Ye Qingyang: ……
Ye Qingyang felt a question mark slowly rising above his head.
Why was he supposed to wipe his hands?
He hadn’t eaten anything, nor had he touched anything dirty.
He glanced at Lu Jingcheng and saw him staring seriously at him, so he reluctantly tore open the wet wipe packet and wiped his hands.
Lu Jingcheng watched him do it and only then did his anger subside a little.
Chen Wei sighed, “Is that really necessary? Just a handshake, and look at you like that. Someone who didn’t know might think Zhang Ye has germs on his hands.”
Lu Jingcheng sneered, “He is a germ by just existing!”
How dare he shake Ye Qingyang’s hand—where’s my knife?
I’d chop Zhang Ye’s pig trotters off right now!
Even not worth serving as food—just throw him away!
Chen Wei clicked his tongue, “You really control everything, huh? Even who Ye Qingyang talks to? I think Ye Qingyang and Zhang Ye are getting along fine.”
“That’s because I wasn’t there.” Lu Jingcheng said firmly, “If I were sitting next to Ye Qingyang, he’d only have eyes for me. Any Zhang Ye, Wang Ye, Zhao Ye… they’d all be invisible.”
“You’re really narcissistic.”
Lu Jingcheng snorted lightly, thinking, You don’t understand.
Ye Qingyang’s feelings for me—none of you straight guys could comprehend.
He likes me more than anything.
One Zhang Ye? Pfft. Ye Qingyang doesn’t even care.
Thinking this, he sent Ye Qingyang a WeChat message: [After you get off the bus and line up for assembly, try to come stand next to me.]
Ye Qingyang didn’t hesitate: [Okay.]
Seeing him agree so promptly, without asking why, Lu Jingcheng’s chest puffed up even more, almost like a peacock spreading its tail.
“See?” He showed Chen Wei the WeChat screen. “He trusts me completely and listens to me. He’s willing to let me guide him.”
Chen Wei: ……
“I think it’s not that he’s willing, it’s that you’re willing to guide him.”
Lu Jingcheng wouldn’t admit it. “I didn’t… I’m not… don’t talk nonsense. I just think he’s poor and pitiful, so I occasionally lend my hand of justice. How does that 24-character maxim go again? Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony; freedom, equality, justice, rule of law; patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendliness. You understand friendliness, right?”
Chen Wei: “I haven’t seen you be so friendly to anyone else.”
“That’s because the others only admire me a little. Ye Qingyang is different; he likes me more than life itself. So I have to be appropriately friendly too, to highlight the radiant humanity under socialism, right?”
Chen Wei sneered twice. Yeah, right!
You two are clearly… not normal!
He says Ye Qingyang likes him so much—if you were as cold as autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves, would he still like you?
You’re clearly leaving traces everywhere to make him keep liking you.
Schemer! Shameless!
For the first time, Chen Wei felt his childhood friend’s mind was far from simple.
An hour and a half later, the bus arrived at the military training base in Fuxian.
Ye Qingyang got off with everyone else.
Zhang Ye said goodbye to Ye Qingyang, greeted Cheng Yan, slung his bag over his shoulder, and ran toward his class.
Ye Qingyang followed Lu Jingcheng’s earlier instructions and walked over to him.
Soon, Instructor Xu, in charge of them, arrived and had everyone line up in order to go put their things in the dorm.
The dorms accommodated eight students per room.
Ye Qingyang followed behind Lu Jingcheng, ready to enter with him, when Instructor Xu stopped him. “Your room is next; this one is full.”
Before Ye Qingyang could react, Lu Jingcheng swiftly pushed the person in front of him aside and pulled Ye Qingyang inside.
“The student cut in line; he wasn’t originally in front of me. I didn’t notice, how did he get in?”
A student named Li Chao: ???
Lu Jingcheng glanced at Chen Wei, who immediately supported him. “Yeah, Li Chao, how did you suddenly get behind me? I was standing with Jingcheng.”
Li Chao, confused: ……
Realizing the situation, Li Chao stepped back. “I’ll withdraw, please go ahead!”
Chen Wei smiled, turned to Ye Qingyang, glanced at Lu Jingcheng, and walked inside.
This type of “friends must room together” scenario happens almost every year. Instructor Xu, having seen it many times, didn’t bother and continued assigning dorms.
