friends—and politely declined.