Chapter 15

The students all sat sprawled on the ground, forming small groups, eating bread and snacks they had brought with them. After regaining some energy, they all started laughing and joking again.

Su Linlin and Zhang Yue leaned against a big tree, still energetically replenishing their energy. When they saw Li Jiao coming back, they greeted her.

Zhang Yue noticed the hat on her head, which was clearly different from theirs, took a bite of beef jerky, and asked, “Jiao, why is your hat different from ours?”

Li Jiao walked over, sat down cross-legged, and touched the hat on her head, smiling in response. “The instructor lent it to me.”

“The instructor?” Su Linlin said, “This is the instructor’s hat?”

“Yeah.”

Li Jiao briefly explained about borrowing the hat from the instructor and added her own understanding, saying that the instructor lent it to her because her eyes were too red from exhaustion.

After hearing this, both Su Linlin and Zhang Yue looked incredulous.

Zhang Yue stuffed a large piece of bread into her mouth and mumbled, “I never thought our instructor was so thoughtful.”

Su Linlin glanced at her, then turned excitedly to Li Jiao. “Jiao Jiao, is this really the instructor’s hat?”

“Yeah.”

Su Linlin stared at Li Jiao’s head, swallowed her saliva, wiped her hands on her clothes, and tremblingly reached out to touch it.

She looked deeply moved. “Oh my God, this is the instructor’s hat. Does that mean I’ve touched the instructor’s head, rounding it up?”

“Oh my, Su Linlin, you’re unbelievable.”

“… ”

After about another half an hour, Li Jiao forced herself to swallow a piece of bread and drank half a bottle of water. The marching team was about to start heading back.

Maple Leaf Lake is over twenty kilometers long, and the military training team from Nanjing University is equally long. They had only covered eight kilometers from the school to Maple Leaf Lake in the morning. They needed to hurry up for the return journey in the afternoon.

After finishing their food, the students tidied up the melon peel and paper scraps, put on their backpacks, and lined up.

Li Jiao’s class, Class 1 of the 19th grade, was at the top of the entire grade. They took the lead when they came out, and they were doing the same on the way back.

The person carrying the flag was now a male classmate, tall and thin, wearing glasses.

Standing at the forefront of the team, he raised the flag high and made a figure-eight motion in the air. The red flag fluttered, just like their exuberant and unrestrained youth, blooming with brilliant beauty, belonging to the young.

“Let’s go!”

With a command, this long camouflage dragon started moving.

After a good rest at noon, coupled with the return journey, everyone wanted to get back to school quickly and rest.

The group’s morale was unexpectedly much higher than when they had arrived.

“Come on, everyone!”

An instructor driving a small sightseeing car, one hand on the steering wheel and the other fist pumping in encouragement, slowly drifted past the team.

This was a sightseeing car from the resort area, now requisitioned for use as a transport vehicle during military training at Nanjing University. It served as a means of transport for students in cases of sudden physical discomfort.

Of course, this car was also dubbed the “shame car.”

Every year during military training, there were always some who tried to evade the training or were deceitful. Someone had posted on the school forum about avoiding the training this time.

The title, “Boarding the Shame Hearse, Buried in Glory Back to School,” roughly means that anyone who sits in this car due to laziness becomes the shame of their department, and when they return to school, they will be paraded back with trumpets in a “glorious burial.”

On the school forum, a cheeky student commented, “If you can’t handle the training, why bother coming to Nanjing University? It’s better to tidy up and prepare for burial.”

A group of mischief-makers chimed in:

“As an aspiring student of funeral services, I volunteer for some practice.”

“I’ve been playing the suona for eight years; I can help out.”

“Hey, it’s funny how things work out; I happen to play the erhu.”

“I’ve got a gong; just let me know if you need it.”

“My family’s heirloom wooden fish can join in.”

“I’ll help dig a grave; how about that?”

“666 Coffin Shop, premium cypress coffins, shocking price of 999; pre-order now; buy five, get one free; act fast!”

