by A Sick Frog
The senior laughed out loud: now that’s something you got wrong there, can’t you see how boring military school is? There’s barely any means of entertainments for us. It’ll be a lot of fun we’ll be losing out on if we were to tell you all that.
The juniors were terribly dissatisfied and cursed at their seniors for being such jerks. However, it wasn’t as though they could exact revenge over something like that and so, they directed and vented the grudge they harboured at their juniors the following year… and so, the vicious cycle continued, and there would always be a freshies that were caught, reprimanded, and had to go the school’s so re-education.
Yin Xu Dong tugged Zhuo Xiao Xuan along as he zipped off. Behind them, the teacher chased persistently while shouting: “Stop! I’ve memorised your faces! Running is useless!”
Who’s he scaring? Zhuo Xiao Xuan wasn’t from their school so she naturally wasn’t afraid; Yin Xu Dong too was no good student either, so how was it possible that he’d stand still obediently and willing get caught after being howled at?
The two of them dashed forward and rounded a corner. When a three-metre-tall wall appeared before them, Yin Xu Dong picked up his speed and ran over first. Lowering himself into a half-squat, he crossed his fingers and placed it on his knee. When Zhuo Xiao Xuan ran over and landed on his hand, he gave her a boost up and she borrowed the force to leap onto the wall. Yin Xu Dong then jumped up and gripped the top of the wall, scaling it speedily after getting a hand from Zhuo Xiao Xuan. After which, the two of them jumped down to the other side of the wall, disappearing just like that in front of the teacher.
The teachers in Military Meds College wasn’t as strong and agile as normal soldiers, hence he could only stare at the wall sighing. The two kids sure were nimble, and that incredibly smooth co-op… The teacher could only sigh before leaving.
Zhuo Xiao Xuan upon hearing the teacher’s footsteps dimming said to the anxious Yin Xu Dong who’s got his ears pressed against the wall to hear the teacher’s movements: “That person left.”
Yin Xu Dong sighed, before bending over in laughter. What an exciting escape that was just now!
Zhuo Xiao Xuan’s eyes too tilted into a rare cure. This was the first time she’d done something like that, and feel anxious and her heartbeat quickening a little even though she knew she was capable of outrunning her pursuer; such a novel feeling had her laughing out slightly along with Yin Xu Dong.
The sharp contrast of the lightly smiling Zhuo Xiao Xuan, whose expression had always been a cold one, made her appear all the more arresting. Tempted, Yin Xu Dong couldn’t help but lower his head and peck on Zhuo Xiao Xuan’s lips. His forehead against hers, he leaned forward again for another peck, and another on top of another; his tongue had even went to lick her lips once.
Yin Xu Dong still wanted to steal some more pecks but he was pushed away by Zhuo Xiao Xuan. “I’m going back.” After which, she zipped off in the direction of the school gates, her speed so fast Yin Xu Dong was only able to see the dust in her wake. He shouted a few times, but she was gone. Was this… her exploding from… embarrassment?
When Zhuo Xiao Xuan returned to the dorm, everyone who saw her got a shock. Zhuo Xiao Xuan, the Zhuo Xiao Xuan who greeted the world with her expressionless, poker-face, was actually flushing scarlet and panting. When they recalled the fact that she couldn’t be found the entire day even though she didn’t manage to get the approval to go out, hah, this gurl’s definitely out doing something naughty! No one voiced what they knew though, save for the meaning glances and smiles they sent Zhuo Xiao Xuan.
Xiao Cheng lied on the bed, preparing for tomorrow’s lessons. In the end though, she didn’t manage to hold it in and asked: “Xiao Xuan, you sure are fast! So you like that guy? Why, we didn’t see you making any moves before this.”
Once one of them started the topic, the rest of the girls too joined the chatter, thoroughly and completely dissecting that guy’s identity. Unfortunately, they hadn’t seen Zhuo Xiao Xuan getting close with any guys in the past month of their training. After not managing to name the guy despite throwing in all the guys’ names from their school, they threw the ball back to Zhuo Xiao Xuan.
