She didn’t wake up until 1:30 p.m.
The weather forecast said it was a sunny day.
In the southern winter, the sun was especially inviting.
Zhao Jingxi got up, wrapped herself in a fleece-lined robe, rubbed her throbbing temples with her knuckles, and shuffled into the living room wearing slippers.
Several dishes were set on the dining table, and a few wisps of light, pleasant porridge fragrance floated from a white porcelain bowl.
A few goji berries floated on the surface, looking like petals gently crushed by rain.
Seeing the spread, Zhao Jingxi raised an eyebrow in surprise, scooped up a spoonful of the clear porridge, and leaned down to sniff it.
Then she glanced toward the kitchen.
A tall, slender figure was still busy inside.
The man wore an apron, still cooking something. Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, outlining his sharp and handsome features with a golden edge.
The thorny tattoo on his neck grew wildly, and under the sun, it shimmered with a subtle warm hue.
Zhao Jingxi leaned against the wall, watching him for a moment, then walked over and wrapped her arms around his slim waist from behind.
“Awake?” Liang Yuan tilted his head slightly and asked softly.
“Mm.” Zhao Jingxi closed her eyes and nuzzled against his back like a cat basking in the sun—lazy and alluring.
“Last night, we caused quite a bit of trouble for your friend,” Liang Yuan said with gentle warmth mixed with apology. “We should invite them over for dinner sometime.”
Zhao Jingxi smiled: “Sounds good.”
Silver ear soup was simmering in the pot, filling the air with fragrance.
Liang Yuan stirred the pot and then casually asked, “By the way, you know Qian Duoduo is a popular blogger… what does her boyfriend do?”
Zhao Jingxi lifted Liang Yuan’s chin with her fingertip, looking at him intently with bright, captivating eyes: “What do you think his profession is?”
Liang Yuan thought for a moment and guessed: “SWAT?”
Zhao Jingxi chuckled softly, pleased, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend’s neck: “Half right. He works in the military, and it’s a confidential unit. Pretty impressive. See? My sister has good taste in men, right?”
“Mm.” Liang Yuan’s eyes were full of affection. “Good taste, just like you.”
Zhao Jingxi laughed and teased him: “Stop flattering yourself.”
Liang Yuan pulled her close, smiling. Through the window, his gaze drifted to the distance, his eyes dark and unreadable.
*
Life inside the camp was fast-paced; everyone performed their duties in order, and the day flew by.
On Monday night, Lu Qiming was still busy and out of sight.
Qian Duoduo and her new PLA boyfriend finally met and spoke on Tuesday noon.
Because they had agreed beforehand, the two maintained a professional working relationship in public.
So in the crowded cafeteria line, Qian Duoduo purposely kept an arm’s length distance from Lu Qiming.
After swiping his card for him, she lowered her head and avoided eye contact, focusing only on picking her food.
People were strange like that.
When relationships were clean and clear, even standing close was casual and confident.
But when things weren’t clear, even standing slightly closer while getting food made her anxious, like she’d done something wrong.
Just as Qian Duoduo finished getting her food and was about to turn and find a seat, a deep voice sounded softly right by her ear: “Don’t forget tonight.”
“…” Qian Duoduo’s eyes flickered instinctively, lifting her gaze.
Lu Qiming’s black lashes lowered slightly, his dark eyes calm and focused as he looked at her.
When their eyes met, he quietly added: “Movie.”
The three simple words slipped into Qian Duoduo’s ear and somehow made her heart flutter.
Afraid of being noticed by others, she dared not say more, clearing her throat softly and muttering, “On WeChat…” before quickly leaving.
At this side, Lu Qiming’s slight frown deepened as he watched the slender figure hurry away, thoughtful.
Behind him, Major Song Qingfeng noticed something and brought his standard-issue tray over, following Lu Qiming’s gaze to look.
Then, lowering his voice with concern, he asked, “What’s up, Old Lu? Did you upset Teacher Qian?”
Lu Qiming shook his head, his thin lips pressed into a sharp line, silent.
Whether it was the influence of living in the military camp, or some other reason, Qian Duoduo’s eating speed had noticeably increased under the watchful eyes of the soldiers.
This meal was finished in just over ten minutes.
After cleaning her tray and dishes, she headed toward the dormitory building.
Lunch was prepared by Guokuan’s team.
The dishes maintained Guokuan’s refined style—still a complex National Banquet Cuisine accompanied by a few exquisite side dishes.
With such a delicious meal, Qian Duoduo would usually take her time savoring it.
But today, she was in no mood.
More precisely, ever since Lu Qiming had softly messaged her about watching a movie together that night, she’d fallen into a strange, inexplicable anxiety.
