After several minutes, Xia Ning finds her strategy of “choosing to ignore” doesn’t work on the Army Commander. She puts down the coffee and says to Yi Yunrui, “I will keep the Commander’s words in mind. Would the Commander give me a break?”

Yi Yunrui blinks his eagle-sharp eyes. He still looks at her for another while and then he signs helplessly. He releases her hand and pats on her.

Xia Ning blinks her eyes, wondering why Yi Yunrui gives a sign.

The sign sounds very depressive.

Xia Ning is confused about the reaction of Yi Yunrui. She turns her head and looks at the steaming espresso, which looks like a black hole going to swallow her inside.

Her heart aches.

“Commissar Mei said that you are old friends. Did you know each other long before?”

“We were schoolmates when getting training in the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. She was my first commissar. Then she went to Beijing for some reasons. In recent years, she was abroad. Now, Commissar Xue gets a promotion and transfer. The Military Region arranges another commissar for me. It is her again.”

“Oh.” Xia Ning responds. Because of the intuition of woman or some other reasons, she is vaguely aware that Mei Ruo comes back for Yi Yunrui, “You mean that…she was abroad?”

Yi Yunrui’s eyes flash, “Yes, because of some things.”

Xia Ning waits, but Yi Yunrui doesn’t continue. She wants to ask, but the question is stuck at her throat.

Looking at the black coffee there, Xia Ning feels her heart tightened. She tells the shop clerk, “Please give me a cup of double espresso.”

Hearing this, Yi Yunrui is surprised, “Ning, don’t you like sweet coffee?”

Xia Ning curls her lips, “I like all coffees. And I like sweet foods.”

Yi Yunrui doesn’t respond. He looks at her quietly.

Soon, the coffee is served. Xia Ning takes it up and drinks. Yi Yunrui speaks, “Black coffee is bad for the stomach. Will you drink less?”

“I am fine. I will eat two more pieces of cakes.” Saying this, she puts a big piece of cake into her mouth.

Yi Yunrui looks at her eating cake and drinking coffee quietly, while his fists clench tightly.

The next morning, when Xia Ning wakes up, Yi Yunrui is not in the bed. He got up early and his moves were so gentle that she was not aware of his leaving.

There is still some smell of him left. Thinking of the crazy night, Xia Ning blushes. Unconsciously, she holds out her hand and strokes the place he was lying on.

At the mid-night, she heard clearly that Yi Yunrui was calling her name when he held her tightly. The calling was insistent as if there was something in his dream made him anxious.

She heard that his heartbeat was out of control.

Xia Ning is surprised, wondering what he dreamed of to make him so nervous.

It is empty beside her. Xia Ning’s heart is blank. However, she feels sweet.

She glances at the clock. It is past ten in the morning. Xia Ning gets up, dresses and washes herself. She is going to call Li Baoer when the phone rings.

It is from Li Baoer, at the very time.

“Ning, I am arriving in about half an hour. Where are you?”

Li Baoer sounds the same as before this time. Xia Ning smiles, “I am at home. I am going to pick you up. Wait for me.”

Xia Ning hangs up and hesitates whether she shall call Yi Yunrui or Dai Zhongheng. Her phone rings again.

Yi Yunrui calls.

Xia Ning is surprised, wondering whether the Army Commander has got the gift of knowing things before their happening.

“Morning, Commander!”

“… Have you had breakfast?”

“Hum. Li Baoer is arriving. I am going to pick her up.”

“Heng is waiting for you downstairs. You can take his car.”

Xia Ning blinks her eyes. He is punctual!

“OK. Am I not bothering Colonel Dai?”

“It is OK. He is going there anyway. It is on the way. You can ask him for help if you need anything.”

Xia Ning smiles, “OK. That is all. I am leaving now.”

“OK.”

Xia Ning hangs up. She wants to take her handbag with her, but thinking of that she may go shopping with Li Baoer and she’d better not take many things, she puts it down.

Xia Ning goes downstairs. She sees a green Dongfeng Warrior parking by the door. It is Dai Zhongheng’s car.

He comes to her. The correspondent Lin Kai gets off and makes an army salute, “Mrs. Yi.”

“Hello.” Xia Ning nods. She is called Mrs. Yi for many times these months and has almost got used to it.

“Mrs. Yi.” Dai Zhongheng opens the door of the car, “The commander is busy in the Military Region today. He tells me to come here. Please let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Xia Ning gets on the car. She is a little shy, “I am just going to pick up a friend. I am sorry to bother you. Colonel Dai.”

“Mrs. Yi, it is my pleasure. Where are you going?”

“The Eastern District Station.”

