two

Shen Fang nodded slightly and casually glanced at the car. The interior was unlit, and from the outside, one could only vaguely make out a silhouette, indistinguishable as male or female. He then patted Lei Kuan's shoulder and said, "Be careful."

Hanging up the phone, Li Lan looked at Zhao Yimei with a blank expression and shook her head, saying: "Little girl, you cannot go anywhere."

The off-road vehicle sped along swiftly and soon arrived at the military base. After a brief explanation from Lu Qiao, other soldiers carried a stretcher to take Zhao Yimei to the medical station

Parting in life is akin to parting in death

Li Lan was at a loss for words due to her being cornered, so she could only ask something else: "Why did you come to Africa?"

In her youth, she believed that she would love him forever, even if he did not love her. He would belong to her in this lifetime, completely and entirely, only hers.

English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French, and also Beijing dialect Zhao Yimei answered Li Lan's question earnestly, without any intention of boasting

Zhao Yimei nodded and said, "I majored in Spanish in college, while the others were minors and self-taught."

The past years have collapsed in an instant, irretrievably; it turns out that he has become so unfamiliar to her.

For these years, she has always relied on sleeping pills to fall asleep, and it has been a long time since she has dreamed

Every year, there are batches of volunteers here, but most of them come to teach. Are you going to the hospital? Are you also studying medicine?

No," Zhao Yimei said, "just an old friend"

That night, Zhao Yimei had a dream

Zhao Yimei fell into a prolonged silence. She and this person had lived under the same roof, harboring mutual hatred for several decades. He wished for her death, and she did not wish for him to live.

Zhao Yimei remained silent for a while, but eventually could not help but ask: "Is it dangerous?"

Li Lan asked alertly and curiously, "Do you know our Captain Shen?"

Zhao Yimei stated bluntly: "I dropped out midway and am currently unemployed."

Zhao Yimei unzipped the white zipper of the hospital room, and only then did she see the full view of Li Lan's office. The wooden desk was positioned against the yellowing wall, with documents neatly organized; there was not a single pen out of place on the desk, reflecting a military-like discipline.

Then, a grand convoy appeared ahead, with their headlights on, illuminating the desert as if it were broad daylight. The leading off-road vehicle suddenly slammed to a halt, barely stopping in front of Lei Kuan.

Lei Kuan received the order and paid his respects.

The moment Zhao Yimei saw him, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, unable to stop herself from trembling

He sneered and said, "Which sister in the world covets her own brother all day long?"

Behind him were more than ten glaring headlights, standing against the moonlight and the vast desert, resembling the grim reaper harvesting fate

The emergency response at the land bridge was very effective, and Li Lan immediately called for a nurse to perform surgery on Zhao Yimei

What do you think? Li Lan said, "The largest-scale armed conflict that has occurred in South Sudan since its independence has seen the withdrawal of U.S. troops."

As they were leaving the military camp, a sudden alarm sounded, causing Zhao Yimei to sit up straight, thinking that a major incident had occurred. Lei Kuan's intercom rang, and he quickly picked it up, lowering his voice to speak with the other party

The man's voice was deep as he asked softly, "Where are you going?"

The only decoration was the picture frame hanging on the wall. Zhao Yimei raised her head, and at the moment she clearly saw the photo, she felt as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had shattered

Do you speak Arabic

The military doctor responsible for Zhao Yimei's injuries is a woman named Li Lan, in her early thirties. She has fine lines at the corners of her eyes when she smiles, giving her a very amiable appearance. She conducted a thorough examination of Zhao Yimei and promptly confirmed that there was no injury to the spine

Zhao Yimei remembered that it was a summer night, yet he felt as if his entire body was frozen, filled with intense hostility, and he continued to speak slowly and deliberately: "Zhao Yimei, do you still remember what I wished for you?"

"Sahara" by San Mao?" Li Lan speculated

Zhao Yimei's gaze swept around the room, hesitating to speak. Li Lan handed her phone to her, asking, "Are you looking for this?"

At this moment, Zhao Yimei was bowing her head, intently observing the shadows cast on the floor.

Zhao Yimei forcibly pieced together her blood and bones bit by bit, and then compelled herself to look at that photograph once again

The man casually fastened his military cap and walked straight towards Lei Kuan

Zhao Yimei tilted her head back, silently gazing at his photograph. His handsome and striking face, his brows, his eyes, his nose, his mouth. A beam of sunlight streamed through the window; he was in the light, she was in the dark, thus she could see him, but he could no longer see her

After the anesthesia wore off, when Zhao Yimei regained consciousness, she saw Li Lan organizing the medicine box. Not turning her head, she remarked, "Young lady, did you come to Sudan by yourself?"

She has a somewhat frivolous smile, yet it is very charming. Li Lan has encountered many girls who volunteer; most of them are kind-hearted and dress very simply, clearly the type of good girls.

After finishing the intravenous infusion, Zhao Yimei insisted on leaving the military headquarters to report to the hospital. In a military zone, it was not appropriate for her to rest comfortably here for recuperation.

Zhao Yimei nodded and smiled self-deprecatingly: "Yes, I haven't even had the chance to report in, and I've already become an injured party."

Li Lan did not understand how Zhao Yimei managed to stand up like a normal person with such determination. For dinner, Li Lan brought her some congee from the cafeteria, and although Zhao Yimei's arm was still in a cast, she insisted on doing it herself

It may be some kind of complex. She turned her head and said softly, "When I was eighteen, I read a book, and at that time I thought, one day I must come to Africa to see it."

