Chapter 11: End of Military Training

The candid shots in the post were indeed striking, clearly the result of careful framing. The morning light cut across Chi Ling’s brow at a 45-degree angle, making even the fine peach fuzz stand out in the backlight.

The corner of his lips was drawn into a cool, sharp line, but on the right side of his face there was the faintest hint of a smile. The contradictory blend of boyishness and maturity made the eyes under the brim of his training cap seem all the more deep and compelling.

What made Lin Yumo’s heart tighten most was his stance while holding the class sign—his right arm forming a perfect ninety-degree angle with the ground, the taut line of his elbow precise as if measured with a ruler. The sleeve of his camouflage shirt was stretched slightly by the muscle beneath.

Sunlight pierced the weave of the fabric, casting delicate shadows along his forearm. The veins standing out from gripping the flagpole gave the still image a vivid sense of power.

Lin Yumo’s fingertips trembled slightly as she scrolled, only to find that the forum’s front page had several trending posts related to her.

【Moonlight on the Sports Field | Is this beauty for real?】
【Class 7 Beauty | I want all the info in 3 minutes】
【Daily Question: Will I run into the goddess today?】

She looked at the bolded title “Moonlight Appears on the Sports Field” in the list, her heart giving a ticklish flutter.

Clicking into the post, she was met with dozens of candid photos cascading down the screen. One shot captured the exact moment she raised a hand to adjust her cap—the shadow of the brim falling just over her lashes, revealing the graceful curve of her jaw. Her fair neck, framed by the camouflage collar, was like a piece of carefully carved white jade.

Zooming in on the time stamp in the lower right corner—08:17:23—it was precisely the time she had passed by Class 1’s formation that morning.

In the background, the shadow of leaves slanted across the ground, and at roughly one-third from the edge of the frame, there was a faint glimpse of a figure in camouflage holding a class sign.

Her fingertip hovered over that blurry patch of camo for a long time.

The comment section of the post had already devolved into a massive compliment thread:

【Noticed her during training this morning—her skin was glowing!】
【Class 7, right? I’m walking by tomorrow!】
【We should just crown her the freshman school beauty now】

Her phone suddenly buzzed—Song Xingran had unleashed a barrage of messages, complete with emoji spam:

【Did you see you made it to the campus beauty wall?!】
【That side profile shot killed me instantly!】
【Ling God’s candid shot is amazing too… sniff sniff】

Attached was a close-up of Chi Ling’s Adam’s apple as he drank from a bottle.

Lin Yumo: “……”

Pretending not to have seen that photo, she replied telling Song Xingran to go to bed early and not stay up too late.

---

The days of military training slipped quietly by amid sweat and the droning of cicadas.

Thanks to her upright posture and precise movements, Lin Yumo, along with another boy from the class named Wang Changyu, was chosen as a company model soldier.

Every morning, while other students were still practicing their standing posture under the blazing sun, she and Wang could train under the shade of the trees in specialized drills.

During marching practice, Wang Changyu’s steps were as precise as if mechanically calibrated. Following his rhythm, Lin Yumo adjusted her breathing, realizing their arm swings aligned perfectly in height.

One day after training ended, Song Xingran collapsed under the camphor tree like a fish out of water.

She grabbed her water bottle and gulped down half of it, then pulled out her sunscreen spray and gave herself a generous mist.

The fine white cloud enveloped her in a hazy shield.

“Little Jasmine, don’t I look like a moving cloud right now?”

From within the haze, the girl’s voice came with a sigh of relief after hardship.

Smiling, Lin Yumo stepped back half a pace and said,
“When you spray it, remember to hold your breath—too much dust in the air.”

“I did hold my breath,” Song Xingran grumbled as she put the spray back into her bag.