“Xiao Xuan, just say, who is it? We’re all so curious! If you’re not going to spill, then I’ll be up the entire night thinking about it. And then I definitely won’t be able to get up in time for tomorrow’s training, and then I’ll definitely be punished, and everyone will be punished because of that, and then…”
“You guys don’t need to guess anymore, he’s not from our school.” Zhuo Xiao Xuan glanced at her, saying blandly.
“Not from our school?!”
“You didn’t get the approval to go out but you…ah! You, you…” Xiao Rou gasped after finding out the hole in the logic.
Zhuo Xiao Xuan had purposefully spilled it. She’d be able to get them to help her muddle the possible sudden checks in the future if she took good advantage of them knowing about it, and so, she nodded her head, admitting it. “Enh.”
“Gurl, you got some guts right there! Don’t you know that if you get caught sneaking out, you’ll be dealt with terribly severely?” Xiao Rou tutted, sighing.
“Oh yeah, and how did you evade the cameras on the surrounding walls? You didn’t get caught on tape did you? Did you? The tutors are gonna come bring you to do quite some talking.” Xiao Yang said lowly.
Xiao Ya sitting on the top bunk blinked her shiny eyes. “I’m more curious about how you got out even though you weren’t allowed onto the school bus out without the approval.”
Zhuo Xiao Xuan definitely wasn’t going to tell them she used qinggong to sneak out, so she told them she’d ran out on a road after getting past the walls. Following that, the girls were shocked by her magnificent feat; such a skinny and delicate-looking Zhuo Xiao Xuan was willing to run ten kilometres just to meet her lover. This was a literal depiction of The Fifty Kilometre Romance Run. At that, they were so touched by her that they shed buckets of tears, before patting their beyond flat chest, swearing that they will definitely help her keep her secret of sneaking out. On top of that, as long as she told them that she was sneaking out, they’ll help cover her and definitely won’t let her get caught by the teachers on patrol.
Chapter 59 - Regarding The Jaw
* * *
With her dormmates’ wholehearted help, Zhuo Xiao Xuan aside from than attending her lessons every day would, every weekend, venture past the walls said to be heavily guarded and laden with danger to find Yin Xu Dong at Military Meds College and teach him the “Xiao Li Flying Daggers” he’d been wanting to learn all these while. Of course, the apparatus of their lesson naturally was the surgical knives Yin Xu Dong would be in intimate contact with in the future; the target for his knives were a few trees in a certain secluded area in the college.
Whoosh, whoosh, the two knives split the air and the blades dug into the little circle drawn in red on the trunk of the tree.
After Yin Xu Dong rushed over to check, he shouted in excitement: “Xuan Xuan! I did it! I did it!”
Zhuo Xiao Xuan sat by the side. Flipping through the book in her hand, her gaze lifted and she said blandly: “It’s almost an entire semester since you’ve learnt it. I won’t ever teach you again if you still can’t pick it up.” She could throw daggers with eyes closed better than he did with his eyes wide open.
Failing to receive any praise, Yin Xu Dong went over to sit by Zhuo Xiao Xuan’s side glumly before looking at the book in her hand in curiosity. “What are you reading?”
“A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking’.”
“…” Yin Xu Dong was confused. “Aren’t you learning about Military Intelligence? You’re interested in books on physics as well?” Einstein’s Theory of Relativity first, and now Stephen Hawking’s book?
“Enh, just reading through randomly.” Zhuo Xiao Xuan closed her book, standing. “Since you’ve pretty much grasped Xiao Li Flying Daggers, I won’t be coming by for the next few weeks.”
“Aye? Oh yeah, finals are coming, you need to revise right? Let’s go back home after exams.”
“Enh. I’m going, call me if there’s anything.”
It wasn’t quite because she had to revise for her finals per say, rather, she seemed to have caught someone’s attention. Her dorm-mates on several occasions almost didn’t manage to hide the fact that she’d sneaked out. Hence, she couldn’t risk it any longer.
