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Psst! We're moving!
Just before dawn, they reached the nearest border outpost.
All eight captured individuals were taken inside.
Shen Yihuan was already asleep, leaning against Lu Zhou’s shoulder. He lowered his gaze; her eyelashes were densely fanned out, catching a faint glimmer from the car ceiling.
Lu Zhou didn’t wake her. He pulled her closer into his embrace, his arm still supporting her bent knees, and carried her out of the car.
Shen Yihuan woke up groggily, instinctively nuzzling into Lu Zhou’s arms.
Lu Zhou patted her back, simply saying, “Go back to sleep.”
The border guards had already received the message that they were coming and were standing inside. They collectively shouted “Captain Lu!” and then froze, seeing the girl in his arms.
The leading woman was the first to react: “Captain Lu, let’s get the young lady into a room to rest first.”
“Mm.”
Lu Zhou placed Shen Yihuan on the bed, covered her with the quilt, tucked her in, and watched as Shen Yihuan, seemingly afraid of the cold, burrowed further down.
The room’s temperature was definitely much warmer than sleeping in the tent outside yesterday, and the heating was on. She just hadn’t adjusted immediately after taking off her clothes.
Lu Zhou’s index finger slipped under the edge of the quilt, lifted Shen Yihuan’s chin, and raised it slightly.
The young girl was terribly sleepy, her eyes still closed, grumbling discontentedly, her voice soft and sweet: “I’m cold, don’t...”
“Get some air,” Lu Zhou said softly. “I’ll sleep with you in a bit.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a knock sounded on the bedroom door. After a two-second pause, He Min poked his head in, gestured for Lu Zhou to come out, and then quickly closed the door and left.
Lu Zhou took off his jacket and placed it over the quilt. He didn’t linger, quietly opening and closing the door as he exited.
Only one sensor light was on in the corridor, quite dim. He Min stood beneath it.
Lu Zhou walked over and asked, “How is it?”
“The firearms confiscated from their car have been precisely matched, confirming they are indeed Li Wu’s subordinates. Additionally, they had an F2000 assault rifle, the same kind of weapon we encountered during our last night patrol. That person said it was seized from another arms dealer, and they lost quite a few men.”
Lu Zhou frowned, then after a moment, said: “So, during the night patrol, we encountered that emerging arms group, and in the scenic desert, we encountered Li Wu.”
He Min said gravely: “Yes.”
Then, it wasn’t Li Wu who tried to kill him during the night patrol.
Lu Zhou suddenly asked, “What about the people you caught?”
He Min said, “Still in the interrogation room.”
“Let’s go.”
Lu Zhou entered the interrogation room. As their captain, he was a terrifying presence in the eyes of these arms dealers. The eight men immediately shut up timidly, looking at him.
Lu Zhou asked, “In the Kumtag Desert, were you there to kill me?”
“How dare we! They only went there on the boss’s orders. We truly don’t know the specific reason! Our boss respects and fears you greatly, how could he dare to lay a hand on you to kill you!”
The rest was nonsense.
But compared to that operation being aimed at him, it was more likely aimed at someone else.
At that time, besides him and Shen Yihuan, there were only Qiu Ruru and Gu Minghui in that car.
Later, for insurance, Lu Zhou even specifically investigated Qiu Ruru’s information and whereabouts, finding no possible suspicion.
Then it could only be Gu Minghui.
For Lu Zhou, as the captain of the border defense unit, to be so meticulously targeted for his life—Li Wu’s forces certainly wouldn’t dare. But if the target was indeed Gu Minghui, it would be to eliminate his competitor in this region, for profit.
A bird dies for food, a man dies for wealth.
________________________________________
Shen Yihuan later felt someone quietly get into bed and pull her into their embrace.
She smelled a familiar clear scent, and her heart settled firmly. The heart that had been unable to calm down even in her dreams due to the sudden events of the night now plummeted deep within her body, finding peace.
When she woke up again.
She looked at the ceiling above her, white and unadorned. She felt a little disoriented.
Empty.
After who knows how long, her consciousness slowly returned, along with her sense of touch.
A hand was moving on her thigh.
Shen Yihuan paused, turned her head, and saw Lu Zhou lying on his side facing her, his arm propping up his head, his gaze casually resting on her. Sunlight streamed in from the window, falling on Lu Zhou.
No need to ask whose hand it was on her leg.
Shen Yihuan pushed his hand away: “What are you doing?”
Lu Zhou lowered his eyes, with a faint smile, hooking his index finger into the edge of her underwear.
“...”
Shen Yihuan felt like she was about to curse!
In broad daylight, what was he doing?!
Then she heard Lu Zhou’s deep voice, asking earnestly, “Why don’t you wear the kind you wore last time anymore?”
“What kind?”
Shen Yihuan asked without thinking, then immediately realized Lu Zhou was referring to the type of underwear she wore the first time they were intimate a while ago.
It was a bit sexy, tied with thin straps at the waist.
