No One Else Will Do But You - Chapter 26

After several days in the sun, sunscreen had long since stopped being effective; those who were supposed to get dark still got dark.

Some got a healthy, sun-kissed tan, while others got a dark, sallow look… typical examples being Jiang Mu and Wang Kai.

“Hahaha… Wang Kai, just look at your face! Oh my goodness, it’s so dark! I can barely see you at night!”

Shu Luo burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he looked at Wang Kai’s face, which had been baked by five days of sun. He was dark to begin with, and now he was even darker. Moreover, the line on his forehead where his hat had sat was half white and half black—it was hilarious when he took the hat off.

Wang Kai pulled a face: “This is called masculine vigor! Look at you; that’s the kind of aura you’re missing!” Though he said this, he still went over to the mirror to take a look.

Everyone had gotten darker, even those who used the sunscreen Shu Luo had generously shared as if it were shower gel—they still tanned, just to varying degrees.

Jiang Mu’s tan was just right—not particularly dark because he was a mixed-race (Caucasian/Asian) individual. After a few days in the sun, he hadn’t even reached a wheat-colored tan. Li Zixin, who was quite thin to begin with, looked less malnourished after the tan; his complexion even improved. Shu Luo, needless to say, must have put on the sunscreen with all his might; his little face was still fair, just slightly darker than when he arrived, but still fine. The most unfortunate one was probably Wang Kai; even sunscreen couldn’t stop his melanin from activating.

Today was the fifth day, with just two more days until it was over.

Everyone had grown accustomed to the aches and pains of the training, and consequently, their appetites had increased.

Shu Luo, in particular, showed an astonishing capacity for food, stunning the others eating at the same table.

“I swear, Shu Luo, how did you get so much more hungry?!” Zhang Feiyang looked in surprise at the ravenously eating Shu Luo opposite him, completely dumbfounded. Having known him for so long, this was the first time he had seen Shu Luo eat so much.

Shu Luo, chewing on a chicken leg, looked up at him: “I need to eat more to grow. I have to grow taller than my brother.”

Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow. Oh? So that’s why he was eating so desperately?

“Can your stomach handle it? Don’t get indigestion and upset your digestive system,” Zhang Feiyang said, looking at the food in his own bowl. He had already asked for extra rice, but Shu Luo’s portion was twice his own…

“I’m starving, don’t stop me!” Shu Luo was genuinely hungry, likely due to a growth spurt. His feet also ached at night; the combination of growing pains and the muscle soreness from training was simply lethal.

Jiang Mu gave him a helpless look, passing his own chicken leg over to him: “Eat, but slow down.”

Shu Luo looked at Jiang Mu, deeply moved, as if tears were welling up in his eyes: “Brother, you’re too kind to me. I have no way to repay you. How about I offer myself to you?”

“I’ll remember that. You can repay me later.”

This magnetic voice made Shu Luo pause. He shook his head and continued eating.

Li Zixin had a very small appetite, which explained why he was so thin. Though he was 177 centimeters tall, being too skinny made him look shorter.

Wang Kai was 174 centimeters tall and very sturdy; he ate about as much as Shu Luo. However, Shu Luo was only 168 centimeters tall and looked thin, yet he was actually quite muscular. Now, during this growth period, eating well would likely make him grow faster.

Zhang Feiyang was 175 centimeters tall, with an average build. Because he loved sports, he gave off a very sunny and pleasant vibe.

Jiang Mu was 179 centimeters tall. He was, needless to say, outstanding in both looks and build, and he would probably cross the 180-centimeter mark soon.

Thus, this group was radiant. Since their appearances were all quite good, this flashy five-person group was sure to attract girls even in the cafeteria.

“Zhang Feiyang, why are you always hopping between classes? If the teacher sees you, they’ll scold me again.”

That familiar, “female-devil” voice…

Zhang Feiyang and Shu Luo exchanged a look and chose to ignore her.

Zhong Qing knocked on the table, her arms crossed, her powerful, queenly aura making it hard to look directly at her.

“Shu Luo, what’s wrong? You see me and you’re afraid to look up?”

Shu Luo gave a dry laugh: “Hehehe, how could that be? I’m overjoyed!” He forced a stiff smile.

“Spare me. Don’t think you’re a great god just because you’re in Class 5. It was just good luck.”

Indeed, Zhong Qing hadn’t made it into Class 5 even with a score of 696. Shu Luo truly was “lucky.”

