The faint scent of disinfectant filled the air.
Jiang Chen slowly opened her eyes.
White walls, sky-blue bedsheets, and a handsome face filled with anxiety.
“Thank goodness, you’re finally awake.” Seeing Jiang Chen regain consciousness, the boy finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.
“What happened to me…”
Jiang Chen struggled to sit up, only to be hit by another wave of intense dizziness.
“Don’t get up, you have heatstroke.” The boy reacted quickly, supporting Jiang Chen firmly. “This is the school clinic. You need to rest properly now.”
“Thank you.”
“Um… sorry about that.” The boy awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose. “I really didn’t know you girls could be so physically weak.”
“……” Jiang Chen was speechless.
This guy really doesn’t know how to talk.
“This is my first time leading freshmen military training, so the intensity might have been a bit too high. If I caused you any trouble, I formally apologize.” As he spoke, the boy stuffed several bags of food into Jiang Chen’s arms. “The nurse said you’re too thin and need to replenish your nutrients. I don’t know what you girls like to eat, so I just bought some random things.”
“No need, you’re too kind.” Jiang Chen was overwhelmed by the gesture and repeatedly declined.
“Don’t be polite with me. This was my fault to begin with.” The boy laughed heartily, revealing a row of white teeth. “I’m Du Cheng. What’s your name?”
“Jiang Chen.”
“Jiang Chen, I’ve already spoken with the nurse. She’ll take care of you.” He gave Jiang Chen’s shoulder a firm pat. “Rest well then. I need to get back to training.”
The first day of training ended.
“Jiang Chen, I’m sorry, it’s all because of me.” Cao Lin threw herself into Jiang Chen’s arms, tears and snot streaming down her face. “I made you faint, I’m sorry, really sorry.”
“If you’re really sorry, then lose some weight and stop being so greedy all the time!” Zhang Meng chimed in.
“I’ll lose weight, I definitely will. I’m sorry, Jiang Chen, I caused you trouble.” Cao Lin sobbed.
“It’s not that exaggerated.” Jiang Chen smiled and pinched Cao Lin’s cheek. “Your round face is really cute.”
“Jiang Chen, are you still feeling unwell?” Yang Ying asked with concern.
“I’m fine.” Jiang Chen waved her arm. “Already bouncing around.”
“Wow, there’s so much delicious food.” Cao Lin, sharp-eyed as ever, pointed at the several large bags of food. “Jiang Chen, where did these come from?”
“Instructor Du bought them.” Jiang Chen answered honestly.
“Oh my god! He actually bought you so much food!” Cao Lin’s eyes sparkled. “He was the one who carried you to the hospital when you fainted earlier. So lucky! I wish Instructor Du would carry me too, I want to be alone with him~”
“With your weight, Instructor Du might not be able to carry you.” Zhang Meng unceremoniously poured cold water on her fantasy. “He’d probably need a trolley.”
“You!!”
The two began ‘wrestling’ again.
The next day.
The four of them arrived at the training ground early.
“He’s so handsome! Out of all the instructors, I spotted our Instructor Du right away! He’s just like a male model!” Cao Lin started daydreaming again.
“Morning, how are you feeling today?” Du Cheng took the initiative to greet Jiang Chen.
“Thank you for your concern, Instructor Du. I’m fine now.”
“Don’t you need another day of rest?”
“No, I can participate in training normally.”
“Good.” Du Cheng laughed, his voice bright and clear. “Then fall in line.”
“I’m so jealous, Instructor Du came over just to check on you.” Cao Lin said with a look of envy.
“Alright, wipe that drool off your face.” Jiang Chen replied helplessly.
The training nights were spent under the starry sky.
During breaks, everyone chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.
“Instructor Du, how old are you?” a girl asked loudly.
“I’m twenty this year, probably older than all of you.” The boy’s lips curved into a smile, revealing a set of white teeth. “You can call me Instructor Du during training, but in private, just call me Brother Du.”
“Brother Du, do you have a girlfriend?” another girl asked, her face flushed.
The girls burst into laughter, all staring intently at Du Cheng, eagerly awaiting his answer.
Du Cheng’s handsome face turned slightly red. He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
“Single, never had a girlfriend.”
“Have you ever had a boyfriend?”
“What kind of girl do you like? Or what kind of boy do you like?”
As the students’ questions grew more and more pointed, Du Cheng’s cheeks grew redder and redder.
“Brother Du, how about you put on a show for us?” a boy suggested.
“Alright. I’ll do a set of punches for you.” Du Cheng agreed readily this time.
He took a deep breath, planted his feet firmly, and his arm muscles bulged as his fists cut through the air with a whooshing sound. Then, he leaped up, sweeping his leg sideways. Every move was as swift as the wind and as fast as lightning.
The entire crowd held their breath, and even students from neighboring classes gathered around.
When the demonstration ended, thunderous applause echoed across the training ground.
“So cool!! Instructor Du is so cool!!”
The girls screamed wildly.
Cao Lin tightly gripped Jiang Chen’s arm, her eyes welling up with tears of excitement. “Jiang Chen, Instructor Du is so cool!! How can there be such a perfect handsome guy?!”
Jiang Chen stared blankly at Du Cheng, who was surrounded in the center. He smiled with confidence and boldness, as if he were glowing.
Suddenly, Du Cheng seemed to sense Jiang Chen’s gaze. He quickly turned his head, his eyes cutting through the crowd and accurately meeting hers.
Their eyes met.
Jiang Chen’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively lowered her head.
Even she didn’t understand why she had to hide.
The day’s training finally came to an end.
Cao Lin stretched wearily. “I’m so hungry, how about we go out to eat something?”
“Let’s have spicy hot pot,” Zhang Meng suggested.
“Sure! I’m hungry too!” Yang Ying nodded.
“You guys go ahead, I’m not very hungry. I’ll head back first,” Jiang Chen said with a smile.
After seeing the three off, Jiang Chen headed toward the dormitory.
As she walked, she began to feel something was off.
Whether it was an illusion or not, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following her.
Jiang Chen didn’t say a word. She quickened her pace and slipped into a corner.
Sure enough, not long after, a tall figure hurriedly followed.
“Huh, where did she go?” The boy scratched his head, looking annoyed. “Lost her?”
“Why are you following me?” Jiang Chen appeared silently behind the boy.
The boy was startled.
It was Du Cheng.
Jiang Chen was visibly taken aback. “Why were you following me?”
“I… you… they…” Du Cheng’s ears flushed bright red. “I… I just saw your roommates go out. You had heatstroke yesterday, right? I was worried you might not feel well, so… so I thought I’d escort you back to the dormitory.”
At this point, Du Cheng’s ears were frighteningly red. Afraid that Jiang Chen might misunderstand, he frantically waved his hands and said, “I, I’m not a pervert, don’t be scared. I don’t have a habit of stalking, you, you must believe me.”
Jiang Chen was amused by Du Cheng’s silly demeanor.
“Thank you, Brother Du.”
Gazing at the girl’s flower-like smile, Du Cheng’s heart raced.
He sniffled, somewhat flustered as he scratched his coarse black hair. “It’s getting late, so, you should hurry upstairs.”
With that, he dashed away as if fleeing for his life, accidentally knocking over a nearby trash can in the process.
Jiang Chen doubled over with laughter.