Chapter 9

Zhang Jiuling looked at the young girl, who lowered her head again, afraid to look at him, and couldn’t help but find it amusing.

On the first day, didn’t she say he was dark-skinned? Why has she become so timid now?

Glancing around, he only saw the girl with the military cap on her small head, emitting a somewhat timid vibe. She kept her head down, revealing only a fair portion of her neck, which was strikingly white.

After so many days of military training, most of the other students had darkened a bit, but she seemed unchanged?

Li Jiao kept her head down, pretending to be timid. After a while, a pair of slender hands appeared in her line of sight, with well-proportioned knuckles and distinct joints. They were quite attractive.

Those hands held her small white shoes and placed them on the ground, and at the same time, she heard a low, somewhat cold voice.

“Crystal shoes; put them on.”

If it weren’t for his still-cold tone, Li Jiao would have thought the instructor was mocking her.

She hesitated for a moment, and when she looked up again, Zhang Jiuling had already walked away.

Suddenly, Li Jiao’s ears turned red again.

She crouched down, put on her shoes, and quickly stood up.

Zhang Jiuling glanced at her, about to say something, when the head instructor’s loud whistle sounded.

People sitting on the ground quickly stood up, and those standing also quickly faced the direction of the whistle.

The entire military training ground fell silent.

The head instructor shouted through the megaphone, “Everyone, rest for fifteen minutes!”

After that, he blew the whistle again, and the training ground returned to normal.

Some classes rested and dispersed on the spot. Some classes chose to continue training, unfazed…

In Class 1, Zhang Jiuling withdrew his gaze and continued.

“Everyone, military posture training, ten minutes.”

“Begin!”

No one dared to wail, and not a single person dared to speak. They all obediently stood at attention.

They were accustomed to it; in the class of the living Yama, they had to have the spirit of a suicide squad.

As long as they didn’t die in training, they would train to the death!

The entire Class 1 stood in perfect formation, their postures upright. Amidst the already chaotic military training ground, they stood out.

Many passing classmates, seeing them still undergoing additional training, cast sympathetic glances.

Class 1: If I don’t die, who will?

“The last one in the first row,” suddenly said Zhang Jiuling.

Li Jiao was a bit confused; she hadn’t moved. Nonetheless, she obediently responded, “Here!”

“Come to the front.”

“Yes.”

Li Jiao stepped forward, walked to the front of the formation, and stood in position.

She felt a bit anxious; this couldn’t be good. Was the instructor going to scold her?

Zhang Jiuling glanced at the direction of the sun, shining obliquely from the left, its brilliance somewhat dazzling.

“To the left—turn!”

“One, two!” Li Jiao exclaimed.

“Stand at attention.”

“Yes.”

In this way, Li Jiao was inexplicably singled out and made to stand in the opposite direction of her classmates, facing the scorching sun. The dazzling sunlight forced her to squint her eyes involuntarily.

This light is blinding…

She was very puzzled. Why did the instructor single me out like this? Did I not stand properly? Why am I facing the opposite direction of everyone else? Is the instructor angry?

…

As time passed, every second ticking away, the entire Class 1 stood straight, not a single movement.

The classmates on break—some who had finished using the restroom and others who had drunk water—had all returned. Seeing them still training, some couldn’t help but sigh in relief, thankful that their instructor wasn’t as strict.

After about five minutes, Zhang Jiuling suddenly spoke again.

“The last one in the first row, turn around.”

(T/N: I’m sorry I made a mistake in translating this military command before; it is not  turn back but turn around)

Li Jiao: “One, two!”

Phew—

Finally changing direction. Facing the sun just now, she was almost brought to tears by the glare.

Since that day, it seemed like Zhang Jiuling remembered Li Jiao. Often, during military posture training, she would be singled out and made to stand separately.

At first, Li Jiao thought she had made a mistake, but later she realized it was just standing apart, and the instructor didn’t punish her.

It’s just that, after standing for a while, the instructor would often call her to turn around and continue in a different direction.

As for why, Li Jiao also didn’t understand.

Moreover, Li Jiao noticed that the number of times the instructor called her seemed to have increased.

“The last one in the first row, march in step, demonstrate.”

