Fleeting Midsummer

Military Training (3)

A slab of plaster was stuck on the ceiling. The saline solution in the IV was currently weakly dripping downwards, unwillingly entering my vein. I turned my neck, seeing a white gown currently flipping through the newspaper leisurely. Could this be the legendary halo in the sky? I suddenly felt a little excited. Fainting was an essential factor in the universal woman overload. I had always envied the gorgeous goddesses who fainted like a gossamer at the most crucial moment. I didn’t think that I could also faint too.

I strained my neck and asked, “Where am I?” Haha, this was the classic script after someone fainted or time travelled. In reality, I finally had a chance to use it.

The doctor put down his newspaper and came to my side: “You only fainted for five minutes, and you’ve already lost your memory?”

Five minutes? …...why? Why couldn’t I have lain here for seven days and nights, as the starlight dimmed because of me, and the sky changed because of me?

The doctor asked me, “Are you flustered? Do you feel out of sorts?”

I shook my head. Frankly, even though it was only five minutes, it felt as if I had opened my governing and conception vessels, as my vital energy was just as vigorous.

The doctor said, “I didn’t think that you would faint by the third day of training. According to the past, usually I’ll only have to prep for business after a week. Nowadays, university students are too delicate.”

“I did not faint because I was delicate, I was angry……” I didn’t want to bring it up again. I suddenly realized I had heard Fang Yuke’s voice when I fainted. “Doctor, when I came in did you see a tall and handsome, devastatingly beautiful fellow who was so hot that he could cause the fall a country?”

The doctor laughed, “You’re talking about that guy, I felt he was too noisy and made him go back to his troops for his military training.”

“Oh……” I lowered my head, depressed.

“However, he said after his training he will immediately come over. Rest this afternoon and tomorrow you can continue training.”

I heard the first half of the sentence and my eyes brightened. I didn’t care if the second part of the sentence was sarcastic anymore.

As I lay on the bed, I closed my eyes and began to scheme on how I would deal with Fang Yuke in a while That little guy. He dared do it with someone else in front of this great aunt?! One of these days, I’ll elope with someone else and make you cry and die. Someone so gentle and generous like me, loved by all, who would cause flowers to bloom just by walking by was recently a limited-edition, chart-topping item. I guess you can wallow around and not recognize happiness when you see it.

As I felt this burst of self-confidence, I heard a sound by my sickbed. I tightly closed my eyes from a conditioned reflex and braced my mental state, as I pretended I was asleep. Alas, I was really a coward. My imposing manner and overbearingness with the feeling of a ruler had just been ruined by this one footstep. It was almost as if I was a big ball that had been pricked with a needle. Immediately, I deflated.

My hand was held by a tender grip. My hair was carefully brought behind my ear on the other side of my face.

All right, I’ll forgive you for exchanging flirtatious glances with Ru Ting. I thought sweetly in my heart.

“Alas, you’ve gotten dark and skinny. So ugly.”

*THUMP* What? Wen Tao?! This can’t be. Why would he come to our training grounds? How did he come in? Should I open my eyes? If I opened my eyes what should I say?

“You look exactly like red charcoal briquette. Within the black, rosiness is apparent. You’re so ugly.”

Pah! You’re the one who’s ugly. This color is called the color of chocolate, bronze, or a black pearl. You’re a rascal with no ability to appreciate.

“You’re so ugly but you still make me, this hot guy worry about you. What kind of life did I get this good fortune from?”

Hey, is there anyone who slaps gold onto their face like you do?

“See, for you, I even especially applied for interviewing this time’s military training even though I disdained it in the past. The moment I heard you fainted, I felt panicky. Alas, usually it seems like you’re like a guy, but how come you suddenly got delicate and fell sick?”

