Little Man 小先生 by Yao Chunbing 咬春饼

After walking through thousands of mountains, she looked back toward the north. Beneath the peach blossom tree, the young man still stood as he once had.

Back then, the young sir had said, “You’re the first woman I’ve ever liked.”

Her heart quaked in that instant. No woman could hear such a confession and remain unmoved. Be it vanity or genuine emotion, it was enough to make someone feel lightheaded with joy.

In love, honesty is the hardest thing. And in that moment, perhaps that was his obsession.

He was focused—yet cornered.

He was sincere and straightforward—yet naïve and inexperienced.

The streetlights cast a warm glow, wrapping soft rings of light around his face. His smile, no matter how restrained, couldn’t be hidden.

All she knew was—at that moment, he looked devastatingly handsome.

Who hasn’t loved a boy in their youth?

A boy who embodied all the brilliance of the world, and left behind a memory so vivid it would last a lifetime.

Ying Jing had two great passions in life:

Before 9 a.m., he focused completely on studying—no distractions. Head down, all-in on his model-building projects.

But the moment the alarm rang, he’d toss his pen, shut his books, grab a metal rod, show off the little tattoo on his arm, hop on his motorcycle, and head to the northern suburbs to brawl.

That was life—until one night at a school–foreign enterprise partnership banquet.

Chu Ning moved gracefully through the crowd—bright, sharp, and beautiful.

Wearing a white dress that hugged her slim waist, she held a glass of wine and smiled lightly as she nodded at Ying Jing.

From that moment on, Ying Jing discovered a third great passion:

Wrapping his arms around Chu Ning from behind, breathing in her fragrance, and—

wanting to commit crimes.

“Hey, when are you going to let me be your man?”

“I’m setting off for the West with no other wish. I carry the future of my nation, to bring back the science of the foreigners. I bid farewell to the homeland and my parents—with resolve, and no regrets.”

— The Battle of the Yellow Sea

National defense and aviation—when the youth are strong, the nation is strong.