The journey was silent, with only the sound of the car rolling along the highway and the whistling wind seeping through the window cracks filling the air.
Nothing else.
However, it had to be said that military personnel drove more steadily than ordinary people. Su Anxi had originally planned to close her eyes and pretend to sleep, but she hadn’t expected to genuinely doze off before long.
At this moment, she leaned against the back of the rear seat, her elbow resting on the window frame, her hand supporting the left side of her cheek. Her eyelids were desperately fighting, completely beyond her control.
Xu Yu glanced at Su Anxi through the rearview mirror and unconsciously curved his lips. Her habit of falling asleep as soon as she got in the car hadn’t changed at all.
The olive-green military uniform made her look heroic and spirited. Her face seemed even slimmer than before, and her features had grown more refined and distinctive compared to nine years ago.
Her originally fair complexion now showed signs of exhaustion from the long journey, her slightly pursed lips were somewhat chapped, and a few strands of hair had escaped from the ponytail at the back of her head, falling loosely by her ears and shoulders, unnoticed.
As for the other one, he was sleeping with his head tilted back and his mouth slightly open—a sight truly unbearable to behold.
He withdrew his gaze, fixed his eyes on the road ahead, and quietly instructed the soldier driving, “Slow down a bit.”
This remark clearly left the other momentarily confused. The speed was already slower than usual—slow down even more?
Struggling between doubt and the urge to ask, the captain seemed to read his conflicted thoughts and added lightly, “The road is slippery.”
By the time Su Anxi woke up, they had already left the mountain road and were on their way into the city.
This was the urban area of Fangquan City in the southwestern borderlands. From a distance, it was surrounded by mountains, shaped like a square spring, nestled against the hills and beside the water—hence its name.
However, as a southwestern border city, its geographical location limited much of its development. Ethnic minorities made up half of the population, and in terms of economic conditions and other aspects, it couldn’t even compare to third- or fourth-tier cities.
As for the counties, towns, and villages below, the impoverished and remote areas were too numerous to count, leaving much unsaid.
It was precisely because of Fangquan City’s unique geographical environment that it had become a favored spot for many criminals. The military and police stationed here faced far more real combat situations than those in ordinary cities…
Su Anxi checked her watch—she had slept for over half an hour. Having maintained the same posture, her neck felt stiff as she sat up straight, and she instinctively reached out to rub it.
While massaging the back of her neck, she glanced at Xia Junnan beside her. The young man was sleeping upright in his seat—quite an achievement—and his peculiar posture made her smile involuntarily.
But as she turned her gaze, she happened to catch sight of Xu Yu’s handsome face in the rearview mirror, half-hidden beneath the brim of his cap.
“I…”
Su Anxi stared into the rearview mirror, about to speak, when another sudden, unexpected brake sent her lurching forward. Instead of hitting the hard back of the seat, she felt something warm, dry, and carrying the scent of tobacco against her forehead.
It was… the back of a hand.
As if shocked by electricity, she jerked her head up. Sure enough, before her was a large hand pressed against the back of the driver’s seat—knuckles distinct, slender, and strong.
Without even glancing at Su Anxi, Xu Yu swiftly and naturally withdrew his left hand, not bothering to offer a single word of explanation.
Xia Junnan was jolted awake, craning his neck to look at the other three people in the car with a bewildered expression. He straightened his posture and flashed a grin at Su Anxi beside him.
Su Anxi lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes lingering on Xu Yu's hands resting on his lap.
His hands were exceptionally well-shaped—large palms, just the right thickness, with long, slender, and perfectly proportioned fingers. Even each fingernail looked as if meticulously carved, a blessing for hand enthusiasts.
Yet these very hands had once loved to tug at her hair, ruffle the top of her head, support her nodding-off head when she dozed, and pull her backpack strap while walking along the curb, guiding her toward the sidewalk…
There seemed to be many, many more seemingly casual gestures like the one earlier, which hadn't felt so vivid before reuniting with him.
Now, it was as if those moments had happened just yesterday, each one clear and distinct in her mind.
She quietly shifted her gaze away, silently admonishing herself: Su Anxi, you and he ended long ago. Is there any point in reminiscing about those bygone days?
…
The vehicle arrived at Fangquan Armed Police Hospital, where the hospital leadership—
—came out to greet them. As soon as Su Anxi stepped out of the car, Vice President Zhang called her over and introduced her to the others: "This is Dr. Su Anxi, the youngest, most outstanding, and most promising physician in our emergency department."
