Chapter 11: Qin Kaishen Visits Lu Qing’er
However, the next day, he waited at home the entire day and still didn’t see any sign of Bai Yalan.
Instead, their neighbor, Aunt Wang, came over for a chat and asked his mother,
“Hey, Sister-in-law Qin, did you kill and cook those two live fish I asked your relative to bring over yesterday? I had just caught them and sent them over right away, super fresh!”
Qin’s mother’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“What? Those fish were from you?”
“Of course!” Aunt Wang got anxious seeing her reaction.
“What? Your relative didn’t tell you? That girl really isn’t dependable. I happened to see her heading to your house, so I asked her to bring them over.”
Unexpectedly, this only infuriated Qin’s mother. She snapped,
“Wang woman, it’s not a holiday or anything—why are you sending fish?”
Her family had thought Bai Yalan was the one bringing over gifts to curry favor, and they ended up utterly humiliated because of it.
Aunt Wang wasn’t happy being spoken to like that and got worked up herself.
“Hey, Sister Qin, what’s your problem? You borrowed white flour from me before, and now I give you two live fish. Doesn’t that settle the score? Why are you getting mad at me?”
Qin’s mother, already annoyed, responded unreasonably,
“Two lousy fish to pay back flour? Wang woman, you must be dreaming!”
Aunt Wang put her hands on her hips and stood in the doorway, yelling,
“Ha! You bald-headed Qin woman, are you high on gunpowder or what?!”
…
Inside the house, listening to the shouting outside, Qin Kaishen’s face turned completely dark.
For the first time, he felt anxious. But thinking it over, he figured Bai Yalan was probably just still angry. No wonder she could hold herself back this time and hadn’t come to see him.
He didn’t want to dwell on it anymore. Ever since he returned, his parents had been boasting about him around the village every single day.
At first, he felt proud, but hearing it too much had become annoying.
Especially listening to his mother argue with neighbors over petty things—it truly irritated him. So that evening, he used the excuse of having something to do and headed to the county.
Lu Qing’er, it was said, had been frightened after falling into the water. She stayed at the hospital for two days and was then sent home to rest.
She lived in a residential area in the county. As Qin Kaishen entered the community to look for her, even though he was wearing plain clothes, his upright bearing trained in the military made every movement striking.
Girls in the neighborhood couldn’t help but stare—some curiously, some admiringly, some even blushing and whispering to one another.
Qin Kaishen carried a box of pastries in his left hand, walking with a light step.
He couldn’t help smiling a little, thinking of Bai Yalan. That thought gave him a renewed sense of confidence.
He recalled her outfit when she came to visit yesterday. Honestly, it had stirred his heart a bit.
As he was lost in thought, he arrived at Lu Qing’er’s home—only to come face-to-face with a man walking out of her house.
When Qin Kaishen saw the man’s face clearly, he immediately stood at attention and saluted,
“Good evening, Deputy Company Commander!”
Gu Fujun returned the salute and asked in surprise,
“Captain Qin, aren’t you on medical leave? What are you doing here instead of resting at home?”
Qin Kaishen felt a bit uncomfortable but quickly replied,
“Reporting, sir! It’s just a minor injury. I’m here to… visit Comrade Lu Qing’er.”
Perhaps worried Gu Fujun would misunderstand, he instinctively added,
“We went to the same elementary and middle school. She came to the base to see me about something and then had the accident. So, I thought I should come check on her.”
In his mind, Qin Kaishen thought he had explained everything thoroughly and logically, leaving no gaps.
Gu Fujun, 26 years old—three years older than Qin Kaishen—was from the same unit. Though they didn’t interact much, they were still comrades. Besides, Gu Fujun wasn’t the petty type to overthink things.
So the man just gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder and said,
“No need for such formality here, we’re off-duty. If you’re classmates, go ahead and catch up. I’ve got things to do, I’ll get going.”
His tone carried an unspoken closeness to Lu Qing’er.
Qin Kaishen pressed his lips together. His hand at his side involuntarily clenched. The box of pastries suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
“Yes, sir!”
“You’re doing it again,” Gu Fujun laughed, lightly punching his shoulder before walking away.
