Night was as dark as ink.
The wind blew from the direction of the shooting range, carrying with it the faint scent of gunpowder smoke that was gradually dispersed by the camellia blossoms along the way.
By the time it reached Lu Qiming’s nose, only a subtle, elegant sweetness remained.
Lu Qiming lowered his gaze to look at Qian Gege, his black eyes calm and gentle. “Did you make these today?”
“No.” Qian Gege shook her head. “The dumplings were made yesterday because we only heard that you’d be back today but didn’t know the exact time. We thought if it was in the morning or at noon… you’d be able to eat something warm as soon as you got back.”
“Then what did you do today?”
“In the morning, I went to the hospital to see my grandpa, and when I came back, I planned to take a nap.” She spoke with a faint blush coloring the tips of her ears, her voice growing softer. “But that nap turned into sleeping all the way until nine in the evening…”
Lu Qiming heard this and barely furrowed his brows. “Have you not been resting well these past few nights?”
Qian Gege’s hands twisted together unconsciously.
No wonder she always looked so scared.
It seemed nothing in the world could escape these eyes.
After a moment of silence, Qian Gege gave an awkward smile and explained, “Actually, I can fall asleep. It’s just that I dream a lot, so I don’t sleep very soundly.”
Lu Qiming looked at her and asked again, “So, did you have dinner?”
“Yes.”
Hearing her answer, Lu Qiming said, “Let’s go.”
Qian Gege asked, “Where to?”
“The mess hall.”
She was momentarily stunned, scanning him up and down before asking, “Aren’t you going back to the dorm to change first?”
Lu Qiming replied, “I was planning to.”
After crawling around in the snowy highlands for days, his Zuo Xun Fu was covered in snow, mud, blood stains, and sweat marks— so filthy it looked like it had a patina. Wearing it was naturally uncomfortable.
Qian Gege looked even more puzzled. “Then you should go back to change first. I saw your teammates all heading to the dorm.”
“But you still need to eat dinner.” Lu Qiming answered naturally.
Qian Gege’s eyes flickered slightly as she froze.
“If I go back to change, including the round trip, you’d have to wait at least fifteen minutes before you could eat.” Lu Qiming said. “Being hungry too long can hurt your stomach.”
Hearing this, a faint warmth quietly rose in Qian Gege’s chest. She moved her lips a few times, unable to help but whisper, “Aren’t you hungry too? Everyone is.”
Lu Qiming: “It’s different.”
Qian Gege looked up, doubtful. “How is it different?”
“I go to uninhabited areas several times a year, often skipping meals. I’m used to it.” Lu Qiming stared at her, his expression and tone as casual as ever. “You’re a girl. Remember to take good care of yourself.”
–
Just as Qian Gege guessed, the core squad members’ first task upon returning to the compound was to go back to the dorm to shower and change.
The snowy battlefield environment was harsh, and living conditions were extremely limited. At an altitude of four to five thousand meters, they lived in military tents and ate compressed biscuits.
Every night, sentries took turns standing watch, switching every two hours.
They had been out there for four or five days and hadn’t even washed their faces with warm water.
Only those who had experienced such bitter cold winds knew how much they longed for the feeling of washing their bodies with hot water.
So when Qian Gege and Lu Qiming entered the mess hall, it was almost empty. Not a single Special Operations Team member was in sight.
Only the kitchen lights shone brightly, and faint voices could be heard inside.
“You’re quick, aren’t you? Lu team’s back already. I bet they’re all showering and changing in the dorm now. Hurry and boil the water. Once everyone’s here, they’ll be waiting for us to cook the dumplings.” Cui Yurong lowered his voice, urging.
That was Xiao Honghua’s voice, sounding miserable, like a bullied little quail. “Squad leader, it’s not that I don’t want to hurry. This huge pot of cold water takes time to boil. What good does rushing do? Should I tell the stove to turn up the heat?”
Cui Yurong laughed at his words, “The stove can’t understand human speech. What else can we do?”
The two bickered back and forth.
Qian Gege liked the atmosphere of the Cooking Squad’s daily interactions. It was warm and harmonious, like a real family.
Listening to the sounds from the kitchen, she gently curved her lips and said, “Looks like the dumplings aren’t ready yet. Captain Lu, sit down and wait for a bit. I’ll go in and help.”
With that, Qian Gege walked into the kitchen on her own.
At a glance, a large black iron pot sat on the stove, filled with water. The water was just about to boil, with transparent bubbles rising in lines from the bottom, like bubbles coming out of a small fish’s mouth.
“Squad leader Cui, Comrade Xiao, are you ready to cook the dumplings?” Qian Gege asked as she rolled up her sleeves.
Upon hearing her voice, Cui Yurong and Xiao Honghua instinctively looked back, smiling warmly and greeting, “Teacher Qian.”
Cui Yurong continued, “Yes, we’re ready. The dumplings have been frozen in the freezer for a whole day and night. If we don’t eat them soon, they won’t be fresh.”
As they spoke, bubbles finally began to burst in the pot.
Xiao Honghua picked up a large bag of frozen dumplings and looked troubled as he glanced at Cui Yurong. “Squad leader, people aren’t here yet. Shouldn’t we wait for them before we cook?”