Clearly, the others were also struck by Su Anxi's appearance, expressing admiration and curiosity, repeatedly praising her for being accomplished at such a young age—and importantly, a remarkably beautiful young woman.
Su Anxi exchanged a few brief pleasantries with the hospital representatives, but her eyes kept drifting toward the armed police vehicle behind her.
The armed police soldiers were helping unload medical supplies and equipment, handing them over to the hospital's logistics personnel.
Once everything was ready, each squad and platoon counted their members, standing by in full gear.
Watching them prepare to leave, Su Anxi looked toward the man making a phone call not far away.
Her heart felt as if something were scratching at it, bit by bit. Once they parted this time, perhaps they would truly never meet again.
Liao Zhiping had never seen Su Anxi so hesitant and indecisive. In his impression, Su Anxi was calm and decisive, maintaining composure in all situations.
Perhaps only someone named Xu Yu could unsettle her so deeply, make her forget who she was.
Although Su Anxi always denied her feelings for Xu Yu, as an observer and close friend, Liao Zhiping understood clearly: wasn't the reason she had rejected all suitors over these nine years precisely because she couldn't forget him?
"They're about to leave. Aren't you going over to say a few words?" Liao Zhiping leaned close to Su Anxi and whispered to her.
She had already made up her mind deep down, merely waiting for a voice of agreement. She nodded and walked toward that person.
Unexpectedly, after taking just a few steps, she saw Xu Yu hang up the phone and start walking in her direction.
Su Anxi watched the tall figure drawing nearer, discreetly smoothing her clothes and adjusting her sleeves.
To her surprise, Xu Yu walked straight past her, approached the Hospital Director, exchanged a brief greeting, said he needed to return to the camp immediately, and then left ahead of the others.
The hospital representatives and Vice President Zhang expressed their gratitude repeatedly. As fellow Military Personnel, they understood the situation of the Special Forces Team and did not press them to stay longer.
Su Anxi, who had been thoroughly embarrassed, suddenly found all her previous inner turmoil irrelevant after being ignored. So she had been there all along, secretly nursing her sorrows and reminiscing about the past, while the other person hadn’t even given it a second thought.
Yes, Xu Yu was always Xu Yu. Even after being tempered and forged into a man of iron in the military camp, his character remained unchanged—still self-assured, still acting on whims.
Looking back now, it was truly laughable how she had been indulging in wishful thinking all along.
Just as Su Anxi swore she would never glance at Xu Yu again, he suddenly walked up to her. His towering height of 1.9 meters loomed over her, making the air feel thin.
"You’ve seemed like you had something to say all this way," Xu Yu said, looking down at Su Anxi with a faint gaze.
Su Anxi raised her head to look at Xu Yu. There were many things she wanted to ask and say, but when the words reached her lips, she didn’t know what to say.
Nine years had truly turned them into the most familiar strangers.
"Xu Lai has returned to Yujiang," she blurted out inexplicably.
A flicker of amusement passed through Xu Yu’s deep eyes. "I know."
"…" Su Anxi was suddenly at a loss for words.
"Anything else?" Xu Yu asked again.
"You seem to be doing well now, so I guess there’s no need to ask how you’ve been, right?"
Seeing Xu Yu’s commanding, interrogative attitude, Su Anxi felt a surge of anger, and her tone naturally hardened. Indeed, only this person in front of her could make her bristle like this.
"Fine," Xu Yu nodded. Seeing that the team members had all boarded the vehicle, he strode toward the armed police convoy.
Su Anxi gritted her teeth, suddenly feeling aggrieved—unreasonably aggrieved.
She held it in, held it in, determined not to show even a hint of weakness in front of him.
Suddenly, Xu Yu turned and walked back, stopping in front of Su Anxi. He took out his phone and said, "What’s your phone number?"
Su Anxi was momentarily stunned. She looked up at Xu Yu, mechanically took out her phone, and handed it to him. She watched as he dialed a number on her phone, heard his ringtone sound, and only then realized they were exchanging phone numbers.
Then, taking back the phone he handed to her, she heard him say, "You rarely come here. I’m on leave in a couple of days. Let me treat you to a meal as a gesture of hospitality."
"Okay," Su Anxi agreed almost without hesitation.