That night six years ago, on a rainy night, on the river, on a speedboat.
In fact, Ruan Qingqing never got a clear look at the soldier's face. Because his face was so dirty, with black mud stains all over it, as if he hadn't washed it for many days.
But he was indeed young and frivolous: "Even if the boat really capsizes, I can still rescue you." He was completely different from the stereotyped and boring soldier in Ruan Qingqing's impression.
So her tone unconsciously became relaxed, with a bit of girlish arrogance: "Actually, I'm not that scared, but I've never been on this kind of boat, and the water is fast, so I'm not used to it. It will be fine after I get used to it."
He smiled again, a shallow smile, his facial muscles relaxed, revealing a row of white teeth. He asked, “Are you a high school student?”
"Um."
"How high is it?"
"Second year of high school, going to third year soon."
"Aren't you very busy with studies?"
"Well, I was just studying in the room."
"Bookworm! It's raining so hard and there's a flood. Are you still reading?"
"I'm not a nerd! I never thought the flood would reach my house!"
He nodded, looking quite mature and dignified: "The flood is indeed heavy this year. But don't worry, we are here and nothing will happen to you ordinary people."
Ruan Qingqing glanced at him: "How old are you?"
He said righteously, "You are a young girl, why are you asking me my age? I am much older than you anyway."
"cut--"
She started to guess: "Twenty?"
He laughed again: "Am I that tender?"
"Twenty-two, twenty-three?"
"Don't guess blindly. You already call me uncle, what are you still guessing about?"
"Pooh!"
When she said "Pah", they both laughed, and then they were stunned at the same time, because they felt closer to each other.
His expression straightened up and he said, "If you're tired, take a rest, but don't really fall asleep. If you fall into the water again, I'll have to fish you out."
"I'm not tired."
"Whatever you want, let's take a look at the scenery."
Ruan Qingqing chuckled. This guy was so funny. It was pitch dark, the village was flooded, what scenery was there to see?
Now she really wasn't afraid at all. She felt that this soldier was not like a soldier at all. He was a little crazy, a little naughty, and a little careless. But the rescue work was done so steadily that it seemed as if soldiers from heaven had descended upon us.
She thought he was actually a good soldier.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
"No comment."
Ruan Qingqing pouted, and after a while, she asked again, "What's your name?"
“People’s Liberation Army.”
Ruan Qingqing was a little unhappy. She looked into the distance and no longer looked at him.
In fact, she didn't know what was wrong with her. Normally, she wasn't a talkative person when interacting with boys.
There were a few guys in her grade pursuing her, but she thought they were all very childish and didn't want to talk much to them.
She doesn't have any good male friends. But tonight, perhaps the flood was too exciting and irritated her nerves;
Perhaps it was because the night was too dark and the river was too icy, and in the vast flood, there was only this person sitting next to him.
She looked at his back, his profile, his sitting posture, and his hands holding the oars, and wanted to talk to him more, wanting to know where he came from and who he was.
I don't know if he noticed that she was sulking. After a while of silence, he suddenly reminded her: "The water ahead is fast, sit tight."
With just one sentence from him, Ruan Qingqing's depressed mood suddenly disappeared. She said "oh" obediently, sat still, and curled up like a turtle.
He suddenly smiled, his eyes sparkling.
Ruan Qingqing's heart felt like it was hit gently and silently by something. Like an undercurrent, gently hitting the rocks;
Just like a fish returning home at night, it bumped into their boat and then swam away quietly.
He said, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
"I'm not afraid."
Sure enough, the boat safely passed through the rapids.
Ruan Qingqing noticed his chapped lips and immediately took out a bottle of water from her bag, unscrewed it and handed it to him: "Drink some water."
He didn't take it: "Keep it for yourself."
"I still have two bottles in my bag, that's enough."
"Thanks." He then took it with one hand. God knows how long this soldier had been thirsty, but he actually tilted his head back and drank the whole bottle of water in one breath, gulping it down, and he breathed a sigh of relief as if he was very refreshed after finishing it.
Ruan Qingqing looked at the liquid flowing down his neck, not knowing whether it was sweat or water, and felt that he was different from all the men she had ever come into contact with, different from her father, uncles, male classmates, and no one else.
At that time, Ruan Qingqing didn't understand that to a girl like her, he was already a young man and was about to shed his boyishness and grow into a man.
Ruan Qingqing also drank a few sips of water, then took out a piece of chocolate from her bag and handed it to him.
He glanced at her sideways but still didn't answer: "You... have prepared quite a lot. The kid is very careful about his life. Not bad, not bad - keep it for yourself."
"Aren't you hungry? Eat."
"I'm not hungry. I have food after completing my mission."
"Instant noodles?" She had seen the news. The officers and soldiers were pressed for time and working in a harsh environment, so they all ate instant noodles.
He smiled, licked his upper lip with the tip of his tongue, and said, "Instant noodles are delicious."
Ruan Qingqing didn't believe that young people nowadays still liked to eat instant noodles. What's more, the TV news said that they often eat it every meal, every day.
After a while, Ruan Qingqing suddenly stood up and quickly stuffed a Snickers bar into his camouflage uniform pocket. He looked a little stunned.
"Eat it." She whispered.
He reached into his pocket and touched something, then looked at her again and said, "Okay, I'll take it as a souvenir."
For some reason, seventeen-year-old Ruan Qingqing suddenly felt a little sad when she heard these words.
…
Ruan Qingqing hasn't thought about what happened that night for a long time. After all, it was only one night. Although she later returned to her hometown many times and even wandered around the local garrison unit, trying to see if she would miraculously meet that person again. But every time I came back with no success.
She never saw him again.
But tonight, when she saw Luo Pingjiang for the first time, it was obvious that his identity, clothing, and demeanor were all different from that soldier. However, she immediately thought of that person.
Even the voices are similar. It's just that he is much more subdued than before, and lacks the arrogance and indifference. Instead, he is calm like a man, with a vague coldness.
But, is he really him?
Is he also from Huaicheng? Not from the army, but from the armed police. He is also Chen Muyun's cousin.
Ruan Qingqing felt a sense of absurdity in her heart.
She recalled again how Luo Pingjiang reacted when he saw her just now. He didn't react at all. He was very calm, even a little cold and averse.
Ruan Qingqing's heart suddenly calmed down, so calm that it seemed as if there had never been any waves.
Whether he was that person or not, it didn't matter.
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