Outside the car windshield, the streetlights cast their glow from a distance, the light and shadow blurred and diffused by the deep night into several fuzzy golden halos.
The hot air condensed into mist, forming a transparent film on the car window.
A moment of dead silence.
After a few seconds, Qian Duoduo came back to her senses, her heart instantly racing a few beats faster.
Lu Qiming had shown interest in her before, of course she knew that. But when he first made his feelings clear, she had been resolute, rejecting him several times in a row…
Her heart thumped loudly.
The warmth on Qian Duoduo’s cheeks grew stronger, fine beads of sweat appeared on her palms, and a tangled web of emotions wove through her mind, leaving her feeling flustered and uneasy.
She was so nervous she didn’t dare to look at him again; her gaze quickly averted to the car window as she tried to compose herself and think of how to respond.
The neon lights sped past, their streaks trailing like shooting stars.
Inside the cabin, Lu Qiming remained silent, quietly waiting.
Her thoughts shifted subtly, and a strange illusion crept in—as if he were standing in a military tribunal, awaiting a verdict that would decide his fate.
With just a single word, or even just a glance, she could sway his entire life, determine his survival.
Lu Qiming pressed his lips lightly.
He appeared calm and collected, yet the knuckles gripping the steering wheel were faintly white, and his sharply defined jawline conspicuously concealed the Adam’s apple on his neck.
If anyone could see the subtle rise and fall of Lu Qiming’s Adam’s apple, if anyone could perceive the anxiety he desperately hid and the wildly surging emotions beneath his composed exterior…
Another ten seconds passed.
Qian Duoduo looked out the window, took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and finally tried to speak. It was a gentle, soft question.
She asked him, “Are all of you soldiers like this?”
Hearing this, Lu Qiming’s expression tightened slightly, and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
The streetlights cast shifting shadows on the girl’s clean profile; her cheeks flushed, lips lightly bitten, her black hair shimmering like stars scattered across a boundless desert.
“What?” Lu Qiming asked softly, his voice slightly hoarse. He didn’t quite understand the meaning behind her question.
“Are all soldiers like you—persistent and steadfast?” The girl paused, then continued softly, “No matter what difficulties they face, they never give up?”
Lu Qiming’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t respond.
Beside him, Qian Duoduo closed her eyes to steady herself, then mustered courage and turned her gaze back to him. “There are countless girls in the world. I’ve rejected you so many times before—if it were any other guy, they probably would have given up long ago. Why do you keep liking me?”
Lu Qiming was silent for a moment, then gave a smile with an unclear meaning.
Qian Duoduo caught the faint smile and furrowed her brows in confusion. “I’m asking you seriously—why are you laughing?”
Lu Qiming still didn’t speak.
He drove the car forward a few meters, then braked and pulled over to the side.
Qian Duoduo instinctively turned her head and looked around.
She had never been on this road before; the surrounding street scenes were unfamiliar, and there were hardly any pedestrians along the road. It was also very late, and all the shops by the roadside had closed.
Only a stray cat lazily walked along the old residential wall, suddenly leaping over to the community and meowing a few times before disappearing.
The night easily stirs all kinds of human emotions.
Originally, Qian Duoduo just felt a bit embarrassed and nervous, but now that Lu Qiming had suddenly stopped the car in such a place, her anxious feelings instantly amplified without limit.
Silence filled the car.
Her heart pounded wildly, she could clearly hear each beat, loud and fast, the frequency almost rivaling the war drums that sounded before ancient battles.
Thump.
Qian Duoduo quietly swallowed.
Just as her fingers began trembling from the tension, the man beside her suddenly spoke.
“The question you asked just now,” Lu Qiming looked at her, the faint curve of his mouth carrying a trace of self-mockery, his tone calm, “actually, I want to know the answer too.”
Qian Duoduo’s eyes flashed sharply, stunned.
“Before you, I never had any experience of liking someone. Everything related to you, tangible or abstract, is the first for me.” Lu Qiming’s dark eyes fixed on her. “Because of your presence, I’ve started to encounter a whole new world.”
“The vitality and novelty in you make me yearn for it. Likewise, you also make me yearn.”
After his words, the car was silent again.
Qian Duoduo’s bright eyes stared at him, then after a moment, she nodded slightly and replied, “If I… if I can bring that to you, and cause some positive change in your life, I’m really happy for you.”
Lu Qiming responded calmly, “It’s also because of you that I realized human emotions can be so colorful and diverse.”
Qian Duoduo didn’t quite understand, so she paused.
“I always thought I was a boring person. When I was studying, I didn’t have much interest, then I got into military school and started working. The environment and my personality both contributed to making my life even more monotonous. Every day of the year, I’m either working on projects or on assignments. When I have free time, I can only spend it exercising.” Lu Qiming said quietly, “So boring that my emotions don’t have much fluctuation.”
Qian Duoduo studied his expression carefully, sensing something, and quickly switched to a comforting tone, “That makes sense.”
“Exactly.” Qian Duoduo replied. “When you hold a sniper rifle, even the rate of your heartbeat affects your shooting accuracy. If your emotions didn’t fluctuate, it’s probably because the mission itself is dull.”
