The afternoon’s military training was more or less the same as before.
First, they stood at attention under the blazing sun for an hour. One after another, a few boys and girls couldn’t hold out, faces pale as they retreated into the shade to catch their breath. Then came formation drills: attention, at ease, left turn, right turn and finally, the dreaded goose-step march.
The goose-steps were a complete mess. Their instructor’s face was black as thunder; he’d blown his whistle so hard it was practically worn out, but the formation was beyond saving. A throbbing headache formed at his temples. Just as he was suppressing his temper and raising his head again, his eyes landed on one particular figure in the ranks.
A black-haired boy stood perfectly straight, broad shoulders, slim waist, the lines from his shoulders down to his abdomen clean and strong. Beneath the pine-green brim of his cap, the light split across his face, outlining his half-lit, half-shadowed features. His eyelids drooped lazily, his expression calm, almost indifferent.
That kind of look, the instructor had seen it plenty of times in the army. The kind of new recruits who’d been around long enough to get cocky: daydreaming, training half-heartedly.
On someone so young, the contrast was almost absurd, enough to make the instructor want to laugh in anger.
He pointed at Shen Shi. “You. What’s your name?”
Shen Shi lifted his eyelids and looked at him. “Dou Ran.”
“Dou Ran, huh?” The instructor said briskly, “Come stand at the very front. Pay attention, show everyone how it’s done.”
In this kind of situation, even the faintest sign of nervousness would be magnified a hundredfold.
The instructor watched with interest but the boy he’d suddenly called out didn’t panic. From beginning to end, his expression didn’t waver. He stepped out from the ranks with precise, measured movements, walking straight to the front and assuming the marching stance.
Before the instructor could speak again, there came a chorus of soft gasps from the girls’ formation opposite.
Their instructor was more easygoing and let them rest in the shade after drills. Watching this scene unfold, a number of girls whispered among themselves, eyes glued to Shen Shi.
The male instructor couldn’t help a snort under his breath.
He decided not to interfere further and blew his whistle again, resuming the training.
In the formation, Fang Ziyuan’s eyes flickered as he glanced toward Shen Shi standing in front. In his mind, a dozen schemes began to take shape.
….
Five o’clock sharp.
The sun was sinking low, the sky painted orange. The male formation was finally dismissed for a break.
As soon as Shen Shi returned to his place, Fang Ziyuan patted his shoulder and leaned in, lowering his voice. “Hey, uh… Dou Ran, I just heard the art department’s getting water delivered later by that senior, Ye Ran.”
Shen Shi paused slightly, lifting his eyes just enough to signal for him to go on.
Fang Ziyuan’s scalp prickled. Under that gaze, it felt like every little scheme he had was being seen through.
“I just mean… I noticed you seemed kinda interested in that Shen Shi from the finance department. If his boyfriend’s coming to bring water, there’s a chance he’ll show up too. I just thought I’d let you know, no other reason.” He explained, voice weak with guilt.
Shen Shi didn’t say whether he believed it or not, only nodded faintly. “Mm. Got it.”
…Got it? What’s that supposed to mean?
Fang Ziyuan’s heart thudded uneasily.
By now, he was almost certain — this “Dou Ran” definitely came from some powerful background. That posture, that bearing, even the instructor had taken notice. There was no way he didn’t have military ties in his family.
The Fang family was at best newly wealthy, still far from the old money circles. But if they could forge military connections, things wouldn’t be so precarious in the future.
D*mn it.
He silently cursed himself. If he’d known “Dou Ran” was faking his earlier laziness, he would’ve never shown any irritation.
Just last night, his father had even called, mentioning the Ye family, telling him to learn from that Ye Ran.
Learn what, exactly?
How to get a boyfriend?
Funny thing was, the Ye family used to be beneath theirs.
If they hadn’t latched onto the Shen family, how could they have climbed into the ranks of Beijing’s new elite in just a few short years?
Suppressing his irritation, Fang Ziyuan’s competitive urge toward Ye Ran flared up again.
In this world, the hardest thing to maintain is emotion. Instead of finding a boyfriend, Fang Ziyuan would find himself a more strategic kind of partner.
…
Time ticked by.
In the ranks, Shen Shi rested with his eyes closed. His lashes were long and straight, casting faint shadows beneath his eyes. For no apparent reason, his calm, distant expression made a few of the loudest boys nearby quiet down all at once, not daring to speak another word.
At a certain moment, Fang Ziyan suddenly noticed that when he opened his eyes, just as he was about to eagerly hand over the bottle of mineral water he’d prepared, the girls’ formation across the field erupted into a burst of cheers.
