Song Lili, however, was annoyed by the questioning, "Commander, are you really that interested in me?"
"I’m not a criminal. Your relentless questioning is making me uncomfortable."
Duan Chen remained impassive, sensing that Tang Xiaohua held many secrets inside.
Not only that, but she also had a temper.
Judging by how she had pointed a gun at him earlier, as though determined to send him to the gallows, the woman possessed a strong sense of justice. Was that the reason, or was it something else? He was curious, but he saw no need to interrogate her to the very end.
For the latter half of the journey, Song Lili kept to herself, showing little interest in communicating with Duan Chen.
The long forty-six-hour trip concluded.
Song Lili slung her backpack over her shoulder and dragged her suitcase to leave. Duan Chen called out to her,
"Lu Ziqing asked me to guide you on your way."
Riding in a military jeep, in the cramped space of the backseat, a pair of eyes watched Song Lili intently.
That was Jing Rui, Duan Chen’s communications officer.
Song Lili looked out the window and did not engage with him.
The young communications officer, running out of patience, finally couldn’t resist speaking first,
"Hey, what’s your name? Where are you from? What’s your relationship with our commander? Did you disrespect our commander on the train just now? How did you get to ride in our car?"
He blurted out a barrage of questions as if he’d been holding his breath.
"Ask your commander."
"Hey, you’ve got quite the temper, little girl. Do you know who you’re talking to?"
Upon hearing this, Song Lili turned and glanced at him. He looked rather spirited in his military uniform.
Jing Rui straightened up immediately when Song Lili turned to look, patting his shoulder as if to deliberately show off his epaulettes.
Song Lili raised her eyebrow,
"Private First Class?"
"Oh, you can recognize military ranks? Good for you, you’ve got an eye for quality!"
"A Private First Class... Isn’t that still just a soldier?"
"Enough, Xiao Jing, why so many questions? She’s not obligated to answer you."
"But, Commander, why won’t you tell me... There was such a commotion in your train carriage earlier! I asked the conductor afterward, and they said she pointed a gun at you! How can you let such a dangerous person ride in our car?"
Duan Chen’s voice grew stern, silencing the young communications officer instantly.
Still, he looked at Song Lili with various degrees of wariness and suspicion.
The vehicle climbed along a winding mountain road, approaching the military base by noon.
The sun shone brilliantly; May in Xilin was much hotter than the south.
Surrounded by mountains, the view was open and wide, and the inner environment of the Xilin Military Region seemed much better than Song Lili had imagined.
"Company Commander Duan, you’ve worked hard."
As soon as Duan Chen stepped out of the car, a soldier with a sublieutenant’s rank came forward to greet him respectfully.
Standing behind the sublieutenant was Lu Ziqing.
Lu Ziqing was still in training fatigues, seemingly just back from the field, with sweat marking his front and back.
His face, reddened by the sun, held a bright smile as he warmly embraced Duan Chen.
Song Lili got out of the car behind Duan Chen.
"Wow, welcome to the Xilin Military Region, little lady."
Lu Ziqing also made a gesture to hug Song Lili, but she deftly evaded, leaving him hanging somewhat awkwardly. Yet Lu Ziqing, easygoing, wasn’t bothered by the detail.
"What’s this? Company Commander Duan, have you been bullying her on the road?"