Serenade

Staying at a hotel in the scenic area, it was quite a distance from the city center, and there were not many nighttime entertainment activities in the evening.

Bo Yanjing was late in getting a card game and came to Jin Xi's room to play Werewolf.

The hotel's solid wood floor was covered with a soft carpet that was very warm. Several people sat on the carpet around the coffee table playing board games.

Bo Yan leaned against the sofa, one leg curled up and the other straightened out, his elbows resting on his knees, casually leaning back, his slender and beautiful fingertips holding a werewolf card.

Jin Xi was still wearing her little lamb jacket from earlier in the day, wearing a fluffy hooded sweater, sitting close to Bo Yan's leg.

Bo Yan realized that tonight's little Jin Xi seemed particularly docile. In the past, although she was not the best at Werewolf, she was at least smart enough to play possum and catch the enemy off guard at a platinum level.

But tonight, her little head seemed to be filled with paste, speaking incoherently and completely illogically, cuddling up to him like a kitten, looking at him and then at the cards in his hand from time to time.

It was completely out of character.

Bo Yan felt a little nervous for some reason, afraid that she was planning something sneaky.

However, after a few rounds, he saw clearly that the little lamb was really drugged tonight.

"Aren't you afraid I'm a werewolf who will wipe you out by sitting so close to me?" His low, mellow voice came.

"I'm not afraid. Senior Bo would never wipe me out," Jin Xi said obediently.

Bo Yan pinched the cards in his fingertips, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, and his phoenix eyes slightly curved.

Jin Xi felt that without his military uniform, he really looked quite gentle and roguish.

But this kind of gentle roguishness, she had to admit, could be quite attractive sometimes.

Jin Xi leaned against him even closer.

Bo Yan thought he was crowding her and kept scooting to the side until he had nowhere left to go. He said helplessly, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Jin Xi stared at Bo Yan for a long time, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I never noticed before, Senior Bo is so handsome."

Bo Yan was stunned for a few seconds, and slapped her fair forehead with the cards in his hand, "Did you hit your head and become stupid today?"

Jin Xi rubbed her aching head aggrievedly and glared at him, pouting, "I hate you."

Although she said that, Bo Yan's cheeks still flushed slightly. He pulled his leg back, sat up straight with his legs crossed, tidied his collar and cuffs with dignity, his expression serious.

Jin Xi still leaned against him, and the two sat close together affectionately.

Chu Zhao went out for a while midway because Xu Chaoyang hadn't come to play tonight, and she was a little worried.

Xu Chaoyang was usually the most enthusiastic about this kind of gaming gathering, and for him to be absent today was really very strange.

Qu Xuanxuan didn't come either.

Chu Zhao wondered in her heart, could it be that those two were together?

With a certain uneasiness in her heart, she went to Xu Chaoyang's door and knocked lightly, "Instructor Xu, are you there?"

The door was unexpectedly unlocked. Chu Zhao pushed the door open and found Xu Chaoyang curled up on the floor, his face pale, his expression very pained.

Chu Zhao exclaimed as she rushed to his side, "Instructor Xu! Instructor Xu, what's wrong with you?"

Xu Chaoyang's lips were white, and a thin layer of fine sweat seeped out on his forehead. He said weakly, "My stomach... my stomach hurts."

"Wait a minute, I'll... I'll call someone right away!" Chu Zhao scrambled back to the room on all fours, shouting, "Xu... Xu Chaoyang seems to be sick! Hurry and go see!"

The boys dropped their cards and ran back to the room in a few strides.

Jin Xi held Chu Zhao's hand and found that it was icy cold. The girl was clearly very frightened.

In the room, Bo Yan helped Xu Chaoyang up, "What's going on?"

Xu Chaoyang frowned in pain and said very weakly, "It feels like there's a butthole worm drilling holes in my belly."

"..."

"Let's call an ambulance," Jin Xi took out her phone.

Bo Yan effortlessly picked up Xu Chaoyang in his arms, "No need, this guy just gorged himself on all kinds of food and got a stomachache. Call a car to take him to the hospital."

Calling an ambulance would be quite a hassle to arrange.

Xu Chaoyang hooked Bo Yan's neck as he carried him all the way princess style and brought him down the hotel building.

Chu Zhao's delicate eyebrows were furrowed with concern as she followed behind Bo Yan and got into the taxi with him.

