The scorching heat of summer still refused to leave even in September. The sunlight was fiery, as if trying to turn the playground into a furnace, and the concrete floor was burning hot.
In the somewhat orderly formation, everyone’s legs were weak. The black-and-green military training uniforms were soaked with sweat, and their stances gradually fell apart. At the tall and sturdy instructor’s command, the sweating freshmen immediately collapsed, sitting cross-legged but not daring to let their butts touch the ground.
“Want some water?”
“Thanks.”
Gu Yu took the bottled water Zhao Yuanqiu handed him, took a big gulp, and his dry throat felt a bit better.
“It’s so hot my scalp is tingling. What kind of earthly suffering is this?”
“There are still ten days left. Endure it. If you can’t hold on now, it’ll be even harder later.”
“Then aren’t you hot, Gu Yu?”
“Of course I’m hot. It’s killing me. Tired and hot.”
“So painful.”
The sticky sweat was extremely uncomfortable, and both couldn’t help starting to complain. The pain of military training was hard for young people who only studied to endure. The morning’s training had the group moaning in misery. Their stances were barely standard, but their bodies were about to collapse.
“How about we forge a leave slip?”
“Fake some food poisoning?”
“Forget it, forget it. I don’t want to end up killing myself.” Zhao Yuanqiu sighed, lowered his head, and sweat dripped onto the ground.
“How are you doing, Su Ziyuan?”
“I’m okay, but Wang Xiao looks like he’s about to collapse.”
“Maybe I’ll just collapse. Maybe I can fool the instructor and escape.” Wang Xiao looked up at the big sun in the sky, barely holding on.
“Hang in there. If we get caught, it’ll be terrible.” The other two agreed, but Gu Yu hesitated and refused.
“How about we go out and hang tonight? I’ll call some girls too. I have a relative who’s a senior. Everyone can get to know each other?” Zhao Yuanqiu suddenly suggested.
“I’d better not. My sister doesn’t like me hooking up with strange girls.”
“That’s your sister, not your mom, and she’s not even blood-related. And if you get to know them, they won’t be strangers. A friend of mine is in the same dorm as the School Beauty. Maybe we can even call her.”
“The girl you mentioned yesterday?”
“Yeah, my friend said she’s really pretty even without makeup, and her voice is nice too. She almost made her go gay.”
“Isn’t that a bit too much?” Gu Yu didn’t believe it.
“Then are you coming or not? Are you going to stay alone in an empty dorm? Get out and socialize. College isn’t like high school. It’s not just about studying.”
Gu Yu fell silent. In high school, his circle was indeed small. He got along well with his classmates, but only a few were close. In a new environment, maybe he should live a different way, practice social skills, and lay a foundation for future work.
“Alright then. Where are we going?”
“A bar. We’re college students now, have to act mature.”
After taking a cold shower that night, his whole body felt much more comfortable. Gu Yu didn’t know much about dressing up, so he put on a decent outfit and followed the others out of the school gate. He wasn’t good at drinking. Back when he’d downed a few glasses of red wine with Yun Qianxin, he’d gotten dizzy. Maybe the bar wouldn’t serve anything that strong, but Gu Yu still wasn’t confident. Zhao Yuanqiu said it was mainly for socializing, no need to drink much or anything too strong, and it was a quiet bar, not too loud, so he managed to convince Gu Yu.
Inside, it was quiet, with few people. The lights were dim, but enough to see everyone’s face at the table. Eyes met, conveying ambiguous feelings. The atmosphere was hazy and flirtatious. Four men, three women. The other two were friends of Zhao Yuanqiu’s friend. Zhao Yuanqiu’s friend was named Chen Li, a fairly pretty girl with delicate makeup, eyeshadow and lipstick just right, wearing a black-and-red skirt, very well put together. She was the most active among the girls, and also their dorm head. This was the first time Gu Yu had seen a heavily made-up female college student. Luo Ming and He Yu never wore makeup, and Yun Qianxin wore very little and very light. In comparison, Gu Yu realized more and more how beautiful those three girls were. The heavily made-up girl in front of him could hardly compare to their bare faces.
“She’s not coming. She said she wants to find a work-study job. She could rely on her face to make a living, why work so hard?” Chen Li explained the reason for the missing person. Her gaze naturally drifted over the three guys, finally resting on Gu Yu.
“I’ll call her again. There’s a handsome guy here too.” Chen Li took out her phone, sat next to Gu Yu, and asked him openly, “Handsome, can we take a photo together? What’s your name?”
“Gu Yu. Sure, we can take a photo. Go ahead.”
Gu Yu didn’t refuse, nor did he expect Chen Li’s move to be so intimate. She hugged one of his arms, held up her phone, and took a photo from a pretty cringey angle. The girl’s perfume was strong, even a bit pungent, another thing Gu Yu hadn’t experienced before. He Yu and Luo Ming both had a light, faint fragrance, while Yun Qianxin’s scent was natural and pleasant.
Chen Li took the photo and sent it to her mysterious roommate.
Gu Yu didn’t really fit in. His past oppressive and hard life had worn down his enthusiasm for approaching unfamiliar peers his own age. He spoke very little, mostly following along when Zhao Yuanqiu and Chen Li prompted him to say a few words, barely participating. The atmosphere soon became lively. Zhao Yuanqiu and Chen Li were high school classmates, both talkative and active, good at energizing the group.
Actually, Gu Yu was a bit curious about the girl who hadn’t arrived yet. Beautiful and hardworking, she inevitably reminded him of Luo Ming. It was a pity and a regret, but there was nothing he could do. As various happy or painful old stories were brought up, Gu Yu listened in silence, sighing along with the others.
Without them noticing, the topic shifted to their romantic experiences. Except for Su Ziyuan and a very pretty girl named Lu Xiaoxi, everyone else had been in relationships, all ending in regret. They spoke openly, and when it came to Gu Yu, the only one who hadn’t spoken, all six eyes focused on him. Gu Yu tensed up, the words hesitating on his lips. Just as he was about to speak, the door to the private room suddenly opened.
“I’m sorry, I’m late.”
The girl had rushed over, breathing heavily, with a few small drops of sweat on her face. Everyone’s attention was drawn to her.
A plain white short-sleeved shirt, sky-blue jeans, and those worn-out white canvas shoes that left a deep impression on Gu Yu. Simple and clean, she was the girl who attracted him like no other.
For an instant, his heartbeat stopped. Overwhelming thoughts surged like a flood. Gu Yu stared blankly at the girl, who seemed a bit more mature. Time seemed to freeze.
“Luo Ming, you’re here! Come sit down, we’ve all been waiting for you.”