In the afternoon, sudden heavy rain fell, the thunder rather loud. Ma Xuanrui was delayed packing things at home. She carried her bag, rushing onto the bus. Her feet still wet, she nearly fell again.

The school had chartered buses to the military training location, one bus per class, for a duration of two weeks.

She arrived late; after boarding, there were basically no seats left to choose from. Looking around, there was a nest of boys in the back already noisily starting to play cards, making the bus very loud with their commotion.

Ma Xuanrui frowned secretly, walked forward a few more steps, her footsteps suddenly stopping.

Xu Xingchun sat by the aisle, his body shrouded in a gauze-like soft glow, wearing one earphone, head lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

As their eyes met, a faint joy bubbled up from her heart.

Following it came shyness and hesitation.

Standing in the aisle, weighing and hesitating for a while, she silently cheered herself on in her heart. Finally taking a step forward, she walked over, gently reaching out to poke his shoulder.

Xu Xingchun looked up, eyelashes thick, lip color very pale, his gaze falling on her.

“That classmate… is anyone sitting next to you?” Ma Xuanrui stammered.

“Mm…”

He paused, the “mm” sound dragging a bit.

At this moment, an impatient female voice came from behind, “Hey, you’re blocking the way, little sister, move aside, hurry up.”

Following Xu Xingchun’s gaze, Ma Xuanrui turned her head to look back. She caught sight of a slender figure.

Not far away, Fu Xueli stood right behind her, her pupils seemingly reflecting rippling waves of light. She swept a glance at Ma Xuanrui and Xu Xingchun, coldly and impatiently saying again: “What are you standing there for? Move aside.”

“Oh oh, sorry.” Ma Xuanrui’s expression was embarrassed and somewhat baffled, not knowing what had offended this young lady. She pressed her lips together, hugged her schoolbag tight, and turned sideways.

After Fu Xueli passed, Ma Xuanrui turned back around and heard Xu Xingchun’s flat voice, “No one.”

“Get up, give me a seat.” Fu Xueli kicked Song Yifan aside with one foot, sitting down in the window seat next to him.

Song Yifan cried out loudly, “What’s this about? All angry and aggressive—Big Pear, did you take gunpowder today?!”

Xie Ci in the front row impatiently lifted the baseball cap covering his face, arms crossed over his chest, propped up his upper body and turned to lean his head, voice lazy, “Song Yifan, I’m telling you to keep it down. I want to sleep, how many times do I have to say it?”

Terrible—they were all taking their anger out on him one by one!

Song Yifan felt aggrieved, so he yelled at the nest of boys playing cards nearby, “Did you hear, did you hear? Brother Ci thinks you’re too noisy. Brother Ci says he wants to sleep! All of you stop playing!”

The group of people innocently caught in the crossfire: …….

Summer rain came quickly and left quickly. The bus drove onto the mountain road, swaying and rocking; most people on the bus were drowsy.

Pulling the curtain to block the glaring light, Song Yifan was really bored to death, so he quietly chatted with Fu Xueli, “Pear, look at how strong this sun is. It’s so worrying—what am I going to do if I get tanned?”

Fu Xueli felt a bit carsick and didn’t really want to talk. “You’re already like that, how much darker can you get? Worry about nothing.”

These words Song Yifan didn’t like hearing. Thinking of what words to use in retaliation, suddenly his brain had a flash of inspiration, and he just blurted out, “Yes yes yes, how can anyone be as fair as Xu Xingchun? You’re fair, he’s fair, you two are the fairest.”

“Psycho.”

“Vulgar.”

Fu Xueli expressionlessly traded insults with him, “Scumbag.”

“I just don’t get it!” Song Yifan was naturally a drama king, his heartbroken expression done very convincingly, saying with genuine emotion: “Fu Xueli, I really don’t get it—what does someone as smart as Xu Xingchun like about you? Does he like that you’re big-chested and brainless? Does he like that you’re crude and vulgar?”

“Say that again?”

“I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare.”

“Can you not mention him to me, okay?” Fu Xueli got annoyed just hearing Xu Xingchun’s name. She violently punched him, squeezing out a few words through her back teeth, “He likes that I’m pretty, what, you have a problem with that?”

Ten seconds later, Song Yifan laughed, “Ah, maybe he just likes your uncultured appearance.”

“Idiot.”

Fu Xueli was angry.

Of course, she was even angrier with Xu Xingchun.

In such a short time.

He had already silently gotten involved with some little girl in the class.

After a while, Song Yifan leaned over again to ask, “Fu Xueli…”

“What?”

“Let me ask you something.”

Fu Xueli glanced at him, didn’t make a sound.

Song Yifan’s expression was serious, his gaze very earnest, “In your heart, am I more important or is Xu Xingchun more important?”

Fu Xueli had no mind to listen to his nonsense, closed her eyes again, perfunctorily snorting coldly, “Neither is important.”

—

The entire journey took nearly three hours. Finally arriving at the destination—it was actually on a mountain. Not to mention what conditions were like on the mountain, what truly made everyone dumbfounded was—

There wasn’t even a place to stay here! The only building made with bricks was the medical office.

Their first task upon arrival was to set up their own tents to live in…

Although noon had passed, the residual heat hadn’t diminished; the sun still burned. Fu Xueli hadn’t eaten lunch. She originally had low blood sugar and was pampered and delicate—as soon as it flared up, her whole body would go weak and break out in cold sweat. After being in the sun for not long, she started feeling unwell. Gasping for breath, throat parched, vision going black, unable to hear people speaking.

Finally, after crouching in place for quite a while, it alleviated. Someone noticed her abnormality and came to help her to the medical office.

It had air conditioning. Fu Xueli, half-faint and half-conscious, lay on a temporarily set up bed. Both tired and uncomfortable, she unknowingly fell asleep.

Yao Jing, holding a large pile of things with one hand, pushed open the medical office door. Her hand was cut; she was going to get something to disinfect it. Having just walked a couple of steps, her eyes lifted to see something, and she was scared frozen in place.

Several minutes later, she finally reacted, covered her mouth and sucked in a breath, immediately retreating the way she came.

Oh… oh my god…

Just now…

That boy just now was the class monitor, right?

The one who gave the student representative speech this morning!

He was just now actually…

Actually kissing Fu Xueli’s neck?!

Having run several meters away, Yao Jing hid in a corner, still in a dazed state the whole time, her mind full of thoughts about the intimate scene she had just witnessed.

With his back to the light, Xu Xingchun leaned over, both arms braced on either side of Fu Xueli’s ears, staring straight at her.

She was slightly arched, wrists hanging down, seemingly still in deep sleep.

He at first only lightly touched with his lips—the corner of her forehead, her eyelids, the tip of her nose, her chin… gradually sliding down to her neck.

Tangled and inseparable.

Then following the momentum, he opened his mouth and bit down to hold.

His jawline was clear, kissing until his Adam’s apple moved slightly.

Then using the tip of his tongue to lick, bit by bit, slowly and meticulously, over and over again.