Looking at Lu Qiming’s solemn and calm expression, Qian Duoduo suddenly curved her lips into a small, uneasy smile. “Just now, someone said that Commander Xiao wants to play matchmaker for you and Miss An Meng, so I didn’t want to bother you.”
“The Commander has such plans,” Lu Qiming replied evenly, “but I have clearly refused.”
Qian Duoduo said, “Miss An works at the Municipal Committee, she’s outstanding, capable, and beautiful. Besides, I heard her parents are in the same line of work as you.”
Lu Qiming simply said, “What others do has nothing to do with me.”
“During dinner, I noticed Miss An was trying to chat with you.” Qian Duoduo continued, “As for Commander Xiao’s idea, she probably doesn’t reject it.”
“That is also none of my concern. I just wanted to make things clear to you.”
Qian Duoduo fell silent.
After a moment, her smile remained gentle as she nodded. “I’ve noted everything you said, Team Leader Lu, and won’t misunderstand your relationship with Miss An anymore.” She hesitated slightly before adding, “Do you have anything else to say?”
Lu Qiming pursed his thin lips, staring straight at her with a heavy gaze, remaining silent for several seconds.
Qian Duoduo waited for a while, puzzled by his silence, and tentatively asked, “Captain Lu? Don’t you have anything else to tell me?”
A sudden evening breeze stirred, bringing a chill. A few dry leaves fell from the branches, brushing against the shoulder insignia of the man’s military uniform.
Lu Qiming turned his head slightly, exhaled softly, then closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. He shook his head calmly and replied, “No.”
“Then…” Qian Duoduo raised her delicate white index finger and poked the air lightly. She lowered her voice, “I’ll head back to the kitchen first?”
Squad Leader Cui and the others were still busy, and if she stood there doing nothing, it would seem like slacking off.
Lu Qiming nodded, “Mm.”
“Goodbye.” After politely saying farewell, Qian Duoduo turned and left.
Lu Qiming quietly watched her go.
The young girl’s light footsteps ran off in the distance, each step seeming to tread on clouds, and at the same time, upon his heart.
At this moment, his feelings were complicated— frustration and melancholy intertwined.
A few minutes ago, when he spoke with her, he had seriously explained the relationship between him and An Meng, feeling anxious, afraid she might misunderstand even a little, afraid she would be unhappy, afraid she would be angry with him.
But she?
Her smile was like blooming flowers, calm and composed, peaceful and indifferent as if she were a completely detached onlooker.
The so-called unhappiness and anger were all just unrealistic fantasies and delusions of his own making.
And indeed.
In Qian Duoduo’s heart, she only regarded him as an inconsequential “friend.” Why would she be unhappy? On what grounds? How could she possibly be unhappy?
Thinking of this, Lu Qiming couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.
Was he just being self-indulgent?
–
After parting ways with Lu Qiming, Qian Duoduo’s expression was dazed and confused. It took her a moment to shake her head and pull herself together before heading back to the kitchen to help wash pots and pans.
Her mind was a little chaotic.
Today, when she saw Lu Qiming and An Meng walking side by side, what was she thinking at that moment?
A person’s first impression of a scene comes most directly from what they see. An Meng was elegant and coldly beautiful; Lu Qiming was exceptionally handsome. The two of them looked well-matched, a pleasing sight.
Yet, no matter how she looked at them, there was an inexplicable awkwardness…
For a while, Qian Duoduo’s thoughts churned restlessly. After pondering for several seconds with no conclusion, she decided not to torment herself any further and buried herself in work instead.
Anyone who often deals with kitchen chores knows that the post-cooking cleanup of the “kitchen battlefield” is even more exhausting than the cooking itself.
Entering the kitchen, she rolled up both sleeves high, without saying a word, and took the initiative to scrub a large iron basin under the faucet.
Squad Leader Cui saw this and hurried over to stop her. “Teacher Qian, you’ve been busy all day. How can you wash dishes now? Put it down, let me do it.”
“No problem, it’s just a few basins. I can finish in two or three swipes.” Qian Duoduo replied as she kept scrubbing without pause.
“That’s not allowed!” Cui Yurong frowned. “The military support activity’s documents clearly state that you’re here to cook, not to wash dishes.”
This made Qian Duoduo chuckle softly. She turned to Cui with a smile in her eyes. “Squad Leader Cui, the document didn’t say I can’t wash dishes.”
Cui Yurong: “…”
Fine, the document really didn’t forbid it.
The girl was determined to work, and seeing that his words were ineffective and his gentle urging useless, Squad Leader Cui could only let Qian Duoduo have her way.
Many hands make light work. The cooks divided tasks and worked efficiently. Before long, the messy kitchen was transformed.
Standard issue utensils were neatly arranged again, the stove was spotless without a speck of dust, and even the grease splattered on the walls while cooking was thoroughly cleaned.
After the cleanup, Qian Duoduo curved her lips in satisfaction.
She rolled up her sleeves and rubbed her slightly sore waist, then quietly asked her group members, “Does anyone have anything to do later?”
“One.” Wang Fei responded, then asked the others, “Anything you want? I can bring it back for you.”
“Bring me a coffee, vanilla latte flavor!”
“Haizi, drinking coffee late at night? Planning to pull an all-nighter weeding in the field?”
“Mind your own business. Drinking coffee won’t give me insomnia. Not everyone’s like you…”
After a long day of work, the cooks relaxed and started joking with one another.
