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Psst! We're moving!
Three cars, with Lu Zhou leading the way.
He was familiar with the area; it was truly his territory. After hearing the hotel name, he knew exactly where it was.
With this human navigation, he didn’t have to bother listening to that cold, mechanical female voice.
Shen Yihuan sat in his passenger seat. This was his personal car, not a military vehicle. She clicked her tongue at the Land Rover emblem and turned to ask, “Why are you the person in charge this time?”
“Not directly in charge, it’s a task assigned,” Lu Zhou said.
“Director Qin Zheng told me this filming activity was directly communicated with ‘the higher-ups.’ You’ve already reached that rank,” she said, a little impressed, and with a strange sense of pride.
Lu Zhou chuckled, “What counts as ‘higher-ups’?”
His laughter was deep, like a pebble warmed in a fire, rough and scalding.
Shen Yihuan vaguely felt that this was the first time she had heard him laugh like that since they reunited, a genuine laugh, even if only for a fleeting moment.
She turned to look at Lu Zhou and realized he seemed to be in a very good mood.
Gone was the gloomy feeling from before.
He had been so fierce with her outside just now, and now it was clear skies after rain, strange.
It was already sunset. They drove west, the endless road stretching far ahead. The distant sky and land merged into a horizon, and the sun jumped and sank along it.
Golden light filled the sky.
The burning sensation was hot on her eyelids.
Lu Zhou raised his hand and pulled down the sun visor in front of Shen Yihuan’s seat.
Shen Yihuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, a hint of mischief in her expression. Lu Zhou’s change in attitude caught her off guard.
She wondered if it was her coming to Xinjiang to find him that made him happy, even improving his stiff temper considerably.
He was truly awkward. Just now, outside, he had been so aggressively questioning her about coming here to cause trouble, yet inwardly he couldn’t help but feel a secret joy and satisfaction.
Shen Yihuan turned her head, her eyes sparkling, and leaned closer to him: “Lu Zhou, are you very happy I came?”
He gripped the steering wheel, not even sparing a side glance, and pulled Shen Yihuan back by the collar of her shirt.
Shen Yihuan was displeased, flapping her hands, trying to slap his hand away.
But it was no use. Lu Zhou was strong; controlling her with just a few fingers was enough. He directly pressed her back into her seat, making her sit properly.
“What are you doing!”
He said: “I just finished training, I smell of sweat.”
“...” Shen Yihuan glared at him, then after a while, couldn’t help but laugh, “I don’t mind your sweat smell.”
Lu Zhou was a man of few words; typically, if a sentence wasn’t ending with a question mark, it concluded with him.
But Shen Yihuan couldn’t sit still and continued talking to him: “How do you even know how to fix cars?”
“Driving can be difficult on some roads; knowing how to fix a car can sometimes be a matter of life or death.”
Shen Yihuan blinked: “Do you often encounter very dangerous situations?”
“It’s alright.”
He spoke lightly, but Shen Yihuan felt that his job must be very dangerous. She had seen a bandaged shoulder on him back then.
“Your shoulder injury, is it healed?”
“Healed.”
“How much longer until we get there?”
“About three hours.” He held the steering wheel with one hand, grabbed a blanket from the back seat, and placed it over Shen Yihuan, “Get some sleep.”
As it grew darker, she was indeed a bit cold in her light clothing. She pulled the blanket over herself, intending only to watch the scenery for a while, but unexpectedly, she nodded off again.
When she woke up again, they had arrived at their destination. Lu Zhou had woken her up.
The hotel booked by the program team was the best in the area, but its location was remote and it couldn’t compare to other hotels; it was merely clean.
However, it had a very local flavor, with strings of red lanterns hanging along the corridor.
As soon as Shen Yihuan got out of the car, she shivered from the biting cold wind that hit her face. The wind carried the chill of late autumn in the city.
The next second, a blanket was draped over her shoulders.
She turned around, Lu Zhou was behind her. He didn’t linger, following everyone to the back of the other SUV to help with the luggage.
Shen Yihuan followed him.
She wasn’t fully awake, nor did she reach out to help carry the bags. Besides, with Lu Zhou there, she habitually relied on him, as if him carrying her luggage was a matter of course, something she was used to.
“Did you bring a coat?” Lu Zhou asked.
She nodded.
“Which suitcase is yours?”
She pointed to the pink and blue suitcase on the inner side.
Lu Zhou and Lin Hu together carried everyone’s suitcases out. His arms were strong, his forearms flexed with effort, and with a light lift, he effortlessly picked them up and placed them steadily on the ground.
