Chen Sihang was pinned down by Pei Chen and was so furious that he wanted to fight back, but he found himself completely immobilized.
He grimaced in pain, unable to keep his composure as he cursed loudly, “Damn it, Pei Chen, do you believe I’ll beat you up?”
Pei Chen’s voice was cold, “How do you plan to do that?”
“…”
“Fighting during military training? How do you think that will be handled?”
Chen Sihang’s expression changed slightly.
He was indeed very angry, but he also knew what the consequences of fighting would be.
Unable to bear the pain, the boy gritted his teeth, his tone slightly more subdued but still harsh, “Can you just let go of me first?”
After a moment, Pei Chen released his grip. Chen Sihang straightened up, spat, shook his arm, and sneered at Pei Chen, “You’re afraid to fight me, aren’t you?”
“How would I fight? Like just now?”
Pei Chen lifted his eyes to look at him, his voice light and indifferent.
It wasn’t very harmful, but it was extremely insulting.
Chen Sihang saw that under the dark night, the boy’s eyes seemed to be covered in a layer of ink, deep and cold, yet with a powerful sense of oppression that made cold sweat inexplicably trickle down his back, deterring any thoughts of provoking him.
Chen Sihang had always thought that the other guy was just a weak bookworm.
But just now, his strength seemed like he actually knew how to fight…
Finally, Pei Chen spoke coldly, “Liang Zhiyi has nothing to do with me. Whatever happens between you and her is none of my business.”
Chen Sihang was slightly stunned.
Pei Chen looked at him, his gaze chilling:
“Don’t bother me again.”
With that, he turned and left.
Chen Sihang stood there, gritting his teeth in anger.
–
Inside the auditorium, the movie was still playing.
Liang Zhiyi had seen this movie before, and with Pei Chen not around, she felt bored and decided to go for a walk.
Under the pretense of going to the bathroom, she left the auditorium. As she walked near the sports field, she suddenly saw a girl standing by the wall near the bleachers—
It was Zhi Mian.
However, there was also a man standing in front of her.
The man had dark hair and bright eyebrows, with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall, looking casual and carefree.
He was saying something, and then he reached out to gently touch Zhi Mian’s head, a clear smile playing on his lips.
The two of them were standing very close, and they seemed to have an intimate relationship.
Liang Zhiyi looked more closely—
Isn’t that the instructor Duan Zhuo who taught shooting this morning?
What are they doing here together??
Liang Zhiyi was so stunned that she stood frozen in place. The man casually glanced over and happened to see her. Zhi Mian also noticed her, and her face immediately showed a look of surprise, as if she hadn’t expected to be seen by someone she knew.
In the next moment, Duan Zhuo whispered something to Zhi Mian, then led her over.
Liang Zhiyi, still in shock, managed to speak, “Good evening, Instructor Duan…”
“Hmm,” the man responded with a slight smile, glancing at Zhi Mian, “I’m leaving now. You should head back soon.”
After he left, Liang Zhiyi seemed to grasp something, and she looked at Zhi Mian with a knowing expression, “No wonder someone blushed when they saw Instructor Duan this morning. So this is the kind of relationship you have in private?”
Zhi Mian quickly waved her hands, “No, no, don’t misunderstand, he’s… he’s my brother…”
“Brother?”
“Not my real brother, but he takes care of me…”
Liang Zhiyi could tell right away that this “brother” was someone special to Zhi Mian, but she had no intention of prying into others’ privacy. Seeing how flustered Zhi Mian was, she couldn’t help but pinch her cheek, “Xiao Jiu, you’re too cute when you’re shy.”
Hearing the sudden compliment, the girl’s face turned as red as a tomato.
She asked softly, “Zhiyi, could you not mention tonight…”
“Hey, I didn’t see anything at all.”
Zhi Mian looked at Liang Zhiyi’s calm smile and was slightly taken aback, feeling a warmth in her heart as she returned a sweet smile.
