Chapter 99 Be Careful
Xie Jingchen's words were not blind encouragement, but rather a solid backing based on strong support and deep affection.
He respects Xia Fanxing's choice and courage, and will use his own methods to clear obstacles for her and protect her.
Xia Fanxing looked up at Xie Jingchen.
Looking into his deep eyes, filled with unwavering trust and support, she felt as if her heart was being enveloped by a warm current.
The subtle tension she had been hiding in her heart seemed to vanish completely at that moment.
After the business was finished.
In this absolutely secluded and confidential little space, the faint smell of gunpowder in the air was gradually replaced by a warm and ambiguous atmosphere.
Xie Jingchen's gaze fell on Xia Fanxing's slightly flushed face, noticing her gently pursed lips.
His eyes gradually darkened, and his heart skipped a beat without him realizing it.
A long-suppressed desire is quietly rising.
Xia Fanxing seemed to sense something, and her heart started racing involuntarily.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, but she did not avoid his gaze.
Xie Jingchen lowered his head and slowly, tentatively, approached.
She did not dodge.
Without further hesitation, he captured her soft lips with pinpoint accuracy.
The kiss began with a cautious tenderness, but quickly became deep and urgent.
It was as if all the previous worries, suppressed longings, and surging emotions of the moment were being poured into it.
In the cramped space, only the intertwined breaths and the heart-pounding sound of water remained.
Outside the window, it was a bitterly cold winter, but inside this small space, it was as hot as summer.
·
The daily meeting of the joint working group was held as usual the following morning.
The atmosphere appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were swirling beneath.
Li Chongshan sat in the main seat, his face still pale, his eyes sharper than ever.
As the meeting drew to a close and several routine topics were being discussed, he suddenly changed the subject, his gaze piercing the deputy group leader like a knife.
"Deputy Team Leader Wang," his voice was not loud, but it carried a strong sense of pressure from someone in a superior position, "the list of epidemic prevention materials for Zone 7 that was issued yesterday afternoon, was it the one you ultimately reviewed and signed off on?"
Deputy Team Leader Wang's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure. "Yes, Team Leader. Is there a problem?"
"A problem?" Li Chongshan picked up a document and slammed it on the table. "The classification and statistical methods are inconsistent, and reserve supplies and supplies to be deployed immediately are labeled interchangeably! Such basic statistical errors, in wartime, will directly affect decision-making efficiency! Did you even read it carefully when you were reviewing it?!"
Deputy Team Leader Wang was taken aback.
Such minor oversights would never normally be scrutinized and criticized in such a grand manner.
He opened his mouth to explain, "Team leader, it's just a matter of format..."
“Format is attitude!” Li Chongshan interrupted him without any politeness, his tone cold and hard. “The work of the working group cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness! I think you’ve become lax in your thinking. Your position allowance for this month will be reduced by 20 percent. Reflect on your actions! Meeting adjourned.”
Li Chongshan didn't give Deputy Team Leader Wang a chance to speak again and got up to leave.
Deputy Team Leader Wang stood frozen in place, his face alternating between pale and flushed.
The other members around them also fell silent, quickly packed their things and left, no one daring to provoke them at this time.
Although the punishment was insignificant, Li Chongshan's reprimand of Deputy Team Leader Wang in front of everyone and the deduction of his pay was a blatant slap in the face and an insult.
Unfortunately, Li Chongshan seized upon a minor but undeniable mistake, leaving Deputy Team Leader Wang with no way to refute it and forcing him to swallow his anger.
Deputy Team Leader Wang returned to his office with a gloomy face.
His trusted subordinates quickly followed him in and carefully closed the door.
"Boss, what's up with Team Leader Li today...?" the confidant asked tentatively.
Deputy Team Leader Wang slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth and cursing, "Damn it, the old bastard did it on purpose, absolutely on purpose!"
He paced back and forth irritably. "And that Chen Xiangyang! When I ran into him this morning, he looked at me like he wanted to kill me! How could Li Chongshan suddenly turn on me? Something's not right... something's very wrong!"
He stopped abruptly, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.
"Has the squid ink thing been exposed? Impossible! I did it so discreetly, how could they possibly know?"
His confidant frowned as well. "This is indeed strange. Should I go and sound out Chen Xiangyang?"
Deputy Team Leader Wang narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold: "Go, be careful, don't arouse his suspicion."
The trusted confidant received the order and quickly found Chen Xiangyang, who was engrossed in organizing documents.
He forced a smile and leaned forward, asking with concern, "Comrade Xiangyang, still busy? You seemed a bit down yesterday, are you alright? I heard Comrade Zhang Dong's accident was related to ink? Is the ink faulty? I have some others..."
Chen Xiangyang raised his head, his eyes no longer showing the collapse of yesterday, only a cold calm and detachment.
