"I'm back!" Holding two steaming hot cocoa cakes, Xiao Ning quickly returned to the waiting room.

Feina, who was sitting obediently in her seat reading a book, looked up at the sound and glared at him. "So slow!" She snatched the pastries from him. "Take it easy, they're hot," Xiao Ning said helplessly, watching her.

"Nom nom nom..." Feina mumbled something indistinctly with her mouth full and gave him a look. It was incomprehensible to most, but Xiao Ning, who had grown up with her, understood perfectly. She was telling him to hurry up and buy the tickets so they wouldn't miss their departure.

It had taken a lot of courage to say goodbye to their families and embark on this journey. Going back now would ruin the whole mood. With Feina's wallet in hand, Xiao Ning headed to the ticket counter and glanced at the fare chart on the wall.

Short distance: ¥20 and up

Medium distance: ¥50 and up

Long distance: ¥90 and up

These were just the basic fares, excluding seat fees.

Xiao Ning turned to the map of Xilin. The distance between Crow Town and Dalong City was 1,570 kilometers, definitely a long-distance trip, with only one train a day departing at 11 o'clock. There was still time, so there was no need to rush back and spoil the sentimental atmosphere.

He looked away from the station clock and checked the additional seat fees:

First-class cabin: ¥200

Second-class sleeper: ¥150

Third-class seat: ¥100

Notice: No standing tickets for medium and long-distance trips.

Taking a bite of the overly sweet cocoa cake, Xiao Ning mentally calculated the expenses. Seat fees plus travel costs came to ¥290 per person. For two people, that was ¥580. Including food and drinks for a day and a night, they would need at least ¥600! His family's clock shop earned about that much in a good month.

With ¥8,000 on hand, deducting the untouchable ¥6,000 tuition, he had already spent a third of his available funds before even reaching their destination. Xiao Ning smiled bitterly at the realization. If it were just him, he wouldn't mind squeezing into a third-class seat with strangers. But with Feina, he had to provide the best he could. It was his responsibility as a man, a promise he had made to her father.

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Glancing at the unmoving line and the argument ahead, Xiao Ning idly tallied his assets. Aside from the unknown-value lab, his father left behind a struggling shop, a ten-thousand-yuan bank draft, and a room full of unsold watches. Not necessarily of poor quality, but his father's slow sales couldn't keep up with the times, leaving the inventory to pile up.

"Maybe I should go back and sell them at a discount to clear the stock?" he mused. Ten thousand might be a lot to most people, but Xiao Ning knew it could vanish with one mishap. If crucial materials for his advancement appeared in someone else's hands, would he pay ¥30,000 or succumb to darker thoughts and take it by force?

Hatred for evil was in a demon hunter's nature, but too many such deeds could lead him to turn his sword on himself one day. Lost in these thoughts, Xiao Ning felt the dormant potion residue within him and sighed deeply. Humans always yearned for more, even before digesting the first dose of magic potion, he was already craving the second.

Looking up at the snail-paced line, Xiao Ning took another bite of the cocoa cake. "Ugh, so sweet!" Seeing the red bean paste inside, he wondered who invented such an overly sweet treat. Unable to finish it, he noticed the line behind him had grown. Leaving now would mean starting over, and Feina might turn icy if delayed too long.

He wasn't the only impatient one. People frequently craned their necks to check the hold-up. If looks could kill, the woman arguing with the ticket clerk would be riddled with arrows. Her tantrum delayed dozens of people, undoubtedly earning many silent curses.

When security finally escorted the troublemaker away, the crowd cheered, and the line moved swiftly. Soon it was Xiao Ning's turn. "Good morning, where to?" "Dalong City, first-class cabin, for two," he quickly requested, feeling the cool pastry in his hand.

"Sorry, first-class tickets are sold out." "Second-class sleeper, for two." Xiao Ning compromised. "Very sorry, sir. Only third-class tickets are left, with seven seats remaining." What? So many people on this train? "Five seats now; two more sold at window three," the clerk added before he could react. "Two seats left; windows one and three sold more..."

"Two third-class tickets!" Xiao Ning hurriedly decided. The clerk glanced at the availability board and typed. "Congratulations, you got the last two tickets." From window one came a wail. Xiao Ning turned to see a man begging at the counter, refusing to leave, only to be dragged away by security.

How tragic, but if he missed the train, his fate would be worse. Feina might not speak to him for days, punishing him with cold silence. "That'll be ¥380," the clerk said, pulling him back to reality. Xiao Ning quickly paid, collected the freshly printed tickets, and returned to Feina with the now-cold cocoa cake.

"Got the tickets," he announced. "How much?" Feina asked, examining one. "Not much, let's go. We can board now," he replied, grabbing the luggage. "Here, you eat this. I can't finish it." "Wasteful!" Feina scolded, snatching the cake and holding onto his coat while she focused on finishing the sweet treat.