Extra 2: My worries are like the silent rain
Year Two of the Spark Calendar, late summer, early autumn. Construction of the overseas base was well on track, the initial panic and hardship giving way to daily hard work and the gradual emergence of order. Yet, on this newly born land, certain subtle emotions, like vines after rain, quietly sprouted in unnoticed corners.
Days of rain had enveloped the camp in a damp mist. Qiongying had just emerged from the makeshift medical tent and rubbed her slightly swollen temples. She'd had so many patients seeking treatment due to weather changes and work-related injuries that she'd barely had time to rest. Rainwater dripped down the thatched eaves, forming small puddles on the ground.
She was about to open her oil-paper umbrella and return to her cabin when she looked up and saw Zhang Qing standing under a large banyan tree not far away, seemingly also taking shelter from the rain. He was wearing a half-worn blue cloth suit and no armor. His figure was as straight as a pine tree, staring at the rain in a trance, his profile blurred in the mist.
Since landing, the two of them, as the core of the camp, had met almost daily, discussing matters and inspecting the camp, and their cooperation had become very tacit. But moments like this, when they were almost alone and not on business, were rare. Qiongying paused, unsure whether to approach or quietly leave.
At this moment, Zhang Qing seemed to notice her gaze and turned around. Their eyes met, and they were both slightly startled.
"Princess." Zhang Qing spoke first, his voice sounding particularly low amidst the sound of rain.
"General Zhang," Qiongying nodded in response, then walked over, umbrella in hand, stopping a few steps away. The rain rustled against the broad leaves of the banyan tree, making the quietness there seem strangely quiet.
"Have the wounded been taken care of?" Zhang Qing asked, his eyes falling on her slightly tired face.
"Well, they're just minor injuries and a cold, nothing serious," Qiongying replied, subconsciously avoiding his overly focused gaze and looking towards the gray sea. "It's been raining for a few days, the roads are muddy, and the newly reclaimed fields in the back mountains are probably flooded."
"I've asked Mr. Zhu Wu to take people to check it out. We'll try to clear the ditch." Zhang Qing continued in a steady tone, "It's just that this weather isn't conducive to drying herbs and grain."
"Yeah..." Qiongying sighed softly. These were all daily matters of the camp, matters they would normally discuss in the meeting hall, but now, speaking of them alone in the quiet rain, they seemed to have a more unusual meaning, like... the casual chat between an ordinary couple.
This thought made Qiongying's ears feel slightly hot, but fortunately the sound of rain covered it up.
A cool breeze blew through the trees, bringing with it drops of rain. Qiongying shivered subconsciously. She had been busy in the medical tent today and was wearing only light clothing.
Almost at the same time as she shrank back, Zhang Qing subconsciously took half a step forward, as if wanting to use his body to shield her from the wind and rain, but then realized that this action was too abrupt, and he stopped abruptly, his arms hanging stiffly at his sides.
Qiongying noticed his subtle movement, and her heart skipped a beat, as if lightly scratched by a feather. She lowered her eyelids and pretended to adjust the non-existent wrinkles of her sleeves to cover up her momentary panic.
The atmosphere once again fell into a delicate silence. Only the sound of the rain could be heard, like countless tiny drumbeats, beating on the heartstrings of the two.
"That..." The two of them spoke almost at the same time, and then stopped at the same time.
Zhang Qing coughed lightly and motioned for her to speak first.
Qiongying pursed her lips and found the safest topic: "General's old injury... It has been rainy recently, is he okay?" She was referring to the arrow wound on his shoulder left by Bangyuan Cave.
Zhang Qing subconsciously touched his left shoulder and shook his head, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Princess. I'm fine now." He paused and looked at her with a subtle concern in his eyes. "It's just that Princess, you've been working so hard these days, and your complexion doesn't seem to be well. Although doctors can heal people, they also need to take care of themselves."
His words were subtle, yet a warm feeling welled up in Qiongying's heart. She raised her eyes and met his gaze. It was no longer the scrutinizing, sharp gaze of the initial pursuit in the forest, nor the calm, decisive one of the discussions in the council hall. Instead, it held a deeper, warmer quality that left her feeling somewhat uneasy, yet not resentful.
"I...I saved myself the trouble." She murmured, feeling her cheeks getting hotter.
The rain seemed to have subsided, but it showed no sign of stopping. The small world beneath the banyan tree seemed cut off from the outside world.
Zhang Qing was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "That day... in Yuncheng, when you disguised yourself as Doctor An, I felt... that you were different from ordinary women."