Ye Qingyang stood inside, looking at his seven roommates: Lu Jingcheng, Chen Wei, Bai Le, Dong Yu, Zhang Feng, Liu Ning, and Li Lan.
He wasn’t very familiar with the last three, but it didn’t matter; being close to Lu Jingcheng was enough.
Lu Jingcheng, the campus male idol and school tyrant, scanned the room and chose the top bunk by the window first.
Chen Wei then chose the lower bunk beneath him.
Bai Le and Dong Yu took the bunks next to them.
Ye Qingyang didn’t want the top bunk—too troublesome. After Liu Ning took the lower bunk opposite Chen Wei, Ye Qingyang could only choose the lower bunk opposite Dong Yu.
Beds were quickly chosen, and as they chatted, Instructor Xu called out: “All students! Assemble downstairs in ten minutes!”
Lu Jingcheng, having just lain down, sat up instantly, glancing at his watch, annoyed.
Li Lan got off the bed and sat next to Ye Qingyang. “Assemble for what?”
“Who knows.” Dong Yu yawned from across.
Ye Qingyang thought for a moment. “Probably to get our military uniforms.”
He brightened and looked at everyone. “Did you bring belts?”
“Belts?” Li Lan asked, confused. “The teacher didn’t say to bring belts. Only a change of clothes and toiletries, right?”
“Yeah, I remember she said the base store has those, so it’s fine if we don’t bring them. Can buy them there.”
“Sure, but things at the base store are so expensive.”
Ye Qingyang smiled, bent down, and pulled out seven belts from his luggage.
“Brothers! Friends! Military training, proper uniforms are key! Pants too big? Waist too loose? One belt solves all your problems! Look at this color, classic black. Feel this, strong and durable! Not 30 yuan, not 20 yuan, only 15 yuan! High-end belts! First come, first served! Buy it, buy it, buy it!”
Everyone: ……
Ye Qingyang walked to Lu Jingcheng, handed him the belt he liked best. “For you, Lu Ge, free of charge.”
Lu Jingcheng took it and noticed a small peacock engraved on the buckle.
Then he heard Ye Qingyang’s clear voice: “See?! Even male idols approve! Autumn new arrivals, trendy styles! Male idol same model, only one in the world!”
Male idol Lu Jingcheng: ……
He never said it was good!
He had never used a belt under four digits, okay?!
How dare this rumor spread so openly!
Lu Jingcheng glared at Ye Qingyang, then saw Li Lan and Zhang Feng looking his way.
Lu Jingcheng: ???
Looking at him, waiting for him to speak?
Of course, impossible!
He cleared his throat, muttered “Hmm,” and almost wanted to smash the belt onto Ye Qingyang’s head.
How dare he treat him as a free model and sales tool without permission!
Li Lan realized the situation, recalled the awkwardness of middle school military training, and said, “I forgot my pants could fit two of me. Ye Qingyang, I’ll buy one. Otherwise, I’ll have to go to the base store later. Too much trouble.”
Hearing this, others without belts reacted and started buying as well. Soon, most belts were sold.
Ye Qingyang excitedly packed the remaining belts, including some women’s belts, into a plastic bag.
“Let’s go, assemble downstairs.”
“You’re going to sell belts downstairs, right?” Li Lan laughed.
Ye Qingyang grinned, “Serving the people, of course.”
Li Lan reached out to link arms, but Lu Jingcheng grabbed Ye Qingyang’s hoodie hood, pulling him away.
Li Lan: ???
Li Lan turned and saw the campus male idol glaring at him. “Walk properly. Linking arms? This is a military training base! Behave like a soldier. You’d better train daily—once isn’t enough, maybe two or three times!”
Li Lan: ……
He immediately admired him. Either this guy is a campus male idol, or his ideological awareness is just on another level! Just landed, and already enlightened! A role model!
Lu Jingcheng let go of Ye Qingyang’s hood, warning him, “Be reserved. Don’t flirt around.”
“He initiated it, not me,” Ye Qingyang defended.
“Then avoid him yourself,” Lu Jingcheng instructed. “Being overly passive is the same as consenting to his advances. Avoid it, understand?”
Ye Qingyang didn’t quite get it. Isn’t arm-linking normal between guys?
But then he thought, Lu Jingcheng is a clean freak, probably doesn’t like it, so fine.
He nodded, “Got it.”
Satisfied, Lu Jingcheng held out his hand.
Ye Qingyang, puzzled, extended his hand.
