Chapter 1: Nan University’s Military Training

Credits: Valerie, Amanda, & Kathrien.  

Special thanks to Dora. 

Original Author: 牛油果桃儿.

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The summer heat had not yet disappeared, and September was still in the heat of the weather. At nine o’clock in the morning, the scorching sun had already climbed up the sky. There were no clouds in the blue sky, and the sun shined freely into every corner of the land. 

Though the trees on the field were verdant, lush, and green, under the sun they seemed tired and slothful.  

On the long staircase next to the playground, the people, like little ants wearing camouflage suits, were bustling on the military training grounds. 

“…” 

“What is this? Wake up at six-thirty to get ready, have a big meeting at seven, and then there’s the military training conference. I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet!” 

“Yes, I also haven’t had breakfast yet.” 

“Ah, I’m so hungry. How are we supposed to train?” 

“I’m going to literally die on the training ground!”  

“…”

In the crowd, a male classmate began to lament about how he had not eaten breakfast. Others listened and complained with him. 

Yeah, they crawled out of bed early in the morning only to have two meetings in a row without breakfast. Now, they were pulled directly to the military training grounds to train. Did they want to kill them?” 

Nan University’s training was far too inhumane.  

Hearing the complaints of the people around her, Li Jiao touched her stomach. Fortunately, she had run quickly this morning and gone to the cafeteria to drink a bowl of millet porridge and eat some food. 

“Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao.”  

Editor’s note: Jiaojiao is a nickname of Li Jiao. Nicknames like these are used by friends or people close to you. It’s similar to how people with the names of Samuel might be called Sam by friends and family. 

“Yes?” 

Turning her head around, Li Jiao heard the roommate next to her call out to her. Her roommate, Su Linlin, thanked her. 

“Jiaojiao, thanks for bringing breakfast to our bedroom this morning. Otherwise, we might’ve died the first day on the military training grounds.” 

Li Jiao smiled, revealing her two cute dimples. 

“It’s fine, I bought it on the way.” 

Just as the two of them were talking, another roommate forcefully pushed through the crowd and saw the two of them happily speaking. 

“Jiao, Lin, you guys are here! My God, I finally found you guys. ” 

“Boss.” 

Editor’s note: They’re saying this in a playful way. 

“Boss.” 

“Yes, yes.”

Just as they were talking, a teenage girl, with a body that was slightly fat, and with good facial features, finally came to them. 

Editor’s note: The author made a mistake in the first paragraph. The teenage girl, “the boss,” in this case, had been squeezing through the crowd. The first time she spoke, she had been calling out to them and wasn’t really near them. Now, she’s finally right next to them. 

The second she came; she softly and warmly took Li Jiao’s arm. She said: “Jiao, fortunately, you brought me breakfast, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to live through this.” 

Just as she spoke, she wiped the sweat off of her forehead. She was a bit chubby, so as a result, she was only able to walk a few steps before panting. She hadn’t wanted to come to military training but was forced to by her parents.  

Facing her roommate’s enthusiasm, Li Jiao was a bit uncomfortable. Walking side by side with the others unnaturally, she said. 

“Boss, don’t thank me. I did it on the way.” 

Her habit of waking early still hadn’t changed since the third year of high school.  

When she woke up this morning, nobody in her dormitory had been up. She didn’t want to wake up her roommates, so she had gone alone to the cafeteria to eat breakfast and also pack food for them.  

It was only a small thing. She didn’t expect them to be that thankful.  

Zhang Yue was a teenage girl from Dong Bei. She shook her hand back and forth when she listened and had a careless look on her.  

Translator’s note: Dong Bei is a small city in China. If a story talks about how someone is from Dong Bei, then the person is usually pretty strong and very loyal. 

“Yeah, I know.”  

“How about this. Starting from today, you’re my person.  If anyone dares to bully you in the future, I’ll protect you. ” She patted her chest, “I’ll keep you safe! ” 

“What… What?”  

Li Jiao looked a bit stunned. Why did it become like this? Why was she acting like the people in movies?  

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in what Zhang Yue was saying. She knew that Zhang Yue was very protective and could put up a fight, since yesterday, Li Jiao had seen the girl carrying a huge tank of water and run up five floors. 

But she had only just brought her breakfast. Things might have escalated too far. Su Linlin, who was next to her, watched Li Jiao become stunned and speechless. She bumped her with her elbow and whispered: “Just agree, or she’ll go ‘crazy’ again.”

Thinking about it again, if Li Jiao didn’t agree, then from Zhang Yue’s personality, she might have to do other things to pay the favor back. For example, such as helping her, Li Jiao, carry a large water tank up the stairs. 

So, Li Jiao smiled, nodded her head, and said: “Then thanks, boss.”  

“No,” Zhang Yue waved her hand, “It’s no big deal.” 

“If there’s anything that happens in the future, then just mention my name.” 

