A Sinister Night

Young men who didn't chase romance wasted their youth!

The soldiers in the camp were young men in their prime too. Now that so many college girls had come to the camp, the soldiers naturally wanted to make a good impression.

Singing, dancing, playing instruments, and sparring with blades!

They pulled out all the stops!

To the girls, still innocent and inexperienced, such tender-hearted toughness naturally held a different kind of charm than that of ordinary boys.

Of course, that was how things might have gone if Zhao Rui hadn't stolen the spotlight.

But with Zhao Rui setting the bar, all that so-called tender-hearted toughness had lost much of its shine.

The bonfire party was only halfway through when the girls from the School of Accounting started clamoring for Zhao Rui to come up and perform.

Zhao Rui naturally refused, but even Liu Jie, their counselor, joined in the fun with great enthusiasm. The outcome was only too predictable.

With no other choice, Zhao Rui stood up and walked over to the bonfire under the watchful eyes of the students and soldiers.

He announced loudly, "I'll sing a song a cappella. Forgive me if I'm not very good."

With that, he took the microphone a soldier handed him, cleared his throat, recalled a melody from his previous life, and slowly began to sing!

"Smoke rises, the land lies north in view, the warhorse cries..."

The powerful melody, bolstered by his profound inner energy, roared through the entire camp like a thousand troops and ten thousand horses!

In the song, a band of embattled warriors seemed to thunder forward on horseback, charging fearlessly at the enemy. Even with artillery blazing before them and corpses strewn behind, nothing could stop them from fighting with all their might.

At first, everyone had assumed he would sing some mushy love song to charm the college girls and show off a little.

No one had expected the kid to sing a song they'd never heard before, yet one so stirring and powerful that it set their blood ablaze.

"This kid gets more interesting by the day!"

Not far away, the battalion commander was having tea with Vice Principal Peng. A glint flashed in his eyes as he seemed to peer through the crowd and fix his gaze on Zhao Rui.

"Principal Peng, does your school have any places for students to transfer into the military..."

Vice Principal Peng heard him and quickly laughed it off. "The boy's only just started his freshman year. His life has barely begun, Battalion Commander Sun..."

"I was just saying."

Battalion Commander Sun smiled calmly, as though he really had just said it in passing.

"I'll guard our land and reclaim our borders; mighty China shall have the nations of the four corners come pay tribute!"

The final word soared skyward like a dragon leaping into the clouds, then shone down on the world like the midday sun. In an instant, it ignited everyone's passion.

The soldiers in the camp felt their blood boiling. They wanted to throw back their heads and roar, to let this peaceful world know that they were the ones defending this magnificent land with their blood.

"Another one! Another one!"

When the song ended, it wasn't just the girls from the college demanding an encore. The soldiers nearby joined in too.

Zhao Rui quickly waved them off and returned to the group amid the girls' shrill cries.

One turn in the spotlight was enough. Too much, and people would get tired of the show!

"Second brother, you're my real brother! That was so cool!"

As soon as Zhao Rui sat down, Le Bin came over, threw an arm around his neck, and shouted excitedly.

He already had a feminine face, and in the hazy glow of the bonfire, he looked even more delicate and pretty.

The move startled Zhao Rui so badly that he staggered and almost shoved Le Bin away by force.

From now on, he had to keep his distance. They absolutely couldn't spend so much time together.

It wasn't about any nonsense involving gender discrimination. He was simply afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself—he swung both ways!

He should suggest Le Bin grow a beard sometime!

Zhao Rui awkwardly lifted Le Bin's arm away, then patted his shoulder. "You're my real little sister too—no, my real little brother!"

"I'll introduce my little sister to you sometime!"

Le Bin chuckled, a mischievous smile in his eyes.

"Don't tell me you have a twin sister who looks exactly like you?"

Zhao Rui's pupils widened in astonishment.

"Holy crap, how did you know?!"

Now it was Le Bin's turn to be surprised.

"Aw, that's no fun. How are you so clever?"

Zhao Rui's cheek twitched. It wasn't that he was clever; a TV drama in his previous life had used that exact plot. He hadn't expected to run into it for real.

He glanced at Le Bin's face, and a "not good" scene suddenly appeared in his mind.

Forgive me, forgive me!

It was all those Japanese films, making things so lewd.

The bonfire party continued with one lively performance after another, lasting until after eight that night. Only then did the military camp visit finally come to an end.

