127 The Detestable Military Training

"Beep—" A shrill whistle echoed repeatedly across the campus. Lin Xia and her friends were already dressed in their green military uniforms, standing straight and orderly.

The first day of military training was primarily focused on military discipline and forming ranks. Whether it was due to the space-spring water or not, the four of them were similar in build and height, so they stood at the very edge of the first row.

This formation was not like the usual morning exercises where one stood according to height; instead, the shortest were placed in the back, while the tallest stood in front to serve as the "face" of the platoon. The benefit of this was standing out, but the downside was being extremely conspicuous—the slightest movement could draw the instructor’s attention.

"Turn left!" Everyone scrambled to follow the instructor’s command. Some girls were so nervous they couldn’t tell left from right, which led to quite a few jokes. The instructor had a bit of a regional accent, shouting, "One-two-turn, one-two-turn—" which made everyone giggle and mimic him behind his back.

In addition to turning, they were frequently made to stand in the basic military posture for long periods. Young ladies like Xie Xitong were delicate and couldn’t handle such harsh training, and even Lin Xia, once a "wild child" who ran across fields, found it unbearable. Ever since she had transmigrated, she had spent most of her time in her study reading or writing, rarely venturing out. The sudden intensity of this training left her feeling completely drained.

By the time the lunch break finally arrived, the four girls felt as if they were about to collapse.

"Whew, I’m exhausted. I don't have the strength to go home," Zhao Qian said, nearly slumping to the ground.

"Whew... me too. I wish I could cast a spell like Bai Suzhen to teleport myself home," Sun Xiaoxiao said weakly.

Lin Xia was no better, looking completely withered. "We can't stay here. Let’s head back, eat, and rest. We have to make it through the afternoon," Lin Xia urged, nudging Sun Xiaoxiao.

"But I can't walk," Sun Xiaoxiao sighed, leaning on Lin Xia’s shoulder.

"Yeah, me neither," Zhao Qian said lazily. "I really envy Tongtong right now. She doesn't have to do the military training."

Lin Xia said nothing. Xie Xitong’s legs were not like those of a normal person, so military training was impossible for her; just being able to stand and walk again was a blessing. Lin Xia stood up and told the others, "We shouldn't say things like that in front of Tongtong. Even though she doesn't mention it, I can tell she really wants to be training with us."

As they spoke, Zhao Xin and Chen Zimo walked toward them. One was slender and graceful, like a willow in a pale green dress, resembling a fairy from the moon; the other had hair as dark as ink, cool and detached, dressed in a crisp white shirt, appearing as refined as jade. They were a stunning sight on campus, making people hold their breath, afraid to break the scene.

Sun Xiaoxiao poked Zhao Qian with her elbow. "Your cousin is getting prettier by the day. They say that no matter how beautiful a person is, you get 'aesthetic fatigue' after a while, but why do I feel like Xin-jie gets more beautiful the more I look at her? Look at them walking over—the head-turning rate is literally 100 percent."

Lin Xia scanned the surroundings and chuckled. It was true. Especially here in the freshman military training zone, everyone wore identical, drab green uniforms. Even the pretty girls were somewhat obscured by the outfits, unlike Zhao Xin, who wore her clothes in a way that highlighted her best features.

"Wow, who is that? So handsome!"
"I don't know, but this is a steal! I thought there wouldn't be any handsome guys at this school."
"Don't you guys know them? I heard on registration day that the handsome guy is Chen Zimo and the beauty is Zhao Xin. I heard they're a couple."

"No way, they're so bold! Dating right under the teachers' noses, and so openly, too."
"What's the big deal? Her father is the school principal."
"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't you see those three over there? Along with that guy's sister, those four were the bosses of our middle school. They call them the 'New Four Gang'."

The voices grew quieter. "It's not that exaggerated, is it?"
"How could it not be? Don't even mention the Chen family—they're practically the top dogs in Rong City. Then there’s the Sun family, who have significant influence in the Department of Education, and the Zhao family has its own background. If you dare to offend them, you won't be able to survive in Rong City."

The crowd went silent. A weak voice asked, "How do you know so much?"
"We were all at the same middle school. Everyone in Rong City knows how powerful they are. Don't easily cross them."

Watching Chen Zimo walk over, Lin Xia felt a bit dazed and offered a bitter smile. Once, she had been one of those girls, looking at these legendary people from afar, feeling deeply inferior. Chen Zimo’s face remained just as exquisite, but time had turned back, and she was no longer the person she used to be.

"Qianqian," Zhao Xin smiled. "How does military training feel today? Are you tired?"
"Cousin, don't even ask. We're about to die of exhaustion."
"Xin-jie, do you have anything to eat? I'm so hungry!" No sooner had Sun Xiaoxiao finished speaking than her stomach let out a loud rumble.

Chen Zimo smiled from the side. "Your Xin-jie thought ahead. She was afraid you'd be tired, so she brought some fruit." He handed over the plastic bag he was carrying.

"Wow, grapes! And they're already washed. Xin-jie, you're so virtuous, we love you to death!" Sun Xiaoxiao eagerly took them, popped one into her mouth, and exclaimed, "Mmm, so sweet!"

"Really? Give me one," Zhao Qian said.
Sun Xiaoxiao fed her one, then tucked one into Lin Xia’s mouth. It was indeed sweet, with a lingering fragrance that seemed to coat the mouth.

"Let's go. School is out, we should go home and rest. We still have the afternoon to endure," Zhao Xin said.
"Ugh, cousin, please don't say that, it's so annoying," Zhao Qian groaned.
"You're so ungrateful! You were just praising me, and now that I've said two words, you're annoyed?" Zhao Xin teased.

"Don't tease us, Xin-jie," Lin Xia laughed. "You know she’s just talking about the training."

Eventually, they decided that Sun Xiaoxiao would go to Lin Xia’s house to rest, while Zhao Qian headed to Zhao Xin’s place. After they parted ways, Lin Xia and Sun Xiaoxiao went home and devoured their lunch, causing Lin’s mother to worry, "Slow down, don't choke! Look at what this training has done to you, it’s like you haven't eaten for ten days!"

After a nap, Lin Xia felt the soreness in her body had faded significantly. She knew it was the effect of those fruits from Zhao Xin. Over the past year, she had realized that Zhao Xin was a good person—composed, fair, and kind. With the connection to Zhao Qian, they would never be enemies, and Lin Xia had benefited quite a bit from her.

As evening fell, the military instructors seemed to transform. No military training would be complete without "song battles." Lin Xia’s platoon was the Seventh Platoon, and their instructor led them to the open ground next to the Twelfth Platoon.

"Twelfth Platoon!" the instructor shouted.
"Sing one!" the students roared back.
"Sing one!"
"Twelfth Platoon!"
"One, two, three, four, five!"
"We've been waiting so long!"
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!"
"We're getting so impatient!"
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!"
"Do you even have any at all!!!"

The final word, "any," was shouted with such hysterical intensity by everyone that it completely silenced the rest of the training ground.