Slender fingers wrapped in a light cocoon of calluses slid across the phone screen.
Lu Qiming’s expression remained as calm as ever, but beneath his skin, his pulse was racing like wind trapped in a skyscraper.
A moment later.
[That courtyard is a bit out of the way, about two kilometers from the nearest subway station. But there’s a supermarket inside, all the daily essentials are available — you don’t need to worry.]
He sent the reply.
Two seconds later, the girl messaged again: [Is that so… I was worried it’d be inconvenient to shop, so I made a special trip to stock up. Guess it was a waste][ZoningOut.jpg]
Through the screen, Lu Qiming’s gaze landed on the sticker she sent.
A cartoon figure with a round head and shiny black eyes, frozen in a dazed, cute expression — strangely, it looked a little like her.
He smiled and typed: [The base supermarket mainly covers essentials. There aren’t many brands, can’t compare to a big commercial store. Stocking up in advance is definitely smart.]
Qian Duoduo: [True.]
Qian Duoduo: [Thanks for clearing that up, Mr. Lu. I won’t bother you anymore. Get back to your work~][ByeBye.jpg]
Lu Qiming: [I’m not busy.]
On the other side of the city, at Qingyuetai Complex.
Qian Duoduo had just poured herself a glass of juice and returned to the bedroom.
One glance at her phone and she saw a new message from the comrade in uniform.
Gulp.
She took a sip, but didn’t swallow. Her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel hoarding a pine nut.
Qian Duoduo stared wide-eyed at the screen, trying to think of a reply, when another message came in from the comrade: [I can keep chatting.]
“…Cough.” She swallowed too quickly and choked on the juice. Her pale, porcelain-like face turned red from coughing.
Just then, ding, a new message popped up from Secretary Tang.
Tang Qiyuan: [The director of this movie just released another film this year. Rumor has it it’ll be brought to the mainland. Would you do me the honor of watching it with me, Ms. Qian?]
Qian Duoduo: “…”
Although her chats with both men were perfectly normal, why did she suddenly feel like a two-timer playing both sides?
Shocked by this bizarre thought, Qian Duoduo took another sip of juice to steady her nerves.
Following the “first come, first served” rule, she replied to the comrade in uniform first: [I thought Mr. Lu would be busy during missions. But sure, I can chat more. What do you want to talk about?]
Only then did she type out a reply to the man in the blazer: [Thank you for the kind offer, Secretary Tang. I’ll see what my schedule’s like then.]
Lu Qiming: [The core task is already done.]
Lu Qiming: [Did Ms. Qian sign up for the program herself? Staying at the base means wake-up calls, lights-out signals, and all kinds of military drills. You might not be used to it.]
Qian Duoduo: [It wasn’t me. My company signed me up. They said it’d boost the image of the company and my social media.]
Secretary Tang: [Haha, sounds like you’re hard to pin down, Ms. Qian.]
Qian Duoduo: [Not at all. I just figured living at the base might limit my flexibility.]
Lu Qiming: [Has your grandfather’s health improved?]
Qian Duoduo: [Much better after a few rounds of traditional medicine. He hasn’t coughed in the last couple days.]
Secretary Tang: [That makes sense. I’ll try to schedule something during the day then, how’s that?]
“…” Switching back and forth between the two chats, replying quickly but carefully, Qian Duoduo was on high alert — terrified one slip of the finger would create a mess. She was starting to feel overwhelmed.
Finally, by the eighth minute of this back-and-forth chaos, her brain was on the verge of crashing.
[Secretary Tang, I have something to deal with. Let’s chat next time. Rest well tonight.]
She hit send, then swiftly closed the chat window with Tang Qiyuan.
Whew.
Peace at last.
Secretary Tang sent another message afterward, but Qian Duoduo didn’t open it.
Her lashes fluttered, and as something came to mind, she typed naturally: [Mr. Lu, how’s your sleep? Has Dr. Shao’s medicine helped?]
Lu Qiming: [It’s improved. Thank you for asking.]
Qian Duoduo: [That’s good. Keep taking it a bit longer, hopefully it clears things up completely.]
Lu Qiming: [Okay.]
Then Qian Duoduo asked Lu Qiming a few more questions about daily life in the military base.
He answered each one patiently and thoroughly.
Time slipped by without a sound.
Qian Duoduo yawned while looking at her phone.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the time at the top right corner of the screen: 00:45.
It was past midnight? Oh god, how did she not notice at all?
Flustered, she quickly typed: [Just saw the time… I’m so sorry, I talk too much. You should get some sleep, Mr. Lu. Good night, and sweet dreams.]
Under the same moonlit sky.
Moonlight streamed through the window.
The utility belt hanging from the ceiling swayed gently above his head.
Lu Qiming lay with his left arm under his head, the corners of his mouth lifting lazily as he replied: [Good night to you, too.]
Screen off, lights out.
He rolled over to face the wall, one leg bent, eyes closed.
She wished him sweet dreams?
He thought of fragrance, of a distant yet gentle moon, and that lock of hair brushing her cheek and ear.
*
Friday afternoon, a vehicle with white plates and red characters idled silently.
Its body was fully camouflaged, angular and sharp-edged, like a steel beast lying in wait.
Before long, a sweet female voice came through the airport broadcast: “Attention passengers picking up friends or family — flight 69076 from Jichuan has landed. Please proceed to Arrival Gate 9. Attention passengers picking up friends or family…”
Inside the military SUV’s cabin, the driver, Zhang Xiaohai, had been waiting several minutes and was starting to feel drowsy.
He reached into the pocket of his camo pants and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, planning to have one to stay awake.