Lu Jingcheng squeezed it, finally feeling the discomfort that had been in his heart dissipate a bit.
“Don’t shake hands with others; how do you know their hands aren’t germy?”
Ye Qingyang smiled, shaking his hand. “You should’ve let go first when you said that.”
Lu Jingcheng thought, He’s shamelessly cute.
He’s holding my hand, and still says stuff like this!
Clearly intentional!
Look at that smile—so bright!
Shamelessly cute!
Lu Jingcheng thought he should forgive him. “Am I a stranger?”
Ye Qingyang smiled. “Also, you’re VIP.”
Lu Jingcheng snorted, thinking, Just relish it. I treat you this well; be grateful!
Seeing the joy in Ye Qingyang’s eyes, he shook his head helplessly and smiled. Look at him, so happy and silly.
Silly!
So easily satisfied!
Lu Jingcheng thought his little admirer really wasn’t easy to deal with.
Too humble!
Hand in hand, they went downstairs.
Yes, hand in hand. Ye Qingyang felt it was childish, but Lu Jingcheng never let go, and he didn’t dare object. Only when they lined up did he slowly release his hand.
Lu Jingcheng looked at him, silently saying, This is already good; don’t get too showy.
Ye Qingyang looked at him, confused, not understanding the underlying meaning, when Instructor Xu called, “At ease.”
Ye Qingyang held his bag and stood properly.
“Count off!” Instructor Xu ordered.
“One, two, three……”
Soon they reached fifty-four.
“All present! Turn left, march!” Instructor Xu commanded.
Ye Qingyang followed everyone forward.
Sure enough, they were going to get military uniforms.
Before he could get his, girls were squealing, “This is too big, who has 160, swap with me!”
“155, anyone?”
“This is way too wide.”
Ye Qingyang listened and, when it was his turn, received a uniform from the instructor.
He thanked him, took it, and went to Lu Jingcheng, trying it on.
Luckily, the size was just right.
The pants were a bit loose, but one belt fixed that.
He had just fastened it when a voice full of entrepreneurial spirit rang out nearby:
“Oh my, these pants are so big! I could fit two of me.”
“I only have one belt! What do I do? Can I buy belts here?”
“I think the teacher said there’s a store here, but why didn’t anyone remind me to bring more?”
Ye Qingyang’s eyes lit up. He enthusiastically addressed the crowd of complainers: “Classmates! All boys and girls, attention! Your little angel Qingyang is here to help~~~”
Boys: ???
Girls: ???
He pulled out the plastic bag, opened it, and yanked out the belts, shouting: “OMG! Look at this! The greatest daily necessity of the 21st century! Essential for life—belts! Worried about pants too loose? Now solved! Happiness for seven days of military training! Boys’ classic black, girls’ elegant white. Not 30 yuan, not 20, only 15! High-end belts, limited quantity, first come, first served! Buy it, buy it, buy it!”
The instructors: ……
Several hadn’t even reacted before students swarmed Ye Qingyang.
“I want one, I transferred money via WeChat.”
“Me too, sent payment.”
“Ye Qingyang, I’m your old customer, let me pick first.”
In no time, the ten belts in Ye Qingyang’s hand sold out.
Those who missed out sighed and left, asking, “Really none left? Qingyang, check again.”
Ye Qingyang shrugged. “Really none, I only prepared a dozen.”
Instructor Xu, observing Ye Qingyang waving the lightweight plastic bag, couldn’t help but laugh.
Goodness, kids these days are so amusing. Doing business right at the training field—after so many batches, this was the first time seeing someone sell belts immediately.
Ye Qingyang finished selling the belts. With everyone having received their uniforms, Instructor Xu sent them back to the dorm, saying: “It’s almost mealtime. Change, get your lunch boxes, then gather to eat. After lunch, rest. At 2 PM, formal military training starts. Fifteen minutes now. It’s 11:30, assemble at 11:45 here.”
“Understood.”
“Dismissed.”
“Yes.”
Instructor Xu corrected them: “Don’t say ‘yes,’ say ‘kill!’”
The students immediately corrected: “Kill!”
They dispersed, heading to the dorms.
Ye Qingyang went in with the crowd. Chen Wei opened the door; everyone changed and got their lunch boxes. Seeing the time, they headed downstairs.
Military training meals were naturally modest—part of the training was cultivating resilience and appreciating hardship.
For Lu Jingcheng, though, it was particularly bitter.
