Chapter 27

Originally, everyone wanted to go out of the school gate for a stroll and relax. Who knew they would encounter this incident, and it was getting late. Li Jiao and a few others hurriedly bought another set of snacks and fruits to replace the ones they had damaged earlier.

Several girls carried their bags and went back to the dormitory.

Not knowing whether it was because the three of them had helped Tang Yuran, after returning to the dormitory, she even took the initiative to share the pile of fruits and snacks she had bought with everyone.

“Here.”

“Thank you for helping me today.”

After handing the things to the three of them, Tang Yuran said.

Zhang Yue saw the food and put aside the unpleasant things she had seen before.

Waving her hand, she said.

“It’s okay; it’s nothing; it’s a small joke.”

Su Linlin retorted beside her, “You say that? What if you really got beaten up?”

Zhang Yue didn’t care. “It’s just that kid; he’s not even as tall as a green onion from Shandong, how could he beat me?”

“…………”

“Li Jiao, thank you.”

Tang Yuran put a bag of apples on Li Jiao’s table and smiled.

Tang Yuran had always been arrogant before, but this sudden gesture of goodwill made Li Jiao feel a little overwhelmed.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“I just helped to ease the situation; I didn’t do much.”

“…………”

After a brief exchange, Tang Yuran returned to her own seat. She looked no different from usual.

Li Jiao looked at the big bag of apples on the table, each one as big as two of her fists combined. These must be imported, right?

Unconsciously, Li Jiao thought of the apple she had given to Zhang Jiuling, sighed, and curled up on the bench, holding her knees, feeling dejected.

The instructor confiscated her apple…

However, today, when the instructor saw her about to fall, he caught her, and she also leaned into the instructor’s embrace. Roughly speaking, does that mean the instructor hugged her?!

No matter what, the instructor did hug her.

Hey, what does it feel like to be in the instructor’s embrace?

What does it feel like?

Li Jiao thought for a while, only remembering a faint, cold fragrance on the instructor’s body and nothing else… She couldn’t remember anything else.

Li Jiao!!!!

You pig-brain fool! What were you thinking at that time?!

…

After spending the weekend, the next day was Monday, and as usual, the freshmen were having military training.

Moreover, recently, there were more and more senior students wandering around the training grounds.

One by one, they ate watermelon, licked ice cream, and held umbrellas as they strolled around the training ground.

In one day, there were over a dozen waves of such people.

This made the freshmen who were already enduring the hardships of military training not only suffer physically but also endure psychological torment.

Senior students: Hahaha, finally found a chance to retaliate for being awakened on the weekends.

Tremble, junior brothers and sisters!

Originally, these “well-intentioned” senior students were supposed to be chased away and not disturb the military training.

However, the chief instructor is even more “ingenious!”

Why chase them away?

It’s a perfect opportunity to train the students’ psychological resilience!

So…

When they saw another wave of people drinking cold cola passing by, the entire class 1 couldn’t help but swallow saliva in unison.

They also wanted to experience the joy of indulgence!

With a whistle blowing, everyone took a fifteen-minute break.

After dispersing, a group of severely stimulated kids desperately ran to the edge of the military training ground’s fence, reaching out their hands, mimicking a beseeching gesture, and shouting at the passing people.

“Sister, sell us a bottle of cola!”

“Save the poor children!”

“Please, could someone kindly give me some watermelon?”

“I’ll pay ten bucks; can I get a slice of watermelon? Even half is fine!”

“…………”

It’s because the school’s supermarket is too far away. Otherwise, this group of people wouldn’t have run to the fence, wailing like a bunch of starving ghosts.

Although Li Jiao also wanted to drink cola and eat ice cream, she hadn’t completely lost her sanity yet. She sat on the grass, hanging her head down, closing her eyes, and pretending not to see anything.

“Wow—”

“Instructor, you’re awesome!”

“I love you, instructor!”

“…………”

Suddenly, there was a commotion behind them.

