During the month of military training, the food was monotonous. In the scorching summer heat, the students craved an ice-cold Coke. Some students even started having hallucinations during training, muttering things like, "Imagine this—after training, we get back to the dorm, take a cold shower, and then savor a sip of ice-cold Coke. Man, that's the life!"
But sadly, none of that was available.
Although this batch of students didn't have to travel fifty miles away to a training camp, the school had effectively turned the dorms and the field into a camp with complete lockdown management. Apart from the cafeteria under unified management, there was nothing else for sale.
Of course, the more resourceful students managed to get their hands on other things, but if caught, they were publicly reprimanded, and their military training grades would be marked as failing. So, except for a few bold ones, most students could only endure until the end of training.
During the later stages of training, Su Qing mentioned this to Zhou Yuwen during a chat. She said she was craving the chicken from her hometown's rustic stove.
"Zhou Yuwen, when we go home for National Day, can we go eat some rustic stove chicken?" Su Qing asked online.
Talking with Su Qing often reminded Zhou Yuwen of the past. He remembered a Su Bei restaurant near the school where the rustic stove chicken was exceptionally delicious. Every time, Su Qing would be in tears from the spiciness, sticking out her tongue and fanning it.
Zhou Yuwen would say, "If you can't handle it, don't eat it."
"But I love it!"
So, every time they went out to eat, Zhou Yuwen would remind the chef to use less chili. Even then, the dish would still be overwhelmingly spicy.
Helpless, Zhou Yuwen would always prepare a glass of plain water, dunk a piece of chicken three to five times, and then put it in Su Qing's bowl.
Years later, when Su Qing recalled this, she felt regretful. She realized that after starting work, she had forgotten many things. It wasn't until life gave her a second chance that she remembered how gentle and caring Zhou Yuwen had been towards her.
It was a pity that she had lost such a kind boyfriend.
While chatting with Zhou Yuwen, Su Qing's eyes turned red one night.
She said, "Zhou Yuwen."
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
It was all in the past, Su Qing thought. As long as she seized this chance now, everything would be fine.
Zhou Yuwen remembered many things from before, but his feelings differed from Su Qing's. In retrospect, he realized that he had lost himself after starting a relationship with Su Qing. Was that okay?
Zhou Yuwen didn't know, but he knew he wouldn't let it happen again in his lifetime.
Later that month, the six thousand yuan from the business hall was deposited into Zhou Yuwen's account, giving him some rare downtime. He spent his days idling in the medical office, where he had Zheng Yanyan for company to help pass the time.
One day, Zheng Yanyan kept staring at Zhou Yuwen without saying anything.
Zhou Yuwen asked, "What are you doing?"
"Scumbag!" Zheng Yanyan bluntly accused him.
Zhou Yuwen was speechless. "How am I a scumbag?"
"Hmph, you're flirting with Su Qing on one hand, can't let go of Shen Yu on the other, and are still tangled up with Lu Lin. If that's not being a scumbag, then what is?" Zheng Yanyan scoffed, looking at him with disdain.
She wore her military training uniform, with her top unbuttoned, revealing a black camisole underneath. The skin below her neck was fair, with a slight rise where her chest began.
Since it was just the two of them in the medical office, Zheng Yanyan felt at ease and let her guard down.
Zhou Yuwen was exasperated. "How am I flirting with them? Did they tell you that? They were the ones who came to me!"
"And don't spread rumors. I have nothing to do with Lu Lin. Su Qing and Shen Yu are just friends."
"Heh! Friends, huh? Zhou Yuwen, you're shameless," Zheng Yanyan said with a snort.
Zhou Yuwen replied, "We are just friends. Aren't we friends, too?"
Zheng Yanyan almost fell for Zhou Yuwen's sincere expression but quickly snapped out of it and tossed her head. "Hmph, who's friends with you? You're such a bad person. You wouldn't even know if someone sold you out."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm the bad one. Go be friends with Chang Hao then."
Zhou Yuwen lay back on the camp bed, feeling bored.
"Hey, Zhou Yuwen, stop talking nonsense. Chang Hao and I are just friends!"
"Exactly, didn't I say that? We're good friends. What were you thinking?"
"You!"
Zheng Yanyan realized she was getting wrapped up in Zhou Yuwen's words. She huffed, "I won't talk to you anymore, scumbag!"
Zheng Yanyan had a lively personality, but Zhou Yuwen didn't mind. If she didn't want to talk, that was fine with him.
Just then, Zhou Yuwen's phone rang.
"Mm, got it."
After answering the call, Zhou Yuwen got up and left the medical office.
"Hey, where are you going?" Zheng Yanyan asked, curious about why Zhou Yuwen was always running around.
"Aren't you not talking to me?" Zhou Yuwen asked.
"..." Zheng Yanyan had no response to that.
For the past few days, Chang Hao and the others had been talking nonstop about food—Beijing's roast duck, Chaoshan's beef balls, Jinling's duck blood vermicelli—making Zhou Yuwen's mouth water.
Damn, it had been a month since he was reborn, and he'd spent that entire month eating in the school cafeteria. His taste buds were getting bored.
It was time to treat himself to something better.
Zhou Yuwen ordered a KFC Family Bucket for himself.
It took him twenty minutes to pick up the delivery.
He returned to the medical office.
At that moment, Zheng Yanyan was lying on the bed playing with her phone. When she saw Zhou Yuwen return, she initially wanted to ask where he'd been, but remembering his annoying attitude, she ignored him instead.
But then she caught a glimpse of something.
"Is that...KFC? Zhou Yuwen, how do you have KFC?" Zheng Yanyan sat up, beaming like she had just seen her long-lost father.
It was KFC!
After almost a month of eating nothing but cafeteria food, she couldn't believe her eyes—a bucket of KFC and a bottle of ice-cold Coke.
"Why are you so excited? What does it have to do with you?" Zhou Yuwen didn't plan to eat there. He was just grabbing his clothes, intending to sneak the KFC back to his dorm room for a private feast.
After wrapping the KFC in his military training uniform, Zhou Yuwen made to leave.
Zheng Yanyan realized that Zhou Yuwen was about to leave and stood up to block his way without thinking. "Where are you going?"
"Why do you care?"
"I don't care where you go, but leave the KFC here," Zheng Yanyan said, her eyes locked on the KFC.
"Heh! You wish!"