“Hahaha, the comment above cracked me up. We’re all classmates; can’t we get a discount?”

“I’ve been studying Buddhist texts lately; I can recite a passage from the Sutra of Transcendence for them!”

“Wow, impressive, bro; the commenter above must be from the history department.”

“Oh my, let’s not talk about it anymore. Everything’s ready; let’s start lifting the coffin!”

“Lift the coffin!”

“Coffin bearers +1”

“Coffin bearers +1”

“Coffin bearers +1314”

“Suona, play!”

“Firecrackers, light them up!”

“Shall I recite the Great Compassion Mantra? ******”

“Come on, bury the soil!”

“Ceremony completed!”

…

So, after all this commotion, there were still a few in the group who wanted to slack off but were afraid of being photographed and uploaded.

When they returned to school, they would indeed be “buried.”

The instructor driving the transport vehicle had an empty car with no one sitting in it.

As he drove past Li Jiao’s class for the third time, the instructor driving the car felt a bit lonely and enthusiastically waved at them.

“Hey, students, Are you tired? Feeling a bit dizzy?”

“Come on, hop in the car.”

“The instructor is taking you back to school!”

He had the demeanor of coaxing children, much like the wolf grandmother in Little Red Riding Hood.

Many people found his antics amusing and burst into laughter, with a few mischievous students chiming in.

“Instructor, do we pay with coins or swipe a card to get on the car?”

The driving instructor waved his hand, pretending to be serious.

“No need for payment; just come over for a tap on the head and show your idiot certificate.”

“Hahaha—”

“Haha, Instructor, you better just ride alone; we’re too smart and not worthy of your car.”

“Hahaha—”

The driving instructor drove the car leisurely, joking with the students.

“Come on, a few of you get on; the instructor has been driving all morning and hasn’t picked up a single person.”

The instructor from Class 2 swung his hat and walked over with big strides, laughing.

“I’ll go!”

“Oh dear, I’m tired after a morning’s walk; I’ll go!”

“Eh—”

Just as he took a step, the students from Class 2 immediately grabbed him.

“Instructor, you can’t go!”

The instructor from Class 2, with big eyes full of confusion, spoke in authentic Sichuan dialect.

“Why not?”

The students hurriedly explained.

“This is the shame car; you can’t get on!”

“Yeah, we agreed to face difficulties together; you can’t abandon us!”

“Instructor, you can’t get on; we’ll walk together!”

“Erkang, don’t leave!”

(T/N: Erkang is the male protagonist in the My Fair Princess drama series.)

“Instructor, if you get on today, I’ll… I’ll jump into the lake!”

“…………”

The instructor from Class 2 was held by the group and couldn’t move. Listening to their chatter and overlapping voices, his head felt overwhelmed.

Shaking off the hands holding him, he raised both hands and sat slumped on the ground, bitterly saying, “Oh dear—”

“You guys are so annoying—”

Now it was clear that, with the Sichuan accent in his speech, elongated vowels, and twisted pronunciation, it meandered around.

Although it was supposed to be an angry remark, it ended up sounding more like a playful complaint.

In front of Class 2 was Class 1, Li Jiao’s class. Upon hearing the instructor’s words, they all lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Walking at the end of the line, Li Jiao was already exhausted, but she couldn’t help but chuckle, her face turning red from stifling her laughter.

The instructor from Class 2 was really amusing.

In the end, because the instructor from Class 2 was held back, the transport vehicle could only drive off alone.

Watching the vehicle get farther and farther away, the instructor from Class 2 trembled his lips, feeling like he was crying without tears.

“It’s all your fault; my car ran away…”

“Pfft—”

“Hahaha—”

At two o’clock in the afternoon, the marching team was still struggling along the lakeside road of Maple Leaf Lake.

The scorching sunlight pierced through the shaded tree canopy, penetrating through layers of green leaves and shining directly on people’s heads. Every inch of exposed skin felt like it was being scorched by blazing heat.

Thanks to the instructor lending her a hat, the broad brim was just enough to shade her eyes, so it wasn’t as painful as it was in the morning.

