Song Ran lowered her head, wiping her fingers with a towel stroke by stroke, very seriously and forcefully, as if there were some filth on her hands that desperately needed to be wiped away.

Shen Bei handed the tablet menu to Li Zan, "Do you want to add any more dishes? See if there's anything else you'd like to eat?"

He glanced at it, appearing somewhat nonchalant, and said, "This is fine for now. We can add more if it's not enough."

"Alright."

Song Ran kept her eyelids lowered from beginning to end, wiping her hands over and over again.

The colleagues at the table, regardless of gender, were all very interested in Li Zan. A soldier like him could hardly fail to become the center of attention.

Xiao Chun was the first to ask, "Shen Bei said you're a soldier?"

"Mm."

"When did you become a soldier?" Xiao Qiu asked.

Li Zan said, "Eighteen."

"How long have you been a soldier?" a male colleague asked.

"Almost five years."

Xiao Xia pressed on, "Are there others like you in your unit? Single ones..."

"Aiya!" Shen Bei interrupted with a laugh, "What are you all doing? Those who know would say it's your occupational hazard, but those who don't would think you're conducting a household registration check."

The girls all booed her in unison, "Tsk tsk tsk, so protective of him."

Li Zan didn't answer for a moment. He turned his head to look at Shen Bei, his expression unreadable.

But Shen Bei just smiled at him.

Listening to the teasing and laughter at the table, Song Ran's heart was ice-cold, and the hot towel in her hand had long since cooled. 'I must be sitting too close to the air conditioner,' she thought, 'that's why I feel a cold wind blowing through my heart.'

Li Zan didn't speak, and the table fell silent for a few seconds. Then he stood up and said he was going to the restroom.

After he left, Shen Bei looked at the others and chided, "Don't be so gossipy!"

Despite her words, the table grew lively again. Xiao Xia asked, "Hey, how did you two meet?"

Shen Bei chuckled a couple of times and then said, "My dad went to a meeting once, a very high-level one. Li Zan happened to be in charge of bomb disposal and security checks. My dad's secretary was a bit arrogant at the time, refused to let him inspect the briefcase, and even tried to use my dad's rank to pressure him. Anyway, he was just being a bit pompous."

"And then?" Everyone was extremely curious.

"He said, 'The only thing that can pressure me is military law. You are not qualified.' The secretary got so angry he was about to make a move on him, but Li Zan 'accidentally' twisted his hand and dislocated it. My dad was very impressed with him, took a liking to him at first sight, and wanted to introduce him to me. He asked around for a long time and finally had his instructor arrange it. Cool, right?"

"So romantic," Xiao Chun said. "If even your dad took a liking to him, he must be outstanding."

"Yeah. I heard from his instructor that he's been decorated several times. At the time, my dad's secretary wanted to go to his unit to file a complaint, but he was completely rebuffed. He's highly regarded."

A male colleague interjected, "Bomb disposal experts are hard to train; it requires talent. The military definitely protects them like treasures. Besides, the military and the government are two different systems. That secretary trying to use his bit of power to pressure him was barking up the wrong tree."

"But your boyfriend seems really quiet. He doesn't talk much."

"That's because of you guys and your pile of questions. He may seem mild-tempered, but he's actually very proud and doesn't like people teasing him. Later, please ask fewer probing questions. I'm begging you."

"Tsk tsk tsk," everyone teased her sourly, "So protective. To think you'd have a day like this."

Shen Bei giggled.

The person she described was somewhat unfamiliar to Song Ran, as if she had never met him.

Song Ran's nose stung terribly, and she could barely hold it together. She turned her head and got up to get some dipping sauces from outside.

She quickly walked through the corridor, rounded a corner, and when she abruptly looked up, she saw Li Zan. The sight startled her so much that the mist in her eyes evaporated instantly.

Li Zan was leaning against the corridor wall, sending a text message. His brow was slightly furrowed, and his expression wasn't good. Her sudden appearance also surprised him. His expression softened a little, and his dark, bright eyes looked at her quietly, but he showed no intention of speaking to her.

Song Ran had nothing to say to him either and walked past him with her head down.

She walked to the sauce station and stood in a daze for a moment before picking up a saucer to mix her dipping sauce.

