Zhаng Lurаng finаllу spokе, his ехрrеssion somewhаt unnаtural.
"No."
"Оh."
Soon, Zhаng Lurаng аddеd, "Shе's оnly fifteеn."
A year has pаssеd, so shе's prоbаblу siхteеn nоw.
Вut still tоо yоung.
So young thаt hе felt tоuching her would bе like cоmmitting a crimе.
Su Zаizаi wаs аssignеd tо the liberаl аrts advаnсеd clаss.
Hеr nеw deskmatе wаs Wang Nаn, who was originаlly in the samе сlаss as hеr.
Wang Nan walkеd in frоm оutside, sаt bасk in hеr sеаt, and sроke with sоme distrеss.
"Heу, Su Zaizаi, I hеаrd we hаvе militаrу training next wеek..."
Su Zaizai's pen рaused, and shе turned to lоok аt him in disbеlief.
"Didn't thеy say military training was canceled? How come this semester..."
"I don't know. It seems they combined military training with agricultural studies, and the schedule is already set. We're going next Monday morning."
"..."
Su Zaizai immediately stood up and walked toward the door.
The science advanced class was next to the liberal arts advanced class.
Zhang Lurang sat in the last row of the first group, near the back door.
Su Zaizai called out to him, "Lùràng."
Zhang Lurang turned his head and looked over.
Su Zaizai leaned against the doorframe and spoke to him, "I heard we have military training next week."
Zhang Lurang didn't react much, just nodded.
"But it's better to have military training now. If it were in September, we'd be scorched to death."
"Yeah."
Su Zaizai thought for a moment and continued, "I heard the agricultural research institute area is really sunny. I'll bring you sunscreen this weekend. Remember to apply it during military training."
Hearing this, Zhang Lurang frowned, "I won't use it. Don't bring it."
Su Zaizai fell silent for a while, then said, "Do you think if other boys don't use it and you do, you'll feel like you're acting girly?"
"..." He didn't answer, but it was clear she had hit the mark.
"Lùràng, you just don't get it."
"What?"
"Other boys don't use it because no one buys it for them," Su Zaizai said with a grin.
"..."
"So, do you want it or not?"
Su Zaizai stared at him, watching as he turned his head away.
Then, a muffled sound came.
"...Yeah."
Military training began on the first day at the agricultural research institute.
After the instructor delivered a stern lecture upfront, he started collecting the students' phones.
He stood at the front, holding a burlap sack, waiting.
Su Zaizai obediently took her phone out of her backpack.
She walked up to the instructor and placed her phone inside.
After changing into the military training uniform, the instructor led the liberal arts advanced class to one of the training grounds.
Once there, Su Zaizai noticed Zhang Lurang was training on the field next to their class.
Because of this, she deliberately stood in the second-to-last row.
Military training makes everyone look their worst. When she had time, she needed to talk to the handsome guy...
Don't look over here.
Early the next morning.
Su Zaizai felt uncomfortable even in her sleep. When she woke up, she sensed a heaviness in her lower abdomen, and a bad premonition washed over her.
It was still early, and everyone in the dormitory was still asleep.
Su Zaizai quietly got out of bed and walked outside.
When she reached the bathroom, she confirmed it—her period had arrived.
Su Zaizai usually didn't feel much during her period, except for the first day.
The first day was agonizing enough to torment her to death.
She put on a sanitary pad, washed up, and returned to the dormitory.
The others in the dormitory gradually woke up.
Su Zaizai lay back in bed to rest and, without realizing it, fell asleep.Xiao Xiao, who had been assigned to Wen Zhong's class along with her, returned from the restroom and immediately shook her awake, saying, "Zai Zai, get up quickly. It's almost nine o'clock in ten minutes. If we're late, the drill instructor will remember us."
Su Zai Zai was a bit dazed but quickly got up to put on her shoes.
The two hurried out the door.
As they neared the training ground, Xiao Xiao suddenly noticed, "Zai Zai, where's your hat?"
Su Zai Zai was startled and instinctively touched her head.
"I..." she said anxiously, thinking as she walked, "I think I left it in the restroom..."
"What do we do now?"
Su Zai Zai hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'll go back and get it..."
"There's no time," Xiao Xiao pulled her into the formation and whispered, "Let's see what the instructor says. It's the first day, maybe he'll be lenient."
Su Zai Zai nodded without saying a word.
When the whistle blew, the instructor happened to be walking over.
He bent down to place his water bottle on the ground, then scanned the group and said coldly, "Stand at attention."
The entire class obediently stood straight.
"Stand still for fifteen minutes. Don't move."
"..."
"If you need to move, call out 'report.'"
As he spoke, the instructor walked around them in a circle.
He quickly noticed Su Zai Zai, who wasn't wearing a hat.
His expression immediately darkened as he walked up to her.
"Where's your hat?"
"..."
"Didn't I say yesterday? Hat, uniform, pants, belt, shoes—not a single item can be missing."
Su Zai Zai mumbled, "You did."
"Then why aren't you wearing it?"
Su Zai Zai was feeling unwell due to her period, and even her voice sounded weak. "...I forgot."
