While following Lu Qiming to her living quarters, Qian Duoduo took the opportunity to observe more of the camp.
Since she’d be here for a whole month, it was good to get familiar in advance.
After leaving the garage, Lu Qiming noticed the fine sheen of sweat on her forehead.
He glanced up at the glaring sun, thought for a moment, then led her onto a shaded path.
The shaded path was actually a long corridor-like tunnel.
On either side were bulletin boards, with green vines climbing the frame, cutting off the sunlight entirely from the walkway.
Qian Duoduo looked around.
The content on the boards was all intensely political— topics like the “Two Sessions,” the “People’s Congress,” and “Deep Implementation of the Chairman’s Ideology.” Every board had a Party emblem on the side.
She couldn’t help but smile and remarked casually, “This is my first time in a military camp. It’s really eye-opening. Totally different from what I imagined.”
Hearing this, Lu Qiming turned his head and looked at her.
His gaze landed on her fair cheeks, the elegant curve of her nose, and her slightly glossy pink lips.
He noticed she seemed to prefer pink-toned lipsticks.
The soft color complemented her complexion, adding to her gentle charm.
Her skin was so thin and clear, it reminded him of those ripe fruits in an autumn field—so delicate, a light pinch could bruise the skin, bursting with sweet, juicy flesh.
All of a sudden, Lu Qiming felt a tightness in his throat. Without a word, he exhaled quietly and guessed it was the collar of his uniform tugging at his neck. He reached up to loosen it a bit.
“What did you imagine the camp would be like?” he asked, keeping his voice steady despite the tension in his throat.
“I can’t say exactly,” Qian Duoduo tilted her head, thinking. “Maybe I’ve watched too many dramas. I pictured a giant training ground, all dust and sand flying everywhere.”
Lu Qiming let out a small smile. “We definitely have that kind of training ground here. During drills, everyone ends up covered in dust and dirt.”
Qian Duoduo said, “But overall, the environment here is actually pretty nice. There are artificial lakes, pavilions, little bridges—these landscaping touches clearly took some thought.”
“They’re meant to support mental health,” Lu Qiming replied evenly. “Being in a monotonous environment for years, under high stress and heavy workloads—without something pleasant to look at, people can go stir-crazy.”
Qian Duoduo didn’t hold back her praise. “Your unit is very humane.”
“Soldiers are still human. We have needs, emotions, desires. As times change, everything should evolve accordingly.”
Chatting as they walked along the corridor, a few minutes later, a five-story white brick building came into Qian Duoduo’s view.
They stopped walking.
“This is the place,” Lu Qiming said.
Qian Duoduo noticed the words “Dormitory Building” on the wall, nodded, and stepped forward to enter.
But just as she reached the main entrance, two tall men in military uniform came walking out.
Both were holding documents. When they spotted Lu Qiming, they paused in surprise and greeted him casually, “Working overtime, Captain Lu?”
Lu Qiming gave a brief nod. “Heading to the office?”
“Yeah, there’s a project that needs to be wrapped up. We’re pushing to finish it today so next week will be a bit easier.” One of the officers, wearing glasses, had just said this when he noticed something. His gaze shifted to the side—only then did he realize that beside their captain stood a fresh-faced young woman. He froze on the spot.
“Captain Lu, this is…” Both of them looked puzzled.
“Hello, I’m Qian Duoduo.” Qian Duoduo quickly introduced herself, smiling warmly at the two. “I’m here to take part in the ‘mess hall’ military support event.”
At those words, Dou Zi’ao and Qi Lang finally caught on.
The military base was a place full of men, and they rarely had a chance to interact with girls. Neither of them had ever seen a girl as pretty as Qian Duoduo in real life, and her sweet looks made them a little shy. They quickly responded, “Nice to meet you! Welcome, Chef! Thanks for helping improve our meals!”
Qian Duoduo: “……”
She kept a polite smile. “Okay, if there’s anything you want to eat, just let me know. I’ll do my best to make every dish as good as I can.”
After the slightly awkward small talk, the two bashful men greeted their captain once more and left.
Once they were out of sight, Qian Duoduo turned to Lu Qiming and asked, “Mr. Lu, is this the men’s dorm?”
“Yeah.” Lu Qiming paused, as if worried she might be upset, and explained gently, “There aren’t many female soldiers in our unit. The women’s dorm only takes up one floor, and it’s currently full. The guesthouse is about to be renovated, so the only option is to have you stay in the officers’ building.”