A knowing smile flickered in Jiang Mu’s eyes. Yes, this was indeed “luck.”

“What’s it to you? This young master just has a lot of built-up good karma. Zhong Qing, maybe you should try accumulating more of it,” Shu Luo said smugly, shaking his head. A grain of rice still stuck to his face, making him look rather cute.

A corner of Zhong Qing’s mouth seemed to turn up. She wasn’t angry, but she just enjoyed bantering with Shu Luo. Actually, when they first started junior high, she sat in front of him. Back then, they were the same height, or perhaps she was even taller than Shu Luo. He looked very easy to bully, and he was fair-skinned and quite adorable. But she hadn’t expected him to have such a quick temper. When he got flustered, he would stutter while arguing. Later, it seemed he stopped arguing with her much—he would only exchange a few words and then just stifle his anger.

Although they weren’t in the same class, they were very close. Shu Luo’s Class 5 was the Experimental Class, and her Class 8 was the Key Class. They were actually similar in nature, except the Experimental Class had many more top students than theirs.

Zhang Feiyang looked at Zhong Qing as if he’d seen a ghost. Oh dear! Could this tigress possibly harbor some inappropriate feelings for Shu Luo? This was going to be complicated.

“Uh… well, I’m full. I’m going back to class. Zhong Qing, let’s go quickly, or the teacher will complain. Let’s go, let’s go.” Zhang Feiyang casually wiped his mouth and gently urged Zhong Qing to leave.

“What are you doing!”

Her voice faded as they moved away.

“Shu Luo, was that girl in your class before, too?” Wang Kai looked with interest in the direction they left: “She’s quite pretty.”

“Heh-heh, she has the face of an angel but the heart of a devil!” Shu Luo said leisurely.

Wang Kai rubbed his chin, pondering: “She doesn’t look like it…”

Jiang Mu looked in the direction Zhong Qing left, a faint, unreadable smile playing in his eyes… It was a smile that made one feel a little unnerved.

“Jiang Mu’s expression is not simple,” Li Zixin said, looking at Jiang Mu curiously.

In the eyes of Li Zixin and Wang Kai, Jiang Mu was a decent person, but he was sometimes gentle and sometimes aloof, very steady, with a maturity beyond his years. Yet, at times, he could also be mischievous or calculating, making him hard to figure out. They saw him as a person full of personality. His emotional reactions to them were consistently placid, but he always answered when questioned, was courteous, and had the demeanor of a gentleman. It was only toward Shu Luo that he displayed a wide range of emotions. It was likely that his “little-brother-complex” level was maxed out.

The Final Day of Training

The last day of the military training was for the evaluation and review. Each class would be graded, and Outstanding Cadets would be selected for commendation certificates.

“Remember to pay attention to your formation during the drill later! The formation is extremely important! If you have the formation, you have the momentum, and that’ll be great! This is the last time I’ll be leading you before I retire from the service, so you’d better perform well for me! Don’t embarrass the Fifth Company! Attention, all personnel!”

When Instructor Chen Xin roared, the students of the Fifth Company could feel the floor vibrating, and their eardrums seemed to get plugged. This “lion’s roar” was truly formidable.

Time truly flies. The seven days of military training, which had initially felt like an ordeal, had passed in the blink of an eye.

Shu Luo stood at the front of the line, bearing the pressure given to him first by the instructor, and then by his classmates every day. He truly realized how difficult it was to be a class leader (Ban Zhang). He had to lead the charge in everything. As the saying goes, he was the first to “die.” If the class got scolded, the class leader was sought out. For class discipline, even with a Disciplinary Committee member, the class leader was still the first one contacted. There was also a series of miscellaneous tasks. Even if the class had all sorts of different cadres, the teacher would still go to the class leader first.

During this military training, everyone began to develop a sense of collective honor. In this place, thick with the atmosphere of the military, even the sense of collective honor was contagious.

For instance, one day, a boy in the class woke up late. His roommate had called him but hadn’t managed to wake him up. When the boy came down, he first took responsibility, as he had implicated the entire class in a punishment of frog jumps. After accepting his fault, he also voluntarily apologized to the class. The classmates, though they had complained, all forgave him because he had apologized. Moreover, a class is a collective, and you must first have tolerance before you can have collective honor.

