Song Ran lowered his head and wiped his fingers with a towel, very seriously and vigorously, as if there was something dirty on his hands that urgently needed to be wiped off.
Shen Bei handed the tablet menu to Li Zan: "Would you like to add some dishes? See if there is anything else you want to eat?"
He glanced at it, a little carelessly, and said, "Let's do this for now. If there's not enough, we'll add more."
"All right."
Song Ran lowered his eyelids and wiped his hands again and again.
The colleagues at the table, both men and women, were very interested in Li Zan. It was difficult for a soldier like him not to become the focus.
Xiaochun was the first to ask: "I heard from Shen Bei that you are a soldier?"
"Um."
"When did you start serving as a soldier?" Xiaoqiu asked.
Li Zan said: "Eighteen."
"How long have you been a soldier?" asked a male colleague.
"Almost five years."
Xiaoxia asked: "Is there anyone like you in your team who wants to be single..."
"Oops!" Shen Bei interrupted with a smile, "What are you all doing? Those who know are saying you have occupational diseases, and those who don't know think you are checking your household registration."
Spring, summer, autumn and winter all booed her: "Tsk, tsk, tsk, protect her fiercely."
Li Zan didn't answer for a while, and turned to look at Shen Bei in silence, his expression unclear.
Shen Bei just smiled at him.
Song Ran's heart felt cold as she listened to the commotion and laughter at the table, and the hot towel in her hand had already gone cold. She thought that she was sitting too close to the air conditioner, so she always felt the cold wind whistling in her heart.
Li Zan said nothing, and the table was quiet for a few seconds. Then he got up and said he was going to the bathroom.
After he left, Shen Bei looked at everyone and scolded: "Stop being such a gossip!"
Having said that, the table became lively again, Xiaoxia asked: "Hey, how do you know each other?"
Shen Bei smiled twice and then said: "My dad once went to a meeting, a very high-level meeting. He happened to be responsible for explosion prevention inspections. My dad's secretary was a little bit reluctant at the time and refused to let him check the box. Using my father’s official title to suppress him is a bit arrogant.”
"Then what?" Everyone was extremely curious.
"He said, 'The only thing that can suppress me is military law. You are not qualified.' The secretary was so angry that he wanted to touch him, but he 'accidentally' twisted the secretary's hand and dislocated it. My dad was particularly impressed by him and fell in love with him at first sight. , I wanted to introduce him to him. After asking for a long time, he finally asked his instructor to arrange it. "
"It's so romantic." Xiaochun said, "If your dad likes it, he must be very good."
"That's right. I heard from their instructor that he had made several meritorious deeds. At that time, my dad's secretary wanted to file a lawsuit against him in the team, but he was met with failure. He is very respected."
A male colleague interjected: "It is difficult to cultivate bomb disposal talents. Those who have talent must be protected by the army. Besides, the military and government are two systems. The secretary wants to exert pressure based on his power, but he is hitting the wrong door." ”
"But it feels like your boyfriend is very quiet and doesn't talk much."
"It's not just you, there are a lot of questions. He looks mild-tempered, but he is actually very proud. He doesn't like others to make trouble with him. Don't ask more questions later. I'll leave it to you."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," everyone scolded her, "If you protect her like this, you will end up today."
Shen Bei chuckled.
The person she was talking about was a bit unfamiliar to Song Ran, as if he had never seen him before.
Song Ran's nose was so sore that she couldn't hold it any longer. She turned her head and got up to go outside to get the sauce.
She quickly walked through the corridor and rounded the corner. She looked up suddenly and saw Li Zan. She was so frightened that the fog in her eyes evaporated instantly.
Li Zan was leaning on the wall of the corridor while texting, frowning slightly, his expression not very good; her sudden appearance also surprised him, his expression softened a little, and his dark and bright eyes looked at her quietly, but He had no intention of talking to her.
Song Ran had nothing to say to him and walked past him with his head down.
She walked to the small food table and was stunned for a while before taking a plate and mixing the dipping sauce.
