Qiao Nan smiled softly at Shi Qing, who was resting. She insisted on taking the train as she had to be considerate of her father’s feelings. Shi Qing, who was the daughter of a rich family, could have her pick of going by private car or plane. However, she chose to be cramped inside the train with her.

  “What is there to look at? Will you feel cooler by looking at me?” Shi Qing sensed that Qiao Nan was looking apologetically at her. She opened her eyes and turned to the other side. “Alright, if you feel apologetic, you should treat me better in the future.”

  What was wrong with Qiao Nan? They were close friends. It did not matter to sit on a train with her.

  In the past, when she was in the army with her father, she had been through all kinds of hardships.

  She remembered that she had to wear long cotton shirts and pants during the hot summer. It was so warm that her clothes were drenched. If she tried harder, she would be able to wring droplets of perspiration from her clothes. She had been through all of these.

  To her, taking a ride on a train was nothing.

  Qiao Nan cupped her chin. “Okay, I will be better to you in the future.”

  “Alright, don’t read on the train. It is not good for the eyes. When you reach the school, I am sure that given your personality, you will make use of every chance to study without stopping to rest. You should rest as much as you can now.” Shi Qing sat up, giving Qiao Nan a piece of advice. “Regardless of whether you do it for yourself or for Brother Zhai, you must not give yourself too much pressure. You are still young. If you want to spend more time learning, you still have lots of time. I don’t understand. Why are you so hard on yourself every day?”

  Qiao Nan was about to become the perpetual motion machine of learning. Qiao Nan might not feel exhausted, but she felt uneasy on her behalf.

  “Hahaha, don’t worry. I know.” Qiao Nan smiled heartily.

  “Don’t brush me off!”

  “I am not.”

  \r \r \r

  “If not, why did you agree so readily?”

  “.……” Qiao Nan narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you know that after we go to college, there will be a lot of social practice activities? In order to have good results, I must not spend all my time at school, poring over the books. Instead, I have to find the right opportunity to explore and participate in all kinds of social activities.”

  Shi Qing pursed her lips. “Have you already decided on the social practice activities that you want to take part in?”

  “More or less.” Qiao Nan lay down like Shi Qing. “You should know what my interests and strengths are. We will be studying at a college in the capital. You should know better than me about the situation in the capital.”

  “I understand.” Qiao Nan’s interest and strength were in English language.

  City B was the capital of China. There were a lot of places of historic interest and scenic beauty that were worth visiting.

  Besides domestic tourists, many foreigners would visit these places. There was a high demand for English-speaking interpreters and temporary guides.

  It was indeed a good opportunity for social practice. It was very suitable for Qiao Nan.

  Qiao Nan had already decided on what she was going to do in her four years in college. What about her?

  “Don’t worry about it. You may not be as good as me in English, but your English standard is pretty high. If you don’t have any ideas, you can join me.” Qiao Nan asked Shi Qing to join her in her social practice activities. She always felt that Shi Qing was not the kind of girl who would take the usual path. College was merely a transition period for Shi Qing to calm down and to have a clearer idea of the path that she wanted to take in life.

  “Qiao Nan, can you tell?” Shi Qing lowered her voice.

  “I can’t tell, but I can sense it,” Qiao Nan replied.

  “I am unconvinced. So what if I am a girl? Why am I being looked down upon by others?” Shi Qing continued. Qiao Nan was indeed her bosom friend. Qiao Nan was aware of what was on her mind. She only came to realize it recently and gradually figured out which path she wanted to take in the future. “Qiao Nan, I know that this is not an easy path and that it bristles with thorns. Perhaps many people will be waiting to watch my failure as I walk down this path. But I won’t give up without trying. I know what my interests and strengths are!”

  Qiao Nan lay on her side and looked at Shi Qing’s profile. There was a sorrowful but determined expression on her face. “You are still young. You have the opportunity to make mistakes and fail. If you have thought it through, just go ahead and do it. Don’t hesitate, and don’t have any regrets. It is good to act impulsively once in a while. Why

  not?!

  “Is that why you want me to join you in your social practice?”

  “Yes. It will save you some effort.” Qiao Nan let out a long sigh. “Actually, you should not be going to Peking University. You should go to a military academy. Your results are good enough to go to a military academy. I am sorry that you have to waste four years of your time because of me.”

  “Hey, don’t apologize to me. It was my dad who promised Brother Zhai that I go to Peking University. My dad and Brother Zhai are jackals of the same tribe. They are not innocent folks.”

  Brother Zhai wanted her to keep a watch on Qiao Nan so that she would not fall for other men’s tricks. Her father must be aware of what was on his daughter’s mind. He decided to cut the Gordian knot and make a decision for her, thinking that it was for her best interests.

  Unfortunately, she was not someone who would go according to other people’s wishes.

  This time, her father was wrong.

  Shi Peng was bent on choosing a bright and easy path for his daughter. But he did not know that the two young ladies had conspired for his daughter to take the difficult military path!

  As soon as Shi Qing got down from the train, the first thing she did was to look for a public phone. “Crap, you are a man. Why are you so wishy-washy in picking up the phone?!”

  “.……” Zhu Baoguo turned grim. If the phone belonged to him, he would smash the phone in his hand. “Do you still have the cheek to give me a call?!!!”

  They were deskmates in their final third year. They got to know each other and became friends through their fights with each other.

  Shi Qing knew that he liked Xiao Qiao, but she never expressed openly or hinted to him that Xiao Qiao had a boyfriend and that he was Zhai Sheng!

  It was only until the college entrance examination ended and Xiao Qiao was getting engaged to Zhai Sheng did he know the truth.

  The one thing Zhu Baoguo resented and detested the most was that he did not have a chance to fight for the first love that he realized belatedly, and he was taken to the car and sent to the army for a month under his father’s orders.

  By the time he left the army, it was the time where the military academy started school.

  Zhu Baoguo was sent to different places by his father right from the start. He did not have any freedom.

  “It is useless to be angry. If you dare to do anything now, it will be destroying a military marriage. Not only will you destroy your future, but you will implicate your dad as well. He is a hero in the army.”