Chapter 22: Military Training

Military training at PKU (Peking University) lasted a total of fourteen days.

On the first day, a video posted on PKU’s official social media account went viral, all because of a twenty-second interview clip at the end of the three-minute video.

The youth captured by the lens wore a loose-fitting military uniform. His belt was fastened to the tightest hole, accentuating a narrow, lean waistline. He stood as upright as a young poplar tree, his skin seemingly glowing even under the scorching sun. A few tufts of hair poked out from under his cap, and his face—with its ruby-red lips and pearly teeth—stood out strikingly among the weary, miserable expressions of the other freshmen. Seeing him was like discovering a glass of iced grape soda in the middle of a sweltering summer; he was utterly refreshing.

Facing the camera, he appeared a bit shy, answering questions with a faint smile.

“I’m very happy. Military training gives me the feeling of a large family going on a spring outing together.”

“I hope to make more friends.”

“As for difficulties… the cafeteria food is a bit hard to get. I run slowly and can’t squeeze past everyone, so I ended up eating instant noodles for lunch. But instant noodles are quite delicious, too.”

These were perfectly ordinary answers, yet the video broke the internet within hours. It was reposted everywhere, and the comment section beneath was overwhelmingly dominated by discussions about the boy in the interview.

[Mom, if you had told me PKU had this kind of treasure, I would have studied hard! I wouldn’t be at a factory tightening screws right now!! (crying) (mental breakdown) (spitting blood)]

[Did they use a special filter on him? His art style is completely different.]

[So cute (drooling)… can I just walk into PKU for a tour? I don’t mean anything else, I just want to see the elegance of elite students.]

[Who’s managing this account? Why didn’t you put his name and major in the captions? Zero stars!]

[I don’t even want to say it—other people got three to five seconds, he got a full fifteen. The editor is definitely playing favorites, 666.]

[My little brother is so pitiful he didn’t even get rice. PKU, I order you, RIGHT NOW! Build a new cafeteria! Don’t let my boyfriend starve!]

[This brother was already famous on the PKU confession wall on registration day. Everyone’s looking for him. There are tons of candid photos from passersby, go look~]

“Yu Xi, you’re viral again! Quick, look! The comment section is all about you!”

During the military training lunch break, several classmates crowded around Yu Xi to share the video, which already had hundreds of thousands of likes.

Yu Xi bit the straw of his water bottle. Catching sight of a few “bold” comments, his moist, red lips pursed, and his sun-flushed face grew a few degrees hotter. When he was caught for the interview, he hadn’t expected it to actually be edited into the official account; he felt his answers were quite boring.

“Let me ask you, is that person who accompanied you on registration day—the one on the confession wall—really Senior Gu? I think he looks a lot like the photos on the Alumni Wall of Fame—”

Yu Xi blinked. “Alumni Wall of Fame?”

“Yeah, didn’t you know? It’s on the first floor of Xianming Building. You can see it as soon as you walk in.”

Yu Xi knew Gu Chuanzhou had graduated from PKU, but he hadn’t known he was “on the wall.” Out of curiosity, he took a detour to see it after lunch.

Sure enough, he found Gu Chuanzhou’s photo and name on the display. In the photo, Gu Chuanzhou wore a white shirt and stared straight into the lens with a blank expression. His features were cold and sharp, possessing an aura that set him apart from others at such a young age.

Maybe Gu Chuanzhou was more sharp-edged at that age, he looks a bit fierce, Yu Xi thought. He took a photo with his phone and sent it to Gu Chuanzhou.

Yu Xi: [Look what I found? (Bear peeking.jpg)]

A long while later, Gu Chuanzhou replied.

Gu Chuanzhou: [Who is this? Looks a bit familiar.]

Yu Xi couldn’t help but smile at the man’s feigned ignorance: [I don’t know him. I heard from a classmate that there was a very impressive senior here, so I came to take a look.]

