The air was humid and hot, permeated with steamy mist. Lu Huaizheng had one hand on the sink, the other cupping Yu Hao’s face, his head lowered as he examined her carefully, his crimson eyes tinged with desire.

Yu Hao’s face burned red just from his gaze, not to mention the rhythmic accompaniment coming from next door at this moment.

The intimate words from the man next door were endless, and the woman’s bold responses broadened her horizons even further. The atmosphere was truly intense.

Here, Lu Huaizheng still hadn’t kissed her, holding her chin with one hand, forcing her to look up at him. His eyebrows and the corners of his eyes were filled with amusement, and that meaningful gaze made her heart tremble even more.

Yu Hao, embarrassed, tried to turn away, but he pulled her back.

Before she could meet his eyes, he suddenly tilted his head and deeply kissed her lips. Without rushing in, he gently, bit by bit, pinched her chin and licked her lips.

Like being stroked with a feather, Yu Hao’s heart tingled, and her hands slowly wrapped around his neck.

Feeling her initiative, Lu Huaizheng pressed her against the sink, both hands now around her waist, head lowered as he kissed her most intimately.

As he turned and licked, Lu Huaizheng continued to look at her deeply, eyes still filled with amusement.

…

Yu Hao was carried to the bed. Lu Huaizheng bent over, supporting himself on either side of her, and kissed densely from her forehead downward, stopping at her jawline.

He was particularly proper as if going any lower would be taboo, and he wouldn’t touch there.

Up and down, the tip of her nose, the top of her head, the corners of her lips… he kissed them all.

He was especially fascinated with her ears, holding her earlobe between his lips, his eyes filled with desire. Finally, he stopped, tucked her in, and stroked her head to coax her to sleep.

However, in the middle of the night, sounds began again from next door, endless and intertwined. Kong Shadi’s cries were annoying to death.

Lu Huaizheng, having slept halfway through on the sofa, spent the second half of the night sitting on the small balcony of the suite, silently smoking.

As the sky began to show the first light of dawn.

Lu Huaizheng washed his face and went downstairs to buy breakfast for Yu Hao.

Jia Mian was up early. The two met at the stairway, somewhat awkwardly. Lu Huaizheng glanced at him without saying anything and turned to go down, but Jia Mian called out to him.

“Where are you going?”

With one foot on the step, Lu Huaizheng looked back: “Buying breakfast.”

Jia Mian scratched his head and randomly pulled out a set of car keys from his pocket, throwing them to him: “Fat Hui took your car to the back to wash it yesterday. Take mine first, it’s at the entrance.”

Lu Huaizheng caught them and made a sound of acknowledgment.

Watching his tall figure walk away, Jia Mian scratched his head. Have they reconciled? Does this count as reconciliation?

Should he still kneel at the door before Yu Hao wakes up?

…

When Yu Hao woke up, Lu Huaizheng was sitting at the dining table on the first floor of the base, chatting casually with Song Ziqi.

One in civil aviation, one in fighter jets—did they have things to talk about?

Yu Hao leaned against the railing on the second floor, watching for a while. Suddenly, there was another figure beside her. Kong Shadi, wearing a robe, was smiling at her: “Are you Lu Huaizheng’s girlfriend?”

Yu Hao didn’t know how to answer.

It seemed inappropriate to say yes, but also inappropriate to say no, so she just looked at her silently.

Kong Shadi leaned on the railing and curiously asked her: “What’s it like dating someone like Lu Huaizheng?”

Yu Hao was puzzled: “Someone like Lu Huaizheng?”

Kong Shadi said straightforwardly: “You know, someone a bit handsome and a bit naughty. Don’t mind me; I’ve never seen him interact with women, so I’m a bit curious.”

Yu Hao smiled: “He’s just an ordinary man. He gets jealous, gets angry, and won’t talk to you when he’s upset.”

“Really?”

Kong Shadi couldn’t imagine what Lu Huaizheng would look like when jealous. She had always seen him as carefree, joking with everyone. He had become more steady over the years, but he was still surrounded by people like Song Ziqi.

Probably hearing them talking, Song Ziqi called from downstairs: “Kong Shadi, come down for breakfast.”

Kong Shadi stomped her foot coquettishly. “So annoying!” She went downstairs in her robe, only to be shouted back by Song Ziqi halfway: “Go back and get dressed!”

Yu Hao looked down and saw Lu Huaizheng leaning back in his chair beneath the second-floor railing, looking up at her with a smile at the corner of his lips. “Come down.”

She obediently went downstairs.

Song Ziqi, seeing Yu Hao properly dressed, shook his head with a piece of bread in his mouth, and said to Lu Huaizheng with a headache: “Your girlfriend is really low-maintenance.”

Lu Huaizheng smiled: “Not that low-maintenance.”

Yu Hao sat next to Lu Huaizheng, earnestly eating the sandwich he had prepared for her. The two men had almost finished eating, with leftover food piled in front of them, and they began talking about work.

