Chapter 40: It Was Just a Dream

In the quiet morning, Su Cheng lay in her quilt, drenched in cold sweat.
Her pajamas were completely soaked.

“No… no…”
Su Cheng suddenly kicked off the blanket, waking from her nightmare, gasping for air.

“Orange, what’s wrong with you?”
Chen Xi, sitting on her bed, saw Su Cheng’s terrified expression and asked her curiously.
Su Cheng remained silent, calming the pounding in her heart, but the scene in her mind still replayed.
In the dream, Su Cheng was tied up with five ropes by Gu Xiya, her clothes tattered and torn.
Gu Xiya sat beside her with a sickly smile, her cold fingertips pressing on Su Cheng’s chest, her lips slightly curled.

“You’re mine… hehe…”
That spell-like whisper, filled with strong possessiveness, echoed repeatedly in her mind.
All of it was just a dream, but Su Cheng’s heart remained unsettled for a long time.
The lingering warmth of the nightmare was like a layer of sticky sweat, clinging to Su Cheng’s jade-like skin, impossible to wipe away.
Chen Xi raised her voice slightly, saying to Su Cheng: “Hey, Orange, are you alright?”
Su Cheng was pulled back to reality by Chen Xi’s voice, her wide pupils contracting slightly.

“N-No, I’m fine.
What time is it now?”
Sun Xiaochen, dressed in a camouflage uniform, looked up at Su Cheng: “It’s 6:10.
Usually, you’re already gone by this time.”
Upon hearing this, Su Cheng didn’t even have time to reply.
She slid off the bed like a loach diving into the sea, changed clothes in thirty seconds, washed up in three minutes, and finally tied her hair into a single ponytail.
Her speed was so fast that Chen Xi and Sun Xiaochen were stunned on the spot.
Chen Xi exclaimed: “Holy cow, you’re so fast!”
Su Cheng opened the dorm door, looking at Chen Xi, who was still combing her hair: “Of course!
How much longer does it take to brush your teeth?
If you keep dawdling, you’ll be late!”

“There’s still plenty of time, what’s the rush?”
As soon as Chen Xi finished speaking, Su Cheng turned and left.
Although it had rained last night, the sun was still scorching.
The wind carried the damp scent of steaming grass and trees, hitting her face and forcing her to perk up.
Su Cheng was yawning, walking slowly towards the West Drill Ground, when her shoulder was suddenly tapped lightly.
Su Cheng, a little startled, slowly turned her head, but upon seeing the girl behind her, the fear on her face became even more pronounced.
The golden-haired girl with a ponytail, dressed in a camouflage uniform, stood smiling in front of Su Cheng, bowing slightly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?
Am I that scary?”

“Ah ha… it’s Classmate Gu.
Good morning…”
Su Cheng managed to force out a faint smile, smiling at Gu Xiya.
The dream she had just buried resurfaced again.
Looking at the faint smile on Gu Xiya’s face, she felt a strange uneasiness in her heart.
The red pupils with their sickly obsession from the dream were now clearly reflected in Su Cheng’s eyes.

“Good morning, did you not sleep well last night?
You look a bit tired.”
Gu Xiya’s tone carried a hint of concern, her curious eyes blinking as she carefully scrutinized Su Cheng.
Being scrutinized by her like this, Su Cheng’s heart rate gradually accelerated.
The gaze in the dream was too similar to the present one.
Gu Xiya’s beautiful face in the sunlight was lovely and captivating, without any hint of gloom.
Su Cheng turned her head to look elsewhere: “No, I slept alright, just not enough.”
Gu Xiya’s smile disappeared, and she whispered with a hint of apology: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s all because of me.”
Su Cheng quickly shook her head, looking at Gu Xiya: “No, it’s not.
Actually, it’s because I was playing with my phone too much last night.
It has nothing to do with you.”
Gu Xiya’s smile reappeared on her face, carrying a sense of relief.

