I’m Addicted to your Pheromones from the First Moment We Met - Chapter 17

On the last day of military training, Yu Zhouyao was unfortunately late once again.

Instructor Liu’s eyes were wide with rage, and he looked like he was about to explode. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Yu Zhouyao! Yu Zhouyao! Yu Zhouyao! Training only lasts six days, and you have been late three times without cause and skipped out entirely for one. You have no respect for military discipline! This is unacceptable!”

Yu Zhouyao lowered her eyes obediently to hide the exhaustion within them. It took every ounce of her strength to keep from yawning in front of the iron-faced Instructor Liu.

She thought to herself that being late was like any other habit; the second time is easier than the first. Wasn’t it just a matter of accepting the punishment? Maybe running a few laps would wake her up. Besides, she had a legitimate reason every single time, didn’t she?

Instructor Liu’s voice droned on like a broken record. Yu Zhouyao didn’t want to hear it anymore. She nodded and took the initiative to admit her fault. “I’m sorry, Instructor. I know I was wrong. I accept the punishment; I’ll go run laps right now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she bolted away like a puff of smoke.

Instructor Liu was still fuming. Seeing her run off like that only added fuel to the fire. He roared, “Yu Zhouyao! You! Since you love running laps so much, go run a hundred!”

Hearing this, the students watching the scene from the sidelines looked at each other and began to whisper.

Yu Zhouyao let out a yawn, adjusted her breathing, and began moving along the track at a steady pace. As she ran, her mind began to wander.

She thought that a hundred laps was a lot, but she should still be able to move after finishing. What would the cost be? Her leg muscles would likely be very sore tomorrow. Oh well, tomorrow was a rest day anyway; staying in bed for two days wouldn’t be a problem. Wait, she left in such a hurry this morning that she forgot to eat breakfast. Fortunately, she had a packet of nutrient solution in her pocket. She’d gulp it down as soon as she finished to keep herself going. She just prayed she wouldn’t faint from low blood sugar halfway through. Seriously though, was a hundred laps a bit much? She already felt hungry after only twenty.

Yu Zhouyao shook her head to shift her focus. She scanned the crowd but couldn’t find Mu Mingyue.

Speaking of which, she hadn’t seen the Eldest Miss Mu all morning. Did Dr. Pei keep her at the hospital again? Or did the Mu family take her home directly? She was curious and a little worried. There was also the possibility that Mu Mingyue had fallen ill again. But that shouldn’t be possible; she seemed fine when Yu Zhouyao visited her last night. Since she stayed up late and left in a rush this morning, she hadn’t had time to check her optical computer yet. Did she reply to the message? She’d check after the run.

Yu Zhouyao adjusted her breathing and silently counted the laps. Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine.

When she crossed the fifty-lap mark, Instructor Liu signaled from the sidelines for her to stop.

Yu Zhouyao braked hard and came to a panting halt. She bent over, hands on her thighs, gasping for air.

Instructor Liu looked at her with a mix of frustration and pity. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you quite the runner? You can’t even handle fifty laps? I thought you were more capable than this, given how often you arrive late and leave early. Have you learned your lesson? Will you break the rules in class again? Well?”

Yu Zhouyao’s eyes lit up. It turned out this instructor had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She nodded and replied submissively, “I’ve learned my lesson, Instructor. I was wrong.”

“Mhm. If you like physical training, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Return to the ranks.”

Yu Zhouyao scurried back into the formation and hid in the back row to rest. Lu Yuan gave her a sympathetic look and whispered, “That was rough.”

Yu Zhouyao signaled back that she was fine. While the instructor wasn’t looking, she pulled the nutrient solution from her pocket, tore it open, and swallowed it in one go. She felt deeply moved. Finally, she had managed to eat.

The final day of training passed quickly. As the session drew to a close and the sunset hung in the sky, Mu Mingyue still hadn’t appeared.

Since Mu Mingyue wasn’t there, Yu Zhouyao received special attention from Instructor Liu all day. He pulled her out to individually practice the movements from the previous day. Instructor Liu claimed that the other students weren’t at her level and used that as an excuse to spar with her, which was really just him one-sidedly pummeling her.

Yu Zhouyao forced a smile. “Instructor Liu, is this really okay? I mean, isn’t it a bit unfair to the other students?”

Instructor Liu denied it immediately. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid? Afraid of being hit because your skills aren’t up to par?”

Yu Zhouyao actually wanted to nod. But seeing the warning look in Instructor Liu’s eyes, she didn’t dare say another word.

With a swift kick from Instructor Liu, Yu Zhouyao was tripped. The instructor’s movements were powerful and fast. If one wasn’t careful, they would go crashing to the ground. In her desperation, Yu Zhouyao didn’t have time to prepare a proper landing; she instinctively wrapped her body in a thin layer of mental power.