Song Ziqi asked: “What’s the hourly flight allowance for a Major now?”

Lu Huaizheng leaned forward to get a bottle of milk for Yu Hao, poured it into a cup for her, and said slowly: “Depends on the aircraft type.”

“Fighter jets are just over a thousand, bombers a bit over six hundred.” After speaking, he placed the cup in front of Yu Hao, casually adding this information.

Song Ziqi: “So if you fly a fighter jet for twenty-four hours in a day, that’s a daily wage of 24,000 yuan, almost matching Kong Shadi’s monthly salary.”

Lu Huaizheng glanced at him: “Nonsense. I fly less than two hundred hours a year.”

Yu Hao cast a glance at him.

Lu Huaizheng looked down at her. “Why that look?”

“So just 200,000 yuan a year?”

Lu Huaizheng looked down at her, turned his head, and smiled: “Think it’s too little?”

Yu Hao answered honestly: “It’s too little.”

Lu Huaizheng leaned back, adjusted his position, and looked at her composedly: “How much do you want?”

“Two million?” Yu Hao bit the milk cup, white milk residue around her mouth, and made a gesture.

Lu Huaizheng lowered his head and smiled.

Then he heard her put down the cup and say: “Your work is dangerous, so that amount is normal.”

Song Ziqi laughed: “If that were the case, everyone would join the military. Who would still work hard doing scientific research? How would the country develop?”

That made sense.

Yu Hao nodded.

Lu Huaizheng patted her head, signaling her to eat first.

Song Ziqi continued: “Besides, those are just flight allowances. Add in the basic salary and various other subsidies, with Huaizheng’s current rank, it would amount to 400,000 to 500,000 a year. That’s not little; it’s equivalent to a mid-level manager in a foreign company.”

Yu Hao slowly finished the remaining sandwich, while attentively listening to Song Ziqi’s words.

When he reached a passionate point in his speech, she would nod slightly in agreement.

“In the end, it’s our perspective that’s limited. When we were in school, we talked about ideals. When the boss talks to you about ideals at work, we’ve already been forced by reality to only think about money. Ideas are nothing.”

Yu Hao didn’t think so. Lu Huaizheng was a person full of ideals. His spirit and passion were something others didn’t have.

She finished her milk, looked at Lu Huaizheng, and then leaned back in her chair, her gaze falling outside the window. Jia Mian was leading several people to test the wind direction on the field.

Her lips felt a bit sticky. She stuck out her tongue to lick them, but even after two attempts, they weren’t clean. She grew a bit annoyed. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side, a warm thumb pressing neither too hard nor too soft on her lips.

Yu Hao looked back in confusion. Lu Huaizheng casually wiped the milk residue from her lips with his finger, while still speaking to Song Ziqi: “People have different aspirations. We might be commonplace, but others might not be. There are still people willing to hold onto their original intentions, to pursue their dreams.”

Later, whenever Yu Hao recalled this sentence, she couldn’t help but be moved to tears.

Kong Shadi came down after changing clothes. The helicopter and skydiving instructors had already arrived. After signing all the agreements, including the beneficiaries for the insurance money…

After writing her parents’ names, Yu Hao paused, then quietly added Lu Huaizheng’s name at the end.

For some reason, this felt mysterious, as if she were signing a marriage agreement.

Just as she finished signing, Lu Huaizheng came over with his hands in his pockets. Yu Hao quickly flipped over the signature page. He was already in front of her. “Finished?”

Yu Hao nodded.

Lu Huaizheng took Yu Hao outside, where the wind was strong, almost deforming people. Kong Shadi directly hid in Song Ziqi’s arms. Song Ziqi lowered his head, smiling as he pinched her face, whispering something in her ear. Kong Shadi blushed, laughing as she hit him, looking very affectionate.

Yu Hao turned to look at the man beside her.

He seemed to have changed into a different jacket, a black flight suit. The wind blew through his hair, revealing his full forehead and straight, handsome eyebrows. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked up at the helicopter above. His elegant, slender hands were meticulously tucked into his pockets.

The helicopter landed overhead, causing a strong gust of wind. The grass on the field was all blown sideways, slanting in one direction.

Yu Hao reached out and gently pinched Lu Huaizheng’s wrist. The man’s clear, white wrist had distinct contours, with bulging veins, warm and powerful.

Lu Huaizheng instinctively pulled his hand out and held hers instead. Yu Hao looked up to find that he wasn’t looking at her; his gaze was still on the helicopter. He made a gesture to Jia Mian and then held her hand as they walked over.

The helicopter remained stationary.

Lin Yihui and Jia Mian were directing on the field. Lu Huaizheng went over, first helping Yu Hao up. Lin Yihui was still a bit concerned: “Are you going to jump?”

Lu Huaizheng glanced at Yu Hao in the cabin and smiled: “It’s up to her. I’m guessing she’ll be crying to come down soon.”

Lin Yihui smiled at Yu Hao, then helped Kong Shadi and Song Ziqi aboard.

