Ace Troops Episode 13 Recap
> Ace Troops Recap
Since Division Commander Zheng Yuan had grown accustomed to Gao Liang's cooking, he found it difficult to enjoy other meals. With Gao Liang still away, the kitchen lay unused, filled with unwashed pots and pans. A concerned old comrade, noticing Zheng Yuan’s plight, invited him over for a meal. Zheng Yuan, though acknowledging his pickiness after getting used to Gao Liang’s cooking, playfully declined, saying he would "beg for food" instead.
Meanwhile, Gu Yiye's condition took a turn for the worse. Jiang Nanzheng, disregarding military discipline, waited anxiously at the hospital. Tong Bing was sent to escort Jiang Nanzheng back to camp. As they spoke, Zheng Yuan unexpectedly arrived, further highlighting the unresolved tension in his relationship with his daughter. Zheng Yuan inquired about Jiang Nanzheng’s whereabouts and reminded her of their agreement to make pancakes, prompting her to say she was heading back.
Jiang Nanzheng quickly left with Tong Bing after informing her father she had come to see Gu Yiye, leaving her father with mixed emotions. Back at the camp, Zhao Hongying summoned Jiang Nanzheng for a talk. Zhao Hongying told Jiang Nanzheng that her actions would be dealt with as a disciplinary violation, emphasizing that it must stop before it worsened, and urged her to consider Gu Yiye's military career if not her own.
Jiang Nanzheng retorted that they claimed to "learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones and cure diseases to save lives" but were actually "conquering one’s mind rather than destroy his body." She argued that it was cruel to ask someone to break up with their loved one, especially when he was hospitalized and his future was uncertain. Jiang Nanzheng questioned if one should "give up someone you love for a future."
Zhao Hongying then shared her definition of love: "My understanding of love is to destroy oneself rather than destroy it," which profoundly impacted Jiang Nanzheng. Shortly after, an officer informed Zhao Hongying that the Division Commander wanted to see Jiang Nanzheng at the headquarters office the following morning. Jiang Nanzheng arrived at Division Commander Zheng Yuan's office. He attempted to understand her life, asking her to share "her situation."
Jiang Nanzheng sarcastically asked whether he wanted to know about her childhood, her time before joining the military, or her current life. Zheng Yuan addressed her as "child," but Jiang Nanzheng quickly corrected him, stating her name was Jiang Nanzheng. He acknowledged his shortcomings as a father, to which Jiang Nanzheng responded, "Just mistakes?" She added that he had not cared for her mother either and questioned the purpose of their meeting.
Zheng Yuan concluded that she would not accept him for a while. He then asked about her relationship with Gu Yiye, prompting Jiang Nanzheng to ask if Gao Liang had informed him. Zheng Yuan stated he had witnessed it himself. Jiang Nanzheng asserted that, as a soldier, Gu Yiye was merely a comrade, but if he asked in any other capacity, she had no desire to speak with him. Zheng Yuan reminded her that she was his daughter.
Jiang Nanzheng scoffed, asking if she was the "daughter who met for the third or fourth time." Before she left, Zheng Yuan, speaking as a veteran, cautioned her against immediately questioning if Gao Liang had revealed their relationship when asked, implying it was akin to betraying a comrade. The meeting ended on a sour note.
A nurse informed Gao Liang and Hu Yang that Gu Yiye's intracranial swelling had subsided rapidly, and he would likely be discharged after his second surgery with no lasting effects. Gao Liang, recognizing Hu Yang, quickly took the opportunity to play matchmaker. He enthusiastically introduced Hu Yang as Gu Yiye's "childhood sweetheart" and "girlfriend of many years," assuring the nurse that Hu Yang could handle all of Gu Yiye's care.
Gu Yiye, embarrassed, told Gao Liang to "get out of my face." Hu Yang found Gao Liang amusing but told Gu Yiye she only believed what she saw, not Gao Liang's "nonsense." She offered Gu Yiye fresh fruit she had picked from home. Later, Hu Yang discreetly retrieved a letter addressed to "Gu Yiye" from under his pillow. The letter read: "Yiye, where are you now? I want to see you. Jiang Nanzheng."
She confronted Gu Yiye, asking, "Who is Jiang Nanzheng?" Meanwhile, Zheng Yuan proceeded with the decision to transfer Jiang Nanzheng out of Division 234. Zhao Hongying pleaded with the political instructor, highlighting Jiang Nanzheng's exceptional talent and her potential as a reserve member for the military district competition. She expressed bewilderment at the division commander's personal involvement and even questioned if Gu Yiye had a powerful background.
