(Second Part)
“Well…”
Qian Duoduo thought about it seriously before saying, “Actually, I don’t have a specific standard. I just hope he’s family-oriented, shares some of my interests and hobbies, someone I can talk to, someone with a sense of fun who understands life. Ideally, he could also give me a certain level of emotional support.”
Lu Qiming fell silent, lost in thought.
Family-oriented— no problem. The “shared interests” and “common topics” she mentioned— he might not have those now, but he could learn, do his best to blend in.
As for emotional support, he wasn’t sure he fully understood the term, but he was willing to try— willing to give everything to meet all her needs.
But when she ended with “It all comes down to feeling”— that felt like an insurmountable gulf blocking his way forward.
Clearly, she didn’t feel that way about him. She didn’t like him.
So… which direction should he work toward now?
At that moment, Qian Duoduo noticed the man beside her had gone quiet.
The atmosphere started to stiffen, so she cleared her throat and quickly tried to change the topic.
Her eyes darted around, and when she caught sight of the bouquet in her arms, she suddenly had an idea. “This bouquet is really beautiful. Mind telling me the name of the flower shop?”
“It’s called ‘Sicily Flower Shop,’” Lu Qiming replied. “I can send you the address on WeChat later.”
“Sounds good.” Qian Duoduo beamed and added naturally, “We have a little garden at home, all kinds of flowers and plants my mom grows.”
“Planning to give flowers to your mom?” Lu Qiming looked at her.
Qian Duoduo said, “No, I just thought this bunch of manta roses was really good quality. I wanted to ask the owner about their supplier on behalf of my mom.”
Lu Qiming’s expression remained calm as he said, “No wonder you included ‘family-oriented’ as a criteria for a partner.”
Qian Duoduo’s eyes narrowed slightly, instinctively turning to look at him. “Hm?”
“You’re a very filial girl.”
The comment was half-statement, half-compliment, and it made Qian Duoduo blush a little.
Feeling slightly flustered, she brushed it off with a joke: “Really? My best friend always says I’m a total mommy’s girl.”
They chatted as they walked, and before long, the two of them arrived at the milk tea shop.
This place was seriously popular.
It was eight in the evening, and a long line of trendy young people stretched outside the door.
Seeing the scene, Qian Duoduo widened her eyes in disbelief and muttered, “Wow. I forgot it’s the weekend… so many people…”
In just a few seconds, the heat on her face spiked.
She blamed herself. She had insisted on dragging a People’s Liberation Army officer out for milk tea, and now what? Was she really going to make him wait with her in this freezing weather?
Thinking about it, Qian Duoduo couldn’t help glancing over at the man beside her.
She bit her lip and cleared her throat, tentatively saying, “Uh… there might be a few too many people…”
“Mm.”
Lu Qiming’s sharp, composed face didn’t show much emotion.
He just nodded and said to her, “It’s windy outside. Go wait in the shop. I’ll get in line.”
He was going to line up alone? That was even worse!
Qian Duoduo already felt she owed him too much.
Hearing his suggestion, she didn’t hesitate to refuse, her ears turning red as she said, “There are so many people and it’s freezing out. Who knows how long it’ll take? Let’s just forget it.”
Lu Qiming said, “It’s fine. If you want it, I’ll wait in line.”
Qian Duoduo broke out in a cold sweat. She thought:
This officer really has a good temper. She’d dragged him around and made such a mess of things, and he still wasn’t mad.
But if he got sick waiting in line in this weather, wouldn’t that make her a terrible villain who damaged a national asset?
In a moment of panic, and without quite knowing what she was doing, she grabbed Lu Qiming’s sleeve and gently insisted, “Really, let’s forget it.”
Lu Qiming froze slightly, his long dark lashes lowering without a sound.
The hand grabbing his sleeve was small and fair, with fingertips like freshly peeled scallions.
She didn’t use much strength— it felt more like a paw lightly scratching at him.
His pulse jumped out of rhythm a few times.
His Adam’s apple bobbed once — but thanks to the angle, the girl in front of him didn’t notice a thing.
“The 7-Eleven next door just started stocking a new drink,” Qian Duoduo said quickly when she saw he didn’t pull away. She let go of his sleeve and added, “No line, saves time and effort. If you don’t mind, I’ll buy you one?”
“Sure,” he replied softly, lifting his gaze to look at her. “I’m good with anything.”
*
Compared to the packed milk tea shop, the 7-Eleven next door was much quieter.
Qian Duoduo and Lu Qiming walked in, one after the other, and arrived at the refrigerated section. Shelves were lined with all kinds of drinks and yogurt.
She bent down and scanned the shelves. Her eyes soon lit up as she spotted her target.
“This one!” Qian Duoduo picked up a pink bottle and turned to him with a bright smile in her eyes. “I haven’t tried it before, but it’s been hyped online. Mr. Lu, are you sure you want to unbox this mystery with me?”
The store was warm.
Lu Qiming stood just behind her, and when she turned her head slightly, a burst of sweet lychee scent mixed with her body warmth filled his nose, melting right into him.
His throat felt dry.
That fiery thirst and restlessness began spreading through his chest.
He shouldn’t have let his gaze drop that low — shouldn’t have looked at her lips, opening and closing as she spoke.
Her lips were like dewy cherries, curved with a faint smile.
The store’s overhead lighting reflected a soft sheen on them, making them look full and glossy.
The way her mouth moved as she talked reminded him of waves crashing over rocks during high tide— vivid, rhythmic.
If he hadn’t seen her lips, that thought wouldn’t have popped into his head.