He barely ate during the meal, finishing almost nothing; his lunch box was spotless.
Chen Wei urged, “Master, eat at least a little. You still have training this afternoon. Can you handle it if you don’t eat?”
Lu Jingcheng replied concisely, “Picky eater.”
Chen Wei: ……
Ye Qingyang said, “It’s fine, I brought food for Lu Ge. Chen Ge, don’t worry.”
Lu Jingcheng: !!!
Chen Wei: ……
Bai Le asked curiously, “Xiao Yezi, what did you bring?”
“Some snacks,” Ye Qingyang said.
“Share a bit with me.”
Lu Jingcheng kicked him gently. “Didn’t you hear it’s for me? None of your business!”
“I just want a little; I’m picky too.”
“Then go hungry,” Lu Jingcheng said mercilessly.
Bai Le couldn’t believe it. “Why don’t you go hungry?”
Good question!
Lu Jingcheng smiled. “Someone brought me food~”
Bai Le: ……
He didn’t want to speak to someone so shameless.
Eating alone was one thing, now he’s showing off!
Bai Le ate his meal, feeling it less appetizing.
Lu Jingcheng didn’t care. After Ye Qingyang finished, they returned to the dorm.
Bai Le saw them enter together, teasing, “Oh, a married couple returning home~”
Lu Jingcheng snorted, stepped in front of him, almost smashing his lunch box in Bai Le’s face. “See? Clean? You wouldn’t know how to wash it anyway!”
Bai Le: ……
He really didn’t understand why a grown man would be proud of washing a lunch box.
Isn’t that something a three-year-old could do?
Bai Le shook his head, thinking his childhood friend was too childish.
After chatting for a while, they took a nap, then changed and went for military training at the sound of the whistle.
The first day was simple: standing at attention, practicing at ease and stand-at-attention.
Afterward, Instructor Xu led them back to the dorm, randomly picking a room to teach them tidying skills.
From basin placement to towel arrangement and other items.
Finally came the focus of tidying—the ever-popular “folding the blanket into a tofu block.”
Folding blankets into tofu blocks was every trainee’s nightmare and every instructor’s favorite exam.
Instructor Xu demonstrated seriously, asking, “Got it? Fold like this.”
The fifty-three students stared, bewildered, as if saying, Pardon? Could you demonstrate again?
Instructor Xu, exasperated, repeated. “Fold like this. Starting tomorrow, inspection begins. First failure: boys 20 push-ups, girls 20 squats, increasing sequentially.”
Everyone wailed, “Too strict!”
“Instructor, I can’t! I don’t have hands! Can I borrow yours?”
“I’ll just do push-ups now; who can do this?”
“Heaven is against me!”
Ye Qingyang, listening to the complaints, thought, Don’t worry, my brothers and sisters, as long as you’re willing to spend, your little angel Qingyang will help~~
No need to worry~~
He even hoped tomorrow would come sooner.
After a day of training, students were exhausted. Instructor Xu emphasized the next day’s assembly time and dismissed them.
Ye Qingyang didn’t feel much; after all, his father’s training was far stricter, and he was used to it.
Still, the exertion today was high. After washing up, he lay down and quickly fell asleep.
However, Ye Qingyang didn’t sleep well.
It wasn’t the surroundings or anyone else, just… he felt cold.
His blanket was thin, and his bed faced the door, letting cold air sneak in.
He fretted about changing blankets or beds.
Checking the time, almost six, he decided to get up and consider the change.
He folded his tofu block neatly, grabbed his toothbrush and cup, and went to the washroom.
Unaware, after he left, everyone else got up and crowded around his bed, studying his tofu block like pandas.
Returning, Ye Qingyang saw them and was surprised. “
“Yeah, Ye Qingyang, you’re incredible!”
“Hidden depths, brother!”
“Please save the kid!! He’s willing to pay, is that okay?”
Ye Qingyang smiled. “Of course! As long as you’re willing to pay, you’ll always be my client! How could I, as a little angel, not do my best to meet a client’s needs?”
“See the two pairs of big wings behind me?” Ye Qingyang set down his tooth jar and spread his arms. “Always ready to open for you.”
“Dad!” Li Lan ran up and hugged him.
Lu Jingcheng: !!!
He felt those little piggy hands of Li Lan’s could really be gone!
Where was his knife?
Right now, he wanted to show Li Lan exactly how overkill works—killing a pig with a butcher’s knife!