Turning around, they saw an instructor from another class taking out money from his own pocket and buying a bunch of watermelons, then distributing them to the students.

The chubby instructor, upon hearing the students’ loud declarations of love, quickly put a finger to his lips and said, “Shh—”

“Keep it down; don’t let the chief instructor hear you, quietly, quietly.”

In reality, the chief instructor standing on the platform had already seen everything. With a bunch of people bustling around, he wasn’t blind.

He smiled and turned his head away, pretending not to notice.

“Wow~”

“Who’s that instructor? I envy them.”

“I want watermelon too.”

“…………”

While students from that class enjoyed their watermelon, students from other classes could only watch with envy.

Then they turned around, looking resentfully at their own instructor.

Instructor: “What are you doing? Look at me for what? I don’t have money.”

Students: “Huh, we believe you.”

After finishing dividing the watermelon within his own class, he also had the students send a piece to each class’s instructor.

With not much watermelon and not enough students, he could only give each instructor one piece.

Geez, not only could the students not enjoy it themselves, but the instructors also refused to share the hardships with them!

As each piece of watermelon was handed to the instructors, almost every class’s students had a threatening look on their faces, daring them to try eating it.

Some instructors felt embarrassed and declined to eat it.

Of course, some instructors were “fearless” and quickly grabbed the watermelon, rushing to a small corner to start “eating alone”!

When the students caught wind and chased after them, the instructors wiped their mouths and exclaimed with satisfaction.

“Ah, so sweet~”

Students: You big pig’s trotter!

In neighboring Class 2, Instructor Liuzi didn’t care much either. Upon receiving the watermelon, he just started munching.

“Goodness, it’s really too hot today.”

“Thank your instructor for me.”

After saying that, he took a big bite of the watermelon.

The students from Class 2 nearby were excited and shouted.

“Instructor, you’re not fair!”

“You’re eating alone!”

“That’s right!”

“We don’t love you anymore!!”

“Instructor, put it down, we’re still good friends!”

“…………”

Instructor Liu Zi ignored the students’ accusations, finished eating in a couple of bites, and then showed them the watermelon rind.

With a smug twist of his hips, he said, “I’m done.”

“…………”

“Ahhh, Instructor, you’re so mean!”

“Instructor, your behavior is extremely ‘shameful’!!”

“Ahhh——”

Instructor Liu Zi twisted his neck playfully.

“I’m done, I’m done. If you can’t get any, then come and fight me.”

“Ahhh——”

“He’s too much!!”

“Guys, let’s go!!”

“…………”

All because of a piece of watermelon, the military training ground was witnessing shocking “bloodshed” everywhere!

When that piece of watermelon was brought to Li Jiao’s class, everyone stared at it, thinking inwardly: Here it comes; it’s coming towards us!!

The whole Class 1 stared at the watermelon, eagerly waiting to see how their instructor would handle it.

Class 1 was in a resting state, with people somewhat scattered, but most were sitting on the grass, resting.

Zhang Jiuling was correcting a few boys’ military boxing nearby. When the watermelon was brought over, he glanced at it and was about to refuse.

Beside him, Huang Yuan’s eyes darted around and quickly spoke up.

“Instructor, if you’re not going to eat it, can you give it to me? I’m really thirsty.”

Hearing this, Zhang Jiuling raised his head, calmly looked at him, and spoke coolly.

“As a hero, start by losing weight.”

Huang Yuan immediately closed his small mouth tightly and stood in attention, thinking, I want to be a hero; I want to be thin!

Zhang Jiuling turned around, surveyed the resting area of Class 1, and his gaze stopped on Li Jiao.

He said, “Li Jiao.”

“Here!”

Li Jiao reflexively stood up, subconsciously responding.

Then she heard Zhang Jiuling say, “Come and help me hold this watermelon.”

“Yes!”

That’s how it went. Everyone watched as Li Jiao obediently took the juicy, red watermelon and stood beside Zhang Jiuling, waiting for military training.