That day when she returned to her dorm, her dorm-mates came over, encircling her furtively, saying: “Xiao Xuan, it’s better you don’t sneak out these few days, the tutor seemed to have noticed that something’s off, he’d come over to check several times! We’ve used up all our excuses, and we’ve already used the excuse that you’re on your period four times already this month!”
“Enh. I won’t be heading out the next few weekends, don’t worry.”
Zhuo Xiao Xuan could faintly feel that someone getting restless, ready to pull something. However, that person had yet to reveal themself, so she obviously won’t go knocking on their doors sending herself there on a silver platter. Hence she went about her life as normally as a normal student would, expressionlessly dismissing the male schoolmates in heat while she was at it once in while.
In a certain small storeroom, five members from the little society were having a meeting. “That’s the person you have in mind? Other than being pretty, I really can’t see anything else that’s special about her.” A girl sitting in a corner said in scorn as she trimmed her nails, before sweeping a disdainful look at the guy seated before her.
“Cough cough, I admit she’s pretty and I looked at her a little more times that what’s normal initially. However, the after looking and looking at her, I realised she disappeared!” The guy defended himself, flushing.
“Tch! Just admit you’re lustful! You definitely need to be punished seeing how it’s affecting your work!”
“Oi! Don’t throw dirt on me like that! What do you mean affect my work, in what way was my work affected?!”
After the century war between the two once again erupted, the guy sitting in the centre patted the table. “Stop! The two of you stop arguing! Do you understand what ‘even walls have ears’ mean?! Even if walls had no ears, the dead will be awakened by how loud the two of you are!”
The two of them didn’t see eye to eye; after exchanging a gaze, they snorted coldly and turned to look elsewhere. The remaining three people shrugged, long used to their arguing. Everyone would selectively turn a blind eye to their water-and-oil-esque relationship as long as they were in sync enough during their missions.
“Actually, I have something I didn’t tell you guys; our candidate can’t be Zhuo Xiao Xuan.”
“Hah? Why not? Chief you should’ve told us about something so important earlier! Why are you only telling us now?!”
“She looks pretty normal to me, how would I know one of you guys would latch onto her.”
“Chief, chief, what’s her background? Why can’t she be a candidate?”
“Cough cough, did you guys forget the surname of our military district’s Commander?”
“No way?! She’s from the Commander’s family?”
“Enh. Xiao Jun after you suggested putting her into the name list, I went to search her up. The higher-ups said that there were already plans for her in place so we better not hit her up. Everyone, let’s work a little harder and find someone else instead.”
“But chief, she really isn’t as simple as she seems! I mean I lost her even after staring straight at her…”
The guy known as the chief patted his shoulders. “Just think of it as a dream; don’t dig too into it.” When he saw that he wasn’t willing to give up on that idea, the chief tone became stern: “If you don’t find me a new candidate by the end of this week, you’ll be staying in school the entire winter break!”
At the great threat of his words, the guy immediately nodded his head. “Chief! I will search for a new one immediately, I guarantee I’ll finish the job in time!”
Zhuo Xiao Xuan didn’t expect they wouldn’t make any move when she didn’t do anything. However, she did see that male student giving her mixed looks. If she remembered correctly, that was the guy who’d attempted to tail her.
If the enemy didn’t strike, she wouldn’t strike. All her performance was capped at what a normal student could attain anyway, so she didn’t believe that the hot-headed clown would be able to sniff out anything.
A certain female however was enraged. She tugged at the certain guy’s ear, roaring: “You done looking?! This lady I’m mad! I’m officially announcing that we are breaking up; we’re done!” The school rules clearly stated that students weren’t allowed to date. Though the two seemed to be at odds on the surface, they had long gotten together secretly. Their rule-breaking actions of course was well-hidden. Not even the people in the society knew about it.
“Xiao Jing, Xiao Jing, don’t be angry. I’m just really curious how she was able to shake off my tailing. I swear to heavens I really don’t mean anything else.”
“If you didn’t mean anything else, why’re you still staring at her all day long?! You think I’m blind?! We shall and must break up!”
“Don’t, Xiao Jing, calm down. Okay okay, I promise I won’t look at her again in the future.”