“By the way, did you sleep well last night?” Ye Qingyang asked curiously. “Were you cold? I feel like my quilt might have been a bit thin.”
The others shook their heads. “Not thin at all. We slept fine.”
Ye Qingyang looked over at everyone; they all seemed fine.
Strange. Could it be bad luck that only his quilt was thin? Or was he naturally sensitive to cold?
Before he could think it through, Li Lan said cheerfully, “Little Yezi, if you feel cold, you can sleep with me. Just the two of us will definitely be warm. But you have to help me fold the quilt. Yours first! Then mine!”
Smack! Lu Jingcheng slapped the phone onto the bed.
Where was his butcher’s knife?!
Ancient tales of Butcher Ding carving an ox came to mind.
Today, he would show everyone what Jingcheng butchers a pig looked like!
This pig must die!
Not just the piggy hands!
Nothing would be safe!
Just as Lu Jingcheng was about to speak, Liu Ning interrupted:
“Damn, little Li, why the sneaky tactics? Ye Qingyang, you sleep with me, I’m on the lower bunk, convenient. But of course, you still have to help me fold the quilt.”
Lu Jingcheng nearly went off the railing in anger!
Two pigs!
Slaughter them both!!!
Today, he would perform a double-edged fast attack!
“None of your business!” Lu Jingcheng said from above, glaring at the two pigs pawing at his crisp cabbage below.
Didn’t they know this cabbage was his?
And yet they dared nudge it!
It was maddening!
“He sleeps with me, folds my quilt, and gets first? Not even the last one would go to you! And the lower bunk is convenient? So convenient you couldn’t fold it yourself?”
Li Lan: …
Liu Ning: …
Ye Qingyang: …
Lu Jingcheng sat on his dragon bed, looking down at Ye Qingyang. “Ye Qingyang, tell me, who are you sleeping with?”
Ye Qingyang: …
No matter how you heard it, it sounded inappropriate!
He looked down at Lu Jingcheng, sitting high and mighty, like he already had victory in hand, surveying the world.
Ye Qingyang could only say respectfully: “I’m sleeping with Your Majesty.”
Bo Le immediately jumped up: “Impossible, impossible! Your servant dares to remonstrate with death, this must never happen, Your Majesty!”
The absent-minded emperor Lu Jingcheng: “Then go die.”
Bo Le: …
Bo Le lamented deeply: “Spring of the fourth year of Qingli, the treacherous minister Ye Qingyang bewitched the sovereign with quilt-folding techniques. Your servant dared to remonstrate with death but could not save the day. I have failed the late emperor!”
Ye Qingyang: …
Everyone else: …
The absent-minded emperor Lu Jingcheng: “You may go to the Yellow Springs to meet him.”
Bo Le: …
The loyal minister, heartbroken, grabbed the tooth jar to brush his teeth.
Lu Jingcheng arrogantly asked, “Anyone else disagree?”
Everyone: …
Lu Jingcheng chuckled, feeling proud—then he saw Ye Qingyang slowly raise a hand.
“You disagree?” Lu Jingcheng raised an eyebrow.
You dare say you disagree!
You’re probably so excited you’d run laps downstairs right now!
It’s only been a short while, and you’re already on my bed!
Ye Qingyang must feel so pleased!
Flying high with joy, probably composing a poem to express it!
Alas, it’s all my fault for being too impulsive! I inadvertently fulfilled his wish!
Impulse is the devil, Lu Jingcheng thought.
“I do not disagree,” Ye Qingyang said softly.
Lu Jingcheng, proud, tilted his head back. Obviously, you’re thrilled and don’t even care about disagreeing.
Look at your tail behind you—it’s probably sticking up!
You’ve dreamed of this day every night!
This happiness came so suddenly!
“I just thought, if Your Majesty doesn’t get up, you might be late for morning assembly.”
“Morning assembly?” Lu Jingcheng was puzzled.
“Line up!” Chen Wei said exasperatedly. “Look at the time. If you don’t get up, you’ll be the first punished with push-ups.”
Finally, Lu Jingcheng snapped out of his absent-minded emperor persona, quickly dressed, and went out to brush his teeth and wash his face.
Ye Qingyang, seizing the moment, climbed onto his bed to fold the quilt and straighten the sheets while he was gone.
Chen Wei watched him carefully folding everything, thinking he was quite considerate—perhaps he should be titled “Virtuous Consort”!
