Chapter 10

“Company Commander, why is her face so pale?” Ma Xiangfeng, after helping carry Yu Ming away, walked over to Gu Huaishan and looked at Song Chunzhi lying on the ground. He asked in confusion.

Gu Huaishan frowned slightly. His cold eyes stared at Song Chunzhi’s bloodless face on the ground. He shook his head. He didn’t know what had happened, but one thing was certain: Yu Ming’s rescue had something to do with her. Turning to Ma Xiangfeng, he said, “It’s dangerous in the mountains. Let’s take her back first.”

“Check around. Don’t leave anything behind.”

Gu Huaishan bent down to lift Song Chunzhi off the ground. As he turned to carry her on his back, he was surprised at how incredibly light she was. Along with the surprise came a trace of heartache. Once he steadied himself, he gave Ma Xiangfeng a quick instruction and began walking away.

“A local villager?”

Company Commander Zhang was organizing the rescue team’s withdrawal when he saw Gu Huaishan carrying someone on his back. He froze, then broke into a grin. Cold-faced Gu Huaishan had actually taken the initiative to help. Everyone at the base knew he didn’t talk to any of the female comrades. Narrowing his eyes, Zhang said with amusement, “You’re telling me she’s just a local? I don’t buy it.”

In her sleep, Song Chunzhi felt her body swaying. She shifted slightly in unease, then fell back into deep slumber.

Gu Huaishan noticed the movement on his back and turned his head to call out to her twice, but there was no response. Only her warm breath brushed lightly against his neck, tickling him slightly and making him freeze for a moment. He tugged at his collar and continued down the mountain.

“You really brought him back alive? Company Commander Zhang, that’s amazing!”

The sentry at the entrance saw them carrying Yu Ming back and called out excitedly.

Xiao Tian chimed in, clearly thrilled. What shocked him even more was seeing Company Commander Gu walking in with a girl on his back. It took him a while to realize that this was the same village girl who had brought something to Gu Huaishan just the day before.

Back at the base, Gu Huaishan stood beside the bed, looking at the sleeping Song Chunzhi with puzzlement in his normally calm eyes. The military doctor had checked her earlier and said there was nothing seriously wrong, just exhaustion. She would be fine after a good sleep. But could dragging Yu Ming up from the cliff really have tired her out this much? And if so, why couldn’t she be woken up?

As the sun tilted westward and golden light spilled across the wall, Song Chunzhi slowly opened her eyes after sleeping for what felt like ages. She glanced around the unfamiliar room in confusion. Where was she? Hadn’t she fallen asleep near the cliff?

“Song Chunzhi, you’re awake…”

Gu Huaishan, who had been handling paperwork, turned his head when he heard movement. He met her wide, puzzled eyes and spoke softly. Even he hadn’t noticed the relief in his voice.

“Company Commander Gu?”

Seeing him, Song Chunzhi’s delicate face lit up with surprise. She quickly got out of bed, adjusted her clothes, and asked, “Where am I?”

“Our base,” Gu Huaishan answered. His cool gaze lingered on her bright face. Her complexion was now rosy and vibrant, a stark contrast to the deathly pale look from earlier. That raised more doubts in his mind. He had never seen someone whose face looked so lifeless while sleeping.

“Was it you who brought Yu Ming up from the cliff?”

Though Gu Huaishan had already guessed the answer, he still asked. This whole thing felt odd. That morning, she had warned him not to go down the cliff because it was too dangerous, and now, just after a single meal’s time, she had somehow gone down and brought Yu Ming back. Not to mention her tiny frame… could she really have carried a grown man and equipment up a cliff?

“Yes.” Song Chunzhi didn’t deny it and nodded at him. It would have been strange if Yu Ming had climbed up alone with no help. Besides, no one had seen how she rescued him. She could say whatever she wanted.

“I found him in the bushes on a stone ledge. He was still alive, so I carried him back up,” she said sincerely, her lovely face full of honesty. Trying to sound casual, she added, “I’ve been running around the mountains since I was a kid. Climbing a cliff isn’t a big deal.”

Gu Huaishan’s expression grew more serious. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly. He was certain she was hiding something. He was about to press for more details when Company Commander Zhang walked in with a smile.

“Comrade, we really owe you,” Zhang said enthusiastically after giving Song Chunzhi a quick once-over. “If you hadn’t gotten to Yu Ming in time, who knows how long we would’ve taken to find a way down?”

“By the way, how did you manage to get him back up from the cliff?”

Now that the technician was safely back, albeit seriously injured, Zhang was relieved. If something had happened to Yu Ming, the base would have been held responsible. Looking at Song Chunzhi’s frail frame, he couldn’t help but ask.

Faced with Zhang’s praise and warmth, Song Chunzhi simply smiled and said she had just happened to be there and helped out. Then she repeated the same story she had told Gu Huaishan.

Gu Huaishan leaned against the desk, watching coldly as Song Chunzhi spoke with Company Commander Zhang. When he heard the girl repeat her explanation of the rescue word for word, exactly as she had told him earlier, not even changing her pauses, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift slightly. She really was something.

“Aiya, young lady, I didn’t expect it at all. You may be young, but you’re incredibly brave. That cliff makes my head spin just looking at it,” Company Commander Zhang continued to praise her. The cliff in Xishan wasn’t something an ordinary person would dare to climb, especially when one couldn’t see the bottom.