His voice grew even louder. "Why didn't you forget yourself?"
Su Zai Zai was about to say she wasn't feeling well.
But before she could speak, she saw someone running toward her.
Another instructor was roaring behind him, "Did I tell you to move?"
Zhang Lu Rang ran up to Su Zai Zai.
Slightly out of breath, he took the hat from his head and placed it on hers.
The hat was warm from the sun and slightly damp with his sweat.
Su Zai Zai was completely stunned.
Zhang Lu Rang didn't say a word and simply turned back.
The instructor didn't give Su Zai Zai any more trouble, instead watching Zhang Lu Rang with interest.
Zhang Lu Rang's instructor glared coldly as he returned.
Without letting him rejoin the formation, he repeated coldly, "Did I tell you to move?"
Zhang Lu Rang replied softly, "Report, no."
Then, the instructor spoke again, commanding, "Assume the push-up position."
Zhang Lu Rang immediately dropped to the ground, lowering his body and holding the position without moving.
Su Zai Zai asked the instructor for permission to leave and went to sit under the shade of a nearby tree.
She stared at Zhang Lu Rang.
She felt touched, but even more than that, she felt sad.
Seeing Zhang Lu Rang being punished made her heart ache.
The instructor was still sneering beside him, saying, "Do you think you look cool doing that?"
Su Zai Zai lowered her eyes and muttered:
"He really does look cool."
Chapter 31
So beautiful it feels a bit unreal.
—From "Su Zai Zai the Little Fairy's Diary"
After the whistle blew, a short break began.
Su Zai Zai saw Zhang Lu Rang stand up and head toward the restroom.
She quickly jogged after him.
Hearing footsteps behind him.
Zhang Lu Rang stopped and turned to look at her.
Su Zai Zai stood in front of him, rose on her tiptoes, and placed the hat back on his head.
He didn't resist, only said softly, "If you're not feeling well, go back and sit down."Su Zai Zai took the sunscreen out of her pocket and stuffed it into his hand.
"Lùràng, remember to apply it. Your face is all red."
"..."
"The sun is really strong. If you don’t apply it, you’ll get sunburned, and it hurts a lot."
"Okay."
"Apply it on your ears too, and reapply every two or three hours, otherwise it won’t work."
He obediently agreed, "Mm."
"Don’t move around anymore. Push-ups are exhausting," Su Zai Zai reminded him.
"Got it. Go back now."
Su Zai Zai fell silent for a moment, then said, "My mental resilience isn’t that weak."
"What?"
"Even if the drill instructor scolds me more harshly, I won’t cry," she declared solemnly.
Happiness is because of you, and sadness is only because of you.
Lunch break.
After wiping her body with hot water in the bathroom, Su Zai Zai returned to the dormitory.
Just as she was about to climb onto her bed, Xiao Xiao from the lower bunk immediately pulled her over and asked gossipily, "Zai Zai, what’s going on between you and that handsome guy Li Zhong?"
"Nothing," she replied listlessly.
"Still not feeling well?"
"Mm."
"Then get some sleep quickly."
As she drifted into a hazy sleep, Su Zai Zai could faintly hear the other five girls in the dormitory whispering excitedly about what had happened today.
"He’s really handsome. Why don’t I have a boyfriend like that who treats me so well!"
"But was it necessary to be so high-profile? So annoying."
"Yeah, a bit..."
Frowning, she pulled the blanket over her head, shutting out the outside world.
On the other side.
Zhang Lu Rang was lying on his bed, memorizing English vocabulary from a booklet.
His roommate Li Yude leaned over and gave him a thumbs-up. "Master Lùràng, you’re so cool."
Another boy chimed in, half-jokingly, "Getting punished with push-ups and winning over a beauty’s heart—Zhang Lu Rang, you’re really something."
Hearing this, Zhang Lu Rang paused while flipping the pages.
Li Yude added, "Yeah, girls eat that stuff up. Sigh."
"I can’t take it anymore. I need to step up my game too. It’s already the second semester of high school! If I don’t get into a relationship now, I’ll miss my chance for puppy love."
Zhang Lu Rang: "..."
His thoughts stirred.
Suddenly, a scene flashed through his mind.
Night, under the starry sky.
The girl’s face flushed bright red, filled with confusion.
—"I’ve never thought about these things, really, never. I swear..."
—"I’m only fifteen this year..."
Zhang Lu Rang’s temple twitched.
He pulled his thoughts back and refocused on the vocabulary booklet in his hand.
...Better forget it.
After a nap, Su Zai Zai felt much better.
She woke up half an hour early and folded her blanket into a neat square.
Only after applying sunscreen did she start changing her clothes.
This time, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, she left the dormitory.
She arrived quite early, with more than half the class still absent.
Su Zai Zai found a spot under the shade of a tree, sat down, took off her hat, hugged her knees, and zoned out.
Not long after, a boy came over and sat beside her.
He sprawled casually, squatting next to her, and asked curiously, "Deskmate, are you feeling unwell?"
Su Zai Zai glanced at him but didn’t answer.
"What’s going on between you and that guy from the next class?" Wang Nan asked casually.
"..."
"I’m talking to you!"—-
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