Qin Junbao was practically hanging off Ling Zhen, being dragged along.
He couldn’t fathom how Ling Zhen, after three sleepless days and a full day’s train ride back, could still be so full of energy, his strength terrifyingly undiminished.
After a moment of being pulled and shoved, Qin Junbao finally realized, “Hey, this is the way to the art troupe! Ling Zhen, are you going to find Shi Man?!”
Ling Zhen’s face remained expressionless, but his black cloth shoes pounded the ground with rapid, forceful steps, his long legs working at full stride.
“Wait, Ling Zhen, don’t be crazy!” Qin Junbao shouted. “Have you forgotten military discipline? The first thing after returning from a mission is to report to the Commander! What kind of example are you setting by running off to find a woman?”
Ling Zhen finally stopped, Qin Junbao’s words piercing through his rage-addled mind like a glimmer of clarity.
He’d never imagined someone would have to remind him of military discipline. It seemed he truly had lost his head in anger.
Seeing Ling Zhen stop, Qin Junbao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly dragged him toward the Commander’s Office.
“What’s gotten into you?” Qin Junbao scolded Ling Zhen as they walked.
“You used to be completely indifferent to women. Has Shi Man really made you lose your mind?” He paused, then added, “Besides, she’s got high standards. She’d never even look at you.”
Ling Zhen remained silent, his expression unreadable.
After a few steps, Qin Junbao stopped abruptly, tugging Ling Zhen closer and whispering, “You’re suddenly so eager to take on that dangerous mission… is it all for her? Trying to get promoted to Director so she’ll finally notice you?”
Ling Zhen still didn’t answer, his silence seeming to confirm Qin Junbao’s suspicions.
Qin Junbao shook his head, his expression pained. “Brother, how could you fall for such a vain woman?! She’s not worth it! She’s just not worth it!”
So what if she’s pretty?Qin Junbao thought bitterly. What’s so special about that?
He was disgusted by how quickly she’d agreed to marry another man, and even more upset for his friend.
Ling Zhen shot Qin Junbao a cold glance, a clear warning to stop talking.
This only frustrated Qin Junbao more. “Look at you, getting all defensive! She doesn’t even want to marry you! What’s the point of risking your life to get promoted just for her?”
***
After reporting to the commander’s office, Ling Zhen emerged and tossed his marching pack into Qin Junbao’s arms before striding downstairs.
Qin Junbao’s eyes widened as he chased after him. “Well, aren’t you something? You’ve got the Director promotion locked down? And now you’re making me carry your bag?”
“Just take it back to my dorm,” Ling Zhen said, sounding a little exasperated.
Qin Junbao noticed Ling Zhen was still in his crisp military uniform, not even bothering to change before heading straight for the art troupe. It was clear he was going to see Shi Man again. Qin Junbao sighed in exasperation.
“Brother, you’re so brave and smart, how could you fall for a woman like that—one who only cares about fancy things?”
Ling Zhen hadn’t even removed the merit medal the Commander had pinned on him earlier. He strode off, stiff and formal in his uniform.
When someone who always keeps their emotions in check suddenly loses control, terrible things can happen.
But for someone like Shi Man, who had never known what “restraint” meant and was now forced to learn it, she finally understood the confidence and security Ling Zhen had given her in her dreams.
It all started when Shi Man rejected Dong Qingguo’s marriage proposal, slapping him in the face and storming off.
Although Yao Wenjing smoothed things over to save Dong Qingguo some face, he still held a grudge against Shi Man.
What started as friendly greetings and inquiries soon twisted into malicious harassment.
If Shi Man shifted in her seat after sitting for too long, Dong Qingguo would call her out for fidgeting, demanding she stand rigidly at attention.
If her gaze wandered, he would publicly accuse her of daydreaming and neglecting her duties.
If Shi Man dared to yawn, it became an unforgivable offense, proof of her “unacceptable attitude” that warranted a written self-criticism.
Many of her fellow soldiers felt indignant on her behalf. “Who does Dong Qingguo think he is?” they grumbled. “We really misjudged him. We thought he was such a good guy.”
“Just because Manman doesn’t like him, he’s retaliating against her? That’s so mean!”
“Compared to him, Commander Ling is so much better. He’s way higher up in rank than Dong Qingguo, but he’s never abused his position to bully Manman.”
Their disdain for Dong Qingguo grew steadily. Only Yao Wenjing still idolized him, gazing at him adoringly as he read aloud from the documents each day.
