Chapter 2

The next day was temporarily uneventful.

During the morning experimental class, after it ended, Huang Youyi^[1]FL’s friend slyly pulled Youyi^[2]FL into the dorm room, saying she had something interesting to show her.

Once inside the dorm room, she locked the door and drew the curtains.

The room went dark.

Then she turned on the computer.

Huang Youyi was excited, talking as she opened the computer: “Again, again, I have to tell you, this film is highly recommended online. They say it’s super thrilling!”

Before Huang Youyi opened the film, Youyii wasn’t quite sure what she was talking about.

She took out a USB drive, opened several folders, and finally found it.

—”365 Days of XXXX.”

Huang Youyi plugged in the headphones, gave one to Youyi, and started the film.

Before they began, Huang Youyi gave a warning that some scenes might be very explicit and intense.

How intense?

Youyi was curious.

Huang Youyi sighed softly.

I’m so sinful.

Bringing the school beauty to watch this.

Huang Youyi curled up her legs on the chair, leaned back, and took Youyi’s hand.

To Huang Youyi, love and desire are equal from the start; she didn’t see anything wrong with it.

On an equal level, they could both bring pleasure.

This American drama didn’t have as many explicit or vulgar scenes as some films do, but it still had a powerful impact on the senses, just as Huang Youyi described—

Very exciting.

There was a five-minute gap in between, and Youyi blushed just by looking at it.

Oh my God, this man full of hormones is so fierce.

The male and female leads were locked in a fierce struggle, a match of equals.

Youyi looked a bit dazed.

Huang Youyi turned and pinched her arm.

When Huang Youyi saw her expression, she seemed frightened.

She suddenly felt a bit regretful.

“Again, is this too scary?”

Youyi came to her senses, furrowed her brow, and nodded.

Then she seemed to remember something and shook her head.

Huang Youyi was confused by her nodding and shaking her head.

“What?” she asked.

“It’s very scary,” Youyi commented softly.

Her voice was light, with a trembling note at the end. Her fingers tightened by her side as she added quietly, “But there are even scarier things.”

“Really? Do you have any recommendations?” Huang Youyi’s eyes lit up.

Youyi’s mind flashed with images.

Arms trapping her at the waist, able to lift her with just one hand, his entire body strong enough to cover her completely, speaking in a muffled voice, powerful, indifferent, and unstoppable.

Waves crashing on the shore, surging and invasive.

The sensation was intense.

“I don’t have any,” Youyi shook her head, her pale neck flushing with a strange redness. She shook her head again, “No recommendations.”

Only Huang Youyi occasionally dragged her to watch these kinds of things. As for her, she wasn’t as knowledgeable and wouldn’t seek out such things herself.

Huang Youyi waved her hand and turned off the film.

“Ah, if there aren’t any, there aren’t. Why is your face so red?”

The ending wasn’t great. She heard there were second and third parts. Huang Youyi thought about when she would have a chance to watch those too.

Huang Youyi said, “Once I’ve watched them, if they’re good, I’ll definitely share them with you.”

She stood up, then remembered the photo she posted in the group yesterday and asked quietly, “Does your Chief Instructor neighbor have a better figure than the male lead? Is he also more handsome?”

Youyi shook her head. “I don’t know.”

She hadn’t really looked at Fu Cheng closely.

Huang Youyi wrinkled her nose, noticing Youyi’s reluctance to talk about him, and teased, “I know, you’re not familiar with him.”

*

At three o’clock in the afternoon, the weather forecast showed sunny, thirty-eight degrees, and a high temperature warning.

The playground was lined with formation after formation of freshmen suffering through military training.

These instructors were from the armed forces, each extremely strict, demanding that the students maintain military posture.

With the sun so harsh, there was hardly any shade on the playground.

The students were miserable.

The only consolation was that when the Chief Instructor arrived, they could steal glances at him.

Fu Cheng stood on the playground at that moment.

He stood very straight, his face expressionless, like a block of ice amidst the scorching heat.

“What are you looking at? What’s so interesting?” A Third Battalion instructor, noticing a few girls glancing toward Fu Cheng, scolded them, “Do you want the Chief Instructor to come and lead you?”

No one dared to speak, though some muttered “Yes” in response.

The instructor scoffed, “Do you think the Chief Instructor is here to make you look good? If he came, he’d be a hundred times stricter than me!”

His methods would be far more terrifying.

Applying them to these students would be unbearable.

“Really, I’m grateful that you’re willing to lead these kids,” Zhu Hongzhi, standing straight behind Fu Cheng, remarked. Although he wasn’t a student undergoing military training, he dared not breathe a word in front of Fu Cheng.

The former major, before retiring, was an army commander. Now he runs a company that mainly handles school military training, corporate training, and military summer camps. Zhu Hongzhi had specially invited him to make this training more standardized and disciplined.

Of course, having Fu Cheng in charge was ideal.