In the car, she sat next to him. Seeing that he didn't even have the strength to speak, she didn't dare ask too much. She could only grab the hem of his clothes and look at him worriedly.

On the way, Xu Chaoyang asked the car to stop several times, ran out and had fits of violent vomiting until there was nothing left in his stomach, and he could only dry heave.

Chu Zhao accompanied him by his side, gently patting his back and using tissue to wipe his mouth.

In the emergency department, Bo Yan got Xu Chaoyang into the gastroenterology department. The doctor on night duty asked him some symptoms and said it was acute gastroenteritis. He would need IV fluids, medication, and further observation.

In the ward, Xu Chaoyang took painkillers and was on IV fluids. His condition alleviated considerably and he now lay weakly on the bed, drowsy.

After taking care of all this, Bo Yan and Jin Xi leaned against another bed to squeeze in and sleep.

Chu Zhao had been sitting by Xu Chaoyang's side the whole time. After he fell asleep, she secretly held Xu Chaoyang's fingers.

His hands were also very fair, his fingers long and slender, joints distinct, clearly a pair of hands raised in a wealthy family.

Only such gentle earth could nurture such a simply silly boy.

Jing Chi leaned against the door, watching the girl hold his hand, worried.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't jealous. Some people were just born with things that others didn't have, without too much deliberation. Their personality was good, warm and generous. Boys like this were always attractive to girls.

Unfortunately, he was not the type she liked.

Jing Chi walked over and said softly to Chu Zhao, "Go rest for a while, he should be fine now."

Chu Zhao shook her head, "It's okay, I'm not tired yet."

Jing Chi figured she probably couldn't sleep either, so he simply sat by her side and chatted with her.

"Look at them, I have to say, they do make a good match."

Chu Zhao looked back at the bed across from them—

Jin Xi was curled up on Bo Yan's leg like a cat, sleeping soundly. Her little head kept burrowing towards Bo Yan's side, instinctively moving closer to the source of warmth. Bo Yan's arm was draped over her sunken waist.

The scene was beautiful, like a fairy tale.

Chu Zhao was quite envious of them.

"Xu Chaoyang is a good boy, and very simple. You're so smart, it wouldn't be hard to win him over," Jing Chi said in a low voice at night.

Chu Zhao looked up at him, "But you said before that I'm not Xu Chaoyang's type."

Jing Chi gently patted her shoulder, "No one can say for sure in matters of the heart. Whether it succeeds or fails, you have to at least try, so you won't have regrets."

Chu Zhao lowered her head to look at Xu Chaoyang. His face was nestled in the snow-white pillow, his sleeping face peaceful, without the swagger he had during the day.

"Jing Chi, thank you," she said gratefully to him. "Thank you for helping me like this."

Jing Chi just smiled without responding.

The next day, Xu Chaoyang's condition improved somewhat. His stomach didn't hurt anymore, but his whole body was weak and he was very frail. He couldn't even walk steadily and needed someone to support him.

Chu Zhao, Jin Xi and Bo Yan stayed behind to accompany Xu Chaoyang, while Jian SiXun took Qu Xuanxuan and the rest to Mount Cangnan for sightseeing.

Xu Chaoyang was so moved he cried, hugging Bo Yan's arm by the bedside, saying he would definitely repay him, and that he was completely willing to offer his body if necessary.

Bo Yan pushed him away in extreme disgust.

Jing Chi said casually, "The one who kept watching over you all night was junior Chu Zhao. If you really want to offer your body, then offer it to your junior."

Chu Zhao's breath hitched, and her fair cheeks grew somewhat hot.

Xu Chaoyang reached out and ruffled Chu Zhao's little head, joking, "But junior doesn't want me either."

Jing Chi looked at him with a half-smile, "You never asked, how do you know junior doesn't want you?"

Chu Zhao's face turned completely red, and her heart pounded rapidly too, but Xu Chaoyang didn't continue the topic.

On the fourth day of the trip, Xu Chaoyang's condition gradually recovered. He regretted not being able to go to Mount Cangnan, but Jian SiXun posted lots of scenic photos in the group chat, which was quite a feast for their eyes.

On the return bus, Bo Yan sat in the last row as usual. This time, Jin Xi surprisingly took the initiative to sit next to him.

The bus started up slowly, got on the highway, and everyone leaned drowsily against their seats, exhausted from the trip. The coach was very quiet.