Qiongying's heart stirred. That was the first time he had found her since she ran away from her marriage. In the clinic, he had asked her for a prescription for her "heart ailment." Back then, they had exchanged sharp words, each with their own thoughts. Now, as they revisited the past, things had changed.
"How is it different?" She couldn't help but ask, with a hint of expectation that she herself didn't even realize.
Zhang Qing seemed to be caught off guard by her direct question. He paused for a moment before carefully choosing his words: "You are not afraid of power, nor are you bound by worldly desires. You have a deep mind and are full of wisdom and strategies... More importantly, you have a sense of righteousness in your heart, and it's not just for your own selfish ends."
His evaluation was high and pertinent. Qiongying listened, her lips curling up slightly unconsciously. Earning the approval of a figure like him was no easy feat.
"What about General Zhang?" She summoned her courage and asked back, "Why did you let me go back in the forest? Was it just because... you didn't want to be a pawn either?"
She had been harboring this question in her heart for a long time. Initially, it was out of caution, then curiosity, and now... it seemed to have taken on a different meaning.
Zhang Qing's gaze plunged into the depths of the rain, as if transported back to that night. He remained silent for a long time, so long that Qiongying thought he wouldn't answer.
"Perhaps... from the very beginning, I felt that you shouldn't be a bird trapped in a cage." His voice was so soft, almost drowned out by the sound of the rain, but it reached Qiongying's ears clearly. "You deserve... a wider world."
Those words were like a stone dropped into the lake of her heart, sending ripples across it. Qiongying stared blankly at his resolute profile, a wave of indescribable emotions welling up within her. There was the touch of understanding, the feeling of having found a soulmate from another world, and perhaps... a subtle, growing feeling that even she herself hadn't yet fully grasped.
He let her go not only because he didn't want to be used, but also because he saw in her a soul similar to his own, one that didn't want to be bound by fate.
The rain gradually stopped, and a glimmer of light appeared on the horizon. The clouds dispersed, revealing a washed, clear blue sky. The sun shone through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows on the wet ground.
"The rain has stopped." Qiongying said softly, feeling a little reluctant and relieved.
"Yeah." Zhang Qing responded, retracting his gaze from the distance and returning it to her. The sunlight shone on her face, outlining a soft outline. Her eyes, always calm and wise, now reflected the skylight, appearing particularly clear.
The two were silent for a moment, but it seemed as if something had quietly changed in silence, just like the air after the rain, fresh and clear.
"I... I'll go back to the medical tent first." Qiongying broke the silence first. She needed some space to sort out her confused thoughts.
"Okay." Zhang Qing nodded, his eyes still following her.
Qiongying opened her umbrella, turned, and walked into the gradually brightening camp. She could feel that gaze lingering on her back until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
Back in the medical shed, looking at the familiar medicine cabinets and instruments, Qiongying's heart remained restless for a long time. She picked up a piece of licorice and sniffed it. The familiar sweet aroma now seemed to be mingled with a different flavor.
Under the banyan tree, Zhang Qing remained standing, staring at the direction she had left, motionless for a long time. That brief moment of solitude, those unspoken words, like the late summer rain, silently soaked the hardened soil of his heart, once filled with only military service, brotherhood, and loyalty. Something was beginning to break through the earth.
He raised his hand and caught a raindrop that slid down from a leaf. The cold water droplet rolled in his palm, but inexplicably brought a burning sensation.
No one broke this thin layer of window paper. But after that, many things began to change.
During meetings, his gaze would inadvertently linger on her for a moment longer; he would carefully consider her suggestions; when inspecting the camp, he would subconsciously walk on the outside to shield her from possible wind and sand or danger; and when she occasionally looked a little haggard from fatigue, he would ask the kitchen to specially leave a portion of warm soup...
Qiongying was no different. She would monitor his injuries for any recurrences, and after he and his men practiced, she would offer him a bowl of heat-clearing herbal tea. She remained calm and wise, the "Mr. Qiongying" everyone depended on. But only she knew that in those moments of solitude, when she was with him, her heart would race uncontrollably.
This subtle bond is like the ubiquitous vines on the island, dense and tenacious. It quietly entangles them in common ideals, side-by-side battles and daily trivialities, bringing two once distant hearts closer and closer.
Until one day, the accumulated emotions finally broke through that thin barrier, like the pouring of stars, and it came naturally.
But at this moment, in the fresh air after the rain, everything is still brewing. Thoughts are like rain, fine and silent, but they have deeply permeated the years they have spent together.
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