Section 2

Apricot is indeed one year older than me, truly deserving of being the fourth in the city for the high school entrance examination, and rightfully a refined young lady from a scholarly family, possessing far-sighted vision and a humble demeanor

"You do not need to please me; I am the instructor, and you are the student. Even if we part ways in two days, I will always be your instructor, and there is no possibility beyond that." Ye Zhen's territory was fiercely defended, leaving no room for intrusion. "Go back immediately; I will consider this matter as if it never happened."

Ye Zhen was serious, her eyes reflecting a clear sense of detachment and coldness. At that time, I was only sixteen, invincible and reckless in my youth. To say that I was not saddened by the blow would be a lie. I wanted to escape. Under such unwelcome gazes, I longed to flee. Yet, the thought of never seeing him again filled me with a despair worse than death

As soon as I finished speaking, I ran away. In the center of the vast training ground stood a lamp, its cold light shining on my face. I closed my eyes and began to cry out loud.

Only Xingzi came to comfort me, putting her arm around my shoulder and saying: "Guoguo, don't be upset. I don't think Instructor Ye is intentionally targeting you. What you did really put him in a difficult position. He is an instructor, and if you act so recklessly, it gives others a reason to criticize him. Instructor Ye is such a good person; he probably doesn't want things to escalate like this either."

I embraced her and lamented how late we met: "Dear sister."

Classmate Tang Guo, at this time you should be sleeping in the dormitory. Is the intensity of the daytime training not enough? Should we go to the playground for a few laps? His delicate eyebrows raised in a half-smile, that handsome face.

This is great, I have become the laughingstock of the entire class! Even students from other classes know that there is a girl in Class 6 who has the instructor chasing after her to the point of being invisible. I have truly become famous, and wherever I go, there are people pointing and whispering behind my back: Look, that's Tang Guo from Class 6, can't tell at first glance, can you?

We sat by the door, and Xingzi lowered her voice to say, "I will wait for you by the wall over there. Are you sure Instructor Zhang won't target you for a typical criticism session?"

I looked at him, feeling a deep pain in my heart. People often say that a woman pursuing a man is like a layer of gauze between them. What kind of gauze is this?! It is diamond gauze!

I have been busy for several days and found that apart from group activities, it is impossible to see Instructor Ye at all

That was the first time I cried for Ye Zhan, and at that time I did not know that it was merely the beginning

"Very good! I admire people who have principles and ideals the most" Ye Zhen also smiled, with not a hint of joking in her eyes "Wandering around the base after lights out, violating regulations, will result in a deduction of ten points from your class and a notice of criticism for the entire grade! Classmate Tang Guo, go to the training ground and run twenty laps immediately! Then return to the dormitory"

... ...

Chairman Mao said that all reactionaries are paper tigers I firmly assert that the weaker a person's inner self, the more formidable their outward appearance is Instructor Zhang can only intimidate those inexperienced children

I must be ill, and quite seriously so. I widened my eyes and gritted my teeth, saying: "It's only five laps, right? Even if it were fifty laps, I would still run! If my legs break, I will crawl to the finish! Ye Zhen, I am not joking! I will not give up on you!"

Instructor Xiao Zhang finally turned around, his eyes filled with excitement, and his face, resembling a blackboard, glowed with a rosy hue, as if illuminated by a returning light.

The next morning, upon seeing Ye Zhen, I rushed over in a single bound, ignoring Instructor Xiao Zhang, and sweetly called out to the librarian, "Good morning, Instructor Ye!"

Instructor Xiao Zhang let out a chuckle, and then turned his face away, trying to suppress his laughter, which seemed to cause him considerable pain, as his shoulders trembled slightly. I remarked that he was a paper tiger. At that moment, the paper tiger assumed a spectator's posture, with the book turned upside down and his ears perked up like radar.

One day after the lights were turned off, I planned to sneak to the instructor's dormitory under the pretense of going to the restroom to find Ye Zhan. Xingzi had developed a revolutionary bond with me over the past few days and agreed to provide cover for me. This was not easy; we had to avoid the patrolling instructors and sneak along the walls. However, in the past couple of days, I had figured out the most secretive routes, so this operation went surprisingly smoothly

Are you saying that in order to please you, I must conform to the standards set by the majority of men

I am furious, blind as a bat, what do you mean you can't see! You can't see your grandpa! My mother looks like Teresa Teng, she is a well-known beauty in our neighborhood, and when she was young, half of the unmarried, married, and divorced young men from the textile factory wrote her love letters! I resemble my mother, I am just a youthful version of Teresa Teng! Who among you dares to say that Teresa Teng is not beautiful!

Just as I recover my vitality like the indomitable female protagonist in a passionate manga, the two-week military training is also coming to an end

Xingzi rolled her eyes and quietly slipped away

The next day, class points were deducted, and the entire grade issued a reprimand. I became the scapegoat of the class, with at least two-thirds of my classmates, who had a sense of collective honor, wanting to punish me severely. The remaining one-third avoided me at all costs. Suddenly, I became a figure of notoriety throughout the entire grade, attracting attention wherever I went. No matter how strong my mental resilience was, I was still a shy girl, with a sensitivity thinner than a city wall.

Sure, let's go for a run together! I jumped up, full of energy, "No matter how many laps, it's all good."

If I give up here, then it is not true love for you, and it also goes against my principle of not resting until I achieve my goals

"Oh, how unfortunate, Guoguo, you were born in the wrong era. You are not just a person; you are simply like Athena from Greek mythology."

The entire training ground is filled with the echoes of my mournful cries

However, I belong to the majority of men, nothing special, and nothing worth your liking

I do not need to please the majority of men; I only like you

He seemed like a different person, his expression serious and unwavering as he walked past. A crack appeared on Instructor Xiao Zhang's stern face, which, to me, seemed somewhat resentful. However, I felt even more resentful than he did, because Ye Zhen completely ignored me, treating everyone else with warmth while showing me a face that seemed stuck in the past. Except during training, whenever he saw me from ten meters away, he would leave as if he had seen a ghost.

"You flatter me, you flatter me." Athena responded with a hint of modesty, "When are you leaving?"

Ye Zhen closed her eyes to calm her breath, then opened them and adopted a tone of a superior: "Classmate Tang Guo, to put it plainly, I do not like girls like you. I prefer the quiet and gentle type, like my girlfriend. In other words, I only like her. You make me quite uncomfortable, and girls should maintain some modesty; most men prefer that kind of girl."

I pressed my ear against the door, and it was completely silent inside. Huh? At this time, they should have just returned from their patrol. As I was pondering this, suddenly the door swung open from the inside, and I stumbled in. The desk in the room was illuminated by a desk lamp, and Ye Zhen was expressionlessly looking at me with her arms crossed, while Instructor Xiao Zhang appeared to be at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

I feel a bit awkward: "Hello, Instructor Ye, good evening."