After everything was taken out, he squatted down and laid Shen Yihuan’s suitcase flat on the ground.
It had no password, so it could be opened directly.
Shen Yihuan looked at his movements blankly, not fully awake from her sleep. Only when she heard a click did she come to her senses, suddenly remembering—
When she was packing her clothes, she had just haphazardly thrown them in, with her underwear and panties placed directly on top.
“Wait a minute!” She slapped the suitcase.
Lu Zhou looked at her, unmoving. After the people around thanked him and walked into the hotel, only the two of them were left outside before he spoke: “What?”
“...”
How was she supposed to say it?
Even though they had been honest with each other and seen each other before, after three years, seeing such intimate items seemed even more awkward.
“I’ll do it myself,” she said.
“What are you dilly-dallying for?” Lu Zhou frowned, directly flipping open the suitcase.
“...” Shen Yihuan cautiously observed his expression.
Then she saw his movements pause. He froze for two seconds, his gaze deepened, and he raised his hand.
Through the suitcase lid, Shen Yihuan couldn’t see his movements, only felt her face burning hot.
A few seconds later, the suitcase closed again. Lu Zhou held a thick denim jacket in his hand and handed it to Shen Yihuan: “Put it on.”
________________________________________
Walking into the hotel.
The first floor was dedicated to Xinjiang cuisine.
The owner was a tall Xinjiang man, with a beard and medium-length hair, looking quite rugged.
Lu Zhou pushed Shen Yihuan’s suitcase inside. The owner’s eyes lit up when he saw him, and he loudly shouted, “Captain Lu!”
“Hmm.” He smiled and walked over.
Qin Zheng and the others were ordering, all specialty dishes rare elsewhere, so they asked Lu Zhou to recommend a few. He quickly ordered several dishes.
Meat pilaf, wild mushroom noodles, spicy chicken, naan, Xinjiang yogurt, and a few refreshing side dishes.
“How much?” Qin Zheng asked.
The owner pressed the calculator and gave a number.
“Not expensive.”
Lu Zhou said, “This isn’t a scenic area, so it’s cheaper and more authentic than the ones in scenic areas.”
Qin Zheng said, “Then we’ll have to really explore authentic cuisine when we film.”
Qin Zheng had just taken out her wallet when Lu Zhou already handed over a few banknotes.
Qin Zheng quickly said, “No, no, Captain Lu, we’ve already troubled you enough; we can’t let you spend more, especially since we have a budget for this.”
“It’s fine, it’s not expensive,” he said.
Qin Zheng quickly handed her money over too: “Owner, take mine, take mine.”
They rarely saw such behavior. The owner scratched the back of his head and smiled, pushing back Qin Zheng’s money: “I wouldn’t dare refuse what Captain Lu handed over.”
After taking the money, Lu Zhou said to the people around him: “Everyone, put your luggage away and come downstairs. The food here is made very quickly.”
Shen Yihuan noticed that he had changed a lot since high school.
It was all honed in the army.
In high school, he was already the class monitor, and many large and small activities required his speeches. Although he was calm and orderly, now, a simple sentence from him carried an undeniable authority.
Qin Zheng handed out room cards to everyone.
Lu Zhou carried Shen Yihuan’s suitcase to the second floor, inserted the room card, and opened the door.
The facilities were simple. The bedding wasn’t the uniform white of typical hotels, but patterned, very clean, and still carried the scent of having just been sun-dried.
Shen Yihuan followed Lu Zhou into the room, looking around curiously, her heart pounding. She couldn’t help but recall some passionate memories from the past.
But looking at the man in front of her, his face was calm.
Lu Zhou checked her doors and windows, told her, “Come down after you’re settled,” then closed the room door for her and turned to go downstairs without looking back.
________________________________________
When Shen Yihuan came downstairs, everyone was already seated.
On the table were clean, homely serving dishes, not as fancy as many restaurants, and the plating was simple, but the dishes were appetizing, brightly colored, and generously portioned.
On the first floor, besides their large table, there were only a few scattered small tables, occupied by what appeared to be locals based on their attire.
“Yihuan, come here.” Qin Zheng waved to her.
At the large table, only one empty seat remained next to Lu Zhou, clearly left intentionally by everyone.
Their unusual relationship was unspoken. At first glance, they seemed to be enemies, but later, they looked like a couple. Lu Zhou didn’t say anything, and they didn’t dare ask, showing natural respect.
