Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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In the special forces unit, everyone was excellent and hardworking. Yan Ling felt a sense of urgency here. He had always been used to striving for the top, so he began training even more diligently. However, this time, he couldn’t pull ahead of everyone else. He was still a top performer, but there was always the possibility of being surpassed.
Yan Ling began to carry out missions with his teammates. Although he was aloof and sharp-tongued, he was, besides the captain, the person who gave everyone the most sense of security. Therefore, everyone tolerated his imperfections, respected his personality, and even joked and teased him. Yan Ling felt a long-lost comfort in this place, so he didn’t mention leaving again. However, he was also gradually forgetting his past doubts about whether he should have joined the army.
When the weather turned cold, Yan Ling received a mission. This mission was different from the previous small-scale operations. This time, it involved arms dealers smuggling across the border. During this mission, Yan Ling nearly witnessed the death of his teammate. He saved him, killed the arms dealer, and, amidst his inner turmoil, returned to his comrades.
He slept for a day and then reflected for another, looking back on his journey and finally seeing the hardships he had endured.
Before joining the military, although he felt the indifference of others towards his actions and the sense of alienation he felt, he lived in an open environment where he didn’t need attention or approval from others. He always had the care and approval of his parents and the affirmation and praise of his teachers. Therefore, he lived a self-centred yet peaceful life.
However, the relatively closed environment of the military suddenly confined him, causing a psychological gap and a sense of imbalance when compared to Ma Jun.
Later, when he joined the special forces, everyone’s skill level was similar, and no one received special treatment. Therefore, they all received equal treatment, and his imbalance gradually eased.
It was at this moment that Yan Ling realized how difficult it was to expect those weaker than you to understand, care for, or even affirm you. They might simply not understand why someone so strong would need their approval. But humans are social animals, and living in a group requires the attention and affirmation of others. Therefore, only those of equal strength will understand, affirm, and strive alongside you towards new goals.
He finally felt relieved at this moment, letting go of his resentment towards Ma Jun and the squad leader, turning the pent-up frustration into a sigh.
It was also at this moment that Yan Ling finally found the meaning of his presence here and decided to continue staying. He thought that compared to the routine work outside, he preferred the thrill of combat and missions; he enjoyed every victory and rejoiced in the success of every mission. Having been in the army for so long, he had witnessed the hardships of soldiers and knew that some things needed to be done by capable people.
He was never a carefree person; he was used to being at the top, used to the envious glances of others, so what he wanted was never the ordinary. Yan Ling felt that, if possible, at least after his death, someone would remember his name; if not, at least his death would have meaning. Life was easy for him, so he wanted something more valuable. He wanted to have a qualitative change in some people during his lifetime, even if they didn’t know it themselves, as long as he knew, that was enough.
The final scene of the play froze on Yan Ling opening the curtains in his dormitory, sunlight shining on his face, and him finally smiling happily. Downstairs, his teammates called out to him, “Yan Ling, wake up! Come downstairs! The flowers you planted have all bloomed.”
Yan Qingchi and Jiang Mochen, after reading the script, both felt a strange sense of emotion.
Perhaps because he shared the same surname as Yan Ling, Yan Qingchi, as he read, could even empathize with him, experiencing his emotional shifts in different situations, and feeling his loneliness and confusion.
Jiang Mochen was somewhat surprised. “Military dramas do feature strong protagonists, but they mostly focus on plot and conflict. These strong individuals don’t experience the psychological changes Yan Ling has shown. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen a protagonist like this. Generally, ordinary people are more prone to confusion, and since we’re all ordinary, it’s easier to understand. But we forget that strong individuals also have their own pain; they just don’t talk about it, so no one notices.”
“I think this might be intentional on the part of the screenwriter,” Yan Qingchi said, looking at him. “The target audience for this drama is the general public, but Yan Ling’s identity isn’t that of an ordinary person. He’s almost a genius, which creates a sense of distance. That’s why the screenwriter added a series of psychological changes to him. Don’t you think the problems he faces are actually the most common problems that modern young people encounter?”
“Yan Ling joined the army because of his father, just like students today choose their majors because of their parents’ preferences, but they themselves don’t understand if they are really suited for that major. Yan Ling’s reflections in the army, not knowing whether joining the army was the right or wrong decision, are like young people today who can’t find meaning in their lives and work, constantly asking themselves, ‘Should I really do this? Why did I choose this profession?’ The contrast with Ma Jun’s situation is something we often encounter in life. Until finally, Yan Ling found the meaning of joining the army and decided to stay. He finally showed a genuine smile. This is the best ending, for Yan Ling, and for everyone.”
“So are you planning to take it?” Jiang Mochen asked him.
Yan Qingchi smiled. “I’ve never played a role like this before. To be honest, if I could, I’d like to be a genius too, but I don’t want to go through so many emotional ups and downs like him. I’ll stick to my personality and make myself happy.”
Jiang Mochen smiled. “You may not be a genius, but you’re already amazing, okay?”
