Early Autumn 1981
On the Playground of Jiangcheng Normal University
Lin Xiaojiao stood in the dense formation, feeling like a fish about to be roasted.
Layers of sweat soaked through her camouflage uniform.
There was no helping it—she had a constitution prone to heavy sweating.
Sticky, uncomfortable.
Yes, she had gotten into university.
One year after that man disappeared.
She was admitted to the English Department of Jiangcheng Normal University.
Jiangcheng was the provincial capital.
As for the university and major, her goals were clear when filling out the application in May.
She had no Golden Finger, no grand ambitions.
She only wanted to live well in this era of limited material abundance.
A stable job and a field she was good at—
that was the safest path she could think of.
She wasn’t a top student; using the knowledge from her past life to achieve these results was already her best effort.
…
On the podium, the university leaders were still passionately giving their mobilization speeches.
In 1981, military training wasn’t yet widespread. They were the first batch of students at Jiangcheng Normal University to undergo military training.
The university took it very seriously.
At least the leader on stage did—he had been speaking for half an hour already.
Lin Xiaojiao’s class was positioned toward the back, with little presence.
Standing made her feet tired.
She simply leaned slightly against her classmate Zhou Yunyun beside her.
“Xiaojiao, stand properly. The instructor is looking over here,” Zhou Yunyun whispered nervously, trembling like a quail.
“It’s fine, there are so many people here~” Lin Xiaojiao didn’t care at all.
When it came to slacking off in class, she was a professional.
Zhou Yunyun was her bunkmate, a shy girl from the water towns.
Within just two days of starting university, the two had hit it off and were practically inseparable.
“You… you… stop talking,” Zhou Yunyun’s face flushed with anxiety.
Lin Xiaojiao looked up.
Uh-oh… the stern-faced instructor was staring right at her.
But having experienced the powerful aura of that man from before, this little soldier brother really couldn’t intimidate her.
Just then, a voice boomed from the loudspeaker overhead: “…Next, let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome the head instructor of this student military training—Regiment Commander Gu Tingzheng—to give us pre-training instructions!”
Gu Tingzheng!
Lin Xiaojiao snapped to attention.
Was it him?
Or just someone with the same name?
She jerked her head up, her gaze fixed on the podium.
Too far away.
Through the gaps in the shifting crowd,
a familiar figure was saluting in military fashion.
Under the blazing sun, his posture was ramrod straight.
His movements were crisp and precise.
It wasn’t an illusion.
It really was him—Gu Tingzheng!
She felt as if she’d been hit by a Freezing Spell.
Frozen in place.
She even forgot to breathe.
One year.
A whole year.
Scenes from that summer last year flashed rapidly through her mind.
Lin Xiaojiao had never seriously thought about it—
What did he mean to her?
He was the first person she met after crossing over, aside from family.
He was the unseen companion who helped her adapt to this unfamiliar environment.
And he was the Demon-Revealing Mirror that made her face the harsh reality.
…
Gazing up at him from the crowd,
aloof, distant, and indifferent.
Lin Xiaojiao couldn’t make out what he was saying.
As always, his Mandarin was precise and forceful,
but every word had nothing to do with her.
Until thunderous applause erupted.
She watched him salute once more and step down from the stage.
This version of him felt too unfamiliar.
And too distant.
After the mobilization assembly ended, each class instructor led their students to begin free training.
Lin Xiaojiao, her mind adrift, followed the crowd to a corner of the playground near the roadside.
She spaced out several times along the way.
If it weren’t for Zhou Yunyun constantly reminding her, she would have fallen behind long ago.
Their instructor was Wei Qiang, not tall, dark and thin, who liked to keep a stern face. Though clearly not old, he had a somewhat forced air of profundity.
His gaze had “knifed” Lin Xiaojiao at least five or six times already.
Finally—
“Second row, fourth from the right, step forward!”
Zhou Yunyun was so nervous she didn’t even dare remind Lin Xiaojiao.
It was a classmate on the other side who nudged her.
Only then did Lin Xiaojiao withdraw her gaze and step forward.
She saw him, from a closer distance. He was shaking hands with the school leaders, bidding farewell.
“Students, I know you are all university students, remarkable, the future pillars of our nation. But right now, you are trainees, wearing training uniforms. The first thing you must understand is what it means to obey!” Wei Qiang strained his neck, trying to lecture them on principles.
Though pulled to the front of the formation, Lin Xiaojiao’s eyes still uncontrollably stole glances toward the other side of the field.
She seemed to feel that he had seen her.
He seemed to glance this way.
Lin Xiaojiao felt her blood rush backward.
Even breathing became difficult.
But her furtive glances seriously provoked the young instructor.
“Some students refuse to learn despite repeated corrections. Right now, immediately, run three laps around the field for me.”
Punishment run?
Lin Xiaojiao snapped back to attention.
Run then, run.
Though she felt a bit dizzy.
And so, Lin Xiaojiao strode off toward the track.
Heading in his direction.
On the other side, Gu Tingzheng had just parted from the school leaders and, following his communications officer Chen Cheng, was preparing to inspect the site.
Suddenly, a small figure came running toward him.
Gu Tingzheng almost instantly froze in his steps, his gaze sharp as a torch, fixed tightly on that figure.
Lin Xiaojiao was running urgently.
He saw her!
What to do?
She felt somewhat happy.
But, she couldn’t run anymore…
So tired.
Could she just fall?
She was a weakling.
Chen Cheng saw his regimental commander lose composure for the first time.
Truly… lose composure.
The regimental commander ran, heading toward a female student.
So fast he stirred up a gust of wind.
Just as Lin Xiaojiao was about to collapse weakly, a strong arm firmly caught her shoulder and back.