Two buttons on Yan's shirt collar were undone, revealing his prominent collarbones. The skin on his neck was very white and his Adam's apple was prominent.

He wore a light apricot U-shaped pillow around his neck which tilted his head to the side. His arms were folded naturally across his chest and his eyes were closed.

Jin Xi noticed that his eyelashes were very dark and long with a bit of natural curl. His lips were quite thin and pale in color.

He really was an exceptionally handsome boy.

Seeming to sense that someone was staring at him, Yan warily opened his eyes. Jin Xi was inadvertently caught red-handed by him. Their eyes met and she blinked, "Umm..."

Yan asked guardedly, "What are you doing?"

Jin Xi simply closed her eyes and leaned against him, "I'm so tired. I haven't had a good night's sleep these past few days."

Yan felt her little head pressing down on his shoulder. Her soft hair tickled his skin a little.

He looked down at her. Her little paws were clutching his sleeve and she was snuggled against him with her eyes closed.

Her skin was truly white, making her eyes appear especially dark and her lips especially red. She gave off a delicate and translucent feel.

Yan gently asked, "Very tired?"

Jin Xi lightly murmured in agreement.

So Yan stood up and said, "You can lie down and sleep. It will be more comfortable."

After saying this, he thoughtfully placed his bookbag on the seat to cushion her head and draped his jacket over her before moving to sit next to Jing Chi's seat.

Jin Xi was speechless.

What was wrong with this guy?

Jing Chi looked back at the puzzled Jin Xi and shook his head with a smile, cursing, "Idiot."

Yan said, "Who are you calling an idiot?"

Jing Chi didn't take his bait and instead pointed to Jian SiXun in the front row, saying, "If you insist on messing up at a time like this, that talented senior schoolmate up front wouldn't mind lending your junior schoolmate a shoulder to lean on."

Yan blinked as if realizing something. He quickly turned back and asked, "Jin Xi, do you want to sleep leaning against me?"

His voice was so loud the whole cabin heard it.

Jin Xi lay flat on the back seat, clutching his jacket with her eyes closed and coldly said, "No, go away."

"..."

It seemed he had missed something.

**

On May 4th Youth Day, the National Defense Academy would host a large-scale military inspection.

The boys from the dormitory next door had plunged into arduous training. They got up to drill every morning at 5 am and didn't return until after 10 pm. During the day, their dormitory door remained tightly shut and they were rarely seen.

Occasionally running into them at meal times in the cafeteria, there was barely time to exchange a few words before they hurriedly finished eating and left for the training grounds again.

Lin Luo couldn't help but sigh, "Times like these really make you feel the difference between the National Defense Academy students and us ordinary students. If I had to get up at 5 am every morning, I'd rather die."

Jin Xi looked up towards the camouflage uniformed male students in the southeast corner of the cafeteria. They were wholly focused on eating at a very quick pace, desperately trying not to waste a single second.

Chu Zhao said, "This is what's called 'swords are sharpened from grinding'. Otherwise how could the National Defense Academy boys be more handsome than those from other colleges by several dimensions?"

Lin Luo smiled, "I feel like someone has ulterior motives. Say it plainly - is it because Instructor Xu Chaoyang is handsome or is Senior Jing Chi more handsome?"

Chu Zhao frowned, "Hey, why must they be compared?"

"Why can't they be compared?"

"They're not the same at all."

...

The two girls bickered back and forth. Jin Xi quickly finished her dinner and told her roommates, "I'm going for a walk."

Chu Zhao sinisterly laughed, "Going for another walk? You went for a walk this morning and at noon too. Now you're going for an evening walk as well. Won't you wear the school's garden paths flat at this rate?"

"..."

I want to go for a walk, so what?

Jin Xi put away her dishes after speaking and jogged out of the cafeteria.

Lin Luo asked in puzzlement, "It seems there's more to it. So what exactly happened during your trip?"

The corners of Chu Zhao's mouth curved up in a faint smile, "We found a monkey who could climb trees in the mountains."

Lin Luo was even more astonished, "What the hell?"

The setting sun in the west was like golden egg yolk, its glow suffusing the surrounding clouds. The training grounds were always covered in short withered grass that looked even more desolate in the evening light.

Several dozen camo-clad male students were scattered around the grounds engaged in free combat practice. Jin Xi walked with a skip in her step, casually circling the wire fence.