This devotion, however, isolated Yao Wenjing from the others, making her life in the art troupe miserable.
Yao Wenjing refused to believe she and Dong Qingguo had done anything wrong. She dismissed the other women’s resentment as mere jealousy, a case of “sour grapes.”
***
The day Ling Zhen returned, Shi Man was sprawled across her desk, supposedly writing a self-criticism.
Wang Dongyun had lent her a Hero fountain pen, but Shi Man had already nearly drained the ink without writing a single word of the self-criticism. Not even the title “Self-Criticism” was on the page.
Wang Dongyun sat across the table, her brow furrowed with worry. “Manman, why don’t I write it for you?”
“No way!” Shi Man’s voice rang out crisply. “We must never bow to evil forces!”
“But if you don’t submit it tomorrow, they’ll use you as a negative example for criticism,” Wang Dongyun protested, her eyes misting over with worry.
Having witnessed Dong Qingguo’s retaliatory attacks on Shi Man these past few days, Wang Dongyun had been on edge.
Shi Man chewed on the pen cap, stubbornly refusing to write while also refusing to put the pen down. Wang Dongyun couldn’t figure out what she was up to.
After waiting anxiously for a while, Wang Dongyun grew restless. “Manman, I’m going out to fetch some water,” she said.
The two had been sitting there for hours, and the plain water in their enamel mugs was long gone.
As Wang Dongyun stepped out carrying the thermos, she was stunned to see an unexpected figure stride through the courtyard gate.
“Commander Ling?” she blurted out, unable to conceal the shock in her eyes.
Remembering Dong Qingguo’s earlier actions, she feared Ling Zhen might also be coming to cause trouble.
Besides, Ling Zhen looked like he meant business. His expressionless face made him seem fierce, and his intense presence made Wang Dongyun’s legs feel weak.
But Ling Zhen was polite enough. When Wang Dongyun called out to him, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment. “Hello. Is Shi Man here?”
Wang Dongyun breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he meant no harm. She added, “She’s inside writing a self-criticism.”
Ling Zhen paused, his hand poised to knock on the door, and turned back, raising an eyebrow slightly. “A self-criticism?”
“Yes,” Wang Dongyun replied. Suddenly struck by inspiration, she saw him as Shi Man’s potential savior and quickly poured out the whole story. “You see, Manman rejected Dong Qingguo’s marriage proposal, and he’s been holding a grudge ever since. He’s been retaliating by reporting her to our Commander, claiming she had improper thoughts while listening to official documents. Now she has to write a self-criticism as punishment.”
Ling Zhen listened in silence for a long moment before finally saying, “Alright, I understand.”
With that, he turned and left without another word.
Wang Dongyun wanted to ask why he was leaving so abruptly—didn’t he want to see Shi Man?
But seeing his tall, cold figure striding away, she didn’t dare chase after him. She could only watch him go, feeling disappointed. It seemed telling him everything had been pointless.
Several female soldiers from the dance team in the courtyard spotted Ling Zhen.
Every one of them was smitten, but none dared chase after him.
Only after he had completely disappeared from sight did they begin to whisper among themselves.
“Commander Ling is so devoted! It seems he’s still hung up on Shi Man.”
“Shi Man’s standards are way too high. She’s the star of the art troupe, after all. But to turn down Commander Ling? I wonder what kind of man she’s even looking for.”
“Shh… stop calling him Commander Ling! Didn’t you hear? In a few days, we’ll all have to call him Director Ling.” Panpan
“What?! He’s getting promoted to Director so quickly? He must be the youngest Director in our entire military region!”
“My brother told me about it. Keep it quiet for now.”
“Wow, this is shocking! I can’t even imagine it.”
“Apparently, he earned another First-Class Merit this time. Who would’ve thought? He risked his life for it.”
“But Commander Ling—I mean, Director Ling—is different. My brother says his physical abilities are far beyond normal people’s. What would be a life-or-death situation for ordinary soldiers is as easy as blinking for him.”
“If he’s so amazing, why did Shi Man reject him?”
“Once Shi Man hears about his promotion to Director, she’ll definitely regret turning him down.”
….
Life in the army’s arts troupe was dull and monotonous, so everyone loved to gossip about these things, chattering endlessly.
Wang Dongyun didn’t hear the rest. After getting water, she hurried back to tell Shi Man the news.
“Commander Ling came by.”
