章)The subway roared through the tunnel, and Julias eyes snapped open. The train cars window reflected her fair and delicate face, her eyes bright and moist, her shoulder-length hair brushing against her cheeks with the sway of the train.
Her hand gripped the door tightly. This was the New York City Subway Line 1, infamously dubbed "the Great Struggle Line 1," where the crowd could crush your dignity. Monday mornings were arguably the most exhausting time of the week, and the suffocating squeeze of the subway was bad enough without the added indignity of a groping hand. Julias face turned scarlet with anger.
Furious, the usually soft-spoken, well-behaved girl decided to turn around and shout. Being well-behaved didnt mean being a pushover; her parents and older brother had taught her from a young age that girls should be brave in such situations. Predators always bullied the meek and retreated when met with resistance.
As Julia inhaled deeply, preparing to turn around, the offending hand suddenly released her. A panicked male voice rang out from behind, "What are you doing! Hey, what are you doing! Let go, let go! Be gentle! Be gentle!"
The pressure around Julia eased suddenly, and she turned around in surprise. A tall, young man had twisted the wrist of a greasy middle-aged man, the cold sweat on the mans forehead a testament to the young mans grip. The crowded carriage, where people had been unable to breathe, seemed to, creating a small space around them.
"Let go!" the greasy man said, beading with sweat, "What are you doing!"
The young man wore large headphones around his neck and a black mask that concealed his face. His bangs covered his forehead, revealing only a pair of eyes—single-lidded, narrow, and as dark as ink, carrying a cold glint.
"What am I doing?" he barked, "What were you doing!"
Ethan had sent his car to the 4S shop for a spray paint job over the weekend, which would take a few days. Since his apartment was close to the subway, he decided to take it. Both his home and office were near subway stations, and with New Yorks notorious traffic, he often chose the subway over driving. The subway ride took only forty-five minutes, while driving would leave him stuck in traffic for at least an hour and a half.
Swept into the subway by the crowd, he grabbed a hanging strap and stood firm. In front of him, a short man with an unkempt head reeked of oil, the smell wafting into Ethans nostrils. Ethan pulled his anti-smog mask, which he had lowered to his chin, back up over his face and turned his head to avoid the smell.
As he turned, he saw the girl again. He couldnt remember when he first noticed her, but their frequent encounters on the platform or in the carriage had etched her face into his memory.
Every time he saw her, Ethans gaze softened involuntarily.
"Subway girl"—he called her in his mind.
The girl was leaning against the other door, seemingly still asleep, embodying the of a Monday morning, her forehead against the glass, resting. From his angle, Ethan could see the soft curve of her jaw, the fair and delicate skin behind her ear, giving a clean feeling like fresh snow. Her face reflected in the door glass, her eyes closed, the lines soft, and her small, dainty nose.
Ethan wore his expensive music headphones, and in the noisy subway, he automatically added a BGM for the girl. He admitted that the reason he noticed her was probably because, amidst the noise, Julia always brought him a sense of tranquility and peace.
Pleasant to the eye, comfortable, reassuring.
After drifting in New York for a long time, one can get a bit lonely. His gaze lingered for a moment on the reflection in the glass.
This peaceful moment was suddenly disrupted. The girl, who had been resting her eyes, suddenly opened them. She frowned, her expression changing. She pressed forward and swayed from side to side. Her fair and clean face flushed with anger.
Ethans gaze sharpened. He frowned, watched for a while, then suddenly let go of the hanging strap, lowered his headphones to hang around his neck, pushed aside the short man in front of him, and squeezed through...
【Jianguomen Station has arrived. We are arriving at Jianguomen Station.】The train pulled into the station.
The man who had been so bold in harassing Julia was now cowering in the face of Ethans height and aura.
"Hey, buddy, lets talk it out, no need for violence!" he said, sweating profusely.
"Scumbag!" the boy cursed, nodding towards Julia, "Apologize to her!"
"I, I dont know what Im apologizing for, what did I do..." the creepy man tried to deny it.
Ethan was furious: "You still dont admit..."
Before Ethan could finish his sentence, the greasy man unexpectedly broke free from Ethans grip as the train doors opened and dove into the crowd, forcing his way out of the subway car. He ran!
Ethan missed the grab, instinctively wanting to chase, but was pulled back. He turned his head and saw a soft, slender hand holding his sleeve, and bright, clear almond eyes looking at him.
The nameless subway girl whispered, "Forget it, dont chase..."
Her voice was soft and smooth, and despite the noise, it clearly reached Ethans ears.
"Thank you," she said.
Really, really nice!
Looking into the girls clear and moist, Ethans mind flashed through 108 golden lines of picking up lines, and then he opened his mouth and "Hmm", and then... there was no then.
，，，“”，，、、。，，。
，！
，Julia had thanked him, and he had responded, and she let out a sigh of relief. In such a crowd, she didnt want to attract too much attention.
The people around them, seeing the alarm, also stopped resisting the pressure of the carriage. As they relaxed, with the door closing, the pressure in the car immediately sought balance, and without surprise, it rushed towards Ethan and Julia from all sides.
Both were jostled. Julia quickly turned to hold the door, also taking the opportunity to avoid the embarrassment of two strangers facing each other. Ethan, after swaying, quickly put both hands on the door, bearing the pressure with his back, creating a small space for Julia. Although there were inevitable physical contacts when the car swayed, at least it allowed people to breathe.
You cant ask for too much; this is, after all, the Great Struggle Line 1.
Julia, who takes the subway every day, of course, can sense that the pressure around her is much lighter than before. The boy standing behind her is obviously the opposite of the greasy man just now. He holds the door, trying to avoid physical contact with her. Julia cant help but look up and look at him from the reflection in the glass.
The boy is also looking at her, and their eyes touch for a moment in the door glass, and he "whoosh" turns his head away! His gaze is out of focus, as if looking at someone elses head, or as if looking at the ceiling of the carriage.
Julia blinks and cant help but look back. His ears are red, and even his long, good-looking neck is flushed!
Julia turns her head back. She feels that it seems impolite to laugh at this time, after all, he just helped her solve the pervert. She can only bite her lips and try to hold back.
The most exhausting, powerless, and resistant Monday morning, for some reason, suddenly became relaxed and happy.
【Wangfujing Station has arrived. We are arriving at Wangfujing Station.】
When Julia turned around, Ethan had already turned around and only left her with a wide shoulder and a dark back of the head. As the door opened, they were swept out of the carriage by the crowd. Wangf