“People always want to be even better, just like who would complain about having too much money?”
Jiang Mochen chuckled. “Yeah, anyway, all the logic in the world is based on you.”
Yan Qingchi felt like he hadn’t heard that line in a long time, and he even felt a little nostalgic.
The two quickly decided to accept the script. Yan Qingchi called Li Bozhong, who said apologetically on the other end of the phone, “The pay might not be very high.”
“That’s okay,” Yan Qingchi said, “I’m not short of money anyway.”
Li Bozhong was happy and gave him a time and place to come for a makeup test and to see the effect.
Meanwhile, the broadcast of “Best Partners” had reached its climax. Besides the highly anticipated Yan Qingchi and Jiang Mochen, whose popularity had soared, the unexpected pair of best friends, Mo Xiaoxiao and Zhang Ningwei, who supported and encouraged each other without any conflict, had become the second most popular couple, perfectly fulfilling the ideal best friend image for women watching TV. Some even exclaimed, “Finally, a pair of best friends who don’t fight! It’s so rare!”
Li Mo also successfully debuted through this variety show. Her pairing with Li Bozhong resonated with many viewers, allowing them to see themselves and their fathers, sparking numerous discussions. Her undisguised fangirl status further bridged the gap with netizens, earning her the title of “model fangirl.”
The male duo of Yang Xinhe and Yu Haoyuan, compared to Yan Qingchi and Jiang Mochen, appeared somewhat overshadowed, but they were still young and had many opportunities ahead.
Despite the production team cutting out many unfavorable scenes for Fei Jingyu, he failed to gain popularity. The main reason was the overwhelming presence of Jiang Mochen and Yan Qingchi, who practically overshadowed everyone else. A secondary reason was that viewers disliked his attitude towards Yue Ziming. The majority of viewers and those who actively voiced their opinions on the show were women, who wanted a boyfriend who understood and cared for them, not one who constantly required their indulgence.
Fei Jingyu and Yue Ziming’s pairing was supposed to appeal to sweet, girlish hearts, but Fei Jingyu failed to deliver. He was too eager for fame, focusing solely on self-promotion and completely forgetting he had a girlfriend. In comparison, some netizens even commented, “Those who know them understand they’re a couple; those who don’t probably think they’re just friends. This pair isn’t even as sweet as Jiang Mochen and Yan Qingchi next door. Did the production team get the tags mixed up?”
Yu Xiaoyu also failed to gain popularity. She cultivated a growth-oriented persona, and her significant transformation from the beginning to the end successfully rehabilitated some viewers, but others remained unconvinced. However, that was not the main point. The main point was that Yu Xiaoyu and Wei Zhihang created a sense of disintegration in the group from the very beginning of the show. Yu Xiaoyu was a newcomer, and while Wei Zhihang had some fame, he wasn’t really popular. So many people simply skipped them and focused on other couples.
This result pleased some and saddened others. Some tried to post lengthy articles on Weibo to clear their names, while others increased their online marketing efforts to manipulate public opinion. But none of this mattered to Jiang Mochen and Yan Qingchi, because they had already achieved their desired effect. Everyone knew they had a good relationship, and their CP ranking firmly held the top spot.
Under these circumstances, Yan Qingchi went to audition for the role of Yan Ling.
The director and screenwriter were very satisfied after seeing his costume fitting photos. The director even said in advance, “This film will be very tough to shoot. It will be filmed in the military base, in a closed environment.”
Yan Qingchi nodded, “Okay.”
“It might take a long time.”
“I know.”
“I’ve seen your acting in some dramas and other programs. Your acting skills are quite good, and you’re very agile. Have you trained before?”
“A little.”
The director nodded, “Okay, go back and rest now. See you in October.”
“Thank you, director.”
The director said in Mandarin with a regional accent, “You’re welcome, you’re welcome. Bo Zhong has a good eye. You fit the character perfectly. Didn’t you see Xiao Liu’s eyes practically glued to you?”
Xiao Liu was the screenwriter of this drama. Hearing this, he glanced helplessly at Kang Sheng, smiled at Yan Qingchi, and said, “See you in October.”
As a screenwriter, he had written many protagonists, but this was the first time he had written a protagonist like Yan Ling. Unlike traditional scripts where the protagonist was relatable and possessed many common virtues and charms, Yan Ling’s character had both strengths and obvious weaknesses. This was a challenge for him, and also a change he made to cater to the current market. Xiao Liu didn’t feel that catering to the market was a wrong thing. The era of perfect heroes was long gone; today’s young people preferred more distinctive and vivid characters, and Yan Ling was undoubtedly such a character. He hoped that Yan Ling could inject new vitality into military-themed works, allowing more people to see the hardships behind every soldier and understand that even geniuses had their vulnerabilities.
And Yan Qingchi, judging from his appearance alone, was as if Yan Ling had stepped out of the script and stood before him. Xiao Liu was amazed and couldn’t help but take a few more glances.
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