When Wang Ze arrived, Han Xiao was deep in an animated conversation with the Communications Company's deputy company commander in the dormitory corridor.
He pointed at the door and asked, "Song Ning still hasn't come out?"
Han Xiao shot him a look. "You don't get it, do you? Sure, she came to pick up clothes, but can't she learn a little more about Company Commander Lu while she's here?"
Wang Ze pointed at his watch. "Any later and all the good dishes at the mess hall will be gone!"
Just then, Song Ning came out of the room carrying a mesh bag.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
She had picked out a few changes of clothes for Lu Changqing after all. She couldn't come all this way and leave empty-handed.
"What's there to apologize for? Everyone at regimental headquarters is delighted to have you here!" the deputy company commander said with a smile.
"That's right! Come on, let's go eat!" Han Xiao said.
"Oh, we're having dinner too?"
"It's dinnertime! What else would we do? Come on! You can see what Company Commander Lu usually eats, too!"
Chatting and laughing, they headed from regimental headquarters to the mess hall.
The training ground was deserted at that hour.
Except for Gu Zheng, who was running lap after lap.
He desperately needed to work up a sweat and drive those unrealistic thoughts out of his head.
Maybe he really had knocked something loose in his head when he jumped into the debris flow that day.
Lately, he kept feeling... unable to control his thoughts!
He had actually let himself get distracted during an event as important as the All-Army Martial Arts Competition!
He had even wondered whether the schedule was unreasonable. Why did the competition have to last so many days?
He had been so distracted that several times, he hadn't heard Political Commissar Gao speaking to him.
As a result, when it came to the final all-around event, Political Commissar Gao had insisted that his head injury hadn't healed and refused to let him compete.
That brat Yang Ye had won that event instead.
Although they had still tied for first in the overall standings, Gu Zheng couldn't shake his frustration.
Most humiliating of all, he had actually passed out from a headache. Yang Ye had even insisted on visiting him in the Medical Room, only to mock him to his face for fainting out of sheer frustration!
He had nearly made Gu Zheng pass out all over again!
Then Gu Zheng had seriously reflected on it and concluded that the reason for his distraction might have been-he was too worried about the disaster!
Dragging him away halfway through disaster relief to participate in the competition really hadn't been a wise move!
He truly felt that the military district's arrangements this time had been somewhat unreasonable.
Later, though, he realized that the disaster might not have been the only thing on his mind...
Instead... he kept inexplicably thinking of Song Ning.
Of her blinking those mischievous eyes as she asked him, "Where do you keep your bankbook?"
Of her smiling smugly at him. "I accept your compliment!"
And of her holding his hand when he was still "Pan TuozI," telling him, "I like you just the way you are! No matter who you are!"
Gu Zheng shook his head. It wasn't as though he insisted on replaying those scenes!
It was just that, ever since he had met her, every encounter with her had been unexpected...
Blocking robbers, catching human traffickers, jumping into a debris flow...
Every single time, she had frightened him half to death and sent his heart racing...
How was he supposed to forget any of it?
After the competition ended, he had rushed straight to Rong City without even going home.
He hadn't known what he was in such a hurry for...
Only after returning to the military district had he realized-
Oh! She said she was coming to the military district. Was she here yet?
He couldn't deny that he had been more than happy to listen when Han Xiao told him about Song Ning.
But Chen Liang had said-said she was Lu Changqing's fiancée...
That had truly caught him off guard!
He had even, even found it a little hard to accept...
At that moment, he had felt a tightness in his chest.
As if something had lodged there, leaving him unbearably stifled.
Perhaps it was because the news had been so unexpected.
After all, they had spent some time together before, and she had never mentioned it.
Or perhaps it was because he had been the last to find out...
If he had known earlier-if he had let her finish speaking in the cave that day-perhaps he wouldn't have found it so hard to accept!
This girl always surprised him.
This time, though, what had surprised him was who she was.
Han Xiao had still been keeping him in suspense, but Gu Zheng hadn't wanted to listen to another moment of his rambling!
That brat just talked too much!
Besides the tightness in his chest, he had begun to feel a sour, swollen ache...
He had driven those two annoying fellows out!
All he wanted now was a little time alone.
But although he could chase those two away, he couldn't stop an older one from coming along!
Old Xu had sat there with a tea mug, nattering at him all afternoon.
He had claimed he wanted to discuss recent work, but had devoted barely three and a half sentences to it. All the rest had been about Lu Changqing and Song Ning.
Gu Zheng wanted to listen, yet listening made him miserable.
For some reason, that discomfort in his chest had persisted since morning.
Old Xu couldn't read the room at all. He had no consideration whatsoever for his juniors... he just kept yammering!
And then, then Wang Ze had actually brought Song Ning to regimental headquarters.
Before... Gu Zheng had wanted to see Song Ning as soon as possible.
But now, it seemed he didn't want to see her quite so much.
He was the regimental commander, and she was his subordinate's fiancée.
There didn't seem to be any need for them to meet!
These people...
They had all mobilized to bring the two of them together, and now they were asking his opinion!
What opinion could he possibly have?
He felt awful from head to toe now. His head throbbed, and his chest felt terribly clogged!
He was certain he must be ill!
He didn't want to hear another word about his subordinate's blasted family affairs!
What did any of it have to do with him...
After finishing dinner at the regimental mess hall, Song Ning said goodbye to Han Xiao and the others and returned directly to the city with Wang Ze.
Early the next morning, Song Ning got up and decided to go shopping for some daily necessities first.
Before, she hadn't had any money. Now she urgently needed to add to her meager belongings.
Both the military district guesthouse and the Military District Hospital were in downtown Rong City.
The streets were bustling with pedestrians. Shopping was still largely done at state-run establishments such as the State-Run Supply Cooperative, the Department Store, and People's Department Store.
But the scattered private businesses and the Hong Kong and Taiwan pop songs playing all over the streets were unmistakable signs of reform and opening up.
Song Ning wasn't particularly interested in browsing at the moment. Once she had bought what she urgently needed, she planned to head back.
The hospital allowed visitors after nine thirty, and she had plenty of questions for Lu Changqing.
Yet amid the noise of the street, she once again keenly sensed that someone seemed to be following her.
After looking back several times without spotting whoever was following her, she turned into a narrow alley.
She walked some distance down it, then slipped into the shadows.
A long street-sweeping broom stood nearby, and she picked it up.
Sure enough, before long, someone poked his head around the entrance to the alley.
And there was more than one.
Two thuggish-looking men hesitated for a moment, then followed her into the alley.
At a glance, Song Ning could tell from their dull complexions and unsteady steps that they kept unhealthy hours and had poor footing. Neither looked like a trained fighter.
The two looked around as they walked.
"Where-where'd she go? Did we lose her?"
"How could we? I saw her come in here!"
"But this-this here's a dead end!"
Once they came close, she swept the long broom across their path, sending both sprawling face-first.
Amid their cries of pain, she asked casually, "You fellas looking for me, then?"
When the two men on the ground saw that it was Song Ning, their faces went pale with fright.
One scrambled to his feet, but still refused to back down. "I wasn't doing nothing! What-what'd you trip me for?"
Song Ning continued mimicking his accent. "I wasn't doing nothing! What'd you go following me for?"
Before you continue