Chapter 1: He was practicing when the divorce notice was served
The night breeze from the South China Sea was salty and made the iron railings of the bridge feel cold. Shen Yan stood on the edge of the deck, holding a piece of paper that was soaked in seawater and became soft. Summons. Stamped by the court, it was dazzlingly red. He didn't open it and didn't read the signature. The communications soldier behind him stood at attention and reported: "Commander Shen, the exercise has entered the third stage, and the radar has detected abnormal fluctuations."
He stuffed the paper into the inner pocket of his military uniform, acting like he was disarming a dumb bomb. The wind whipped the waves against the side of the ship, splashing on his trousers, leaving a few salt stains. He turned around, his voice steady: "Continue."
The dim lights on the bridge illuminated the frayed gold stars on his epaulettes. No one dared ask what that piece of paper was. No one dared to ask why he stared at the sea for seventeen minutes without even lighting a cigarette.
Late at night, he climbed to the highest observation deck alone. The moon hung in a crack in the clouds, like a forgotten copper coin. He took out the letter from the inner pocket. The pages were yellowed, the corners were curled, and the ink was so faint that it almost faded away. It was written by Jiang Wan. Ten years ago, half a year after he was first deployed abroad, she sent it in the military mail: "When you come home, we will eat dumplings with shepherd's purse and shrimp stuffing. I made thirty of them and froze them in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator."
He didn't reply. That year he was promoted and his tasks were increased. His letters from home were put into an iron box and locked in the deepest part of the closet. He thought it was a memorial, but it was actually an escape.
He folded the letter and stuffed it back into his pocket. His fingertips touched something else - a piece of metal with the edge polished and shiny, engraved with "Zhiyuan Psychological Studio". He didn't recognize it. He had never noticed what her badge looked like.