“The last one in the first row, walk at attention, demonstrate.”

“The last one in the first row, turn around.”

“…”

She was often called out to demonstrate, and then, due to imperfect movements, she had to endure punishment each time.

“Weak stance, run a lap.”

“Feet not straight; do twenty push-ups.”

“…”

What was wrong with her?

Was the instructor angry because of the shoes?

In the evening, Li Jiao looked at her suffering feet with a sense of helplessness, on the verge of tears.

Is the instructor holding a grudge?

She really didn’t mean to throw the shoes out.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, the sun umbrella was fully stretched, the most intense time of the day. The scorching temperature, like a pot of boiling water, poured down, covering the entire land.

The heat was sprinkled onto the ground and rebounded by force into the air. Between heaven and earth, it seemed like a massive steamer, emitting waves of hot air and turning the atmosphere into a hot, boiling soup.

The students on the military training ground, dressed in camouflage uniforms, appeared like numerous tiny ants, moving or stopping. Like the flowers in a kaleidoscope, constantly spinning, making one feel dizzy.

Now was break time, and many people chose to go to the restroom and drink water. Familiar classmates walked in pairs, heading towards the rest area outside the military training ground.

Others, seeing the distant rest area, simply couldn’t be bothered to move. They bent their knees and sat down directly on the natural grassy ground. Quite a few female students leaned against each other, using their hats to cover their faces, slouching together.

“It’s so hot~”

The ideas of the male students were relatively lively. Some directly took off their camouflage jackets and covered them over their heads, pretending it was a shawl like the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Sitting cross-legged, they formed a lotus with their fingers, trying to convince themselves that tranquility brings coolness naturally.

A nearby male student gave him a somewhat dumbfounded look and silently unbuttoned his own shirt.

Then, he deftly flipped the hem of his shirt over his head, creating a cool and unconventional image.

On the elevated platform, the green command tent stood tall like a vibrant mushroom.

The chief instructor and several other instructors wearing military camouflage uniforms were in conversation. Periodically, they would pause to wipe the beads of sweat from their foreheads, which fell like a drizzle.

“The main focus of this afternoon’s training is still on formation exercises,” the head instructor said, taking out a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead and neck before continuing.

“Considering the hot weather, the training time and intensity for each class will be appropriately reduced. Pay attention to avoiding heatstroke.”

“Understood?”

“Understood!”

Several male instructors, full of vigor, responded with hearty voices.

“Good, dismissed.”

“Yes!”

“Hey, Jiuling, stay back.”

The head instructor addressed Zhang Jiuling, who was about to leave.

Hearing the call, Zhang Jiuling, with black military boots twisting on the ground, turned in the direction of the head instructor. He stood tall and faced him.

Under his jet-black brows, the corners of his eyes slightly lifted, revealing a subtle inquiry in the cold and silent black pupils. Looking at the chief instructor, he showed a hint of questioning.

Is there something wrong?

The chief instructor, known for his stern demeanor, was showing an unusual hint of a smile at the moment. On his usually stern face with a square jaw, he grinned, walked over, patted Zhang Jiuling’s shoulder, and said it with a smile.

“It’s nothing. I just wanted to tell you that the weather is hot now, and you can let the students take a break appropriately.”

“Understood.”

Zhang Jiuling nodded slightly, his voice clear and composed.

Seeing this, the chief instructor rubbed his nose, seemingly considering how to broach the subject. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke.

“Jiuling, I know you come from the Special Forces, and the standards are strict. But these students are not soldiers; their physical fitness varies, and you can’t treat them the way you would treat soldiers.”

Zhang Jiuling tilted his head slightly, his eyes deep and clear. He spoke in a cool tone.

“I have already lowered my expectations for them.”

In the military, making a mistake meant punishment, and push-ups always started at one hundred, while laps were measured in kilometers. Compared to that, he had been quite lenient with these kids.

“I understand that,” the chief instructor said solemnly. For the first time since the military training began, a hint of anxiety appeared on his usually serious face.

He didn’t know how to convey to Zhang Jiuling that he needed to be gentler with the students. Many students had complained that Zhang Jiuling was too strict. He hardly allowed them to rest and made them run laps for every mistake. The students were not soldiers, and if things continued this way, it would be unsustainable.