“What about my quilt, Ye Qingyang…” Chen Wei gestured to his own bed.
Ye Qingyang smiled, “Brother Chen, you’re still on my blacklist, so I can’t do business with you.”
Chen Wei: …
Chen Wei, frustrated, went to find Lu Jingcheng. This absent-minded emperor! After so long, why hasn’t he let Ye Qingyang out yet?!
At 6:30, all the students gathered on the field, ready for a new day of training.
Instructor Xu, seeing them yawning, smiled: “You all look like you haven’t woken up yet. Let’s start with two laps. Jog, move!”
The students reluctantly moved.
After two laps, they were awake but tired.
The instructor didn’t let them rest, instead having them line up to practice standing at attention, at ease, and turning left and right.
Ye Qingyang’s sense of direction was usually fine, but with so many commands in a row, he completely lost it.
Especially when the instructor trained reverse thinking: “I say left, you go right; I say right, you go left. Understand?”
Ye Qingyang: … understood. He could go straight out for push-ups.
On the third command, he turned the wrong way, only to see Lu Jingcheng face him.
Lu Jingcheng: “The other side.”
Ye Qingyang: “Oh,” and corrected.
Instructor Xu, sharp-eyed: “That student who turned wrong, step out.”
Ye Qingyang stepped out.
Instructor Xu looked surprised: “Hey, I know you! Belt-selling student?”
The classmates immediately laughed.
Ye Qingyang, helpless, asked: “Instructor, you want one?”
“You still have more?” Xu was surprised.
“No more,” Ye Qingyang said honestly.
“See, I knew you were planning a belt market here.”
The classmates laughed again.
Instructor Xu: “Five push-ups, come on.”
Ye Qingyang rolled up his sleeves and did them without hesitation.
Xu watched his form and was impressed: “Student, very standard.”
After finishing, Ye Qingyang clapped and stood: “Not bad, right?”
“Also fast.”
Ye Qingyang smiled.
Xu understood: “Practiced in private, huh?”
“A little.”
“Alright, go back.”
Ye Qingyang returned to the line. Lu Jingcheng handed him a wet wipe after seeing his hands on the ground: “Wipe it.”
Ye Qingyang took it and put it in his pocket.
Lu Jingcheng: ???
Confused, he asked: “I meant to wipe your hands.”
Why treasure a single wet wipe?
After practically sleeping with him, still so humble.
Would he later recall this time alone with him in midnight dreams?
Deep in the night, dreaming of sharing a bed, tears staining the red curtains.
Alas, rather tragic.
Ye Qingyang didn’t realize that just this one action made Lu Jingcheng mentally rewrite The Song of the Pipa.
“I might have to go out later. I’ll wipe it afterward.”
“Not that bad,” Lu Jingcheng didn’t believe him.
But soon, Ye Qingyang proved just how bad it really was.
Instructor Xu looked at him, puzzled: “Student, do you like the student opposite you? Why else always turn that way? Are you a sunflower, and he’s your sun?”
Lu Jingcheng: !!!
He turned to glare at Xu. What nonsense, telling the truth so openly!
Does Ye Qingyang have no shame?!
Even if true, not the time to say it!
Everyone’s watching!
Broad daylight!
In front of everyone!
To expose him like this!
Lu Jingcheng felt like hitting everyone with a hammer.
Laughing, laughing—can’t you give your little angel some face?!
Even though you buy from him every day!
Business is truly ruthless!
Lu Jingcheng could already foresee Ye Qingyang’s future: deserted at the door, lonely and cold.
Ye Qingyang, helpless, explained: “I just have a poor sense of direction.”
“Then you must be terrible at it.”
“Usually fine, just not in situations like this,” Ye Qingyang replied.
Lu Jingcheng, worried he might feel embarrassed, said: “Instructor, are we continuing training?”
“Of course. Swap places with the belt-selling student. Let’s see if he has a better sense of direction.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
He thought to himself, you fear…
What good would that do? Foolish.
Still, he switched places with Ye Qingyang.
The instructor gave another command. Before long, Ye Qingyang and Lu Jingcheng ended up facing each other again.
The whole group burst out laughing.
Ye Qingyang automatically stepped out of the line. “Instructor, how about you stop making me turn? I’ll just do push-ups voluntarily, okay?”
The classmates chuckled.
