Chapter 10

At the end of September, with the arrival of autumn breezes, the short semester began.

In the past, the short semester started at the end of August, just before school began. This year, it was moved to the end of September. For one week, new military training activities were introduced.

Two hundred people from the medical school participated, heading to a military training base on the outskirts of the city.

At the end of September, Shenglin had shed its sweltering heat. Compared to two weeks ago, the weather was much more comfortable.

As she got on the bus, Huang Youyi was still sighing as she patted her own face.

“The academy really likes to create trouble. Why can’t I just stay in the dorm and play games with the air conditioner? Why do we have to go out into the wild?”

She was weak and couldn’t handle it well.

Sheng Sheng leaned against the window, stretching her neck to look outside. Seeing the tall figure at the front, her eyes lit up. She turned around excitedly and said, “Fu Cheng is the chief instructor.”

In that case, at least for this week, her eyes would be well taken care of.

“That’s not necessarily a good thing,” Tian Ning said, giving Sheng Sheng a light pat and reminding her, “You didn’t see him during the freshman military training last year. He’s terrifying, completely merciless. He’ll make us suffer.”

Huang Youyi nodded, agreeing with her.

“By the way, did you bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent?” Huang Youyi turned to ask Youyi, “I heard there are a lot of mosquitoes at the base, and they love to bite sweet-smelling girls like you.”

Youyi nodded. Of course, she had brought them.

She had naturally fair skin, and even if she got tanned, it would quickly return to its original state with some care. This was probably her most envied skill.

Sheng Sheng also wished she had it.

She had recently used a lot of beauty products, which were finally showing some effect. She didn’t want all her efforts to go to waste on this trip.

Becoming fairer was a lifelong goal for her.

Sheng Sheng linked arms with Youyi and closed her eyes.

There were still two hours left on the bus. She was prone to motion sickness, so she couldn’t look around or use her phone. It was better to close her eyes and sleep.

By the time she woke up, they would have arrived.

Youyi couldn’t fall asleep.

Her phone buzzed, and when she checked, it was a message from Fu Cheng.

Fu Cheng: [What time did you go to bed last night?]

Youyi pulled her hand from Sheng Sheng’s grasp and replied: [11 PM.]

She had started packing after class yesterday, knowing she might be very tired today, so she went to bed early.

He didn’t reply after that.

Youyi turned off her phone.

They arrived at the base at 11 AM.

As soon as Youyi got off the bus, a boy helped her with her luggage. They went in to collect their uniforms and basic supplies. A message was sent to everyone, giving them half an hour to drop off their luggage and change clothes. Half an hour later, they were to assemble at the camp training field.

Sheng Sheng was in a panic. As soon as they entered, she took out sunscreen spray and sprayed it all over her exposed skin.

She thought they would have lunch first, but everything was happening so quickly, with no time to adjust.

Youyi changed into her clothes and then stood in front of the mirror, carefully braiding her hair.

Long hair would be inconvenient for training, and since she had just done her hair, she was being careful with it. She braided it and then tied it up at the back of her head, putting on a hat.

Just as she finished, the assembly whistle blew outside.

Under the noon sun, which made it hard to keep her eyes open, the two hundred people were divided into teams by class, each led by their instructor.

Fu Cheng stood at the very front.

He wore dark green military attire, his belt accentuating his slim waist, and his legs were exceptionally long. His back was straight, his expression stern. When his gaze swept over, it was commanding and intimidating.

With just one look, everyone below stood rigid, not daring to move.

“I’m Fu Cheng, twenty-eight years old, and a retired soldier.”

He spoke in a cold, commanding voice, “For this week, I will be your chief instructor.”

“Once you enter the camp, everything will be managed militarily. You just need to remember to follow orders and obey commands!”

He paused and then said sternly, “Do you understand?”

“Yes!” came the unified reply from below.

“Good. Now, we’ll start with thirty minutes of standing practice. You can only eat after the practice is over.”

It was already noon, and everyone was hungry. After sitting on the bus for so long, they were exhausted, and now they had to stand for half an hour before lunch.

But in front of Fu Cheng, no one dared to complain.

Fu Cheng stood by, his posture perfectly straight, like a sturdy pine tree. For him, standing for thirty minutes was a breeze.

The outdoor breeze was lighter and cooler than in the city, and the sun occasionally hid behind the clouds, offering brief moments of relief.

Finally, thirty minutes passed.

Fu Cheng issued the command: “Dismissed!”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Youyi’s calves ached from standing so long.

She hadn’t had such intense training in a while. Standing for so long all of a sudden was a bit too much for her.

She squatted down and rubbed her calves. As she stood up, a pair of long legs appeared in front of her.

Fu Cheng’s gaze was cold as he scanned her. Seeing the fine sweat on her forehead and her flushed cheeks, he noted that she was already struggling after just half an hour.

Youyi stood up.

Everyone was heading towards the cafeteria, and no one paid attention to them.

“Straighten your uniform,” Fu Cheng said coldly.

Youyi was taken aback, looking down at her outfit, not seeing anything wrong.

She blinked, a bit puzzled.

Fu Cheng reached out and adjusted her belt, then smoothed out a folded corner of her uniform.

His fingers pressed against her waist as he adjusted the belt. Despite this being a simple adjustment, Youyi could only shy away slightly.

Military uniforms are solemn and precise. Every detail matters.

Youyi frowned.