The chief instructor had previously emphasized to them that the approach to the students should be appropriate in terms of training intensity and methods. However, the previous instructor, Wang Haonan, was now on a mission.

The temporary replacement turned out to be Zhang Jiuling, the former ace of the Special Forces. Ruthless to others, even more ruthless to himself.

When it came to training the students, there was no hint of going easy.

He had witnessed it many times. Zhang Jiuling’s class often had no breaks, and sometimes the students were so desperate to use the restroom that they didn’t dare to report it.

How afraid they must be of him!

With these considerations, the chief instructor decided to talk to Zhang Jiuling today. Zhang Jiuling was one rank lower in military rank, but from the bottom of his heart, the chief instructor admired this guy. He was highly skilled, and being a major at such a young age was quite impressive.

“Jiuling, they are just ordinary seventeen- or eighteen-year-old kids after all. The expectations shouldn’t be too high.”

Hearing this, Zhang Jiuling fell silent for about three seconds. His handsome eyebrows slightly furrowed, and then a clear and transparent tone sounded.

“Understood.”

After saying that, his black military boots lifted, and he turned around, leaving behind a straight back. With broad shoulders and long legs, he walked away with the air of a soldier and his own unique coldness, sharp and chilly.

By the time the chief instructor snapped out of his thoughts, Zhang Jiuling had already taken a few steps away. He didn’t use the stairs; instead, he walked to the edge of the platform and jumped down with a crisp and handsome movement, clean and stylish.

Then he continued towards the central military training ground.

Seeing this, the chief instructor hurriedly shouted at his retreating figure.

“Hey, when is Haonan coming back?”

From a distance, the chief instructor only heard a cold voice, like a feather bound to an arrow, returning with both a chill and a slow pace, carrying a hint of an authentic Beijing accent.

“He’s dead outside.”

Hearing this, the chief instructor was initially stunned. After a moment of reflection, he laughed silently, shook his head, and scolded.

“This brat.”

“Jiao Jiao, can you still endure it?”

Su Linlin worriedly touched Li Jiao’s forehead. Under the scorching sun, it became even hotter, resembling a small stove with a temperature exceeding forty degrees.

Su Linlin recoiled her hand due to the heat. Then, looking at Li Jiao’s flushed cheeks, with big, watery eyes and a somewhat listless gaze, she seemed a bit scattered.

“Jiao Jiao, how about I help you take a break? Your forehead is so hot.”

Li Jiao shook her heavy head, her vision filled with little stars, but she still managed a forced smile.

“It’s okay; I’m just too exposed to the sun. I don’t have a fever.”

Su Linlin looked at Li Jiao, who was talking to herself, with a silent and somewhat helpless expression.

“Jiao Jiao, I’m here.”

“Huh?”

Li Jiao came back to her senses and realized there was nothing in front of her. Tilting her head, she saw Su Linlin looking at her with a concerned expression, making her feel a bit awkward.

She shifted her little bottom a bit, moved closer, and flashed a sweet little dimple at Su Linlin, reassuring her.

“Linlin, it’s okay. I just got a bit dizzy from the sun.”

“What are you talking about? Look at your face, as red as a peach.”

Su Linlin didn’t believe her. Li Jiao’s face was so red, just like an intoxicated peach. If Su Linlin didn’t know that Li Jiao caught a cold from sleeping with the air conditioning on too high last night, she might have thought Li Jiao was drunk.

Their dormitory air conditioner broke the day before yesterday, and the repairman only fixed it yesterday. So, the girls finally got to enjoy the coolness of the air conditioning and ran it at 23 degrees all night.

When they woke up this morning, they thought they were lying in some kind of ice coffin.

Su Linlin and Zhang Yue were fine, and Tang Yuran was also okay. But Li Jiao, who liked to kick off her blanket while sleeping, caught a cold.

This morning, her temperature was almost 38 degrees.

Afraid of missing military training, she went to the medical room this morning to get some fever-reducing medicine. However, she forgot to take it, and it wasn’t until noon that she and Zhang Yue watched her take it.

Now, looking at Li Jiao like this, it seems the medicine hasn’t taken effect yet.