Returning to the kitchen, Qian Duoduo felt a bit unsettled.
While rinsing the rice, she was so careful that she almost spilled the water onto the floor, but Cui Yurong’s quick reflexes saved her from the disaster of knocking over the pot and scattering the rice.
“Sorry.” Qian Duoduo’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and she murmured, “I just got distracted for a moment and nearly spilled the rice. Thank goodness for Squad Leader Cui.”
“No problem. This pot is pretty heavy, not easy for a girl to handle. Let me do it.” Cui Yurong said as he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to wash the rice with ease.
Qian Duoduo had nothing to say and stepped aside.
The Cooking Squad’s main job was cooking, but these soldiers often trained as well, climbing platforms and crossing muddy terrain without missing a beat.
Though Cui Yurong looked tall and lean, once his elbow was exposed, the strong muscles on his arm revealed a body full of power.
Watching Squad Leader Cui effortlessly lift the iron pot high, Qian Duoduo hesitated for a moment before asking, “Squad Leader Cui, about the ingredient list I sent the other day— has everything been purchased?”
“It’s all been sent out. They’re expected to arrive by lunch today,” Cui Yurong answered with a smile.
Qian Duoduo nodded and turned to the cutting board to help Zhang Daqian chop vegetables.
As they busied themselves, footsteps echoed from the direction of the canteen.
Noticing the movement, Qian Duoduo glanced up and saw a well-dressed man in a military uniform approaching— it was Officer Xue Weigan, whom she hadn’t seen in a few days.
“Ah, Officer Xue.” Cui Yurong raised his hand in greeting, smiling warmly. “Here for another inspection of our work in the Cooking Squad?”
“Squad Leader Cui’s teasing me again,” Xue Weigan said with a laugh, casually looking around. “No inspections. I’m here to report to Teacher Qian.”
Qian Duoduo smiled at the humorous remark, the tension she felt earlier due to Lu Qiming’s mission easing somewhat.
Looking at Xue Weigan, she asked gently, “Officer Xue, are you here for me?”
“Yes.” Xue Weigan walked up to her, glanced at the large kitchen knife in her hand, then at the half-cut white radish on the board, frowning slightly. “Oh, Teacher Qian, you’re busy. Looks like my timing is good.”
“No, it’s nothing.” Qian Duoduo put down the knife. “Officer Xue, if you have something to say, just tell me.”
“Well, Teacher Qian,” Xue Weigan hesitated, “our Cooking Squad has grown. Besides the original team, we’ve added Da Kuan and two other officers transferred from different departments. Cooking meals for so many people at once really requires more hands. What do you think?”
Qian Duoduo nodded after thinking for a moment, indicating agreement. “Yes, I noticed that yesterday. Having both groups crowded in the kitchen makes things less efficient. Everyone doing their own thing means more people, but lower efficiency.”
“Exactly,” Xue Weigan said thoughtfully. “So here’s my idea: starting tomorrow, Da Kuan and I will take turns leading the team—one group handles lunch while the other prepares dinner. The formal competitions score both lunch and dinner anyway, so why not train that way regularly? It’ll boost efficiency. What do you think?”
Qian Duoduo’s eyes brightened, and she smiled. “Officer Xue’s suggestion is very good. I have no objections.” She paused briefly before asking, “How does Da Kuan feel about this?”
“I went to find you first, then I’ll go to him,” Xue Weigan’s smile faded. “I’ve written the supplementary proposal for the Military-Civilian Exchange Activity. Once the two main leaders approve it, I’ll submit it to the higher-ups for review.”
Qian Duoduo casually asked, “To Commander Xiao?”
“Normally, yes. But since Team Leader Lu is on a mission, it has to go through Deputy Captain Han first, then to the commander,” Xue Weigan said, furrowing his brow briefly and muttering to himself.
Qian Duoduo cautiously probed, “Did Team Leader Lu say he’d be back by the weekend?”
“That would be the best-case scenario,” Xue Weigan replied offhandedly. “The battlefield situation is always changing. Who knows if unexpected circumstances might delay him? It’s hard to say.”
“Understood.” Qian Duoduo lowered her lashes, thoughtful.
“Well then, Teacher Qian, I’ll go find Da Kuan.”
“All right, Officer Xue, goodbye.”
The Cooking Squad soldiers busied themselves around the stove, while Xue Weigan strode out, pondering the wording of his supplementary proposal. Qian Duoduo quietly hid her slight melancholy so no one noticed.
Yesterday, Da Kuan’s group handled lunch, so naturally Qian Duoduo’s group was responsible for today’s lunch.
Qian Duoduo divided tasks among several young soldiers, busy but orderly. By just after eleven, the fragrant, steaming dishes were ready on the serving table.
There was a salt-baked chicken leg, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, and stir-fried cabbage with a spicy kick. The aroma drifted over a hundred meters.
The officers and soldiers ate happily, their bodies and hearts warmed. Even Commander Xiao couldn’t stop praising their exquisite cooking.
Normally, if so many people liked the food she made, Qian Duoduo would feel elated and perhaps boast to herself a little.
By the time they finished cleaning up, it was already one in the afternoon.
Qian Duoduo changed out of her chef’s uniform in the dormitory, removing her hat and apron one by one, hanging the oil-stained clothes neatly.
She flipped on the exhaust fan with a sharp “click” to clear the lingering smells.
