Kidnapping the Female Teacher's Best Friend - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

In the crowd, someone called out: “The instructors are here!”

The students instinctively looked around, and a wave of excited chatter broke out.

Mo Zebei also looked up. From the northwest, a column of instructors in military uniforms ran toward them in perfect step. Upon reaching an open space, the lead instructor gave several commands; the group then disbanded, each instructor heading toward their assigned class.

Running toward their class was a young instructor, about twenty-two or twenty-three years old. He had dark skin, a square face, and a stern expression. As soon as he arrived, the whispering ceased instantly, and everyone watched him with bated breath.

The instructor walked to the front of their line and pointed toward another group: “Your class, come over. We are merging these two classes into one.”

The freshman Physics undergraduates this year were divided into four classes: the Normal class, the Base class, the Excellence class, and the Innovation class. The most unique was the Normal class, consisting of state-funded students who were required to teach in middle schools upon graduation. Students in the Excellence and Innovation classes were more likely to pursue scientific research. Mo Zebei was in the Excellence class (Physics Class 3), which was now merging with Physics Class 4 for the duration of military training.

“No talking, no laughing! Silence!” During the process of lining up by height, someone spoke and another let out a giggle, resulting in an immediate reprimand from the instructor.

One class had about forty-five people, so the combined group totaled ninety.

Once they were lined up, the instructor had them count off. One clumsy student got nervous and shouted the wrong number, triggering a burst of laughter. The instructor’s face darkened as he barked: “Anyone who laughs again can come stand right at the front, and I’ll let you laugh until you’ve had your fill!”

This time, no one dared to make a sound; the crowd fell silent instantly.

“I will now explain the rules. Listen carefully,” the instructor shouted with a solemn face. “First, barring extreme circumstances, no one is allowed to ask for leave. Second, if you have something to say, you must shout ‘Report!’ No private talking or laughing!”

As he stated these rules, some students shifted restlessly, looking anxious. Clearly, some had objections but were too hesitant or embarrassed to speak up.

“Report!” A loud male voice rang out from the crowd.

“Speak.”

“If a girl has menstrual cramps and finds it difficult to move, does that count as an ‘extreme circumstance’? Can she ask for leave to rest?” The speaker was Gan Yang from Class 4. He liked a girl in Class 3 who suffered from severe cramps and happened to be on her period this week.

At Gan Yang’s words, the boys tried to stifle their laughter while the girls’ faces turned red.

“If the pain is truly severe and the situation is genuine, leave can be granted,” the instructor said plainly, without a hint of embarrassment. Hearing this, several girls let out a sigh of relief.

Other questions followed—someone mentioned a leg surgery that hadn’t fully healed, another mentioned a back sprain. The instructor answered each patiently and provided solutions. After finishing the briefing, the formal training began.

The morning drills were relatively simple: counting off in unison, standing at attention, squatting, and basic footwork. Everyone had a small folding stool; during breaks, they huddled together on their stools to chat. When not training, the instructor wasn’t so stern and was actually quite easygoing.

At 11:30 AM, they were dismissed, and everyone rushed to the cafeteria for lunch. Mo Zebei ate with Zhou Ruoxin, and they returned to their respective dorms to rest afterward.

Since the morning’s intensity was low, Mo Zebei’s roommates still had the energy to gossip. Their main topics were Gan Yang and the instructor. Mo Zebei had no interest in these rumors; she simply put on her headphones and eye mask and went to sleep.

Training resumed in the afternoon, adding more complex formations and turns. Some students got disoriented and turned the wrong way; everyone wanted to laugh but had to hold it in painfully. Compared to the morning, the afternoon was more grueling. Between two and three o’clock, the sun was harsh, and sweat flowed non-stop.

Despite the merged classes, Ren Xueying still stood next to Mo Zebei since they were of similar height. During breaks, Mo Zebei sat alone, not speaking to anyone. Her solitary nature naturally drew criticism; both the boys and girls discussed her. Some even tried to find out which dorm she was in to get “intel” from her roommates.

In the morning, Ren Xueying had been surrounded by people and couldn’t get away. In the afternoon, she found an excuse to walk over to Mo Zebei. As soon as she did, the crowd’s gazes shot over like arrows:

“What is Ren Xueying doing going over to her?” “Who knows? I bet she’ll hit a wall!” “I heard from her roommates she’s hard to get along with. She doesn’t talk to them and even installed a bed curtain…” “Tsk, tsk. Thank goodness she wasn’t assigned to our dorm…”

Ren Xueying moved her stool and sat down next to her. “Was that your friend you ate lunch with?” She had seen them on the way to the cafeteria and noticed the girl was quite pretty.

Mo Zebei slowly opened her eyes and said softly, “My childhood friend.”

“Oh,” Ren Xueying understood; no wonder they looked so close. “What’s her major?”

“Foreign Languages.”

As the two talked back and forth, the others were stunned. Wasn’t Mo supposed to be antisocial? Why was she chatting so well with Ren Xueying? Damn, it really is a world that cares about looks! Even the coldest person opens up for a beauty.

The conversation only ended when they had to regroup. During the afternoon drills, people kept stealing glances at them: one with short hair, one with long; one cool, one beautiful. Curiously, even their movements were perfectly synchronized. Suddenly, they seemed like a good match.