Li Jiao touched her small face and nodded her head, “Alright.” 

The path to the military grounds had a long hallway. It was really long. Thousands of new students that were in military training all huddled together, walking to the training grounds. However, few would really arrive.  

Translator’s note: Military training grounds/the fields are usually outside, and the hallways are inside. A lot of people will fake going to the hallways but won’t actually go to real training because it’s too harsh, especially for girls.  

Li Jiao and her friends were squeezed in the middle and had only walked through half of the hallway to the training grounds.   

Because Zhang Yue was tall, she stood on her tiptoes and tried to look forward. There were so many heads in front of them. 

Right afterwards, she complained: “I want to die. Why the hell are there so many bastards that haven’t eaten their breakfasts yet?”  

“We’ve walked for so long. Why are we still halfway?”  

Li Jiao and Sun Linlin were amused by Zhang Yue’s Dong Bei accent. They tried hard to hold back their laughter.

But when Zhang Yue frowned, it was as if she’d seen her enemy. And when they saw her frown, it was hard for them to not laugh. 

Su Linlin also tiptoed on her feet, looking forward. She was shorter than Zhang Yue, so she couldn’t see anything when she tiptoed. She was only able to lower her head sadly. 

Next to Su Linlin, Li Jiao nudged and smiled at her, showing her dimples. A smile that could heal a person’s heart.  

She smiled: “It’s fine, it won’t take long to get there.”  

Su Linlin instantly felt as if her sadness had been healed. She reached out her hand and squeezed Li Jiao’s cheek and sighed. “Jiaojiao, why are you so cute～” 

Facing the “tiger claws” on her face, Li Jiao silently tore off the other person’s hands and rubbed her red cheeks. 

Aggrieved, she muttered: “If I had known sooner, I wouldn’t have comforted you.” 

Unknowingly, the act of rubbing her cheeks only made Li Jiao cuter. 

“Wow~ Jiaojiao, you’re really too cute.” 

After speaking, she wanted to pinch those cheeks again but was stopped by Zhang Yue, who was next to her. 

She had just promised to protect Li Jiao, after all. 

Zhang Yue glanced at her. The Dong Bei big boss’s image had truly come out.

Well, what do you want to do? 

Editor’s note: Basically, Zhang Yue has the image of a big boss and her glance asks you: “What do you want to do?”  

Su Linlin withdrew her hands timidly but still stared at Li Jiao with bright eyes. Her eyes revealed a trace of desire.  

Li Jiao became scared by her “wolf-like, tiger-like” gaze. She quickly turned her face around and continued to rub her cheeks. 

And thought that in the future, it would be better to keep a distance from Su Linlin. 

Seeing this, Su Linlin reluctantly withdrew her stare. 

It wasn’t her fault. Who let Li Jiao be this cute? 

Originally, Li Jiao was a girl from the south and was 1.6 meters tall, with light skin and a cute appearance. Her eyes were round and she had two dimples when she laughed. She had the look of being incredibly sweet and charming. 

And the day before yesterday, when she had just come, it had been thought that she was someone’s sister. She looked just like a high school student.  

Su Linlin glanced at Zhang Yue, who was right beside her. If the boss hadn’t been here, then she would’ve already designated her hands to pinch Li Jiao’s face. Were southern girls’ skins all this good? 

Her skin was light, not to mention that it also felt soft and smooth. Just like a smooth white egg. 

“Ugh, military training is going to start soon. I just hope that that the instructor will pity us and won’t be too strict.” 

Since Su Linlin couldn’t pinch peoples’ faces now, the only thing she could do was to now change the topic.  

Li Jiao said: ” Hopefully, the instructor won’t be too strict, since there are so many girls in our class.” 

Nan University, famous for its art major, had a lot of students that applied to it. Among those students, most of them were girls.  

In Li Jiao’s class, the ratio of boys to girls was better compared to other classes, but in the forty students they had, there were only sixteen boys.  

Zhang Yue had already given up and said: “As long as we don’t die, I can take anything.” 

Su Linlin became a bit scared after hearing what Zhang Yue said. “Boss, don’t say that. Sports has been my weak point ever since I was a kid.”

Li Jiao nodded silently. She sighed, “You’re not alone.” 

If she had been good at sports, she wouldn’t have chosen the art major. 

Zhang Yue turned around with a creepy smile on her face, and said darkly: “Didn’t you all know that every year during Nan University’s military practices, there would always be ‘lives lost’?

Hearing such, the cowardly Su Linlin and Li Jiao both shrank their necks back in fear. It couldn’t be.

Zhang Yue felt smug when she saw their shocked reactions. She turned around, sneering as she intended to examine how many people were still in front of them. 

The second she turned; her smile froze. 

“Boss, what’s wrong?” Li Jiao asked. 

Zhang Yue stared at a section of the field, revealing a wry smile as she muttered to herself, 

“Jiao, if I die during camp today, then you’ll have to bury my corpse.” 

