9 – “That depends on what water you’re drinking”
Collective punishment.
Two kilometers of morning run.
“I’m sorry,” Nian Yu apologized in a low voice.
He’d been so focused on not exceeding his time that he’d nearly knocked Song Yuan over with a sudden burst of speed—that was why she hadn’t made it into formation within three minutes, landing them both in this mess.
Song Yuan, who hated running more than anything in this world, mentally chanted: Not listening, not listening. Turtle chanting sutras.
“If you can run it for me, I’ll forgive you.”
Just saying sorry—what the hell was the point of that?
Nian Yu was left speechless. “I…”
He wanted to say something more.
Huo Yuzhou, leading the pack, heard the muttering behind him and said coldly, “You and you—step out!”
He pointed at Nian Yu and Song Yuan.
“Everyone else, keep running!”
Standing still, Song Yuan felt like she’d barely survived. Finally, it stopped.
Unlike her relief, Nian Yu met Huo Yuzhou’s icy gaze and sucked in a sharp breath, certain he was done for!
“Too light a punishment, so you’ve got room to gossip?”
“Skinny as a baby chick, and you haven’t even run two steps before you’re flapping your arms—trying to take off?”
“You—run two extra kilometers on the outer track. Don’t come back until you’re done!” He said to Nian Yu.
Song Yuan, standing nearby, let her mind go blank except for his voice, thinking—if he were panting in her ear like that, it might just get her pregnant!
But the next second, a bucket of cold water doused her fantasy—
“You—run five laps on the outer track!”
Song Yuan thought, he really has no sense of chivalry at all!
Run, huh?
She’d run him into the ground!
With a “we’re all going down” energy, she charged toward the outer track.
Nian Yu, just starting his run, felt something blur past him like a shot!
Huo Yuzhou, standing in place, watched Song Yuan’s figure intently. He knew exactly where her physical limits lay.
She’d trained in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing—all those self-defense moves.
So five laps wasn’t hard for her.
Meanwhile, on the training field, men from other squads doing weighted morning runs stared openly at that graceful silhouette, pink bubbles practically floating above their heads.
Last night’s collective punishment session had made Song Yuan famous overnight.
Word spread—the base had a stunning beauty, prettier than any movie star.
Tall and willowy, with skin so fair it seemed to glow.
Just looking at her was enough to kill a man!
Usually, there were always a few slowpokes trying to slack off during morning training, but today they’d arrived earlier than anyone, just to catch a glimpse of Song Yuan, feast their eyes—a little thirst-quenching.
Huo Yuzhou took in their hyped-up energy, frowned slightly, and then his stern voice cut through—”All squads except the new members—add five kilometers to your training!”
“No one eats until you’re done!”
Hearing this disaster, everyone’s eyes went wide, their pink bubbles popping in an instant. No one had any idea who’d pissed off the Cold King of Hell.
When the new trainees finished their two-kilometer morning run, Huo Yuzhou had them stand in place.
Within two or three minutes, Song Yuan had run five laps alone, her breathing only slightly uneven, a fine sheen of sweat on the tip of her nose. She stood outside the formation and reported for re-entry.
Huo Yuzhou acknowledged with a grunt. “Mm. Get in.”
Back in formation, Song Yuan stared at him. After those five laps, her urge to get him into bed had inexplicably risen another notch!
Nearly an hour later, a gasping Nian Yu finally rejoined the formation.
Huo Yuzhou gave the order. “Dismissed!”
“Assemble here in two hours.”
Everyone finally let go of the tension and headed back to the dorms to wash up.
Sweaty from the early morning run.
Song Yuan took a quick shower. When she came out, she ran into Xu Su, and the two headed to the cafeteria together.
On the way, a chorus of synchronized chants rang out.
Xu Su turned to look and called out to Song Yuan, “Sis, look—men!”
The running tracks were usually separated, but their group was new, with different intensity levels, so they’d had their own field. Now that they were dismissed, several other squads had moved onto this field.
Song Yuan immediately looked over—
The wild men still training on the track were all shirtless, muscles stacked, with sharp buzz cuts and striking features, wearing camo pants and black combat boots—long legs, narrow waists. It was like stepping into heaven.
No male model could compare to real men with real combat experience!
And when Song Yuan, standing there, looked over, they seemed to notice too.
The chants grew louder and more fervent.
Like they’d been injected with adrenaline.
In the office, He Chuan was puzzled. Those little wolves were never this fired up on a normal day. “Earthquake?”
