He was a disabled military officer who doted on his research work in the Northwest.

A few steps away, Shen Tang leaned against a pillar, watching Lu Yanzhi squatting on the ground, lost in thought.

She didn't say anything; she knew what he was thinking.

Before time travel, in my previous life, it was late at night in a research institute.

She finished her experiment and was walking down the corridor when she saw that the professor's office was half-open and the light was on. She went in and turned off the light, and saw that Professor Lu had a folder open on his computer screen.

"Incomplete-001: Construction of a Microbial-Plant Symbiotic System in Saline-Alkaline Land"

Creation date: 1979.

Last modified date: 1979.

Inside was only an incomplete experimental protocol and a few hand-drawn images of bacterial colonies. There was no further information.

She didn't think much of it at the time. The next day, when they met, she casually mentioned what project it was, and how it was from so long ago, back in 1979. What did he say then? He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Just an old, obsolete document, nothing special."

Later, I chatted with a senior student in the lab, and he said, "That was a project our advisor didn't finish when he was younger. I don't know the specifics, but he kept it for decades without deleting it."

decades.

Shen Tang didn't quite understand at the time. Why would a professor who had achieved great success and had countless research projects in progress leave something "unfinished" until now?

Now she understands.

It's not that it wasn't finished, it's that it couldn't be proven.

It was a lifelong regret for my mentor.

Shen Tang originally thought that after she graduated with her doctorate, she would find an opportunity to ask her supervisor what the project was specifically about, and she could take it over and give it a try.

Before she could even speak, she had already put it on.

She looked at Lu Yanzhi in front of her—in his early twenties, with thick hair and bright, stubborn eyes. He was completely different from the middle-aged professor with thinning hair and a gentle smile in the laboratory later on, but the spirit in his bones was exactly the same.

teacher.

Things I didn't have time to do for you in my past life.

This life, I'll live it.

……

Corridor.

Mu Qinghan leaned against a pillar, using a cane.

He watched the two people in the vegetable garden—Lu Yanzhi squatting on the ground taking samples, while Shen Tang stood beside him handing over tools and affixing labels. The two occasionally whispered something to each other, one pointing at things in the soil and the other quickly jotting things down in a notebook.

When she handed the sealed bag to Lu Yanzhi, their fingers brushed against each other in mid-air—a very natural handover action, but with such perfect understanding that it seemed like they had worked together countless times.

Then Lu Yanzhi said something, and Shen Tang smiled. Her eyes crinkled, and she looked very happy.

Mu Qinghan looked at that smile.

She rarely smiled like that in front of him.

Her smile in front of him always carried a hint of cunning, a touch of calculation, and a desire to make him happy. But when she discussed microorganisms and bacterial communities with Lu Yanzhi—her smile was pure, a tacit understanding that only exists between kindred spirits.

It was an unspoken understanding that he couldn't break into.

Mu Qinghan lowered her head, her gaze falling on her hand that was supporting her on her cane.

Then it slowly moved to its own lap.

Right leg.

Previously, Dr. Chen said the recovery was going well and that the patient could already do standing training without crutches. With increased daily training, the patient might be able to walk independently in a few months.

In a few months.

He gripped the handle of his cane tightly.

Hurry up. Faster.

He wanted to stand up. Not with this crutch. Not with a wheelchair.

When he wanted to stand next to her, he wanted to be as tall as her.

……

"Reporting to the commander!"

A communications soldier ran in from the front yard, interrupting his thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

"There's been a situation at the training ground—the deputy regimental commander led a patrol that crossed the border to pursue them, but they've already returned to camp—Instructor Meng is currently conducting training and needs your assistance."

Mu Qinghan's face instantly darkened.

He turned to look at Shen Tang, who was still busy in the vegetable garden—she was also looking up at him, her eyes asking questions.

"You go about your business," he said casually. "Don't wait for me for dinner."

After saying that, he strode forward with his crutch, the iron crutch making a "tap, tap, tap" sound on the blue bricks.

Training ground.

When Mu Qinghan arrived, Instructor Meng was giving a speech in the center of the parade ground. Chen Zhiyuan and three soldiers stood in a row, heads bowed, their military caps clutched in their hands.

"—Think about what you've done! Crossed the border by four kilometers! Without orders, without support, without notifying superiors, you went ahead and tracked them on your own—do you think you're alone? You have three lives on your back! If there are people on the other side—no more than one ambush line—all four of you will be dead there today!"

Instructor Meng pointed at his nose: "And another thing! You disturbed the wild camel herd in that area! The sandstorm went dozens of meters high—did you really think you were a scout? Making such a basic mistake as revealing our location—do you even deserve this uniform?!"

Chen Zhiyuan kept his back straight and remained silent.

Mu Qinghan walked over and nodded to Instructor Meng.

