No One Else Will Do But You - Chapter 24

“I am your drill instructor for the next seven days. My surname is Chen—the one with the ‘left-ear’ radical—Chen Xin. I hope that over these seven days, you will heed commands and obey orders. Attention, everyone! At ease!”

The sports field was packed with students in military uniform. Every face was young and tender, yet facing the sun, they exuded youthful vigor.

On the first day of military training, the instructors were all from the armed forces, varying in height and demeanor. Some were gentle, while others wore gloomy expressions.

Unfortunately, Class Five, the “genius class,” encountered a figure who resembled the King of Hell: Chen Xin, from the Armed Police Force, who was preparing for retirement.

“Squad leader, step forward and report your name!”

Shu Luo took a step forward and rendered a military salute to the instructor.

“Reporting, Instructor! My name is Shu Luo.”

Chen Xin squinted as he scrutinized the student before him. He was fair-skinned, handsome, and slightly thin, but his eyes were quite attractive—full of spirit and vitality. Ignoring his thin frame, he was otherwise acceptable.

“From now on, you’ll stand at the head of the first row and lead them in counting off. You’ll take attendance daily, run three laps after assembly, then stand at attention for twenty minutes, followed by a ten-minute rest before starting drill practice. The arrangements for overnight guard duty for each dormitory are posted in your rooms: six shifts a night, two people per shift, one hour each. All other schedules are posted in the dorms. Do you understand?”

Perhaps due to the short distance, the final words felt somewhat deafening.

Shu Luo swallowed, then raised his voice and declared, “Understood!”

“Return to your post!”

Shu Luo stepped back into the formation.

“Alright, now, first take the people to run laps. You can only eat breakfast after you run. Are there any girls with low blood sugar? Shu Luo, go ask around first, so we don’t have people collapsing left and right later.”

Running without breakfast is a total scam… Shu Luo grumbled internally. He had never run laps without eating breakfast before. What if he got hungry and ran out of energy halfway? And he was the lead runner! Heavens!

He went to ask the girls, and fortunately, everyone had good physical fitness. This made Shu Luo breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Xin nodded with satisfaction, then looked at the girls in the formation. Every one of them looked fine and none were overly thin, so he didn’t have much to worry about.

Consequently, he forgot to observe the boys.

Shu Luo followed the team, running alongside them to ensure they maintained the formation and to make adjustments. This significantly depleted his stamina because he had to watch the formation, and the running rhythm was different from his usual pace, constantly speeding up and slowing down.

The school track was a standard four hundred meters. Three laps should have been a minor matter, but Shu Luo was truly exhausted, feeling “like a dog.”

So hungry, so hungry… I have no strength left.

After the run, everyone proceeded to the cafeteria in an orderly fashion.

Shu Luo gasped for breath, leaning on his knees. While others’ faces were flushed from the run, his was slightly pale, likely from hunger.

“Luo Luo, are you okay?” Jiang Mu gently pulled him up, letting him lean on him for comfort.

“I-I’m fine. I’m just too hungry and have no strength. It might also be because I haven’t exercised in a long time. I’m spent after just three laps.”

Jiang Mu wiped the sweat from his forehead, then smiled and said, “You’re too lazy. I told you during the summer vacation when I took you to play basketball; you run out of energy after just half an hour. You can use this military training to get some good practice in.”

“Aiya, little master is so hungry, so hungry! Let’s hurry up! I want a bun, a meat bun!”

The first-floor cafeteria was reserved exclusively for the freshmen’s military training, to prevent overcrowding when everyone finished training and rushed in.

Thus, with over a thousand freshmen spread across three floors, it wasn’t too crowded.

“You have twenty minutes for your meal. We won’t make you sing military songs today, but you’ll start learning them tonight.”

Shu Luo devoured a meat bun whole. Aiya, it’s so nice not to have military training off-campus. He had heard that the food and accommodation conditions for off-campus training were quite poor.

“Don’t eat so fast, or you’ll feel sick later.”

Jiang Mu pushed the soy milk toward him and gently flicked off a piece of meat stuck on his cheek, his eyes filled with doting helplessness.

