Chapter Thirteen: Indirect Kiss

At first, I thought the chief instructor would treat boys and girls equally, but I was wrong. After the girls had stood for two hours, they were allowed to have a break.

“All right, ten-minute break,” the merciless instructor announced, and most of the students immediately stretched their ankles and sat down on the ground.

Now was the time to seize every moment to recover our strength.

“Yan Ruyu, have some water.”

As I lay on the ground with my cap over my face, resting, a sweet voice reached my ears. The voice was familiar—it was Luo Si.

I lifted the cap from my face, and the first thing I saw was Luo Si in her camouflage uniform, looking sharp and spirited.

I didn’t stand on ceremony and took the bottle from her, gulping down several mouthfuls.

Seeing that Luo Si still held the bottle cap, I handed the water back to her.

In my mind, Luo Si would screw the cap back on and then return the bottle to me.

But things didn’t go as I expected. When I handed her the bottle, Luo Si blushed.

I was puzzled—she’d already brought me water, so why be shy about screwing on the cap?

But my thoughts soon froze as Luo Si, face flushed, took the bottle and drank a few mouthfuls herself.

A chorus of envious, jealous, and resentful gazes from those around us nearly drowned me.

“You…” I really didn’t know what to say to Luo Si.

“I was thirsty too after a whole morning of training,” she explained, still blushing.

Now I was even more at a loss for words. I couldn’t very well tell her she shouldn’t drink her own water, could I?

“Thank you for what you did yesterday,” Luo Si said, expressing her gratitude.

I grinned. “No need to thank me. Friends should help each other.”

Hearing this, Luo Si nodded.

“Call me Sisi from now on. You said we’re friends, so using my full name is too formal,” she said, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt, as if afraid I’d mock her.

“Sisi, was standing at attention tiring today?” To spare her any embarrassment, I changed the subject.

“No, not at all,” she replied, a bit shy now that I’d called her by her nickname.

“Fall in!” The merciless instructor called us to assemble.

“I’m going,” I said to Luo Si, tipping my chin toward the instructor in a gesture.

She nodded and handed me the bottle.

I didn’t take it, just told her I wasn’t thirsty anymore.

Honestly, everyone had just seen me drink first and then Luo Si, and maybe she really was just thirsty. If I took the bottle again and drank from it, wouldn’t that be an indirect kiss? She was grateful for my help, but I couldn’t take advantage of her kindness.

“Brother Yu, swapping one dinner for a girl—totally worth it,” Ma Liang sidled over and winked at me.

“She’s my friend. We’ve known each other for a while,” I explained casually.

Seeing the instructor approach, Ma Liang let the matter drop.

“You all did well standing at attention this morning. This afternoon, we’ll practice turning and marching in step,” the instructor announced, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Standing still at attention was torture—far too exhausting.

Unknowingly, half a month of military training had passed. Whether it was the grueling drills or the late-night sing-alongs, this period had been a whole new kind of baptism for all of us.

Boys and girls alike were tanned by now. Though our phones had all been confiscated, we felt fulfilled both physically and mentally.

Yesterday, the merciless instructor said we’d have a surprise today.

As usual, after lining up, we waited quietly for the instructor’s arrival.

“You little brats, do you know what today’s training will be?” the instructor asked with a grin.

No one answered. Last time, someone had replied while we were at attention and we’d all been made to do push-ups for half an hour—my hands still trembled at mealtime.

“Relax, I’m not going to mess with you today,” the instructor promised.

But all he got in response was a collection of disdainful stares.

After these days together, we’d come to know each other well enough. The instructor, Old Hei, could spin a tale at the drop of a hat; you could never guard against his fibs. Still, what he’d said today sparked real anticipation—everyone hoped it was true.

“Seems none of you want to go if you won’t even say a word. Maybe we’ll just skip it?” the instructor pretended to back out.

“Don’t! Please!”

“We want to go!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

Whether or not the instructor was telling the truth, we all shouted eagerly. The atmosphere was instantly electrified.

When I heard cheers from other teams, I was sure this was real.

“Let’s go, to the shooting range,” the instructor called, and we set off with light footsteps, brimming with excitement.

When we arrived at the range, ten people were already lying prone, guns in hand, aiming at their targets.

“Fire!” called the chief instructor, Hua Wannian.

Bang!

The ten fired almost simultaneously; to the onlookers, it sounded like a single shot.

Being so close to live gunfire had everyone itching to try.

I’d thought only the boys would be interested, but seeing the girls’ excitement, it was clear they were just as eager.

“Attention, all of you,” the chief instructor called to calm us.

We stifled our excitement and stood at attention, determined to behave—no one wanted our turn at the guns canceled.

The chief instructor smiled faintly at our obedience.

“Tell me loudly, do you want to train with firearms?” he asked. As soon as he finished, the entire range erupted in a thunderous “Yes!”

The sound was so intense it nearly pierced the sky.

Only when the noise subsided did the chief instructor leisurely pick up a rifle, release the safety, aim at a target a hundred meters away, and fire a shot.

Bang!

Under all our envious gazes, he handed the rifle to a nearby soldier.

“If you want to train with guns, you’ll have to endure hardship. Are you afraid of that?”

“No!”

“Are you afraid of getting tired?”

“No!”

By now, everyone’s enthusiasm had reached its peak.