With that, he got up and walked to the window to check.
This wasn’t an earthquake—it was a full-on peacock display!
He Chuan laughed, looking at Huo Yuzhou sitting on the sofa. “Third Brother, not coming to take a look?”
“Those little brats are about to steal your girl.”
Huo Yuzhou said nothing, just got up and walked out.
He Chuan saw this and asked, “Where are you going?”
Huo Yuzhou said, “Out for breakfast.”
But within moments, there wasn’t a single shirtless man on the field. Everyone had their clothes on, perfectly neat.
And the base even gained a new rule—
Anyone caught dressing improperly again would run ten kilometers naked!
Upon entering the cafeteria, Song Yuan got her meal and had just sat down when the male entertainers who hadn’t had a chance to greet her yesterday swarmed around her, vying for her attention.
Jiang Zhi said bluntly, “You’re really beautiful.”
Song Yuan was equally direct. “If you want to strike up a conversation, you could say something I don’t already know.”
She’d heard that line since she was a child—it held no novelty whatsoever.
Peng You, who lacked any social tact, chimed in, “Honestly, if you don’t make it big as an actress, I’d suggest you consider switching to modeling.”
Song Yuan heard him trying to dictate her career path. “If modeling could make you famous, you wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation with me.”
Peng You defended himself, “I’m just offering a suggestion.”
He was a man with strong chauvinistic tendencies, having dated plenty of girlfriends on the strength of his looks, and considered himself quite the catch—until he ran into the hard nut that was Song Yuan.
Song Yuan gave a contemptuous smile. She hated this kind of behavior more than anything. “If you love giving advice so much, why not go get a medical license?”
“Then you could give advice at work every day.”
Peng You was left speechless, completely shut down.
Qiu Bowen, who had enough experience in the industry to know better, saw the situation and immediately tried to smooth things over. “We still have training in a bit—save your energy.”
Nian Yu, who was dead tired, had nearly bitten through the bottom of his tray. While everyone else was just starting their meal, he was already scraping the last bite.
Song Yuan was never one to swallow her pride for the sake of peace. She picked up her tray and moved to find another seat.
Just then, A Dong spotted her looking for a place to sit and raised his hand to call her over. “There’s a seat here.”
Song Yuan looked over, trying to figure out who this person was. She rifled through her memory and it clicked—the kind guy who’d helped her carry her luggage!
That day, he’d hauled two big suitcases up the stairs all by himself.
Not a single word of complaint, and he’d flashed her a big grin the whole time.
Song Yuan walked over and sat down. Glancing at the unfamiliar faces around her, she asked, “Isn’t the guy who came with you to pick us up last time here?”
Hearing her mention A-Jin, A Dong said, “The boss transferred him to another district.”
Song Yuan was curious and pressed further, “The boss—is that the head instructor?”
A Dong confirmed, “Yeah, the one leading your team. Actually, I’m pretty curious about that too. The boss never takes on training new recruits, but surprisingly, he’s leading the team you just joined.”
Song Yuan asked, “So does he have a girlfriend?”
A Dong shook his head. “Never heard of one.”
Song Yuan curled her lips into a smile and said nothing more.
Seeing this, A Dong’s eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice to ask, “Are you into our boss?”
Song Yuan answered, “Yeah, I like him.”
And she wanted to sleep with him too.
A Dong looked a bit awkward, unsure how to break it to her, but he said it anyway. “That might be a tough one, actually. The boss has always been detached from worldly desires and keeps his distance from women.”
“Is that so?” Song Yuan thought—that just meant he was a man of integrity.
Which made her want to sleep with him even more.
A Dong nodded very seriously. “I’m not lying to you.”
Just then, Huo Yuzhou walked into the cafeteria and caught sight of A Dong and Song Yuan huddled together, laughing and chatting.
A Dong’s gaze swept across the room and locked with his. His body stiffened, and he immediately stood up to greet him. “Boss, the pumpkin porridge is really good today. Let me get you a bowl.”
Huo Yuzhou refused coldly, “No need.”
He grabbed a bottle of water and walked out of the cafeteria.
When Song Yuan finished her meal and stepped outside, she saw the head instructor not far away on the phone. Without a second thought, she walked over.
As soon as she got close, Huo Yuzhou hung up the moment he heard her footsteps.
Song Yuan glanced at the mineral water bottle by his feet, a third of it already drunk. “Not eating, just drinking water?”
“Or is it that you only like drinking water?”
Huo Yuzhou replied, “That depends on what kind of water it is.”