He interrupted his confidant, his tone curt: "Thank you for your concern. The ink was fine; it was my own carelessness in not storing it properly, and I've already disposed of it. I have work to do, so I won't see it off."
These words, though seemingly gentle, were actually quite firm, effectively sealing off any possibility of further investigation.
The confidant, having been rebuffed, gave an awkward laugh and had no choice but to leave.
On the way back.
Just as his confidant was pondering how to reply to the deputy leader, he happened to run into Qin Wanqiu, who had just come out of the medical team's temporary office.
Knowing that Captain Qin had an extraordinary background, the confidant immediately put on a warm smile and greeted him, "Captain Qin, are you done with your work?"
Qin Wanqiu was holding back her anger towards Xia Fanxing, with nowhere to vent it.
But seeing that they were members of the working group, and even subordinates of the deputy leader, she could only put on a smile and exchange a few pleasantries.
When the two talked about the harsh conditions at the regimental headquarters, Qin Wanqiu said in a high-sounding manner, "Yes, the conditions in all aspects are indeed incomparable to those of the military region. But since we're here, we can only overcome them."
As she spoke, she inadvertently steered the conversation toward Xia Fanxing, "Like that nurse Xia from the regimental hospital, she's quite 'enthusiastic,' but sometimes... she doesn't really care about the impact."
The confidant wasn't really interested in women gossiping, so he just listened perfunctorily.
Qin Wanqiu tried to restrain herself, but she couldn't help but talk about Xia Fanxing. "For example, yesterday, I don't know what she was busy with, she didn't get back to the dormitory until very late. When she passed by my door, oh my, she seemed to have a faint fishy smell on her. I don't know if she went to get some herbs or went to some unclean place. Really, she doesn't care about hygiene or her image at all."
"A fishy smell?" The confidant's previously nonchalant gaze suddenly sharpened.
He immediately thought of Chen Xiangyang's unusual attitude towards the deputy team leader, Li Chongshan's sudden attack on the deputy team leader, and the deputy team leader's speculation about the possible exposure of the squid ink.
Isn't squid ink something that has a fishy smell?
Could it be that Xia Fanxing's late return home yesterday and the fishy smell on her body... were related to the ink?
Did she discover something?
Even... she told Li Chongshan?!
The thought flashed through Xinwei's mind like lightning.
All the clues connected instantly.
His expression changed drastically, and he could no longer listen to what Qin Wanqiu said next. He hurriedly interrupted her, "I'm sorry, Captain Qin, I suddenly remembered that I have something urgent to report to the deputy team leader. I'll take my leave now!"
After saying that, he turned and ran away in a hurry without waiting for Qin Wanqiu's reaction.
Qin Wanqiu was taken aback by her confidante's sudden rudeness.
She watched his retreating figure, frowning in dissatisfaction, and muttered to herself, "He hadn't even finished speaking. Honestly, he doesn't know any manners at all."
Qin Wanqiu felt completely bewildered.
She had no idea that she had inadvertently become the one who ignited the fuse.
The trusted aide rushed into Deputy Team Leader Wang's office, panting heavily.
He didn't even bother to close the door before urgently saying, "Boss, we might really be exposed. The problem must lie with that woman named Xia Fanxing!"
The confidant reported back what he had heard from Qin Wanqiu.
Although there is no clear evidence yet, Deputy Team Leader Wang, with the mentality of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free," has decided to deal with Xia Fanxing.
"You're saying Qin Wanqiu dislikes Xia Fanxing, right?" Deputy Team Leader Wang asked.
The confidant nodded.
Even if he wasn't interested in women's gossip, based on his years of observation, no matter how high-sounding Qin Wanqiu's words sounded on the surface, just from her eyes and tone of voice, he knew she definitely didn't like Xia Fanxing.
A dark glint flashed in Deputy Team Leader Wang's eyes. "In that case, let Qin Wanqiu take the lead."
Deputy Team Leader Wang's greatest skill is using others to do his dirty work.
He has always been using underhanded tactics behind the scenes, and there is absolutely no way he would expose his existence.
He pondered for a moment, and considering that Qin Wanqiu had actually talked about these things with her confidant today, he could guess that she lacked someone trustworthy and someone she could vent to in private.
Deputy Team Leader Wang made up his mind and instructed his trusted aide, "Find a suitable person to approach Qin Wanqiu and make her escalate Qin Wanqiu's dislike for Xia Fanxing into hatred. Let Qin Wanqiu get rid of Xia Fanxing, or even kill Xia Fanxing herself. In short, make that damned woman Xia Fanxing disappear from my sight!"
·
A few days later, Qin Wanqiu found another excuse: "work needs".