Gu Chuanzhou: [Mhm. Student Yu Xi is very curious.]

Yu Xi: [I wonder what this senior is doing right now?]

Gu Chuanzhou: [Working…]

Attached was a photo of a desk piled with documents. A hand wearing a wristwatch with its sleeve rolled up was in the frame, loosely holding a fountain pen. The fingers were relaxed yet lean and well-defined.

Yu Xi was dazed for a moment, inexplicably recalling the strength and warmth of that hand when it massaged his leg.

A few seconds later, the phone vibrated again.

Gu Chuanzhou: [I’m very tired. I miss Xi Xi.]

Yu Xi’s eyelashes fluttered.

They had only been apart for two days… but Gu Chuanzhou was often like this. They would spend the previous day together, and the very next morning he’d be knocking on the Pei family’s door. Even when he was swamped with work, he would bring his laptop to find Yu Xi, claiming that only then would he not feel exhausted.

As a child, Yu Xi never knew Gu Chuanzhou had such a clingy personality.

Gu Chuanzhou: [Can Xi Xi video call me tonight, okay?]

Yu Xi’s heart softened: [Okay. Good luck with work.]

After a brief chat, Yu Xi hurried back to the dorm for a nap. Military training was physically draining, and he had to ensure he got enough rest. On the way, he bought some energy bars at the store, intending to replenish his strength, and bought extra for his roommates as well.

He was afraid his roommates were already sleeping, so he opened the door very quietly. Hearing voices inside, he spoke up, but paused when he saw someone he didn’t recognize sitting on a bed.

Yu Xi blinked, eyeing the boy sitting with his legs crossed. The boy was dressed in streetwear with various flashy accessories that jingled with every movement. Even more startling were his many piercings—four or five on his ears, and others on his eyebrows and lips—all set with glittering diamonds that dazzled the eye.

While Yu Xi was observing him, the other was doing the same. A flash of surprise crossed the boy’s eyes before he immediately stood up from his chair to get a closer look.

“At least there’s someone in this dorm worth looking at. I thought you were all pieces of black charcoal like these two.” He gestured toward the other two roommates.

“…”

Yu Xi, still not quite understanding the situation, looked toward his other two roommates. After two days together, he had become familiar with them. They were easygoing people who had quickly bonded through helping one another. One was Liu Yuan, outgoing and fond of gaming; the other was Zhou Anhe, more mild-mannered and patient.

Yu Xi had thought this four-person room only had the three of them. He hadn’t expected the empty bed to find its owner today. The two roommates didn’t speak, but kept signaling Yu Xi with their eyes.

The atmosphere seemed strange, but out of politeness, Yu Xi greeted him first: “Hello, I’m Yu Xi. Are you our other roommate?”

“Xiao Yang,” the boy sat back in his chair. “I know who you are.”

Yu Xi blinked. “?”

Xiao Yang let out an ambiguous laugh. “You’re a celebrity, after all. I haven’t even arrived at school and I’ve already seen you on my phone. With a face like that, it’s hard not to remember you.”

Yu Xi scratched his face awkwardly, not knowing what to say. He took out the energy bars he’d bought to share. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yang took one look and handed it back. “I don’t eat cheap cocoa butter substitutes.”

Yu Xi gave an “oh” and distributed them to the other two.

Liu Yuan raised his voice intentionally: “It’s fine! We aren’t picky, we love these!”

Zhou Anhe unwrapped one and chewed, giving a thumb’s up. “Crispy.”

Yu Xi couldn’t help but laugh. Beside them, Xiao Yang glanced at them, took his phone, and went out to make a call.

During that brief time, Liu Yuan and Zhou Anhe immediately began venting to Yu Xi. They said Xiao Yang had walked in and immediately started nitpicking the dorm, complaining that the space was too small, the bedboards too hard, the lights too dim, the AC too weak, and the internet too slow. He even said that not having a private washing machine or fridge made the place no better than a dog kennel…

Liu Yuan was indignant: “He said it wasn’t a place for humans to live—isn’t that just a roundabout way of insulting us? Are we not human?!”