He couldn’t hear my reply and continued, “The first time I saw you, your position in my heart was one of a substitute. At the time, I even thought that I had never acted out this role before in my life, and I felt playing around with you would be fun. Plus, you also look like you’ve let down the masses with your looks. Thus, I thought that I would help humanity purify the air. I didn’t expect that feelings don’t bombard the head, but they bombard the heart. It came true. You say, how come every time you could still be so self-confident as you rejected me? I only have one year left in university. After this year, I’m going to America. Couldn’t you deceive me and make me happy, or trick me? Maybe after I get to the capitalist country and see all the statues of all the devils and mixed-blood beautiful women I will avoid you. When the time comes, you’ll cry and plead for me to return. I would…….”

Wen Tao’s words got softer and softer. I seemed to hear him say “I would immediately return”.

My heart shivered. I shook the hand that Wen Tao was clinging onto, letting the cat out the bag. I could only slowly open my eyes: “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Wen Tao laughed, “Even if you heard it, that’s fine. I have never hid my feelings. Plus, your eyes rolled N times already. I’m not as dumb as you are.”

I forcibly laughed. My mouth hadn’t lifted completely when I saw Fang Yuke come in.

I finally felt myself get dizzy and flustered. Where did you go doctor…...

Fang Yuke saw that Wen Tao was holding my hand, and he looked at me again, his face ashen.

I embarrassedly wanted to throw him off, but Wen Tao kept holding on. Thus, Wen Tao and I began to battle it out, testing who was stronger.

I was afraid that Fang Yuke and Wen Tao would fight over me. Fighting in school was bad, so I could only not proclaim it or report anything. But if they were to fight here, then it wouldn’t just be the question of standing for thirty minutes. One was a friend who would go abroad next year for bright prospects while the other was my family’s talent and my hubby with the bearing of Pan Yue. I was not willing to hurt either one of them.

“Fang Yuke, first don’t get angry. Wen Tao came to gather news of our military training. We don’t want to delay other people’s normal operations.”

“Do normal operations need to hold hands until now?” Fang Yuke snorted.

“He is expressing his sympathy for the wounded, for a student who is injured but doesn’t even know it .” I shook Wen Tao’s hand and then he let go. I continued, “Don’t think about it too deeply. Haven’t I explained it to you now?”

“Zhou Linlin, my brain is not a steamed roll without folds. Before you lie to me, please first make a draft.”

I hated Fang Yuke’s unkind appearance the most. Usually you are so poison tongued, but how come it’s okay to be sarcastic. My skin is coarse and my flesh is thick, capable of enduring. But under these circumstances, shouldn’t you have the breadth of mind of a man? When Ru Ting and you were casting flirtatious glances at each other while I was exposed to sunlight, did I say anything? “Yes yes yes, my brain was not a steamed bun with a fold at the top. Your brain is a Chinese steamed roll. It’s full of folds. Geez it’s so easy to find out whether I lied or not. How can I casually hold hands with someone? A new lover and my old lover is beside me on both sides. They’re the idols of the whole male world.”

“What do you mean by this? You did something wrong and you’re getting mad at me?” Fang Yuke’s eyes were getting red, like he would bonk my head with a salt water vase any moment.

“I did something wrong? Fine, I should not have turned around to look at you when I was in my military standing stance. I shouldn’t have secretly looked at you and Ru Ting flirting with each other as I stood there for half an hour. I definitely should not have planned to forgive you for imitating the dog and stealing the chicken [1] ten minutes ago……” As I was provoked by Fang Yuke, I found that I had become more eloquent and fluent. I wished I could manifest another me and pat myself on the shoulder, complimenting myself with the words “Your skill has improved quite a bit”.

“Imitate the dog and steal the chicken? Who are you talking about? Who imitated the dog and stole the chicken? Can a university student speak with more basic logic?”

“That’s right, my basic logic is pretty low. You didn’t see me being fickle and ganging up with other people, right? If you feel that I am irksome, then leave. No one is stopping you right? What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.”

Fang Yuke turned around and walked outside with large strides. He slammed the door, making it sound like the echo of thunder. Fortunately the doctor wasn’t here, otherwise he would  definitely extort 180 dollars from him.

Two seconds hadn’t passed when the door opened again. Fang Yuke walked in again.

“Why aren’t you leaving?” Fang Yuke spoke to Wen Tao.

