2:30 in the afternoon.

Xie Huai went to report to the instructor about using the bathroom, returning five minutes later with a grim face.

Xia Xia wasn’t feeling well and sat resting on a bench. Her face under the cap couldn’t withstand South City’s intense ultraviolet rays, turning red from the sun.

“The instructor won’t approve it, says it’s the college’s decision,” Xie Huai gulped water. “We’ve been attracting attention these past days.”

During military training, Xie Huai would always ask for bathroom breaks near rest time, rushing to another field to sell milk tea until the break ended before hurrying back. The field instructors only managed training and attendance, and until today had turned a blind eye to his milk tea business.

Xia Xia listlessly said: “Let’s go during break then.”

“Too late.” Xie Huai frowned, “It takes ten minutes to get to the north field from here, plus time to get things from Zhao Yilei. By the time we get there, the break will be over. Having unsold goods is a small matter, but in business, the worst thing is breaking promises. Miss one appointment and most people won’t order from me again.”

Xia Xia absent-mindedly played with the hem of her training uniform: “What should we do then? Maybe explain in the group… why are you looking at me like that?”

Xie Huai’s piercing gaze fell on her face: “Didn’t Buzz Cut chat you up again yesterday?”

The “Buzz Cut” he mentioned was the military training instructor for the male squadron, young and handsome with a crew cut.

Since the first day of training, Buzz Cut would occasionally come rest under the shade. Though there were many exempt female students, he only talked to Xia Xia. While the conversations weren’t flirtatious, anyone could see he had some interest in her.

The day before yesterday, just as Xia Xia brought back the milk tea, he came over and bought ten cups, treating each of his squadron brothers to one.

“…That wasn’t flirting, he just asked which milk tea tastes good.”

“Does he need to add your WeChat just to ask that?” Xie Huai’s contemplative gaze fixed on Xia Xia, “He’s interested in you. Go ask him for leave.”

Xia Xia: “…”

“Why should I ask him for leave?”

Xie Huai: “Just say you have altitude sickness and need to go to the university hospital. I’ll take you there, then I can legitimately leave.”

“Xie Huai, our work agreement doesn’t include pretending to be sick, right?” Xia Xia looked at him seriously, “I’m not sick, and if pretending works, why don’t you do it yourself?”

“Because I’m a man,” Xie Huai said matter-of-factly. “If I pretend to be sick, will he sympathize with me?”

Xia Xia was speechless.

Buzz Cut finished organizing his squad and glanced this way. Xie Huai narrowed his eyes: “Will you pretend or not?”

He always spoke to her concisely, maintaining an arrogant tone even when asking for help.

Xia Xia felt somewhat unhappy: “Can’t you be a bit nicer to me? Aren’t you all smiles with other girls? But you always have a sour face when talking to me.”

Xie Huai’s attitude toward her wasn’t new. Xia Xia had originally gotten used to it.

But these past days, staying by his side and watching him speak gently to girls buying milk tea, not minding when girls openly flirted with him, maintaining a sunny and gentle smile throughout, Xia Xia felt somewhat uncomfortable.

It wasn’t out of jealousy or envy. She figured her strategy of playing dumb and sweet wasn’t perfect, because not only had she failed to outsmart the tiger, but Xie Huai seemed to take her for a pig, thinking she was naturally docile and spineless.

The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and the more she took it to heart.

If Xie Huai had spoken to her nicely, acted cute, or shown a proper attitude when asking for help, she would have helped him.

But with this attitude, Xia Xia felt rebellious.

With unbearable cramping pain in her lower abdomen from her period, her words carried some bite: “I asked you a question. Do you have something against me?”

After speaking, she realized she’d asked a pointless question. Xie Huai didn’t just have something against her, he had major issues with her.

But Xie Huai said: “No.”

He said flatly: “I’m nice because they’re my customers. What are you to me?”

What are you to me?

This question stunned Xia Xia momentarily.

Xie Huai: “You’re my debt slave, I’m your creditor. You’re the one who should be nice.”

Xia Xia: “…”

Buzz Cut saw Xia Xia arguing with Xie Huai and walked over to mediate.

Xie Huai’s brows furrowed: “I’ll ask one last time, will you pretend or not?”

Xia Xia felt irritated, her temper rising, her tone firm: “I already said no, are you deaf?”

Xie Huai’s calm eyes looked at her meaningfully. Xia Xia couldn’t understand the emotion in his gaze but instinctively felt he was angry.

Her lower abdomen churned, the pain shooting to her head making her irritable and clouding her judgment.

She stared back fearlessly, thinking let him be angry, worst case she’d quit, forget about the money, have another fight, and return everything to him.

Buzz Cut stood before them: “You’re all classmates, what’s worth arguing about?”

Xie Huai shifted his gaze from Xia Xia to the instructor before him.

Buzz Cut: “I’m talking to you, what’s the argument about?”

Xie Huai remained silent, lowering his eyelashes, quietly thinking.

Three seconds later, he stepped back, creating distance from the instructor, then suddenly rolled on the ground, clutching his leg and wailing dramatically:

“My leg hurts, ah—”

“My leg’s breaking, ah————”

“Let Xia Xia help me to the hospital, I can’t take it anymore, help, ah————”

Xia Xia: “?”

