Inside the study room, rows of wooden desks and chairs were neatly arranged. The blackboard at the front bore faint, mottled marks of time.

A temporarily moved table served as the podium—simple, yet oddly solemn—with a few sticks of chalk placed on top.

An entire platoon of soldiers sat upright in their uniforms, backs straight as pines. Though motionless, they radiated a quiet, resolute strength.

Each of them sat properly in their seats, hands resting naturally on their knees, posture rigid and disciplined—every bit the embodiment of military order.

On every desk lay a slightly worn but neatly kept notebook, with a pencil placed beside it.

Meng Youyou gently pushed open the classroom door. The moment she stepped inside, every soldier’s gaze snapped toward her like spotlights.

She froze for a brief second.

For some reason, she suddenly felt like a lamb surrounded by wolves. Being stared at by a group of soldiers like this was honestly a little intimidating.

Her heartbeat quickened unconsciously. Those sharp gazes made her feel slightly uneasy.

She bit her lip lightly, quickly adjusted herself, and regained her composure.

In modern times, Meng Youyou had been a top student in the Foreign Languages Department of a prestigious university. Her GPA had always ranked among the best—she was the kind of beauty whose talent rivaled her looks.

Now, standing at the podium, she carried herself with confidence and grace.

Her clear, pleasant voice rang out:

“Hello, comrades. I’m Meng Youyou, the translator who recently reported to the unit. I’ll also be responsible for teaching Mang language for the time being. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. If you have any questions in the future, feel free to come to me—I’ll be happy to help. I’m new here, so I hope everyone can guide me as well.”

A polite, gentle smile lingered at the corner of her lips.

Huo Qingshan watched her from below.

Looking at her now, standing on the podium and speaking with perfect composure, there was no trace of the bold, sharp-tongued woman from before.

She truly looked like a refined, elegant young lady.

Anyone else might have been fooled by her soft, well-behaved appearance.

But not him.

He knew very well that this woman was nothing more than a fox wearing a rabbit’s skin—skilled at disguising herself with innocence.

She might seem harmless—

But in reality, she was domineering and absolutely unwilling to suffer any loss.

After the brief introduction, the lesson officially began.

“Mang language has a unique grammatical system, and its pronunciation is quite distinctive…”

The soldiers listened attentively, fully focused.

Meng Youyou explained while observing their reactions.

Just as she finished introducing the final vowel—

An idea suddenly struck her.

Time to make things difficult for someone.

She hadn’t missed the amused expression on Huo Qingshan’s face earlier.

What was he laughing at?

Let’s see if you can still laugh in a moment.

“Comrades, I’ve just finished introducing the 33 consonants and 21 vowels of the Mang language—their forms and pronunciations. Now, I’d like to test how well you’ve grasped them.”

The moment she finished speaking—

The classroom fell completely silent.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The soldiers, in perfect unison, lowered their heads to avoid eye contact.

Meng Youyou almost laughed.

So these fearless men, who could face danger without blinking…

Were exactly the same as ordinary people when called on in class.

Suddenly, they felt more human—more relatable.

But—

There was one exception.

Huo Qingshan.

While everyone else kept their heads down, he sat upright, staring straight ahead—impossible to ignore.

Oh? Still putting on airs even now?

She had never met someone more composed than even her childhood friend Shen Xin.

Fine. Let’s see how long you can keep that up.

She cleared her throat lightly.

“Since you’re their leader, Battalion Commander Huo, why don’t you set an example? Lead by example and give everyone a good start.”

She deliberately raised him up first—

The higher he stood, the harder he would fall.

After all, she had only read through all 54 letters once.

Mang pronunciation was tricky—even remembering them after one listen was nearly impossible.

Huo Qingshan stood up without hesitation.

He stared at the strange symbols on the board, silent for a moment.

Meng Youyou’s heart leapt with anticipation.

Here it comes…

The other soldiers silently panicked.

We’re doomed… we didn’t remember a single one!

Just as she was about to tease him—

He suddenly began:

“(k), (kh), (k), (kh), (ng), (ch), (chh), (j), (chh)…”

She froze.

He got them right.

And not just right—

His pronunciation was incredibly accurate.

Better than two-thirds of her university classmates.

…What?

That’s impossible.

He must have only memorized the first few…

But he continued smoothly:

“…(u), (…), (…), (…), (u), (i), (ka), (ki), (ke), (ku)…”

He finished all 54 letters in one go.

Meng Youyou felt like her brain had been blown away by the wind.

Is this even real???

Is this scientifically possible?

Did I just meet a genius?

Was he holding back earlier just to show off now?!

Fine, fine—you’re amazing, okay?!

Since you’re so capable, why don’t you teach the class instead?!

Instead of embarrassing him—

She had just handed him a perfect moment to shine.

Instant humiliation.

What she didn’t know was—

Huo Qingshan had always possessed exceptional memory and learning ability.

In high school, he could remember lessons after hearing them once.

He ranked top in the national exam and entered a military academy.

During his studies, he repeatedly broke records in both theory and training.

After graduation, he applied those abilities to border defense work—

He could memorize complex terrain like a living map, retain every detail of patrol data, and detect even the smallest anomalies.

His outstanding performance was the reason he rose to battalion commander in just a few years.

Unfortunately—

Meng Youyou had no idea.

For the rest of the class, she remained dazed.

Great. I really got outplayed…

Since scheming didn’t work—

She switched tactics.

Standing at the podium, she smiled brightly:

“That’s all for today’s lesson. Please review carefully. For homework—copy each of the 33 consonants and 21 vowels ten times.”

She paused.

“As for Comrade Huo Qingshan—since you performed so well, you’ll write each one one hundred times.”

Forget dignity. Forget grace.

Revenge comes first.

“I’m the teacher. You’re the student. Homework is mandatory.”

Don’t like it? Too bad.

“Class dismissed!”

She turned and walked out, her steps swift—looking confident, though slightly flustered.

Huo Qingshan watched her “childish revenge” play out—

And instead of getting angry, he laughed.

Truly a spoiled young lady.

She must have grown up sheltered, never facing real hardship.

That carefree, bold personality—

Perhaps even charming in another setting—

But here?

It would only lead to trouble.

A princess belonged in a castle, not in a harsh borderland.

After all—

You couldn’t have everything.

You couldn’t expect to be admired for beauty and praised for capability without paying the price.

Some places simply weren’t meant for roses.

Here—

Only cacti and hardy roots could survive.

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