In the days that followed, whether prompted by someone or not, Liu Yan began sending Li Zhengting daily "reports" in the form of photos of Li Zi during military training.
The candid shots were perfectly angled, featuring compositions so excellent that even a layman could appreciate them.
Under the relentless assault of the scorching sun, the vibrant college students were gradually being baked into various shades of charcoal. Li Zi, however, was born with a complexion that refused to tan. In every photo, the fair skin beneath the brim of her cap stood out like a crane among chickens, drawing every eye.
Li Zhengting grumbled about Liu Yan’s behavior, yet the moment he had a free second, he couldn't help but scroll through those photos repeatedly.
*As expected of the woman I like,* he thought smugly.
However, there were always eyesores in the pictures.
For instance, there was one photo that made Li Zhengting want to block Liu Yan immediately. Under the shade of a tree, a handsome, upright soldier stood with his head slightly bowed. With a tenderness barely perceptible to outsiders, he looked at the girl before him. He reached out to grasp her wrist; their bodies were close, and the girl didn't resist, submissively allowing the physical contact...
"?????????????"
A string of question marks from Li Zhengting appeared instantly beneath the photo.
"What the hell???"
"What is he doing??"
Liu Yan’s status showed "typing," but no reply came for a long time.
Li Zhengting was fuming, wishing he could crawl through the internet cables to give this increasingly arrogant kid a lesson.
Liu Yan, meanwhile, was suffering in silence. He was frantically trying to snatch his phone back from Yu Tianwu.
"Tianwu, give it back! Don't say anything reckless to Brother Li."
Yu Tianwu held the phone high, taking advantage of the fact that Liu Yan didn't dare use real force against her. She teased him while typing away, hitting send to Li Zhengting.
"This is the instructor who likes Li Zi."
"Handsome, right?"
"Guess what they're doing."
Hearing these words, which were clearly meant to fan the flames, Liu Yan truly grew anxious. Others might not know how much Li Zhengting cared about Li Zi, but having grown up with him, Liu Yan knew all too well.
"Tianwu!"
He lowered his voice, firmly grasping Yu Tianwu’s shoulders. "Be good. Give me the phone."
Yu Tianwu blinked, realizing she might have taken the joke too far. She went limp and sheepishly handed the phone back to Liu Yan.
As soon as he got it, Liu Yan immediately explained to Li Zhengting:
"Brother Li, Tianwu was the one sending messages just now."
"Sister Li Zi didn't do anything. The instructor was just correcting her form."
Li Zhengting quickly replied with a long string of ellipses.
Liu Yan tucked his phone away, feeling uneasy. He wasn't sure if Brother Li believed him. Even if the photo looked a bit ambiguous due to the angle, Sister Li Zi wasn't that kind of person.
Yu Tianwu, who had been peeking at him, sidled over and said dejectedly, "Are you mad?"
Liu Yan was surprised. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"
"Because I snatched your phone? Because I messaged Li Zhengting?" Yu Tianwu guessed uncertainly.
He hadn't expected the usually carefree Yu Tianwu to become so cautious because of his attitude. Liu Yan’s heart, which was never hard to begin with, softened even further.
He set the phone aside, took Yu Tianwu’s hand, and looked into her slightly anxious eyes. "I’m not mad."
"Really—?" Yu Tianwu wasn't convinced. "But you were mean to me just now."
"When was I mean?" Liu Yan felt helpless. "I just raised my voice a little. I’m sorry. I was just worried Brother Li would misunderstand. If I made you uncomfortable, it wasn't my intention. I won't be mad at you."
Yu Tianwu tilted her head, observing his expression. After a few seconds of silence—just as Liu Yan was starting to get worried again—she finally broke into a smile.
"Got it. Then you have to remember: you can't be mad at me in the future, either."
Though Liu Yan didn't know why he would be mad in the future, he still nodded. "I won't."
Having received a satisfactory answer, Yu Tianwu returned to her usual relaxed self, collapsing onto Liu Yan as she explained her actions.
"I just wanted to make your Brother Li a little anxious. He shouldn't just leave a 'prized catch' like her in the middle of a pack of wolves without coming over to mark his territory more often."
Liu Yan gave a wry smile. Brother Li, not anxious about Sister Li Zi? That would be the joke of the century.
