Chapter 87 - 78 Military Training Performance_2

"But what have I really been doing these past few days?"

When the conversation reached this point, Li Qiang couldn’t help but cry. A boy over six feet tall cried like he was wearing a mask of pain. He knew full well he didn’t belong to that circle but still forced himself to blend in, even considering lending the hard-earned scholarship to Lu Lin.

His family scrimped and saved to put him through university, yet here he was, yearning for a world that wasn’t his own.

The more he thought about it, the louder Li Qiang cried.

Facing Li Qiang’s candid tears, Chang Hao could only pat his shoulder and say, "Hey, it’ll all pass."

"That’d be good."

Since that day, Li Qiang became very quiet. As military training neared its end, the school’s activities began to increase.

One day, during the usual military training, a group of unexpected visitors appeared and stood on the parade ground’s reviewing stand. After testing the microphone, they revealed their identities—it was the student council.

They announced that on September 30th, in front of the gymnasium, there would be a club recruitment event. Interested students could go have a look. They had the student council, the organization department, the external relations department.

Then, the seniors from various departments performed.

The vice president of the student council, a slightly plump and fair-skinned boy named Xiao Yang, played and sang a song.

Then came the literature and art department, organization department, and all departments had their performances.

The recruits in camouflage watched cross-legged on the playground, enjoying the rare rest time and the novelty of the student departments, discussing animatedly.

Chang Hao, grinning, said, "Brother Zhou, I think this Xiao Yang sings not as well as you do. You should go up and shake them up."

"Crazy, don’t disrupt their normal proceedings."

"Heh, if you don’t disrupt, I want to."

Chang Hao grinned.

That entire morning was spent watching the talent shows of the school departments, and in the afternoon, they noticed that a stage was already being set up in front of the gymnasium.

For some time, the military training seemed to be strictly enforced, but as it came to a close, the stringent management became a joke. It was common to see second-year students laughing and chatting in plain clothes within the restricted area.

And the hole in the fence behind the cafeteria was no longer a secret, with many slipping out to buy snacks and bring them back.

In the afternoon, the instructor announced the parade time: Friday afternoon for the big parade and a bonfire party and talent show in the evening. Students with talents were encouraged to sign up.

After the instructor finished, Chang Hao excitedly raised his hand and said, "I’m signing up! I’ll sing with Brother Zhou!"

Chang Hao wanted to form a band with Zhou Yuwen to sing.

Zhou Yuwen, who disliked the spotlight, declined.

But Chang Hao was persistent, dragging and pulling on Zhou Yuwen.

It was then that Li Qiang returned from outside.

"Brother Zhou, Shen Yu is looking for you downstairs at the dorm," he said.

"She’s looking for me?"

Curious, Zhou Yuwen left Chang Hao and went downstairs.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, are you gonna accept or not?" Chang Hao followed behind Zhou Yuwen, looking utterly dejected.

In the September heat, the sun was still blinding.

Shen Yu let her hair down, wearing a simple black jumper shorts outfit. Her long legs were accented by white cotton socks paired with little white shoes. Her legs might not have been as long as Zheng Yanyan’s, but they were well-proportioned, enhanced by the white socks, giving off a campus moonlight beauty vibe as she stood under a magnolia tree in front of the male dormitory.

At this time of day, there were few girls in front of the boys’ dormitory, let alone one as beautiful as Shen Yu.

So, Shen Yu standing there inevitably made passing boys glance back.

Then they’d mutter, "Who is this girl waiting for?"

"Lucky guy, whichever one it is."

At that moment, Zhou Yuwen came downstairs and spotted Shen Yu, wondering why she was looking for him.

Shen Yu said it was nothing much.

"It’s just about the burger incident before. Thank you. These are some cookies I made," Shen Yu took out a bear-shaped glass jar with handmade cookies inside from her white canvas bag.

Zhou Yuwen asked, "You made them yourself?"

Shen Yu smiled slightly, "Yes."

"You,"

"Aren’t the only one who gets the chance to run out." Shen Yu teased playfully.

Zhou Yuwen also smiled. Shen Yu had specially come to the male dorm to find him—it wouldn’t do to just hand out cookies and send her back. So Zhou Yuwen suggested, "Then, shall we go for a walk?"

"Sure."

