Chapter 517

When we arrived at our class's location, the instructor just announced the mid‑training break.

Qiao Xin sat in the shade with no regard for image, taking off his hat to use as a fan; seeing the goddess he had longed for walking over, his eyes lit up. 'Goddess, I'm about to be dried out by the sun—you finally came for me, so how about I give myself to you?'

Jiang Liangjin: '……'

Mu Youyu switched the ice tangyuan to her left hand, jerked her chin toward the bag in Jiang Liangjin's hand, and said, 'It's yours—take it yourself.'

Qiao Xin sprang up, reached out to catch it, and muttered things like 'my savior' and 'living Bodhisattva'.

Xiao Yu followed behind her at a leisurely pace, took his own cup, stuck in a straw, took a sip, and said, 'Thanks.'

'You're welcome.' Mu Youyu replied, her gaze sweeping over the training field.

Xu Zhiying sat alone on the edge of the lawn, head down.

Qiao Xin followed her glance, lowered his voice: 'These past few days she hasn't been hanging out with us, and even when we call she doesn't come over. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and even heard her crying—I don't know what's wrong.'

Xiao Yu bit the straw, tone light: 'Maybe she's just not used to being away from home—after all, it's her first military training, and she doesn't know anyone here. Don't push her. If we weren't at the same school, you'd be like that too.'

'Why are you saying that about me? I've been wanting to bring her along these days.' Qiao Xin looked hurt, turned to Mu Youyu, and said, 'Goddess, tell me, am I not being thoughtful?'

Mu Youyu gave a perfunctory reply, 'Mm-hmm.'

The two sat down again, and Mu Youyu began eating her ice tangyuan.

Jiang Liangjin: 'Is it good?'

'So-so, not as good as the place outside.' Mu Youyu commented, half‑raising her spoon, 'A Jin, want to try a bite?'

Since it was already at his lips, Jiang Liangjin lowered his head and took it in; Mu Youyu observed his reaction and asked, 'How is it?'

'Premade.'

'……'

Qiao Xin beside them felt a pang of envy, muttering low: 'Who stole my green plum? I want green plums too, I want the goddess to feed me.'

Xiao Yu: 'I still have a bottle of plum green tea; I'll give it to you when we get back to the dorm.'

Mu Youyu and Jiang Liangjin finished the ice tangyuan, then, looking at their phones, walked toward another area intending to find Yu Ci and the others.

Upon reaching the area for Yu Ci's Business Management class, they happened to catch sight of Mu Xi and Song Lujing sitting in the shade.

There was half an arm's length between them, and neither paid any attention to the other.

Mu Youyu shared the fruit tea in her hand with them, then passed one cup to Gu Xingnan, who stood nearby.

Gu Xingnan took it and said, 'Thanks.'

Yu Ci came running out of the training field, sweat pouring down his face, the back of his camouflage uniform soaked in a large patch, his hair pressed by his cap leaving a faint imprint. 'Why are you all interested in coming over here today?'

Mu Youyu pointed at Jiang Liangjin's hand and said, 'I brought you something to cool down.'

Jiang Liangjin closed his umbrella and handed the items to him.

'A grateful heart, thanks for having you.' Yu Ci was moved, making a motion to lunge over and hug her, but Jiang Liangjin shoved him away with one hand, saying, 'You stink.'

Yu Ci took the fruit tea and silently stepped back half a pace.

Gu Xingnan pulled him to his other side and asked, 'Can you hold out a bit longer?'

Yu Ci: 'I'm okay, just a bit sunburned; otherwise it's still pretty fun.'

Song Lujing heard that, came over, and offered a plan: 'I just noticed the guy in front of you swaying back and forth; if he later topples toward you, you just catch him, and then you can accompany him to the infirmary to enjoy the air conditioning.'

Song Lujing, like Gu Xingnan, had enrolled in the computer science major.

Yu Ci gave him a thumbs‑up and said, 'Song bro, you're the one.'

Gu Xingnan: '……If you don't want to experience it, just go away—don't catch him, it's a bit dangerous.'

After saying that, he realized his remark was off, lowered his head, pulled the straw out of the fruit tea, and adopted an expression as if he'd said nothing.

Yu Ci's attention had already been snagged by Song Lujing's 'clever' suggestion; he was tilting his head, seriously scrutinizing the back of the male student in front of him.

He was mentally assessing the angle at which the other might fall and his own strength.

Mu Youyu felt she couldn't let him keep thinking like that, waved her hand in front of his face, and said, 'Don't really listen to him.'

Yu Ci snapped back to attention: 'I was just looking.'

Jiang Liangjin gave an 'hmm' and said, 'What activities do you have this afternoon? Youbao said she wants to play with the guns at the shooting range.'

Mu Youyu had just forgotten to ask Qiao Xin and her group; for now she was only looking at the two of them.

Yu Ci: 'Shooting? There's one this afternoon, but if you want to play you could go find your brother—Song Ze Yi over there has the real thing.'

Mu Xi, who had been silent beside them, finally spoke: 'That's boring; we've gotten tired of it.'

Jiang Liangjin: 'Right.'

Mu Youyu, who had only touched it a few times as a child, interjected: 'Second brother, didn't your music‑school classmate say he wanted to jam with you? Did you go?'

Mu Xi: 'I'll go this afternoon; this morning I'm basking in the sun to get some calcium.'

Song Lujing snorted: 'Xi bro, do you still need calcium? Your skin turns red after ten minutes in the sun.'

Mu Xi glanced at him: 'So I'm not sunbathing in the shade?'

Song Lujing had nothing to say.

As the break was about to end, the instructor blew his whistle, and the students on the training field gradually rose from the shade and walked toward their respective formations.

Yu Ci shoved the items into Gu Xingnan's hand and said, 'All right, all right—see you at the shooting range this afternoon; if you want to play, remember to come.'

Having said that, he sprinted back to his ranks; his back view looked quite energetic.

Mu Youyu: 'Okay.'

Gu Xingnan: 'Keep it up.'

Mu Xi nodded, turned his head toward his sister, and said in a gentler tone, 'Youbao, let's head back first—it's too sunny here; we'll come again when it cools down this afternoon.'

Mu Youyu was indeed somewhat wilted from the sun, and she obediently replied.

The four walked out, passing the Art School's training area when Qiao Xin was standing in formation; seeing them pass, he secretly flashed a heart at Mu Youyu.

Mu Youyu thought she was rather cute, and returned a heart.

The instructor's stern voice came out of the loudspeaker: "Everyone present, roll call——"

Jiang Liangjin silently pulled her and quickened the pace.

Upon reaching outside the training base, Mu Xi's car was already parked there.

Song Lujing opened the passenger door, got in, adjusted the seat to a semi-reclining angle, pulled his cap over his face, and mumbled, "Wake me when we arrive."

"Oh." Mu Xi started the car.

Mu Youyu sat in the back seat, leaning against Jiang Liangjin, and scrolled on her phone for a while.

The family group chat was unusually quiet.