But just as he flicked the lighter, the rear trunk door was suddenly thrown open.
Hearing the noise, Zhang Xiaohai didn’t react much.
He put away the lighter and cigarettes, stuck his head out the window, and called out, “Captain Lu, Engineer Jiang, Qi-ge.”
Three tall men in civilian clothes were unloading luggage — each with a suitcase in hand, moving with brisk efficiency.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohai got out to help and said cheerfully, “That was fast. I thought I’d be waiting at least another half hour.”
Wang Siqi replied, “Flight landed early, and we didn’t have any checked luggage.”
“Good thing it did,” Engineer Jiang said, glancing at Zhang Xiaohai with a teasing arch of his brow. “If we’d left you waiting in the car, you’d have gone through half a pack by now.”
Zhang Xiaohai’s sun-darkened face flushed red.
He scratched his head sheepishly and muttered, “Engineer Jiang, you make me sound like some chain smoker.”
“You basically are,” Jiang scoffed, giving him a once-over. “Every time I pass your dorm building, your room’s full of smoke. You’re still young, but you sure puff like a veteran.”
Jiang Jin — full name Jiang Jin — had just turned forty this year and was a key technical expert at the unit.
He was known for his warm demeanor and sharp wit, often playing basketball with the younger guys.
Soldiers like Zhang Xiaohai, far from home and family, often looked to Jiang as an older brother or father figure.
Jiang’s words struck a chord. Zhang Xiaohai took a deep breath to steady himself, then said sincerely, “Thank you for your concern, Engineer Jiang. I understand. I’ll quit smoking.”
“You’re so young and already have nodules in your lungs?” Wang Siqi shut the trunk with a loud thunk, frowning as he looked at Zhang Xiaohai. “Did you see a specialist?”
“The day after the checkup results came out, Squad Leader Liu took me to see one,” Zhang Xiaohai said easily. “Doctor said I’m still young, it’s not a big problem. Just need regular checkups.”
At that moment, Lu Qiming, who’d been silent the whole time, glanced at Zhang Xiaohai and said, “Starting today, not a single cigarette. If I catch you again — five kilometers, penalty run.”
Zhang Xiaohai straightened up instantly and saluted. “Yes, sir!”
The young soldier’s earnest reaction made the group chuckle.
They wrapped up their chat and got into the car, heading back to Shishui.
Once onboard, Wang Siqi played on his phone for a while before calling his girlfriend to check in, his voice loud and carefree: “Hey baby? Just got off the plane, heading back to base now…”
In the middle of his chatter, someone nudged him with an elbow.
Wang Siqi fell quiet, covering the mic with his hand and turned to see who it was. “What’s up, Captain Lu?”
Lu Qiming’s expression remained neutral. He didn’t say a word—just tilted his chin slightly.
Following his line of sight, Wang Siqi saw that Jiang Jin in the front passenger seat had dozed off.
His head was leaning on the headrest, eyes gently shut, and if you listened closely, you could hear faint snoring.
Understanding instantly, Wang Siqi lowered his voice and whispered into the phone, “Alright, there’s someone sleeping in the car. I’ll call you once I’m back at the dorm… Mhm, love you. Bye.”
He pocketed his phone, glanced again at the back of Jiang Jin’s head, and sighed softly. “Engineer Jiang isn’t that young anymore. During this trip to Jichuan, he stayed up late every night with us. He really worked hard.”
Lu Qiming’s lips quirked subtly. “Was your girlfriend upset during the Jichuan trip?”
Wang Siqi froze, then his face shifted ever so slightly.
He frowned and whispered, “Captain Lu, how’d you know?”
“I was in the room next to yours at the guesthouse.”
Wang Siqi looked embarrassed and gave an awkward laugh. “So you heard me arguing on the phone? Sorry, I was too loud. It’s just… my fiancée and I are planning our wedding. I’d just promised to go dress shopping with her when a mission got assigned…” He trailed off, guilt and helplessness flickering in his eyes.
He shook his head and added, “It hasn’t been easy for her, being with someone like me. So every time she argues or vents, I understand.”
Lu Qiming patted him on the shoulder but didn’t say anything.
Then, from the driver’s seat, Zhang Xiaohai suddenly clicked his tongue and said, puzzled, “Captain Lu, Qi-ge, every time we have a political study session, the Commander always stresses ‘remember the mission.’ But I keep thinking — me, I just drive people around. I can’t fight on the frontlines or face the enemy. What’s the point of remembering the mission?”
Wang Siqi chuckled and said, “Comrade Zhang Xiaohai, your political awareness is a bit off. Chairman Mao said, ‘a single spark can start a prairie fire.’ We’re the carriers of red genes. The fact that you’re asking this question shows you still need to keep learning.”
Hands on the wheel, eyes fixed on the traffic light ahead, Zhang Xiaohai couldn’t hide the frustration in his voice. “That’s because you guys are the core backbone. I’m not like you. You do real work defending the nation. I joined the army with all this patriotism, and all I do is drive.”
The military SUV sped down the highway, roadside scenery blurring by in streaks.
Lu Qiming stared calmly out the window.
Far on the horizon, a flock of birds flew against the light.
Their wings rose and fell, tracing the arc of stars across the sky.
“Actually, it’s not just us,” Lu Qiming suddenly said. His tone was casual, almost like small talk. “People in every field in China are the same. Everyone has their own mission.”
Wang Siqi and Zhang Xiaohai both paused, surprised. The cabin fell silent.
“Every ordinary job, every ordinary person, can make this country, this world, a little different,” he added.
*