Wang Qing. Wang Qing. When He Ran was ten, he'd hear people call the general's name, and he'd quietly repeat i…
Wang Qing. Wang Qing.
When He Ran was ten, he'd hear people call the general's name, and he'd quietly repeat it to himself, over and over. But he would always add the title, with respect and awe, General Wang Qing, General Wang Qing.
But who was he, really? Just one of the world's forgotten, with no home, no parents, nowhere to go. He was so insignificant that everything seemed out of reach, towering above him. And Wang Qing was towering in every way, an untouchable general, the only person in the world who ever noticed him, the one person he longed to look up to all his life.
So even years later, when he finally worked his way close to Wang Qing, he thought he'd hidden his feelings well. He tried to steady his voice, to smooth out any excitement, and to mask his admiration by keeping his gaze low.
But if you've whispered a name to yourself for years, how could mere flesh and bone hide an obsession that's carved itself into your life?
Especially when—General Wang Qing said, "I remember you."
He remembered.
People don't dare to hope for things that feel too far away.
All He Ran ever did was watch from a distance, jealous for years of how much attention Wang Qing gave Jiang Yan. He'd study every look Wang Qing gave Jiang Yan, thinking all he wanted was that same approval, that same kindness. But in that moment, he realized that...
He wasn't like Jiang Yan at all. For him, just being remembered was enough to fill every empty space inside.
He almost blurted out everything he'd gone through to get here, how close he was to finally serving under Wang Qing's command.
Wait a little longer, he told himself. Just a little longer.
There would be another meeting, and another after that.
It wouldn't end with just being remembered.
He lifted his face, unable to hide the shy, youthful smile he'd worn so many years ago.