This time, the purpose was to conduct a live demonstration of the combat casualty first aid procedure at the regimental hospital, requiring the participation and cooperation of the officers and soldiers. Regimental Commander Xie Jingchen naturally needed to be present to coordinate.
The demonstration site was set up in a relatively spacious corridor of the hospital.
Qin Wanqiu, dressed in a crisp military uniform, deliberately stood next to Xie Jingchen while giving her explanation and demonstration.
Her tone was professional, her posture graceful, and her eyes occasionally glanced towards the corridor.
She knew that Xia Fanxing would be busy in various wards at this time.
Sure enough, not long after, Xia Fanxing came out of a ward carrying a tray.
As Qin Wanqiu was demonstrating the bandaging motion backwards, she seemed to trip over something.
She let out a soft "ouch" and her body went limp as she leaned against Xie Jingchen beside her.
She even convincingly feigned a panicked expression on her face.
She was looking forward to falling into that solid, reliable embrace the next second.
However, Xie Jingchen's reaction was surprisingly quick.
He moved to the side almost reflexively, his movements swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Qin Wanqiu was completely unprepared for his dodge and lost her balance before she could stop.
She stumbled several steps, nearly falling to the ground.
Fortunately, he managed to grab onto the medical trolley in time, thus avoiding a horrible fall.
Her sudden movement caused the instruments on the control panel to clang, drawing surprised glances from the surrounding soldiers and medical staff.
Qin Wanqiu was still in shock, her face instantly turning bright red with embarrassment and indignation.
At that moment, Xie Jingchen's voice rang out: "Captain Qin, be careful."
Qin Wanqiu felt a surge of secret joy, thinking that Xie Jingchen still cared about her after all.
But Xie Jingchen immediately added, "There are many patients in the hospital corridors; it wouldn't be good if you bumped into someone."
His tone was businesslike, devoid of any personal feelings.
These words were like a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing the small flame that Qin Wanqiu had just ignited.
It turns out that Xie Jingchen wasn't concerned about her at all, but rather that she might bump into a patient!
Xia Fanxing, who witnessed the whole process, couldn't help but smile, a noticeable curve appearing on her lips.
As she passed by them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, she let out a light laugh.
Upon hearing this, Xie Jingchen's eyes flashed with a faint smile, but he quickly concealed it.
He continued to host the event with a blank expression.
After the demonstration lesson, Xie Jingchen took some time to visit Xia Fanxing.
Xia Fanxing was organizing medicinal herbs in the pharmacy when she saw Xie Jingchen arrive. She put down the herbs, brushed the dregs off her hands, and walked out.
“Fanxing,” Xie Jingchen lowered his voice, “I’ve contacted an old comrade-in-arms from the past. He’s now in the technical inspection department of the logistics department of the corps division headquarters. They have the equipment there, and the people there are reliable.”
"I explained the situation to him, and he agreed to give it a try. It will probably take a day, including the round trip and the testing. You should get ready and ask for leave. I'm going to the division headquarters to report on the training situation, and I can give you a ride there on the way."
Xia Fanxing's eyes lit up. "Great! I'll ask for leave right away!"
Just then, a nurse hurriedly walked down the corridor pushing a cart full of medicines.
Suddenly, the wheels seemed to jam, and the car veered sharply toward Xia Fanxing.
Xie Jingchen reacted quickly, grabbing Xia Fanxing's waist and pulling her away from where she was, shielding her in his arms.
The car just barely passed the spot where she had been standing.
"I'm so sorry, Nurse Xia, did I bump into you?" the nurse quickly apologized.
"I'm fine." Xia Fanxing waved her hand. "You go ahead and get busy."
The nurse hurriedly pushed the cart away again.
Xia Fanxing looked up at Xie Jingchen, mimicking his tone when he spoke to Qin Wanqiu, and said with a sly smile in her eyes, "Commander Xie, it seems I need to be 'careful' now, so I don't get bumped into by patients or colleagues."
Xie Jingchen looked at her smiling face so close to his, and it seemed as if the warmth from her slender waist still lingered in his palm.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his deep voice was a little hoarse: "Yes, we need to be careful."
The two smiled at each other, and the air was filled with a tacit understanding and sweetness that only they could comprehend.
Although the corridor near the pharmacy was bustling with people, it had become a relatively quiet corner at this moment.
Xia Fanxing felt a slight itch on her cheek and subconsciously raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
But she had just been sorting medicinal herbs, and there was a little bit of fine powder on her fingertips.
Xie Jingchen's gaze had been fixed on her, so he naturally noticed this small detail.
He reached out very naturally and gently brushed her earlobe and temples with his fingertips, smoothing a strand of hair for her, the action intimate and ambiguous.
His fingers had a rough, calloused texture, and when they brushed against her sensitive skin near her ear, she couldn't help but shudder slightly.
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