“What?” 

Li Jiao hadn’t understood what she meant. All she heard at the moment were the gasps around her. 

What she saw instead as she turned, was the dazzling streak of the burning horizon. 

Dozens of people dressed in camouflage, wearing military caps, stepped dignified and mightily, stormed into the military training grounds. Their movements were in sync, and they looked so victorious that no enemy would ever seem to be capable of penetrating through their triumphant aura. 

The glittering warriors stepped onto the earth like angels of heaven, unstoppable. 

The neat footsteps resounded in the military grounds. Between heaven and earth, it seemed that there were only those incredible marching sounds. All of the noises around them stopped, and everyone was astonished by the powerful marching sound.  

The freshmen’s movements had also stopped, and they watched the group of soldiers stop, turn right, and then listen to the chief instructor on the stage. 

Su Linlin was the first one to realize and react. She looked like a fangirl, saying, “Wow, the instructors are so handsome.”  

Zhang Yue only silently sighed after she finished seeing everything.  

“That’s not the instructor; that’s the Yama coming for my soul.” 

Translator’s note: Yama is the Chinese version of the underworld god. Yama is neither good or bad, but simply puts humans into their next life. 

Then, she hung her head as if she was going to die. 

Was there still any time left to go back to Beijing now?  

Li Jiao looked at the team of instructors, everyone in the team was strong and powerful. Looking down at herself, she saw that she had very little meat, and thin legs and arms like newborn chicks. She secretly cried; her physique for sports was really not good. 

And after a short while, the chief instructor looked as if they were nearly done with criticizing them.  

He pulled out a whistle, blew into the whistle, and then it was as if the clouds in the sky had all spread apart because of the sound. 

“Oh my God, that whistle’s so loud.” Zhang Yue said as she covered her ears.  

After one whistle, the chief instructor pulled out a big horn and yelled,  

“Every freshman has to be in this field within thirty seconds!”  

“If anyone passes thirty seconds, then you will need to stand at attention for thirty minutes!”  

“Start now!” 

After those words came out, everyone became nervous and started to run to the field. The scene looked astonishing yet chaotic.  

“Fuck, better run faster!!!” 

“Holy, I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet!!!” 

“Run faster!!!” 

“My God, who stepped on my feet!!!” 

“…”

When they heard the order, they were not even halfway to the field. Luckily, Zhang Yue reacted quickly. She shouted “fuck,” and then instantly grabbed Li Jiao’s hands with her left hand and Su Linlin’s hands with her right hand, and then ran.  

Using the advantage of her tall stature, she made a path out of the crowd by bumping and nudging around.

In the big military training field, thousand of students wore soldier costumes, like little ants. They were released like rabbits, using their fastest speed to run to the field.  

“Ten, nine, eight,….” 

As the countdown began, Zhang Yue pulled the two people to the field. They had already rushed into the middle of the field but were still looking for their class.  

“Where is Class 1 of Grade 19?” 

Editor’s note: Grade 19 means the class of XX19. 

“Three… Two… One!” 

“Everyone stop, don’t move!” 

Following the order of the instructor, everyone stopped moving. Most of the people had already arrived at the field, but there were still some that hadn’t. 

Some people had wanted to secretly run to their place, but the chief instructor had spotted them. He exclaimed. “Stop, don’t move. You’re acting like I can’t see it, right?!” 

Then, he whistled again to warn them!

Now, no one had the nerve to move. They all stood where they were, panting carefully.  

Those thirty seconds were deadly. It was as if their hearts had run out of their chests! 

Li Jiao and her friends were also like this. Standing where there were. Panting. 

The three girls were flushed, their forehead sweaty, and their legs trembling to a small extent. It could be seen that they had really been hurried. 

True enough though, the three girls had just, luckily, very luckily indeed, ran to the field within the last few seconds.  

Li Jiao’s several strands of hair that were in front of her forehead were all wet. There were also thin beads of sweat that came out of her hairline. Her cheeks were red, yet her lips were turning white. 

She pressed her lips tightly together. Her heartbeat accelerated, and she panted slightly. Her hands pressed into the pain in her waist, and because of her desperate run, her stomach and intestines felt a little pained.

“Jiaojiao, are you okay?” 

Su Linlin was worried about Li Jiao, However, she was not any better, since her whole neck was red. 

Li Jiao shook her head weakly, “I’m fine. It’s just a bit of a stomachache. It’ll be okay in a moment.” 

Hearing this, Su Linlin nodded. She was just like Li Jiao too.  

Then, turning her head around, she saw Zhang Yue beside her just panting slightly. Her face was a bit flustered, but there was nothing else. 

“Boss, how are you so athletic?” 

Zhang Yue turned her head around with a sad face, “Athletic my ass!” 

“My whole body hurts from running!” 

“…” 

“…” 

Next Chapter

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