Military Training Uniform

"!?"

Han Juyou stared intently at Liu Muye's face, her beautiful eyes flickering with an unreadable light. This man before her—she truly couldn’t figure him out at all.

She wanted so badly to ask him: "Who exactly are you? Why are you helping me? Why are you being so nice to me?"

But the words caught in her throat, and she couldn’t bring herself to say them...

The entire morning, Han Juyou was distracted, making mistake after mistake. But out of respect for Liu Muye, the instructor let it slide, turning a blind eye as if he hadn’t noticed.

During the final standing drill before training ended, Nangong Ye whispered to Liu Muye, "What did you say to the instructor earlier? Why did he suddenly calm down?"

Liu Muye replied indifferently, "Adult matters. Kids shouldn’t ask too many questions."

"Me? A kid? How dare you call me, the great Nangong—"

"What’s all that noise in the back?!"

Before Nangong Ye could finish, the instructor’s sharp yell cut him off.

Scolded, Nangong Ye immediately fell silent, standing stiffly without another word.

"Pfft—"

Liu Muye couldn’t help but laugh at Nangong Ye’s sudden "well-behaved child" demeanor.

"What are you laughing at?" Nangong Ye couldn’t see Liu Muye’s expression but guessed, "Are you mocking me?"

"No, I just remembered something funny."

Nangong Ye pressed, "What funny thing?"

"None of your business."

Liu Muye’s gaze drifted to Han Juyou, standing at the front of the formation, wearing his military training cap.

In the entire squad, she was the only one not in uniform, sporting just a camouflage cap. And he was the only one wearing a full camouflage uniform—minus the cap.

The sight reminded Liu Muye of his own freshman military training days at Sunan University.

One night, his uniform had been blown off the balcony by the wind. After searching frantically the next morning, he couldn’t find it. In the end, his dorm mates pooled together—one contributed a cap, another a jacket, and another a pair of training shoes. Each of them wore something incomplete, piecing together a makeshift uniform just to get through the day.

Because all four were dressed in mismatched, incomplete uniforms, the instructor tore into them and made them run laps around the field as punishment.

But that punishment ended up laying the foundation for their unbreakable four-year friendship.

Later, after graduation, they all went their separate ways, rarely seeing each other again.

When he wrote this scene in his novel, he had drawn from his own memories, giving the female lead a similar experience.

......

"Here, thanks."

After the morning training ended, Han Juyou took off the cap and handed it back to Liu Muye.

"No need." Liu Muye deftly rolled up the cap and stuffed it into his uniform’s breast pocket.

Han Juyou narrowed her eyes. "Did you bribe the instructor again this morning?"

"Bribe? Please, I was just exercising my rights appropriately." Liu Muye tilted his head. "Besides, I only did it to help you."

Han Juyou pointed at his mouth, smirking. "See? You just admitted to bribing him."

Liu Muye groaned. "Oh, so you were setting me up!"

Han Juyou blinked innocently with her mesmerizing eyes. "I did no such thing. You slipped up on your own."

"......"

Liu Muye covered his face, momentarily speechless.

"Speaking of which..." Han Juyou locked eyes with him. "Why are you helping me, really?"

"I already told you—I’m just a helpful guy by nature."

"......"

This time, it was Han Juyou’s turn to fall silent. She rolled her eyes at him.

Just then, Shangguan Yurou approached and asked Liu Muye, "Liu Muye, this morning you said my uniform was blown to the dorm’s courtyard by the wind. Was that true?"

"Of course it was—" Liu Muye started to confirm but hesitated. If he sounded too certain, Han Juyou would grow suspicious. So he backtracked, "Well, I guessed. My own clothes got blown down yesterday, so I figured yours might’ve too."

Nangong Ye, standing nearby, suddenly blurted out, "But you didn’t wash your clothes yesterday."

"......"

Liu Muye’s vision darkened. He yanked Nangong Ye aside and hissed, "Dude, read the room! Now’s not the time to expose me!"

"Oh, right. Got it." Nangong Ye nodded obediently.

But Liu Muye had a feeling the guy hadn’t actually processed a word.

Han Juyou eyed him skeptically. "I’m starting to think nothing you say is true."

"Wow, Han Juyou. After all I’ve done for you, this is the thanks I get?" Liu Muye clutched his chest dramatically. "Fine, I’m done with you. Ye, let’s go."

With that, he turned and bolted—before Han Juyou could grill him further.

"Huh? Wait—"

Nangong Ye scratched his head, confused but still trailing after him.

"'Not playing with me'?" Han Juyou scoffed. "What is he, a grade-schooler?"

"Come on." Shangguan Yurou took her hand, smiling. "Let’s go look for my uniform, Juyou."

"Mm."

The two returned to the girls’ dorm and searched the courtyard. Before long, they found the missing uniform in the bushes behind the building.

"It’s here! We really found it!" Shangguan Yurou clutched the uniform excitedly. "That Liu Muye is amazing—he actually guessed right!"

"Yeah..."

Han Juyou rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. "That guy... How does he know everything? What kind of logic did he use? And why was he so confident...?"

Meanwhile, back in the boys’ dorm...

Liu Muye was lecturing Nangong Ye: "Sometimes, you can’t be too honest. Like today—if I lie, there’s a reason. Don’t undermine me, got it?"

"Uh-huh." Nangong Ye nodded dutifully.

But then it hit him—wait, as the young master of the Nangong family, why was he taking orders from this guy?

So he switched to his usual domineering tone: "Are you... lecturing me?"

"...... This guy’s having another episode."

Liu Muye facepalmed.

......