“I see.” Qian Duoduo nodded in understanding, then asked the most crucial question, “Does the dorm have a private bathroom?”
“Yes.”
“What about a shower?”
“Yes.”
Private bathroom and shower in the dorm—perfect. No awkward run-ins with guys.
Hearing that, Qian Duoduo relaxed, patted her chest, and smiled again. “Then it’s all good. Thanks for personally bringing me over. Just tell me the floor and room number—I can go up myself.”
Lu Qiming looked at her. “I live in this building.”
Ah, right.
He was an officer, after all.
Qian Duoduo got a little stuck, then awkwardly squeezed out a response: “What a coincidence.”
By now, the evening breeze had returned.
This dormitory building didn’t have an elevator. The two of them climbed the stairs one after the other. Lu Qiming, carrying the large suitcase, moved effortlessly as if walking on flat ground. Qian Duoduo, with her small crossbody bag, trailed behind, struggling to control her quickened breathing from the exertion.
She thought: Thank goodness for this helpful PLA comrade. If she had to drag the big suitcase up all by herself, she’d probably have collapsed halfway.
She couldn’t help but admire: Lu Qiming really was a great friend—fit and strong.
They reached the fourth floor. Qian Duoduo rubbed her aching knees and looked up, relieved to see the superhuman soldier didn’t go up another floor, but instead walked straight to a dorm room.
“This is the one. 406,” Lu Qiming said calmly.
The key was already in the door. He turned it with a “click” and pushed the door open for her, flipping on the light switch.
A soft white glow spread through the room.
Qian Duoduo clutched her bag strap and stepped inside.
The room wasn’t large. It was the standard layout for a single dorm: a private bathroom with a water heater. Besides that, there was a large wardrobe, a single bed, a nightstand, a desk, two chairs, an air conditioner, and a 55-inch television.
“The conditions are a bit basic—not like your home,” Lu Qiming said beside her. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s great—compact but complete.” Qian Duoduo smiled at him, then thought of something and asked curiously, “You said you live in this building. Which room?”
Lu Qiming looked at her, his gaze calm and gentle. “Why do you want to know that?”
Qian Duoduo’s ears turned red, and she mumbled in embarrassment, “Well… this place is huge, and I only know you…”
Everyone says it’s easier to get things done through someone you know.
And he was the only person she knew here. If something unexpected came up during her stay, she might not be able to handle it alone.
The dorm window wasn’t fully closed. A breeze swept in, lifting a corner of the dark green blackout curtain. The strands of hair on Qian Duoduo’s forehead swayed gently with the wind.
Lu Qiming’s gaze passed over her flushed ears and pink cheeks, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable happiness.
“I’m in 408,” Lu Qiming told her.
Qian Duoduo’s eyes flickered.
This was 406. So 408 must be very close?
He added, “Right next door to Teacher Qian.”
*
This dorm would be Qian Duoduo’s home for the next month.
Since she was a young woman living alone, Lu Qiming, being a man, naturally didn’t linger. After placing her suitcase in the room, he was about to leave.
Out of courtesy, Qian Duoduo followed him to the door and waved. “Goodbye, Mr. Lu—” She paused, then muttered, “Calling you ‘Mr. Lu’ doesn’t feel right here. Just now I heard others calling you Captain Lu… So, goodbye, Captain Lu.”
“Goodbye.”
Click—the door closed softly. Qian Duoduo leaned back against it, exhaled, and began organizing her things.
She had already scanned the room earlier and found it clean and tidy—clearly pre-cleaned. Great, that saved her from having to do a big cleanup.
She hung her clothes in the wardrobe, put her pants on the lower shelf, and arranged her toiletries neatly on the bathroom rack.
There were still plenty of skincare and makeup bottles to deal with, so Qian Duoduo temporarily placed them on the desk…
Transforming into a busy little bee, she bustled around the room organizing things, when suddenly, her phone rang.
It was a call from Officer Xue.
She picked up. “Hello, Officer Xue?”
“Hello, Teacher Qian. Sorry, I missed your call earlier.” Xue Wei’s voice was polite and apologetic. Then he asked, “Are you almost here?”
Qian Duoduo replied, “I’m already in the dorm room.”
“What?” Xue Wei’s voice pitched up in surprise. “How did you know which building and which floor was yours?”
“I asked someone, and a kind soul brought me here,” Qian Duoduo said smoothly, without the slightest blush. “It’s the officers’ dorm, room 406, right?”