***
The final day of military training arrived, marked by the review performance and inspection ceremony.
Unsurprisingly, Li Zi’s perfect posture and cold, imposing aura captured everyone's attention. Representing her formation, she went up to the stage to receive an award, taking the commemorative medal from the officials and bowing in thanks.
Then she turned, faced the microphone, and began her speech: "I am honored to stand here on behalf of..."
Everyone below the stage looked up at her. Li Zi spoke entirely without notes; her words were sophisticated yet not at all dry or rigid.
Yu Tianwu puffed out her chest with pride. *That girl up there! She’s from my dorm! My friend!*
She pulled out her phone and, while everyone’s eyes were glued to the stage, began snapping photos like crazy.
"Waaaah, my Li Zizi has really made it. So cool!"
Two other men were also watching Li Zi with burning intensity. One stood on the stage among the soldiers. The other stood far off, by the steps at the entrance of the athletic field.
The farewell party for the end of military training was to be held that evening. In the afternoon, everyone was released to rest and tidy up their appearance.
As per tradition, the students would shed the disheveled look of the training period and dress themselves up glamorously for the party. This wasn't just to show off their true looks to their classmates, but also for certain hidden intentions.
Although it wasn't officially allowed, every year, students and instructors would develop feelings for one another. After all, for these young men and women who had just reached adulthood in the ivory tower of university, encountering instructors brimming with pheromones and military discipline naturally led to secret crushes. Even though not all instructors participated, it didn't dampen the students' enthusiasm.
Li Zi breathed a sigh of relief as she walked with her roommates. Several boys—and even girls—from her year stopped them along the way, shyly asking if she would be at the farewell party.
Under the teasing, "watching-the-show" gazes of her roommates, Li Zi politely declined each one: "I'm not sure."
"Li Zizi~ your charm is truly immense~" A certain woman who loved drama deliberately teased her with a sour tone.
"Careful, or Li Zi might hit you. Her military boxing is quite impressive," Xie Bing chimed in, joining the fun of teasing Li Zi, much to Yu Tianwu's surprise.
Li Zi felt helpless and pleaded, "Alright, stop making fun of me."
Just as the words left her mouth, a familiar figure was waiting at the corner.
The three roommates took one look and immediately understood. They patted Li Zi on the shoulder and made up excuses to vanish.
"I just remembered Yan-ge is waiting for me. I'm out!" That was Yu Tianwu, fleeing as if from a plague.
"I have to go help at the shop. See you guys tonight." That was Xie Bing, following suit.
"I need to go tally the headcount for our class's activities tonight. See you later." That was Hua Yi, who actually had things to do.
"Li Zi."
The man stood under the tree. Even during a break, he stood as straight as a pine, as resilient as bamboo. Seeing her approach, a trace of a smile appeared on his rugged, handsome face.
"Hello, Instructor," Li Zi greeted him politely.
"You performed very well today," the instructor said, looking at her tenderly. "You didn't let your hard work go to waste."
"It's because you taught us well, Instructor."
The instructor felt a bit of a headache at her flawless, distant etiquette. He tried to say, "Military training is over. You can call me by my name."
Li Zi was surprised. "How could I do that? Even if training is over, you are still our instructor."
Seeing he couldn't break through that topic, the instructor asked another question: "I've been wanting to ask... what do you think of Betas?"
"Betas?" Li Zi was a bit caught off guard, but she answered honestly. "Why do you ask, Instructor? Personally, I think ABO are just genders. Perhaps each gender has its own characteristics and areas of expertise, but strength isn't exclusive to Alphas. The 'mediocrity' the world labels Betas with shouldn't be a brand they have to wear. People are independent individuals and lives, not just a gender."
"My partner is a Beta, and he is exceptional." At this point, Li Zi finally showed a smile that was no longer distant.
"Partner...?" the instructor repeated blankly.
"Yes. He's not at this school, but we have a very good relationship." Li Zi nodded, her face radiating happiness.
"..."
He fell silent. For the first time, his eyes, which had been fixed on Li Zi, turned elsewhere. "So your partner is also a Beta."
To be honest, he felt a bit of lingering regret.
"Then... will you be at the farewell party tonight?" the instructor asked softly.