“Thanks!” Shu Luo chugged the soy milk, then began to eat in small bites.

Sitting at the same table were Wang Kai and Li Zixin, and Zhang Feiyang, who had pulled up a chair from the next table.

Zhang Feiyang looked at Shu Luo with an indescribable expression: “Shu Luo, when will you ever grow up? Look at Jiang Mu; he’s practically worn out worrying about you! He looks like he’s already become your dad.”

“What’s it to you? Jiang Mu is my brother, and it’s nice that he dotes on me! You’re just jealous!”

Shu Luo shot back with an overly affectionate response.

“Psh, why the gloating? I’m just afraid you won’t be able to stand on your own later, so I’m giving you a heads-up! Jiang Mu, you can’t keep spoiling Shu Luo like this! This brat is shameless enough as it is—he even dared to reject Zhong Qing—and now with you backing him up, he’s getting worse!” Zhang Feiyang looked at Jiang Mu with a look of earnest advice.

“I’m raising Shu Luo as my child.”

Zhang Feiyang, Wang Kai, and Li Zixin: “…!!”

Shu Luo, touched, hugged one of Jiang Mu’s arms and rubbed his cheek against it: “Jiang Dad, that’s so touching! Don’t forget to let me play with your iPhone 3GS when we go home this time.”

Jiang Mu gently stroked his head, clearly enjoying his playful, affectionate manner.

Zhang Feiyang gritted his teeth and pointed at Shu Luo: “You’re truly shameful! You’re still acting cutesy! Jiang Mu, you’ve fallen into Shu Luo’s trap! You’ve been bewitched by that innocent face! Jiang Mu, you need to wake up!”

“Let him be.”

His kindness to Shu Luo was already engraved in his bones, becoming a habit.

Shu Luo proudly jutted out his chin, his eyes sparkling and full of smiles.

“Classmate, were you classmates with Shu Luo and Jiang Mu in junior high?”

Wang Kai, sitting nearby, asked out of curiosity since they were chatting so happily.

“Yeah, we were classmates in the junior high division. Shu Luo and I have been classmates since primary school. It’s just a pity that we’re not in the same class in high school; Jiang Mu hogged him!” Zhang Feiyang said regretfully, then glared fiercely at Shu Luo: “Traitor!”

“What do you mean ‘hogged’… I naturally belong to Jiang Mu!” Shu Luo retorted, getting into the role and thoroughly enjoying himself. “Stop trying to stir up trouble between us.”

Zhang Feiyang’s forehead was lined with dark veins; he wanted to stab his own eyes out.

Li Zixin said nothing, merely observing quietly.

“Assembly!”

The voice of the chief instructor boomed through the cafeteria, complete with an echo.

Shu Luo quickly stuffed the remaining few bites of the bun into his mouth, finally feeling full.

The intensity of today’s training could leave one with a sore back and aching legs for three to five days, and this was only the first day!

After the evening training ended, Shu Luo collapsed on his bed, utterly motionless. He couldn’t move a muscle now! Not to mention, he still had guard duty tonight. It was driving him crazy.

“Luo Luo, go take a shower first.” Jiang Mu patted his behind and started taking off his own shirt.

Wang Kai stared at Jiang Mu’s bare upper body, jaw dropped. What a magnificent physique!

“Jiang Mu, you have a six-pack! Wow, your body is amazing!” Wang Kai reached out and touched it, his face full of envy. Although he looked stockier than Jiang Mu, his own six-pack wasn’t as nicely defined, and Jiang Mu didn’t even look particularly muscular. This was a classic “looks thin in clothes, has muscle when stripped” physique!

Jiang Mu noticed that when Wang Kai touched him, he didn’t feel anything special. Only with Shu Luo…

Shu Luo suddenly sat up with a koi jump (a swift sit-up) and curiously leaned in to touch it too.

“Bro, how did you train this? Do you usually work out? Why haven’t I noticed?”

It seemed the warmth transferred from the fingertips suddenly made Jiang Mu feel a tingling sensation in his abdomen, and the veins on his forehead were starting to show. It truly only happens when Shu Luo touches me…

He subtly pretended to head to the bathroom.

