Chapter 3

After the dormitory incident, Zhao Jinglu seemed to have undergone a mental toughening. She wasn't as eager to explain, curry favor, or salvage things as before. She calmly understood that at the height of her emotions, any excuses were futile and might even make things worse, making her look even more worthless.

She chose to remain silent and put all her energy into things that could truly prove her worth.

She's more focused in class, and the numbers on her transcript are a testament to her professional abilities. In the hip-hop dance club, she remains a core member, earning respect with her talent and dedication. And for the upcoming National Day training, she's giving it her all.

Gradually, a subtle change took hold in the dormitory. The initial chill and awkwardness persisted, but when Zhao Jinglu repeatedly returned with excellent grades for her assignments or received recognition for her club activities, the radiance of her strength was impossible to ignore. Occasionally, when faced with a difficult problem in a professional class, her roommates would look at each other in bewilderment, before eventually, hesitantly, asking her for help. Zhao Jinglu didn't put on airs; she would calmly explain, but that was all she did, no longer displaying excessive enthusiasm.

She seemed to silently confirm the saying: When a person is valuable enough, others will naturally adjust their distance from you. Interpersonal relationships are sometimes so realistic. The so-called "benefit" can be emotional value or tangible ability value.

Summer vacation arrived, and the campus suddenly emptied out. While most students went home to enjoy their vacation or headed off to various internships, Zhao Jinglu and the other students selected for the team began their grueling intensive training.

The dormitory building was empty, with only the women remaining. Beijing's midsummer heat was unbearable. They had to rise before dawn every day to perform intense physical training and countless repetitions of drills on the playground. The sun scorched their skin without a shroud, and sweat drenched their training uniforms. Hard work was inevitable, but a lofty sense of mission and collective honor sustained them all.

The subsequent joint training and on-site rehearsals were even more arduous. Countless late nights required them to wait for dispatch along Chang'an Avenue. Sometimes, when they felt extremely sleepy, they would simply lie down on the street to take a nap. When it rained, they would huddle together in their raincoats, munching on the distributed bread and sausages in the rain. Yet, the excitement of participating in history made them find the food incredibly delicious, finding joy in the midst of hardship, their eyes sparkling with joy.

Strict confidentiality prevented her from sharing any of these fresh, arduous, and glorious experiences. Ling Peng would occasionally text her, asking, "Are you tired from training? Is everything going well?" She could only resist the urge to share, replying simply, "Everything is fine. It's going pretty well. I'm just a little tanned :)," then silently tuck away countless stories and emotions within herself.

Meanwhile, Ling Peng's university career also came to an end. He graduated with honors and, recommended by his advisor, joined a large state-owned enterprise in a field that matched his field, promising a bright future. Sun Wei chose to stay in school to prepare for postgraduate studies, while Zhang Hao, with his outgoing personality, landed a job at a well-paid foreign company.

The three friends met at a small restaurant to celebrate graduation and their respective futures. After three rounds of drinks, they chatted about all sorts of topics. Sun Wei seemed to suddenly remember something and said casually:

"Oh, by the way, our little teacher, Zhao Jinglu, seems to be having some problems recently."

Ling Peng's hand holding the wine glass paused almost imperceptibly.

Zhang Hao immediately became interested: "What's going on? Tell me!"

Sun Wei chewed some peanuts and said gossip-filled words, "I keep seeing a man driving a Mercedes-Benz to pick her up at the school gate. It's happened several times. Looks like... our little teacher is already taken?"

"Is it true? Of course! What kind of man is he? Is he worthy of our little teacher?" Zhang Hao asked excitedly.

Ling Peng said nothing, only silently taking a sip. As the cold beer slid down his throat, his heart felt as if something had suddenly tugged at him, making him feel stuffy and astringent. An inexplicable feeling of irritability quickly spread.

He was a little absent-minded and didn't listen much to what Sun Wei said next or how Zhang Hao teased him.

Ling Peng forgot when and how he got home, and was in a daze the whole way.

Ever since that meal, Ling Peng has been feeling upset and has no motivation to do anything.

The entry procedures for the new unit were complicated. His parents were happy that he had successfully entered the state-owned enterprise and wanted to take him out for a trip to celebrate, but he declined with the excuses of "wanting to be quiet first" and "getting familiar with the new work materials."

The image of the man driving the Mercedes-Benz and the various smiles that Zhao Jinglu might have shown to others that he had seen before - happy, playful, shy, and even the charming one on the stage - lingered in his mind like a looping movie clip.

He found himself unable to concentrate. His phone had become his biggest problem. He would repeatedly open his text messages and her chat box, looking through the few chats they had shared, the last one still lingering on the one where he asked her about her training and she replied with the smiley face that said, "I'm a little tanned." He could almost memorize every word. He wanted to send something, but he didn't know how to start. Asking, "Do you have a boyfriend?" was too far-fetched, too ridiculous.

An unprecedented, nagging irritability enveloped him.

He tried to reason with her: Even if she did have a boyfriend, so what? Why would you care? A senior? A friend? He found himself unable to accept the term "friend." The thought of her formally introducing another man to them, sharing every detail of her life with another, made his heart ache like a pool of bitter water.

This strong and uncontrollable possessive desire made him realize completely that Sun Wei's gossip was not just throwing a stone into a calm lake, but igniting the dry wood that had already piled up like a mountain in his heart.

It was not until this moment that Ling Peng realized belatedly and understood his own heart very clearly.

All the admiration, heartache, and desire to protect her, all the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness he had because of her, all those emotions that he classified as "senior's concern for junior", had already quietly deteriorated.

He was not lamenting that a "little kid" might have been chased away.

He is jealous.

He couldn't bear the fact that the person standing next to her, possessing her brilliant smile, was another man.

He, Ling Peng, had fallen in love with Zhao Jinglu, the girl who once taught him dancing seriously, who would joke with him later, who shone brightly on the stage, and who remained kind and strong even in the face of grievances.

This feeling may have come a little late, but at this moment, it is like a flood that broke through the dam, surging and clear, and can no longer be ignored, let alone suppressed.