White Olive Tree

Chapter 36

Chapter 36
When Li Zan came back from taking a shower, Song Ran lay in front of the desk and looked through the photos taken today.
When she heard the footsteps, she turned around and saw that his hair was slightly damp and his face was clean. He was wearing a loose T-shirt and shorts, revealing his smooth arms and calf lines.
Song Ran's heartbeat quietly accelerated, and she turned around and pretended to continue looking at her phone.
Li Zan looked unnatural and didn't speak for a while. He sat on the edge of the bed and unconsciously wiped his half-dried hair with a towel; he glanced at her back curled up on the chair.
Silence, quietness.
After a while, he asked: "Are you going to take a shower?"
Song Ran slowly raised her head, then slowly turned back to look at him, and whispered: "I forgot to bring my pajamas."
Li Zan slightly pulled the corners of his lips, stood up, picked out a T-shirt from the closet and handed it to her: "Wear this."
Song Ran hugged the T-shirt and smelled it as he went out, as well as the smell of him.
The door closed and Li Zan slowly exhaled.
He lay on the bed and thought for a while, then got up and went to the study to dig out several thick photo albums.
The spring night was still a bit deserted. He was wearing short sleeves and shorts and it was a bit cold. He took off the quilt and sat on the bed to look through the photo album.
After a while, Song Ran came back. He clenched his hands into small fists, holding something, and asked a little cautiously: "Do you have a hanger?"
"Yes, what's wrong?" Li Zan got out of bed to get it.
Song Ran blushed: "I forgot to bring my underwear."
Li Zan: "..."
He handed the hanger to her, and she unfolded the small ball of cotton in her hand, and a small white triangle hung on the hanger.  She was embarrassed to hang her underwear outside for fear of being seen by her uncle, so she could only hang it in the room, hanging on the back of Li Zan's chair.
Li Zan took one look at the small panties as big as a palm and felt impatient for no reason.
Song Ran hung up her underwear, turned around to look at him, and touched her arm awkwardly. She had just taken a shower and was a little cold.
Li Zan rubbed her back: "Get under the quilt, don't get cold."
"Oh." She climbed onto the bed obediently.
This climb was good. His pure cotton T-shirt was ironed on her body, outlining her slender back, round butt, and two slender and well-proportioned legs at the hem of the T-shirt, which were dazzlingly white under the light.  , like milk.
She was wearing nothing underneath.
Li Zan's throat was a little dry. He pursed his lips, lowered his head and scratched the back of his head twice. He felt that he was done for the night and couldn't sleep anymore.
Song Ran shrank into the quilt, sat cross-legged, and opened the old photo album on the bed.
The first page is a photo of Li Zan as a baby, with a round face and grape-like eyes, so cute.  One of them is wearing crotchless pants.  Song Ran stared at that place and chuckled.
"Where are you looking?" Li Zan sat on the bed, got under the quilt, and turned the photo to the next page.
A hundred days, one year old, one and a half years old...
There are many photos, and you can see how much this family values ​​this child.
Song Ran saw the photo of Li Zan's mother. She was a beautiful woman, slender and gentle, with an exceptionally soft smile.  But after he was four or five years old, he never appeared again.
Song Ran sighed: "Your mother is so beautiful."
Li Zan said: "She died due to illness. Apart from the photos, in my real memory of her, I can't remember her appearance clearly."
Song Ran asked: "Hasn't your father started over in these years? He is obviously very handsome."
Li Zan shook his head and felt a little regretful: "When I was young, he was afraid that my stepmother would treat me badly; later I got used to being alone. In fact, he comes into contact with many people at work, so it's not difficult to find him. I know there are people who like him very much now.  .But he just...is not willing to reorganize his family."
Song Ran could guess that in Father Li's heart, everything he had was to be left to his son, and he would never share it with other families.
She continued to flip through the photo album, watching him grow up little by little.  When he was two or three years old, he already had the shadow of the current Li Zan. He was a very beautiful little boy with big eyes and a high bridge of nose.  When I was in elementary school, I was even more childish and cute. When I entered junior high school, I was extremely handsome and handsome.  It seems that there was a rebellious period in high school. The boy in the photo always looks dull and draggy.
She flipped through the pages, and he explained each one: "This is elementary school, Children's Day."
"When I was in the third grade of elementary school, my dad took me mountain climbing."
"Fifth grade, going on a spring outing with my classmates."
"On the first day of junior high school, I went to Hong Kong with my uncle and aunt as a family."
"In the third grade of junior high school, I went to the amusement park with my cousin. His nickname is Yogurt."
   "high school……"
It was not until she entered the military academy that the lines on her face became more clear and profound. The photos were all of military uniforms, training, training, life, playing... each scene vividly appeared before her eyes.
Song Ran is grateful that she has a rich imagination and can imagine many scenes at that time just by looking at the photos.
Turning to the end of the photo album, she saw many photos taken when he was learning to defuse bombs.
She suddenly raised her head and looked at his right ear. Li Zan smiled knowingly and said, "It's getting better recently."
Song Ran said: "That's good, you can do what you want to do again."
"But I am greedy and want more." He said, "I want to get completely better."
Song Ran knew clearly that teaching theory and frontline combat were two different things.  He looks so gentle and harmless, but what he insists on in his heart is extremely firm.  It's impossible for him to accept reality and let it go.
No one can predict what will happen in the future, and she will not comfort him perfunctorily by saying that it will be fine. The only thing she can do is to reach out and hold his hand.  accompany him.
Li Zan stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, smiled lightly, and said, "I'm fine. Everything is fine now."
"I know." I just want to touch you suddenly.
"But..." Song Ran opened the photo album, found exactly one page, pointed to a photo, and asked, "Who is she?"
Li Zan turned his head and saw a photo of himself as an outstanding pacesetter three years ago.  In the same frame with him is a beautiful female soldier with short hair who received the award together that year.
Li Zan said: "Comrade."
Song Ran asked: "Ex-girlfriend?"
Li Zan laughed suddenly, tilted his head to look at her, and asked in a low voice, "Are you jealous?"
Song Ran frowned and said, "It's not fair. I don't even have an ex-boyfriend."
Li Zan looked at her little expression, laughed silently, stopped laughing, and said seriously: "I don't have an ex-girlfriend either."
Song Ran was stunned for a moment, then raised his eyes with eager eyes: "Really?"
He said: "That day in the corridor, I was my first relative."
Song Ran pursed her lips and couldn't hold back her smile. When he looked directly at her, she blushed slightly and changed her sitting position in embarrassment.  This was a good change, but my foot accidentally rubbed against his leg.  Just as she was about to take it back, he had already grabbed her feet under the quilt: "Why is it so cold?" He covered her with his legs.
Song Ran suddenly felt warm.  She said: "I thought you must have had a girlfriend, maybe several."
Li Zan raised his eyebrows slightly: "Why do you think so?"
"Because you are very good."
"You are very good too."
"Actually, I've been in contact with a lot of boys, but I haven't felt anything about them." Song Ran thought about it for a while. There were many men coming and going at work, but it took a long time for her to fall in love with them.  As for him, just a glimpse of him was so deep in her heart that she couldn't pull it out.
"I have not had much contact with girls, and I am surrounded by boys. The instructor will introduce me, but like you said, I don't feel anything."
Song Ran asked: "Does your instructor... often introduce you to people?"
"..." Li Zan saw what she was thinking, and it was funny, "Often? Do you think our place is a marriage agency? We have nothing to do all day long, just blind dates?"
"..." Song Ran gave him a blank look.