"Alright. The other three, go back and write your self-criticisms. Chen Zhiyuan, stay behind."

Instructor Meng saluted and left. The three soldiers, as if granted a pardon, quickly ran away.

Only the two of them remained on the playground.

Mu Qinghan stood in front of Chen Zhiyuan, leaning on her cane. "Whose idea was this?"

Chen Zhiyuan's throat bobbed: "It's me—"

"I'm not asking about a decision," Mu Qinghan interrupted him, her voice low but each word carrying weight. "I'm asking—who gave you this idea? Crossing the line to track suspicious footprints? Using patrol duties to investigate incidentally? Who said that first?"

Chen Zhiyuan fell silent.

His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.

"The commander... is myself—"

"Chen Zhiyuan." Mu Qinghan's gaze was fixed on his face. "You're my adjutant. I know your capabilities perfectly well. You prepared last month's mission briefing, and you personally drew the reconnaissance route. You're not unaware of the risks in that area. You were aware of them."

Each sentence is heavier than the last.

"You knew and still went—either you're dumber than I thought, or someone whispered in your ear."

Chen Zhiyuan's chin tightened, and his lips pressed tightly together.

"I don't care who it is," Mu Qinghan finally said, her tone turning cold. "But I need you to understand one thing—your judgment is your own. What others say is their business, but you are the one making the decision. You were lucky this time that nothing went wrong. Next time—there won't be a next time."

"……yes."

"Go back and reflect for three days. Come see me after three days and write a complete debriefing of your actions."

Chen Zhiyuan straightened his back: "Yes!"

He turned and left, his footsteps disappearing at the end of the playground.

Mu Qinghan stood there, leaning on his cane, his gaze heavy.

……

Chen Zhiyuan left the training ground and walked along the road in the camp towards the hospital.

He didn't go straight back to his dorm—he felt suffocated and wanted to walk around alone.

As I walked to the gate of the compound, I ran into Wang Xiulian, who was returning from her prenatal checkup.

Her five-month pregnancy made her walk a little clumsy, but she looked well. Seeing Chen Zhiyuan approaching from the training ground with a dark expression, she stopped.

"Zhiyuan, did you get scolded?"

"Sister-in-law, don't laugh at me. You know the commander's temper," Chen Zhiyuan forced a smile.

"Zhiyuan, your sister-in-law isn't laughing at you." Wang Xiulian didn't leave immediately. She sat down by the edge of the flower bed near the hospital entrance, supporting her belly to rest. "Dahai told me about this; it was so dangerous."

"I didn't think that much about it at the time," Chen Zhiyuan said in a muffled voice.

Seeing his dejected look, Wang Xiulian suddenly spoke up: "Zhiyuan, I've been married to Dahai for almost nine years. He's also a soldier. I know all your hardships—brave the wind and sand, risking your lives."

She touched her belly: "Before, when he went on missions, I would wait at home. I couldn't sleep. My heart would race whenever I heard any noise outside. Then I got pregnant—" She smiled, "and became even more afraid. Before, I was afraid he wouldn't come back. Now I'm afraid the child won't have a father."

Chen Zhiyuan listened in silence.

"You're a good soldier, I know," Wang Xiulian said, looking at him. "But a good soldier isn't a hothead. Charging when you should—that's called bravery. Charging when you shouldn't—that's called recklessness."

She paused for a moment, then softened her voice:

"I don't know why you're suddenly in such a hurry. But Zhiyuan—someone who genuinely wants what's best for you—hopes for your safety, not for you to show off."

These words weren't harsh, but they were like a thorn, piercing his heart precisely.

Chen Zhiyuan stood there for a long time before whispering, "Take care, sister-in-law," and then turned and left.

……

"Zhiyuan's back?" Liu Fang greeted him with a smile, helping him take off his coat. "Are you tired? I went to the supply and marketing cooperative today to buy some meat—"

"Hmm." Chen Zhiyuan sat down and started eating his rice in silence.

Liu Fang noticed he was in a bad mood and cautiously asked, "What's wrong? Is training too tiring?"

"fine."

"Did the commander criticize you again?"

"No." Chen Zhiyuan irritably put down his chopsticks. "Don't ask anymore."

Liu Fang shrugged and lowered her head, looking aggrieved.

There was a moment of silence.

"Oh, by the way—" Liu Fang said casually, her tone lighter, "I heard from the neighbor's wife today that the frontline outpost is going to have a rotation soon? Apparently, there's a rotation mission—"

Chen Zhiyuan paused for a moment.

How did you know?

"The sisters-in-law are just chatting—" Liu Fang smiled, "They say it's not a big task, but leading a team will count as independent execution experience. It'll be written into their files later—"

She glanced at Chen Zhiyuan. "I was just saying it casually. I don't know anything about your work."