Ever since Lu Zhou discovered them that time, Shen Yihuan had never worn that kind of underwear again. She felt embarrassed, and Lu Zhou tended to lose control of his strength and hurt her when he saw them.
Shen Yihuan hit him: “I don’t wear that kind every day.”
“They’re quite pretty,” Lu Zhou said.
Shen Yihuan glared at him, but after a while, couldn’t help but smile, asking him: “You like that kind?”
“Mm.”
“Don’t you like the ordinary ones?”
“I like those too,” Lu Zhou said, pausing, then added, “I like those ones more.”
“...” Shen Yihuan sat up from the bed and pinched him: “Can’t you be less perverted?”
Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow, with a nasal sound, “Hm?” he hummed.
________________________________________
After they got up, they went outside. Breakfast was already prepared in the kitchen: porridge and pickles. But it was hot, and surprisingly delicious to drink.
Shen Yihuan held a bowl and squatted by the border station entrance, eating.
In front was a flat, vast wilderness, an expanse of white snow. The sun had just risen, looking like an oil painting.
A woman came out, squatted next to her, also holding a bowl of porridge, and asked her: “You’re Captain Lu’s girlfriend, right?”
Shen Yihuan turned her head to look at her. The woman was clearly from an ethnic minority. Living on the plateau had made her skin very dark. She had large eyes, deep-set eye sockets, and a prominent nose, exuding an exotic beauty.
Shen Yihuan tilted her head and smiled: “Mm, are you a soldier too?”
“Yes, been here for five years.”
Shen Yihuan was startled: “Then you’ve been here longer than Lu Zhou.”
“I’m several years older than Captain Lu. Most of the people here are older than Captain Lu. When we first arrived, the border defense captain wasn’t him, it was Captain Xiriahong.”
“Xiriahong?”
“A Uyghur name, meaning ‘lion’.”
“Good name,” Shen Yihuan said, “Is he still here with you?”
“No,” the woman rested her forearms on her knees, her gaze calmly distant, her voice very soft, devoid of excessive emotion, “He died three years ago during a mission.”
Shen Yihuan was startled, suddenly not knowing what to say.
Lu Zhou came out from the inner room, took the empty bowl from Shen Yihuan’s hand: “Let’s go.”
The woman stood up: “So soon?”
Lu Zhou: “Mm, we just received intelligence about Li Wu’s arms manufacturing factory. We need to go there quickly.”
The woman was surprised, not expecting it so soon: “Then if the factory is truly destroyed, this mission can conclude?!”
“No, a new arms group has emerged, so we have to continue.”
“Ah,” the woman paused slightly, then forced a bittersweet smile, “Another new one... Well, then you all should set off quickly. It has to be one by one.”
He Min also lifted the roller blind and came out, patting her shoulder: “No matter what, if Li Wu is caught, it’ll be revenge for Big Brother Xiriahong.”
The woman nodded “Yeah.”
________________________________________
After getting in the car, Shen Yihuan suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to ask the woman’s name after chatting with her for so long.
She asked Lu Zhou: “What was that girl’s name just now?”
Lu Zhou: “Ayihan.”
“What does that mean in Chinese?”
“Moon.”
“Pretty,” Shen Yihuan looked out the window, then recalled her earlier words, “Is she married?”
He Min turned back: “No.”
Shen Yihuan raised an eyebrow: “No boyfriend either?”
She looked quite old, close to 30, which should be considered very late to marry here.
“No,” He Min sighed, “At that time, Big Brother Xiriahong and she were already talking about marriage, then suddenly...”
He didn’t finish.
Shen Yihuan already understood.
She recalled the woman’s expression when she mentioned Captain Xiriahong’s passing—so calm, without a trace of excessive emotion, yet behind that, who knew how many tears had been shed.
Their names are unknown to outsiders, and their deeds are unknown to anyone.
But if there’s a chance to know, the names of these people should be remembered with respect.
Whether it’s Xiriahong or Ayihan, whether it’s Lu Zhou, He Min, and everyone on the team, all of them.
The sun rose from the east.
The off-road vehicle drove straight west along the road.
________________________________________
They continued heading west until late at night, then set up camp again.
Shen Yihuan probably knew how to set up camp by now, standing beside Lu Zhou, lending a hand.
Lu Zhou glanced at her and said, “Go rest for a bit.”
“I want to help,” Shen Yihuan said.
Lu Zhou then said nothing more. When tying the guy ropes to the stakes, he even handed it to Shen Yihuan, letting her do it, while he squatted beside her, teaching her how to tie and tighten them.
“Like this?”
Lu Zhou pulled it tight, then wrapped it around once more: “Like this.”
Dinner was still nang bread.
Everyone went into their respective tents to eat separately.
Shen Yihuan and Lu Zhou were still in the same one.
Lu Zhou said, “Tonight you’ll sleep alone. I need to keep watch outside.”
Shen Yihuan frowned: “Outside?”
