Qian Duoduo walked alone back to the dormitory building, stopping in front of room 406 and lowering her head to search for her keys in her bag.
While fumbling, her peripheral vision caught the next door’s tightly closed door.
Not a sliver of light escaped from beneath it; pitch black.
No one was home?
Could he be working overtime again?
He was supposed to be taking Chinese medicine; prolonged intense work wouldn’t just affect the medicine’s efficacy, but also harm his mind and body…
Thinking of this, Qian Duoduo’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.
She opened the door, changed shoes, hung up her bag, and sat down in the chair at her desk.
After hesitating a few seconds, she couldn’t help but take out her phone and open WeChat, finding the avatar of the pure black night sky.
With good intentions, she typed a reminder: 【Team Leader Lu, remember to take your Chinese medicine】
The message was sent, and as expected, no reply came.
Qian Duoduo didn’t wait foolishly. She guessed that a People’s Liberation Army officer wouldn’t have time to check his personal phone, and quickly exited the chat.
She opened a mobile game app, ready to play a few rounds to kill time.
Tonight, Qian Duoduo’s luck was poor.
In the first game, she encountered an AFK Monster.
She and three teammates frantically cleared minions and defended the tower to accumulate resources, but the AFK Monster stood like a Buddha immersed in meditation in the spring, motionless.
In a five-player match, victory was nearly impossible, and after a few minutes, her teammates initiated a surrender.
Seeing the situation hopeless, Qian Duoduo reluctantly agreed.
The first battle was a defeat, costing nearly 300 experience points. Looking at the stats, she slumped her shoulders and gloomily clicked “Play Again.”
While forming the team, her phone vibrated. A new WeChat message popped up.
Qian Duoduo thought it was from Lu Qiming and her eyes brightened as she opened it immediately.
【My dear sister, what are you up to?】 — from Zhao Jingxi.
A faint wave of disappointment flashed across Qian Duoduo’s eyes, then vanished instantly.
She typed back, 【Playing games】
Zhao Jingxi: 【I can tell life in the Military Camp is pretty dull for you】
Zhao Jingxi: 【Besides gaming, do you have any other entertainment?】
Qian Duoduo: 【There’s a gym here, but I’m too lazy to work out.】
She paused, then teased lightly, 【How about you? Still bonding deeply with Folk Song Brother?】
Zhao Jingxi sent a rolling-eyes emoji.
Zhao Jingxi: 【He’s playing a new bar residency tonight. I came to hang out and support him.】
After that message, she sent a photo from the venue: dim lighting, blue liquor, the main figure center stage was a male singer in a leather jacket.
He sat on a black high stool, holding a guitar, silver-dyed hair framing his sharp, handsome profile. His prominent nose and thin lips, deep eyes full of world-weariness.
Zhao Jingxi: 【How’s my taste?】
Qian Duoduo gave a frank review: 【Decadent handsome guy】
Zhao Jingxi: 【Compared to that No. 1, who’s better-looking?】
The question was a bit random. Qian Duoduo paused, recalled Lu Qiming’s fiercely handsome face, and replied, 【Completely different types】
Zhao Jingxi: 【Any progress with No. 1 lately?】
Qian Duoduo fell silent. Why bring up Lu Qiming now? The circle ended up here.
She typed, 【Just normal interactions, nothing special】
Zhao Jingxi: 【Still not interested in him?】
Reading this, Qian Duoduo hesitated, then typed, 【I don’t think so】
Zhao Jingxi sensed something was off: 【Don’t think so?】
Qian Duoduo: 【I passed by his office building today; even at this hour, the lights were on and almost everyone was still working overtime.】
Zhao Jingxi: 【Dedicated!】【Thumbs up.jpg】
Zhao Jingxi: 【So, Teacher Qian, any feelings about that?】
Qian Duoduo: 【I just think anyone who can accept a soldier as a partner is either a great person or a brave one.】
Zhao Jingxi: 【…】
After some aimless chatting, Zhao Jingxi ended the conversation, citing the need to listen to Folk Song Brother’s heavenly voice.
Qian Duoduo put away her phone, browsed some moments on social media, and when it was time, prepared to shower.
Just then, through a door, footsteps sounded in the corridor—steady and calm, with an inexplicable familiarity.
Qian Duoduo noticed immediately; her eyes flickered and she paused.
She recalled her childhood in the old neighborhood’s stairwell apartments, when her mother could recognize her father’s footsteps returning from work.
As Ms. Zhang Xuelan said, when you’re extremely familiar with someone, you can recognize their footsteps.
But why?
She wasn’t close to Lu Qiming, yet she could tell the footsteps in the corridor were his?
Standing there in her nightgown, Qian Duoduo became absentminded.
From outside came a faint, indistinct horn sound, shattering the night’s silence.
She snapped back to reality, placed the nightgown on the bathroom shelf, picked up the shower head, turned on the water, and adjusted the temperature.
The water gurgled gently nearby, but her attention was involuntarily focused outside.
She saw the footsteps approaching from the stairwell entrance, growing clearer.
A slight pause, then a low murmur of voices— someone stopped near her door.
Just as she was about to react, a sudden, loud knocking came: “Bang bang.”
“…” Caught off guard, Qian Duoduo’s heart raced, and her hand slipped.
The metal showerhead fell to the floor, the uncontrolled water spurted like a silver serpent, drenching her head to toe.
Within seconds, Qian Duoduo’s long hair was soaked, and her thin light-colored knit shirt was wet through, clinging to her fair skin like a cocoon.
Suddenly a drenched chicken, she felt embarrassed and annoyed; her cheeks flushed deeply like pomegranates.
