The player next to the old man had sustained serious injuries, his left arm gone below the elbow, and the cloth wrapping the wound was soaking through with fresh blood.
There was also a middle-aged woman in front of them, enthusiastically pitching special beauty products to two young female players.
"...Guess what this lipstick is called? Let me tell you, it’s called ’Soul Stunner’! Just the scent alone is amazingly fragrant, no man can resist it, and if you kiss someone with this on, even more incredible, I guarantee you’ll catch any heartthrob!" The middle-aged woman boasted confidently, "Before I entered the game, I had a crush on a young celebrity, spent a whole lot of money on it, but how could a star possibly pay attention to an ordinary person like me, even if I wanted to sponsor him, there are plenty of other young female players."
"After using this lipstick, that little brat instantly changed his tune, calling me ’sister’ incessantly. Within a few days, we ended up sleeping together; but he was too clingy for my taste, so I switched to someone else a couple days ago."
The two female players were intrigued, with the one with curly hair asking eagerly, "Is it really that miraculous? We’ve also bought some special products before, but the results were mediocre at best."
"Would I lie to you, sisters?" The middle-aged woman replied, "This is stuff brought in from other Wormhole Points, scarce and hard to get. How many zones have you been to? You wouldn’t come across anything like it!"
After a moment of hesitation, the two female players paid up, and the middle-aged woman went on to say, "Apply this baby before sleeping, and it’ll beautify your lips, making them look as tempting as jelly, everyone will want to take a bite."
Her words struck a chord with the female players, with the other one, sporting short hair, saying, "It doesn’t necessarily have to be used on men, but who could resist making themselves more attractive?"
"That’s exactly the point!" said the middle-aged woman, who, having successfully made her sales, turned her target towards the woman knitting in the back. She went over and said, "Hey, big sis, your knitting there is pretty good."
"I’m not buying lipstick." The woman didn’t even look up, her fingers flying fast.
"We can still chat even if you’re not buying," the middle-aged woman persisted, smiling genially, "Are you married, big sis? Is that for your child?"
"We women don’t take things as causally as men do. Compared to going on killing sprees in a game, it’s obviously better to stay at home and watch the kids grow up."
"The daily expenses also have to focus on the kids."
"It’s tough entering the game, but it’s the children who suffer without someone to accompany them."
"Have you heard of ’Mother’s Scent’?" she suddenly changed the topic.
The knitting woman didn’t respond, but the middle-aged woman wasn’t embarrassed, continuing on her own, "Mother’s Scent is actually a fragrance extracted from maternal body fluids."
"It’s said to be invented by a famous perfumer who was dying of a terminal illness. She was dying but the child was too young to be left alone. Worried about her child’s adjustment after her passing, she distilled a bottle of perfume from her own body fluids. Spraying it on the bed sheets can make the child feel as if they are sleeping in their mother’s arms."
While talking, she took out a syringe-like prop, "This is the tool to make ’Mother’s Scent’. Why not give it a try? However, the scent extracted might not be detectable to adults, after all, it’s only a human body odor."
It was then that the knitting woman finally looked up at her, red and swollen eyes below layers of bruises, her lips quivering slightly, "All three of my children are dead."
The middle-aged woman was at a loss for words, only after several seconds did she reply, "In these times, being alive isn’t necessarily a good thing."
The woman went back to her knitting.
Having canvassed all the female players in this carriage, the middle-aged woman was about to move on to the next one when Yan Jiayu returned.
She greeted warmly, "Little sis, your skin is truly good, you must be meticulous about skincare."
Yan Jiayu nodded appreciatively.
The middle-aged woman pulled her to sit down opposite Xu Huo, and started to pitch her skincare products with the same spiel she used on the other two women, but Yan Jiayu asked, "Have you used it yourself?"
"Look at you, sister, how could I not use the products I’m selling myself?"
Yan Jiayu tilted her head and sized her up, "The effects seem pretty average. Why don’t you try mine?"
She pulled out a bottle of baby cream and placed it on the table, "Pure plant-based ingredients. I’ve been using this since I was little, and it’s made a noticeable difference."
The middle-aged woman’s smile stiffened for a moment, then quickly switched the item in her hand to a lipstick, "A woman dresses to please herself, after all. As a young girl, it’s all about looking pretty and fresh. That way, your boyfriend will never want to leave you."
She pointed at Xu Huo, and Yan Jiayu also glanced at Xu Huo, "He’s not my boyfriend."
"Just because he’s not a relative, it doesn’t mean a handsome man and a beautiful woman can’t make a match," the middle-aged woman said with a knowing look, "With this lipstick, you’ll definitely get what you wish for!"
Yan Jiayu stuffed a piece of jerky into her mouth, "Will it work if I want to get rich too?"
The middle-aged woman choked, then quickly changed her tone, "I have props that can enhance luck too, but they are expensive..."
Yan Jiayu sighed lightly, "Guess why I want to get rich?"
The middle-aged woman chuckled, decided to abandon this customer, and turned her attention to Xu Huo, "This gentleman looks so distinguished. I’m sure you have great luck in love. If you add a couple of charming props to your arsenal, whatever you want to do will go smoothly!"
Xu Huo pointed to his own ear, then waved his hand.
The smile on the middle-aged woman’s face vanished for a moment, and Yan Jiayu translated from the side, "He’s telling you that he’s deaf."
The middle-aged woman walked away at once.
The compartment door opened and closed, and Yan Jiayu gathered the snacks on the table, then called over an attendant.
After getting the menu, she quickly ordered several dishes and then asked Xu Huo, "What do you want to eat? I’ve tried the Big Head White Frog on the train, and it’s really good."
Xu Huo ordered the special of the day and slipped a tip inside the menu when handing it back.
The attendant asked with a smile, "Would you two like to dine in the restaurant?"
"We’ll go to the restaurant later," Xu Huo said.
"Alright, I’ll come over to notify you in advance," the attendant said and left.
The meals on the train were exorbitantly priced. After the attendant left, the card players called Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu over to liven things up. Xu Huo wasn’t interested, but Yan Jiayu went over, curious, "How do you play this game?"
"It’s simple," one of the players explained the rules quickly, "You’re a newbie, so if you lose the first three hands, we won’t charge you."
The game restarted, and Yan Jiayu lost the first three hands, and true to their word, no one asked her for money. But from the fourth hand onwards, she won every round, much to the chagrin of several men who were starting to look embarrassed.
Yan Jiayu decided to quit while she was ahead and returned with a grin to tell Xu Huo, "I’ve won back money for our meals today."
"I knew I was going to lose; I should have just bought something tasty for myself instead," a player with a jinxed appearance said dejectedly.
Yan Jiayu laughed heartily, pouring a bag of her stocked food onto their table, "I’m treating you guys to specialties from different places."
The card players stopped their game and clamored that everyone should get a share, and they even shared with other players in the same compartment.