Liang Zhiyi turned her head and saw Pei Chen walking toward them. She immediately called out to him, “Pei Chen—”
The boy looked over at the sound.
The next moment, without responding, he just walked away.
What?
Does he have to be so aloof?!
Liang Zhiyi was speechless for a moment, then smiled at Zhi Mian, “Let’s head back.”
“Okay.”
—
Back in the auditorium, Pei Chen had already returned to his seat.
When Liang Zhiyi came back, she sat down next to him and softly called his name. He ignored her. She called again, but he continued to stare straight ahead, and after a moment, his thin lips coldly uttered, “What is it?”
Although he was always aloof, she could vaguely sense that his mood was particularly low at the moment. She had no idea what had happened during his brief time outside to cause this change.
She said, “The homeroom teacher was looking for you earlier. He said you should find him after the movie.”
Pei Chen responded with a lukewarm acknowledgment.
Liang Zhiyi asked curiously, “Pei Chen, are you in a bad mood?”
He didn’t reply.
“If you’re feeling down, you can talk to me.”
Irritation bubbled up within him, and he said, “I want to watch the movie. Can you stop talking?”
Liang Zhiyi was taken aback by his words. A few seconds later, she straightened up, feeling as if she were a balloon being deflated.
She was just trying to show concern, but he had the nerve to complain that she was talking too much?
Fine, if he wanted to watch the movie, then so be it. She wouldn’t bother with him.
For the rest of the movie, Liang Zhiyi indeed treated him like air, focusing intently on the screen. The light scent of gardenias from the girl beside him wafted to Pei Chen’s nose, and he remained silent, staring at the screen with tightly pursed lips.
…
As the movie ended around nine o’clock, the students began to leave the auditorium.
Just as Pei Chen was about to get up, the girl beside him stood up first and walked away without saying a word.
After all the classes had gathered at the entrance, they were dismissed.
Pei Chen and a few of his roommates started walking back to the dormitory, casually chatting with arms draped over each other’s shoulders. Liang Zhiyi and Ji Fei’er happened to be walking ahead of them.
On the way, a boy from a neighboring class approached Liang Zhiyi with a smile and asked, “Hey, can I get your contact info?”
The surrounding students immediately started to tease them.
However, Liang Zhiyi simply walked past him, saying, “Sorry, no.”
The boy walked away, dejected.
Several boys from Class Nine, who had witnessed the scene from behind, remarked in amazement:
“Wow, Liang Zhiyi is really something! That guy’s family is supposed to be pretty well-off, and a lot of girls in our grade are into him. But she didn’t even give him a second glance?!”
“Well, she’s a young lady from a prominent family herself. With someone as outstanding as her, there’s probably a long line of people chasing after her. Do you think just anyone would catch her eye?”
“True enough…”
Indeed, someone like Liang Zhiyi, a young lady from a prominent family, naturally stands above others.
The discussion reached Pei Chen’s ears as they walked up the stairs. He casually glanced up, just as Liang Zhiyi, who had reached the stairway landing, lowered her eyes, her gaze meeting his.
Their eyes locked for a brief moment.
The next instant, Liang Zhiyi averted her gaze, as if she hadn’t seen him at all.
Pei Chen withdrew his gaze, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
—
Since Liang Zhiyi and her roommates went to the bathhouse later than usual, by the time the six of them went for their showers, there was almost no hot water left, and they could only take quick cold showers.
After returning to the dorm, Gao Jia, the girl with glasses, lay down on her bed. The air conditioner was blowing directly at her top bunk, causing her a headache. She asked:
“Hey girls, can we turn up the air conditioning a bit?”
“What’s wrong?” Ji Fei’er, who had just returned, sat on the bottom bunk, still sweating. “I’m still feeling a bit hot…”
Gao Jia considered the others and said, “No, it’s okay, no problem.”
She wrapped herself tightly in her blanket, saying she was going to sleep first.