“Woo——”
Fang Ziyan froze, following Shen Shi’s line of sight.
…
The sunset spread across the sky, the clouds brushed with a faint shade of orange.
A cool evening breeze swept along the tree-lined avenue, rustling through the parasol trees on both sides.
At the far end of the road, a small group approached, both boys and girls, each carrying bottles of mist-beaded Nongfu Spring. The boy in front wore a white shirt and black trousers, his frame tall and slender, his bearing elegant and refined. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing a stretch of pale, lean forearm.
His hair was dark as ink; lips red, teeth white. His thin phoenix eyes held a faint smile, the corners curved gently upward. At a glance, he gave off an impression of warmth and lingering tenderness, like sunlight filtering through water.
Some girls in the formation had already cast aside all reserve, waving their arms and calling out his name.
“Senior Ye Ran——Senior An Rou, so this was the ‘something’ you two said you had to do yesterday?”
Ye Ran was carrying a 24-pack crate of ice-cold Nongfu Spring. His arms ached slightly from the weight. Setting the box down, he lifted his head, only to be greeted by a sea of green training caps swaying before him.
The girls from the Art Department were especially enthusiastic; they all crowded forward. At a glance, there were forty or fifty of them.
He smiled. “We’ve come to deliver some refreshments for everyone.”
Nie Anrou followed right behind, carrying another box with the arts committee representative. Hearing this, she glanced at the girl who’d just spoken and arched a brow. “Not bad, you haven’t tanned at all. Your sun protection’s holding up.”
The girl chuckled. “Every time we rest, I reapply! I came to college to date, not to turn into a little black egg.”
Everyone burst out laughing.
Ye Ran couldn’t help smiling as well. He crouched down, carefully tearing open the plastic wrap. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he waved toward them. “Art Department, come get your water.”
The boys’ formation was some distance away. Earlier, Nie Anrou and the others had agreed with him that the boys would deliver water to the girls’ group, while the girls went to help the boys’ group.
Ye Ran, of course, saw through their intentions. Nie Anrou and the arts committee member had looked righteous as they said, “Division of labor between men and women, makes the work easier.”
Ye Ran had only raised a brow, while the P.E. committee member beside him burst into laughter, flexing his muscular arm as he carried the water. “Just admit you want to check out that guy, Dou Ran… look at you gossiping already.”
At the mention of Dou Ran, Ye Ran lifted his eyelids lazily and cast an indifferent glance toward the boys’ formation farther off.
All he saw was another sea of green caps.
Nie Anrou and the others had already gone over, calling to the Art Department boys to come get water.
The boys were far less shy. Before long, they had formed a wall of bodies, blocking half their formation behind them.
Ye Ran withdrew his gaze, used the handkerchief to wipe the condensation from each bottle, and handed them out one by one to the girls lining up.
After receiving their water, some girls sat down beside him and began chatting.
Ye Ran didn’t rush, answering with a gentle smile. His voice was soft, his manner calm, carrying a faint, clean scent. Standing next to the robust, loud P.E. committee member, he made a striking contrast.
Not to be outdone, the two male students joined in with playful banter, making the girls laugh again and again.
The atmosphere was light and cheerful.
Nearby, even the drill instructors gathered together, chatting casually.
Ye Ran overheard someone asking him, “Senior, what’s the best food in the cafeteria?”
He paused slightly, thought for a moment, and said, “The duck leg rice at Green Vine Restaurant, it’s pretty good.”
“Ah! I had that yesterday, it’s so good! The duck leg’s braised perfectly,” a girl quickly chimed in.
The P.E. committee member looked shocked. “You already got some? Tell the truth, how long did you wait in line?”
The girl leaned in mysteriously, lowering her voice. “I paid for someone to stand in line, five yuan a time. She queues for me, and I just pick it up after training.”
“Ohh,” another boy who’d come along laughed. “So you’ve already infiltrated the line-reserving group, huh?”
Ye Ran blinked, surprised. “What’s the line-reserving group?”
The P.E. committee member gave him a knowing grin. “Funny thing, that group’s actually kind of related to you.”
Ye Ran: “?”
The other boy burst out laughing as he explained, “That group started small, just thirty or forty people. It’s like the umbrella-sharing group we have, some guys think it looks too girly to hold a parasol, so they hire girls to share theirs, pay by distance.”
