“Salute, ten minutes. The rest of you, join her.”
He really knows how to make me a target for resentment. Lin Yiqiao was on the verge of tears.
She could already hear some whispered curses from within the company. They wouldn’t dare curse Qi Jun, but they certainly wouldn’t hold back against her.
Lin Yiqiao struggled to raise her sore, aching arms. Lifting her gaze, she saw Qi Jun striding on his long legs toward the Special Forces team that was assembling.
The Special Forces team was the ace unit of the 32nd Regiment, personally led by Qi Jun. They had just returned from mountain training today and happened to run into the women’s company during their drills—and Qi Jun happened to catch Lin Yiqiao slacking off.
The Special Forces team captain, Xiao Guohua, shouted to Qi Jun, “Report! The Special Forces team has assembled. Awaiting orders!”
“Military posture, two hours.”
“Yes, sir!”
Over here, Lin Yiqiao had no mind to listen to what they were saying. It had been nearly five minutes, and she had no idea how she had held on this long. Her arms were completely drained of strength, drooping downward. If she kept this up, she wouldn’t be able to lift her arms for a week.
In a moment of recklessness, she called out loudly, “Report!”
Hearing her, Qi Jun strode over to her.
“Speak.”
Lin Yiqiao stared at the man’s utility belt around his waist and said, “I… can’t hold on any longer.”
The man didn’t speak. Lin Yiqiao couldn’t help but look up at him, meeting his pitch-black eyes directly.
Lin Yiqiao didn’t miss the momentary surprise and astonishment in his eyes. Probably no one had ever given him such a ridiculous report before.
She held his gaze for a while until sweat from her eyelashes dripped into her eyes, blurring her vision. Only then did she hear Qi Jun speak.
“Hold on,” he said, glancing down at his watch. “Five more minutes.”
Lin Yiqiao relied entirely on sheer willpower to keep her arms from dropping. Her mind wandered all over the place. Her arms were so sore and painful that her entire brain felt numb. She stared at Qi Jun’s back, struggling not to curse out loud.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before she saw him stride over and stop in front of her.
“Salute completed! Return to formation.”
Lin Yiqiao immediately relaxed her arms, using her other hand to slowly massage her sore limbs.
Qi Jun slowly scanned the crowd once more, and only then did the women in the company dare to lower their arms.
Once Lin Yiqiao returned to the formation, Qi Jun said a few words to Wang Xue before turning and walking away.
“What? Can’t handle it already? I don’t know what you thought of the women’s company before you came here, but let me tell you, the women’s company isn’t just for show!” Wang Xue lectured in front of the company.
“Since you’re here, you must live up to the uniform you wear!”
Lin Yiqiao looked up at the sky and sighed silently, regretting why she had to slack off at that moment.
Seeing that everyone had been sufficiently chastised and hung their heads, Wang Xue finally said, “Dismissed!”
As Lin Yiqiao turned, she happened to catch He Yujie’s gaze—far from friendly, with a hint of mockery.
What’s that supposed to mean? Lin Yiqiao felt a bit baffled.
If anyone else had experienced such an embarrassing situation, they would have been mortified. But she quickly brushed it off, even finding time to wonder what she’d eat later.
Over at the Special Forces side, they had assumed their military posture, with Qi Jun walking among them, inspecting back and forth.
This man really had an intimidating presence, but the more intimidating he was, the more Lin Yiqiao felt an itch. Hugging him from behind must feel really nice.
No one dared to disband directly. Instead, they lined up and jogged in formation toward the mess hall.
After waiting in line for another half hour, they finally got to eat a hot meal.
Lin Yiqiao took a big bite of the steamed bun, washing it down with egg drop soup. She had never enjoyed a meal so much in her life.
Li Xiumei, sitting beside her, nudged her with an elbow. “Yiqiao, is your arm okay now?”
“Huh? It’s fine now. Sorry, I dragged you all into trouble.”
“Ah, what’s there to be sorry about? I used to harvest wheat in the fields every day back home—my arms have long been toughened up.”
Lin Yiqiao smiled, her dimples appearing and sweeping away the earlier gloom.
Seeing her smiling face, Li Xiumei was momentarily dazed. If she were a man, she’d do anything just to make Lin Yiqiao smile.
“Hey, did any of you see Regimental Commander Qi today?” Liu Hongying asked.
Lin Yiqiao took a sip of soup and said nothing.
“Is that the really strict instructor?” someone asked.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
Their mealtime was staggered from the officers’, so they weren’t afraid of being scolded, and everyone started chatting freely.
It wasn’t hard to tell that a few female soldiers had a vague fondness for Qi Jun, though they were too shy to say it outright. When pressed, their faces flushed red.
That guy really is quite popular. Well, it makes sense—he’s tall with long legs, a great figure, a handsome face, and an air of noble restraint. Young as he is, he’s already a regimental commander with a bright future ahead. What woman wouldn’t like a man like that?
Lin Yiqiao rested her chin in her hands. After today’s incident, she wondered if she still had a chance.
She looked up and met He Yujie’s eyes again.
Seriously, sis, are you secretly in love with me?
Lin Yiqiao rolled her eyes inwardly. She remembered how, when everyone was discussing Qi Jun earlier, this woman had worn a smug, knowing look. And before that, when she went to sign up with Qi Jun, she’d given her a hostile glare.
Could she also have feelings for Qi Jun?
Lin Yiqiao couldn’t be bothered to care. Everyone had to rely on their own abilities. What was the point of her putting on such an act every day to annoy people?
After the meal, Qian Ru came to bring Lin Yiqiao some things.
There were newly made clothes, face cream, and aloe vera gel—she’d thought of everything.
This gave Lin Yiqiao a boost of confidence. Over the next month of continuous military training, everyone around her tanned noticeably, but she remained largely unchanged, thanks to her aunt’s aloe vera gel.
The training was indeed tough. They learned everything from formation drills and physical fitness to shooting and first aid. Lin Yiqiao found it all quite interesting—anything she was willing to learn, she could master well.
Before they could rest for a few days, the women’s company received a task to assist with the rural harvest rush. However, they weren’t required to do the harvesting themselves—only two record-keepers were needed.
Lin Yiqiao and Liu Hongying, both high school graduates, were selected as record-keepers to assist the 32nd Regiment in the rural harvest rush.