absurd

Yes, he needs to end it definitely. If he's trying to do the right thing here, he has to do right by everyone. JNZ deserves to know the truth and move on.

They are trying to present it as cute, Gao Liang's need to one up Gu Yiye in everything. JNZ saying that she finds it funny. But even though GYY agreed with her at the time, it's obvious that later even he was at the end of his rope with GL. Finally told him off for meddling in their relationship, I was so proud of him. And GL... says "I won't be pursuing JNZ anymore" and the next thing we see is him stepping in front of GYY on the basketball court. He just can't help himself.

Fair. It happens to me too sometimes :)

Yes, have to agree here. Though maybe he could not make a decision and that's why he didn't? Idk. But that situation is awful, I feel very sad for all three of them (including A Xiu).

I'm kind of confused too, but I think it's been a year in the academy and now it's 1986? But I can be wrong, they really need to either write a year and month in the beginning of the episode or somehow mention it.

I have to say episodes 22-23 gave me an enormous amount of respect for Jiang Nanzheng. She handled the quota withdrawal like man. 10 times better than Gao Liang did. She refused when her sergeant tried to give it up, said that she can't accept it if she takes it away from someone. And then got into academy all on her own, without any help, after telling her dad, in no uncertain terms, that she would not accept his help. No false modesty or sob stories preceding. She is, I think, the most grown up out the 3 of the leads.
I feel sad seeing the way the reason for Gu Yiye to marry A Xiu is being set up. I am sure, as it is a drama, we will be shown a happy ending between them. But, imho, marriages out of sense of duty are set up for failure: years ahead people start blaming their partner for keeping them away from what they wanted and it never ends well. I don't actually care much at this point about JNZ and GYY being together, but A Xiu and Gu Yiye? Sorry, I don't see that (he called himself a sacrifice for gods sake). Maybe the drama will show me their relationship development and how it will work out, but so far the only thing I can feel for both of them is sad.
PS: I'm starting to feel sorry for Huang Jingyi, honestly. The writers managed to give him a character, that no one, except for people who are already his fans, will like. They created a perfect set up for people to get into academy on their own merit, but in the end still made GL to go the nepotism route. It's like they are doing it on purpose.. Would it not have been better to show how much work he put in reading all those books, by letting him sit through examination? Maybe they wanted it to be historically accurate (about candidates having to finish high school), but even if he got to go through exam as an exception or through favor, it would have still have been 10 times better than him getting accepted into an elite training program because "someone recommended him"

Sorry, but about JNZ, I have to disagree with you on practically everything. How can she be a love rival to A Xiu when neither Gu Yiye, nor A Xiu actually have any feelings for each other? Yes, I can see that it's setting up that they will be together, but right now the only reason GYY is doing this is his sense of duty. He even called himself a sacrifice. That's as far from love as you can get.
And JNZ, unlike GL, actually got to academy on her own merit, passing the exam. 3d out of everyone, without any help.
It is of course your right to dislike her :) But I feel like it's a little unfounded.

I am already ffw some of them tbh. It's not even just the military. Imagime you are doing a job interview. One candidate has experience, education and shows a lot of potential. And the other one is ok, kind of average, he'll do fine, but nothing special about him. But, you see, if you don't take the second guy, he might not get another job, while the first one is so great, he'll be off the market in no time. And what do you do? Choose a guy with the sob story? No . Because no one will do that. At most they'll offer him some lower position if they have it.

Even without the academy situation in episode 21, it's like he always needs to one up or have what Gu Yiye has. Even something as simple as ginger from A-Xiu, he was all "why does he get it and I don't". That's so petty! And people just let it slide. Glad A-Xiu told him off.
And then the conversation with Qin Hanyong about academy. First we go again with the sob story. And then we go the manipulative route of "he should go, it's a two people thing". It isn't. It's about who is more promising as an officer material. Gu Yiye was working his ass off training, while Gao Liang was having a vacation with division commander and now he thinks that the only reason GYY should go is JNZ? What. And then the phrase. "Why do I have to give up everything for Gu Yiye?" The hell?! What exactly did he have to give up? Because if he's talking about JNZ, it's not his decision. She. Told. Him. NO. Four times. And the rest of his claims were just as petty as the ginger thing. The ashes, really? GYY and Zhang Fei were actually close, he died protecting him! What does GL has to do with it?
Yesterday when I was watching it, I was disappointed, but now that I had time to stew in it, I'm just so angry. They are trying, practically pushing it down my throat to present Gao Liang as this great and self sacrificing person and all the while, most of his actions tell a completely different story. Jealousy, pettiness and trying to manipulate others to get him things again and again. It's like the writer hated the character, seriously.