And so the two of them walked away from the dorm, with Zhou Yuwen suggesting that next time she wanted to find him, she should message him in advance online.

"Otherwise, if I’m not in the dorm, you’ll have made the trip for nothing."

"No, I’m just trying my luck," perhaps due to the hot weather, Shen Yu blushed brightly as she spoke, her smile tinged with shyness.

Zhou Yuwen’s competition was fierce. Shen Yu had thought about giving up, but the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t bear to let go. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Shen Yu visited her aunt’s house and made some cookies, but she didn’t know whether she should give them to Zhou Yuwen.

So, with these mixed feelings, she walked to the boys’ dormitory building. She planned to message Zhou Yuwen but was too embarrassed to do so, and walked away from the dormitory building, then hesitated and walked back.

After walking away for more than a dozen steps, she couldn’t help but turn back again.

Should she give them to Zhou Yuwen or not?

While Shen Yu was struggling with her decision, she bumped into Li Qiang, who had just returned from outside.

Li Qiang asked Shen Yu what she was doing there.

Stuttering, Shen Yu replied, "Could, could you call Zhou Yuwen for me?"

"Oh," Li Qiang seemed to understand, maybe Lu Lin really liked Brother Zhou, but he guessed that Brother Zhou and she wouldn’t end up together. From the bottom of his heart, Li Qiang was a bit envious of Zhou Yuwen.

Like this, Zhou Yuwen was called down.

Zhou Yuwen asked Shen Yu if she needed anything else from him.

Shen Yu said she had a small request but didn’t know if Zhou Yuwen would agree to it.

"Let’s hear it?"

With a red face, Shen Yu asked if Zhou Yuwen would sing a duet with her during the military training performance.

"No problem."

"You agree?"

"Why wouldn’t I agree? You already gave me the cookies, there’s no reason not to agree," Zhou Yuwen said.

Shen Yu’s smile bloomed like a flower, she had honestly thought that Zhou Yuwen might refuse.

After settling the matter, Shen Yu left contentedly.

Back at the dorm, Chang Hao saw Zhou Yuwen return and immediately shamelessly hovered around, wanting to sing "One Life One Love" by Shui Mu Nian Hua on stage with Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen said, "Sorry, you’re too late, I’ve already agreed to Shen Yu."

"What? You can’t do that! I came first!" Chang Hao was very angry.

Zhou Yuwen said there was nothing he could do about it, after all, Chang Hao was a man.

"Hey, what song are you guys singing?"

"..." The song title did make Zhou Yuwen fall silent.

"What song is it? Can’t say?" Seeing Zhou Yuwen not speaking, Chang Hao became curious.

"The song was Shen Yu’s choice."

"So what is the song then?"

"Because... love..."

"???"

Chang Hao’s eyes suddenly widened, and even Li Qiang, who was playing with his phone, couldn’t help but look up.

"No way, for real? Brother Zhou, you’re singing that song with Shen Yu?"

"..."

Zhou Yuwen was also helpless; it was Shen Yu’s choice after all, it’s just a song, no big deal.

But Chang Hao saw everything clearly, saying, "Shen Yu really knows how to play it well. By singing that song with her on stage, isn’t that basically announcing that you’re her boyfriend? By then, I bet Su Qing would be furious, haha, Brother Zhou, you’re in for it,"

Zhou Yuwen said it didn’t matter.

Looking at Zhou Yuwen, Chang Hao’s eyes were filled with envy and jealousy. He asked, "Brother Zhou, tell me the truth, who do you like?"

"What?"

"Su Qing, Lu Lin, and Shen Yu, you’re always entangled with them, haven’t you thought about settling down with one?"

"Where the hell did you see me getting entangled with them."

"Both my eyes saw it, right, Qiangzi?" Chang Hao said with a cheeky grin.

Li Qiang ignored him.

Zhou Yuwen said, first of all, he had nothing to do with Su Qing, secondly, he and Shen Yu were just friends, and as for Lu Lin...

"It’s definitely not as dirty as you think in your head."

"Ah, a mere friend, you think I believe that? Qiangzi, you believe that? He snatched your Lu Lin, hahaha!" Chang Hao laughed as he said it.

"If you can’t speak properly then don’t speak at all, I have nothing to do with Lu Lin!" Li Qiang frowned in annoyance.