He wouldn’t be wondering what it would feel like to touch them.
His Adam’s apple moved involuntarily. In just a fraction of a second, Lu Qiming turned his head away and shifted his gaze, acting like nothing happened.
But the faint blue vein visible on his slender neck betrayed his tension.
“This one’s good,” he said, his breathing light and steady, betraying nothing.
After he spoke, he avoided looking at her again.
He grabbed two identical pink bottles from the shelf and turned to head toward the checkout.
“Lu Qiming!” came a voice behind him, urgently calling his full name.
The syllables rang clear and carried a drawn-out tone.
Lu Qiming stopped, raised an eyebrow slightly, and turned back.
“I said I’m treating you,” Qian Duoduo said as she strode up and snatched the two drinks from his hands. “Wait here. I’ll pay.”
This 7-Eleven had a small seating area, with six or seven tables, each paired with two chairs.
A guy in glasses sat at the innermost table eating a convenience meal.
Qian Duoduo found a seat, planning to do a live review of the new drink’s taste. But just as she sat down, a ringtone went off.
It was Lu Qiming’s military phone.
He glanced at the caller ID, his expression tightening slightly as he answered. “Hello.”
He responded briefly, with just a few short words. The call ended in less than ten seconds.
Putting his phone away, Lu Qiming looked at Qian Duoduo.
After a half-second pause, a trace of hesitation crept into his eyes. “Sorry. There’s an emergency at work. I’ll take you home first.”
“Oh, no need,” Qian Duoduo quickly waved him off with a smile. “Actually, my friend is still waiting for me at home. She’s been rushing me. Let’s just go our separate ways. Bye!”
Lu Qiming parted his lips to say something more, but the girl in front of him had already jumped up, waved at him, and walked off without looking back.
As the automatic doors slid open, her figure disappeared into the night, leaving only the mechanical, cold voice from the sensor behind:
“Thank you for visiting. Please come again—”
The craving for a cigarette hit without warning.
Lu Qiming furrowed his brows slightly, reaching into his pocket for his lighter.
The metal edges were warm to the touch and jabbed painfully against his palm.
He pulled out a cigarette, stepped outside, and lit it.
The night wind blew the white smoke around chaotically.
He waved his hand lazily to brush it away, took two drags, then frowned slightly and snuffed the cigarette out.
*
The earlier call had been from Commander Xiao.
He’d mentioned something related to a mission Lu Qiming had carried out in Tibet a few years ago.
After arriving at his unit, Lu Qiming parked and went straight to the command office building, knocking on a door.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Come in,” replied the older man inside. He wore a crisp military uniform, gray streaks at his temples like battle-smoke on a flag tassel. The fine smile lines at his eyes gave him a surprisingly lively appearance. “Have a seat.”
Lu Qiming sat down as instructed.
On the desk sat an enamel tea mug with the word “Model Soldier” painted in bright red, still as vivid as ever. Xiao Hui took a sip from it before speaking to the young man across from him. “Head to Jichuan tomorrow. Book a morning flight—sooner you get there, the better.”
“Is Site 793 having trouble?” Lu Qiming asked.
“Mm. Apparently they ran into some issues during follow-up testing. They need some technical support from our side,” Xiao Hui said. “You’ll lead the expert team this time. I think that kid Wang Siqi’s got some skills — take him along to give you a hand. Anyone else, you decide.”
“Got it.”
After leaving the command office building, Lu Qiming stopped by a supermarket and bought a cup of instant noodles.
Dinner had been too spicy for him.
It had been his first time trying that level of heat, and he couldn’t handle it — barely managed a few bites.
The rest of the time, he’d been distracted watching Qian Duoduo.
Now he was so hungry he could barely stand it.
Back at the dorm, he boiled water and made the noodles.
While waiting for them to soften, Lu Qiming’s eyes happened to fall on the pink drink bottle from the convenience store, still sitting on the table where he’d left it.
He picked it up, twisted it open, and took a sip.
The flavor was light but unique — tasted like a mix of coconut and strawberry, with a gentle sweetness.
Not bad at all.
He took another sip, then another.
After a moment’s hesitation, he gave in and grabbed his phone, opened WeChat, and found the chat with the girl whose avatar rode a little piglet.
Lu Qiming: [The drink tastes good.]
After sending that, his long fingers hovered over the screen for a moment. Then he typed another line: [Looks like this blind box was a win.]
Sent.
He’d heard that slang term “踩雷” (a dud or disappointment) from Song Qingfeng a few days ago. It seemed to fit here…
Lu Qiming calmly watched the phone screen and waited.
Ten seconds passed— no reply.
Thirty seconds— still nothing.
Finally, in the fifth minute after sending his message, a new reply appeared in the chat.
Lu Qiming’s fingers twitched involuntarily.
Qian Duoduo: [Haha, I think it tastes good too. Glad it suits your taste ^_^]
Lu Qiming: [Home already?]
Qian Duoduo: [Yep, I live closer. You should be back at the base by now too, right?]
Lu Qiming: [Yeah.]
Qian Duoduo: [Alright, get busy then.]
She followed it up with a waving cartoon duck sticker saying “Byebye.”
He turned off his phone screen and picked up his chopsticks.
The noodles had soaked a bit too long—soft and lacking texture.
He didn’t notice at all. He ate absentmindedly, and in his head, Qian Duoduo’s voice echoed from the convenience store, calling his name.
Lu Qiming, Lu Qiming…
As the memory played in his mind, a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
He couldn’t help wondering how that girl had managed it — how she made such a rough, unrefined name sound so sweet when she called it.
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