“Aren’t you tired, still playing with your phone?”
Su Cheng gave an awkward smile: “I felt energetic after showering, so I couldn’t fall asleep in bed.”

“Haha, sometimes I’m like that too.
Oh, by the way, is your military training location the West Drill Ground?”
Su Cheng nodded, then counter-asked: “Yes, it is.
What about you?”
Gu Xiya beamed: “What a coincidence, me too!
No wonder I thought you looked familiar last night, but you look quite different in camouflage versus a skirt.”

“You too, Classmate Gu.
You looked better in a skirt last night.”
Su Cheng gave a sweet smile, remembering something: “By the way, is your stomach alright now?”
Gu Xiya nodded slightly: “It’s fine now, thanks to Classmate Su last night.”
Su Cheng rubbed her head: “It was nothing, just a small favor.”
The two exchanged smiles, spoke no further, and joined the stream of people heading to the drill ground.
Upon arriving at the drill ground, Su Cheng and Gu Xiya were about to part ways.

“Um, Classmate Su, would you like to have breakfast together later?”
Gu Xiya suddenly stopped, her eyes as bright as spring water reflecting Su Cheng’s surprised face.
Su Cheng’s slight surprise was not without reason; it was too sudden.

“I don’t mean anything else, I just want to thank Classmate Su.
Of course, I won’t forget about the Haidilao meal.”
Gu Xiya said earnestly.
Su Cheng pondered for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement.
Gu Xiya wasn’t a bad person.
Besides, her personality was actually quite good; she was the type Su Cheng was willing to befriend.
Compared to Yin Xuelian and Lin Shiyue, Gu Xiya seemed safer in Su Cheng’s eyes.
Even if Gu Xiya was a reborn person, she couldn’t do anything to her.

“Alright then, let’s meet up after morning exercise.”
Gu Xiya flashed a brilliant smile: “Okay, it’s a promise.
See you there.”

“See you there.”
This scene was coincidentally witnessed by Lin Shiyue.
From the moment Su Cheng appeared, Lin Shiyue had noticed the golden-haired girl who was with her.
Seeing that her looks were no less than her own, Lin Shiyue felt a subtle unease.
Su Cheng returned to their class’s formation, and Lin Shiyue went up to ask her.

“Orange, who was that girl you were with just now?
She’s quite pretty.”
Lin Shiyue’s tone was as calm as water, but Su Cheng could detect a different nuance in her words.
Su Cheng’s tone was steady, devoid of any emotion: “A girl from the music department next door, Gu Xiya.”

“Gu Xiya?”
Lin Shiyue raised her hand to her chin, several question marks immediately appearing above her head.
Searching her memories from her previous life, Lin Shiyue found little information about Gu Xiya; Su Cheng had never mentioned her.
Lin Shiyue couldn’t help but frown.
Facing the completely unknown Gu Xiya, a hint of unease arose in her heart, as if a new storm was about to appear.
Su Cheng saw Lin Shiyue lost in thought and was not surprised at all.
In her previous life, Su Cheng hadn’t mentioned Gu Xiya to her.
Su Cheng only truly got to know Gu Xiya in her sophomore year.
By that time, Lin Shiyue and Su Cheng had already broken up.

“Beep beep!
Assemble, assemble!”
The whistle signaling the start of morning exercise was about to blow.
The scattered, disorderly new students quickly formed neat ranks.
Lin Shiyue quickly adjusted her stance and returned to the team, her doubtful eyes fixed on Su Cheng’s back, as if trying to read her mind.
Su Cheng, on the other hand, secretly let out a sigh of relief, straightening her back into military posture, feeling much more relaxed.
Compared to getting entangled with her ex-girlfriends, military training was easier.
At least she didn’t have to rack her brains dealing with their moves.
As for Gu Xiya, she probably wouldn’t be as difficult to deal with as Yin Xuelian and Lin Shiyue, right?
That dream, it was just a dream.
No need to overthink it…