Then she buried her face into the sleeve of her camouflage uniform and mumbled,
“Little Jasmine, I’m so jealous of you. That devil of an instructor… yesterday I got twenty squats for one wrong move…”
She lifted her head, eyes brimming with tears.
“Now just seeing military green makes my legs go weak…”

Lin Yumo listened with a smile, taking out a chilled watermelon from an insulated bag. The bright red flesh was beaded with fine droplets of water.
“You’ve worked hard—here, have some watermelon.”

Song Xingran’s eyes lit up like stars.
“Thank you, babe, you’re my savior!”
She grabbed a fork and immediately speared a piece, popping it into her mouth.
“Ah—so refreshing~”

When Instructor Fang’s whistle pierced through the shade, Lin Yumo saw her friend’s shoulders droop at once.

She quietly slipped a mint candy into Song Xingran’s palm.

---

The September sunlight spread over the sports field like melted gold. For the third time, Song Xingran gripped Lin Yumo’s wrist so tightly that the sleeve of her camouflage jacket was wrinkled.

“Little Jasmine, my palms are sweating…” Her voice trembled.

Lin Yumo gently patted the back of her hand.
“The chief instructor’s only just started giving comments.”

Before she could finish, the principal’s speech began over the loudspeakers. She looked toward the podium—but her peripheral vision kept drifting to Class One’s formation.

Chi Ling was listening to the girl beside him, the curve of his thin lips just right.

“Little Jasmine, look at God Ling over there! Ugh, it’s making me mad—why is he talking to her? That’s Zhang Yawen,” Song Xingran suddenly leaned in to whisper.

“She’s notorious in junior high for being two-faced.”

She curled her lip.
“She acts all gentle and sweet with God Ling, but treats everyone else coldly. If you ask her a question, she pretends not to hear.”

“Honor guard, assemble!” Wang Changyu’s call cut off their whispering.

The scholarly-looking boy stood under the camphor shade, his pale face wearing a shy smile as he said to Lin Yumo,
“We should get ready.”

As soon as they were in position, Class One began their march.

When their synchronized steps drew near, she saw that Chi Ling’s kicks were precise down to the centimeter, while Zhang Yawen’s arm swings were consistently two centimeters higher than the standard line.

The discovery gave her an odd sense of relief.
So what? If they’re not perfectly in sync, the first prize will definitely go to Class Seven.

When the loudspeaker announced Class Seven’s turn, Lin Yumo heard Song Xingran gasp beside her.

Taking a deep breath, she felt Wang Changyu’s elbow align perfectly with hers. Their marching steps kicked up dust at the exact same height.

When the whistle signaling the end of the review parade sounded, the chief instructor’s leather shoes tapped crisply against the podium floor. Lin Yumo felt her heartbeat overlapping with that rhythm.

When the voice announced, “First Year, Class Seven—First Prize!”, she saw Song Xingran leap toward her like an unbridled rabbit.

“Little Jasmine, did you hear that?” The girl’s eyes shone brilliantly.
“Our class won!”

The force of her pounce made Lin Yumo stumble half a step, but when she caught sight of Wang Changyu in the formation flashing a “V” sign, she couldn’t help but smile.

The sunlight streamed through the cheering crowd, and she thought of those dusky evenings half a month ago when Instructor Fang had crouched to mark the marching points with chalk. Of how Wang Changyu had always handed her an ice-cold bottle of mineral water during breaks, and how Song Xingran had secretly tucked mint candies into her bag.

Now, on the awards stage, the red silk banner snapped proudly in the wind. This first prize carried the persistence of all her classmates, the kind that didn’t flinch even when their palms were blistered.

“Lin Yumo! Wang Changyu! What are you dawdling for? Get up here!”
Instructor Fang’s voice called from behind. It carried a hint of exasperation, but couldn’t hide the pride beneath.

Striding over, he clapped both of them firmly on the shoulders.
“Don’t keep the certificate waiting!”

Lin Yumo exchanged a glance with Wang Changyu, and both broke into smiles.

They walked through the excited crowd, stepping lightly toward the podium.

The sunlight spilled across the steps, stretching their shadows long, as if measuring the length of this military training journey.