Later on, although everyone made mistakes to varying degrees, it was through tolerance that they slowly transformed into a true collective. They began to truly realize that each person was not a separate individual, but a part of the collective, and sometimes, the power of the parts can be greater than the power of the whole.

Constant practicing, constant training, non-stop… it was this non-stop effort that instilled in them, at this moment, a soldier’s will and a shared goal they all wanted to achieve.

The Review

Now, a fine rain began to fall, and the wet marks on the ground grew larger. The raindrops hitting their bodies were slight, negligible.

Now, they were diligently completing every movement, very serious, and utterly fearless.

“Eyes front! Quick march! One-two-one, one-two-one…” Shu Luo raised his voice, truly shouting from his diaphragm with ample spirit. This was probably the last time he would shout like such a tough guy.

There were more boys than girls in the class, so the boys’ imposing manner immediately elevated the overall aura of the class. The average height of the boys was quite good, and including Shu Luo, they weren’t too short either. The whole class marched with great momentum, and the review instructors watching above nodded in satisfaction.

After Instructor Chen Xin led them around the drill ground once, Shu Luo returned to the formation, and the instructor took the lead.

After completing all the movements, starting with the short step drill, there was continuous applause.

What a spirited class!

The instructors all nodded in appreciation. It was rare to find such spirit among this group of students; even the girls were impressive, with good physical fitness.

The weather recently had been relatively cool, except for the hottest part of the noon hour, so the rest of the time was quite comfortable.

The military training content was strenuous, and initially, few of them were used to such high-intensity exercise. However, after three or five days, everyone got used to it. Plus, with a few recreational activities to relax, it wasn’t too unbearable.

But to feel the atmosphere here, all you needed was a bit of passion to truly immerse yourself.

When all the movements were completed, the applause was constant.

The rain was getting heavier, but it still couldn’t dampen their joy.

The raindrops lightly hit his cheeks, and Shu Luo showed a big smile, his dimples looking particularly cute.

He was so happy! This kind of military training was meaningful. Although it was tiring, the process was a precious experience.

Shu Luo wiped the rain from his face, casually rubbing it onto his body. Subconsciously, he turned his head and met Jiang Mu’s eyes, and he smiled.

Jiang Mu’s eyes were filled with warmth and amusement.

Farewell

As expected, Class 5 took first place, and Shu Luo also received the Outstanding Cadet certificate.

The people who are often most saddened when they say goodbye to the instructors each year are the instructors themselves. Even if the students shed tears now and say they’ll miss them, they will gradually forget in a month or two. The instructors, however, slowly get used to it only after sending off batch after batch of students.

“Instructor Chen, we don’t have anything to give you. This is something I’ve always kept; I plan to give it to you.” Shu Luo took out a carnelian (agate) bead necklace from his pocket. This was a piece his father had brought back for him from Tibet, and it was exquisite.

Chen Xin frowned, his dark face showing no clear expression: “No one asked you to give me anything. Go on, go back to your dorms and pack up. I’m preparing to go back to the base too.”

“Don’t be like that, Instructor. These are my favorite beads, but I like you more than the beads, so I choose to like you and give the beads to you.” Shu Luo, afraid he wouldn’t accept, forced it into his uniform pocket.

“What kind of weird logic is that?” Chen Xin shook his head helplessly. Seeing the sincere look in the kid’s eyes, coupled with his strangely divine logic, made him seem quite endearing.

“Yo, Chen Xin, got a new little fan, eh?” A passing instructor joked playfully.

Shu Luo even greeted the instructor enthusiastically.

“This kid is pretty cute. Well done, very thoughtful. What did he give you, Instructor Chen Xin?”

Shu Luo took the beads out of Chen Xin’s pocket again: “Look, it’s a Tibet carnelian! If you hold it up to the light, it has a flowing pattern inside—it’s beautiful.”

“Alright, get back quickly. We’re about to leave too,” Chen Xin said, stroking Shu Luo’s head. This kid had a very likable personality.

There is no feast that does not end.

Shu Luo murmured a simple, slightly old-fashioned phrase in his heart, and then gave him a perfect military salute: “Thank you, Instructor. When you get out of the military, remember to look for me. I’m in Shanghai.”

Chen Xin smiled: “Alright, you’re a good kid, at least you have some conscience.”

However, how could one truly know? He would be forgotten quickly. Such parting words—the instructors had heard them so many times that they were used to giving the expected response.

The seven days of military training had come to an end.