The political instructor, however, stated that the division commander's orders must be implemented swiftly and advised Zhao Hongying to follow instructions. Standing outside, Jiang Nanzheng overheard the conversation. She accepted the organization's decision, stating, "Thank you, Company Commander. Don’t worry, I won’t let the sergeant waste her spot on me for nothing," but turned away, her face wet with tears. That evening, Jiang Nanzheng sought out Zheng Yuan, directly confronting him about her transfer.
She refused to enter his office, choosing to speak from the doorway, and threatened to retire from the military. Zheng Yuan reiterated that military discipline prohibited a father and daughter from serving in the same unit, explaining that "disciplines should not be violated, or everything would be a mess." Jiang Nanzheng fiercely rejected his authority as a father, accusing him of prioritizing his principles and prestige over her feelings, and questioned if he ever truly wanted a daughter.
She tearfully demanded to stay in Division 234, vowing never to forgive him otherwise. Zheng Yuan, recognizing his insensitivity, admitted to being a "selfish father." Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Gao Liang called Jiang Nanzheng, using Gu Yiye's upcoming surgery as an excuse to urge her to visit the hospital, stating there was "something important" she should see. There, she witnessed Hu Yang feeding Gu Yiye fruit.
Gao Liang pointed out that Gu Yiye and Hu Yang were "childhood sweethearts," and speculated that Gu Yiye might be attracted to Jiang Nanzheng because she resembled Hu Yang. Jiang Nanzheng, after seeing Hu Yang and Gu Yiye, asked Hu Yang, "Is she childish too?" Hu Yang, already aware of Gu Yiye's feelings for someone else, gracefully introduced herself to Jiang Nanzheng, stating she was there to say goodbye.
Jiang Nanzheng then quoted, "There's no late or early in the world of affection; only the one not loved is the extra person." Before leaving, Hu Yang offered Jiang Nanzheng some advice. She praised Gu Yiye, calling him "very great, exceptionally talented," but warned that "liking a man like this will get hurt, and tiring. You should be prepared," and encouraged her to persevere.
Hu Yang then turned to Gao Liang, urging him to bravely pursue his love, even though it would be tough, and to not be afraid of the outcome. After bidding farewell to everyone, Hu Yang began to walk out of the ward. Prompted by Gao Liang and Jiang Nanzheng, Gu Yiye hurried after her. As Hu Yang reached the hospital entrance, she asked Gu Yiye for a salute. He complied, giving her a solemn military salute.
Hu Yang, touched and smiling, asked for another, saying, "It hurts me, but I want to see it." With that, she left. Their childhood bond, though deep, was not romantic love, and Hu Yang left, feeling a sense of peace and respect for their shared past. Jiang Nanzheng watched Gu Yiye and Hu Yang's interaction intently.
Gao Liang, noticing this, advised Jiang Nanzheng to leave Gu Yiye, warning her that women often mistake being touched for love, and called Gu Yiye's salute act "shameless." Jiang Nanzheng, however, reiterated her conviction that "there's no late or early in the world of affection; only the one not loved is the extra person." During dinner, Zheng Yuan confided in Commissar Xing about his guilt regarding Jiang Nanzheng.
He explained his dilemma: he was ashamed to transfer her, a hardworking soldier with a bright future and a reserve member for the competition, simply because of their biological relationship, despite having done nothing for her throughout her life. Commissar Xing, acknowledging Zheng Yuan's principled stance, offered a solution.
He suggested allowing Jiang Nanzheng to first participate in the military district competition, believing it would give her time to adjust and potentially win a championship for their division, which might also shift her perspective. Zheng Yuan, greatly relieved, praised Commissar Xing for his insightful suggestion. Two months passed. Gu Yiye's injuries fully healed, and he was discharged from the hospital. His first act was to arrange a meeting with Jiang Nanzheng by the sea.
Zhao Hongying informed Jiang Nanzheng of Gu Yiye's discharge and her impending transfer, asking if she planned to tell him. Jiang Nanzheng initially said she wouldn't go. Gao Liang then drove Jiang Nanzheng to the rendezvous point, then discreetly observed from a distance as Gu Yiye and Jiang Nanzheng played joyfully on the beach. Gu Yiye playfully declared himself a "petrel," while Jiang Nanzheng, feigning anger, threatened to punish him. Watching their carefree interaction, Gao Liang felt a bittersweet ache in his heart.