Hmm," Zhao Yimei replied, "I have caused you trouble.

Zhao Yimei shook her head and inexplicably said, "That book was actually stolen by me."

No, I mainly engage in translation work, have received training, and can perform some caregiver tasks

Rose, Li Lan thought, what an interesting little girl

She gazed at him intently

The other party became even more interested in her; in the military camp, there were only big men, and it was rare to see a young girl. Li Lan couldn't help but pull her aside to chat a bit more: "That's impressive, you must be studying languages at university, right?"

Do you know him? Shen Fang

She opened her mouth in the dream, wanting to say something, but no sound came out. In the next moment, a military green jeep came rushing towards her, its headlights shining brightly, blinding her completely. She felt her body being thrown away, and then she fell heavily.

He wished for Zhao Yimei that all her lifelong pursuits would be unattainable

After speaking, Li Lan glanced at Zhao Yimei and noticed that she was still staring at the photograph. Suddenly, it dawned on her—her question "Is it dangerous?" was not about South Sudan, but rather about this person

Lover

Report to Team Leader Shen, today I encountered a Chinese person on the road who came here as a volunteer and was involved in a car accident. This afternoon, after undergoing surgery at the military medical facility, I have now been assigned to take her to the hospital

She actually dreamed of several years ago, when she was just in her early twenties, studying at Stanford University, which countless people yearn for, living freely and beautifully, and everyone said she was a darling of heaven. That was the only time she and Shen Fang met in the United States.

She believed that she had long severed her seven emotions and extinguished her six desires, yet in this moment, she was engulfed by despair like a tidal wave, suffocating.

Zhao Yimei bent down, and her internal organs cried out in pain all at once

She should not be here, Li Lan thought, she should belong to another kind of world

It is as if someone has dug out her heart, placed it in their palm, and then squeezed it tightly

No," she shook her head and said, "it's just someone who looks very much like a person I used to know

Li Lan noticed her looking at the photo frame and explained: "This is a group photo of our unit, with Deputy Team Leader Lu and Lei Kuan, whom you have already met. The one in the middle is our Team Leader Shen, who is currently on a mission. You must have seen the news, right? There was a riot in South Sudan, and they went to bring back the Chinese nationals there"

Zhao Yimei nodded slightly, her arm still unable to move, so she had to trouble Li Lan to help her call the hospital. The phone was on speaker, and she tried to make her voice sound very calm: "Hello, I am Rose. Yes, I encountered a small situation on the way, but I am in a safe place now, so do not worry. I will find a car and come over shortly."

She gazed out the window; it was already dusk, and the desert was enveloped in the red hues of the setting sun, becoming soft and distant. It remained barren and lifeless, yet a sense of tranquility emerged from deep within the earth.

Li Lan knew that she was unwilling to discuss this topic any further; everyone always has a bit of obsession, otherwise life would be too dull. Zhao Yimei referred to it as an African complex, and Li Lan did not comment on it, but she knew it was definitely not the whole story

Fortunately, Lei Kuan quickly opened the car door and jumped out. The man stopped halfway as he walked, and Lei Kuan saluted him neatly.

When the car door was opened, the first thing Zhao Yimei saw was a pair of heavy black military boots, followed by light green military trousers and a pair of long, powerful legs

Zhao Yimei woke up with a start from her dream, blinking her eyes repeatedly in the darkness, gradually becoming aware that it was just a dream. She was sleeping on the bed by the window, and from a distance, the deep night of the African continent revealed only the vast expanse of desert

What did he wish her?

Captain Shen! Lei Kuan was overjoyed, "You have returned!"

Zhao Yimei did not answer, only saying: "I studied at a university in the United States, so the resources for learning languages are also more abundant."

Work? Li Lan was somewhat surprised and thought for a moment, "Are you a volunteer?"

Spanish and French are still somewhat manageable, but there are very few schools in the country that offer Portuguese, not to mention Arabic

In response to this question, Zhao Yimei did not provide a direct answer

The girl before me is very beautiful, with peach-colored skin, wine-red long curly hair, and a tall figure. She is not wearing any makeup, yet possesses a radiant beauty.

The off-road vehicle gradually disappeared into the darkness

After Lei Kuan got into the car and started the engine, he saw Shen Fang still standing in place through the rearview mirror. He turned to Zhao Yimei and said, "That was our Captain Shen just now, the most handsome man in the world"

She remembered

"No wonder," Li Lan said, "Looking at you, it seems you haven't started working yet? Is it currently a holiday? Or are you on a gap year?"

After nightfall, Lei Kuan finally found the time to take Zhao Yimei to the hospital. In this military restricted area, other vehicles are not permitted to enter.

I am going to the hospital, where I work

He stood under the streetlight in San Francisco at dusk, looking at her coldly

Li Lan asked: "Which university are you from?"

Li Lan was startled by her: "What is wrong with you?"

In that moment, the past, which had long settled like dust, seemed to stir a subtle and ancient breeze. She closed her eyes and finally admitted that the great river of time had long transformed those loves, hates, and grievances into matters of a previous lifetime

In this life and this world, he and she go their separate ways, the bridge returns to the bridge, and from now on, the mountains and rivers shall not meet again

Zhao Yimei sat in the back seat of the SUV, quietly lowering her head, her long hair cascading down to obscure her face. She remained motionless and did not respond to Lei Kuan's words