With their instructors and accompanying teachers leading them, Zhao Rui and the other students followed the same route back to school on foot beneath the moonlight.

The journey wasn't exactly "peaceful." One girl twisted her ankle, then another got a cramp in her leg.

It wasn't just the girls. A few boys had muscle injuries from walking for so long.

Zhao Rui bustled around like a field medic. It was hard to say whether anyone's injuries improved, but he gained more than ten girls' WeChat contacts!

By then, he had become the heart and soul of the entire group.

The road stretched on, so to ease everyone's fatigue, the instructor leading the group suggested that Zhao Rui teach them to sing Jing Zhong Bao Guo as they walked.

Zhao Rui didn't refuse. He had loved the song in his previous life, and sharing it with more people was a pleasure in itself.

Before long, the long line of students was heading toward the brilliant lights of the city, their voices raised in song.

Beneath the night sky, the wind was cool and the song rang out. The midsummer air was rich with the scent of youth, blooming to the lilting melody and weaving itself into an unforgettable passage in their lives.

The following day, on the vast sports field, rows of students marched past the basketball court in neat formation.

Although the instructors had ordered them to look straight ahead and not glance around, that didn't stop them from secretly observing this "world" out of the corners of their eyes.

In another corner of this "world," five companies were lounging beneath the shade of the trees, drinking bottled water and singing, completely at ease.

The contrast with the students marching in the blazing sun, drenched in sweat, couldn't have been starker.

People didn't mind having little; they minded others having more!

How come?

"Instructor, why don't they ever have to train?"

During a break, a curious student slipped over to the instructor and asked what everyone wanted to know.

"They earned it themselves. I heard the battalion commander and your school leaders specially approved it!"

"Damn, they get a deal like that?"

"Don't worry, you'll be heading out this afternoon. Maybe you'll get to rest too!"

The instructor's smile was a little sly. Apparently, because Zhao Rui had "stirred things up," the battalion commander had ordered that if the instructors lost to ordinary students again, they would all have to run twenty kilometers with extra weight.

"I'm kind of looking forward to it. I heard we start with five kilometers this afternoon? Instructor, is it tiring?"

"Not at all. Not even a little!"

The instructor answered with an air of complete nonchalance.

On the sports field, the five college squads led by the School of Accounting were enjoying the two hours of rest Zhao Rui had won them the day before.

They were allowed to rest, but they still had to stay within the sports field, keep their formation, and not wander around.

"Zhao Rui, come here!"

Just after finishing a tea egg handed to him by one of the girls in his class, Zhao Rui was called over by their counselor, Liu Jie.

"I asked around just now, and Principal Hao knows about you too. With your qualifications, you could absolutely join the Martial Arts Team."

Liu Jie spoke softly. Tiny beads of sweat glistened on her petite face, sticking a few strands of hair to her fair cheek.

"Thank you, teacher!"

"What are you thanking me for? But since you chose the School of Accounting, you can't fall behind in your major courses.

"I asked for you: freshmen aren't allowed to change majors. You can do it in your second year, but no one has ever switched to a martial arts major before. I'll talk to the school about it again."

Liu Jie pursed her slightly dry lips and continued.

Seeing that, Zhao Rui quickly bent down, picked up a bottle of water beside them, and handed it to her.

Liu Jie accepted it without hesitation and took small sips.

Sunlight passed through the clear bottle and scattered patches of light across her face. The fine down on her skin was as soft and delicate as a dandelion newly born in spring.

"Go back. Once military training is over, you'll have to be my class monitor!"

After finishing her water, Liu Jie waved for Zhao Rui to return.

Hearing that, Zhao Rui's face fell. He wanted to protest, but Liu Jie shot him a glare and choked off the words in his throat.

With no other choice, Zhao Rui returned to the group.

As for whether he'd become class monitor, he'd deal with that later. He didn't want to waste his energy on these trivial matters.

Still, his counselor was being so enthusiastic that it would be hard to refuse her outright.

The two hours flew by. Soon, the instructors blew their whistles, called all the resting students back into formation, and began another "brand-new" day of military training.

At Lin City First Middle School, in Class Two of the eleventh grade, Zhao Ke stared at the bright-eyed, beautiful classmate before him, her face full of energy. For a moment, he couldn't quite react.

"What are you looking at? Just take it!"