In that sea of green, she focused intently, carefully searching, but still did not see that familiar figure.

She softly sighed and was about to turn back when she suddenly noticed some large camo-clad boys directly across from her. Among them she recognized Jing Chi and Xu Chaoyang, as well as some unfamiliar faces.

Yan stood right in the middle of them with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his smooth, muscular forearms. The slanting sunset shone on him as his broad brows knitted together and he squinted at Jin Xi.

A long black sniper rifle hung on his shoulder, giving off a cold and ominous feel.

Being gazed at intently from afar by him, Jin Xi's breathing hitched and her heart inexplicably began to race. She didn't know whether to advance or retreat.

One of the male students she didn't recognize whistled, "Little junior schoolmate, you've come everyday for so many days now. Who among the senior brothers has caught your eye? Tell us and we'll introduce you to him!"

"It definitely isn't you, why are you so enthusiastic?"

"None of your business."

The teenage boys laughed uninhibitedly.

Jin Xi's face flushed and she clutched the shoulder strap of her bag tightly, "I...I came to find..."

She tried to find some justification for half a day but came up empty.

Yan smiled leisurely and walked over unhurriedly. He put his arm around her shoulders and brought her to the wire fence, "To find me?"

Jin Xi's face turned red and she nodded slightly. Other than him, she didn't know anyone else from the National Defense Academy!

His voice was very gentle, contrasting with his cold, hard equipment, "What's the matter?"

Jin Xi's big dark eyes shifted left and right as she slowly said, "I just...haven't seen you for many days."

It must have been over ten days. It felt like it had really been a long, long time.

Her earlobes were flushed crimson, not a natural red, but the kind of burning red from blood rushing to them.

Yan gave a faint smile, "Haven't you come to watch me train everyday? How could it have been many days since you've seen me?"

"Ah."

Caught off guard, Jin Xi could barely breathe smoothly. Her mind turned to mush as she instinctively denied, "No!"

"I saw you." Yan's eyes were filled with meaningful tenderness, "You come everyday, sometimes alone, sometimes with your little roommate."

Sensing a crisis, Jin Xi decisively sold out her friend without hesitation or reservation, "Chu Zhao insisted on coming to see Instructor Xu Chaoyang! Yes, that's right."

"And now?"

Jin Xi hesitated briefly before finally taking out a thermos from her bag. With a little red face, she softly said, "I brewed chrysanthemum tea for you."

...

Stars were scattered across the night sky. A light cool breeze blew across the training grounds and unknown insects could be heard chirping occasionally in the surrounding grass and trees.

During rest periods, everyone either used disposable paper cups or drank mineral water. Only Yan's style was different - he held a light blue Doraemon thermos that looked particularly conspicuous and rather cute.

Several big boys sat in a circle on the withered grass, gazing blankly at the stars in the sky. Yan suddenly murmured, "I want to propose to her."

"Pfft-"

Jing Chi had just taken a sip of water and sprayed it out, coughing, "Are you crazy? I nearly choked thanks to you."

Yan's pitch black pupils gazed at the flickering stars in the distance as he said with particular earnestness, "I want to buy her the most beautiful diamond ring and host the grandest wedding. I want to give her the best of everything in the world."

Jing Chi said, "Kid, wake up. Don't daydream."

Yan lowered his head to look at the thermos in his arms, his soft voice like sleep talk, "I hope time can pass a little faster."

"I have a girl I want to marry too," Jing Chi leaned back on his hands, "Unfortunately she's unwilling to marry me, plus I'm too poor."

Yan glanced up at him, "Talking about being poor now is pointless. We'll see what you're capable of in a few years."

"In a few years, all the girls will belong to someone else," Jing Chi put down his glass of water. "Forget it, we're just joking around."

Xu Chaoyang laughed at the two's conversation, "You guys don't even have girlfriends yet you're already thinking about getting married. You think it's that easy to find a wife?"

Bo Yan put down his glass of water, his eyes shining with determination, "After I get through this period of inspections for the May 4th anniversary, I'm going to confess to her."

"I seem to recall someone getting rejected before."

"If she rejects me again, I'll..."

Everyone expected him to say something like "I'll give up," but to their surprise, Bo Yan cracked a reckless, roguish smile and said:

"I'll just ask her again."

"..."

What a joke.

Author's Note: Good morning. I was nauseous all night but I'm much better after waking up.