He also hoped for further collaboration.

Zhu Hongzhi said respectfully, “Please, have a seat in the office for a while.”

The medical school building, a new addition from the past two years, stood next to them. Zhu Hongzhi had invited Fu Cheng over to discuss other matters.

They were waiting for the elevator on the first floor, with the stairs just to the right.

“Youyi, just listen to me,” Du Li said, following closely behind her. She walked quickly, and he kept pace with her every step.

“Tell me what I’m doing wrong. I’m willing to change for you.”

Du Li believed no one could like Ding Youyi more than he did. He had persistently pursued her for six months without giving up, thinking that persistent effort would eventually pay off.

If only he could try a little harder.

Youyi was extremely annoyed.

She had only one class in the afternoon, and now she was being cornered by Du Li. She wasn’t even sure how to get home.

“Youyi.” Du Li called out to her again.

Youyi felt like covering her ears.

Annoying as a catfish reciting scriptures.

Fu Cheng glanced over.

His eyes swept across Ding Youyi and then settled on the boy behind her.

He was a bit thin, around 175 cm tall, with a gaze fixed intensely on Youyi, showing a very fervent admiration.

Fu Cheng’s expression darkened as he looked back at Ding Youyi.

Youyi noticed him too.

His gaze was so imposing that even without speaking, it felt like a heavy stone pressing down on her.

She was startled to see Fu Cheng here, her heart racing. Her steps faltered, and she even forgot about Du Li behind her.

Zhu Hongzhi received a phone call about an urgent matter and, upon turning around, noticed Ding Youyi.

“Student Ding, could you please take the Chief Instructor to my office?”

After saying this, he apologized to Fu Cheng and hurriedly left.

Youyi was stunned.

She was now in a situation with trouble in front and behind.

The elevator dinged.

Fu Cheng stepped into the elevator, noticing that Ding Youyi was still dazed. He coldly said, “Aren’t you coming?”

“Oh.” Youyi replied, her head down, and slowly entered.

“Which floor?” Fu Cheng asked.

“Sixth… Sixth floor.” Youyi’s voice was trembling.

“Youyi, I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Du Li called out, not forgetting to say goodbye until the elevator door closed, leaving just the two of them.

Youyi tried to stand at the back, keeping her head down, and avoided looking at Fu Cheng’s face.

“Are you so afraid of me?” Fu Cheng turned around and saw her practically huddled in the corner. He said coldly, “Stand up straight.”

Youyi obediently stood up straight.

It wasn’t just fear of him.

Fu Cheng seemed emotionally detached and had a powerful, natural control, as if he would never show compassion for anything.

But compared to him, Youyi disliked Du Li more.

That clingy nuisance was truly the worst.

About half a year ago, Ding Youyi participated in a cultural performance at the academy, dancing a classical dance. The next day, Du Li was waiting at her dorm door, asking for her WeChat and expressing his feelings for her.

The most outrageous part was that he organized a public confession event, setting up a circle of roses on the playground and using a microphone to shout, asking Ding Youyi to be his girlfriend.

His friends even live-streamed the event.

The crowd urged her to agree, and Ding Youyi was mortified.

He was the epitome of a clingy pest. No matter how many times she rejected him, he never gave up, believing that persistence would eventually win her over.

Moreover, someone like him, if pushed too far, might even resort to extreme measures.

That was what terrified Youyi the most.

When the elevator doors opened, the office was at the end of the hallway.

As Youyi was thinking about Du Li, she wondered how she would get home if he was waiting downstairs. Could she return with Fu Cheng?

No… Fu Cheng probably wouldn’t agree.

Youyi was troubled and conflicted, when a sharp voice from above interrupted her: “Watch where you’re going.”

She suddenly stopped, realizing she had nearly walked into a railing.

“Thank you,” Youyi said, her heart racing with fear.

From Fu Cheng’s tone, it seemed he was still angry.

“So, you like that kind of person?” Fu Cheng said coldly, sneering, “A thin monkey?”

He was skinny and small, and his appearance was just average.

What?

Was he referring to Du Li?

A pang of inexplicable bitterness rose in Youyi’s heart. Despite her fear of him…

Just like the drunk man who had followed her home, Du Li’s presence brought her fear comparable to the enormous shadow of that summer.

It was the kind of fear that could wake her from a nightmare.

It might not be right to say this, but being attractive had, in a way, become a burden in her life.

Youyi looked down and softly denied, “No.”

But there were things she didn’t dare to discuss with Fu Cheng.

She wasn’t sure if he would help her, or if he even wanted to get involved in her matters.

After all… they were just neighbors.

“Now that we have arrived, you can leave.” Fu Cheng stopped at the doorway, his dark eyes revealing little emotion.

 Fu Cheng said, stopping at the door, his dark eyes revealing little emotion.

He could see that she was scared of him.

Since that was the case, some things were unnecessary.