Over there, Zhou Qiqi was holding Zhu Yingying's hand and coaxing her.
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't fallen off my bike, I wouldn't have let you..."
Zhu Yingying was in the grove, so she couldn't see clearly what was happening inside the clinic. She only caught a glimpse of Zhou Qiqi almost falling down, and she was certain that Zhou Qiqi had been bullied by those people inside.
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Zhou Qiqi's heart softened instantly. She took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears for her, a smile on her face.
"Yingying, what are you saying? How can I let them bully me? Don't you know my own mouth? Even the three of them combined can't out-argue me."
Zhu Yingying refused to believe it, sobbing as she squatted down, her eyes constantly glancing at her feet.
"I don't believe you. Let me see your foot. Did you twist it just now?"
As they were talking, a series of hurried footsteps came from not far away. Zhou Qiqi looked up, quickly helped Zhu Yingying up, and smiled as she gestured towards the sound.
"Hey, stop looking at me for a second, look who's here?"
Before the words had even finished, Commander Wang had already rushed over like a gust of wind.
He was always a man of few words, and this time he didn't utter a single word of nonsense. With a stern face, he simply picked Zhu Yingying up by the waist and strode towards the family compound.
Zhu Yingying, still thinking about Zhou Qiqi while he was holding her, punched his arm twice with her little hands: "Hey, what are you doing? Qiqi, she..."
But her strength was like a mosquito bite, and Commander Wang didn't take it seriously at all, instead running even faster.
As Zhou Qiqi watched the two figures disappear into the distance, a maternal smile crept across her face.
Turning around, she saw Shen Huaichuan walk up to her, his back to her, and slightly kneeling down.
Just two words, just like him: decisive and efficient.
As Zhou Qiqi stared at his back, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and she subconsciously bit her lower lip.
"No...no need, I can walk, I'm not injured."
Shen Huaichuan didn't turn around, but his broad back slumped down a little, lowering his center of gravity.
"Come up, Qiqi."
His voice was deep and clear, carrying an air of undeniable authority.
Zhou Qiqi hesitated for a moment, but finally obediently lay down on it.
When her body pressed against his firm back, both of them shuddered almost imperceptibly.
Shen Huaichuan's arms were strong and powerful, steadily supporting her knees. With a little effort, he carried her steadily on his back.
Zhou Qiqi quickly reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, her chin almost touching his earlobe.
He had clearly run all the way here; he smelled faintly of sweat, mixed with the fresh scent of soap and a hint of sunshine.
These various auras intertwined, enveloping Zhou Qiqi and making her heart pound like a drum.
She could clearly feel the muscles in his back undulating slightly with each step, each step steady and firm.
Zhou Qiqi felt her heart racing for no reason and felt a little uneasy, so she quickly spoke to break the silence.
Why are you back?
"Training is over."
Shen Huaichuan's voice came from his chest, slightly vibrating, and sounded exceptionally clear.
Zhou Qiqi was a little surprised and pressed herself closer to his back. "So fast? It can end early?"
She remembered that a couple of days ago, when she, Sister Cuixiang, and Yingying got together.
They also said that the second phase of the autumn training camp was the most grueling, with at least half a month between seeing each other.
Sometimes it will be delayed for a few more days.
"The second phase is a small-scale exercise. Once we take down the enemy's command post, that's it."
Shen Huaichuan's explanation was concise and to the point.
"Oh, I know that!"
Zhou Qiqi immediately perked up.
She had watched a military drama that featured a similar red-blue force-on-force confrontation. She particularly enjoyed that drama and immediately remembered it.
But as soon as she said it, she realized she had misspoke and quickly added, "I heard it from an old soldier in the village."
After speaking, she secretly glanced at Shen Huaichuan's profile. Seeing that he seemed normal, she breathed a sigh of relief and quickly changed the subject.
"Who came in first place? Is that a secret? Can you tell me?"
Shen Huaichuan didn't answer immediately. Zhou Qiqi was wondering if she had asked the wrong question when she saw his ears turn red in an instant.
Her neck was flushed pink, and her chin was slightly raised, revealing a hint of smugness.
"Could it be... that you led your team to victory?"
Zhou Qiqi suddenly realized what was happening, tightened her arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear.
"He's really capable. No wonder he's Zhou Qiqi's man."
As soon as he said that, Shen Huaichuan's body tensed up, his back muscles hardened, and the redness from his ears spread down his neck.
By this time, we were almost at the family compound. On the way, we met several military wives who were returning from the outhouse. They all greeted us with smiles when they saw us.
Shen Huaichuan seemed a little uncomfortable, so he quickened his pace and carried Zhou Qiqi into his own courtyard.
After arriving home, he carefully placed Zhou Qiqi on the sofa, then knelt on one knee in front of her, raised his head, and locked his gaze on her intently.
"Where did you fall? Did you hurt yourself?"
His voice was a little hoarse, and there was a hint of nervousness in it.
Zhou Qiqi felt a little embarrassed by his gaze and stretched her right foot out in front of him.
"When I stepped on the broom, I think I twisted my ankle a little, but it's nothing serious..."
She hadn't taken it seriously at first, but little did she know that Shen Huaichuan had already seen it all.
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