It wasn’t just her who was out of place, yet he singled her out.

“I understand,” Youyi said sulkily.

“This afternoon is shooting practice. Make sure to wear your protective gear,” Fu Cheng instructed in his usual stern tone.

“Youyi, it’s time to eat,” a male voice called from ahead. It was her classmate, Wei Jing.

“Huang Youyi asked me to find you,” he said, running up to her.

After standing for thirty minutes, they were exhausted. When Huang Youyi’s group reached the cafeteria, they realized she hadn’t caught up and didn’t have the energy to go back and find her.

“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” Youyi replied and followed Wei Jing.

*

At three o’clock in the afternoon, shooting training began on time at the shooting training ground.

They hadn’t done actual shooting during their military training, so everyone was excited to finally handle real guns.

“Youyi, I heard from Wei Jing that Fu Cheng scolded you after the standing practice this morning?”

Huang Youyi, approaching her with concern, asked, “Why did he single you out?”

Despite praising Fu Cheng’s looks, it turned out that good looks were worthless compared to his strict nature.

He really was intimidating, with a fearsome presence at first glance.

Youyi looked confused and shook her head, denying, “He didn’t scold me.”

Huang Youyi knew they were neighbors, though not very familiar. Still, even if they lived opposite each other, Fu Cheng shouldn’t treat Youyi harshly in private.

Youyi was such a good person. She shouldn’t be scolded.

Youyi explained, “He really didn’t. He just said my uniform wasn’t neat.”

After Fu Cheng demonstrated the techniques, he had the teams practice in groups.

It was Youyi’s first time handling a gun. She carefully followed the instructions, but her strength was insufficient, and the recoil was too strong. After firing, she couldn’t keep the gun steady and missed the target.

Out of ten people in her group, she was the only one who missed.

Youyi didn’t believe it, tried again, but still missed.

“You’re too skinny,” Fu Cheng said as he observed her movements. “You can’t even hold the gun steady, how can you hit the target?”

She was indeed thin, with delicate arms and legs that seemed easily breakable.

Fu Cheng grabbed her wrist, adjusted her right hand, and placed it on the gun’s stock. With her strength insufficient, she had to use her body to stabilize the recoil as much as possible.

Fu Cheng’s expression was stern. “Now, aim.”

Youyi focused intently on the center of the target. After aiming and firing, she finally hit the target this time.

Youyi initially just wanted to try, not expecting to do well.

She looked displeased at Fu Cheng and muttered, “Stop watching me all the time. There are so many people here, and I’m not the only one.”

Fu Cheng replied, “If you can’t even be taught properly, how can I teach others?”

Youyi said, “But I’m a medical student. Learning this won’t be useful for me.”

Fu Cheng’s tone was cold. “Since you’re here, you should learn seriously.”

The academy sent them for military training to build their willpower and broaden their horizons. Whether or not they would use these skills, they should take the opportunity to learn well.

Fu Cheng added, “Otherwise, you’ll have extra practice.”

Youyi frowned deeply.

He was being unfair.

She hadn’t provoked him recently, and they had been getting along fine.

Feeling resentful, Youyi could only murmur, “Got it.”

Huang Youyi who was nervously watching from behind, clutched Sheng Sheng’s hand and whispered, “Does he just pick on Youyi because he thinks she’s easy to bully?”

Huang Youyi tightened her grip on Sheng Sheng’s hand and peered ahead. “Is Youyi about to cry from his scolding?”

“Oh, poor Youyi.”

Sheng Sheng’s hand was sore from Huang Youyi’s grip.

“She hasn’t been scolded. The chief instructor is just strict. He probably won’t scold people without reason.”

After a while,

Huang Youyi said, “He’s not just being strict! He even made Youyi stay behind for extra practice!”

When everyone else had left, Fu Cheng began to teach Youyi personally.

His arm reached over, and through the military uniform, she could feel the lines and muscles of his arm. He repeated the instructions to Youyi, and sweat trickled down her forehead, dropping onto his wrist and leaving a mark.

She glanced at it, but Fu Cheng seemed oblivious.

He used his elbow to support her, leaned in close, and whispered “Start” in her ear. Immediately after, a shot was fired, hitting the eight-ring.

Youyi was startled, unable to believe what she saw.

Indeed, her strength was too weak.

With Fu Cheng helping her control the recoil, her aiming movements started to have some effect.

Otherwise, each time she failed to control the recoil, it made her look like a joke.

But hitting the target felt good, providing a sense of achievement.

Youyi couldn’t help but smile.

“Target practice isn’t just about military training. It can enhance your focus and improve your physical fitness. It’s meant to help you, not harm you,” Fu Cheng explained.

He paused, then coldly remarked, “If you’re in poor physical condition and don’t exercise…”

“Who says I’m in poor physical condition?” Youyi retorted, feeling indignant. She turned to glare at him, thinking his comment was an unfair slander.

She wasn’t that bad—she could run 800 meters in four minutes, which was average or even good. Many in her class couldn’t even complete the run.

In her sophomore year, she chose basketball for physical education and even participated in a real game at the end of the semester, which they won.

As for her lack of strength, it was something she couldn’t help. Her naturally small frame meant she couldn’t build much strength.

Fu Cheng pressed his fingertip on her palm, the calluses on his hand making her skin sting. He stood straight, his voice low and firm.

“Do you think I don’t know about your physical condition?”