“Mm.”
“Will it be cold?”
Lu Zhou said, “I’ll be in the car, it’s pretty much the same as inside. We’re gradually getting closer to Li Wu’s sphere of influence, so we need to be more careful at night.”
Shen Yihuan was a little worried, holding a piece of nang bread in both hands, unable to swallow.
Lu Zhou: “Only take off your jacket when you sleep at night. If anything happens, we need to leave immediately.”
Shen Yihuan “mm-ed.”
Silence fell. Both quietly ate their nang bread. When Shen Yihuan first arrived in Xinjiang, she couldn’t adapt to the military camp food at all, but now she wasn’t so picky.
She finished quickly, stood up, poured two cups of water from the thermos, and handed one to Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou’s phone, placed beside his hand, lit up.
He picked it up, opened it, and frowned slightly.
Shen Yihuan watched his expression, instantly growing tense. She gripped her water cup tightly and quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”
“A message,” Lu Zhou handed her the phone directly.
“Hm?”
Shen Yihuan leaned in to look.
She saw a WeChat message: “Handsome, do you remember me?”
The profile picture was a fluffy, chubby-faced cat. No need to say, it was a girl on the other end.
“...” Shen Yihuan raised an eyebrow: “Which little girl did you not cut ties with properly?”
Lu Zhou said, “I don’t know her. I added her when I bought crab roe buns.”
Shen Yihuan remembered. Lu Zhou hadn’t gotten a bun that time, and then the person in front of him had given theirs to him. It was probably when they made the transfer that they added each other on WeChat.
“However, that profile picture looks a bit familiar,” Shen Yihuan mumbled.
She trusted Lu Zhou completely and didn’t think much of it. Resting her cheek on her hand, she casually clicked on the profile picture to enter the Moments.
With one glance, Shen Yihuan froze.
“...Shi Jin?”
Lu Zhou looked at her: “Who?”
“My stepfather’s daughter,” Shen Yihuan clicked on a photo in the Moments, “Was it her you saw last time?”
Lu Zhou truthfully said: “I don’t remember.”
Shen Yihuan and Shi Jin had lived under the same roof for a while, but she had indeed never added her on WeChat. She scrolled down casually, and it was indeed Shi Jin.
What a coincidence.
Shi Jin used to like taking her things.
Her camera, her newly bought clothes and shoes, even the bedroom originally prepared for her was taken.
Now it was Lu Zhou’s turn.
Lu Zhou asked: “You don’t like her?”
“No.”
Lu Zhou raised his chin: “Then delete her.”
“...”
Decisive.
Shen Yihuan curved her lips into a smile, leaned forward, closer to Lu Zhou, to kiss his lips. She was caught by the waist, the back of her head cupped by his large hand, deepening the kiss.
When they parted, Shen Yihuan deleted Shi Jin.
After a pause, Shen Yihuan called him, “Lu Zhou.”
“Hm?”
She tentatively began: “If I encountered the same thing, like, if my phone also had... a guy like this added, what would you do?”
Lu Zhou leaned back on his hands, his gaze calmly resting on her, not responding for a moment.
“Would you be angry?”
Lu Zhou said, “I wouldn’t be angry with you.”
“Then do you trust me?”
Lu Zhou calmly raised an eyebrow: “What?”
“Trust that I will only like you in the future. If,” Shen Yihuan paused, thinking of an example, “If, I mean if, we encountered a situation like the rescue last time, and you suddenly couldn’t find me, what would you do?”
Lu Zhou’s expression darkened.
“Shen Yihuan.”
She looked at Lu Zhou.
She heard him say: “I’m no gentleman. I play dirty tricks with you, checking documents and addresses. You are mine. I never go easy on what belongs to me.”
Shen Yihuan then knew that Lu Zhou still couldn’t truly trust her.
Lu Zhou grew up alone.
Although Shen Yihuan rarely received much attention from her parents since childhood, she always had friends and fun, and her grandmother. Familial affection, friendship, and that almost-love feeling from other boys who admired her had never left her.
When she met Lu Zhou at sixteen, he had already lived alone for a long time.
Her genuine heart was passionate and unrestrained, yet it also gave off a feeling of being easily extinguished.
Lu Zhou’s intentional approaches and touches towards her were cautious and tiptoeing, yet he ultimately succumbed to a beauty he had never seen before.
His true heart was hidden deep inside, never seen by anyone, only to be anxiously given to Shen Yihuan.
Shen Yihuan sighed, wrapped her slender arms around Lu Zhou’s neck, and hugged him.
Her chin rested on his shoulder.
She whispered in his ear: “You don’t have to worry about me leaving again. I like you very much.”
________________________________________
He had tasted the desert winds and touched the snows of the northern desert.
He had also met countless, various people.
Among the women he met later, many had expressed their admiration for him. He had heard the word “like” many times.
Only this one, from Shen Yihuan, truly carried weight in his heart.
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