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Psst! We're moving!
Shen Yihuan blinked, her dark lashes clumping together, and asked, “Anything I want?”
“Mm,” Lu Zhou nodded.
“Then let’s not do it tonight.”
“...”
Lu Zhou looked at her, knowing the young girl deliberately wanted to lighten the heavy atmosphere. He raised a hand, ruffled her hair, and softly said, “Okay, we won’t.”
Shen Yihuan bent down, cupped Lu Zhou’s face, then pressed her face against his, forehead to forehead, kissing his lips repeatedly.
Lu Zhou remained squatting on the ground, head tilted up, obediently letting Shen Yihuan hold his head, kissing and caressing him.
Lu Zhou took Shen Yihuan’s wrist, his thumb gently caressing her palm.
Shen Yihuan hooked her arms around his neck.
In the past, no matter who initiated the kiss, Lu Zhou always took the lead in the end. Only this time, he merely submitted, his mouth slightly parted, letting Shen Yihuan explore. Her movements weren’t skilled, nor were they too awkward, but rather a clumsy initiation.
After who knows how long.
Lu Zhou pinched Shen Yihuan’s chin, pulling her a little distance away, his voice hoarse and rough: “Shen Yihuan, I won’t be able to control myself.”
Shen Yihuan’s gaze dropped for a quick glance.
She leaned in again, not just hooking his neck, but pressing her upper body against him too.
Lu Zhou almost immediately returned the kiss with intense passion.
Shen Yihuan was pushed onto the bed. Her dark, long hair fanned out on the white quilt, her lips red, teeth white, and her eyes curved, smiling like a fox.
“Who told you to hold back?” she gasped lightly, lifting her knee to rub against Lu Zhou.
...
After the commotion.
They still ended up taking a shower together.
In the bathroom, Shen Yihuan used her hand to make Lu Zhou release again. She felt like her hand was about to give out.
It felt a bit like shooting herself in the foot.
Lu Zhou held Shen Yihuan’s waist, Shen Yihuan’s hand resting on his, their fingers intertwined.
After the exhaustion, the excessive low spirits from before also disappeared.
She sniffled and said, “I only have you.”
Lu Zhou said, “You still have me.”
________________________________________
Shen Yihuan’s decision to photograph Xinjiang’s border guards needed approval from higher-ups. Zhou Yishu submitted the detailed procedures, and the final result was that it was approved.
There were many things to review for following border guards for a shoot. Zhou Yishu said the approval process was quite challenging, but luckily, it finally passed.
She didn’t tell Lu Zhou, intending to surprise him.
The day before, Lu Zhou received an order to return to Xinjiang. Li Wu had exposed himself again, and the mission was officially assigned.
This time, it wasn’t a return to the military camp, but direct patrol along the provided clues.
They had been searching for Li Wu’s smuggling group for a long time. Now, based on the clues, they also knew that Li Wu was not the only smuggling group within the Xinjiang border. All they could do was try their best to catch as many as possible.
The danger was extremely high, and Lu Zhou didn’t go into detail with Shen Yihuan.
Shen Yihuan saw Lu Zhou off at the airport.
That evening, Lu Zhou arrived in Xinjiang. The weather was extremely cold. He Min was waiting for Lu Zhou outside. There were several other people in military uniforms in the off-road vehicle, hidden in the darkness.
Lu Zhou walked over and knocked on the car window.
From inside, a uniform voice said, “Captain Lu.”
Lu Zhou got into the car and glanced inside: “Everyone else has arrived?”
“Yes, at the stationing point.”
“Alright.”
A biting cold wind swept in, chilling his entire body. Lu Zhou pulled up his collar. The car drove towards the plateau, and the temperature dropped minute by minute.
“Oh, right,” He Min said, “The Commander said someone else needs to accompany the team this time.”
“Who?”
“Don’t know, a journalist or something. Didn’t say clearly. Said they’re here to promote us.”
Lu Zhou frowned: “What is there to promote about us?”
Moreover, this journey was extremely perilous. If someone came who lacked self-defense or wilderness survival skills, who knew what kind of trouble they would cause along the way.
He Min said, “Border soldiers are indeed too unknown. If promoting us can lead to fewer bad people, it would be good.”
Lu Zhou said, “If they get injured or affect our operations, send them away.”
He Min knew this meant he tacitly agreed.
At the campsite, the wind was strong, but the area was vast and open. The trees looked utterly pathetic, bare and dry, devoid of leaves.
Zhao He roared, “Captain Lu is here!”
Everyone came out of the tents.
Lu Zhou stood in front of the bonfire, the firelight reflecting in his pupils, sharp and intense. His jawline was tight, and his face was pale and dry from the cold north wind.
“For the next period, we’ll be moving along the border posts. We could encounter enemies at any time. Always be ready for combat and adhere strictly to orders!”
A unified “Yes!” echoed.
At night, Lu Zhou and He Min shared a tent.
