The sea churned with waves, and a pale yellow glow from the rising sun brightened the sky. Soon, the golden light sparkled across the sea. The island’s sunrise always came early, and since Qin Yao had arrived, she hadn’t felt much attachment to her bed.

She woke up early. Having packed her things the night before, there wasn’t much left to do. She was heading to a nurse training program, and all her clothes and supplies were provided by the organization. All she had to do was bring herself.

Chen Baozhen was reluctant to let her go. The training would last at least two to three months, and she wouldn’t be able to visit her often. Even though they were on the same island, her husband, Gao Jianguo, and best friend, Qin Yao, would only be able to see each other every few days. It was truly frustrating!

Qin Yao joined the rest of the group at the hospital to collect her health checkup form. When Head Nurse Ge saw her, she called her over and gently said, “The training will be tough. The physical training might not be as intense as the new recruits, but you’ll also have medical courses. Both will take a toll on your body and mind. The schedule is tight, and if it gets too much, don’t hesitate to drop out.”

“Doctor He asked about you yesterday. If you marry him, you’ll become a military dependent. When a position opens up, they might give you an administrative role at the hospital…”

Head Nurse Ge said all this with the assumption that Qin Yao would eventually give up, thinking there was an easier path for her. Why endure the hardships?

Qin Yao shook her head. “Head Nurse Ge, I’ll stick with it. Wait for me at the hospital.”

Head Nurse Ge was surprised.

The young girl in front of her was still plump and fair, though she had slimmed down a little. Her soft, pale cheeks had a hint of pink, looking radiant and beautiful.

At first, Head Nurse Ge thought she was spoiled and wouldn’t be able to handle the hardship. She expected her to break down in a few days. But now, the determination and fearlessness in her eyes reminded Head Nurse Ge of a young woman riding confidently on horseback, full of spirit.

Qin Yao had come to the island to visit her best friend, not just to find a good match, but now she was putting all her focus on her work?

Qin Yao handed in her health check form and joined a group of young women who took a bus to the collective dormitory. The dorm was large, with over ten sets of bunk beds arranged to accommodate about thirty people, all young women.

There were twenty-six of them in this batch, and a few beds were left empty for luggage.

Soon, a strict woman in military uniform entered. She was in her late twenties, their instructor. Her surname was Li, and she immediately emphasized that no luggage should be left on the empty beds unless necessary. All other luggage was locked in another room.

Although they weren’t soldiers, they would undergo military-style training for a while.

Qin Yao chose a middle bunk. The girl on the bed below was a short-haired, slender girl with a diamond-shaped face and dark skin. She reached out and introduced herself, “Are you from the island? You’re so fair.”

“I’m not from the island. I’m from the north.”

Qin Yao’s fair skin stood out. When Zhou Jingjing compared their arms, the color contrast was striking.

“Qin Yao.”

“Zhou Jingjing.”

They exchanged names, then quickly unpacked and prepared to go to the cafeteria for a meal.

Zhou Jingjing had grown up on the island. Her parents worked in a rubber plantation as technicians. She was a cheerful girl, about the same age as Qin Yao.

“We train with the female soldiers, and the male soldiers are nearby. Although the lines are clearly drawn, we can still see them from all directions. I’ve seen quite a few who are tall and handsome…”

Zhou Jingjing whispered to Qin Yao, as unmarried girls often can’t help but notice good-looking young men.

After getting their meals in the cafeteria, Qin Yao saw Tian Shuyun. To her surprise, Tian Shuyun had also signed up to be a nurse.

When Tian Shuyun saw her, she snorted but didn’t greet her.

After eating, they all received two new uniforms—blue and white naval training outfits. The blue pants and snow-white tops had blue-and-white stripes on the sleeves, with a blue-and-white hat and a brown leather belt. When they wore them, they looked sharp and spirited.

“These clothes are so big and loose.”

While the other girls were commenting on how large the clothes were, Qin Yao quietly put hers on, wearing the hat with two braids hanging in front of her chest. Her delicate brows, bright peach blossom eyes, and rosy lips made her look youthful and full of vigor. The outfit gave her a refreshing air that drew people’s eyes.

“Qin Yao, you… you look so beautiful,” Zhou Jingjing said, staring blankly. The loose clothes made her figure hard to distinguish, but Qin Yao’s face was round and firm, looking astonishingly beautiful.

The other girls in the dormitory also turned their attention to Qin Yao.

“She’s so fair.”

“She’s so fat, her arms are so thick. They’re white and thick, almost as big as mine.”

“That’s because you’re too skinny!”

When Instructor Li saw Qin Yao, she furrowed her brows. She didn’t look like she could handle the tough training. Once the real training started, she wasn’t sure what kind of issues she might face, so she decided to keep a close watch on her.

The training days were very tough. They woke up before dawn for exercises, endured the grueling five-kilometer run, stood in military posture, and marched in formation. By midday, when the sun was high, they would return indoors for classes. The island’s scorching sun was unbearable, and staying out too long could be dangerous.

They also had to raise pigs and grow vegetables.

After a week, Qin Yao had not only lost some weight but had firmed up her body, as if she had entered a weight-loss boot camp. Chen Baozhen had come to visit her once, bringing a lot of delicious food, but Qin Yao shared it with Zhou Jingjing and a few others.

Qin Yao didn’t feel that it was hard. She planned to lose some weight over the next month or two, so it wouldn’t look awkward.

