Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The a.s.sistant was in shock. His usual stiff expression broke, and he gaped visibly as he rubbed his eyes repeatedly, afraid that he was imagining things.

This was an exception. The training for female soldiers was tough enough. After the training, they would complain and eagerly went to rest.

That was especially true with the new recruits because they found it hard to catch up with the tough training. That one of them would be training on her own at night was a shocking sight for him.

Duan Yanhao's brows frowned as his lips thinned into a line. His expression chilled several degrees as he kept quiet.

"Major, am I seeing things?"

Duan Yanhao replied coldly, "If you think you're seeing things, you can leave now."

"I won't. I will be wherever Major is at."

The corner of Duan Yanhao's mouth twitched. People had always said that his a.s.sistant had a stiff demeanor, but only he knew how his a.s.sistant was like in private.

Bai Yaoyao did not know that someone was watching her from afar. She was only crazily focused on her drills, training her flexibility endlessly on the wooden pile and jumping over it numerous times.

Even when she was drenched in sweat, she refused to give up, persevering as she went through the same motions over and over again.

Her gaze was determined. Sometimes, when she felt like her legs were about to give up, she would think about her past and her goals, and she would have the strength to continue with gritted teeth.

Only if she worked harder than anyone else can she strike out a path for herself.

It could be said that she finally found a sense of belonging in the army, not like a drifting buoy that couldn't find its direction.

Frankly speaking, Xirong Ziye falling for another woman was probably because of the person's family background. Her parents had already pa.s.sed away, so she no longer had any status. She could only rely on herself if she wanted a chance to stand on high ground again.

She would become the strongest female soldier. Maintaining this resilient mindset of hers, she would not be afraid of fatigue or the tough training.

She told herself that this was a new start—a new beginning. That was why she wanted to do better than anyone else.

Time slowly pa.s.sed by. An hour… Two hours… Three hours…

And Duan Yanhao remained standing there, observing her throughout her self-training. His expression revealed traces of amazement.

As for his a.s.sistant, who was there from the start, he had his expression changed from bewilderment to shock to respect. Even though his expression changed, he felt respect forming from within his heart.

It was rare for a woman to be as hardworking as this new recruit, which impressed him.

Duan Yanhao and his a.s.sistant did not talk. They just watched until Bai Yaoyao finally stopped. Deep down, they heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that she was finished.

Bai Yaoyao was unstable on her feet, but she held onto the wooden pile to steady herself. She stood there arduously, trying to regain her breath. When she was no longer panting, she looked up at the sky with determined eyes, and her gaze shone in an even more brilliant glimmer.

She bowed to the moon. She did not feel tired at all. Even though her body was tired, her heart was satisfied.

She would train with the moon in the future. Although she was lonely, she had to make it so that she didn't feel that way.

"Moon, you will be here to keep me company, right?"

"Moon, only you wouldn't forsake me."

She thought that there were more important things in life than love. She had a dream and a starting point. All she was lacking was hard work, so she would put in more effort than anyone else.

Bai Yaoyao smiled radiantly at the moon before she skipped lightly back to the barracks to rest.

Duan Yanhao remained rooted to his spot while his a.s.sistant looked up at the sky. There were approximately three hours before sunrise.