Chapter 13

Youyi’s gaze swept over his back before she slowly extended her hand, placing it on his shoulder. As soon as she did, Fu Cheng hooked his arm under her legs and effortlessly lifted her up.

His solid muscles pressed against her soft skin, creating a stark contrast. Youyi rested her hands on his shoulders, her chin inevitably brushing against the back of his neck. She bit her lip lightly and turned her head to the side.

“Did my roommates send you to find me?” Youyi asked.

Fu Cheng replied, “Yes.”

In truth, they didn’t have to send him. Fu Cheng had been monitoring Ding Youyi’s location all along.

She had been separated from the other three for long stretches of time, which worried him, prompting him to come looking for her.

“Where are we going now?” Youyi asked.

“The camp.”

“How far is it?”

“Not far, just five kilometers.”

Youyi was thinking. She had just overheard Huang Youyi and the others mention that it was only two kilometers, so either she had misheard or they hadn’t read the map correctly.

If it was five kilometers, walking would take over an hour, not to mention that Fu Cheng would be carrying her the entire way.

Feeling concerned, Youyi said, “If it’s this far, maybe you should put me down.”

Fu Cheng’s arm, still firmly supporting her legs, didn’t falter. He continued to stride forward without any intention of letting her go.

“You think I don’t have enough stamina for something like this?”

Fu Cheng added, “Just stay put.”

Her weight was barely more than what he typically carried during weighted training exercises. Carrying her for five kilometers was hardly a challenge—he could even carry her while doing strength training without an issue.

Youyi rested her chin on his shoulder, her angle allowing her to observe his side profile. His nose was high and defined, his features sharp, and his brow furrowed with determination. There was a unique wildness to him.

She obediently stayed quiet after that.

Fu Cheng didn’t consult the map. He was very familiar with the route and direction. As she remained on his back, Youyi finally had the presence of mind to take in the scenery around them.

Surrounded by trees, the sound of a stream could be heard, and sunlight filtered through the leaves. The warmth of the sun transformed into a gentle coolness as it passed through the greenery. Youyi closed her eyes, feeling the soft breeze on her face.

After about thirty minutes of walking, the path started to narrow. Youyi, who had her eyes closed for a while, noticed that branches and leaves from the bushes on either side occasionally brushed against her arm. She frowned, but Fu Cheng seemed to sense her discomfort. As they walked, he shifted his body slightly to shield her from the overgrown branches.

The small branches hit his body instead.

The five kilometers took eighty minutes, and Fu Cheng carried her the whole way. For him, it seemed as though the journey hadn’t drained any of his energy.

He carried her so effortlessly along the route. His broad shoulders exuded strength, and Youyi felt more at peace on his back than she had ever been before.

Fu Cheng really could protect her well.

The moment she fully realized this, she knew she had never doubted it for a second.

The campsite was large, with tents sparsely scattered around. No one else had arrived yet. Fu Cheng set her down in front of a tent.

He fetched some iodine, cotton swabs, and wipes, squatting in front of her. Holding her ankle with one hand, he started cleaning her wound.

Her ankle had traces of dirt, which Fu Cheng wiped away bit by bit, even cleaning between her toes. His rough fingers brushed against her foot, making it tickle slightly. Despite his large movements, he was careful not to exert too much pressure.

Youyi curled her toes, and Fu Cheng paused, looking up at her. “Does it hurt?”

Youyi shook her head. “It tickles a little.”

Her skin was sensitive, especially the soles of her feet.

Feeling a little aggrieved, Youyi said, “We ran five kilometers yesterday and trained for so long. My legs are killing me.”

Fu Cheng didn’t respond, but he placed his palm on her calf and gently massaged it.

His hand was warm, and the rough texture of his calloused fingers somehow felt incredibly soothing as he kneaded her sore muscles, slowly easing the tension.

After massaging her left leg, he moved on to her right.

Fu Cheng squatted in front of her with an intense focus, not showing the slightest hint of impatience.

Though he rarely spoke and often seemed cold and stern, under that aloof exterior, Youyi could sense his quiet tenderness.

Just then, someone arrived outside. Fu Cheng picked Youyi up and carried her into the tent, pulling down the flap, sealing them into a small, private space.

This tent seemed to be specifically for Fu Cheng, slightly larger than the others, but given his height and build, it still appeared a bit cramped.

From his pocket, he pulled out a small packet of cakes and a bottle of milk.

For outdoor activities like this, most people brought compressed biscuits to save space and energy. However, the cake smelled soft and fresh, as if it had just been baked.

Fu Cheng unwrapped the cake and handed it to her.

He held the milk, unscrewed the cap, and when she was ready to drink, he brought the bottle to her lips.

After eating, the sweetness lingered on Youyi’s tongue.

Now full, and with the soreness in her legs greatly eased, Youyi began to feel the drowsiness of the afternoon. She asked Fu Cheng softly, “Can I sleep?”

Fu Cheng nodded. “Of course.”

The tent’s setup was simple, with just a thin mat that wasn’t exactly comfortable to lie on. As Youyi tried to settle down, she tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position.

There was also an inexplicable sense of unease in her heart.

Sleeping in an unfamiliar, unknown wilderness for the first time, Youyi felt quite anxious.

Her heart raced, and sleep became impossible.

Then, without warning, Fu Cheng reached over, wrapping his arm around her waist. Before she could react, he had already pulled her onto his chest.