Previously, while she was around Chen Baozhen, thanks to the golden finger from the favorability system, she had eaten quite a bit but was gradually losing weight. It had started to raise suspicions among those around her.

Relying on the golden finger to lose weight felt comfortable, but it was too obvious.

“Qin Yao, come over here, let’s watch the male soldiers run.”

Zhou Jingjing tugged Qin Yao to go watch the male soldiers train. In the evening, as the sun was sinking into the sea, the male soldiers ran towards the sunset, golden light shining on them, making them appear almost like statues.

These young men were around seventeen or eighteen years old, sporting crew cuts, and they really were a sight to behold.

“Why are you staring? Want to join the army?” two female medical staff walked by, their heads held high, a sense of pride in their demeanor.

Joining the army was a big deal at this time. You needed a spot, a good family background, and it was even harder to get into the Navy.

The female medical staff trained with Qin Yao and her team of auxiliary nurses, but it was still a different experience.

The nurses were temporary workers trained like interns by big hospitals, while the female medical staff were officially enrolled. After training, they would be assigned to different squads.

As a result, they looked down on the nurses’ team with a sense of superiority.

Zhou Jingjing wanted to retort, but Qin Yao tugged her back. After the two medical staff walked away, Zhou Jingjing muttered, “What’s there to be proud of?”

“Yeah, we’re doing just fine. They might even be jealous of us.”

Zhou Jingjing paused, “Why?”

“We’ll be working at the military hospital after training, while they still don’t know where they’ll be assigned to.” Qin Yao didn’t have big ambitions. She just wanted to get a job on the island, even if it was a temporary one. The pay might be low, but it would be more flexible.

Zhou Jingjing whispered in her ear, “I heard the male soldiers’ chief instructor is very handsome and still unmarried. I want to see him too.”

“They’re probably coming over to see the chief instructor too.”

“Do you think we might run into him?”

Qin Yao shook her head. “He’s already a chief instructor. How old would he be? I don’t like mature older men.”

Zhou Jingjing grinned, “Don’t you think mature men are more charming?”

Qin Yao replied, “I like someone who calls me ‘sister.’”

“Good heavens, Qin Yao, you’re so young, and you want someone to call you ‘sister’? What a joke!”

Qin Yao clicked her tongue. “Look at that big guy running over there. He might only be sixteen or seventeen.”

You can’t always tell a man’s age by his looks. It’s like how a 13-year-old boy might go to pediatrics for heartbreak, but after transmigrating into a story, she mistakenly thought an older man was a young wolfdog.

Qin Yao wasn’t ready to admit that she had bad eyesight, blaming it all on her experience with Commander Gu, the seasoned veteran actor.

All the handsome young men had been handed over to the country.

Qin Yao and Zhou Jingjing walked around, spotting various young new soldiers of different heights and appearances. There were quite a few handsome ones, but as Zhou Jingjing had said, they were too young. Even those who were 1.8 meters tall still looked like boys.

They lacked that wolfdog charm. The real standout was the one she had seen earlier… he matched her ideal type.

Zhou Jingjing sighed, “It’d be great if we could meet the chief instructor.”

Qin Yao nodded in agreement.

She was indeed curious about what kind of “mature, attractive” chief instructor they were talking about.

But when she saw him the next day, Qin Yao wished she could lower her hat and stare at her toes.

“Stand up straight, Qin Yao, what’s wrong with you?” Instructor Li called her name.

Qin Yao stood in the female soldier lineup, her tall frame placing her at the back of the group. Initially, she wasn’t very noticeable, but when Instructor Li called her name, everyone’s gaze inevitably drifted toward her.

Qin Yao straightened up, determined not to flinch, and glanced forward at the man in military uniform. His cold, stern face was just as it always had been. Was there anything more awkward than seeing your former blind date in this situation?

She should have guessed that the so-called Chief Instructor was him.

Gu Cheng had long since become accustomed to people’s eyes being on him. When Instructor Li saw him, she was taken aback and immediately started a conversation, although this extra team wasn’t under his supervision, the performance of their training still reflected on him.

His gaze briefly swept over Qin Yao, who had gotten thinner, and her skin had darkened a bit. Even though she had been looking down at her feet and hiding in the lineup just a moment ago, she still stood out with her striking beauty.

Gu Cheng felt a sense of pleasure. Recently, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly how he felt about this girl, who had once been a little chubby. It was a mixture of love and hate, conflicting emotions.

If he were to say he didn’t like her, why would he have bothered to go through with the blind date? But if he did like her, he had also been dreaming of pushing her into the sea to feed the fish recently.

After rescuing her, she clung to him tightly and said she would never dare again.

Gu Cheng swallowed hard, tearing his gaze away and exchanging a few words with Instructor Li before leaving.

“Qin Yao, the Chief Instructor is so handsome and young. What kind of woman do you think could catch his eye?” After the team had dispersed, Zhou Jingjing pulled Qin Yao aside under the shade of a tree to chat.

Qin Yao took a sip of water to calm herself.

“It looked like he glanced over here a few times. Who do you think he was looking at?”

Qin Yao replied flatly, “Maybe he was looking at me.”

Zhou Jingjing laughed as she opened her own water bottle. “Qin Yao, you must be dreaming.”

Qin Yao sighed, “Jingjing, you might not believe me, but I actually went on a blind date with him.”

And even called him ‘younger brother.’