Thump!

Yu Zhouyao hit the ground hard. She scrambled up, her body twisted in an awkward pose. “Instructor, aren’t you being a bit too heavy-handed?”

Instructor Liu raised an eyebrow. “What? You’re fine, aren’t you? I saw you deploy your mental power quite quickly.”

At those words, Yu Zhouyao’s body tensed in fear.

“Get up. Again.”

Yu Zhouyao assumed her stance as fast as possible, waiting for the attack. A second later, she was on the ground again.

Instructor Liu shook his head. “You’re too slow. Speed up.”

Yu Zhouyao’s face wrinkled in a plea. “Instructor, you’re so fast I don’t even have time to perform a landing maneuver!”

Instructor Liu countered, “If an enemy is fast, does that just stop you? On the battlefield or in a match, your opponent won’t wait for you to find your footing before attacking. We are training your defensive instincts. Get up and go again.”

Yu Zhouyao took the lesson to heart. From the moment she felt the force of the blow, she forced her brain to send signals to her limbs to execute defensive moves. Under her conscious control, the areas of her body taking the impact became more precise with every fall. She might not have noticed it herself, but to an observer, her landings were becoming increasingly textbook.

She didn’t know how many times she was thrown down. She only felt her body becoming lighter, and her speed in releasing mental power and adjusting her torso was getting faster and faster. After hundreds of failures, she finally succeeded in a new attempt. In the split second she was airborne, she quickly adjusted her position and wrapped herself in mental power.

Yu Zhouyao keenly felt the difference in the sensation of landing. She performed a flip and stood back up gracefully.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed in surprise.

Instructor Liu stood opposite her and nodded with satisfaction. “That’s it. Attaching mental power to your movements is exactly how it’s done in actual combat.”

Yu Zhouyao’s jaw dropped. “Instructor, that felt amazing! The moment I landed, my body felt so light, as if I couldn’t feel the impact of the ground at all.”

Instructor Liu explained, “That is the wonder of mental power. The human body has limits, but with the help of mental power, we can attempt to break through those physical boundaries. You see, if your movements and mental power are coordinated correctly, a defensive landing can be transformed into a transition or even your next attack.”

Yu Zhouyao felt a deep sense of realization. She said gratefully, “Thank you, Instructor.”

A hint of joy appeared on Instructor Liu’s rugged face. Just as the Dean had said, this girl really did have talent. Even second-year students would take a week or two to master that kind of movement. This girl had nailed it in a single afternoon; her foundation and talent were excellent.

Instructor Liu felt an itch in his heart and couldn’t resist trying to recruit this promising talent. He spoke up, “Yu Zhouyao!”

“Present!” she responded immediately.

Instructor Liu asked, “What classes did you pick this semester? Did you sign up for Individual Combat Training?”

“I did, Instructor.”

“Good. First-years take Basic Combat, but I want you to come directly to the Introductory Combat class I teach for the second-years. I’ll speak to the instructor for the basic course; you just come to my class. One course’s workload will count for two courses’ worth of credits.”

Yu Zhouyao’s eyes sparkled. She thought to herself: I get to skip the basic class and speed up my progress? Is there really such a good deal? Instructor Liu really is a kind teacher behind that fierce face!

“Really, Instructor? Is that allowed?”

Instructor Liu shot back, “What, you don’t want to?”

Yu Zhouyao nodded frantically, afraid he would change his mind. “Of course I want to! I’m sure I can learn great things from you, Teacher Liu.”

Instructor Liu said with satisfaction, “Then it’s settled. I’ll grant you the permissions in the academic system. Alright, back to training.”

After this interlude, Yu Zhouyao was in an incredibly good mood, feeling that her life at the military academy was full of hope. Life should be this beautiful, and school life should be this pleasant.

The week of military training ended quickly. At the end of the session, the instructors who were their future teachers gave the group of youngsters a relatively relaxed conclusion. On the final night, there were no training tasks. Instead, each formation held its own tea party for free social time.

Because there were many Alphas here, many students just sprawled out on the playground, completely unconcerned with their image. Students gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing. Yu Zhouyao sat down next to Lu Yuan and joined the conversation.

The starry sky twinkled with the light of hope. The night lights on the ground flickered in response to the stars above, creating a harmonious scene. The brilliant galaxy bloomed before her, a scene so vibrant, youthful, and full of life.

Yu Zhouyao looked up at the stars, trying to find her home planet among the millions of faint points of light. She prayed from the bottom of her heart for her home and herself, hoping her planet would receive more support from the Empire and that her life at the academy would go smoothly.

She also sincerely prayed for the Eldest Miss Mu, wishing her good health and that everything would go her way. She hoped she wouldn’t miss such a beautiful view again in the future.

Under the blessing of the stars, Yu Zhouyao slowly closed her eyes.

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