The Eastern District Station is the biggest bus and train terminal in C city. There are numerous people crowding here. There are also many thieves and pickpockets here. Seeing from far, Xia Ning understands why Yi Yunrui tells Dai Zhongheng to drive her here.

The Dongfeng Warrior stops at the station. All people around automatically move to keep a meter away from it. They get off the car. Dai Zhongheng and Lin Kai walk on the left and right respectively to protect her.

People around see army men appear and all look at them. Xia Ning feels shy.

They wait at the exit for about ten minutes when Li Baoer shows up among the walking flow. With two big bags of luggage, she is almost stuck to be deformed by the crowds.

Dai Zhongheng frowns lightly.

“Hey! Baoer, here! Here!” Xia Ning cries loudly and waves her hands quickly.

Li Baoer hears Xia Ning’s voice and at once sees them. She sees Dai Zhongheng and suddenly blushes.

Since she takes too much luggage with her, it is not easy for her to come to them. Seeing this, Dai Zhongheng moves forward and goes into the crowds. Soon he gets to Li Baoer and reaches to carry the two bags of luggage with one of his hand. He holds Li Baoer by the other hand. Soon, he saves her from the crowds.

Xia Ning and Lin Kai are shocked by what Dai Zhongheng does.

When Li Baoer and Dai Zhongheng come back, Xia Ning blinks her eyes and vaguely realizes something.

“Baoer!” Xia Ning smiles and gives Li Baoer a bear hug.

“Wow, it is crowded. Xia Ning, if you come later, I might not see you again in my life…” Li Baoer pats on Xia Ning’s back and complains bitterly.

“What are you saying?” Xia Ning stares at her and takes her hand, “Come, let’s go.”

They get into the car. Li Baoer admires, “No surprising. You are the wife of the Commander. You have your special car now. Well, where is your army commander husband?”

This Dongfeng Warrior cannot compare with the Knight XV, but it is also overwhelmingly brilliant.

“He is busy at the Military Region.” Xia Ning looks at the two bags of luggage, “Are you going to your classmate’s home to put down the luggage first?”

Li Baoer’s eyes flash. She hesitates and says, “All right. Let’s go there first.”

Xia Ning frowns. Li Baoer doesn’t look right.

“Mrs. Yi. Where are you heading for?” Lin Kai asks.

Li Baoer takes a piece of paper from her pocket, “Number 13, Left Alley 7, Songxue Street, Waihuang.

“OK.” Lin Kai responds and starts the car.

Dai Zhongheng frowns, “Does your classmate live there?”

Hearing Dai Zhongheng’s voice, Li Baoer’s heart jumps up, “Hum. Yes. She told me that. Why? Any problems with that?”

“No.” Dai Zhongheng responds and speaks no more.

The car goes fast and stably. On the way, Xia Ning and Li Baoer joyfully chat. Dai Zhongheng doesn’t speak. Correspondent Lin Kai laughs with them from time to time. Dai Zhongheng rolls his eyes at him for that.

Xia Ning is aware that though Li Baoer chats with her happily, her words imply that she is nervous. Her big eyes sometimes look to the direction at the front seat, the co-driver seat, where Dai Zhongheng sits.

Well, last time Li Baoer was saved by Dai Zhongheng from the kidnappers. Yi Yunrui said that Dai Zhongheng looked after Li Baoer for several days. It seems that something happened between them.

The car goes from the roads to alleys and then to a residence community and continues to go deeper. The houses show up in front of them are thick and low among many small alleys. The ground is dirty. Seemingly people here flow a lot and are complicated.

It is a cheap renting area full of small houses and extraneous people.

The Dongfeng Warrior is a big car. It moves hard in the alleys. After many turnings, it at last arrives at one and cannot go further. They have to get off the car and go on foot.

Li Baoer wants to take the luggage, but Dai Zhongheng grabs and throws them to Lin Kai.

Seeing there is an army car coming in, many people walk out to look at them curiously.

Xia Ning looks around and frowns, “How far is your classmate’s house away? Why doesn’t she come out to pick you up?”

Li Baoer shakes her head, “It is also my first time to come here. I really don’t know which house she is living in.”

“Here is Left Alley 7.” Lin Kai speaks and points forward, “Look. Number 13 is there.”

They look to the direction Lin Kai points to. There is a small house of two and a half floors, with an emblem hung on the wall, saying, No. 13, Left Ally 7.

It is less than 100 meters away from where they are standing.

“Baoer, does your classmate know that you are coming today?” Xia Ning asks, vaguely feeling something wrong.

“Yes, she knows. I called her before I got on the bus.” Li Baoer strokes her head and feels uncertain, “As she said, she lives alone. We are arriving. Let’s go and check.”