“My arm...tsk...”
Qin Wei fell into thought for a moment before heaving a deep sigh,
“Let me get right to the point. It happened during military training - I ran into a bullying rascal from another battalion and gave him a good beating...”
Qin Wei briefly recounted the situation at the time –
The students had arrived at the base, thinking they would only face the strict yet vibrant life of military training, but who would've expected they got assigned an instructor who was a beast - over 8 feet tall, burly as an ox, eyes like brass bells, and ears so big they could catch the wind.
That instructor's surname was Gou with the given name Huan, but he was nowhere near as delightful as his name suggested. Instead, he was cunning and petty, constantly nitpicking and keeping tabs.
He always stood at the door like a guardian deity, monitoring their every move. Ostensibly it was military training, but in reality it was more like they were imprisoned!
One day, Instructor Gou was bullying students again. Qin Wei happened to walk by and, unable to tolerate injustice, got into an argument with him.
That Instructor Gou also had a nasty temper. After just a few words he started getting physical. But Qin Wei was no weakling either. Seeing his fist coming at her, she effortlessly dodged, and before he could react, punched him square in the cheek.
She followed up with a sweeping kick that floored him, then pinned him down until he cried for mercy. Only then did Qin Wei loosen her grip.
Jo Si Xiao: “......”
“So how did you get injured?”
“The guy was special forces, pretty skilled. I got careless and he dislocated my arm. But he didn't get away unscathed either, he's still recovering in the infirmary.”
Qin Wei explained.
Luckily Song Huan had already left. Since they didn't know each other, Qin Wei could embellish the story however she wanted.
That afternoon, her flight got delayed at the airport, then cancelled one after another. At wit's end, Song Huan showed up and drove them to a military airport.
"My commander has ordered me on a mission. Time is tight so I'm taking a plane. I'll give you a lift along the way to make up for causing your injury."
Of course, the mission was real and there was an emergency situation that needed handling. But Squad Leader Yang also said, since her flight got delayed, it was fine to give her a ride too.
Qin Wei rolled her eyes. She had never heard such a contrived apology before. And “taking a plane”? Like planes were just casual rides she could give out? Yeah right...
But it did end up opening her eyes. Sitting in that military helicopter, a few hours later they landed right on top of the building where the Southwest Gala would take place.
On the way there Qin Wei had exclaimed excitedly:
“Whoa, whoa! How come you can fly this thing in the rain and fog and low visibility?”
Song Huan just smiled. Then her smile faded:
“Because when war comes, it won't wait for sunny days.”
They were running a bit late, but luckily Qin Wei had already changed and put on makeup on the plane ride over, so they could still make it in time.
Yet the director simply said it was unfortunate, but Qin Wei would not be going on stage. Then Song Huan went over, discussed something with the director in whisper, and his attitude changed - he urged Qin Wei to hurry backstage.
....
Jo Si Xiao fell silent for a long while, head lowered in contemplation, occasionally glancing up at Qin Wei with knitted brows.
I wish you could come up with a more convincing story...
“That instructor got really badly hurt...how awful...”
Still, this is what Jo Si Xiao suddenly said.
Qin Wei nodded:
“Serves her right.”
“Does it still hurt?”
Jo Si Xiao's tone softened a little as she looked at Qin Wei's injured arm.
“Not anymore,” said Qin Wei honestly.
“The painkillers I took can last 3-5 hours.”
“Didn't I say, don't get yourself injured...”
Jo Si Xiao paused, then continued
“Injuries will impact filming your new drama. You know it has a lot of action scenes, very demanding. If the crew thinks you can't handle it, they will replace you.”
But Qin Wei was unconcerned:
“That's why we're only telling others it's a minor injury. Teacher Qiao is smart too, I didn't say anything and you've been helping me keep it secret.”
Yes, joking around, staying upbeat, acting nonchalant - it was all to make others think her injury was no big deal.
But she was still somewhat annoyed.
“Don't be mad Teacher Qiao, I've got something nice for you.”
Qin Wei clenched her right fist and held it up before Jo Si Xiao, then opened it to reveal a small, unopened pack of compressed biscuits lying on her palm.
“Compressed biscuits?”