I tried, I really did try to look at Gao Liang objectively and see his side of things (yes I am that annoying person that always tries to see both sides and not judge). But it's like the writer wants me to dislike him. All of his actions make him look so manipulative and petty, as if he's always looking at what others have and feels like he deserves it more. Why is he written like this? He's one of the leads! I'll put specifics under the spoiler.

Does it depend on where you are? Because for me all episodes except the first 2 have the vip marker

I know, right?! I was really liking that GL finally got some character development and we had so much progress. And then the sob story came out. Again. And it was so manipulative, the way he first went on and on about not being able to get education and then went all martyr with "Gu Yiye going is a two person thing". Wtf. Why is he bringing JNZ into it? Gu Yiye was chosen because he deserves it for his efforts and achievements! Why the hell is the army making those decisions based on personal matters? Isn't it supposed to be like a job interview? I really don't understand what the writer was thinking, the whole situation looks horrible and it's presented as if they are doing the right thing.

But also. I would like if Gao Liang and Gu Yiye both go to academy. I do feel sorry for Gao Liang, I know he was looking forward to getting education and possible promotion. But sorry is not the reason one should take away the chance from someone more deserving of it. Gu Yiye is an officer material, the best from their division. Taking away his chance of promotion just because Gao Liang will be sad is unfair and also unprofessional. I really hope they'll solve this in a way that will allow both of them to go.
I also kind of don't understand what's going on with Gu Yiye and Nanzheng. She supposedly "broke up" with him, but it's not like there was anything going on but writing letters. And they are meeting up again. So did she unbreakup with him? I'm lost, honestly.
Those last several episodes were really amazing in terms of character and relationship development, but then it's like two steps forward, one step back. Stop making GL use his sob story every time he doesn't get something, he needs to get things on his own merit, otherwise does he really deserve them? And either let JNZ and GYY move on, or get them in a relationship, I thought it was finally over and now it seems like here we go again.

Dear Drama, please let me stop crying. I really can't anymore.

About the timeline. I think he and NMC returned after like two weeks of being declared missing in action and everyone was ready to hold a funeral. It's just that NMC didn't need as much recovery time (because he didn't fall from the cliff), so he returned with the rest of his troop, while GL stayed in the field hospital. And JNZ was just busy and only found out he returned after 6 months.
The falling off the cliff part was probably the only thing in that episode that made me smile? everything else was so intense. I was like xianxia/wuxia much? Those guys at last have magic that saves them, what is Gao Liang? A Disney princess? LOL

I also liked his internal monologue about JNZ actually. It made me think that everything that he did to chase her was at last, without malice towards GGY and her relationship. It makes him look even more naïve and lacking in common sense, but alas, nothing to do here, but wait.
The scene where Zhang Fei told him off for interfering, I was like Duuude, finally someone says it.

The part where GYY said there were 102 of them and then you can barely count ten people. I started crying all over again.

At this point I give up trying to understand and just accept that army is corrupted and no one pays attention to his actions as long as they don't hurt them. The less I see of the guy the better, hopefully after the time skip his character will be too old, to get much screen time.

I did read Camus, but only The Stranger and that was a long time ago, I don't remember anything, except that I liked it LOL
Pure hearted idealistic characters are great, as long as their purity and naivete doesn't cost other people. And Gao Liang's lack of common sense does exactly that sometimes. While GYY can take a more practical approach, without compromising his morals. I think that's what makes him a great officer material, not just a good soldier.

16-17 were not so good for GL, but 18-19 definitely made an improvement. Finally some GL character development and no Zheng Yuan (or barely), best episodes so far