Serenade

Chapter 8

Lin Luo finally found out why the "Four Golden Flowers" always looked down on them.

"It's not just because Xiao Pixi stares at them because of their beauty, or because we're just unlikable in appearance. There's another reason, and it's because of Liang Zi," Lin Luo explained.

Chu Zhao looked up curiously and asked, "Did you desecrate their ancestors' graves in your past life or something?"

"No, nothing like that," Lin Luo replied seriously. "But I heard that when we were assigned to our dorm rooms, they went to the logistics department to try and switch with us. The logistics teacher called me and asked if I wanted to switch, but I thought it was too much trouble, so I said no. Because of that, those Four Golden Flowers have held a grudge against us."

"Why would they want to switch in the first place?" Jin Xi asked, puzzled. "We're on the same floor, facing the same direction. Aren't all the dorms the same?"

"It's not the same at all!" Lin Luo said gravely. "Most of the guys on their side are from other colleges, while most of the guys on our side are from the National Defense Academy. You know what the difference is...?"

Jin Xi and Chu Zhao shook their heads.

"And Xu Chaoyang is right across from us," Lin Luo added. "We have a vacancy in our dorm room now, and all the girls in the female dorms are fighting to move into our room."

Chu Zhao was a bit annoyed. "The room across from us has a vacancy too. If they want to live with Bo Yan so badly, they might as well move over there."

Jin Xi looked at the empty bed across from her and couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

Wait, why am I worried? It has nothing to do with me.

**

In mid-September, under the scorching sun, the grand military training began.

Because B City is a key deployment city for the military region, and as a key 985 university, the B University recently merged with the Military Engineering Academy and established its own National Defense Military Academy, which trains the most formal high-level military personnel.

As a result, the school did not go far to recruit instructors from the military, but instead had second and third year students from the National Defense Academy serve as instructors for the new students.

The recruitment of instructors began in the summer, but Bo Yan, a leisurely man who believed that everything was only in the heart, naturally had no interest in such a difficult job.

But nothing is absolute. When he saw Jin Xi's name nonchalantly listed at the front of Xu Chaoyang's student training list, Bo Yan began to feel a bit... uneasy.

That afternoon, Xu Chaoyang logged into the academic system and, looking at each student's photo, recorded their names one by one.

Xu Chaoyang aspired to become an outstanding instructor who combined beauty and intelligence. On the first day of training, he hung the students' names and photos to surprise them.

While Xu Chaoyang was looking at Jin Xi's ID photo on his computer screen, Bo Yan passed by him lightly.

Bo Yan asked casually, "Do you recognize this student?"

Xu Chaoyang looked at the photo carefully and remembered her name.

Bo Yan reminded him, "Does she look like the girl from the dormitory across the hall?"

Xu Chaoyang exclaimed, "Oh my god! You're right! I couldn't remember where I've seen her before. Our counselor always praises Bo Yan for his good memory. If anyone says he's face-blind, I'll argue with them."

Bo Yan was speechless. Xu Chaoyang was so familiar with Jin Xi that he couldn't even recognize her.

Xu Chaoyang sat down and said seriously, "Being an instructor is hard work and requires patience."

Bo Yan asked, "Do you really want to be an instructor?"

Xu Chaoyang replied, "Of course. I've been looking forward to it since summer. Imagine leading a group of kids on the parade ground, shouting commands, and they all follow. It's impressive."

Bo Yan had to give up. Xu Chaoyang was determined to become an instructor, and he was sure to get the position.

Xu Chaoyang was a responsible and warm-hearted person. He would make a great instructor.

Before going to bed, Bo Yan reminded Xu Chaoyang, "Don't shout so loud that you scare the students."

Xu Chaoyang replied, "If they need to be shouted at, then I'll shout. Otherwise, they won't take me seriously."

Jing Chi lifted his head from the magazine and said with a smile, "What Bo Yan means is, don't scare his wife."

Xu Chaoyang was taken aback. No wonder he had felt a sense of foreboding since this afternoon.

Bo Yan turned off the lights.

In the darkness, Jing Chi screamed, "Who threw a shoe at me?"

**

The next day, all training at the National Defense Academy was suspended due to military training. Bo Yan went out to draw with his sketchpad.

When Xu Chaoyang came back in the evening, he had a lot to say and vented to Bo Yan.