She added fermented bean curd, minced garlic chili pepper and sesame oil, and wanted to add some vinegar, but the brands of vinegar and soy sauce were not posted. When she was trying to tell the difference, a low voice came from beside her: "This is vinegar, this is soy sauce."
He stretched out his hand and pointed twice.
"Oh, thank you." She only dared to glance up at him in a hurry, without even seeing his face clearly.
He walked around her, and she couldn't stay any longer. She was about to leave. Then she thought of something and glanced in the direction of the private room like a thief. Then she looked back at him and said, "Give me back the rope."
Li Zan was putting chili peppers on the plate when he turned around unexpectedly.
The hall was dimly lit, and the light on the cooking table reflected on his face, giving him a soft illusion.
He smiled suddenly, took the rope and stuffed it into his jeans pocket, and said, "I was on urgent duty that day and lost the note."
Song Ran said: "I also lost your piece of paper, so I never called. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." He said and continued to add ingredients.
He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans today. He had lost the toughness of his military uniform and looked clean and approachable.
But that was probably a self-hypnotic fantasy on her part. This has always been the case.
Song Ran didn't look much. When she walked back to the box, her lips almost collapsed. She wanted to go home and couldn't stay any longer.
She ate that meal very seriously, eating hot pot with her head down the whole time, as if she had never eaten it before.
Shen Bei didn't mention Li Zan again, and everyone stopped gossiping. However, the chat at the table still occasionally falls on him unconsciously. Xiao Zhao, a male colleague, was curious about his profession and asked: "Is it difficult to learn how to defuse bombs?"
Li Zan said: "It's easy to get started, but difficult to get into."
Xiaochun: "But I feel like there are very few explosions in real life. What do you usually do at work?"
Xiao Zhao interrupted and said, "You don't know this. There are still things in life, but most of them are kept secret and not announced."
Song Ran did not participate in the chat. He lowered his head and put a piece of raw bitter melon into his mouth.
Shen Bei asked: "Huh? Whose piece of abalone is this? Who hasn't eaten it yet?"
Abalone is ordered based on the number of people. At this moment, there is only one abalone left on the big plate. Everyone had eaten.
Xiaoqiu said: "Ranran, you haven't eaten, have you?"
"Ah?" Song Ran raised his head and took a look, "Oh."
Shen Bei turned the big abalone in front of her: "Ran Ran."
Song Ran picked it up and threw it into her small pot: "Thank you." She smiled at Shen Bei and saw Li Zan sitting next to her, eating vegetables quietly. Maybe it was too spicy, but his face was a little red.
She didn't look at him for a second, as if it were a sin.
She had never eaten such a big and fresh abalone, but it was tasteless when she put it in her mouth. After all, it was not something she paid for.
The dishes on the turntable quickly bottomed out. Shen Bei picked up the menu again and handed it to Li Zan, asking, "Would you like any more dishes?"
Li Zan said: "No need."
"You're welcome, I'm treating you today."
"Is it?"
"Yes, I was the outstanding reporter of Liangcheng TV in the first half of the year. I was given a bonus. Am I good?" Shen Bei said with a sweet voice and tilted her head to beg for praise.
He said "hmm".
Song Ran pinched the chopsticks, and her fingernails turned white. She never thought that the words "excellent reporter" would sting her as much as they did now, and it hurt so much that she almost shed tears.
Fortunately, no one added any extra food, and the meal was finally finished and the group dispersed.
Everyone gathered at the door to say goodbye. Li Zan saw Song Ran through the figure. Their eyes met accidentally. He looked at her quietly for a second and smiled slightly at her.
Song Ran gave him a standard smile in return. Her eyes were sparkling, filled with gentleness, kindness, and happiness. I'm glad to meet you. She smiled, a bitter feeling falling from her throat straight into her heart.
A Zan…
Stop smiling at me, seriously.
She turned her head, her eyes almost red.
Colleagues left in three cars according to the route.
Traveling with Song Ran were Xiao Qiu and Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao was a fan of military affairs. He said several times that he didn't expect to see a live bomb disposal elite. Hey, why didn't I become a soldier in the first place
Xiaoqiu said: "Come on, it's just your short, pouty hands. You haven't seen how my hands look like those of a piano player."
