October 24, 2017, the 2192nd day together.
This year, I couldn’t celebrate Xufang’s birthday with him again.
Last time, we could at least video call, but this time, he doesn’t have a smartphone, so I can only call him.
Oh, dear, I wasn’t with him when he turned 25.
He must be feeling really down.
…
…
November 19, 2017, the 2218th day together.
Pipi, I’m feeling a bit upset today.
I want to see you.
I want you to come back.
…
…
December 3, 2017, the 2232nd day together.
You’re not by my side. You don’t know what’s been happening to me. You don’t know the new people around me. You can’t sense my emotions from my words—
But it’s okay.
I’ll tell you.
I’ll always tell you.
This time, it was different from the summer training camp. Xufang went to the military, and although he couldn’t use his phone all the time, there were fixed times each day when they could contact each other.
The military issued him a phone, but it wasn’t a smartphone. It couldn’t access the internet and had no other functions besides calling and texting.
During the times they could communicate, it was the most anticipated part of their day.
On days they couldn’t meet in person, they had to console each other with their voices.
Summer turned into autumn, and they gradually entered winter.
Although Xufang had the status of an officer, which meant slightly more lenient rules compared to the soldiers, he was still new to everything when he first arrived, so he was quite busy.
In the first few months after Xufang went to the military base, Lin Xiche didn’t have many opportunities to visit him in Yuangang City.
Every weekend, there were a limited number of slots for leaving the base, and it usually operated on a rotating basis.
If one didn’t get their turn for a slot, they had to request permission in advance from their superiors, and they could only leave for the day, returning by five in the afternoon without staying overnight.
It had been a while since their last meeting at the train station in late July.
Lin Xiche finally saw Xufang again at the end of December.
The winter in Yuangang City was as cold as ever. Snow hadn’t fallen yet, but the ginkgo trees along the road had shed all their leaves, revealing bare branches against the clear blue sky.
Lin Xiche arrived early, followed the address to the base entrance, and waited for Xufang there.
The military base entrance was stern and quiet, with soldiers standing guard on either side, giving it an imposing and intimidating aura.
Lin Xiche’s steps came to a halt, and she hesitated to approach. She stood behind the security line, waiting.
After what felt like a long time, Lin Xiche finally spotted Xufang walking out from the base entrance. He was dressed in casual clothing, a loose windbreaker, slim pants, and comfortable sneakers.
It seemed like he was submitting some documents at the entrance before pausing.
As if he initially intended to head in another direction, his peripheral vision caught sight of her. His gaze stopped abruptly.
Even though she saw him, Lin Xiche still didn’t dare to cross the security line. She continued standing where she was, her fingers clutching the hem of her clothes, and her eyes fixed on him without blinking.
Before long, Xufang strode towards her. His steps were long and quick, and within moments, he stood in front of her, bending down to embrace her. His hold was tight, as if he wanted to envelop her entirely in his arms.
Lin Xiche felt like she was suspended in mid-air, her feet barely touching the ground. It was a weightless feeling, but it brought overwhelming comfort.
After a while, Xufang gently released her and planted a deep kiss on her lips. He then reached out to rub her ice-cold hands, asking in a low voice, “Didn’t I tell you to come later? How long have you been here?”
Lin Xiche didn’t answer, silently gazing at him.
His appearance hadn’t changed significantly. His features were sharp and clean, with a straight nose, thin lips, fair skin, though he seemed a bit leaner.
Lin Xiche bit her lip and whispered, “Pipi.”
Xufang, pulling her along in one direction, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Did you get mistreated inside?” Lin Xiche murmured.
“…,” Xufang turned to look at her, “Lin Xiche, I didn’t go to a prison.”
“Oh,” Lin Xiche pinched his arm lightly, sounding a bit sulky, “But I still feel like you’ve lost a lot of weight.”
Upon hearing this, Xufang stopped in his tracks, fixed his gaze on her for a moment, and then said, “You’re probably using yourself as a reference.”
Lin Xiche remained silent for a while, unsure how to respond.
Eventually, Xufang took her to a certain place and listened to her talk along the way. He looked around as they walked, and in the end, he led her into a hotpot restaurant.
They found a table and sat down.
Lin Xiche cradled her chin in her hands, her eyes slightly surprised, “You actually brought me to eat.”
Xufang glanced at her and said, “Didn’t I give you anything to eat before?”
Lin Xiche shook her head, “You did, but you have to go back at five in the afternoon. In such a short time, aren’t you usually in a race against the clock, fighting three hundred rounds or so?”
“…”
She thought for a moment and asked, “Are you in a battle?”
Xufang picked up the phone he had retrieved before leaving the military and quietly lowered his eyes to order a hotel room online.
Without getting an answer, Lin Xiche persisted, “Is it a battle or not?”
Xufang got up to get some condiments for her, “Not a battle.”
However, after leaving the hotpot restaurant, Xufang dragged her into a nearby hotel.
Lin Xiche thought to herself that this guy had learned to speak ambiguously during his time in the military.
As soon as they entered the room, Xufang immediately pressed her against the door, lowered his head, and kissed her lips. Her head pressed against his palm, but instead of feeling a hard door, she felt the warmth of his hand.
