Chapter 30: Waking Up
“Hey, here’s some water.”
“Thanks, I was just about to go buy some.”
Su Yu turned around and caught the water bottle Lu Siyuan tossed to him. He took a long gulp, the cool water soothing his dry throat.
In early autumn, the sun was still scorching hot, the air shimmering with heat. After standing at attention for a whole morning, sweat poured down like a broken dam.
They had just finished their welcome assembly in the morning and immediately started military training, which would last for fourteen days, rain or shine. Without a leave of absence from the counselor, there was no escaping it.
Their bodies, accustomed to long hours of studying, couldn’t handle the sudden intense training. After just half a day, the formation was already disorganized. The drill instructor was very dissatisfied and had them stand at attention for the entire morning, earning them only a thirty-minute break. Thinking about the remaining fourteen days, it felt like an eternity.
“Are you tired?”
“How could I not be? Our drill instructor is so much stricter than the others.” Su Yu pouted, looking at the instructors sitting in a circle on the far lawn. The darkest one was theirs. And not only was he dark… his heart was even darker.
“Four people in our class have already fainted. Hehe, I think Gu Chuan is about to go down too.”
Gu Chuan nudged Lu Siyuan and cursed, “Shut up, I’m fine. I’m pale, not weak. I have muscles, okay?”
“Chu Feng has muscles. Don’t embarrass yourself with your two ounces of flesh.”
“Yeah, Gu Chuan should work out. You’re too weak…” Chu Feng stared at Gu Chuan thoughtfully for a moment. “Join me for a run in the morning.”
“Stop, stop, let’s not talk about this.”
Gu Chuan’s pale face seemed to darken. He looked towards the girls’ rest area. “Haven’t you guys noticed the girls in our class?”
“They’re not wearing makeup. What are you staring at?” Lu Siyuan retorted. “Is your brain filled with nothing but women?”
“Grandma’s, those two classmates of mine added you as a friend yesterday, and now you’re turning on me?”
“Well… I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Neither do I. What’s wrong with looking?”
“I don’t believe you!”
“Believe it or not.”
They sat on the lawn, joking and talking about trivial things. But with Gu Chuan around, the conversation always drifted back to women and gossip.
“Hey, I heard someone posted about a school beauty on the confession wall the other day. She’s in the law department, and they say she’s gorgeous.”
“The law department? That should be close to us.”
Su Yu chimed in. He was studying the same major as in his previous life, computer science. After working for so long, those things were deeply ingrained in him. Since he had been reborn, there was no need to make things difficult for himself. He wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to take it easy.
“Yeah, it’s over there. Can you find her?”
Lu Siyuan scanned the formations on the lawn. Besides the military training formations, many students were sitting in circles, watching others perform. The scene was lively and chaotic.
“Let me see, my friend sent me a photo.”
Gu Chuan searched through his phone’s photo album, then glanced at the lawn. Su Yu wanted to see the photo on his phone but was suddenly interrupted.
“Damn, it’s over there. The one watching the performance on the left side of the lawn.”
The crowd on the lawn obscured Su Yu’s view. The singing, dancing, and various performances were dazzling. The boys were energetic and confident, the girls’ graceful dance moves making their tied jackets flutter.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the crowd into his field of vision. A slender, pale neck, a cute, small bun. She was only wearing a plain camouflage training shirt, yet she stood out in the crowd. After an unintentional glance, his heart started to race, the dazzling sunlight making him see black.
It couldn’t be… it was her, it had to be her. But how could she be here? It shouldn’t be, it shouldn’t be. Was she… here for him?
Su Yu slowly got up from the lawn, his knees weak, almost collapsing back down. For a moment, he wanted to turn and run. She had no reason to be in Qingchuan…
But… there was no use in running.
“Where are you going, Su Yu?” Gu Chuan and the others asked, confused.
His hands were clenched so tightly that the blue veins on the back of his hands were clearly visible. He walked step by step towards her in the center of the lawn, his heart pounding with each step. The girl hadn’t seen him yet. She was watching the other performances, laughing and talking with her friends.
It was only ten meters, but Su Yu felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest. People had already noticed him because he was walking straight towards the girl. But their gazes were filled with amusement, as many had already tried and failed. The outcome seemed predetermined.
“Xia Qian Ge…”
Su Yu’s voice trembled as he said the name. He watched as the girl slowly turned around. His heart clenched, and a sudden impulse made him lose control of his body. He grabbed her slender wrist.
“How could you be here?”
“Hey, who are you? Are you a pervert?”
Xia Qian Ge didn’t speak, but someone else did. The girl next to her had a fiery personality. Xu Dan watched as Su Yu appeared out of nowhere and suddenly grabbed her roommate’s hand. She was like an ignited barrel of gunpowder, her tone explosive, which prompted other boys to speak up.
“Dude, you can’t just touch her when you’re trying to pick her up. If you can’t play by the rules, it’s not fun.”
“Let go of her. It’ll get ugly if things escalate.”
…
More and more eyes were drawn to them, and they quickly became the center of attention.
“Hey, Su Yu, what are you doing?”
“Do you know this girl or something?”
Gu Chuan and the others rushed over, anxious as they saw the growing crowd.
“Hey, do you guys know this weirdo?” Xu Dan looked at Gu Chuan and the others coldly. “Disgusting. Make him let go. Stop pretending to be innocent.”
All the emotions were trapped in a confined space, growing denser, more congested. There were only two ways out: one with Su Yu, the other with Xia Qian Ge.
A flash of confusion crossed Xia Qian Ge’s eyes when she turned around, but it disappeared when she saw Su Yu. Her beautiful eyes reflected his image. She looked at the boy standing under the scorching sun, her eyes filled with him, as bright as a starry river.
“You’re here?”
A smile gradually formed on the girl’s lips, like ripples spreading across a clear pool, circle after circle, melting into her heart, like a fluttering butterfly landing on a willow branch, silencing the entire crowd, making everyone’s heart pound.
