That voice was deep yet sudden, and Qian Duoduo paused for half a second before turning her head.
It was the man in the window booth.
At some point, he had already stood up and was now looking at her from a few meters away, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
For some reason, though his demeanor seemed perfectly ordinary, Qian Duoduo felt a strange tightness in her chest.
Maybe it was because he was so tall and imposing, making her feel pressured.
Or maybe it was his eyes — sharp and cold, intense and direct — reminding her of the coastline before a storm, heavy gray clouds pressing down in the depths of his pupils.
Or perhaps, it was because of that terrifying scar on his wrist…
Qian Duoduo snapped out of it and walked over, giving him a polite and poised smile. “Yes, I’m Qian Duoduo.”
“Hello, I’m Lu Qiming.” The man nodded slightly and naturally pulled out the chair opposite for her, “Please, sit.”
Qian Duoduo thanked him and sat down.
The dessert shop’s server was quick on the uptake.
Noticing the new customer seated, she walked over with a menu right away, “Hello, miss. Would you like to order something?”
Qian Duoduo took the menu and glanced at it, then lowered her voice to ask the server, “What did this gentleman order?”
She thought: she didn’t have a big appetite, so if Lu Qiming had already ordered dessert, she’d just have what he was having.
“The gentleman said he didn’t know your preferences, so he didn’t order anything — just a glass of lemon water for himself,” the server answered while pouring her some water.
“All right. I’ll have a Bavarois,” Qian Duoduo said, then looked up at him, “Mr. Lu, would you like something? I can order for you too.”
Lu Qiming: “Thanks. I don’t eat sweets.”
“Then we’ll leave it at that.” Qian Duoduo handed the menu back to the server with a smile. “Thank you.”
Qian Duoduo had a soft and sweet-looking face.
When she smiled, it was like spring ice melting — very warm and approachable.
Lu Qiming caught that faint smile in his eyes, then lowered his gaze slightly and took a sip of lemon water.
For no reason at all, it suddenly felt like the buttery scent of baked goods in the air had grown a little richer.
Even the server was infected by Qian Duoduo’s smile and curved her lips. “Of course. Please wait a moment.”
Just as the server left, Qian Duoduo’s phone chimed.
She opened a WeChat message.
Zhao Jingxi: [Did you meet him? How is he?]
Qian Duoduo glanced at the man across from her and replied objectively: [1]
Zhao Jingxi: [Picture! Picture! No pic, no truth!]
Qian Duoduo: [I’ll reply later.]
After sending the message, tap, Qian Duoduo turned off the screen and switched her phone to vibrate mode.
“Sorry about that,” she said, setting the phone down.
Lu Qiming’s eyes lingered on her face and he noticed that this girl seemed to smile a lot — politely, kindly, a little apologetically.
Her face was small, with well-defined features neatly arranged on a palm-sized face — perfect for smiling.
When her smile bloomed, it first tinged the tips of her ears pink, then spread to the corners of her eyes, like sunlight gilding the snowy peaks at dawn, warming them inch by inch.
“It’s fine. Take your time,” Lu Qiming said.
Qian Duoduo: “I’m done now.”
She took a sip of water, then suddenly thought of something and asked, “Mr. Lu, have you seen my photo before?”
“Yeah.”
No wonder he recognized her immediately.
Qian Duoduo asked again, “Did Aunt Sun send it to you?”
“I’ve also looked through your Moments,” Lu Qiming said calmly, “Your photos are nice. But you’re even more beautiful in person.”
The compliment was straightforward and sincere, making Qian Duoduo a little flustered. “Thank you, you’re too kind.”
They were still chatting idly when the Bavarois she ordered was placed on the table.
The server set down two dessert spoons.
Qian Duoduo picked one up and handed it to Lu Qiming, inviting him to share.
Lu Qiming politely declined.
Qian Duoduo didn’t press him and simply scooped a spoonful for herself, savoring it slowly, taking her time to enjoy the dessert.
After that, there was a long silence. The atmosphere at the table grew slightly awkward.
Qian Duoduo took several more bites before suddenly asking, “Mr. Lu, do you work in the military?”
“Yes.”
“Must be tough working in the military, right?”
“I’m used to it.”
That line piqued Qian Duoduo’s interest.
She continued, “Judging by what you said, you must have been serving for quite a few years?”
“I went to a military academy. If you count from enrollment, this year marks my fourteenth year.”
After a few bites, the dessert started to feel a little too rich.
Qian Duoduo picked up her glass and took a sip of water.
After swallowing, she asked again, “Are you from Nancheng originally?”
“My hometown is in Beiyuan,” Lu Qiming replied.
“Beiyuan… I know Beiyuan!” Qian Duoduo stirred the cream on her plate with her spoon, “There was an agricultural expo from Beiyuan here in Nancheng not long ago. Our company has a partnership with some of your local fruit vendors.”
Her tone was calm and unhurried, soft like a spring breeze.
Thick, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her face look even smaller.
Lu Qiming watched her movements and, without realizing it, his eyes were drawn to the red string bracelet on her wrist.
It was handmade, with a small gold ingot charm sitting right over the wrist bone.
Her skin was porcelain-white, so clear and delicate it was almost unreal.
To keep the conversation from stalling and the atmosphere from becoming stiff, Qian Duoduo kept asking, “Are your parents still living in Beiyuan?”
