I'm Angry, I'm afraid of Myself.

Lin Qingying put away her smile and continued reading down, silently reciting in her heart.

[Let me introduce myself first, then let's talk about when we first met!]

[When I first laid eyes on you, I thought you were the one destined for me. ]

[It wasn't because you were especially beautiful, or that your figure was perfect, but because you matched my fantasy of what a wife should be like.]

[I originally thought we were a match made in heaven, but in the end I realized we were from two completely different worlds.]

[From then on, I knew there was no chance for us.]

[Perhaps you could disregard what others say or think, but I have to consider what things will be like twenty years from now.]

[When I'm old and you're still in your prime, I dare not imagine what our feelings would be. And after I die, I dare not imagine how you would face those rumors.]

[Although I'm not a selfless person, I am a realistic one.]

[For your sake and my own, let's forget about this relationship that ended before it even began!]

[Maybe I'm being too full of myself, but it doesn't matter anymore.]

[Oh right! We still have to go through the formalities of breaking up.]

["You're great, but we're not suitable for each other. You'll find someone better than me," that's what people usually say when breaking up.]

[You should say, "I wish you happiness."]

[Of course, you can say the first part and I'll say the second. So for now, let me say to you: I wish you happiness.]

[Alright, now you've dumped me.]

[Yours truly,]

[Tang Xiaoyu]

Lin Qingying carefully put away the letter. "You want to break up before even confessing to me? Not a chance!"

She firmly declared, "Don't worry! I'll find a way to let you cultivate too. That way you'll have nothing left to complain about!"

Lin Qingying picked up some paper and started writing a reply letter to Tang Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu:

You bastard, trying to break up before even confessing to me. I don't agree!

"If there is to be a breakup, it has to be me initiating it, on the premise that I've accepted your confession first."

"Also, let me warn you that when I get mad even I get scared, so don't force me to come catch you. You should know that would be easy for me."

"Alright, remember to reply to this letter. If you don't..."

Lin Qingying drew an angry face and a fist.

In closing: Third Sister

"Hmph... Trying to dump me? Do I look like someone who doesn't care about face anymore? If people find out about this, how am I supposed to get by in the future?"

Lin Qingying folded the paper into an origami crane. With a flick upwards into the air, the paper crane flew out of the room, soaring towards the horizon until its figure disappeared from sight.

Far away, Wang Ziyan first took Sima Ruoxue to a tea house. They stopped by to ask around for news about Tang Xiaoyu and were planning to leave shortly after. But Sima Ruoxue was having too much fun and insisted they stay for a while. Before they knew it, it was already time for Xiaolian to return home.

"Ziyan, this place is so interesting! I haven't had my fill yet."

Wang Ziyan pulled her towards the orchid house, "Then let me take you somewhere even more fun."

"Great, let's go!"

Upon arriving at the orchid house, Wang Ziyan smoothly made her way to her exclusive area and asked the waiter about Tang Xiaoyu.

She learned Tang Xiaoyu had become a soldier and left, saddening Wang Ziyan for a moment, but she soon moved past it.

By the end, the two girls had gone wild with revelry and no longer had Tang Xiaoyu on their minds.

Far away, over a thousand miles, Tang Xiaoyu was walking to the front amidst shouts and cheers from the soldiers. Hundreds of people stared straight at him, making Tang Xiaoyu feel like a little white lamb that had wandered into a pack of wolves.

"Tone down those piercing gazes now! I'm no great beauty, with you all gaping at me like that, it's embarrassing."

"Haha, Brother Tang, go ahead and start!"

"Alright, today I'll sing you all a song you haven't heard before."

"It's called 'Green Flower of the Military Camp'."

Applause and shouts immediately burst forth.

As if on cue, upon hearing the name of the song, even more soldiers came running over from the surroundings. Tang Xiaoyu couldn't make out exactly how many.

Before long, the open space he was standing in was packed full of people, even up on the treetops.

With no accompaniment, his comrades provided the beat with rhythmic clapping. This was an unspoken understanding they had forged over the days - their only form of entertainment at night.

"The cold wind blows, falling leaves fluttering"

"Our military camp is a green flower"

"Dear brothers-in-arms, do not think of home"

..................

"Mother, do not worry"

"Your son has grown up now"

"Standing guard and patrols are to protect the motherland"

"Blow wind blow rain I do not fear"

Everyone clapped along, their thoughts drifting to their faraway hometowns. Some secretly wiped at tears.

"There's a nice girl back in my hometown"

"I often dream about her"

"Soldiers have feelings too"

"I also hope to walk with you to the ends of the earth"

"But because duty weighs heavily on my shoulders"

"I can only set love aside for now"

.....................

As the song concluded, everyone shouted loudly in unison:

"Little Rain"

"Sing us another"

"Little Rain"

"Sing us another"

Tang smiled. "The long night has endless time with no sleep. One song alone will not suffice."

Everyone loudly voiced their agreement.

"I'll sing you all a song called 'Little Fang'."

"Great!"

As the song "Little Fang" played out, the crowd's mood turned festive and lively.

Wu Yong watched all this from afar. The senior general next to him gave an approving nod.

"Wu Yong, impressive work from your soldier there in boosting everyone's morale!"

"Usually at this time, the troops' mood tends to turn negative."

"See if you can have him sing to lift the spirits of the entire army, energize them a bit."

Wu Yong bowed. "General, I have no objections personally, but I should still consult him for his opinion."

"Oh! Looks like he holds a special position in your eyes!"

"Later, call him over. I'll speak with him directly."

"Yes, sir."

When the crowd dispersed, Wu Yong stopped Tang Xiaoyu. "Little Tang, the general wants to see you. Come with me."

"Yes, sir."

Upon coming before the general, Tang Xiaoyu saluted. "Greetings to the general."

"No need to be so formal, Tang. Relax."

"Thank you, General."

The general grinned. "I like to speak bluntly. I want you to sing and boost the army's morale when they rest at night. Help relieve some of that negative energy."

"Yes, General."

The general froze for a bit, caught off guard by the straightforward agreement. He didn't even get a chance to say anything else, leaving him quite dissatisfied.

"No conditions?"

Tang Xiaoyu solemnly replied. "A soldier's sacred duty is to obey orders. I am merely following orders."

The general was really starting to like this young man. "Excellent. Very good, Tang. I see great potential in you. Keep up the hard work."

"Yes, sir."

"On the marches too, you can liven up the troops. Not an order, just a suggestion." The general grinned.

"Thank you for the suggestion, General. I will certainly adopt and learn from it."

The general guffawed loudly, slapping Tang Xiaoyu's shoulder. "You slippery eel! Compared to you, Wu Yong and them are far inferior at flattery."

Tang Xiaoyu simply smiled without replying.

"Go rest up! You've worked hard today too."

"Yes, General. Please turn in early too."

"Very well."

As Tang Xiaoyu left, the general murmured. "What a likeable fellow."

Wu Yong fawned obsequiously. "There aren't many who manage to earn the general's approval!"

The general just smiled without explaining further.