You're dumping me, huh? Fine, then I'll just pick up the school beauty and make her my wif

"What?"

Liu Zhenguo was stunned for a moment, not understanding who Jiang Che was referring to when he said "she".

"I told her that my girlfriend wants to apply to Peking University."

Jiang Che looked into Liu Zhenguo's eyes and said, word by word, "Her grades are excellent; Peking University is practically a sure thing for her."

"I don't want a long-distance relationship with her. I promised her that I would always be by her side, to be her eyes and her crutch."

"Wherever she goes, I will go."

The carriage fell silent immediately.

The guard driving in the front seat glanced at Jiang Che with some surprise through the rearview mirror.

These days, it's rare to see young people willing to risk their lives for love.

Liu Zhenguo stared at Jiang Che for a long time, but Jiang Che did not flinch and allowed him to look at him openly, meeting his gaze firmly.

After a long while, Liu Zhenguo slowly grinned and laughed heartily.

"Ha ha ha ha--"

"Good lad!" He raised his hand and patted Jiang Che's shoulder hard. "You're a real man!"

"That coward Jiang, if he had even half your courage back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way..."

Halfway through his sentence, Liu Zhenguo seemed to realize something and stopped talking.

Jiang Che, however, was successfully intrigued. Seeing that Liu Zhenguo remained silent, he couldn't help but ask, "It's not that serious?"

"Ah, it's nothing." Liu Zhenguo waved his hand and chuckled. "Let's not talk about those old, trivial matters."

"Since it's for his wife, then that reason makes sense."

In Liu Zhenguo's eyes, a man should have the courage to risk everything for a woman.

What kind of man is one who is timid and hesitant?

"However, determination alone is not enough."

Liu Zhenguo changed the subject, his tone becoming serious, "A marathon is not child's play, especially if you want to get into the top three. You'll be facing professional athletes, or even members of the professional athletes' training programs."

"With what you did this morning?"

He scoffed dismissively, "You'll have to be carried out halfway through the race."

Jiang Che did not refute it; he knew in his heart what his five-kilometer run in the morning had been like.

By the end of the run, my lungs felt like they were going to explode, and my knees were killing me—and that was only five kilometers.

If it were a full marathon, I probably would have been completely exhausted.

"That's why I ran into you."

Jiang Che dropped his serious expression, chuckled, and fawned over Liu Zhenguo, giving him a leg massage. "Grandpa Liu, you're an expert. My sister told me at the hospital that you were the champion of the entire army's martial arts competition when you were young."

"Running is such a small thing for you, isn't it a piece of cake?"

"Don't try to flatter me, kid."

Liu Zhenguo glared at him, pretending to scold Jiang Che, but the smile in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

This kid is really to his liking, unlike the younger generation in the family who are terrified of him and don't dare to say a word.

"Since you have this intention, and you're Old Jiang's grandson, then I won't beat around the bush with you."

Liu Zhenguo's smile faded, and he said seriously, "If you want to get into the top three, you can't rely on your own training alone."

"But it's different if I teach you."

"real?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che's eyes lit up immediately, and he sat up straight.

This is a promise from the Commander-in-Chief of the Military Region!

If you could really get guidance from such an expert, the effect would be a million times better than hiring a private coach.

Why would I lie to a little kid like you?

Liu Zhenguo snorted coldly, "As long as you can endure hardship and don't start crying and complaining after just two days of training, you'll definitely have no problem getting into the top three on the day of the competition."

"Of course, if you really don't make it into the top three, please don't say that I taught you. I can't bear the embarrassment."

"Alright!"

Jiang Che, whose worries had lasted all day, was now finally at peace. Overwhelmed with excitement, he couldn't help but say, "Master, please accept my bow!"

As he spoke, he even clasped his hands in a respectable gesture, which amused even Liu Zhenguo, who was usually stern and unsmiling.

Don't give me that.

Liu Zhenguo slapped his hand away with feigned disgust and teased, "I was just giving you some pointers, I didn't say I wanted to take you on as my apprentice, so don't call me that."

After a pause, he continued, "Let me make this clear from the start: if you're going to practice, you have to follow my rules."

"My training methods are all derived from decades of military service. They are very intense, but also very effective."

"If you can't take it and want to quit halfway, don't blame me for turning my back on you and giving you a good beating on behalf of Lao Jiang."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zhenguo exuded a faint aura of oppression, and Jiang Che felt a chill run down his spine.

It feels like the special training I'm going to receive from Grandpa Liu will be much more difficult than the special training I received from my grandfather a few years ago...

Despite his fear, Jiang Che had no intention of backing down. He straightened his back and said firmly, "Don't worry, I will never back down for my girlfriend."

"From now on, just treat me as your soldier. Wherever you point, I'll fight."

"OK."

Liu Zhenguo nodded, his eyes filled with even more admiration. "Remember what you said today."

The car turned a corner and entered the familiar streets of the residential area.

Soon, the car came to a smooth stop downstairs at Jiang Che's house.

Jiang Che pushed open the car door, and a gust of cold wind rushed in instantly.

But his heart was burning with warmth, which even dispelled much of the chill in his body.

After getting out of the car, Jiang Che stood by the door and waved to Liu Zhenguo inside. "Grandpa Liu, I'll head back now. Thank you for the ride today."

Liu Zhenguo rolled down the car window, revealing half his face. "Yeah, go to bed early when you get back, and spend less time on your phone."

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs at 5:30 tomorrow morning. If you dare to be even a minute late..."

Liu Zhenguo didn't finish his sentence, but gave Jiang Che a meaningful look.

Jiang Che understood instantly, immediately stood at attention, raised his right hand in a somewhat awkward salute, and said, "I'll definitely be there on time!"

Jiang Che finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the car slowly drive away and disappear into the night.

It's 5:30...

Going downstairs at 5:30 means getting up at 5:00.

Although Jiang Che goes to bed relatively early every night, five o'clock is really too early, and it is still a bit difficult for him.

But when he thought of the Peking University admission letter and Su Qinghe's expectant smile, Jiang Che gritted his teeth and decided to give it his all!

He tightened his down jacket, turned around, and walked into the apartment building.

When I got home, the house was pitch black.

Jiang Che habitually called out, "I'm back," but after waiting for a long time, no one responded.

He was stunned for a moment before realizing that Su Qinghe was still lying in the hospital.

Looking at the empty living room, he felt a strange emptiness in his heart.

It's only been less than two hours since we parted, and I'm already starting to miss her.

Jiang Che chuckled self-deprecatingly; his ultimate love-struck mind was truly beyond saving.