Being grown men, they didn’t mind the smell of smoke. He Min sat on one side, smoking, and glanced at Lu Zhou, who had a map laid out in front of him, his gaze calmly fixed on it.
He Min straightened up: “Captain Lu, you don’t smoke anymore?”
Lu Zhou didn’t look up, just hummed in affirmation.
He Min chuckled: “Is this because your family member controls you?”
Lu Zhou also laughed: “Yes.”
“You used to smoke so heavily. Over time, your lungs wouldn’t be able to take it. But your addiction must be hard to quit, right?”
“Mm, sometimes I can’t help but sneak one when she’s not around. It’s much less than before.”
As he spoke, his phone rang. It was Shen Yihuan calling.
“Did you miss me?” The young girl’s voice was clear and crisp, tinged with a smile.
Lu Zhou lifted the tent flap and stepped outside, finding a sheltered spot to squat down: “Yes.”
“The wind’s really strong where you are.”
“Mm, just came out of the tent.”
“Cold?”
“It’s alright.”
“What are you wearing?”
“Protective gear.”
“Is it issued by the team?”
“Mm.”
Shen Yihuan lowered her head to look at her thin pajamas. She had originally wanted to ask what clothes to bring.
“You should go back into the tent quickly, don’t catch a cold.”
“It’s fine.” Lu Zhou pulled his hat over his head, “Let’s chat a bit more. What are you doing?”
Shen Yihuan kicked the suitcase beside her: “Nothing, just sitting. I’m afraid you’ll catch a cold, hurry back inside.”
Lu Zhou couldn’t win against her. After a few more words, he hung up and went back into the tent.
________________________________________
Shen Yihuan rummaged through her wardrobe for the thickest clothes. The clothes were so thick and numerous. Finally, she took out the largest suitcase and packed it full.
After a good night’s sleep, it was time to go to Xinjiang.
Zhou Yishu even specially came to her doorstep to pick her up and send her to the airport.
“Take care of yourself, don’t get hurt again,” Zhou Yishu said, “I’ve sent you the contact person’s phone number. If you can’t find the person picking you up when you get there, call that number.”
Shen Yihuan smiled and hugged him: “Don’t worry, it’s not my first time going.”
Shen Yihuan walked into the waiting lounge and called the phone number Zhou Yishu had given her.
The voice on the other end was male, a little familiar, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly who it was.
The voice said, “Okay, when you get to the airport, exit through the main gate. We should be there by then.”
“Okay.”
Before Shen Yihuan hung up, she heard the person’s voice drifting a bit further away—”Captain Lu, it’s the person coming with the team for publicity.”
Shen Yihuan curved her lips.
She hung up and stretched.
Those three years you missed, what did you experience? I want to see it too.
I also want to know what forged this impenetrable armor, this proud spirit, this tender heart of yours.
I also want, in the days to come, to work even harder to make up for those missing three years, little by little.
...
As soon as she got off the plane, Shen Yihuan shivered.
It was colder than when she had left, more than just a little. She looked up at the thermometer on the wall: outdoor temperature, minus twenty degrees Celsius.
It was a dry cold.
Shen Yihuan tightened her scarf and pushed her suitcase out.
As soon as she exited the airport, she saw an off-road vehicle parked not far away. Shen Yihuan walked towards it.
The car window rolled down, revealing only Zhao He.
So the voice on the phone was Zhao He’s, no wonder it sounded so familiar, Shen Yihuan thought.
Zhao He was also startled when he saw her. After realizing who it was, he immediately got out of the car and walked up to Shen Yihuan: “Photographer Shen, what are you doing here?”
Shen Yihuan shook her hanging work ID: “I’m the team photographer who contacted you.”
“...” Zhao He was stunned.
“Can you open the car door? I’ll put my suitcase in,” Shen Yihuan said.
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it,” Zhao He immediately took it from her hand, easily lifted it, and placed it in the back of the car.
He started driving.
It had snowed here; the scenery was no longer as it was when Shen Yihuan first arrived. The sky and snow blended into a vast, boundless white expanse, tightly enveloping the earth.
“Where are we going now?”
“Eastern Pamir,” Zhao He turned up the car’s heater and glanced at Shen Yihuan, “Does Captain Lu... know it’s you coming this time?”
“No,” Shen Yihuan said.
Zhao He: “Then Captain Lu must be especially happy.”
Shen Yihuan curved her lips: “Not necessarily. He might get angry.”
Zhao He disagreed. It was the first time he had met someone Lu Zhou treated so specially, so he naturally felt that Lu Zhou would definitely not be able to bring himself to get angry with Shen Yihuan.
He drove to the next stationing point.
The Eastern Pamir was vast and open, composed of two northwest-southeast mountain ranges and a series of river valleys and lake basins. The mountains were rounded, the ranges divided by wide, shallow river valleys, with large areas of glacial till plains and desert plains.
Zhao He got out of the car, slamming the door shut: “Captain Lu!”
