After hanging up the phone, a faint smile graced He Teng’s face. As a big brother, he naturally thought that military school life was too tough and unsuitable for a girl like Dongxue. Nevertheless, as a soldier himself, He Teng wished that Dongxue would choose the Military Medical University.
"If Dongxue comes to the capital, I’d have a companion!" Zhilan was genuinely thrilled. It was as if Dongxue had read her thoughts. Regardless of which university Dongxue ended up enrolling in, as long as she got accepted, Dongxue would become another source of their father’s pride.
The He family was notoriously poor in their village. However, they had now produced two university students, a first in their village and the entire town.
In the evening, He Teng personally drove Zhilan to the train station to go back to the capital. On the way, he took the initiative to discuss Zhilan’s previous decision about going to C Province.
These days, He Teng had been contemplating that matter the most. It was undoubtedly a psychological battle - should he agree or disagree?
If he disagreed, it was merely due to his concern for Zhilan’s safety.
If he agreed, it would naturally be to allow her the freedom to make her own choices and choose what was best for her.
Even though Zhilan had not stated it explicitly, He Teng knew that her profession required frequent contact with foreigners. With a broader network, her future work was bound to benefit.
Zhilan had previously mentioned her wish to become a teacher after graduation. However, she chose this profession merely to accommodate He Teng’s military career. The profession of a teacher might be stable, but it had a limited capacity for advancement. He Teng knew that with her exceptional abilities, Zhilan’s future could be much more than just a teacher.
Just like now, she is just a first-year student, but her professor has already recognized her potential and entrusted her with important tasks. This showed that her abilities far exceeded those needed to be a mere teacher.
He Teng thought, now that he and Zhilan had divorced, she no longer needed to accommodate him by choosing to be a teacher. She could have more opportunities to grow and perhaps even work abroad.
"Zhilan, if you want to go to C Province, you decide. As your big brother, I’m concerned about you, but I hope you can make your own life decisions. Whether it’s big things or small things, you’ll eventually need to make independent decisions. As long as your safety is assured, I hope you can venture further and wider."
These were He Teng’s final words, reflecting his perspective and considerations as a big brother.
There wasn’t a hint of selfishness, nor was there any worry that once Zhilan spread her wings, she might not return to the He family.
He Teng now understood that whether Zhilan would return to the He family was no longer his concern. Having lived together for a year, he was confident that Zhilan wouldn’t abandon the He family that loved her, causing them pain and disappointment.
"But what if you were my husband?" Zhilan asked softly, her eyes downcast. "I want to know what you would say as my husband."
"We’ve been divorced for more than three months." He Teng reminded Zhilan with a single sentence, hinting that he wouldn’t entertain hypothetical situations. "So, whether you go to C Province is up to you. If you do decide to go, I’ll talk to Dad. If not, you can go back home during the holidays. Wait for Dongxue to start school, and then you two can head to the capital together."