Chapter 53

Chapter 53: I Don’t Like You Anymore

Although in high spirits, Third Brother was currently financially strapped, so for lunch, instead of splurging at a restaurant, he took Gu Ning to the cafeteria…

The military cafeteria at noon was bustling with activity, serving over three hundred people.

Several rounds of people had passed by Gu Ning’s table, all deliberately coming over to catch a glimpse of the legendary sharpshooter. Some, too shy to stare for long, even circled around multiple times. When they saw that Gu Ning was as young and seemingly fragile as the rumors suggested, they were all shocked.

The members of the Third Company felt a sense of pride, and at the same time, they were deeply impressed by Gu Ning’s ability to eat calmly under such intense scrutiny.

Third Brother suddenly said, “Gu Ning, I see that your commute back and forth takes over four hours every day. That’s such a waste of time. We have family quarters here. Why don’t you stay here for a few days? I can guarantee your safety. If you’re scared, I can have Zhang Xiaobai and the others stand guard for you at night.”

Gu Ning seriously considered Third Brother’s suggestion. The four-hour round trip was indeed a waste, and staying here would be much more convenient. However, she would have to lie to her parents again—Gu Ning couldn’t help but hesitate.

“Exactly, Gu Ning. You need to focus all your energy on training now. Don’t think that just because you can handle us, the Five-Star Brigade is a piece of cake. Those guys are ruthless, and you can’t afford to let your guard down,” Zhang Xiaobai said earnestly, then chuckled, “If you have time, you can give me some pointers too. If both of us make it into the Five-Star Brigade, we can look out for each other, right?”

The soldiers of the Third Company all chimed in, eagerly hoping Gu Ning would stay.

Gu Ning hesitated for a moment, then said, “Actually, I told my parents I’m working as a tutor. I haven’t told them about what I’m doing in the military.”

Third Brother was momentarily stunned, then said, “That’s fine. Give me your parents’ phone number, and I’ll talk to them.” As he spoke, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, “Gu Ning, don’t take this the wrong way, but I already have all your information here. I know your family background, and I can handle your parents for you.”

It seemed she had been thoroughly investigated. Gu Ning didn’t feel uncomfortable about it, understanding it was standard procedure. But after some thought, she said, “Let me think about it. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”

Third Brother understood Gu Ning’s concerns and put his phone away, shifting the conversation back to training: “Last night, I got word that the Five-Star Brigade has already arrived in Jinyong. They’re holed up in some hotel, but I don’t know which one. According to reliable sources, the people who came this time are different from last time, and they seem to be important figures in the Five-Star Brigade.” He paused, looking at Gu Ning seriously, “This means this year’s selection might be even tougher than any previous year.”

In the heavy silence that followed, Zhang Xiaobai suddenly leaned in and said, “Company Commander, where did you get this ‘reliable information’? Are you just trying to scare us?”

Third Brother slapped Zhang Xiaobai’s face, pushing him back into his seat, then continued speaking to Gu Ning, “I have confidence in you, but those guys from the Five-Star Brigade… I can only say they’re really, really good. Beyond what you can imagine. And this time, it’s their important figures coming.”

Zhong Xu said gravely, “Last year, even the non-important members of the Five-Star Brigade wiped the floor with us.”

“And last year, those guys didn’t even look at us properly. They looked down their noses at us. This year, with important figures coming, who knows how arrogant they’ll be,” Luo Long added.

Third Brother said calmly, “Last year, there was a soldier in the First Company who was exceptionally good at close combat. He was a top student at the military academy. When he fought with the Five-Star Brigade, his hand was broken, and he was hospitalized for six months. After that, he went back to the military academy for graduate studies.”

Zhang Xiaobai shivered upon hearing this, “You guys aren’t just messing with me and Gu Ning, right? It can’t be that brutal, can it?”

Zhong Xu glanced at him, “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

Third Brother said, “So the next few days will be intense training. That’s why I want you to stay in the family quarters.”

Gu Ning nodded solemnly, “I’ll think about it seriously.”

Third Brother didn’t accompany Gu Ning for the afternoon training.

Zhang Xiaobai whispered mysteriously to Gu Ning, “Gu Ning, did you know? If someone from our company, including you, gets selected for the Five-Star Brigade, the company commander gets a 100,000 yuan bonus. The company also gets additional bonuses. If both of us get selected, our company commander will be rolling in it. Let’s make a deal—when the time comes, we’ll team up to squeeze a big treat out of our stingy company commander. We’ll make him take the whole Third Company to a fancy seafood restaurant in the city.”