Zhou Anhe shook his head with a sigh. “Our dorm life might be difficult from now on.”

Ten minutes later, Xiao Yang returned. Liu Yuan and Zhou Anhe shut up instantly and focused on their own tasks. Yu Xi, unsure how to solve the current tension, decided to go wash his clothes first.

A while later, Xiao Yang took another call and opened the door. Four or five large men walked in carrying various boxes. They installed a fridge and a washing machine, replaced the internet cables and lightbulbs, fixed the AC, and a well-trained person even began organizing the empty bed space.

In less than half an hour, the shabby dorm was transformed. The workers quietly and efficiently cleared out the trash and left in an orderly fashion.

Liu Yuan’s jaw hit the floor. “Dude, what is all this…”

“I’ve already reported these upgrades to the school leaders. I’ll cover the electricity for the next four years. You guys can use the fridge and washer whenever you want, just keep them clean.”

Xiao Yang sat in his newly arrived ergonomic chair and spread out a large bag of items the men had brought. “And the three of you can split these. Don’t eat that stuff with bad ingredients, it’ll make you stupid.”

This series of actions left Liu Yuan and Zhou Anhe with very complicated feelings, having just badmouthed the guy. In the end, each of them grabbed one of Xiao Yang’s hands with an air of immense gratitude.

“From now on, we’re brothers in this dorm.” “Brother Xiao!”

Xiao Yang yanked his hands back. “Cut the act. I did it for my own comfort, it has nothing to do with you. Don’t flatter yourselves.”

Despite this, Liu Yuan and Zhou Anhe’s enthusiasm didn’t wane. They added Xiao Yang on social media and pulled him into the dorm group chat. “By the way, have you picked up your military uniform? We’ll go with you!”

Xiao Yang replied, “No need. I got a medical note. I’m not participating.”

“Are you sick?”

“Just a bit of congenital heart disease,” Xiao Yang shrugged, changing clothes to get into bed. “So, you unlucky bastards can go roast in the sun. Keep the noise down when you come in and out, don’t disturb my rest.”

“Yes, sir!” Liu Yuan replied. He turned and whispered into Yu Xi’s ear, “The young master has a bit of a sharp tongue, but he’s not a bad person.”

Yu Xi nodded with a smile. “Let’s take a nap.”

The rest of the lunch break passed peacefully. When the broadcast rang, the afternoon training resumed.

By the end of the second day, the freshmen—not yet fully adjusted—were in agony. After dismissal, everyone walked with a limp and a hunched back, leaning on one another for support. Yu Xi walked out with the crowd, looking around.

Before long, he spotted Meng Shen’s figure outside the stadium. Not to mention that the uniform of the neighboring university was a slightly different color from PKU’s, Meng Shen’s height alone made him stand out like a crane among a flock of chickens; he was a full head taller than everyone else.

The moment Yu Xi saw him, Meng Shen’s gaze locked onto him as well. Because of the crowd, Yu Xi couldn’t move quickly, so he could only wave and smile from a distance.

Many people nearby who were stealing glances at Yu Xi followed his movements and noticed the other man, curious about their relationship. They watched as the youth ran up to the tall, gloomy-looking guy with the low-pressed cap. Yu Xi spoke happily, beads of sweat glistening at his temples, his face flushed and his smile sweet—it was obvious they were very close.

When the crowd became too dense and someone behind almost bumped into Yu Xi, the tall young man—who had been quietly listening to him talk—noticed immediately. He reached out a single arm, hooked it around Yu Xi’s waist, and effortlessly lifted him up, shifting him to the inner side where he wouldn’t be bumped.

His broad back shielded the youth completely, hiding even the hem of his clothes. All that could be seen was Yu Xi’s hand grasping the man’s arm—soft and slender, forming a sharp contrast against the solid, thick forearm of the other.