She added fermented bean curd, minced garlic, chopped chili, and sesame oil. She wanted to add some vinegar, but the bottles for the vinegar and soy sauce weren't labeled. Just as she was trying to tell them apart, a low voice came from beside her, "This is vinegar, this is soy sauce."

His hand reached out and pointed twice.

"Oh, thank you." She only dared to glance up at him briefly, not even getting a clear look at his face.

He walked past her. She felt pins and needles on her back and couldn't stay a moment longer. She was about to leave when she remembered something. Glancing furtively in the direction of the private room, she turned back to him and said, "Here's your string back."

Li Zan was putting chili into his saucer and turned his head, somewhat surprised.

The light in the main hall was dim. The light from above the condiment station reflected on his face, giving a soft, illusory impression.

He suddenly smiled, took the string and stuffed it into his jeans pocket, saying, "I had an emergency dispatch that day and lost the note."

Song Ran said, "I lost your note too, so I never called. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," he said, and went back to getting his condiments.

He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans today. Without his military uniform, his tough demeanor was gone, and he looked clean and approachable.

But that was probably just a self-hypnotizing fantasy of hers. It had always been this way.

Song Ran didn't look any longer. By the time she walked back to the private room, the corners of her mouth were about to collapse. She wanted to go home; she couldn't stay another second.

She ate that meal very earnestly, keeping her head down and focusing on the hot pot the entire time, as if she'd never had it before.

Shen Bei didn't mention Li Zan again, and everyone else stopped being gossipy. However, the conversation at the table still drifted to him unconsciously from time to time. The male colleague, Xiao Zhao, was very curious about his profession and asked, "Is bomb disposal very difficult to learn?"

Li Zan said, "Easy to start, difficult to master."

Xiao Chun: "But I feel like explosions rarely happen in real life. What does your daily work mainly consist of?"

Xiao Zhao cut in, saying, "You wouldn't know about that. They do happen in real life, but most are kept confidential and not made public."

Song Ran didn't join the conversation. She lowered her head, picked up a piece of raw bitter melon, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Shen Bei asked, "Huh? Whose abalone is this? Who hasn't eaten yet?"

The abalone had been ordered according to the number of people. Right now, a single one was left on the large platter. Everyone else had already eaten.

Xiao Qiu said, "Ran Ran, you haven't had yours, right?"

"Ah?" Song Ran looked up and glanced at it, "Oh."

Shen Bei moved the large abalone in front of her: "Ran Ran."

Song Ran picked it up and dropped it into her own small pot. "Thank you." She smiled at Shen Bei and saw Li Zan sitting next to her, quietly eating. His face was a little red, perhaps from the spiciness.

She didn't look at him for another second, as if it were a sin.

She had never eaten such a large and fresh abalone before, but it was tasteless in her mouth. After all, it wasn't something she had paid for herself.

The dishes on the lazy susan were quickly finished. Shen Bei picked up the menu again, handed it to Li Zan, and asked, "Do you want to order more?"

Li Zan said, "No need."

"Don't be polite. It's my treat today."

"Is that so?"

"Yep, I was Liang City TV's outstanding journalist for the first half of the year. I got a bonus. Aren't I amazing?" Shen Bei's voice was sweet as she tilted her head, fishing for praise.

He just hummed in acknowledgment.

Song Ran gripped her chopsticks, her knuckles turning white. She had never imagined that the words "outstanding journalist" would sting her like this, hurting so much that she almost cried.

Fortunately, no one ordered more food in the end. The meal was finally over, and the party broke up.

Everyone gathered at the entrance to say their goodbyes. Through the figures of other people, Li Zan saw Song Ran. Their eyes met unintentionally. He looked at her quietly for a second and gave her a slight smile.

Song Ran returned a standard smile. Her eyes sparkled, filled with warmth, kindness, and happiness, as if to say 'it's nice to meet you.' She smiled, but a bitter feeling dropped from her throat straight to the bottom of her heart.

Ah Zan...

Don't smile at me anymore, really.

She turned her head away, the rims of her eyes turning red.

The colleagues split into three cars according to their routes and left.

Riding with Song Ran were Xiao Qiu and Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao was a military enthusiast and kept repeating how unexpected it was: "I can't believe I met a real-life bomb disposal expert. Sigh, why didn't I join the army back then."