A few minutes passed…

Li Jiao felt like the instructor was teasing her. She could only keep swallowing saliva, feeling tortured…

On Li Jiao’s tenth time of staring at the watermelon and salivating, she suddenly heard Zhang Jiuling say,

“Li Jiao, I command you to eat the watermelon.”

“…………”

“Li Jiao.”

“Yes!”

…………

“Sigh~”

Li Jiao lay on the table, holding her phone with both hands. The screen was lit up with the calendar interface, showing September, thirty days, and almost half of them had passed.

Today was the 12th, and the next three days would be the Mid-Autumn Festival, so they would have a break. The freshmen undergoing military training were no exception.

When they returned from the break, it would be the 16th.

The day of the end of military training was getting closer and closer.

Li Jiao wished time could slow down a bit. Every day of military training meant one less day of seeing the instructor.

If military training ended, where would she go to see the instructor again?

She touched the screen with her finger, exited the calendar, and opened the photo album. Li Jiao solemnly unlocked her private safe.

Sitting up, she devoutly stared at the screen of her phone.

In the safe, there was only one photo.

It was a bit blurry, the one taken accidentally when Zhang Jiuling carried her onto the ambulance.

Li Jiao would take it out and look at it every day. With her fingertips as tender as spring onions, she touched the screen, staring at the person in camouflage uniform, her lips curving up, and smiling somewhat foolishly.

So handsome…

She still remembered the feeling of reassurance when she woke up groggily and saw Zhang Jiuling.

…

Ahhh, she didn’t even dare to think about it. If she didn’t have the instructor in the future, how could she go on living—

The door of the dormitory opened, and Zhang Yue and Su Linlin entered carrying a big bag of snacks while eating ice cream. Seeing Li Jiao still sitting on the chair, Zhang Yue asked,

“Jiao Jiao, you haven’t left yet?”

Today was only half a day of military training, and they had the afternoon off.

Students who lived nearby had already packed up and eagerly set off.

Li Jiao’s home was in the southern part of the city, just in the eastern district.

She had called home last night and said she could come home this afternoon.  Dad Li was thrilled and said he would personally come to pick her up. Li Jiao declined, saying it wasn’t necessary, as she could take the subway.

Dad Li was serious. “No, this is my daughter’s first time staying in school and coming home. Whatever dad says, we must take it seriously!”

“Jiao Jiao, be a good girl. Dad has a meeting tomorrow afternoon. You play in the dorm for a while, and as soon as Dad finishes the meeting, he’ll come pick you up!”

Dad Li’s enthusiasm was too high, and Li Jiao thought about it and decided not to dampen his spirits.

Looking at the time, it was already four in the afternoon, so Li Jiao should be on her way.

Li Jiao replied, “I still have a bit of time. My dad is coming to pick me up.”

Zhang Yue and Su Linlin put the snacks on their own desks while eating ice cream. Upon hearing Li Jiao’s response, Zhang Yue said,

“Jiao, when you go home this time, you have to bring us some mooncakes, okay?”

“Just look at me and Linlin.”

She glanced at Su Linlin and shared a bitter smile, “We’re just homeless wanderers.”

Neither she nor Su Linlin were locals. With only a three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, they couldn’t go home, of course. They could only stay in the dormitory.

Li Jiao was amused by their words, “Don’t worry, boss, I’ll definitely bring back lots of goodies for you guys.”

“I’ll arrange all sorts of mooncakes for you.”

Su Linlin sat in her seat, raising her hand high.

“Jiao Jiao Jiao Jiao, egg yolk mooncake!”

“I-I-I want meat mooncake!” Zhang Yue quickly added, fearing she might be left out.

Li Jiao nodded in understanding, gave them a thumbs-up, stood up, stood at attention, saluted,

“Two leaders, Li Jiao guarantees to complete the mission!”

As soon as she finished speaking, her phone rang—it was a call from her dad.