There were six people in the cabin, including two instructors besides the four of them. Kong Shadi wanted to try jumping alone, but Song Ziqi disagreed. They had trained at the same base before and had certificates, but this activity carried high risks. If something went wrong, it wouldn’t be worth it.

As a result, the two began arguing in the cabin, needle against awl. Kong Shadi had a fiery temperament and wouldn’t listen to reason. Song Ziqi, becoming angry, threatened to break up with her. Kong Shadi couldn’t handle this pressure and began crying loudly.

The other four watched in astonishment.

When boarding the aircraft, each person was given headphones, and conversations were through the headphone line. Kong Shadi and Song Ziqi argued on their wireless channel for five minutes. Finally, Lin Yihui from the ground had to intervene: “Stop arguing, you two. Shadi, you’ve already signed the contract. Today you can only jump with an instructor. If you want to try jumping alone, say so earlier, and I’ll arrange a separate experience for you next time.”

Finally, it quieted down.

The cabin was permeated with a kerosene smell. The mechanical dashboard in front showed that the aircraft had ascended to an altitude of 2,500 meters. Outside the cabin was a vast whiteness, boundless.

Yu Hao felt a bit uncomfortable, a discomfort different from her usual experiences on planes. Even with earplugs, she could still hear the noisy, intense roar outside the helicopter.

Through the headphones came a voice.

“Not feeling well?”

It was Lu Huaizheng’s voice, made magnetic by the crackling of electric currents. Yu Hao turned her head. Lu Huaizheng was staring at her, and his voice came through the headphones again: “Are your ears uncomfortable?”

Typically, when a helicopter rises to a certain height, most people can’t withstand the pressure of the airflow, and their eardrums feel like they’re blocked by a thin paper, buzzing.

Yu Hao nodded.

Lu Huaizheng adjusted her headphone wire and, aiming at her lips, said, “Do you know how to swallow? You don’t need to swallow it down.” As he spoke, he demonstrated for her. “Like this, fake swallow a few times.”

Yu Hao watched him and followed his instructions. It worked.

“It’s better now.”

Lu Huaizheng stroked her head.

By now, the helicopter had ascended to 3,000 meters. To alleviate Yu Hao’s pressure, Lu Huaizheng asked her to look out the window.

Yu Hao gazed at the endless layers of clouds, layer upon layer stretching far away. At the edge of the horizon, there seemed to be a magnificent glow.

“If you’re afraid, we don’t have to jump.”

Lu Huaizheng said.

“Since we’re already here, let’s jump.”

Yu Hao replied.

The helicopter entered the cloud layer, climbing to an altitude of 4,000 meters.

The other two had already been securely fastened to their instructors.

Lu Huaizheng and Yu Hao fastened their parachutes, and the cabin door opened. The wind rushed in instantly, and Yu Hao’s hair tightened. She began to feel afraid now and looked back at Lu Huaizheng.

Lu Huaizheng smiled: “Scared?”

Sitting in the cabin, she hadn’t noticed, feeling like it was similar to a regular flight. But when the cabin door opened, it felt like being exposed to the atmosphere, the air pressure flooding in, completely overwhelming her.

“A bit,” Yu Hao took a breath, nervously glancing down.

Lu Huaizheng grabbed the crossbar by the cabin door with both hands and lowered his head to say to Yu Hao, “Kiss me.”

What timing?

Yu Hao reluctantly kissed him on the cheek.

The next second, they were out.

Yu Hao hadn’t even reacted before she found herself falling into the airstream with him. The wind rushed in from all directions. She was greatly startled, closing her eyes tightly in fear, her lips turning pale.

Lu Huaizheng kissed her ear and said, “Once the cabin door is open, we must jump. Be good, look around.”

Yu Hao cautiously opened her eyes to look, at the wind brushing against her.

“Do you feel how vast the world is?”

The man said beside her ear.

Their bodies continued to fall with gravitational acceleration as if falling into a space-time tunnel. They were like two grains of sand that had strayed into the vast universe, with emptiness all around, boundless.

Lu Huaizheng said: “Two years ago, during a mission, due to my impulsiveness and blind confidence in myself, I gave the wrong order, which led to the death of Random’s brother during a hostage rescue. For a long time, I was trapped in self-doubt and self-denial. Only when skydiving did I feel that this world accepted me.”

“Because you couldn’t feel its rejection.”

Yu Hao suddenly recalled that psychological report and felt a pang in her heart.

“If possible, I would rather it had been me than anyone around me. This is my responsibility. Do you understand?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, instantly swept away by the wind.

“I understand. I’m not afraid.”

Yu Hao looked down. Through the gauze-like mist of clouds, vague outlines sketched subtle contours—majestic mountains, winding rivers, magnificent landscapes lying beneath their feet. This was the homeland he guarded daily.

She suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of emotion, her heart and soul drawn to it.

With a cup of warm wine, I toast the mountains and rivers, and your free and graceful spirit.

With a heart full of passion, I repay the nation, repay the thousands of homes with their lights.