Xie Huai’s first attempt at faking illness at South University met with a disastrous Waterloo.

Outside the office window, the flower bed was planted with verdant holly, its lush canopy freshly trimmed flat by the gardener.

On both sides were magnolias past their blooming season, their shadows swaying under the afternoon’s scorching sun.

In the lazy afternoon with nothing to do, Yi Meixian sat drinking tea at her desk by the window, with several senior students sitting on the guest sofa chatting with her.

She had just dragged Xia Xia and Xie Huai from the field, her face showing a thin layer of sweat from South City’s sun.

“Jingzhou, get me some hot water.” She handed her cup to Jiang Jingzhou, idly taking out her phone to play with.

Jiang Jingzhou was a student council member who often visited the counselor’s office to play games with her.

Yi Meixian combined both girlish laziness and a married woman’s allure.

She placed the steaming teacup on the desk, her cat-like round eyes fixed on the floating pu’er tea leaves, her expression languid: “I recently received reports from students saying you were selling milk tea during training, disrupting training order.”

Yi Meixian looked at Xie Huai: “Did you do it?”

Xie Huai’s expression didn’t change: “I sold milk tea but didn’t affect the order, I only sold during break time.”

Yi Meixian: “The school gave you leave to recover, why are you so energetic yet exempt from training? I think you should resume training tomorrow.”

Xie Huai didn’t respond, bending to roll up his pants above his knee, revealing the purple bruise.

Yi Meixian frowned: “What do you mean?”

Xie Huai was concise: “Hot.”

Yi Meixian slammed her teacup on the desk, pointing at him: “I’m talking to you, show some proper attitude.”

“Teacher Yi, the sun’s hitting this corner, I’m hot.” Xie Huai smiled roguishly, “My attitude isn’t improper. I admit I sold milk tea, and said it didn’t affect training. I figure there’s no school rule saying we can’t sell things there. If there is, show it to me, and I promise to pack up tomorrow.”

He glanced sideways at Xia Xia standing beside him.

She hadn’t spoken since entering, and the hottest noon sun was shining directly on her face. She squinted uncomfortably, fine sweat beading on her forehead.

Xie Huai’s gaze returned from her: “I sold the goods, Xia Xia’s just a helper. Let her go, just punish me alone.”

Yi Meixian ignored Xie Huai’s words, took a sip of tea, and continued lecturing.

She said Xie Huai was wrong, so he must be wrong, and not only did he not admit his mistake but talked back, which was wrong upon wrong.

Xie Huai picked his ear, interrupting her: “Teacher Yi.”

He leaned casually against the wall, hands in his training uniform pockets, sunlight falling on his face, casting a white spot of light.

He shifted his eyes, avoiding the glaring light: “I said this has nothing to do with Xia Xia, haven’t you noticed how pale she’s gotten?”

Xia Xia was originally fair-skinned, but now under the sun, she looked almost transparent, showing a sickly weakness.

Xie Huai didn’t know she had menstrual cramps, thinking she was just affected by the sun.

Yi Meixian’s phone rang, and she left the office to answer it.

Xie Huai nudged Xia Xia: “Don’t listen to her, go sit on the sofa.”

Xia Xia didn’t move. He then looked at Jiang Jingzhou playing on the computer at the desk: “Jingzhou, help me out.”

Jiang Jingzhou didn’t look up: “Young master, why so formal with me? Do you need my help?”

He was referring to when Xie Huai had Xia Xia repay seventy yuan before.

Xie Huai smiled, bantering with him: “If you don’t help me, I won’t make it.”

“It’s just forty cups of milk tea?” Jiang Jingzhou said flatly, “Just refund them later, right? But a penny-pincher like you probably can’t bear to.”

“It’s not about the money.” Xie Huai said, “It’s thirty degrees today, some people ordered milk tea and didn’t bring water bottles, what will they drink if I don’t go? Not delivering on time is a matter of credibility, understand? Will you help or not?”

Jiang Jingzhou closed his computer: “Where are the goods?”

Xie Huai gave him Zhao Yilei’s number, and Jiang Jingzhou turned and left.

Xie Huai felt relieved but also somewhat bored.

He asked Xia Xia: “Was my acting that bad? Buzz Cut didn’t believe it and called Yi Meixian.”

Xia Xia’s voice was very faint, her breathing hitching: “Terrible.”

Xie Huai raised an eyebrow: “When I asked you to act you wouldn’t, why don’t you demonstrate what excellent acting looks like?”

Xia Xia didn’t respond.

Yi Meixian came back after finishing her call, and Xie Huai still wore his playful smile.

She glared at him fiercely. As she passed by them, Xie Huai elbowed Xia Xia, teasing her: “Show me one?”

Xia Xia clutched her stomach and fell to her knees.

Yi Meixian was startled.

Xia Xia made no sound and didn’t cry out in pain, sweat drops from her temples dripping onto the floor tiles.

She hunched her back, hands pressing hard against her lower abdomen.

Xie Huai crouched down and nudged her: “Xia Xia?”

He secretly glanced at Yi Meixian, lowering his voice: “Just making a point is enough, are you pretending?”

Xia Xia’s body swayed to one side, and she fainted.