On the opposite bed, Liang Zhiyi sat on her bed, rubbing her ankle.
Ji Fei’er leaned over, “How’s your foot? Still hurting?”
“A little.”
That afternoon, while practicing military boxing, Liang Zhiyi had accidentally twisted her ankle. It didn’t affect her walking much, but it still hurt a bit.
After lights out, the girls all lay down to sleep, but Liang Zhiyi found the bed board very hard and had trouble falling asleep as she kept tossing and turning.
Near midnight, just as she was about to drift off, she heard a faint voice calling:
“Zhiyi…”
She opened her eyes and turned her head to find Gao Jia curled up in her blanket, trembling, and looking at her with a pale face. “Zhiyi, are you awake?”
“I’m awake. What’s wrong?”
“I’m feeling really unwell. I think I have a fever…”
Her voice was weak, and cold sweat was dripping from her forehead.
Liang Zhiyi got out of bed to check on her, and when she touched Gao Jia’s forehead, it was indeed burning hot. Gao Jia guessed it was because she had taken a cold shower and then returned to lie under the air conditioner, and since her resistance was weak, she had developed a fever.
Liang Zhiyi quickly adjusted the air conditioner to a higher temperature and redirected the airflow. She then fetched a cup of warm water for Gao Jia, soothing her gently, “Wait here. I’ll ask if anyone has any fever medicine.”
Having no choice, Liang Zhiyi woke up the other roommates, but none of them had any medicine. Seeing Gao Jia burning up with fever, everyone got up to take care of her. Ji Fei’er, feeling guilty, quickly ran to the neighboring dormitories to ask around, but unfortunately, no one had any medicine either.
Liang Zhiyi said, “If there’s no medicine, we’ll definitely have to go to the infirmary.”
“Is it open this late?”
“The infirmary has staff on duty 24 hours.”
Liang Zhiyi remembered that on the first day, the instructor had mentioned that if a student got sick, they should report it to the class monitor first, who would then inform the instructor. After a moment of hesitation, she took out her phone and called Pei Chen.
On the other end, the ringing phone woke up Pei Chen from his sleep.
He picked up his phone, and when he saw the name on the screen, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
The next moment, he answered, “Hello.”
Hearing his voice, Liang Zhiyi got straight to the point: “Class monitor, Gao Jia has caught a cold and has a fever. I’m going to take her to the infirmary and wanted to inform you.”
Pei Chen became more alert, “Have you left yet?”
“Not yet, we’re just getting changed. Time is tight, so that’s all for now. I’m hanging up.”
She turned to her roommates and said, “You all should continue sleeping. I’ll take Jia Jia to the infirmary.”
Everyone offered to go along, but Gao Jia insisted she didn’t want to disturb their rest. In the end, only Ji Fei’er and Liang Zhiyi accompanied her.
After getting dressed, the two girls supported Gao Jia as they left the dormitory. As they reached the second floor, they saw a boy standing at the stairway.
Pei Chen looked up and met Liang Zhiyi’s gaze.
She was momentarily surprised.
Why is he here…
As he walked over, the boy spoke, “I informed the instructor, and he’ll be here soon. I’ll go with you to the infirmary first.”
As the class monitor, this was indeed his responsibility, so no one objected.
The four of them headed downstairs. Gao Jia was so feverish that she felt nauseous and weak, struggling to walk. Seeing this, Liang Zhiyi suggested, “Let me carry you.”
“It’s fine, no need…”
Liang Zhiyi bent down slightly, and Gao Jia finally had no choice but to climb onto her back. As she hoisted her up, Liang Zhiyi felt a twinge of pain in her ankle but smiled lightly, “You’re so light, I can carry you easily.”
Gao Jia leaned her head against Liang Zhiyi’s shoulder, her eyes welling up with warmth. She hadn’t wanted to trouble Liang Zhiyi tonight, considering they were only casual friends.