“Company Commander Zhang, someone is looking for you outside,” Ma Xiangfeng interrupted, having noticed that Song Chunzhi was now standing perfectly fine. He felt a wave of relief. To be honest, he had been worried ever since seeing her pale face that afternoon. He quickly turned to inform Zhang.

“Company Commander Gu, it’s getting late, I should head back now.” Song Chunzhi nodded at Ma Xiangfeng as a greeting, then turned to speak to Gu Huaishan. She also asked Ma, “Brother, did you see my bamboo basket on the mountain?”

“Your basket’s right outside. It’s fine,” Ma Xiangfeng replied with a smile. He leaned in and whispered, “Miss, this afternoon we couldn’t wake you up no matter what. It was our company commander who carried you back.”

“Thank you, Company Commander Gu.” Song Chunzhi remembered the swaying sensation she had felt while half-asleep earlier. So it had been him carrying her down the mountain. She quickly thanked him. Looking at Gu Huaishan’s handsome face and tall figure, she suddenly felt a little shy for some reason.

“You’re the one who saved Yu Ming and helped us out a lot. I should be the one thanking you.”

Gu Huaishan shot a glare at Ma Xiangfeng for his loose tongue. Then he took out a metal lunchbox and a cloth bag of food from a cabinet under the desk, handing them to Song Chunzhi. “Thank you for the mushroom soup you brought yesterday. Take these and eat.”

Song Chunzhi accepted the lunchbox with a faint smile. “I’ll take the lunchbox, but the rest isn’t necessary.”

“I don’t like that stuff anyway. It would just sit there. You should take it,” Gu Huaishan said, placing the bag directly into her arms. His face remained expressionless, but his tone left no room for refusal. Then, almost involuntarily, he added, “You’re too thin. Eat more and build up your strength.”

“Just take it. When our company commander arrived, he brought several crates of food. Some of it I’ve never even seen before,” Ma Xiangfeng chimed in. He couldn’t blame their commander for what he said. He also thought the girl looked far too thin, with not an ounce of flesh on her face. Just looking at her made people feel sorry for her. “You saved Yu Ming today. That was a huge help for our camp. Our company commander isn’t just repaying you for yesterday’s soup. He’s also showing gratitude for your help today. If it weren’t for you, who knows what might’ve happened to Yu Ming?”

“This is too much. I really can’t accept it.”

Looking at the bundle of food, Song Chunzhi quickly tried to return it. She hadn’t helped Yu Ming to earn rewards. She simply didn’t want to see a fellow comrade in danger.

“You gave me food, so I accepted it. Now this is mine to give to you.” Gu Huaishan pressed her hand gently as she tried to return the items and pushed the bag back into her arms. His deep, calm gaze met hers, and his voice softened. “Take it. Be good.”

“Com… Company Commander Gu, thank you…”

Song Chunzhi’s face burned red, and she could hear her own heartbeat echoing in her chest. She didn’t dare look at Gu Huaishan’s face. She bowed her head and thanked him before rushing out the door. She needed a moment to calm down. The food bag in her arms felt too hot to hold, so she hurriedly tossed it into her bamboo basket, slung the basket onto her back, said goodbye, and walked off quickly.

“Commander, you’re never that gentle with us,” Ma Xiangfeng muttered to Gu Huaishan. When he saw the commander’s expression turning colder, he quickly chased after Song Chunzhi. “The path is rough here. I’ll walk you out.”

“Thank you, brother,” Song Chunzhi said with a smile. She had been worried she might take a wrong turn. This young man really was considerate.

Ma Xiangfeng scratched his head shyly. He finally understood why the commander was so gentle with this girl. She was beautiful, after all. Who could stay cold to someone like her? And she had even helped them so much.

“Company Commander Gu, where’s that girl who saved our man?”

Gu Huaishan was still pondering the strange circumstances of Song Chunzhi’s rescue when he looked up to see his battalion commander at the door. He immediately stood at attention and saluted. “She just went home.”

“Why’d you let her go so quickly? That girl really helped us out. I’ve heard that cliff is smooth and nearly impossible to climb. She must be quite capable.” Battalion Commander Wang looked at Gu Huaishan with a smile. “Even though you’re new to our post, you’ve proven yourself highly competent, especially in building ties between the military and civilians.”

“This was handed to me by the sentry, Xiao Tian, yesterday.”

Seeing Gu Huaishan’s puzzled look, Battalion Commander Wang handed him a piece of paper. Gu Huaishan unfolded it. It turned out to be a thank-you letter describing the wild boar incident on the mountain from the day before. He was stunned for a moment, then looked at the signature: Song Chunzhi, Second Brigade, Xishan Village.

He stared at the neat handwriting on the page, the words full of genuine gratitude. The corners of his lips lifted slightly again. She had said there was no need to thank him, yet she had delivered food and even written a letter. Song Chunzhi really was a remarkable girl.

“You useless girl! You’re already grown and still can’t even cook a proper meal. Why don’t you just drop dead?”

Song Chunzhi hadn’t even reached the courtyard gate when she heard the sharp voice of cursing from inside. It was full of venom and self-righteousness. She immediately recognized it as the old woman yelling. She covered the contents of her basket with some wild vegetables and entered the yard. She wasn’t going to miss whatever drama Song Chunhua had stirred up this time.