Shen Yihuan went over and sat down next to Lu Zhou.
There was work tomorrow, and it was late now, so no one drank alcohol, only yogurt.
The yogurt here tasted different from the store-bought kind; it was very thick, handmade, and stirred like ice cream. It had a few yellowish-green raisins sprinkled on top and was very sweet.
Shen Yihuan took two sips, recognized the taste, and quickly finished a cup.
She held her camera, taking photos not just of the food but also of the people. The simple incandescent light cast a warm yellow glow. Everyone had tired faces from a day of travel, eating, drinking, and chatting, making for very textured photos.
After taking a few shots, she turned and aimed at Lu Zhou.
Click—
Hearing the sound, he raised his hand, his large palm covering the lens: “My photos can’t be posted.”
Shen Yihuan said, “I won’t post them, I’ll just look at them myself.”
Lu Zhou glanced at her, then withdrew his hand. Shen Yihuan took two more pictures of him, none of them looking at the camera.
Everyone ate and chatted, making it lively.
Lu Zhou spoke little, only opening his mouth when asked. Shen Yihuan, not yet familiar with the TV station staff, couldn’t interject and also remained silent.
Qin Zheng asked, “Captain Lu, are you resting here tonight or returning to the military camp?”
“I’ll go back tomorrow morning.”
There was expected to be a strong northwest wind tonight, bringing severe sandstorms. The journey was long and remote, making it unsafe.
“Actually, we have a special feature planned on border defense soldiers. We originally feared disturbing you, so we intended to go after the entire trip was over. But now, it might be more convenient to go directly to the military camp with you tomorrow for the filming.”
Qin Zheng smiled, “To be honest, we are complete novices when it comes to Xinjiang. Our understanding through online information is not thorough. If we could film at the military camp first, we could also get a good understanding from you people stationed in Xinjiang.”
Shen Yihuan’s eyes widened. She hadn’t listened carefully when Qin Zheng talked about the itinerary in the car, so she didn’t know there was even filming scheduled at the military camp.
Being able to go to Lu Zhou’s workplace made her especially excited.
She really wanted to see what kind of environment Lu Zhou had been working in all these years.
After listening, Lu Zhou said, “Advancing the time requires approval. I’ll go ask the commander in a bit.”
“Thank you so much.”
Xinjiang cuisine, with its abundant oil and meat, was very appetizing to everyone who had been hungry from a day of traveling. In no time, all the plates were cleaned, and everyone leaned back in their chairs, holding their bellies comfortably.
Lu Zhou came in from outside, carrying a chill with him, and said to Qin Zheng, “It’s been approved. We can enter the military camp together tomorrow, but the rules inside must be strictly followed.”
Qin Zheng said, “Absolutely.”
Lu Zhou: “Everyone go to bed early today; we’ll gather downstairs at 5 AM sharp tomorrow and set off.”
Someone exclaimed: “5 AM or PM?!”
“AM.”
Everyone groaned inwardly, but dared not show it. They grudgingly hurried upstairs to wash up and rest.
Shen Yihuan lagged behind. She had slept in the car and wasn’t sleepy now. Seeing Lu Zhou walk to the counter to talk to the owner, she followed him.
The owner pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the cabinet: “Captain Lu, you should quit smoking. It’s not good for your health.”
He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, held it between his teeth, and mumbled an “Mmm.”
He exhaled a puff of smoke.
Shen Yihuan sat on the high stool next to him. Lu Zhou turned his head. @Jingjiang Literature City
Shen Yihuan asked him, “Aren’t you going to sleep yet?”
Lu Zhou said, “You go to sleep first.”
She shook her head: “I’m not tired.” Then she asked the owner, “Do you still have that yogurt from earlier?”
She had eaten a bit too much, and her stomach felt a little queasy.
“Yes,” the owner smiled, and got her another cup from the back room.
“How much?”
“Given your relationship with Captain Lu, I won’t charge you,” he said.
From the moment they walked in, he could tell. When had he ever seen Captain Lu treat a girl like this?
But he also hadn’t expected Captain Lu’s sweetheart to be such a pretty young girl. The two of them were too different. He had thought Lu Zhou would appreciate a heroic and spirited woman.
Shen Yihuan: “No, it’s not easy for you to make money. I don’t know how much it is, but here’s 20 yuan for you.”
Lu Zhou glanced sideways: “5 yuan a cup, it’s not that expensive.”
Shen Yihuan rummaged through her wallet but couldn’t find any small change. Seeing the owner’s stance, he clearly wasn’t going to accept it.