Qin Kaishen stood frozen for a long moment before finally relaxing his body and suppressing the wave of complicated emotions inside.
Only after calming himself did he step forward and knock on the door.
Lu Qing’er opened it. Her hair was curled, with a dark green jeweled headband tucked in.
She wore a cute green polka-dot V-neck dress that showed off her fair, luminous neckline—elegant and charming.
As she opened the door, she smiled shyly,
“You’re—”
But the moment she saw it was Qin Kaishen, her smile froze slightly.
She quickly composed herself and continued awkwardly,
“Kaishen?! You—you’re here?”
“Just came to see how you’re doing,” Qin Kaishen said, showing her the box of pastries—her favorite, butterfly crisps from the People’s Pastry Factory.
You couldn’t get them in a small town. He had specifically asked someone in the provincial capital to bring them back.
He had originally wanted to give them to her back at the base, but Bai Yalan had shown up delivering things, and he’d been afraid of misunderstandings, so he held off.
Even so, Lu Qing’er still ended up falling into the water.
Thinking of this, Qin Kaishen still felt dissatisfied, convinced Bai Yalan had pushed her out of jealousy.
“Wow, butterfly crisps!” Lu Qing’er’s eyes lit up as she accepted them joyfully.
“Thank you, you even remembered I like these best.”
She smiled sweetly and shyly, stuck out her tongue a bit, and stepped aside to let him in.
Qin Kaishen sat on the sofa in the living room. On the coffee table were a fruit platter, sunflower seeds, and tea. Thinking of Gu Fujun who had just left, his smile faded a little.
Lu Qing’er’s parents weren’t home. She certainly wasn’t going to tell him that they were highly satisfied with Gu Fujun as a future son-in-law and had gone out specifically to give the young couple privacy.
Qin Kaishen didn’t suspect that, but still said,
“I just ran into Deputy Commander Gu.”
“Kaishen, don’t get the wrong idea. He was just stopping by to check on me,” Lu Qing’er said, her eyes slightly reddening.
Qin Kaishen looked at her and tentatively asked,
“Actually, don’t you think Deputy Commander Gu is quite a good guy?”
Though Gu Fujun was older than both of them—almost five years older than Lu Qing’er—and already held a senior military position.
In every aspect but age, his status and rank were superior.
If Lu Qing’er did have feelings for him, Qin Kaishen thought, even if it pained him, he could understand.
But Lu Qing’er gave a bitter smile,
“A good person isn’t much use if they’re not the one you like.”
Qin Kaishen was stunned. Then a wave of indescribable joy flooded his heart. He couldn’t help but say,
“Qing’er.”
Tears welled up in Lu Qing’er’s eyes.
“Kaishen, people must be gossiping at the compound now, right? Rumors and slander—what’s left of my reputation?”
Qin Kaishen’s heart ached.
“Of course not. Why would they gossip? I wouldn’t allow it.”
Lu Qing’er looked at him gratefully, then said with dim eyes,
“But it’s useless. Even if no one says anything out loud, who knows what they’re really thinking? I was pulled out of the water wearing nothing but a single layer, and then I was… carried out bare-shouldered by a man. From now on…”
Her voice trailed off. She covered her face as tears spilled through her fingers, full of grievance.
She was truly aggrieved. Gu Fujun had promised to take responsibility, and her parents were very pleased with his character and background.
But after only a few days together, she realized he was a complete roughneck.
The tenderness she longed for was something Gu Fujun, clueless in matters of the heart, could never provide. On top of that, he was nearly five years older, and his appearance even made him look in his thirties.
Where she, at 21, still looked like a schoolgirl, Gu Fujun, hardened by sun and wind in the military, looked more like her uncle.
In contrast, the young and handsome Qin Kaishen—while lacking in family background—was far more considerate and gentle.
Lu Qing’er was caught in deep conflict. On one hand, she couldn’t bear to give up Qin Kaishen’s devotion. On the other, she deeply enjoyed the prestige Gu Fujun’s rank could bring, especially with her parents urging her to secure him quickly and seal the deal.
This inner struggle tormented her. But, of course, none of it would ever be shared with Qin Kaishen.
She wouldn’t even hint that she had already agreed to officially begin a relationship with Gu Fujun, with marriage in sight.