The girl lifted her swanlike neck, long and fair. Her words were bossy, yet tinged with concern.

He was completely bewildered. He couldn't for the life of him remember when they had gotten so close.

"Then, thanks."

Zhao Ke took the drink she held out and quickly thanked her.

"You don't have to be so polite. You and your brother... We're classmates, after all! But don't get the wrong idea."

Hearing her, Zhao Ke's brow furrowed even more. What did she mean, "get the wrong idea"? He hadn't thought anything of the sort.

They weren't even in the same social circle!

"Now that we're in the same class, we should keep each other on track and study hard. My goal is Dongqi University! You should work hard too!"

With that, the girl passed by him. Her graceful figure was hazy and lovely in the sunlight outside the window. A breeze drifted past, carrying the faint scent of hyacinths that lingered around the tip of his nose.

Wait—Dongqi University? Your brother?

Zhao Ke's eyes widened, and he stared at the girl's retreating figure in disbelief.

You want to be my sister-in-law?

His face fell at once. He hurried after her and, while she looked on in astonishment, stuffed the drink back into her slender hand.

"You..."

Watching Zhao Ke run off, the girl furrowed her pretty brows, utterly confused. What a strange boy. He wasn't like Zhao Rui at all.

Hmph!

On the final day of the first week of military training, the students had gotten used to the intensity.

They began to "resume" some recreational activities in an orderly fashion.

Drinking, grilling skewers, singing, and playing games.

Meeting girls beneath the moon, bringing warmth to their doors!

Zhao Rui had a girl to meet too, but she wasn't from school.

After military training ended, he took a cold shower in the dorm, changed his clothes, and left the school alone.

At the entrance to a snack street not far from the school gate, a graceful figure stood nibbling on a grilled gluten skewer, delicately holding it between her fingers.

"People from the demonic path eat grilled gluten too?"

Zhao Rui walked over. The irresistible scent of grilled food made him swallow.

After a whole day of exertion, he was starving.

"Should I be eating grilled human flesh instead?"

The woman glanced at Zhao Rui with her lovely eyes and said crisply, "We practice Sacred Sect martial arts. We're not the demonic path. Keep running your mouth and I'll castrate you!"

"This is a school. Can't you be more civilized?"

"From what I can see, there are nothing but hotels around your school. You college students only do things—you just don't talk about them?"

"Cough, cough!"

Zhao Rui quickly changed the subject. "So, what do you want with me?"

"I need a boyfriend to come with me to meet someone."

The woman tossed the bamboo skewer aside after finishing her snack. It traced a graceful arc and landed perfectly in a trash can five meters away.

"This is a dating app. This is the contact information for a famous entertainment club in town. And this is the contact information for one of my classmates."

Zhao Rui tapped at his phone and held the screen out in front of her.

"That old, tired routine? Don't ask me. I don't want to be your boyfriend and get dragged into a mess!"

"Fine, then. Forget I said anything. Come on, walk around with me. I've never been to college!"

The woman smiled indifferently, took a tissue from the delicate leather handbag at her side, and gently dabbed her bright red lips, wiping away the crumbs left at the corner of her mouth.

"College is pretty much like this. I'm curious, what do you usually do? Do you have a job?"

Seeing the woman start walking, Zhao Rui paused briefly, then hurried after her.

"Keep men company!"

"..."

"Besides keeping men company?"

"Absorb their yang to nourish my yin!"

"..."

Zhao Rui looked at the brightly lit street and pointed toward the intersection ahead. "Keep going and you'll reach the East Gate of our school. Sister Youyou, want to take a look around?"

"Hmm? How do you know my name is Youyou?"

"It's your WeChat name..."

"Oh. What's your name?"

"Zhao Rui!"

"Weren't you curious why I stopped you that day?"

Youyou tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her manner gentle yet carefree, utterly unlike the cool indifference in her voice.

"Because you were looking for that person too, right?"

Zhao Rui said evenly.

"All right, I'll give you this—the student brain really is sharp! He's a creep. He's already harassed several girls..."

Zhao Rui listened quietly to her cool, mint-like voice as she told him what had happened.

Unhurried, utterly serene.

"The restaurant's just ahead. Want to go in and sit for a while? I'll treat you to a taste of our school's food!"

The two of them strolled slowly through campus, like old friends who hadn't seen each other in ages. Surprisingly, there was no awkwardness between them.