“…That’s right.”
“Mm, then I’m not in the wrong place.”
“…As long as you’ve found it, that’s good. Sorry we didn’t properly welcome you, Teacher Qian—please forgive us.” Xue Wei was still confused but couldn’t exactly interrogate her, so he continued, “Your and the other teacher’s meal cards will only be ready tomorrow. For dinner today, if you want to eat in the cafeteria, you can use mine.”
“It’s still early. Don’t worry about my dinner,” Qian Duoduo replied with a meaningful tone.
“All right then. It’s been a long journey for you—take a good rest tonight. Let’s meet tomorrow morning to go over the procedures. Goodbye.”
“Bye-bye.”
After hanging up, Qian Duoduo felt a bit sore in the legs. She bent down to sit at the edge of the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the military green quilt, folded perfectly into a square like a tofu block—neat and stiff.
The green quilt and the plain checkered sheets reminded her of the military training she had back in college.
She blinked.
Everything in the military camp was unfamiliar and novel.
Girls tend to bring a lot of stuff when they travel, and that afternoon, Qian Duoduo spent over an hour emptying her suitcase.
The originally cold and tidy military-style dorm instantly took on a girlish charm: a box of strawberry hair ties here, a few cartoon trinket boxes there.
Once she was done organizing, she flopped onto the bed, exhausted.
Staring up at the fluorescent light above, she zoned out for a moment, then lightly pursed her lips and tapped on the WeChat chat box.
Qian Duoduo: [Lying flat.jpg]
Zhao Jingxi: [You’re there? What’s the place like? Send me a photo!]
Qian Duoduo: [Military zone, no photos allowed.]
Zhao Jingxi: [Oh, oh, right—I forgot!]
Zhao Jingxi: [Is the place super dusty?]
Qian Duoduo: [Pfft.]
Qian Duoduo: [I thought it’d be dusty and dirty, but it’s actually really nice! The landscaping is pretty good!]
Zhao Jingxi: [Wow!]
Zhao Jingxi: [What’s your room like?]
Qian Duoduo: [Overall, it’s great. Private bathroom, air conditioning, TV, water heater, wardrobe, desk and chairs—all fully equipped.]
Zhao Jingxi: [Nice, nice. From today on, your joyful military camp life begins, hahaha.]
Zhao Jingxi: [So, how does it feel so far? Like you’re on one of those military reality shows?]
Qian Duoduo: [No lighting crew, no camera crew, no stylists—and no script.]
Zhao Jingxi: [Covering mouth.jpg]
Zhao Jingxi: [Are you eating in the mess hall tonight?]
Qian Duoduo: [Not sure yet.]
Qian Duoduo: [You need a card to eat here, kind of like a college cafeteria. Mine’s not ready yet…]
Zhao Jingxi: [If it comes to it, just eat outside. They won’t restrict your freedom, right?]
Qian Duoduo: [Mhm.]
The two girls chatted aimlessly for a while.
After a moment’s thought, Qian Duoduo blinked, then finally typed a line:
Qian Duoduo: [Jingxi, do you believe in something like… fate?]
Zhao Jingxi: [I do!]
Zhao Jingxi: [Why do you ask all of a sudden?]
Qian Duoduo: [I saw Lu Qiming today. He works right in this compound…]
Zhao Jingxi: [?]
Qian Duoduo: [And I’m living in the room next to his.]
Zhao Jingxi: [??]
Zhao Jingxi: […I’m speechless.]
Qian Duoduo: [It’s nothing, just feeling chatty.]
Zhao Jingxi: [I’ve never come across anything like that. All I can say is: if it’s meant to be, you’ll meet even across a thousand miles.]
Qian Duoduo: [That’s what I think too. Chin-on-hand.jpg]
It was all just casual, rambling conversation. Before long, a light knocking sounded at the door.
Qian Duoduo turned off her phone screen, walked to the door, and asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
“…?” Recognizing the voice, Qian Duoduo was slightly surprised as she opened the door.
Lu Qiming stood outside, now dressed in a dark, thick jacket instead of his uniform. He looked clean and sharp. Bathed in the sunset, his shadow stretched long behind him like a quiet, straight black river.
“Captain Lu, do you need something?” Qian Duoduo gave a slight smile and asked tentatively.
“I heard from Xue Wei that your meal card hasn’t been issued yet,” Lu Qiming said, looking at her with calm eyes. “I was about to go out for dinner. Would you like to join me, Teacher Qian?”