Quickly turning the faucet to shut off the water, she raised her voice softly, “Who is it?”
From the other side of the door, Lu Qiming’s faint frown could be sensed.
The girl’s voice, flustered but trying to stay composed, floated softly into his ears like a fragile water droplet clinging to fine porcelain.
Combining that with the sound of metal hitting tiles moments ago, Lu Qiming guessed she might be in some trouble.
“It’s me.” His tone was cool and usual, but the slightly faster pace revealed concern. “Teacher Qian, did you fall?”
The voice outside was expected yet unexpected.
Qian Duoduo felt even more embarrassed, blushing as she stammered, “Not a fall, the shower sprayed water everywhere…” Realizing she didn’t need to explain this, she bit her lip to calm herself and took a deep breath. “Team Leader Lu, what do you need?”
“I have something for you.” The man answered.
“Then… please wait a few minutes. Is that okay?”
“Mm. Take your time.”
After hearing this, Qian Duoduo relaxed secretly, quickly put the showerhead back, no time to mop the floor.
Flustered, she took off the soaked base layer, put on her nightgown, grabbed her cotton jacket and wrapped it around herself, then went to open the door.
The dormitory hallway lights were voice-activated, pitch dark in the silence.
The moment the lock clicked open, a bright white light pierced the darkness.
Lu Qiming leaned against the doorframe waiting. Hearing the door, he lifted his eyelids, and a cloud of milky white entered his vision.
The girl appeared at the door soaked, looking comical yet adorable, wearing a thin nightgown under a cotton jacket, her slender long legs wrapped in jeans.
The jacket was unbuttoned, revealing her slender white neck and collarbone; her long hair was drenched, clinging to her neck, with droplets still dripping at the ends.
Suddenly, a drop of water slid down her neck curve and disappeared into the neckline of her nightgown…
Lu Qiming’s Adam’s apple jerked sharply. Hastily, he averted his gaze, but the vein on his neck bulged and the skin behind his ear flushed red.
In the dim corridor light, Qian Duoduo didn’t notice the man’s reaction.
She immersed herself in her embarrassment, cheeks burning as she lowered her head and softly apologized, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Team Leader Lu. When you knocked, I was running water. My hand slipped, and the showerhead fell, so it got a bit messy…”
“Sorry about that.”
Lu Qiming spoke in a low, hoarse voice, like distant thunder gathering in a storm cloud, “I didn’t know you were showering.”
The air grew slightly still for two seconds.
After a moment, Qian Duoduo raised her eyes and looked at him, habitually forcing a polite smile. “You said you had something for me. What is it?”
Lu Qiming absentmindedly rubbed the cufflink on his uniform sleeve, exhaled quietly, then handed her a white plastic bag.
Qian Duoduo blinked, “This is…”
“A specialty from my colleague’s hometown,” Lu Qiming said calmly. “Fruit.”
Qian Duoduo opened the bag and peeked inside. There were five large fruits, each brightly colored, round and plump.
“Oranges?” she said with surprise.
“Mm.” Lu Qiming paused, then added, “Navel oranges, from the Gannan area.”
“I know, Gannan navel oranges are famous.” Qian Duoduo looked up at him, her black, clear eyes sparkling. “The local fruit farmers once sent samples to my company. They were sweet, juicy, and very delicious.”
Lu Qiming still avoided her gaze.
His eyes fixed on a mottled corner of the wall as he spoke, his tone calm and unchanged from before, “I’m glad you like them.”
“Did your colleagues give you many?”
“They’re all here.”
“Then why don’t you keep some for yourself?” Qian Duoduo asked in surprise. “You gave me all of them; what will you eat?”
Lu Qiming was silent for half a second, then said, “You’re a girl; eating more fruit helps supplement various vitamins, strengthens cardiovascular health, and improves metabolism. It’s good for your body.”
Qian Duoduo laughed at his explanation, eyes wide. “Girls need to eat more fruit for vitamins, so what about boys? Don’t they need it?”
Lu Qiming’s tone was very calm: “Boys, just surviving is enough.”
Qian Duoduo: “…”
“I won’t disturb you anymore, Teacher Qian. Goodbye.” After speaking, Lu Qiming turned to go back to his room.
The sky was dark; his blood surged like an underground river, urgently needing a bucket of cold water to cool down.
To calm himself.
He had taken only two steps when the girl’s voice called after him again, soft and gentle, wrapping around his limbs, heart, and lungs like gossamer.
“Lu Qiming.” That moving voice called his name.
Lu Qiming stopped and looked back at the young girl by the door.
“Thank you for the oranges.” She raised the plastic bag and waved it lightly at him, smiling charmingly. “Also, remember to check the WeChat message I sent you.”
WeChat? Lu Qiming frowned slightly.
He had been busy all evening and hadn’t taken his phone out of the secure locker. After finishing his work, he had rushed to bring her the fresh oranges, completely forgetting to check unread messages.
“I’ve been busy tonight…” he asked, “What did you send?”
Qian Duoduo smiled warmly. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing urgent. Just a reminder to take your Chinese medicine.”
The quiet corridor fell silent once again after her words.
Lu Qiming didn’t respond but lowered his head to take out his phone and tapped on the screen a couple of times.
The next second, Qian Duoduo’s phone vibrated— she received a new message with a string of eleven Arabic numerals.
She looked puzzled. “What’s this…”
“My military line number.”
Lu Qiming’s gaze landed on Qian Duoduo and didn’t leave. Looking at her, his voice softened involuntarily, “If you ever want to reach me, you can call this number. I can answer even when I’m working.”
“That way, you don’t have to wait long for a reply.”