Gu Ning was a bit stunned and felt a vague unease about the Five-Star Brigade. What kind of organization was it? When she asked Third Brother, he only vaguely said that she would understand once she joined. If she didn’t make it, there was no need for her to know. In other words, she could only find out what the Five-Star Brigade was if she got in.

Gu Ning felt a bit helpless. She didn’t even know what the Five-Star Brigade did, yet she was charging forward without hesitation. But the apocalypse was evolving too quickly, and she still hadn’t developed any special abilities. If she was unlucky, she might never gain any powers. In that case, close combat would be her means of survival, and the Five-Star Brigade was her only path.

The intense afternoon training left Zhang Xiaobai and the others groaning in pain, but Gu Ning held up well. After saying goodbye to Third Brother, Luo Long was once again responsible for escorting her, dropping her off a block away from her neighborhood.

It was already 6:30 PM. In the apocalypse, it would be pitch black by now, but here, the sky was still bright, and the streetlights had just turned on.

As Gu Ning passed by a phone store, she stopped and remembered Method’s instructions. She walked in.

When she came out, she was holding an old Nokia phone on sale for 199 yuan. She had used this model in high school, and it felt familiar. After buying a SIM card, she sent a message to Method and Third Brother. Then she put the phone in her pocket and headed home.

Gu Ning’s neighborhood was quite old, standing out among the newly built high-rises.

There was an old osmanthus tree downstairs, older than Gu Ning herself. It was the season when the flowers were most fragrant. A man stood quietly under the tree, waiting. He wore a light blue shirt with a suit jacket draped over his arm, his figure tall and straight. He seemed to have been waiting for a while, a hint of impatience in his expression.

When Gu Ning saw Lu Jiazhi standing there, she was momentarily dazed. She remembered how, back in school, Lu Jiazhi would occasionally wait for her under this same osmanthus tree. Back then, just seeing him filled her with joy, and she never noticed the impatience hidden in his eyes.

Gu Ning stood there quietly, watching the man she had once adored so much. Her feelings were a bit complicated. When Lu Jiazhi sensed her gaze and turned around, he was surprised to see Gu Ning standing there.

“Gu Ning?” He smiled, “Were you watching me?” His smile faltered slightly when he saw the coldness on Gu Ning’s face, “Is something wrong?”

Gu Ning shook her head, “Do you need something?”

Lu Jiazhi walked toward her, “We haven’t gone out to eat in a long time. I finally managed to skip a dinner meeting today, hoping to take you out. But you weren’t home. I’ve been waiting here for half an hour. Let’s go eat. I booked a table at a new restaurant. I heard the food is good… Gu Ning?” He took a few steps before realizing Gu Ning wasn’t following him and stopped in surprise.

Gu Ning said, “I’ve already eaten.”

Lu Jiazhi was stunned for a moment, then walked up to Gu Ning and sighed deeply, “Are you mad at me? Ningning, I’ve been so busy lately. The company handed me a new project, and I’ve been swamped. I finally managed to carve out some time to have dinner with you. Can’t you just humor me, considering I’ve been waiting here for half an hour?”

Having known Gu Ning for over a decade, Lu Jiazhi believed he understood her well. Although she appeared stubborn and resolute, everyone who knew Gu Ning knew she was a person of principle and hated tardiness. But he was different. From childhood, he had always been special to Gu Ning, and Lu Jiazhi was confident of that. But this time, something felt off. Gu Ning didn’t frown in mock displeasure, nor did she complain before happily taking his arm. Instead, she stood there quietly, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time, studying him with a serious, detached gaze.

This stranger-like scrutiny made Lu Jiazhi feel uneasy.

Just as he was about to frown and show his displeasure, he heard Gu Ning say something.

A gust of wind blew past just as she spoke, making it hard for him to hear clearly. Maybe he misheard? Otherwise, how could Gu Ning say something like that?

She said, “I don’t like you anymore.”

For many years, Gu Ning had never hidden her feelings for Lu Jiazhi. In fact, she had confessed to him when she was sixteen, though he had gently rejected her, saying she was too young for a relationship. After that, Gu Ning never said she liked him again, but Lu Jiazhi always knew she did. She had said she didn’t like him twice before—both times after he started dating someone else. Once, when he was in college and started dating his first girlfriend, Gu Ning had seen them walking hand in hand on campus. She called him crying, saying she didn’t like him anymore. But he knew she still did.

But this time, it felt different.

He wasn’t dating anyone now, yet Gu Ning said she didn’t like him anymore.

This calm, cold, rational Gu Ning—he had never seen her like this before. Lu Jiazhi suddenly felt that the face that had been a constant presence in his life for over a decade now seemed unfamiliar.