“Then, sophomore year, remember how Shen Shi used to line up every day to buy your meals? Someone on the forum made a group called ‘How Many Days Can Shen Shi Last?’”
“A bunch of people kept wailing in the posts about how jealous they were, and someone advertised the line-reserving group there. Now it’s blown up, five branch groups and a main group! They’ve even expanded from meals to buying fruit and daily necessities.”
Ye Ran: “…”
He truly hadn’t expected he and Shen Shi to have had a hand in that. His hand trembled as he wiped the bottle, the tips of his ears turning pink. He gave a small, embarrassed cough, hinting for them not to talk nonsense in front of the girls.
But just then, a computer science girl who’d been too shy to join earlier scooted over, her face glowing with curiosity. “And then? And then what happened?”
The P.E. committee member shrugged. “Then Shen Shi abused his power and deleted the post.”
“Pfft—hahahaha!” The girls burst into laughter again.
Ye Ran, at the center of their gaze, felt his ears grow even redder. He sighed helplessly, feeling several strange gazes lingering on him, one in particular filled with a kind of probing, unreadable curiosity.
He lifted his head in confusion, his eyes soft and gentle. The evening breeze tousled his dark hair; he squinted slightly and glanced around. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he lowered his head again and quietly handed out the remaining bottles to a few computer science girls nearby who hadn’t yet received any water.
The girls were caught off guard by the attention. “Huh? We get some too?”
“Mm,” Ye Ran said. “Your department should also have people delivering water in the next couple of days. The senior students will let you know when it’s your turn.”
The class’s PE rep grinned broadly. “Our class monitor’s taking some over to the instructors, these extra bottles are just leftovers. You girls go ahead and drink them.”
The girls quickly thanked them, voices full of excitement. “Thank you, senior! We’ll never forget this favor! If anyone badmouths you on the school forum again, we’ll totally speak up for you!”
Ye Ran laughed. “Ha, you girls…” He shook his head, amused.
——
“Tsk.”
In the boys’ formation, Fang Ziyuan was gulping down water from a big bottle. He’d just pulled his envious gaze away from the art department’s boys when he heard something from ahead, it sounded like they had made a noise.
He immediately lowered his bottle and looked over in surprise.
Shen Shi sat with his legs slightly bent, elbows loosely resting on his knees, his pale, slender wrists hanging relaxed.
He wore a cap pulled low, the brim pressing over his jet-black hair, with faint silver strands catching the light here and there. His eyes were half-lidded and careless, like a lazy, half-awake predator quietly studying tonight’s prey.
The question Fang Ziyuan wanted to ask died in his throat.
He had a good sense for people and right now, he could tell that Shen Shi’s mood was… strange. Not exactly good, but not bad either.
His gaze seemed unfocused, drifting forward without landing anywhere, yet oddly intent at the same time.
Fang Ziyuan stared for a while but couldn’t tell what exactly he was looking at.
Over in the art department’s formation, the male students were clustered around three senior girls, peppering them with questions. The seniors answered with poise, even exchanging WeChats and saying they could keep in touch.
Nearby, two boys snorted and muttered under their breath.
“These senior girls sure know how to play the game.”
“Probably just stringing them along.”
“They’re in their fourth year and still single, leftovers at this point.”
“Exactly. Better to date someone younger or your own age.”
Fang Ziyuan frowned in disgust and shot them a look of contempt.
Look at yourselves first, he thought.
Shen Shi also glanced at the two boys, a brief, indifferent look, not a trace of emotion in his eyes.
“Hey, uh, Dou Ran,” Fang Ziyuan ventured, eyes darting slyly. “I heard the duck leg rice at the Cafeteria’s really good. Want to go try it tonight?”
“Duck leg rice?” Shen Shi asked offhandedly, still watching ahead.
“Yeah, apparently it was already popular before, but two years ago it blew up, now you have to line up by ten-thirty or you won’t get any during rush hour.”
A nearby boy chuckled and cut in, “Wait, you guys seriously don’t know?”
Fang Ziyuan blinked. “Know what?”
“The duck leg rice,” the boy said, jutting his chin toward the girls’ formation. “That guy, Ye Ran, you know him? His boyfriend used to buy him meals back in sophomore year. Always the same thing, duck leg rice and Yunnan rice noodles. It got so famous everyone wanted to try it, and after that it basically became the cafeteria’s signature dish.”
Fang Ziyuan’s face twisted like he’d just swallowed a fly. “…Oh.”
Ye Ran again.
He was everywhere.