"These students are so hard to manage!"

"The boys and girls are all the same. They're mischievous and don't follow the rules. They even call me 'senior' instead of 'instructor' and call me 'Old Xu' directly."

"I can't establish authority. I can't be an instructor like this."

Bo Yan smiled faintly at the corner of his eyes but held back his laughter. He asked, "Oh, isn't someone a warm-hearted person with a lot of patience?"

Xu Chaoyang snorted, "I taught a few typical students a lesson today. They were causing trouble in the crowd, but when I singled them out, they quieted down."

Jing Chi added, "A girl in the dormitory across from ours also suffered. He made her stand outside in the sun for two hours as punishment."

Bo Yan deliberately acted indifferent and said, "It couldn't be Jin Xi, the one who wears glasses, could it? She looks so small and obedient, but rebellious at heart!"

Bo Yan's smile disappeared in an instant, and he asked abruptly, "Did she talk back to you?"

"No," Xu Chaoyang took a sip of water and exaggeratedly fanned himself with his notebook, "she's stubborn and won't stand properly. I told her to stand up straight, chin up, but she insisted on standing in her own way. She looked listless and it made me angry."

"If she can't stand properly, just teach her," Jing Chi tried to diffuse the situation, "why did you have to punish her like that? She's a delicate girl, and she looked pitiful with her eyes turning red, holding back tears."

"I just wanted to show them who's in charge," Xu Chaoyang said.

Bo Yan remained silent.

The night breeze blew gently, and a few stars scattered in the sky.

Jin Xi was standing by the clothesline, drying her newly washed green military uniform, unaware of someone walking up behind her.

Bo Yan looked at her from afar, noticing her thin back and shoulders, and her small and unenergetic figure. He guessed that Xu Chaoyang had made her suffer today.

An inexplicable pain tugged at his heart.

Jin Xi lifted her wrinkled pants and turned around to see Bo Yan. "Senior Bo, you didn't scare me this time," she said.

"I wasn't trying to scare you the previous times either. I'm not that bored," Bo Yan replied.

Jin Xi's gaze fell on the bucket of water in Bo Yan's hand, which contained his washed green military uniform. "You're drying your clothes too?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm," Bo Yan answered.

"Put them here," Jin Xi moved her uniform over to make room for Bo Yan's clothes.

Bo Yan shook his clothes and hung them next to Jin Xi's.

"Did Xu Chaoyang scold you today?" he casually asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Jin Xi waved her hand generously, "I didn't perform the movements to his satisfaction, so he got angry."

Bo Yan looked at her clear and innocent eyes and knew that she didn't care.

"Did you cry?"

"No," Jin Xi quickly denied, "I just felt a little embarrassed to be taken outside, but it was my fault."

She blushed a little as she spoke, making her fair complexion turn slightly pink. Bo Yan felt a ticklish sensation in his heart.

"If you still can't do it tomorrow and get punished again, what will you do?" Bo Yan asked with concern.

"I'll accept my punishment," Jin Xi said seriously.

Bo Yan smiled helplessly and walked closer to her. "Let me see you stand properly," he said.

Jin Xi was delighted that Bo Yan wanted to teach her, so she took a deep breath and stood up straight in front of him.

Bo Yan walked around to her side, observing her posture and figure in full view.

The material of the thick sleepwear was extremely soft, and there were small protrusions on the chest that were barely noticeable unless viewed up close.

But he saw them.

The bra probably didn't fit properly, and the girl's body was like a budding flower, with a hint of youthful and immature aroma. She wasn't fully mature yet, but she was slowly blossoming.

He awkwardly averted his gaze.

"Stick out your chest," he said.

Jin Xi took a deep breath and stuck out her chest, but her shoulders remained hunched.

Bo Yan's hand lightly fell on her back, and seeing that she didn't resist or object, he pushed her forward with force. "Stick it out more."

"I can't do it anymore, senior, I feel like I'm going to burst."

"Who told you to hold your breath?"

"Oh~"

Jin Xi exhaled and stuck out her chest again.

But Bo Yan was still not satisfied. "Stick it out more."

"Senior, where else do you want me to stick it out to?"

Bo Yan thought for a moment and used the technique his instructor had taught them, extending his hand to a position about a few centimeters in front of Jin Xi's chest.

"Try using your chest... to touch my hand."