Her heart was unsettled, and her mind a little scattered.
Walking alone toward the dorm, she suddenly felt thirsty and decided to stop by the camp supermarket to buy some juice.
There were only two rows of drinks on the shelves.
She picked a bottle of appealing green grape juice and headed to the self-checkout.
Just as she raised the scanner, the automatic door sensor triggered a mechanical female voice: “Welcome.”
Out of habit, Qian Duoduo glanced toward the entrance.
She froze for two seconds before forcing herself to look away and exhaling slowly, continuing to scan her grape juice.
“Beep—” The red light scanned the price; the scanner let out a soft beep.
Three yuan and five cents—quite a good price.
After confirming on the screen, she pulled out her phone to pay.
At that moment, a slender, strong hand reached over first, taking her phone and scanning it to pay.
“Thank you…”
A familiar masculine scent wafted from his breath—a strong yet fresh aroma, pleasant like sun-warmed ebony wood, subtly invading her senses.
Her unexplained nervousness intensified.
Qian Duoduo didn’t dare look sideways and casually said, “Thank you, Team Leader Lu.”
Next to her, Lu Qiming stood in crisp uniform, his black eyes deep and serious, gazing steadily at the slender girl.
After hearing her thanks, he barely moved his thin lips in a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
“Why call me Team Leader Lu again?” Lu Qiming suddenly asked.
The question caught Qian Duoduo off guard.
Surprise flickered in her eyes as her thick lashes lifted, staring blankly at him, still not quite registering: “Huh?”
“We agreed yesterday to keep a closer, more intimate form of address,” he said, his dark gaze locking onto her from top to bottom, voice soft but firm. “Yesterday over the internet, you called me ‘Baby’ constantly. Why don’t you do that face to face?”
Qian Duoduo: “…”
She never thought he’d care about the nickname.
She cleared her throat, her face flushing red as if choked, struggling for a reason before mumbling, “Even though it’s just the two of us here, this is still a supermarket—public space. I think calling you ‘Baby’… isn’t very natural here.”
Lu Qiming was silent.
His gaze wandered over her gentle face for a moment, then he added, “Then why did you avoid me today?”
“I didn’t…” Qian Duoduo almost instinctively denied, but her voice was so soft it lacked conviction, “I didn’t avoid you.”
Lu Qiming lowered his voice again: “You always sit together during meals. Today, you saw me and ran off. You didn’t avoid me?”
Her heart pounded wildly, every nerve taut as she answered steadily: “I saw you with other guys and thought you were talking about work. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Lu Qiming stared at the girl in front of him, his expression calm as usual, but his eyes were heavy as dusk—complex and unreadable.
Every question he asked, she deflected lightly, effortlessly.
How to describe this feeling?
Like hitting a fist on cotton; every blow was disarmed completely.
He wanted to ask her—
Had she thought it through last night when she agreed to date him?
Had she regretted her impulsive decision after a whole night?
Was that why she deliberately avoided him today and kept her distance?
Did she regret even wanting to date him?
But he didn’t dare ask.
He was afraid of the answer.
A wave of unprecedented defeat swept through him.
Lu Qiming suddenly realized he had fallen completely and had no way to handle this girl at all.
Silence filled the supermarket.
Seeing the man fall silent, Qian Duoduo waited a few seconds before gently trying: “Do you… have anything else you want to say to me?”
Lu Qiming kept staring straight at her, silent, lost in thought.
“If not, I’ll go back and take a nap,” she smiled faintly, a little awkward. “I still have to go to the cafeteria early to prepare dinner.”
After that, she said “Goodbye” to Lu Qiming and started to leave.
Two steps out, her wrist was suddenly gripped.
Without a word, Lu Qiming reached out and caught her, blocking her way.
“…” Qian Duoduo froze.
His palm was long and broad, warm and burning.
The calloused pads of his fingers pressed against her skin like rough flames licking.
She looked at him in panic.
Then, unexpectedly, Lu Qiming spoke softly, holding her delicate wrist: “I’m sorry.”
Qian Duoduo was stunned and confused: “Why are you apologizing to me?”
“I don’t know,” Lu Qiming answered. “I just feel like you’re in a bad mood today.”
“…You’re apologizing because I’m in a bad mood?” Qian Duoduo was even more baffled. “I don’t understand your logic.”
“I got back to the courtyard after one a.m. last night and wanted to come find you in Room 406, but I was afraid to disturb your rest, so I just sent you a WeChat message. When I saw you today, it seemed like you were unhappy…”
Lu Qiming lowered his eyelids slightly, his tone calm and gentle: “Other than running over to apologize and trying to cheer you up, I don’t know what else to do.”
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