Xufang’s movements were somewhat hurried, and his strength was rougher than usual. His teeth accidentally grazed her lips, then he sucked forcefully and licked.
Lin Xiche, kissed into a daze, still adhered to her principles and said seriously, “I need to take a shower first.”
Xufang, still panting, ignored her words. He lifted her up around the waist and walked to the bed, gently placing her down.
Lin Xiche instinctively rolled around on the bed after landing, then took off her heavy coat.
Afterward, Xufang also lay down on the bed, pulled her closer from behind, buried his face in the nape of her neck, and didn’t make any further moves. He whispered, “Let’s talk.”
Lin Xiche was a bit puzzled.
Just talking under the covers?
Lin Xiche hesitated and asked, “Did you book this room to talk to me?”
“I wanted to be with you,” Xufang sighed contentedly, “I didn’t want anyone else around.”
Lin Xiche hesitated for a moment, then rolled over, looking at him.
Not long after, she suddenly remembered something and retrieved her phone from her pocket, which she had just taken off. “Pipi, the house we bought before is ready for occupancy. I went to see it once.”
Lin Xiche showed him the pictures she had taken. There was also a layout plan.
“We need to decide on the interior design. I haven’t hired a designer yet because I don’t know what style to go for.”
Xufang looked at it and casually said, “Choose whatever style you like.”
“I want it to be a girly style.”
“That’s fine.”
He agreed so readily that Lin Xiche thought he didn’t understand, so she emphasized, “Everything should be pink, even the walls.”
“That’s fine.”
Lin Xiche continued, fearlessly this time, “Even your underwear should be pink.”
Xufang watched her in silence this time, not responding.
Lin Xiche immediately closed her mouth, not daring to tease further. She steered the conversation back on track and wanted to get the house renovated as soon as possible. “Can you tell me your requirements? I’ll talk to the designer later.”
Xufang thought for a moment, “The bed doesn’t need to be too big, 1.5 meters is fine.”
Lin Xiche asked, “Anything else?”
Xufang didn’t say anything.
Lin Xiche asked again, “Nothing else?”
“No,” he replied.
“…”
Lin Xiche thought to herself, “I can’t rely on him for anything.”
After a while, Lin Xiche asked, “Has the marriage registration been approved?”
“Not yet,” Xufang’s lips curled into a smile, “But it should be soon.”
Lin Xiche breathed a sigh of relief.
“In a while, I’ll submit a leave request to my superiors,” Xufang pinched her earlobe and said, “I probably won’t be able to come back for Chinese New Year, but I’ll try to return after the holiday.”
“Okay,” Lin Xiche blinked and tried to reassure him, “It’s okay if you can’t come back for Chinese New Year. After all, the Civil Affairs Bureau is closed during the holiday.”
“…”
On New Year’s Eve, Lin Xiche’s parents and Lin Deng returned from City B to celebrate the New Year with them.
There wasn’t enough space at Grandpa’s house for them to stay, so they had booked two hotel rooms. However, they would only return to the hotel to sleep, spending the rest of their time at Grandpa’s house.
New Year’s Eve should have been a time for family reunion, and while Lin Xiche felt a bit uncomfortable, she didn’t pay too much attention to it.
After dinner, Lin Xiche returned to her room and happily called Xufang. “Pipi.”
“Yeah,” he answered.
She leaned closer to the phone and whispered, “Happy New Year.”
Xufang smiled on the other end of the line. “Happy New Year.”
“Now that I’ve told you,” Lin Xiche said with a smirk, “I can tell others.”
“Yeah, I can tell others too.”
“Did you submit your leave request?”
“I did,” Xufang’s voice came through, slightly husky, with a hint of magnetism, “I go to the duty office every day to ask the staff if there’s a phone call informing me of my leave. They’re probably getting annoyed by my constant inquiries.”
“Pipi, don’t worry,” Lin Xiche was very pleased, “If you ask ten times a day, maybe they’ll approve it tomorrow.”
“…”
The elderly couldn’t stay up late.
So Lin Xiche’s parents and Lin Deng left early, around ten o’clock.
After Grandpa finished his bath, he also went to bed early.
Only Lin Xiche and Lin Xigeng were left in the living room, cracking melon seeds and watching the Spring Festival Gala on TV.
Seeing the countdown on the TV screen, Lin Xigeng took a sip of water from the table and suddenly asked, “What’s your New Year’s wish?”
Lin Xiche thought for a moment, “I don’t have one.”
“None?”
“Yeah,” Lin Xiche smiled with narrowed eyes, “I’ve already achieved everything.”
The next day, Lin Xiche woke up at 10 a.m.
Lin Xigeng was still asleep, and Grandpa had disappeared somewhere.
Lin Xiche rubbed her eyes, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and then stumbled into the living room to pour a glass of water. She absentmindedly picked up her phone and saw two unread text messages.
Both were from Xufang.
Lin Xiche furrowed her brow and opened the messages.
- “I’ve been assigned a mission to support A County. Don’t worry about me.”
- “I love you.”
Lin Xiche didn’t react immediately. She quickly replied, “What kind of support mission?”
She suddenly had a bad feeling, held her breath, and slowly opened Weibo.
The top trending topic on Weibo was about an earthquake in A County.
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