Song Ran didn't answer. Thinking of the moment when he stood next to her and pointed at vinegar, his fingers were slender, well-proportioned, and the joints were clear.
After sending Xiao Zhao home, there were only two people left in the car. Xiao Qiu couldn't help but sigh and said: "Life is really unfair. Some people... everything is hers."
She didn't say it clearly. Song Ran's heart was so stuffy that she couldn't breathe. She opened the window to get some air. The late July night wind blew in, and it was still sultry.
Returning to Qingzhi Lane, she was exhausted. She was so tired this day, maybe because of the high temperature during the day, she was so tired that she had no strength left.
Pushing the door open and walking into the courtyard, the moonlight spread all over the floor. Honeysuckle exudes a light fragrance at night.
There was not a breath of wind. The moonlight was mottled on the cobblestone path, and there was a bright white reflection, which turned out to be the note she had been looking for for a long time.
Li Zan's phone number is written on it.
Feeling sad and hurt, she stamped her foot and crushed the paper into the soil. She put in a lot of effort, and the note quickly crumbled into pieces and merged with the mud.
She stood there for a long time with her head hanging down. Then she suddenly bent down, covered her eyes, and let tears flow from her eyes.
She gradually cried loudly, and while crying, she climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered the room, turned on the light, and rummaged through all the writing awards she had won while studying and the award certificates she had received from newspapers and magazines. come out.
She opened the pages one by one, looked at them, and burst into tears.
"I'm obviously better than her..." She covered her face and cried, "I'm obviously better than her! Why isn't that award mine?"
…
The next day, Song Ran submitted an application to go to Dongguo.
She also became the only female reporter in Taiwan who submitted an application.
When Song Zhicheng learned about this decision, he supported it, but at the same time he was worried about her personal safety; he was a little undecided.
Song Ran then told him about Luo Junfeng. Luo Junfeng said that he could get her book published by the best literary publishing house, which impressed Song Zhicheng, who had always wanted his daughter to succeed.
As for Song Ran, aside from the book thing, as a reporter, she has always wanted to go to Dongguo again.
She went on a business trip to Dongguo in the first half of the year, and that country in turmoil left a deep impression on her.
She wanted to record it, and even more, she wanted to witness it.
However, Ran Yuwei strongly opposed it. Not only did she scold Song Ran on the phone, but she also scolded Song Zhicheng, saying that he betrayed his daughter for his unfinished dream and vanity.
Song Ran didn't talk to her about anything and didn't argue with her. While remaining silent in response, he did not waver in his decision at all.
Ran Yuwei went to great lengths to send her uncle, aunt, and cousin Ran Chi to persuade her. Ran Chi, a big boy, suddenly said in the middle of the persuasion: "No, I have to tell the truth. Sister, war reporter, you are so cool!" His parents slapped him on the back of the head.
Song Yang also stood on the united front with them. She did not want Song Ran to go to the East Kingdom:
"Last time, the news said that an American reporter was kidnapped and killed. What will you do if something happens to you? I won't cry to death."
Yang Huilun spat at her: "How could something happen to your sister's fortune? She worked hard to pursue her dreams, unlike you, who is like a salted fish all day long. It's better to find a job if you worry about all this!"
The family was in a state of turmoil for a while, but it gradually returned to calm due to Song Ran's unwavering determination.
In early August, Song Ran got on a plane to Gamma.
The temperature was very high that day and the sun was strong.
When the plane took off, the sunlight refracted in and was so bright that it dazzled people. She narrowed her eyes to resist, and inevitably, she suddenly thought of that person again.
In the past two months, she had been blooming in her heart. How silly.
She looked at the large green mountains and blue rivers outside the porthole window, and thought of the dry and gray city of Ararat on June 3rd.
He pulled her and ran all the way under the bright sun, and at the last second he took her into his arms and threw her to the ground.
At that moment her heartbeat was uncontrollable.
But my heartbeat at that moment...
Perhaps, it was just an illusory misunderstanding after all.