“Don’t bother,” Lu Zhou said, “Go to sleep. We gather at five tomorrow.”
“Which room is yours?” she asked.
“What do you want?” Lu Zhou squinted at her, his eyes shrouded in smoke, making them unclear.
“Just asking.”
The owner laughed, straightforwardly: “We don’t have many rooms here; with so many of you arriving, there are no rooms left. Captain Lu will have to spend the night in his car.”
Lu Zhou originally didn’t want to tell Shen Yihuan, fearing she might cause trouble again. Sure enough, after she heard, she immediately frowned, turned her head, and directly asked, “Won’t it be cold sleeping in the car tonight?”
“It’s alright.”
“Then I’ll sleep with you.”
Lu Zhou’s voice deepened: “Don’t mess around. If you catch a cold or fever, the health station is hundreds of miles away from here.”
“Didn’t you say it’s alright?” Shen Yihuan insisted. @Jingjiang Literature City
He stated bluntly: “It’s cold.”
“Then you...” She hesitated, lowering her voice and leaning close to his ear, “Do you want to crash in my room for the night?”
Lu Zhou didn’t say anything, but his refusal was obvious.
Seeing them at a stalemate, the owner advised: “The car can’t run the air conditioning at night, and it’s far from the supply station, so they have to save fuel. Captain Lu is also afraid you’ll get frostbite.”
And no air conditioning?!
Shen Yihuan was shocked. What kind of harsh conditions were these?
“Go to sleep.”
Seeing that she didn’t move, Lu Zhou directly took her arm and pulled her towards the stairs, then gave her a push on the back.
Then he turned around and walked out without looking back.
________________________________________
The sandstorm outside hadn’t started yet; the sky was still clear, and a bright, large full moon hung overhead, like a disc.
Occasionally, a few clouds drifted across the sky, vaguely obscuring a bit of the moon.
Weeds grew everywhere, and when the wind blew, there was a uniform rustling sound. Even in the dark, the flattened grass could be seen.
Lu Zhou half-closed his eyes, a cigarette dangling from his lips, leaning lazily against the car seat.
He had lived here for a long time and was familiar with all the sounds of the night. In the military camp, one had to stay vigilant during watch, and even a tiny missed sound could lead to a grave mistake.
Over time, this training honed his hearing to be excellent, but it also made his sleep lighter at night; he would wake at the slightest movement.
When he was little, his father was busy with work, and his mother had passed away at his birth. When he couldn’t take care of himself, the family’s nanny looked after him. As he got older, he took care of himself.
This also cultivated his solitary and aloof personality.
Shen Yihuan’s appearance was the most vibrant and significant stroke in his life.
@Jingjiang Literature City
The girl’s smile was bright and cunning, her temper could be soft or tough, like a fox and a leopard, with a pair of naturally laughing eyes that captivated souls.
Her temper, her flaws, her honesty, and her passion were all things Lu Zhou had never encountered or seen before, like a ray of sunshine illuminating his ordinary heart.
One could call it a sudden flutter of the heart, or love at first sight, either would fit.
But she wasn’t always good to him either.
She would threaten to break up with him at the slightest provocation.
She wouldn’t let him talk to this girl or that girl, yet she had a ton of male friends, going to internet cafes, KTVs, and drinking with them.
Her temper was also bad, getting upset over small things, and in the end, he had to suppress his anger and patiently coax her over and over again.
Finally, she broke up with him and left, carefree, as if she hadn’t liked him even a little bit during those five years.
A sound came from the hotel entrance.
He turned his head.
He saw Shen Yihuan, wrapped up tightly, run out, open the car door, and extend her hand straight forward.
“What?”
“Hot water bottle.”
He didn’t know where she had found that hot water bottle. It was an old-fashioned, red one with embossed wavy stripes.
Lu Zhou took it; it was still scalding hot.
Shen Yihuan: “The hotel has hot water. If you get cold, go fill it up again. Don’t catch a cold.”
After she finished speaking, as if she was truly freezing, she stomped her feet and hurried back inside.
Lu Zhou held the hot water bottle in his hand, looking at Shen Yihuan’s receding back, and finally curled his lips.
His laughter was muffled, buried in his chest. He leaned against the backrest, looking down at the hot water bottle, laughing with satisfaction and compromise.
________________________________________
Shen Yihuan wasn’t good to him.
But she was also very good to him.
Besides Shen Yihuan, no one else cared for him.
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