As for Lan Li, although he was absent, his promotion could not be missed. When Lan Li was promoted to the rank of Major and became the commander of a battalion, He Zhilan wasn’t at all surprised as the backgrounds of the Lan Family and Gu Family were prominent. Moreover, Lan Li himself was highly capable, so this bright future was simply inevitable.
There were many who were promoted this time, so after the commendation ceremony, there were congratulations and encouraging words to be heard everywhere. Even someone like He Teng who wasn’t much of a talker, was surrounded by many people.
Seeing the hidden smile and pride in He Teng’s eyes, He Zhilan stood by his side, watching silently.
He Teng had always worked so hard and sacrificed so much, he should be proud of himself! His future should be boundless!
He Zhilan was also grateful to the military for not keeping He Teng at the grassroots level due to his lack of academic qualifications, finally giving this hidden jewel a chance to shine.
Due to the commendation ceremony, the following performance gave everyone a feeling of a celebration party. Everyone watched with joyful smiles on their faces.
He Zhilan was not very interested in the performance itself. Sitting next to He Teng, she remained quiet, but her gaze was on He Teng most of the time.
On the stage, the constant singing, dancing, and skits, He Zhilan noticed that He Teng was so serious watching the performance with his back straight. It almost seemed like he was attending a conference.
After sitting quietly for a long time, He Zhilan started to get impatient. After holding back for a while, she couldn’t help but reached out to tug on He Teng’s sleeve to get his attention.
Though He Teng was seriously watching the performance, he couldn’t ignore that He Zhilan, a living, breathing person, was staring at him. He was aware that He Zhilan was watching him, but since she didn’t talk, he acted clueless. However, when she tugged on his sleeve, he couldn’t pretend anymore.
"Not enjoying the show?" He Teng glanced at He Zhilan, who maybe due to finally being acknowledged, gave him an especially sweet smile and nodded at him. Then she muttered something about it being boring.
"Let’s go back then" He Teng suggested, seeing the show was almost over. He signaled to He Zhilan to leave quietly with him, so as not to disturb those still watching the performance.
Once they stepped outside, even though the cold made her shiver, He Zhilan felt relaxed.
"You dislike performances that much?" He Teng asked helplessly, and brushed the falling snow off her head. "Why not call your dad?"
"I worry that the call won’t get through since many people living outside will be phoning home on New Year’s Eve." He Zhilan sighed, obviously she had thought about it, but feared that the line would be busy all night.
"Give it a try, if it doesn’t work, we’ll call tomorrow." He Teng understood what He Zhilan was thinking. In previous years, He Zhilan had always been with her family for the New Year. This was her first New Year away, and it was natural for her to miss home.
At this time, most people were watching the performance, so there weren’t many people in the communications room. He Zhilan and He Teng got lucky – they got through to the convenience store at home. After the lady who answered the phone wished He Zhilan a Happy New Year and asked why she wasn’t home for the New Year, she called for He Zhilan’s father and He Dongxue. While waiting, she chatted pleasantly with He Zhilan.