Shi Man’s pen cap dropped. Wang Dongyun continued, “But he left right away.”
“Why did he come?” Shi Man wondered.
“I don’t know,” Wang Dongyun replied, shaking her head blankly.
“Then let’s just pretend it didn’t happen,” Shi Man said, not really caring. She had just come up with an idea for her self-criticism.
A smile played on her lips, a hint of slyness flickering in the corners of her beautiful, upturned eyes as she began to write:
[I admit: I was wrong to think Comrade Dong Qingguo’s daily gifts of food and drinks were romantic. They were clearly acts of revolutionary friendship. I was even more wrong to reject Comrade Dong Qingguo’s marriage proposal, almost making him a laughingstock. And I shouldn’t have… ]
Wang Dongyun couldn’t see what Shi Man was writing, but she noticed her fox-like smile and grew curious.
“Manman, why are you smiling so happily while writing your self-criticism?”
“You’ll see later,” Shi Man replied mysteriously, her lips pressed into a secretive smile.
***
Outside the window, Yao Wenjing eavesdropped on the hushed conversation, her heart churning with turbulent emotions.
Ling Zhen promoted to Director at such a young age? And he still has feelings for Shi Man?
Why is Shi Man so lucky? Yao Wenjing couldn’t help but feel a bitter pang of envy.
She imagined Shi Man marrying Ling Zhen with a mere nod, moving out of this cramped courtyard into a life of marital bliss. Meanwhile, Yao Wenjing herself had to claw her way up the ranks.
Because Dong Qingguo had only recently started working, his family connections were the reason he could drive a car—his own rank wasn’t high enough yet. As ordinary art troupe soldiers, they could only date for now, not apply for marriage.
Yao Wenjing desperately wanted to marry Dong Qingguo. Her only path to that dream was promotion—a goal Shi Man could have achieved effortlessly.
She couldn’t help but dwell on it, jealousy consuming her as she stood in the courtyard for what felt like an eternity.
Suddenly, a loud birdcall echoed from outside the courtyard.
Yao Wenjing’s spirits lifted. It was the signal she and Dong Qingguo had agreed upon. She rushed back inside, checked her reflection in the plastic mirror hanging on the wall, and tiptoed out of the courtyard.
Dong Qingguo stood waiting, his hands in his pockets.
Yao Wenjing rushed into his arms. “Qingguo!”
Yao Wenjing wasn’t ugly, just a bit dark-skinned and somewhat unsophisticated in her style. But years of dancing had kept her slender and graceful.
The early autumn air was still warm, so she wore light clothing, making Dong Qingguo love to hold her close. He inhaled her scent while playing with her braided pigtails, savoring the joy of having a sweetheart.
They stole kisses, Yao Wenjing utterly lost in the moment, clinging to him and murmuring, “Qingguo, I can’t wait to marry you.”
Dong Qingguo tightened his embrace, feeling her soft body pressed against his. A youthful passion surged within him, yet he fell back into his usual lecture:
“That’s why you need to be more proactive at the troupe. Work harder, show your talent, and get promoted soon.”
“Once you’re promoted, we can finally get married.”
As he spoke, Dong Qingguo couldn’t resist slipping his hand under her collar.
If he closed his eyes and didn’t look at Yao Wenjing, her young, supple skin could almost make him imagine she was Shi Man, driving him wild with desire.
Yao Wenjing went weak in his arms, leaning against him. Knowing the desolate stretch beyond the courtyard wall meant they were safe to indulge their passions unchecked.
She was thrilled to see this side of him.
The way he seemed to be losing his mind over her, tearing off his polite mask, filled her with a sense of accomplishment. It made her want to conquer him even more.
But then, his breathing suddenly heavier, Dong Qingguo added, “Oh, right. The other reason I came to see you today is to tell Shi Man she doesn’t need to write that apology letter anymore.”
“Just say you pleaded with me to forgive her, so I did.”
“That way, you can earn some goodwill with her. If you two become good friends, that would be even better.”
Yao Wenjing shuddered. Dong Qingguo’s words sent a deeper chill through her than his touch ever had.
A flurry of panicked thoughts raced through her mind. Does he still like Shi Man? Is he just feeling sorry for her?
But she didn’t dare question him, too afraid of losing him.
Her face twisted through a series of emotions before settling into a frozen stillness. She stiffened, letting his fingers continue their wandering assault, but the passion had drained away, replaced by a humiliating, cautious question: “Why?”