Xiao Qiu said, "Give me a break. With those chubby little hands of yours? Didn't you see his hands? They're like a pianist's."

Song Ran didn't respond. She remembered the moment he stood beside her, pointing at the vinegar—his fingers were long, slender, and well-defined.

After dropping Xiao Zhao off at home, only the two of them were left in the car. Xiao Qiu couldn't help but sigh, "Life is so unfair. Some people... they have everything."

She didn't specify who she was talking about. But Song Ran's heart felt so constricted she couldn't breathe. She opened the window for some air, but the late-July night wind that blew in was still stuffy and hot.

When she returned to Qingzhi Lane, she was exhausted. The day had been too tiring, perhaps because of the high temperature during the day. She was so tired she had no strength left.

She pushed open the gate and walked into the courtyard. Moonlight spilled all over the ground. The honeysuckle gave off a light fragrance in the night.

There wasn't a trace of wind. The moonlight was mottled on the cobblestone path. A striking white reflection caught her eye—it was the note she had been looking for for so long.

Li Zan's phone number was written on it.

Filled with sorrow and pain, she stomped her foot, grinding the piece of paper into the dirt. She used all her strength, and the note quickly crumpled and merged with the mud.

She stood there with her head bowed for a long time, then suddenly bent over, covered her eyes, and let her tears fall.

Her crying gradually became audible. Sobbing, she climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered her room, and turned on the light. She rummaged through her drawers and cabinets, pulling out all the writing awards she had won during her school days and the award certificates she had received from newspaper and magazine publishers.

She looked at them one by one, and as she did, she began to sob uncontrollably.

"I'm obviously better than her..." She covered her face and sobbed, "I'm obviously better than her! Why wasn't that award mine!"

...

The next day, Song Ran submitted her application to go to Dongguo.

She became the only female reporter at the station to submit an application.

When Song Zhicheng learned of her decision, he was both supportive and worried about her personal safety; he was somewhat hesitant.

So, Song Ran told him about Luo Junfeng. Luo Junfeng had said he could get her book published by the best literary publishing house, which moved Song Zhicheng, who had always hoped for his daughter to make a name for herself.

As for Song Ran, putting the book aside, as a reporter, she had always wanted to go to Dongguo again.

Her business trip to Dongguo in the first half of the year had left a deep impression on her; a country in turmoil.

She wanted to document, and even more, she wanted to bear witness.

However, Ran Yuwei was strongly against it. She not only reprimanded Song Ran over the phone but also gave Song Zhicheng a severe scolding, saying he was selling out his daughter for his own unfulfilled dreams and vanity.

Song Ran couldn't see eye to eye with her, nor did she argue. While she met the opposition with silence, her decision did not waver in the slightest.

Ran Yuwei went to great lengths to send her uncle, aunt, and cousin Ran Chi to persuade her. Halfway through his attempt at persuasion, the boy, Ran Chi, blurted out, "No, I have to be honest. Sis, a war correspondent, that's so cool!" His parents slapped him on the back of the head for it.

Song Yang was also on their side; she didn't want Song Ran to go to Dongguo.

"Last time on the news, they said an American reporter was kidnapped and killed. What if something happens to you? I'd cry myself to death."

Yang Huilun snapped at her, "Your sister has great fortune, how could anything happen to her? She's working hard and pursuing her dream, unlike you, lying around like a salted fish all day. Instead of worrying about this, you should be looking for a job!"

The house was in an uproar for a while, but it gradually quieted down due to Song Ran's unwavering determination.

In early August, Song Ran boarded a plane to Gamma.

The temperature was high that day, and the sun was bright.

As the plane took off, sunlight refracted through the window, so brilliant it was dazzling. She squinted her eyes against it, and inevitably, she suddenly thought of him again.

For the past two months, flowers had been blooming in her heart all on their own. How foolish.

She looked out the porthole at the vast green mountain forests and the blue-green river water, recalling the third of June, and the dry, desolate Ale City.

He had pulled her along, running under the bright sun, and at the last second, he had pulled her into his arms and thrown them both to the ground.

In that moment, her heartbeat was uncontrollable.

But that heartbeat...

Perhaps, in the end, it was all just an illusory misunderstanding.