Forcing his expression back under control, he changed the subject stiffly. “I, uh, heard the diced chicken noodles are good too. Dou Ran, you wanna—”
“No,” Shen Shi said mildly. “I’ll try the duck leg rice.”
Fang Ziyuan: “…”
Rage flared up, he barely kept his composure. But before he could speak, a commotion broke out nearby.
All three of them turned toward the noise.
When they saw who was coming, Shen Shi’s eyes narrowed slightly.
——
The light was fading.
The training field was full of formations, the cheers came not only from the art department’s girls but also from a nearby boys’ group.
Someone said it was the finance department.
“Oooh~~~”
Amidst the rising chorus of teasing, two young men walked up from the tree-lined path.
The one in front wore black from head to toe: tall, lean, strikingly handsome. His features were sharp and cool, the kind of beauty that demanded attention.
The evening breeze lifted his hair. The boy beside him looked gentle and refined, glasses perched on his nose, smiling as he waved toward the finance students in the distance, instantly setting off louder whistles and cheers.
“Shen Shi! Yu Ting! You two lost or something? Finance is over here!” one boy shouted in a thick northeastern accent.
Yu Ting laughed. “We’ll bring you water tomorrow!”
“Alright~!”
Applause and laughter rippled through the formations.
The same boy called out again, full of gossip, “Then what about today? What’re you here for today?”
Yu Ting raised an eyebrow. “Today? You’ll have to ask your Senior Shen Shi, I’m just keeping him company.”
“Wooo~~”
The teasing grew louder, spreading across both the boys’ and girls’ formations. Dozens of curious, playful gazes landed on Ye Ran, who stood at the front of the art department girls.
“Here to pick up your boyfriend?”
“Senior Shen Shi really keeps a close eye on him, huh?”
“Haha, that’s what you call husband-and-husband teamwork!”
“What teamwork— come on, like Senior Shen Shi would ever do something that mushy? Right, our famously lovestruck senior! Hahahahaha!”
——
The teasing was getting out of hand.
Ye Ran couldn’t take it anymore, a faint blush crept up his neck. Trying to look casual, he waved toward the girls who were grinning like wolves. “Alright, you’re almost dismissed anyway. I’ll head off first.”
The girls were reluctant to part. “Senior, when will you come again?”
“Next time?” Ye Ran thought for a moment. “Probably when your first class of the semester starts. I’ll most likely be assigned to help out, basically doing manual labor for you.”
“Hahaha!” The girls burst out laughing. “Then we’ll be waiting for you, senior!”
The two P.E. reps immediately protested. “Hey, what about us? You’re only waiting for him? What about us?”
“We’ll wait for you too!”
——
Seeing that the two P.E. reps were trying to divert the girls’ attention for him, Ye Ran gave them a grateful nod, then turned and walked toward Shen Shi.
Yu Ting had already wandered off to chat with the finance students. Shen Shi hadn’t come too close; he stood quietly under a tree, waiting.
He was wearing the outfit Ye Ran had picked for him that morning. On his clean, elegant jawline, there was a small cut, the result of a careless shave.
It wasn’t until they got together that Ye Ran realized Shen Shi wasn’t quite as youthful as he had imagined.
The mornings were when Ye Ran feared him most. Sometimes, when he was in the mood and didn’t bother shaving, Shen Shi would bury his head in the blanket, his short stubble scratching and tingling against Ye Ran’s skin, rough and soft at once, making Ye Ran tear up every time as they tangled together all morning.
“How come you’re here?” Ye Ran asked.
Shen Shi lowered his head slightly, straightening the collar Ye Ran had carelessly flipped up. “Finished what I had to do. Came to find you.”
“Oh. Little Fatty said we should go eat with them later.”
“They just messaged me,” Shen Shi said. “There’s a lecture tonight about job hunting. We’ll go out another day, maybe the weekend.”
“That’s fine.” Ye Ran thought for a moment. “Little Fatty’s been anxious about that stuff anyway. Might be good for him to listen in.”
Shen Shi nodded, took Ye Ran’s hand, and led him away.
Ye Ran blinked in surprise, taking a few steps before tilting his head. “Aren’t we waiting for Yu Ting?”
“What for?” Shen Shi said lightly. “He just came for the fun of it.”
Ye Ran turned back. Yu Ting was waving at him with a grin before strolling off down a side path toward the dorms.
So he had only come to make a scene.
Ye Ran relaxed and followed Shen Shi off the field. Then, all of a sudden, Shen Shi’s steps halted. He turned sharply, his dark eyes hard and cold, staring straight toward a certain spot.