The machine hummed, and the red ribbon tied to the vent swayed in the cold breeze.
Feeling a little tired, Qian Duoduo leaned against the doorframe, tilting her head back, staring absentmindedly at the hanging chef uniform.
She was clearly aware of her own gloom.
Why was she feeling this way?
Because Lu Qiming had suddenly left on that “emergency mission”?
A soldier was supposed to serve the country, after all. She had known from the start how busy his work was.
This was just part of his normal life, the usual routine of over ten years.
Still, though everyone understood, she couldn’t help but feel “down.”
Or maybe it wasn’t simply “down.” More precisely… worry?
Her mind was in chaos, like a spilled dye vat, swirling colors crashing into waves that engulfed her—deep blue melancholy, startled yellow, embarrassed red—all tangled together, vibrant but chaotic, before being absorbed into two pools of ink-black—
A pair of sharp, calm, hawk-like eyes.
Lu Qiming’s handsome face intruded coldly into her mind, making her heart tremble, her heartbeat faltering.
Thump.
Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, her face flushed, ears burning.
Qian Duoduo bit her lip and touched her chest, calming herself after a few quiet seconds. Then she took out her phone and sent a message to Zhao Jingxi.
Qian Duoduo: [Jingxi, I need you.]
After about three minutes, Zhao Jingxi’s reply appeared.
Zhao Jingxi: [What’s up?]
Qian Duoduo: [Where are you now? Can we talk?]
Zhao Jingxi: [I have a meeting with a scriptwriter today. They haven’t arrived yet.]
Zhao Jingxi: [Do you want to call?]
Qian Duoduo: [Texting is fine too.]
Zhao Jingxi: [OK, tell me what’s on your mind.]
Qian Duoduo bit her lip, scratching her head, unsure how to start. After a minute, she typed again: [Um… Lu Qiming left for a mission today.]
Zhao Jingxi: [Oh? And then?]
Qian Duoduo: [I don’t know what the mission is or where he’s going, but I feel like it’s dangerous…]
Zhao Jingxi: [Have you never seen soldiers on missions in movies? They’re always on the battlefield— rescuing hostages, peacekeeping in war zones. Come on, bullets don’t have eyes. How could it not be dangerous in a gunfight?]
Seeing the phrase “gunfight,” Qian Duoduo frowned slightly, then recalled the bullet wound scars on Lu Qiming’s back.
True enough.
Judging by all the wounds on him, he must have suffered plenty on every mission.
Thinking that, her unease deepened inexplicably.
Zhao Jingxi’s next message popped up: [So you’re rushing to tell me this?]
Qian Duoduo replied: [Yes.]
She continued typing: [Actually, it’s not just about him going on the mission.]
Qian Duoduo: [Once I knew it was dangerous, I felt really down. Do you understand what I mean?]
Zhao Jingxi: [This…]
Zhao Jingxi: [Totally get it. What are you down about?]
Zhao Jingxi: [Soldiers going on missions is normal.]
Qian Duoduo: [I know it’s normal. But I feel…]
On her end, she carefully typed: [I feel like I’m really worried about Lu Qiming. I’m afraid he’ll get hurt or something else might happen to him.]
After this message, Zhao Jingxi didn’t reply with words immediately but sent a mischievous panda emoji with a side-eye.
Seeing the panda in the chat box, Qian Duoduo frowned: [What’s that for?]
Zhao Jingxi: [I think]
Zhao Jingxi: [You’re probably in love with Number Eleven.]
Qian Duoduo: […]
Qian Duoduo: [I think your conclusion is a bit hasty.]
Qian Duoduo: [Is it possible that my worry about his mission and my worry about me getting drunk are the same kind of worry?]
Zhao Jingxi: [Tch.]
Zhao Jingxi: [How long have you known me? How long have you known Number Eleven?]
Zhao Jingxi: [Don’t make excuses.]
Zhao Jingxi: [After moving into the Military Compound and spending so much time with the soldiers, you developed feelings.]
In Dormitory 406, Qian Duoduo lowered her phone hand, looking up with a flushed face full of confusion and surprise.
After a moment, she reluctantly accepted this information and lowered her eyes to continue typing: [Okay then…]
Qian Duoduo: [Maybe I have been feeling more fond of him lately.]
Qian Duoduo: [What should I do now?]
Zhao Jingxi: [Do what? If you like him, just go for it.]
Zhao Jingxi: [This kind of upright, cold, and reserved handsome guy keeps himself pure. No worries there. Sleeping with him won’t make you lose out. Try his “bed skills,” and if it’s boring, then talk about it.]
Qian Duoduo was taken aback and quietly typed: [Okay, I’ll think about it.]
After ending the chat with Zhao Jingxi, Qian Duoduo turned off her phone screen and lay back on the standard single bed by the window.
She stared blankly at the ceiling.
No wonder she’d been feeling her heart thudding and face flushing whenever she met Lu Qiming recently.
So this is what it means to like someone?
To fear they’ll get hurt, to worry about accidents, and to hope they return safely.
To be restless over a single person.
–
Life in the military camp was relatively simple and rarely changed drastically.
During the days Lu Qiming was away on his mission, Qian Duoduo stayed busy cooking during the day and playing online games with Zhao Jingxi in the evening, keeping herself occupied.
On Friday’s Cooking Competition, Qian Duoduo’s group was assigned dinner.