Shen Yihuan got out of the car, calmly opened the back seat door, and laboriously dragged out her suitcase.
She closed the car door, turned around, and saw the man’s tense face.
After only one day apart, she suddenly felt a strange unfamiliarity. Lu Zhou in Xinjiang was completely different from Lu Zhou in Beijing. In Xinjiang, that touch of rebelliousness and untamed spirit in his demeanor was fully revealed, merging with the vast yellow sands and endless white snow.
The wind here, the scenery here, the unique aura here, all integrated into his flesh and blood, manifesting from within.
The man was wearing a blue protective suit, not baggy, but very thick. His pants were large, and the cuffs were tied extremely tightly, letting no wind in. Gloves and a hat were all in place.
Standing on the snowy ground, his brows were furrowed, looking like a storm was brewing.
Shen Yihuan tightened her grip on the luggage handle and greeted him, “Lu Zhou.”
Hearing her voice, Lu Zhou seemed to snap back to reality and strode towards her.
He walked up to Shen Yihuan, looking down at her: “Why are you here?”
Shen Yihuan held up her work badge for him to see.
After seeing it, Lu Zhou’s brows furrowed further: “Why didn’t my family tell me?”
“If I told you, would you have let me come?” Shen Yihuan looked up at him, her gaze unwavering, “Are you going to make me leave now?”
“No,” he refused directly.
Shen Yihuan shrunk her neck.
He was so damn fierce.
Like a completely different person.
“I’m calling Commander Feng, you’re going back immediately.” After he finished speaking, he clenched his phone and walked towards the foot of the mountain. After a few steps, he returned.
His movements were swift. He took off his hat and gloves, put them on Shen Yihuan, and then tilted his head: “He Min, take her to the tent and pour her some hot water.”
He Min, who had been quietly watching for a long time, immediately stood up, led Shen Yihuan into the lead tent, and poured a porcelain cup of hot water from a nearby thermos.
“The altitude is high here, the water might not be fully boiled.”
Shen Yihuan thanked him, took the cup, and took a sip. Indeed, it had the taste of raw water.
He Min sat down opposite her: “Don’t blame Captain Lu. This trip is very risky. He’s letting you go because he’s worried about you.”
“He told me your mission this time wasn’t dangerous,” Shen Yihuan said, taking a sip of water.
He Min was embarrassed, scratched his head, and let out an “Ah.”
Shen Yihuan: “But I didn’t believe it. No matter how dangerous it is, he’ll always say it’s not. Deputy Captain He, don’t worry, I won’t cause you any trouble.”
“It’s not about causing trouble. We’re all very, very grateful that you’re willing to come. We’re just afraid of not being able to protect you in an emergency.”
Shen Yihuan didn’t speak, continuing to drink the half-boiled water.
He Min added, “We all really liked the gifts you gave us when you left last time. Everyone said they wanted to thank you personally. Now there’s an opportunity.”
Shen Yihuan was startled, then realized.
She actually didn’t remember that she had left gifts for them.
Calling them gifts was an exaggeration; they were merely everyday necessities like food and clothing. She had asked Qiu Ruru to bring them over when she came.
“You all guard the border through hot summers and cold winters all year round. What are these few things compared to that?” Shen Yihuan spoke her true feelings.
He Min smiled: “It’s our job, our duty.”
________________________________________
Lu Zhou walked to the side of the stream valley, which was now covered in a thick layer of ice.
“Director Feng, is the accompanying photographer sent this time Shen Yihuan?”
“Yes.”
Lu Zhou narrowed his eyes: “Did you know beforehand?”
“The initial application review came to me. I rejected it. Later, Commander Lu specifically approved it.”
“Commander Lu?” Lu Zhou was startled. “Shen Yihuan can’t stay here. Whether it’s her stamina or her adaptability, she can’t keep up.”
“You didn’t say she couldn’t when you punished her with running laps! Besides, her current identity is a photographer for publicity, not your girlfriend. Don’t let personal feelings get in the way!” Commander Feng said, “You weren’t so opposed yesterday when you didn’t even know it was her coming!”
Shen Yihuan finished the hot water. Lu Zhou lifted the tent flap and came in, holding a piece of clothing.
He walked over and helped Shen Yihuan put it on. It was a standard protective suit. He zipped it up, and she instantly felt less cold.
Shen Yihuan tugged at the collar and asked him, “Did you agree to let me stay?”
“No,” Lu Zhou said with a grim face, his gaze lowered, as he tied her scarf, “Get dressed first, don’t freeze.”
“I have my permit, you can’t make me leave,” Shen Yihuan said.
Lu Zhou looked at her: “The journey ahead is very dangerous.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“I am.”
Shen Yihuan fell silent.
After a while, she took out her phone, opened WeChat, and handed it over.
“When I came here, I told my mom I was going to Xinjiang. She hasn’t responded to me since,” she paused, looking down, “Lu Zhou, you said you’d give me a home.”
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