Ye Ran hadn’t yet reacted when he felt Shen Shi’s hand tighten around his. Instinctively, he turned back too but behind them, there was nothing but open space.
The training wasn’t over yet; the formations were still buzzing with chatter and laughter.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Ran asked, uneasy.
Shen Shi’s face had never looked so cold or tense. His brows knit tightly together, and in those black phoenix eyes, a storm surged for an instant before he forced it down, erasing all trace of emotion.
His breath came low and heavy. His eyes flickered with suspicion and unease before he turned calmly away, gripping Ye Ran’s hand tighter, quickening his pace.
“It’s nothing,” he said simply. “I saw wrong.”
——
At that moment, in the computer science formation—
Fang Ziyuan froze, breath caught in his throat, face turning pale as he shrank back a step. His voice trembled as he asked “Dou… Dou Ran, just now, was Shen Shi looking at me?”
Goosebumps rippled down his arms. That one cold, unrestrained look from Shen Shi had chilled him to the bone like being locked in the gaze of a dangerous predator, silent but heavy with warning.
As fear crawled up his spine, a strange kind of respect also crept in, respect for Ye Ran, the man actually dating that.
…This Ye Ran really had nerves of steel.
Facing that cold face every day and still managing to have a relationship?
Impressive.
He’d bow down to that kind of social courage any day.
He’d thought “Dou Ran” would ignore his babbling but unexpectedly, “Dou Ran” tilted his head thoughtfully. The sunset painted his features, the high-arched brows, the straight nose in gold and crimson. His expression was faint, lips curving slightly as he asked, in an unhurried tone:
“So, who do you think is more handsome — me, or Shen Shi?”
Fang Ziyuan: “…”
“…Huh?”
Oh, so it’s one of those “Who’s more handsome, me or Xu Gong?” questions, huh?
Alright, he knew how to play this.
As a tactful classmate, Fang Ziyuan answered carefully, “I think you look better.”
And it was the truth.
Shen Shi had that sharp, aloof kind of beauty: proud, restrained, carrying the cold arrogance unique to young men his age. He had an air of distance, but in his eyes, there was often an unconscious hint of warmth and laziness, as if a god had been pulled down to earth contradictory, yet magnetic.
But “Dou Ran” was different.
“Dou Ran” carried the composure and quiet authority of someone who had already seen through the vanity of fame and wealth: detached, unshakable, elegant. Even sitting idly on the training field, he gave off the sense that with one word, he could command obedience.
That kind of presence… was on another level.
Looks couldn’t fill a stomach — status and power were what mattered.
Schemes ticking in his head, Fang Ziyuan couldn’t help but ask, “Why’re you asking that?”
“Nothing.” Shen Shi turned back, his gaze falling on two silhouettes, shoulders brushing, walking side by side off the field.
He stared absently for a few moments, then suddenly asked, “Do you think the two of them suit each other?”
“…Huh?” Fang Ziyuan blinked.
Who? Those two?
Why are you gossiping now too, bro?
He forced a dry laugh. “Heh… yeah. Pretty well, I guess.”
Honestly, if not for Ye Ran, Fang Ziyuan was convinced Shen Shi would’ve stayed single forever.
Who could stand being with someone that cold-faced?
Shen Shi heard this and gave him a faint, almost imperceptible glance, his eyes unreadable, but clearly not approving.
“Look again.”
Fang Ziyuan: “???”
He was completely baffled but, following instructions, looked again. This time, all he could see were two small dark figures walking hand in hand down the tree-lined path. Just from their backs, they looked perfectly matched.
He withdrew his gaze, about to say so then paused, something flickering across his mind. A few seconds later, he said firmly, “Actually, I think they don’t match.”
“Mm.”
This time, Shen Shi finally nodded slightly. The instructor’s whistle blew, signaling for everyone to regroup, the formation was about to be dismissed.
Amid the noise and shuffling, Shen Shi brushed off his hands and stood. Under the dim evening light, Fang Ziyuan thought his eyes must be playing tricks on him because for the first time in days, he saw the faintest hint of a smile touch Shen Shi’s lips.
“I think so too,” Shen Shi said mildly, withdrawing his gaze. His tone was unhurried, almost calm. “That’s why I think Ye Ran deserves a better choice.”
Author’s Note:
Big Shen has awakened the “I’m-stealing-my-own-boyfriend” storyline.
Elbow Brother has been forcibly dragged into the “Love Defense Battle” arc.
Little Ye: ?
Can you two be normal human beings for one second??
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