“If you’re not washing up, I’ll go first.”

Jiang Mu walked into the bathroom seemingly calm, but once inside, he leaned against the tiled wall. The coolness of the tiles seemed to lower the sudden heat that had flared up within him. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. After a moment, he let out a breath and took a cold shower directly.

Restless heat…

A feeling that only Shu Luo could bring him.

Outside, Shu Luo was still savoring the feeling in his hands. Aiya, what a great body! He then patted his own stomach, which felt a little… soft.

“Hey, little Luo Luo, do you have abs?” Wang Kai leaned in and asked playfully.

“Hmph! Little master may not have them now, but I still have time to practice! I’m not worried.”

Wang Kai raised an eyebrow: “Let me see, and I’ll let you see mine, too.” As soon as he finished speaking, he took off his shirt.

What a muscular physique!

Shu Luo swallowed. Really strong! He then silently lifted his shirt to expose his abdomen. He felt too embarrassed to take it off completely, as there was nothing to look at compared to them.

His fair abdomen indeed had no trace of muscle; it was even a little plump. Don’t let Shu Luo’s thin appearance fool you—he had a small belly.

Li Zixin chuckled: “Shu Luo, your skin is very delicate.”

Shu Luo unhappily pulled down his shirt: “Hmph, I’m tough!” He felt like being called “delicate” was like being called a girl. Heartbroken.

Wang Kai casually draped an arm over his shoulder: “Little Luo Luo, you have a small belly! That won’t do! Follow my lead and do push-ups and planks every day. I guarantee your small belly will disappear, and you’ll slowly develop muscles.”

Shu Luo looked at him skeptically: “Will that really work?”

“Of course.”

Jiang Mu came out of the bathroom and saw the two of them leaning together in an intimate manner. His eyes darkened, becoming extremely deep.

“Shu Luo, go take a shower.”

Shu Luo was taken aback when Jiang Mu called him by his full name, only then responding with, “Oh.”

Strange. Doesn’t Jiang Mu usually avoid calling me by my full name? I’m not used to it. Unless—is he angry? Aiya, why is he always getting angry?

Wang Kai saw Jiang Mu’s possessiveness clearly but merely smiled without saying anything. Is this a case of ‘brother-complex’…

It was now half-past ten, and the lights were about to go out. The management of the freshman dormitory building was handled by the instructors for these seven days, so they were naturally stricter.

“We’re the first dorm on guard duty tonight. My brother and I are in the first shift at midnight. You and Li Zixin are in the one o’clock shift. I’ve already told the dorm next door not to lock their door. When you finish your guard duty, just go in and call them by their bed position. I’ve arranged it with them. Let’s hurry up and sleep now.”

After Shu Luo finished speaking, the lights went out.

“Are you tired?”

Jiang Mu’s deep voice came from above.

Shu Luo tilted his head back. Even in the pitch darkness, it felt as though he could see Jiang Mu’s eyes.

“Mm… Sore and a little tired.” Shu Luo tried to keep his voice low, afraid of waking the two people across from them.

“I’ll take the shift later. You just sleep.”

“No way, it’s only an hour anyway. Remember to wake me up later. I’m going to sleep first, remember!” He immediately closed his eyes. He was genuinely exhausted. Sleep, sleep.

Hearing the steady breathing next to him, Jiang Mu’s heart calmed down, just like when the person slept beside him.

At midnight, the guard duty began.

Shu Luo sat at the door, yawning, having to write his daily military training log. He was incredibly sleepy, his eyelids barely able to stay open.

The two sat side-by-side on small stools. Jiang Mu didn’t appear very tired, but Shu Luo had already started “fishing” (nodding off).

“Bro, I’m sleepy =_=” Shu Luo leaned his head against Jiang Mu’s arm, yawning, his eyes watery and blurred.

“Lean on me and sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you up if an instructor comes.”

Shu Luo was too sleepy to resist. He couldn’t quite hear everything anyway, so he leaned on the arm and immediately fell asleep.

It was raining.

With every autumn rain, the weather gradually cools.

The drizzling sound of the rain, and the steady breathing beside him, made the surroundings especially quiet.