Lu Jingcheng watched him, worried he might feel awkward standing there alone, so he stepped out too.
“Student, why did you step out as well?” the instructor asked curiously.
Lu Jingcheng looked at him, completely justified. “Didn’t you say I’m his sun and he’s a sunflower? If I’m not standing here, how’s he supposed to face this direction?”
The students roared with laughter.
The instructor laughed too. “Fair point. So, student—do you want to do the push-ups together with the sunflower student, or just watch him do them?”
Hearing that, Ye Qingyang quickly said, “He can just watch me. He didn’t turn the wrong way.”
With Lu Jingcheng’s cleanliness obsession, if he did push-ups, he’d probably spend forever wiping his hands afterward.
The instructor sighed theatrically. “You really do like this classmate, huh? You’d rather let him watch than have him do it with you.”
Ye Qingyang threw an arm around Lu Jingcheng’s shoulders and sang loudly, full of righteous energy:
“Friends walk together for life,
Those days will never return.
One sentence for a lifetime,
One life of friendship, one cup of wine.
Friends are never truly alone,
Just say the word ‘friend’ and you’ll understand.
Through wounds and pain,
Through the road ahead—you’ll still have me.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
He lowered his head in embarrassment.
This was way too blatant.
So shameless he couldn’t handle it.
But Instructor Xu and the rest of the students were laughing.
Instructor Xu even clapped. “Nice singing. I applaud your sincere friendship.”
“Thank you, Instructor.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
Even more embarrassing now.
“Alright then, start the push-ups.”
“Sun student—what’s your name?”
“Lu Jingcheng.”
“And the sunflower student?”
“Ye Qingyang.”
“Good. Ye Qingyang, ten push-ups. Lu Jingcheng, you count. Everyone else, continue training.”
Ye Qingyang rolled up his sleeves without hesitation and started doing push-ups again.
Lu Jingcheng squatted down beside him and whispered, “Are you dumb? Do them slower. When the instructor finishes the drill, you won’t have to keep doing this.”
Good point.
Ye Qingyang immediately slowed down his pace and even looked up at Lu Jingcheng with a grin.
Seeing him smiling at a time like this, Lu Jingcheng thought he looked ridiculously silly.
You’re not embarrassed at all?
Still smiling?
Maybe it’s because I’m here with him.
That seemed likely. After all, Ye Qingyang had eyes only for him.
Now that he was watching him do push-ups, Ye Qingyang was probably so happy inside that it didn’t even feel like punishment.
“Are you actually kind of happy?” Lu Jingcheng asked.
Of course Ye Qingyang was happy.
He was basically always happy.
Was there anything in the world worth being unhappy about?
Nope.
So he nodded. “Yeah, pretty happy.”
After all, on the very first day of military training he had already earned seventy or eighty yuan. How could he not be happy?
Lu Jingcheng knew it.
He looked at him. “Don’t tell me you really turned the wrong way earlier just to look at me.”
Ye Qingyang thought, What kind of nonsense are you imagining?
But seeing Lu Jingcheng squatting beside him, patiently keeping him company, he suddenly found him a little too cute.
So he humored him. “Who knows? You are pretty good-looking.”
Lu Jingcheng: !!!
He hadn’t expected there might actually be a reason like that. Instantly he felt that Ye Qingyang was way too much of a lovestruck fool.
They saw each other every day already!
They were practically about to sleep in the same bed!
And he still wanted to sneak glances at him?
Couldn’t even miss a single second?!
Such heavy affection!
Lu Jingcheng felt like something had just hit him square in the chest.
“Then couldn’t you look at me in private? Now look—you got punished.”
“Well, you’re here with me anyway,” Ye Qingyang said with a smile.
Lu Jingcheng snorted.
So that was his plan!
Trying to get him to accompany him publicly in front of everyone!
What scheming!
Total scheming!
Was this some kind of territorial declaration?
Isn’t that a little too impatient?!
Lu Jingcheng glared at him. “Don’t do that again next time.”
“How could I control that? I’ll try,” Ye Qingyang said honestly.
After all, sense of direction wasn’t exactly something you could command at will. At least he couldn’t.
Lu Jingcheng was about to reply when Instructor Xu’s voice floated over lazily:
“So that’s why Ye Qingyang is doing his push-ups so slowly this time—turns out he’s chatting with Lu Jingcheng.”
“Are you two being punished, or enjoying some quality couple time? Looks pretty sweet to me.”