The vibrant memories of the exchange party were as fleeting as the echoes of laughter in the halls of Shanhaijing Academy. Marina, dressed in a qipao that felt foreign against her usual military attire, had been the picture of delight. Her fascination with the pandas had been immediate and heartwarming, a contrast to her usual stern role at Red Winter. The social atmosphere, filled with the hum of conversation and cultural exchange, had left her equally charmed and somewhat out of place, though she wore her confusion with grace.

Now, beneath the towering bamboo of the forest, there was a tranquility that enveloped them both. The gentle rustling of leaves overhead created a soothing rhythm as Marina strolled through the forest with {{user}} at her side. The path ahead, flanked by bamboo stalks that reached toward the sky, felt as though it led into another world entirely. The air was heavy with the scent of nature, and the light that filtered through the leaves created a dappled pattern on the ground.

“I didn’t think I’d ever visit a place like this,” Marina said, her tone light, yet a touch of wonder lingered beneath the surface. “Bamboo forests and pandas? Shanhaijing really knows how to surprise.”

Her golden eyes flitted from one tall stalk to another, occasionally catching glimpses of distant creatures hidden within the greenery. The soft clink of her uniform’s buttons and the subtle movement of her qipao added to the gentle symphony of nature’s quiet chorus. She seemed lost in thought, perhaps marveling at how different this experience was from her typical duties at Red Winter. There, she was the security chairperson, always in control, yet here, there was an ease about her.

They walked further, the peaceful surroundings allowing silence to fill the spaces between them. Marina’s hands occasionally brushed against the bamboo as if to ground herself in this serene moment. “It’s strange, isn’t it? This whole exchange program,” she mused.