Chapter 33: Strawberry
Military training continued. The heavens seemed to have generously bestowed the last dregs of summer heat upon their training. Every day, under the scorching sun, they practiced the same movements over and over again. Their formation became more orderly, their movements more standardized, but their spirits grew numb, the only sound in their ears being the drill instructor’s commands.
After almost a whole afternoon of training, the instructor took pity on them and finally allowed them a short break. Su Yu found a spot and leaned against a tree on the lawn. The bright sunlight streamed through the dense gaps in the leaves, creating a pattern of light and shadow on his body. He sipped his Coke, his eyes unfocused, lost in thought.
He and Xia Qian Ge had chatted for a long time in the cafeteria that day, until the cafeteria was almost empty and the food on their plates had gone cold. Su Yu had wanted to go somewhere else, but she had said it was too hot outside, and the cafeteria had air conditioning, which was perfect.
They had talked a lot, mostly about their university life. They no longer had to worry about the gossiping glances of their classmates. When their eyes occasionally met, they no longer shied away. They were like new friends in college, everything seemingly starting anew.
For the rest of the military training, they rarely interacted. Xia Qian Ge didn’t seek him out, and he didn’t contact her either. They both integrated into their own lives.
Although Su Yu often saw her slender figure in the law department’s platoon, he had the feeling that their relationship could truly remain as friends. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff and pulling back the reins just in time. Even though the process was terrifying, at least they had avoided falling into the abyss. Everything would have a good ending.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Handsome Su, crying alone under a tree.”
A teasing voice broke the silence. Su Yu turned his head and saw Gu Chuan standing behind him, his face darkened. He had deliberately applied sunscreen, but it was useless. After a few days, Gu Chuan’s pale face had turned several shades darker, but he looked much healthier.
“How long are you guys going to keep teasing me about this?”
“Hey, the girl on the school beauty list is your high school classmate, and you’re close. You didn’t even tell us, bro. That’s a bit much.”
“I can introduce you to anyone, but you? No chance!”
“Stop it. I think you’re just hoarding her for yourself.” Gu Chuan leaned closer, his eyes full of suspicion. “You’ve known each other for so long, and you’re at the same university. You really have no intentions? If you don’t make a move, that little white rabbit will end up in someone else’s pocket.”
Su Yu took off his hat and rolled his eyes. “If you have nothing better to do, get lost. I need to rest.”
“Don’t, I really have something. A great opportunity.”
“What is it?”
“Isn’t there a welcome party tonight? They need people to decorate the venue. We can skip training. I got us two spots.”
“Aren’t Lu Siyuan and Chu Feng going?”
“Chu Feng is a platoon leader, he has to organize the platoon, so he can’t make it. As for Lu Siyuan…” Gu Chuan pouted, a hint of sourness in his tone. “He’s already hooked up with one of my friends, the one from the bar. I haven’t even made a move yet, and I’m already playing matchmaker for him.”
Gu Chuan urged, “So, are you coming or not? We can also watch the rehearsals. It’s a great opportunity to slack off.”
“Of course I’ll help a brother out. I’m in.” Su Yu stood up and dusted himself off. “Let’s go now. I’m so tired of training.”
…
But as it turned out, such a lucky break wasn’t so easy to come by.
Su Yu and Gu Chuan escaped the scorching sun and the military training, hiding in the grand hall of Qingchuan University. Su Yu looked at the vast hall, which seemed to take half a day to walk from one end to the other, and his heart sank. They were responsible for decorating the entire stage.
“When this is all over, you’re buying me dinner. I don’t care.”
“I’m desperate too. The person who gave us the notice didn’t say it would be just the two of us.” Gu Chuan’s face darkened even more. He wanted to strangle the person who had given him this “opportunity.”
“Is there a time limit?”
“I think… we need to finish before the rehearsal starts.”
Su Yu grimaced. He could already feel his arms aching.
“Hello…”
A soft voice suddenly sounded from behind. Su Yu turned around and saw a girl standing shyly behind them. He didn’t recognize her at all.
“You are?”
“Ah… I’m here to help with the preparations for the party.”
The girl seemed startled, lowering her head even further, the brim of her hat casting a shadow over her entire face.
“Are you alone?”
“I’m… I’m sorry. My friend had something to do, so I’m alone. But I’ll do her part of the work too. Please don’t be mad.”
The girl quickly explained, her hands fidgeting in front of her, looking lost, as if… she was very shy?
“I’m Su Yu, and this is Gu Chuan. It’s probably just the three of us.”
“Huh?”
The girl was stunned for a moment, probably spacing out. After a while, she finally seemed to notice them.
She met Su Yu’s gaze, her mouth slightly agape, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering under the shadow of her hat, making his heart itch.
This girl… was kind of cute. Su Yu glanced at Gu Chuan, who was whistling and looking in another direction, his acting terrible.
“I… I’m An Zhi.”
An Zhi… Su Yu inexplicably thought of gardenias. Unfortunately, the gardenias had already withered, and An Zhi didn’t smell like gardenias at all.
“Let’s get started then. The rehearsal is about to begin.”
“Oh, okay.”
…
In the end, they didn’t finish all the decorations. Gu Chuan had to call in more people. They barely managed to finish before the rehearsal started. After finishing their work, they all sat in the hall, resting and slacking off.
“Want some water?”
Su Yu carried a large box of mineral water, distributing it bottle by bottle. There were two bottles left. He took one, and the other… belonged to the shy rabbit in the corner.
“This is yours.”
“Oh, thank you.”
An Zhi took the water bottle and politely said thank you.
“So… which department are you in?”
“Computer science, Class 1.”
“Huh?”
Su Yu almost choked on his water. He and the other boys had already gotten to know most of the girls in their class. When had a girl named An Zhi appeared?
“Oh, I just registered yesterday.” An Zhi explained, seeing his confusion.
“I see.”
Su Yu nodded. He looked at An Zhi’s still-fair face. She really didn’t look like she had participated in military training.
The girl always kept her head down and didn’t talk much, but she always answered politely whenever anyone asked her a question, her voice soft and sweet, like a strawberry-flavored marshmallow.
Su Yu didn’t say anything more. He looked at the stage. The rehearsal seemed to be about to start.