Cui Yurong smiled as he glanced over the young faces one by one, then strode over to Qian Duoduo and said straightforwardly, “Teacher Qian, everyone’s free tonight. Whatever you want to arrange, just say it.”
Qian Duoduo shyly smiled and said to everyone, “Then I’ll take up half an hour of your time to hold a short meeting to discuss the dishes for Friday’s competition?”
Everyone responded enthusiastically, “No problem!”
Leaving the kitchen area, Qian Duoduo and the cooks found an empty spot in the canteen to sit and discuss business.
As the team leader, Qian Duoduo first proposed several preselected dishes: Soft-Shelled Longfish, Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Braised Prawns, Assorted Soup, White-Cut Chicken, Dongpo Pork Elbow, and Steamed Wuchang Fish.
She spoke frankly, “Teacher Da Kuan is a professional chef, skilled in all major cuisines. I mostly cook home-style dishes, so there’s no need to compete with him in his strengths. Therefore, for this competition, I want to start with relatively common and simpler dishes.”
Her words earned the team’s approval.
Cui Yurong and the others nodded.
Everyone shared their opinions actively, and soon, Qian Duoduo’s group had preliminarily decided on the dishes for this Friday’s competition: Soft-Shelled Longfish, Mapo Tofu, Braised Prawns, and Assorted Soup.
After finalizing the dishes, Qian Duoduo smiled and said, “Then it’s settled.” She paused for half a second, then looked at Cui Yurong, who was sitting to her right. “Squad Leader Cui, do we have fixed suppliers for purchasing the ingredients here?”
Cui Yurong answered, “All kinds of ingredients have fixed suppliers.”
“That’s good.” Qian Duoduo said, “I’ll send you a list of all the materials needed for these dishes later.”
“Alright.”
Qian Duoduo didn’t waste words during the meeting; once the business was finished, the meeting ended immediately, not a minute wasted.
After the meeting, Wen Hao and Xiao Honghua went to the supermarket to buy supplies, Cui Yurong and two other members headed to the basketball hall, and Qian Duoduo walked alone toward the dormitory building.
Night had fallen over the Military Camp like a silk soaked in ink. The searchlight beams cut through the dense darkness, echoing the glow of street lamps, casting silvery ripples on the barbed wire.
Beside the guardhouse, the poplar trees rustled gently. Above, the sky was vast and sparse with stars.
The office building stood quietly in the still night, dignified and imposing. Many office windows still shone brightly— someone must be working overtime again.
Qian Duoduo passed the main road in front of the building, drawn by the lights, instinctively glancing up more than once.
A sudden question arose in her mind.
She felt curious— she didn’t know which floor or which room Lu Qiming’s office was on.
She recalled what he had said earlier by the canteen door, and those deep, calm eyes…
Qian Duoduo’s pace unknowingly slowed as she pondered.
Just then, a faint vibrating buzz came from her pocket, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She pulled out her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and without hesitation swiped to answer. “Hello, Mom, what’s wrong?” There was a hint of nervousness in her voice. “Is something happening with Grandpa?”
“It’s nothing, don’t worry.” Zhang Xuelan sensed her daughter’s anxiety and gently soothed her. “I’m just calling to let you know that all of your grandfather’s test results are back.”
“What kind of issues?”
“The attending doctor was worried that your grandfather’s dizziness and fall were caused by a tumor recurrence metastasizing to the brain, so they specially checked his head. Now, this possibility is basically ruled out.” Zhang Xuelan explained.
Hearing this, Qian Duoduo’s heavy heart lightened somewhat. She then asked, “Then why did Grandpa feel dizzy in the early morning?”
“It’s just vertigo. Many elderly people suffer from this. The doctor said it’s a very common aging condition.”
Qian Duoduo frowned and pressed, “How is it treated?”
“I asked the doctor, and it seems vertigo is difficult to cure completely.” Zhang Xuelan sighed, continuing, “It’s not serious or fatal, but each episode causes dizziness… In short, the doctor said your grandfather must not be left alone 24 hours a day. Otherwise, if he were to get dizzy again on the street and have an accident, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
“I see…” Qian Duoduo considered, “Grandma is old too; she needs care herself. Maybe I should hire a caregiver for Grandpa?”
“Your father and I thought the same,” Zhang Xuelan replied. “It depends on what your uncle and aunt say. Our family can’t decide this alone; we need to discuss it with them.”
“Okay. I’ll cover the caregiver’s monthly fee, so Aunt won’t have to argue with you and Dad.”
At this, Qian Mama on the other end immediately objected, “She’s taking advantage of your kindness, thinking she can bully you. Grandpa isn’t just your elder alone. How could he neither pay nor help out? Let me make it clear: if a caregiver is hired for your grandfather, you are not allowed to pay for it.”
Qian Duoduo was momentarily speechless, then softly asked, “Are Uncle and Aunt still at the hospital?”
Zhang Xuelan, annoyed, said, “You just left the hospital when your cousin and Aunt slipped away, claiming they were busy. Who knows where they went off to enjoy themselves again.”
“Are you and Dad still with Grandpa and Grandma?”
“Yes.”
“That must be hard on you both.” Worried for her grandparents and pitying her parents, Qian Duoduo gently asked, “Have you had dinner yet?”
“Yes, your father bought me a boiled rice box from the hospital canteen.”
“That’s good…”
Mother and daughter chatted for a while before hanging up.