"No, I'm not really suited for crowded places. I hope you have a good time, Instructor." Li Zi waved her hand in refusal.
"Oh... well then, goodbye, Student Li."
Receiving this answer, the instructor actually seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He looked up, regaining his usual proud, spirited demeanor. Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked away, merely raising a hand in a wave of farewell.
Li Zi watched his back disappear before lowering her gaze and heading toward the dormitory.
She expected the dorm to be empty, but the door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open, puzzled, and called out, "Who's back? Xie Bing? Hua Yi?"
No one answered. The doors to her roommates' individual rooms were closed. Frowning, she walked further in, only to find her own bedroom door open.
"Who is it?"
A figure was sitting on her bed, lost in thought. Hearing her voice, he turned around.
"Li Zhengting?" Li Zi’s eyes widened slightly. "Why are you here?"
"Can't I come?" The man's face was calm and his tone was steady, but Li Zi sensed something was off.
She tested the waters: "Don't you need to watch the shop?"
"The police have been watching Xinan Street very closely lately. They won't dare cause trouble," Li Zhengting explained, his eyes downcast as his hands rubbed the backpack resting on his lap.
"I see—"
"You..." Before Li Zi could finish her sentence, she saw Li Zhengting pull out some very familiar items from his bag.
He closed the distance between them in three steps. "To the bathroom."
"?" Li Zi was somewhat perplexed. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you sure?"
The man forcefully took her hand and led her directly into the stall. He began removing his clothes one by one. Seeing Li Zi still standing there dazed, he asked, "Aren't you going to move?"
Li Zi hesitated.
He saw through her thoughts in an instant, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold, mirthless arc. "Don't worry. I've made preparations."
Since her lover had said so, even though she didn't know exactly what had happened, Li Zi couldn't truly refuse him. She walked to the mirror and set her things on the shelf.
The Blue Sheep, having rushed here filled with indignation and insecurity, had witnessed the Snow Leopard being the center of everyone's adoration. Its internal resentment crumbled the moment it saw its deity shining so brightly. Among the countless gazes cast toward the moon, its own was surely the most obsessed and loyal.
It had followed them from a distance all the way. It saw several people attempting to pluck the moon, only to be pushed away without exception. Until a White Wolf, the one that made it most wary, approached its Snow Leopard.
In the eyes of outsiders, those two powerful figures were perfectly matched—and it was an agonizing sight. It chose to look away, but then encountered the Snow Leopard's other companions, who urged it toward the Snow Leopard's den.
It had waited for its deity.
"Is my body better? Or is his?"
"Faster..."
*Let me get even closer to you, more intimately, more deeply.*
"You can only look at my muscles."
"I'll work harder."
"So..."
"You are already perfect." Li Zi pressed her body down, leaning over the person who was sprawled against the counter, completely unaware that he was whimpering.
Perhaps because of the environment, Li Zhengting never fully relaxed. Yet he refused to let Li Zi go. While punishing his own throat to keep from making a sound, he gripped the edge of the counter tightly. He was determined to be entangled with Li Zi right here, right now.
Li Zi had guessed most of what had happened. She sighed inwardly; he really was a "vinegar jar"—someone who was allergic to jealousy yet loved to fill himself with it.
"I told him I have a lover, and that he is perfect."
*Except for the fact that he's always so insecure.*
Only then did the arms, whose fingers were strained white, lose their tension. Li Zi caught them and tucked them into her palms.
The consequences of their recklessness were disastrous. Even if her roommates didn't mind, Li Zhengting couldn't actually stay in a female dormitory for too long. Unable to walk properly, he was carried out on Li Zi’s back. While everyone else was reveling in the auditorium, they quietly left Zhennan University.
That night, the two people many had hoped to see at the farewell party never showed up.
Before going to sleep, Li Zhengting asked Li Zi hesitantly for the first time: "Do you... like children?"
Li Zi leaned lazily against him, tracing the tattoo on his chest. "Why ask that? They're okay, I guess."
"Would you want a child?" he asked, both nervous and expectant.
"No."
To his surprise, Li Zi rejected the idea very decisively. As if suddenly remembering a scene she loathed, she repeated firmly, "I don't want children."
***
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