During the next break, Ren Xueying went back to talk to her and handed her a wet wipe for the sweat. Mo Zebei wasn’t formal about it; she took it and used it naturally. This response made Ren Xueying happy. She smiled and asked, “Were you like this in high school too?”

Mo Zebei looked at her sideways. “Like what?”

“You know, cold and distant, not liking to talk to people.”

Mo Zebei nodded. “I’ve been like this since I was little.”

“Besides your childhood friend, do you have any good friends?” Ren Xueying was becoming increasingly curious.

“I have one,” Mo Zebei said, clutching the used wipe in her hand. “My desk-mate from senior year. A girl.”

Ren Xueying nodded, then asked, “Do you think I could become your friend in the future?”

Mo Zebei shook her head and answered honestly, “I don’t know.”

Ren Xueying laughed silently and moved on to other topics. Their interaction looked so natural and harmonious that it drew frequent side-eyes from others who wanted to know what they were discussing.

After the afternoon training, there was nothing left but evening self-study. After dinner, Mo Zebei returned to the classroom and took her usual corner seat. She didn’t read manga this time; she just leaned her head on the desk to sleep. Ren Xueying walked over quietly and sat next to her.

Hearing the movement, Mo Zebei looked up.

“You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?”

Mo Zebei shook her head.

“I brought some books from home. Do you want to read one?”

“No, I want to sleep for a bit.”

Ren Xueying gave a soft “mhm” and started reading on her own. After a while, a few girls called Ren Xueying out—they were her roommates. They had originally been sitting together, but Ren Xueying had suddenly run off to sit with Mo Zebei. Ren Xueying explained simply that she wanted to be friends with Mo Zebei, leaving the other girls looking perplexed. Ren Xueying didn’t want to elaborate and returned to the classroom under their confused gazes.

It stayed like this for the next few days. During military training breaks, Ren Xueying would talk to Mo Zebei; during self-study, they sat together; and even back at the dorm, Ren Xueying would visit Mo Zebei’s room to bring her food. The class began to assume they were best friends. Because she stayed so close to Mo Zebei, Ren Xueying was somewhat alienated by the other girls, especially her own roommates, but she didn’t seem to care.

By the third and fourth days of training, everyone was more familiar. During breaks, they no longer just chatted; sometimes they would urge talented students to perform. Ren Xueying sang “Little Love Song” by Sodagreen amidst loud cheers. She only sang the chorus, but the boys clapped enthusiastically. It was clear she was very popular.

Next, another girl was invited to dance. She had studied dance for years and performed professionally. The boys’ eyebrows rose they clearly liked girls who could dance. Finally, a boy performed martial arts. It was Gan Yang, the same boy from before. Many girls blushed while clapping for him; he was sunny and handsome, with high popularity among the female students.

Because they were watching performances, everyone sat in a circle regardless of height. Next to Mo Zebei, besides Ren Xueying, was a girl named Ye Pei—the girl Gan Yang liked. During his performance, Gan Yang glanced at her frequently. This girl had been on leave from the drills and usually watched from the side, only joining the circle for the show. She happened to sit on Mo Zebei’s right.

When Mo Zebei took a sip of water, she accidentally brushed against Ye Pei’s leg. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” her voice was very soft. After a moment, she whispered, “Are you from City J?”

Mo Zebei was slightly surprised. She turned to look at her. “You are too?”

Ye Pei shook her head. “No, but my grandmother lives in City J. I’ve visited your city before.”

Mo Zebei nodded.

Gan Yang noticed Ye Pei constantly talking to Mo Zebei. He got distracted, lost his footing, and almost fell. Fortunately, his balance was good enough to avoid a total embarrassment. He was so infatuated with Ye Pei that he felt jealous of anyone male or female who got close to her.

Seeing this, the instructor called a halt to the performance. After a short rest, they resumed training.

The final parade was approaching, so training intensity increased over the last two days. The students struggled to keep up, complaining incessantly. Consequently, no one gossiped during lunch breaks, and the evenings were quiet.

On the day of the military review parade, many school leaders attended. Under the scorching sun, students stood on the field sweating while leaders sat in the shade of the rostrum, speaking into microphones. Once the speeches were over, the review officially began and lasted until noon.

The end of the parade marked the end of their week-long military training. Mo Zebei and her classmates were lucky to only have one week; perhaps because it was a normal university with many girls. Qu Junzhi’s school required two weeks, so she had to continue next week under even stricter conditions, making her curse her luck every day.

With training over, they were given a half-day off before formal classes began the next day. Since it was the weekend, Mo Zebei pulled out her phone and called Mu Hanxi. “Sister Mu…”

“Mhm,” Mu Hanxi had just finished eating. “Are you on break?” Mo Zebei had mentioned a few days ago that she’d have a half-day off today.

“Yes,” Mo Zebei hesitated awkwardly. “Can I… come find you? I don’t want to shower at school…” Her school had public bathhouses. Although there were stalls, it was still unavoidable to be “honest and open” with each other.

Mu Hanxi was stunned for a moment. She had encountered Mo Zebei’s embarrassment before.

“Go pack your things now. I’ll drive to the school to pick you up in a bit.”

“Okay…”

Support Kidnapping the Female Teacher’s Best Friend