Standing at 1.66 meters, Youyi was above average height for a girl, but in front of Fu Cheng, she seemed almost petite.

She was now lying on top of him, his arm around her waist. As Fu Cheng lay down, Youyi found herself sprawled across his chest.

Her feet curled up, brushing against his thighs.

“Sleep,” his deep voice resonated through his chest, vibrating beneath her.

Surprisingly, Fu Cheng’s body was much more comfortable than the mat beneath them. Surrounded by the scent of him, Youyi wriggled a bit to get comfortable. In his embrace, her heart finally settled, and she soon fell asleep.

Her breathing became soft and steady. Fu Cheng remained motionless, gazing down at the girl in his arms. Her cheek rested against his chest as she slept peacefully, as delicate and warm as the water in a springtime lake.

Fu Cheng’s heart softened.

Youyi had no idea how long she slept.

The grueling training of the past few days, with several sleepless nights, had left her utterly exhausted. By the time she woke up, the sky was already darkening.

His arms were still wrapped tightly around her, pressing against her lower back, causing a tingling sensation. In her sleep, Youyi had shifted restlessly, dreaming of falling into a pool of water. The endless current pushed her body, carrying her down before pulling her back, until she trembled awake.

Fu Cheng’s hand rested on her back, gently patting her. As she woke up, she naturally fell into his embrace.

Youyi instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheek pressed against his neck. Groggily, she murmured, “It’s very comfortable.”

Fu Cheng, though he heard her, asked, “What?”

With her lips touching his neck, Youyi lifted her face to plant a soft kiss on his chin and said softly, “I like the scent on you.”

“Being held by you is very comfortable.”

Knowing that Fu Cheng was always there gave her immense reassurance. His presence seemed to wrap around her heart completely, providing a rare sense of comfort.

Fu Cheng continued to pat her back gently. His palms were warm, and the touch on her back was particularly noticeable, comforting her as she recovered.

The spot where she kissed him suddenly felt hot, and his muscles were as hard as iron.

Fu Cheng murmured, “Wait until we get home.”

We’ll do it when we get home.

The tent where they were was far from the others, but despite this, sounds from outside still drifted in continuously.

Youyi surfaced from her haze, lifting her head to see Fu Cheng’s face up close. Her heart skipped a beat.

“I didn’t mean to,” Youyi explained, her face flushed.

Fu Cheng lightly brushed the sweat from her forehead, pushing her hair aside, and gave a soft “Hmm.”

“It’s nothing,” he said calmly. “As long as you’re comfortable.”

Fu Cheng seemed so indifferent and calm when discussing such topics. Youyi’s memory of his uncontrolled movements was quite vague, from when her mind was blank.

“Instructor,” Youyi was about to get up when someone called from outside. Startled, she shrank back into his embrace.

Fu Cheng held her entirely, turning to shield her from view.

This gave her a profound sense of security, making it much harder for anyone outside to see her if they lifted the tent flap.

Fu Cheng asked, “What’s the matter?”

“There are a total of 198 students. They should all have arrived.”

The “should” was because one student was said to have returned early. The other three members of her team had just arrived and didn’t know where she was now.

They couldn’t find her.

After the outside explanation, Fu Cheng said, “She’s back. I brought her.”

With that, no further questions were asked.

After the footsteps faded, Fu Cheng released Youyi.

He turned on a flashlight and placed it beside him, then looked at her feet. The previous scratches and blood had already dried.

“Does it still hurt?”

Youyi shook her head.

Since the afternoon when he carried her back, she hadn’t walked and had rested for so long that her feet no longer hurt.

Fu Cheng said, “No training tonight.”

Tonight they would tally the scores and rank the stages. It was a rare chance to rest, and gathering in the mountains was a unique experience.

Youyi shifted a bit and said, “I have a question to ask you.”

Fu Cheng gestured for her to proceed.

Youyi took out the map from her pocket and asked seriously, “Why did I miscalculated the distance?”

So that was the question.

Fu Cheng pointed the flashlight at the map and asked her to recalculate.

Youyi had a clear logical mind. Though she hadn’t studied it before, she had figured out the map in a day.

“Correct,” Fu Cheng nodded, approving her.

“But for the return route, the ridge here is steep and requires a detour.”

The straight-line distance was two kilometers, but the actual path wasn’t straight. With the detour, it totaled about five kilometers.

Youyi’s mouth slightly opened as she realized.

“Pretty good at learning,” Fu Cheng complimented, gently pinching her fingers. “Keep it up.”

Youyi said, “You don’t even need to look at the map.”

Fu Cheng replied calmly, “When we did cross-country competitions, it was at least three days in the mountains, and you’d come out with a layer of skin peeled off.”

Youyi was quite surprised.

Walking three days and nights without rest—how could one endure that?

Fu Cheng asked, “What are you afraid of?”

His training standards were obviously different from theirs, not to mention Youyi, who couldn’t even walk for three hours.

Youyi had never heard Fu Cheng talk about his past before. She was curious about why he retired.

He was said to be a commanding officer in the army with the rank of major. Youyi had checked, and achieving major at his age was quite impressive.

“Curious about me?” Fu Cheng asked, seeing it in her eyes.

“Next time, you have to hold on for ten minutes.” Fu Cheng said in a serious tone.

Don’t beg him for mercy for ten minutes –

“I’ll tell you a story.”