Chapter 16: Searching at the Platform  

Meanwhile, Qiao Muting searched every train compartment but found no trace of the girl. He even asked Hua Rui, but she seemed completely unaware as well.  

Frustrated, he returned to the private compartment just as the announcement instructed passengers to prepare their luggage. If he couldn’t find that girl before the train arrived at the station, would they never have another chance to meet?  

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Turning around, he noticed Wenquan playing with an object that didn’t belong to him.  

“What’s that?”  

“Oh! That’s the auntie’s hairpin,” Wen Nuan paused from packing and only then realized what her little brother was holding.  

“This morning, when the auntie brought us porridge, he really liked it, so she let him play with it. But we forgot to return it.”  

It was hers!  

“Give it to me.” For the first time, Qiao Muting found himself snatching something from a two-year-old. “When we see her again, I’ll return it.”  

He held the hairpin in his palm, studying it carefully.  

It was a small, oval-shaped white hairpin with a pair of light pink rabbit ears.  

A foolish grin spread across his face as he imagined how adorable she must look wearing it, his heart swelling with sweetness.  

Then, he carefully wrapped it in a clean handkerchief and tucked it into the deepest pocket of his bag.  

Return it to her?  

Not a chance.  

If they ever met again, this would be his token.  

He smirked inwardly.  

*Clang!*  

The train had arrived.  

“Wen Nuan, hold your brother’s hand. We need to get off quickly.”  

The crowd surged forward, everyone scrambling to disembark.  

Carrying two large bags and shepherding two children, Qiao Muting found it nearly impossible to move swiftly.  

Fortunately, they ran into the train conductor, who led them through the staff passage.  

Standing on the bustling platform, Qiao Muting scanned the crowd desperately, silently pleading with the heavens to let him find the one he was searching for.  

But no matter how far he craned his neck, luck wasn’t on his side.  

After what felt like forever, the crowd thinned, yet there was still no sign of her.  

Just as he hesitated, a voice called from behind, “Muting!”  

Turning, he saw Fang Wenjie in military green, grinning widely at him.  

“It’s been years, and your glasses are even thicker!” Qiao Muting greeted him warmly, punching his shoulder.  

Fang Wenjie was his childhood friend. They had grown up together in the Beijing compound, earning the notorious title of “Troublemaker Duo,” much to the neighborhood’s exasperation.  

Back then, Fang Wenjie practically lived at the Qiao household. Influenced by Grandpa Qiao, he had also chosen to study medicine.  

When Gu Hanchuan visited Beijing years ago, Fang Wenjie idolized him after just half a month and vowed to join him in the Southern Military District after graduation.  

Unfortunately, his poor eyesight failed the physical exam.  

As a compromise, he became a Military Doctor in the Southern Military District instead.  

“Guess who I brought with me.”  

Fang Wenjie stepped aside, revealing a beautiful girl in a white floral dress.  

“Brother Muting!”  

She spread her arms, ready for an enthusiastic hug.  

Qiao Muting reacted swiftly, taking a large step back to avoid her.  

“Oh, Wenxue! I almost didn’t recognize you.”  

Fang Wenxue was the youngest daughter of the Fang family. She had lived in Beijing until she was thirteen before moving with her parents to another military district.  

As a child, she had trailed after her brother between the Fang and Qiao households, secretly harboring a crush on the Qiao family’s only son.  

Before leaving Beijing, she had protested with hunger strikes and skipped school, desperate to stay.

Being separated from “Brother Muting” for even a single day felt unbearable just thinking about it.  

Unfortunately, her parents’ decision was unshakable.  

At that moment, she vowed to return to “Brother Muting’s” side as soon as possible. In the years to come, she would be the only one by his side.  

“Wenxue? Why is she in Xinshi too?”  

“She graduated. When she heard you were being transferred here, she applied for a post-graduation assignment to the propaganda department of our military hospital.”  

Fang Wenjie said proudly.  

“Brother Muting, are these two children the Wen Nuan and Wenquan you mentioned on the phone?”  

Fang Wenxue took some fruit candies from her bag and handed them to Wen Nuan.  

She then pretended to reach out to hug Wenquan, but the boy, mimicking Qiao Muting, took a big step back to dodge her.  

His adorable yet serious expression made Fang Wenjie burst into laughter.  

“You should set a better example for the kids!”  

“Let’s go, brothers. We can chat while walking.” Fang Wenxue pouted playfully.  

Qiao Muting glanced around, wishing the person he longed for would appear right now!  

“Are you looking for someone?”  

The train had emptied. Was today destined to be another missed encounter?  

Qiao Muting couldn’t accept it. “Let’s go.”  

As he followed the crowd toward the station exit, glancing back every few steps, he spotted Gu Hanchuan’s orderly, Xiao Li, anxiously scanning the platform.  

“Dr. Qiao?! You were on this train too?” Xiao Li asked.  

“What, are you here to pick up my sister-in-law? Was she on this train as well?” Qiao Muting quickly pieced it together.  

Xiao Li nodded. “XK945, that’s right! But I haven’t seen her yet.” Beads of sweat formed on his forehead from worry.  

Qiao Muting sneered. “Hmph, the ugly ones always make the most trouble.”  

Xiao Li: Ugly?! Dr. Qiao’s standards must be sky-high—how could a female comrade that pretty be called “ugly”?  

“Xiao Li, tell your commander I’ll visit him once I’m settled. But remember, don’t let my aunt know I’m in Xinshi yet. Got it?”  

“And tell my cousin not to rush the marriage application. I have something to discuss with him.”  

“Y-yes, Dr. Qiao.” Xiao Li scratched his head in confusion.  

Qiao Muting’s transfer to the Southern Theater Command had been arranged without his family’s knowledge.  

First, after Li Li’s failed surgery, he couldn’t forgive himself, drowning in self-doubt until he chose self-exile.  

Gu Hanchuan’s severe injury and paralysis worried him deeply. With a close friend also stationed there, he submitted a transfer request without hesitation.  

Second, Cheng Fang’an’s relentless matchmaking for her son had become unbearable.  

Compounded by his own “peculiar condition”—something he couldn’t explain to outsiders—he simply fled.  

Before leaving, he’d only mentioned going on a mission with an uncertain return date!  

Just as he despaired over failing to find the person he sought, Qian Lai, hidden in the dining car’s restroom, had already witnessed his entire exchange with the Fang siblings on the platform.  

Peach-blossom eyes with Silkworm Puffs—truly the mark of a romantic!  

Seeing that girl’s enthusiasm and their lively conversation… while she had lost sleep over their fleeting passion.  

How ironic.  

Then again, once off the train, who would remember whom?  

Might as well treat it as another game. Besides, she’d have to return to reality sooner or later.  

With that thought, she finally disembarked with her luggage.  

Yet the moment she stepped off, someone shouted her name.

“Little ancestor, why did you just get off the car now?” Hua Rui’s voice came rushing towards him.  

“Why are you still here?!” Qian Lai was surprised.  

“I was waiting for you,” Hua Rui said with a happy smile.  

“Big Brother, this is the lifesaver I told you about—Comrade Qian Lai.”  

“Qian Lai, this is my Big Brother, Hua Cheng.”