Now that the sun was so hot, the instructor had given her the hat. But what about himself?

Li Jiao cautiously glanced sideways at Zhang Jiuling next to her. He was still walking at the end of the line, a step behind her, looking ahead with a serious and resolute expression, without casting a glance to the side.

He wasn’t wearing a hat; his short hair was neatly trimmed; his eyebrows were jet black and sharp; and his eyes were handsome and deep, with a piercing gaze. His irises were pitch black, calm, and tranquil, like a clear spring in a valley, bright yet cold and solitary.

His features were striking, with a tall and slender figure, broad shoulders, and long legs. He stood at 1.8 meters tall, with perfect proportions. Coupled with the demeanor of a soldier, he exuded a heroic and dignified air!

As he walked, his pace was steady and powerful. Upon closer observation, one would notice that every step he took seemed to be carefully measured. His long legs were wrapped in camouflage trousers, and his black military boots were clean and dust-free as they stepped on the asphalt road.

The rhythmic sound of his boots hitting the ground stood out from the chaotic footsteps of the crowd, especially pleasant to the ears.

If someone were to take out their phone now and take a random picture, it would be like a beautiful magazine cover.

Behind him, some of the girls from Class 2 were secretly eyeing Zhang Jiuling, whispering to each other, occasionally revealing slightly infatuated smiles.

“Oh my God, he’s so handsome.”

“Ah, the instructor from Class 1, I’m in!”

“Whoever, quickly take a picture, quickly!”

“Be careful; if you take out your phone now, you’re asking for trouble.”

“Ah~ I guess I’ll take a few more looks.”

“So handsome, ahhh…”

“…”

Listening to the quiet conversation of a few girls, Li Jiao’s lips curled up, instantly feeling a sense of pride.

Handsome, right?

Envious, right?

He’s the instructor of their class!

However, while the instructor gave her the hat, he didn’t wear anything himself. With the sun shining so brightly now, she felt dizzy even with the hat on, let alone being directly baked by the sun.

Touching the folded military training cap in her pocket, Li Jiao turned her head slightly and glanced back.

In almost an instant, Zhang Jiuling’s gaze immediately turned towards her, his cold and solitary black eyes meeting hers directly, causing Li Jiao’s heart to skip a beat.

Oh my, a fatal blow!

Zhang Jiuling looked at her with a faint gaze, but Li Jiao still sensed a hint of inquiry in it. Something wrong?

She awkwardly tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing a stiff smile.

“Instructor.”

Li Jiao pulled out her military training cap from her pocket and unfolded it, revealing several creases.

Ah, why didn’t I fold it properly just now…

She held the edges of the cap tightly, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. Unfortunately, perhaps because it had been in her pocket for too long, it didn’t make any difference.

Handing over the wrinkled cap, Li Jiao lowered her eyes, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“Instructor, you should wear this; the sun is too hot.”

With her head lowered, her face under the brim of the cap crumpled like a little bun.

Ah, how could I give such a wrinkled cap to the instructor…

Will he even wear it…

If he rejects it, it would be so embarrassing.

Oh God, why did I even offer the cap, why why why…

While Li Jiao was replaying countless “whys” in her mind, Zhang Jiuling glanced at the cap in her hand. It was wrinkled and tightly gripped by the girl’s two little hands, which were trembling slightly.

He looked at her with interest and raised an eyebrow slightly. Was she reluctant to part with the cap?

Should she let him wear it, or should she not?

Ah, Li Jiao kept screaming in her mind, wondering if the instructor was disgusted with the cap.

Ah, she didn’t want to wear this wrinkled old cap herself.

What should she do? what should she do? what should she do?

I’m so embarrassed; should I take the cap back…

As she pondered and agonized, a voice full of authority came from ahead.

“Everyone, take a break!”

“For one minute!”

With that command, everyone relaxed.

“Thank goodness, finally a chance to rest for a bit.”

“Oh my, I’m exhausted.”

“Water, I need water.”

“…”