"Jiang... Ciyou!"
The cry was torn from a throat as dry as sandpaper. Xie Chi's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to rise, desperate to rush out.
"Don't move! You're still on an IV!" The nurse beside him reacted instantly, pinning him back onto the cot.
Outside the tent, Jiang Ciyou froze for a second. Was that Xie Chi's voice?
Impossible. How could he be here, in this desolate desert outpost?
She shook her head to cast off the absurd thought and looked at Xiao Ning. "Why so quiet?"
"I..." Xiao Ning summoned his courage, looking at her with eyes full of reluctance. "After you go back... can I write to you?"
Jiang Ciyou nodded gently. Just then, Raven strode out from the adjacent tent.
Still clad in his black combat uniform, the man spoke without emotion. "Xiao Ning, time for training."
"Yes, Captain." Xiao Ning stole one last longing glance at Jiang Ciyou before jogging off.
Jiang Ciyou nodded to Raven and turned to continue packing, but her wrist was suddenly caught by a large, calloused hand.
"Is something wrong?" She looked up at Raven in confusion.
Raven held his hands behind his back, his thin lips pressed into a tight line. Perhaps she was imagining it, but he seemed nervous.
His Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he finally revealed a bouquet of roses wrapped in newspaper from behind his back.
In this war-torn desert, fresh roses were far scarcer than narcotics.
Jiang Ciyou stared at the flowers, her emotions a tangled mess. "I can't accept this."
"Take it." Raven stuffed the flowers into her arms with an air that brooked no refusal. "No pressure. I know you won't stay."
A trace of regret flitted past his usually calm, detached eyes. His voice was husky as he said, "I just hope that in the future, when you look back on this place, you won't only remember the gunfire and the yellow sand... but also a bouquet of roses."
Jiang Ciyou's heart trembled.
When they first met, Raven had struck her as a cold, heartless war machine. But after spending this time together...
She remembered the packet of brown sugar he had left on the windowsill when she had cramps. She remembered Raven unstrapping his gun to teach her self-defense. She remembered him telling her this was his last campaign, and that he wanted to live to see her hometown.
The balance in her heart tipped violently. She suddenly felt that, perhaps, she really should try to move forward.
Jiang Ciyou took a deep breath and accepted the roses, which still held his body warmth. Just then, hurried, chaotic footsteps approached from behind.
Is that Xiao Ning? He's probably angry that I rejected him but accepted Raven.
Jiang Ciyou felt a pang of guilt, but her resolve didn't waver. That was how she was; once she made a decision, there was no turning back.
The setting sun elongated their shadows against the sand.
Jiang Ciyou, holding the roses, took a step forward and tightly embraced Raven's stiff body.
She stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "My name isn't Summer. My name is Jiang Ciyou."
"When the war is over... I'll be waiting for you to come find me."
Raven's calm pupils dilated in shock. He looked down in disbelief at the serious look in the girl's eyes. In that moment, all his restraint collapsed. He leaned down and kissed her deeply.
And this scene, viewed through the slit of the tent flap, burned entirely into a pair of furious eyes.
For three whole months, he had searched without rest, nearly losing his life to find Jiang Ciyou.
He had imagined countless reunion scenarios, but never this one—watching her in another man's arms, locked in a passionate kiss.
Rage instantly incinerated his reason and his upbringing.
Xie Chi ripped the IV needle from his arm. Blood spurted from the puncture wound, but he didn't feel a thing. He swung his fist, smashing it toward the man kissing Jiang Ciyou.
Raven's reaction was lightning fast. He immediately wrapped an arm around Jiang Ciyou's waist, shielding her completely behind him with a spin. Simultaneously, he lashed out with a back kick, sending Xie Chi flying several meters.
In the past, Xie Chi would have recovered immediately, but in his current condition, he could only sprawl wretchedly on the ground.
Under the scorching sun, Raven looked down imperiously at the man before him, his tone grim. "You have a death wish?"
Jiang Ciyou patted Raven's arm, about to tell him not to be so harsh on a 'kid', but when she saw the person on the ground clearly, she froze.
"Xie Chi?! Why are you here?!"
Raven's gaze swept between her and Xie Chi. "You know him?"
Her heart pounded like a war drum, her tone sounding unnatural. "He is my Shifu... Xie Chi."
A flash of awkwardness crossed Raven's face. He reached out to pull Xie Chi up, but Xie Chi ignored him completely. He stared fixedly at Jiang Ciyou, suppressing a madness of rage as he asked:
"Shifu? Jiang Ciyou, am I just your Shifu?"
The repressed emotions writhed uncontrollably in his chest. He was going mad with the thought. He almost blurted out:
When you were in my bed, you certainly never called me that.