“Zhiyi, I’m sorry for causing you trouble tonight…”
“It’s no trouble.”
Liang Zhiyi thought of something and smiled softly, her voice gentle, “My mom is a doctor too.”
Since childhood, she had seen her mother help many people.
Her mother was incredibly resilient, having once gone to disaster-stricken areas where she saved many lives and healed countless others.
Her mother always said that one should live warmly and kindly, helping those in need whenever possible.
The infirmary was a ten-minute walk from the dormitory, and Liang Zhiyi carried Gao Jia the entire way. As Pei Chen walked beside her, he noticed her gradually struggling and frowned slightly. “Let me carry her.”
At Pei Chen’s insistence, Liang Zhiyi carefully handed Gao Jia over to him.
When they arrived at the infirmary, the doctor examined Gao Jia and then went to fetch the necessary medicine.
Ji Fei’er stayed with Gao Jia, while Liang Zhiyi, feeling a bit nauseated by the smell of antiseptic, decided to wait outside.
After a while, Pei Chen returned with the medicine. “Take the medicine and rest here for a bit. We’ll head back once you’re feeling better.”
Gao Jia thanked him and then, remembering something, asked Ji Fei’er, “By the way, is Zhiyi’s foot okay? She carried me here, and I forgot that she twisted her ankle earlier today…”
Pei Chen overheard and asked, “What do you mean, twisted her ankle?”
“She accidentally twisted it during training this afternoon,” Ji Fei’er explained.
“Didn’t she tell the instructor?”
Ji Fei’er shook her head. “She said it wasn’t serious, so she didn’t mention it.”
Gao Jia felt guilty. “Oh no, she carried me all the way here. I hope her foot isn’t hurting more now…”
Within seconds, Pei Chen had already turned and left.
He briefly spoke with the doctor and then headed to the infirmary entrance, where he spotted Liang Zhiyi leaning against a stone pillar.
In the dim night, her long, soft black hair partially covered her pale face as she bent down, massaging her ankle with a slight frown.
Wasn’t she supposed to be a delicate young lady?
Yet, despite her injury, she had carried another girl for ten minutes without hesitation.
He watched her, his gaze deepening.
Meanwhile, Liang Zhiyi, focused on rubbing her ankle, let out a soft sigh.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. A moment later, a bottle of herbal injury ointment appeared in front of her, accompanied by a low, husky voice:
“Are you okay?”
Hearing the voice, Liang Zhiyi looked up, her gaze unexpectedly meeting Pei Chen’s deep brown eyes.
“What…” she started, still caught off guard and not fully processing the situation.
“You twisted your ankle, didn’t you?” he asked calmly.
Surprised, Liang Zhiyi accepted the ointment, then mumbled after a few seconds, “How did you know…”
“Your roommate told me.”
“Oh.” She had thought he had noticed it himself.
Pei Chen lowered his gaze slightly and said in a gentle tone, “Thanks for carrying Gao Jia here tonight. It must have been hard on you.”
Liang Zhiyi hadn’t planned on paying him much attention tonight, but she hadn’t expected him to bring her medicine. Regardless of his reasons, it warmed her heart. She smiled softly, “It was nothing.”
“You should apply some of this,” he suggested.
She opened the bottle, squatted down, and began applying the ointment.
After a while, she stood up, but unexpectedly, she lost her balance and stumbled forward. Just when she thought she was going to fall, a hand quickly grabbed her arm.
By instinct, she lightly bumped into his chest, the faint scent of soap mixed with the unmistakable presence of male hormones surrounding her.
His palm was exceptionally warm against her delicate arm.
Under the hazy night sky.
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew intense.
Liang Zhiyi sensed Pei Chen’s breath momentarily hitch. He then asked, “Are you okay?”
She looked up, meeting his deep, ink-like gaze, and with a playful smile and a twinkle in her eyes, she teased:
“Pei Chen, weren’t you the one who didn’t want to talk to me tonight?”