“They’re already here,” Cui Yurong said.
Just then, a figure appeared at the kitchen entrance.
The three in the kitchen turned to look and saw a young middle-ranking officer in Zuo Xun Fu walk in. He casually unfastened the top clasp of his tactical vest and rolled up his sleeves, his tone indifferent: “Is there anything else to do?”
Seeing their captain, Cui Yurong immediately stood at attention, spine straightened, and responded loudly, “Reporting to Captain Lu, the Cooking Squad is operating normally. There’s nothing that requires your attention.”
“No need to be so formal.”
Lu Qiming’s eyes scanned the room before he walked straight to the iron pot with boiling water and took the bag of frozen dumplings from Xiao Honghua’s hands.
He paused, then glanced at the slender figure not far away. “Should we cook them all at once or in batches?”
Qian Gege, overhearing this, fixed her gaze on the dark brown stain on the right chest of his combat uniform.
Earlier, the outdoor lighting had been dim, making it hard to see clearly. Now, under the bright kitchen incandescent lights, she noticed the piece of fabric stained with a small dark brown patch.
Like blood that had clotted and dried too long ago, reflecting a cold metallic sheen under the light…
Nearby, seeing Qian Gege distracted for a moment, Xiao Honghua frowned slightly and nudged her arm with his elbow, leaning closer to whisper, “Teacher Qian, Captain Lu asked if the dumplings should be cooked all at once or in batches?”
She snapped back to attention, cleared her throat, and tried to sound calm and composed as she looked away, “Let’s cook one serving first. We’ll put the rest in when everyone else arrives.”
Lu Qiming picked up a frozen dumpling.
Ice crystals fell off it like tiny snowflakes from the highland’s pure white snow.
“Which ones are the cabbage pork dumplings?” he asked casually.
“Ah? Oh.” Cui Yurong was straightforward and didn’t overthink it. He opened the bag and pointed casually, “The cabbage pork dumplings were all made by Teacher Qian. Her technique is more delicate than ours. Captain Lu, the ones that look small, cute, and plump are usually cabbage pork. The ones that are bigger and have broken skin aren’t. Easy to tell.”
Qian Gege lowered her head, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear, her ears and cheeks faintly flushed for no reason.
Lu Qiming didn’t respond further. His peripheral vision discreetly followed the slender figure a few steps away.
The kitchen was a closed space; no cold wind could enter, and the fire on the stove made it noticeably warmer than outside.
She lowered her head, eyes not focused on anything, lashes drooping. Perhaps the steaming hot water from the boiling pot was too close, causing transparent droplets to form like silver beads on her thick eyelashes.
She blinked once, and the droplets disappeared.
Through the rising mist, she looked like a living painting— ethereal and elusive, as if a dream just beyond grasp.
In those few seconds, Lu Qiming was somewhat distracted.
Beneath his Zuo Xun Fu, a faint itch stirred deep in his chest.
Not on the skin, but somewhere deeper than flesh and blood, like a bug crawling inside.
A familiar bugle sound floated on the wind.
Lu Qiming withdrew his gaze and picked out the smaller, rounder frozen dumplings from the bag, dropping them into the pot.
The dumplings cooked quickly, and before long, a large plate of steaming cabbage pork dumplings was ready.
Cui Yurong grabbed a big porcelain plate, scooped up several dozen dumplings at once, and carried them into the mess hall, smiling as he called out, “Captain Lu, you eat first. I’ll cook more for the others when they arrive.”
Having said that, the squad leader returned to the kitchen.
With nothing else to do while waiting, Cui Yurong dragged over a stool and plopped down, chatting and bragging with Xiao Honghua about his rookie days.
Qian Gege leaned against the door frame, listening for a while. Remembering something, she turned and walked into the hall.
She wanted to ask Lu Qiming how the dumplings tasted, but when she looked, the large plate of dumplings on the table was untouched, still in the same state as when it was first brought out.
“On a day like this, dumplings get cold in minutes.” Qian Gege was slightly surprised, looking up at him. “Why aren’t you eating?”
Lu Qiming said, “Waiting for you.”
Qian Gege was taken aback. “Waiting for me to do what?”
“To eat together.” Lu Qiming’s expression was calm.
After saying this, he went back into the kitchen, took out a small porcelain plate and a pair of chopsticks, separated some dumplings from the big plate, and without looking up said, “You eat first. If you don’t finish, save the rest for me.”
Without waiting for her reply, he picked up a dumpling from the small plate and started eating on his own.
Qian Gege felt embarrassed instantly.
She thought to herself, even if they were sharing, she should be eating the small plate and he the big one— these dumplings were all thin-skinned, richly filled, and hearty.
Even if she had three stomachs, she couldn’t finish that much.
And would sharing a plate of dumplings between two people seem inappropriate? Too intimate?
But there was no way out.
Since he had already started eating, Qian Gege couldn’t say anything further and quietly picked up her chopsticks to eat as well.
The space was quiet.
The aroma of the dumplings was mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible metallic tang. Qian Gege’s sensitive nose caught it quickly.
Her knuckles gripped the metal chopsticks tightly, turning white.