Wen Tao shrugged his shoulders, “I have come with the mission of an interview. Just now, didn’t Springboard say it? I am a resolute specialist in interviewing the injured. Today, the only one to fall was her.”

Fang Yuke turned towards me, “Zhou Linlin, let me ask you. Are you willing to have him stay? If you agree, I will leave immediately. If you don’t agree……”

“He’s staying. He has to finish his official business, what’s the point of avoiding it?” I stubbornly said.

A flash of loneliness flashed through Fang Yuke’s eyes, as he stood where he was stupidly like I had banged his head with the IV stand. He didn’t recover even after a long time. My heart softened in a moment, and I immediately surrendered from the competitive struggle.

“Ugh, my meaning was that Wen Tao should first go to the snack counter to buy me a bottle of pickled plum juice and then stay to do an interview. Fang Yuke, come with me to the bathroom. The IV doesn’t make it very convenient. At least help me open the door.”

Wen Tao was right. I seemed valiant, when actually my innermost being was a weak paper tiger. Fang Yuke was a petty emotion miser. The two of us hadn’t been together for a long time before conflicts arose. However, the love expert Wang Jie had also said that at the beginning of courtship, one would all worry about personal gains and losses because it was only when they cared that they would be stingy. It was only when they loved each other that they allowed themselves to be weak, right?

Wen Tao bitterly smiled at me and turned towards Fang Yuke, “I shall still avoid the issue for a moment. I don’t want to take advantage of the emptiness and enter that way. However, I just want to remind you. If you don’t understand how to handle the problems between you two, and settle the disputes so childishly every time, I advise you to let go. I believe that she can be loved more dearly by someone else.”

Love was really a branch of learning. If one wasn’t careful, then there was the danger of failing. There wasn’t even a chance to sit for a makeup exam. Maybe Wen Tao was an excellent graduate, but Fang Yuke and I had not entered the school for that long. We were new students who used our tiger brains and heads to bash sideways and collide straight on. After making a mistake, we still stubbornly did not recognize it.

Fang Yu Ke silently lifted up the IV bag and walked towards the female restroom. I didn’t speak as I walked past the IV bag, planning to go in myself.

Suddenly, Fang Yuke grabbed the IV bag again, and said to the ceiling, “Nevermind, how can you go to the restroom with this thing in your hand? I’ll go in with you.”

I sucked in a breath: “This is the female restroom……”

“I know it’s the female restroom. Everyone else is all training outside. I took leave and came out.” When he finished, Fang Yuke knocked on the door of the female restroom. Hearing no noise inside, he opened the door and came in with me.

All of the doors of the squatting toilets in the bathroom were all wide open. Fang Yuke pointed to the closest one and said: “Go in and close the door yourself.”

I felt like I was riding a tiger and could not get off [2]. Even though my relationship with Fang Yuke had escalated, we didn’t have to be so close right? We had bypassed the kiss and bypassed the sex, but now we had jumped right to such a husband/wife stage. This was too hard for such a little shy girl like me…...

I stiffly got on the outer side of the squatting toilet, my facial expression twitching, “Fang Yuke, even though you have done something wrong, you do not need to accompany me to the toilet.”

Fang Yuke’s taut face got even darker, “Is it not okay for me to take care of an injured student?”

Alas, it seemed that he was going to keep fighting even while going into the toilet.

If a hard method did not work, I would use a soft method. If choking was not possible, I would use flattery, “Fang Yuke you look so much like an idol, but right now you are in the ladies’ washroom. If you were to be discovered as a wretched male and this gets out, that won’t be good right? A world of clearness and praise will be destroyed by me if something happens. I can’t bear the responsibility.”

“My reputation has long been destroyed by you, have you only found that out now? The whole world knows that you can make me without elegance, and you really have that ability. Don’t speak anymore nonsense, just get in.”

Almost like I was stepping onto the execution ground, right before I stepped into the restroom, I said with difficulty, “If you’re there, I can’t pee.”

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[1] To have affairs with other women

[2] A situation with no way out