“My dad used to work in Tibet. He moved back to Beiyuan after retiring. My mom never left our hometown.”
“What a coincidence. My dad also spent a few years in Tibet doing infrastructure work.” Qian Duoduo asked casually, “What did your dad do in Tibet?”
“Border defense.”
A border defense soldier? Qian Duoduo’s eyes briefly widened in surprise.
Blind date conversations between two strangers who’ve never met before could really wear out a person’s brain cells.
After that topic ran its course, Qian Duoduo once again found herself at a loss for words.
She tactically bowed her head and continued eating her dessert.
After a moment, she pulled out a napkin to wipe her mouth and smiled across the table. “Aunt Sun probably told you about me, right?”
Lu Qiming looked at her and nodded. “Aunt Sun said you’re a streamer.”
Qian Duoduo choked and let out a dry cough, a bit embarrassed. “Not exactly. I work in new media. I’m signed with a company and run a social account with a team. Our main focus is food reviews and restaurant scouting. Occasionally, I do livestreams and sell some products.”
Lu Qiming’s gaze briefly swept over her thick lashes and well-shaped nose.
Qian Duoduo added, “Our job doesn’t have fixed hours. On slow weeks, I might only work three or four days. But when it’s busy, it’s non-stop, working overtime every day.” She paused, then asked, “I guess your schedule is much more regular, right?”
“Yeah,” Lu Qiming nodded.
They’d talked about work and family. What else could they talk about?
Qian Duoduo lightly bit her lip, thinking, when her eyes happened to catch an enrollment ad for an extracurricular class across the street. Inspiration struck.
“What university did you graduate from?” she asked, and, to be polite, added, “My alma mater is Huai’an University.”
Lu Qiming said, “I know.”
“You know?” Qian Duoduo turned her gaze back from the ad, puzzled. “Aunt Sun told you that too?”
Lu Qiming shook his head, “You posted a graduation photo in your Moments. The university name was in the background.”
Qian Duoduo: “……”
She usually liked sharing snippets of her life in her Moments — tasty food from a new restaurant, a cute flower by the roadside — she’d post about it all. She posted at least thirty or forty times a year.
That graduation photo had been posted years ago.
He actually scrolled back that far?
Qian Duoduo gathered her surprise and forced a smile. “Yes.”
“I went to university in the capital too,” Lu Qiming said, answering her earlier question.
Having spent four years in Beijing herself, Qian Duoduo was fairly familiar with the top schools in the capital.
She quickly caught on and blurted out, “Beijing Military University?”
“Yeah.”
Qian Duoduo, genuinely impressed, said, “That’s really impressive.”
Beijing Military University’s full name was the PLA North Beijing National Defense University — the top military academy in the country.
Since its founding, it had been a cradle of elite talent for China’s tech, aerospace, and military sectors, rightfully known as the “incubator of academicians.”
At this moment, Qian Duoduo finally understood why her mother had taken such a liking to candidate number eleven.
This wasn’t a blind date — it was a walking national defense weapon.
After her amazement faded, a new question rose in her mind.
She thought of her colleagues in their early thirties — some had just gotten married, others already had kids in elementary school.
Yet Lu Qiming, a lieutenant colonel in the army, a Beijing Military University graduate, handsome and clearly outstanding, was thirty-two and still didn’t have a girlfriend?
Qian Duoduo couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Lu, honestly, I’m a bit curious. Being in the military carries a lot of respect, and you’re clearly exceptional. Why are you still going on blind dates?”
“I’m busy with work, and my environment is pretty isolated, so I don’t get many chances to meet women,” Lu Qiming said. “Plus, I never gave much thought to dating before, so it dragged on until now.”
That first part wasn’t entirely accurate.
Lu Qiming was constantly out on missions — yes, he was busy.
The number of women in his entire unit could be counted on two hands — yes, the environment was limited.
But it wasn’t that he didn’t have opportunities to meet women.
Plenty of his superiors and colleagues had been eager to set him up.
Lu Qiming simply had no interest in dating.
“Have you ever been in a relationship before?” Qian Duoduo suddenly asked. “Like in high school or college?”
Lu Qiming: “No.”
That answer truly surprised Qian Duoduo.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him, then asked again, “And before this, you’ve never been on a blind date?”
“I have,” Lu Qiming replied. “With a girl from the tax bureau. She’s a civil servant.”
“Sounds like a good match for you professionally,” Qian Duoduo’s curiosity was piqued. “Why didn’t it work out?”
Lu Qiming’s expression didn’t change. “We weren’t compatible.”
He didn’t elaborate on that past blind date, but Qian Duoduo remained curious, “Was it you who felt it wasn’t right, or her?”
“Both,” Lu Qiming said. “At first she was pretty enthusiastic, but later, when she realized I disappeared during the day, she gradually stopped reaching out.”
Qian Duoduo rested her chin on her hand and blinked. “Why do you disappear during the day?”
“Because of the nature of my work. I can’t bring my personal phone into the office,” Lu Qiming said. “The military phone I use for work can only make calls.”
Qian Duoduo froze, a buzzing in her head as something suddenly clicked.
At that moment, Lu Qiming’s deep, steady gaze locked onto hers as he said, “The day I added you on WeChat, it was during my lunch break. After that, I couldn’t find the time. I’m sorry I didn’t reach out right away.”