Lu Qiming’s gaze fell steadily on Qian Duoduo’s face.
Her words were calm, her clear eyes sparkling like stars in the galaxy. This serious, utterly sincere attitude, even she believed it herself—quite convincing.
His lips curved into a smile again, and he asked, “Teacher Qian, are you trying to comfort me with this?”
Caught out so clearly, Qian Duoduo felt a bit embarrassed.
She froze, then cleared her throat and smiled, “No. I really think you’re quite impressive.”
“Then how about giving it a try?”
“……”
Lu Qiming’s black eyes watched her quietly, his expression calm as his left middle finger subtly curled. “Date me.”
Four words, simple and straightforward, spoken as naturally as the warm air blowing from the vent, filling Qian Duoduo’s ears and making her cheeks flush hot.
The car cabin formed a sealed environment, the distance between them close enough for Qian Duoduo to smell the fresh scent of Lu Qiming’s shower gel.
Not an overpowering floral fragrance, but more like cedarwood or pine.
A thread of it drifted into her nostrils, weaving a subtle charm in this moment.
Qian Duoduo lowered her head again, her slender fingers unconsciously tightening the seatbelt restraining her body.
What should she do?
Should she agree to try dating him?
Although she did have some feelings for him…
Thinking about the nature of his job, Qian Duoduo felt troubled. She was torn and hesitant, unsure how to choose. She closed her eyes briefly and rubbed her temples.
Not long ago, Zhao Jingxi had advised her that dating Lu Qiming wouldn’t be a loss. The worst outcome would be just sleeping together and then breaking up, nothing serious.
If Qian Duoduo shared Zhao Jingxi’s view on relationships, she wouldn’t still be single at this point.
The city and night were exceptionally quiet; the atmosphere in the car was just right.
Suddenly.
“Lu Qiming.” Qian Duoduo called softly.
Before, she was used to calling him “Team Leader Lu” or “Mr. Lu,” rarely using his full name like this.
Lu Qiming answered, “I’m listening.”
“My attitude toward relationships is very serious, and in that regard, I believe we’re the same.” Unable to look him in the eyes, Qian Duoduo’s eyelashes drooped low, her gaze nervous and darting, unintentionally landing on the scar on his wrist. Her voice lowered even more. “If we just casually try dating like this, without thinking it through carefully… because what if we…”
“You don’t have to carry that burden.”
Suddenly and naturally, Lu Qiming interrupted her in a gentle voice.
Qian Duoduo looked up, bewildered, “What?”
“In military terms, you can think of me as a temporary partner in a field exercise.”
The streetlight’s glow brushed over Lu Qiming’s brow bone, casting a faint shadow in his deep eye sockets.
He looked at her, speaking at a measured pace, his eyes dark and inscrutable. “When you find the real camp, just bravely march forward. I’ll be responsible for covering your retreat.”
Qian Duoduo was stunned, silent for a moment.
Her dazed expression was quite amusing—clumsy love, a kind of slow and innocent charm.
Lu Qiming was amused by her expression and spoke casually, “That means we’re just trying to date, becoming a couple. During this time, if you meet someone you truly like, I’ll unconditionally back off at any time.”
His voice was low but every word was clear, striking Qian Duoduo’s heart like a drumbeat.
She stared at Lu Qiming, as if completely unprepared to hear such words from him.
Her fingers curled unconsciously, the blunt, square-shaped nails pressing into the soft flesh of her palm.
Nearby.
Lu Qiming quietly watched Qian Duoduo without rushing or speaking, waiting for her decision.
A few short seconds passed, stretched out like centuries.
Finally.
“You…” Qian Duoduo’s voice broke the silence, trembling softly at the end. “Give me the whole night to think it over.”
Lu Qiming raised an eyebrow, his eyes revealing a meaningful expression.
“Tomorrow,” she silently steeled herself and promised, “I’ll tell you my answer tomorrow.”
“Good.” Lu Qiming smiled. “I’ll wait for your reply.”
–
Having agreed to give her answer tomorrow, both naturally fell silent and didn’t continue the topic.
Lu Qiming restarted the engine.
The vibration traveled up his spine through the seatback. Qian Duoduo quietly exhaled, feeling inexplicably as if she had been granted a great pardon.
For the next ten minutes or so, neither of them spoke.
The black SUV sped through the night.
So much had happened in one night. Qian Duoduo felt tired, leaning her head casually against the window. Just as she was drifting off, a sudden thought jolted her fully awake.
“Oh right!” she turned toward the driver’s seat.
The cold light of the dashboard cast upward. Lu Qiming’s eyelashes were thick and long; the shadow they cast on his cheek looked like a tiny fence.
“Did I thank you just now?” Qian Duoduo blinked, asking.
Lu Qiming thought carefully before answering, “No.”
“I just feel like I forgot to thank you for something really important.” Qian Duoduo mumbled, then looked at him seriously. “I’m really glad you were with me tonight. If you weren’t there at that bar with Chen Yu, I don’t know what terrible thing might have happened…”
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