Qin Wei nodded, looking a tiny bit smug:
“Mm-hmm~ compressed biscuits. The troops gave them out during marches. I only got one pack unfortunately, but I tried some from others and they were tasty, so I wanted you to give them a try too.”
...
Jo Si Xiao didn't say any more. She got up and took a Prada black suit jacket from the clothes rack and put it on Qin Wei, telling her to rest a while longer. Then Jo Si Xiao left so as to not disturb her rest.
About half an hour later, the two returned to the stage. As Southwest tourism ambassadors, rural revitalization supporters, Southwest product promoters, they were introduced once more by the host.
This was the first time the two appeared together at an official event after announcing their relationship.
The presenter was Zhou Town Mayor from Miyuan Town. They had been in contact previously - Miyuan Town was assessed as an economic model village in Southwest China. Although Zhou was still the mayor, thanks to good performance reviews this year he kept working diligently, still wearing that old jacket of his, pressing ahead on the rural vitalization path.
Today he deliberately wore a new suit to present the award, likely not too used to it, or maybe nervous. His behavior and smile seemed much more stiff and awkward compared to their last meeting.
"Long time no see."
Zhou Town Mayor walked over to shake their hands one by one, then his gaze settled on Qin Wei's arm as he asked quietly:
"Bad?"
Qin Wei shook her head.
"Just a minor injury, no impact."
Only then was Zhou relieved. Taking the trophy from the receptionist, he handed it to them and said:
"Each person is but a tiny firefly, but hundreds and thousands of such lights gathered still illuminate the land. I hope that as fireflies giving off faint light, you and I can light up a corner of Southwest China, or even places farther away. My teammates, let us strive ahead together!"
After that, the gala's big screen played the documentary Living on Firewood with the same concept and approach as the one Qin Wei filmed, only much more polished in terms of quality and completeness compared to their rushed version.
Bullet Screen Comments:
[Ahhh this documentary turned me from a hater into a fan! Although I wronged Goose Lü in the past, from now on I'll follow in her footsteps and go even farther!]
[Crying, although Qin&Qiao's contributions seem tiny compared to the whole Southwest, they truly impacted many people]
[Off topic, my sister wore Little Qiao's jacket again, is she still very poor...let's crowdfund a jacket for her...]
...
After that, the officials continued presenting awards to other outstanding folks. With the award ceremony segment over, the song and dance performances resumed.
Every number was a delight to watch, since Southwest China's popularity was so high this year, the gala had invited A-list celebrities to perform.
Although the show Unfurl the Sails Against the Wind got cancelled prematurely, it was still fresh in memory thanks to several outstanding song and dance numbers during its run that left a deep impression. For tonight's Southwest Gala, the program team had invited back some contestants to reenact one of the hit numbers from Unfurl the Sails, the song "Setting Sail".
While not every performer could make it due to scheduling conflicts or other considerations on the program side, those who did were fan favorites from the show. Returning to the stage, their new rendition was as captivating as before.
The gala ended amidst laughter and cheers, nearing midnight by the time it finished. Since the celebrities couldn't stay long, the program team scheduled the celebratory banquet for tonight itself.
"Manager Li, can we skip the banquet..."
Qin Wei felt exhausted after the gala and just wanted to sprawl in bed and sleep, or even just sleep on the floor.
"Ancestors bless me, I know how you feel, but the banquet has arrangements for you..."
Li Yao was helpless. The program team had sent over the banquet agenda just now which included arrangements regarding Qin Wei, so she couldn't just play hooky.
"Forget those arrangements, we'll just show our face then leave."
As she spoke, Jo Si Xiao walked over, already changed into different attire - now dressed in a breezy suit that looked crisp and neat.
While still on the phone, Jo Si Xiao told Li Yao:
"Since your trip here was last-minute, no need to worry about the hotel, I've had my assistant book rooms for you all. We can head back together later."
After finishing her call, Jo Si Xiao walked to the elevators to wait while arranging their lodging.
Qin Wei looked at Qiao Sixiao, then softly asked Li Yao:
"Buddy, you didn't book a hotel before going on a long trip?" If she doesn't take care of us, we'll have to spend the night in People's Park or under a bridge!"
Li Yao said aggrievedly:
"I did book one!"
"Then why didn't you tell her?"
Li Yao retorted:
"Did she give me a chance to say anything?"
This left Qin Wei at a loss for words.