“…”
After which, the strange guy disappeared from Zhuo Xiao Xuan’s sight. Though the reason was unknown, Zhuo Xiao Xuan was immensely satisfied with such an outcome as her actions were no longer restricted by someone else.
Time flew unknowingly. Before long, their finals were over. Students started packing up their things to return home one after another. Zhuo Xiao Xuan packed her things, bid her dormmates farewell and went downstairs with her luggage. After bumping into a few of her male classmates from her MI class, he immediately greeted her enthusiastically upon seeing her. “Zhuo Xiao Xuan, are you going back? Is your luggage heavy? I can help you bring it to the entrance.”
“Enh, I’m going back. It’s not heavy, thanks.” Zhuo Xiao Xuan rejected them flatly.
How they possibly let such an opportunity to perform before their beautiful female classmate? Hence they walked over passionately and picked up her luggage. “Goodness, there’s no need to be polite, we’re not busy anyway, we should help our female classmates… uh, Zhuo Xiao Xuan, what did you put in your luggage?” Why was it so heavy? Did you fill them with rocks?!
“It’s nothing; it’s really not that heavy, so there’s no need for the trouble, I can bring it down on my own.” Zhuo Xiao Xuan took her luggage back, picked it up and continued forward expressionlessly, leaving behind but a bunch of flabbergasted guys watching her picking up her luggage as though it weighed nothing as she disappeared into the distance… they should’ve known there were no weak girls from military schools, only girls who appeared weak like the one right in front of them…
She boarded the school bus to the train station and saw the Yin Xu Dong that was waiting there since long ago. At the same time, she saw a certain female; that female had her hand stretched trying to circle Yin Xu Dong’s hand. He dodged in irate, but she continued trying to grasp his hand, not giving up.
Zhuo Xiao Xuan walked over from the side and slapped her claws away, saying coldly: “Don’t touch what’s mine as you wish.” She didn’t save any strength when she slapped her so the back of Liu Ting’s hand immediately reddened. She cried in pain, cupping her hand, glaring at Zhuo Xiao Xuan in hate before turning to Yin Xu Dong to gaze at him, aggrieved.
Yin Xu Dong shrugged. “I told you not to be touchy. Go back, and don’t come looking for me next time.”
Liu Ting pouted, not wanting to leave.
“You want me to break your hand before you’re willing to leave?” Zhuo Xiao Xuan began, her tone and gaze even chillier than the cold northwest gale. Liu Ting, still in pain over her hand was immediately frightened. Trembling like a little rabbit with reddened eyes, she pulled the luggage by her side and left
, turning back incessantly to look at him.
Upon seeing the nuisance that had bothered him for the longest of time finally gone, Yin Xu Dong took off his cap and placed it on Zhuo Xiao Xuan’s head, smiling. “You cold? Why didn’t you wear more?” As he said, he took off his scarf around his neck and wrapped it on Zhuo Xiao Xuan.
She appeared especially comical with Yin Xu Dong’s too-large cap that kept slipping off to cover a large part of her face on top of her expressionless expression. At that, Yin Xu Dong burst into laughter, reaching out to pinch her cheeks. “Don’t put up a poker face all the time, smile more, what’s the saying, give a smile and you’ll look ten years younger. Come, give me a smile.”
Zhuo Xiao Xuan rolled her eyes. “You have nothing else to do?”
After they boarded the train that rolled into the station and reached their bunk, they bumped into Liu Ting again. At that, Liu Tig suddenly stood. “Hi, what a coincidence to see Xu Dong again.” She waved at Yin Xu Dong in greeting, selectively ignoring the Zhuo Xiao Xuan standing beside him.
Zhuo Xiao Xuan placed her luggage down. After looking at her for the longest of time, she started: “You have a nice chin.”
Liu Ting paused, before smiling as she replied: “Thank you.”
“It’ll definitely look better dislocated.”
Yin Xu Dong stumbled, before suddenly recalling the scene where Xuan Xuan dislocated teacher Lu Jing’s chin from a few years back… and was rendered speechless. Though he disliked Liu Ting very much, he knew that she came from a powerful background. If Xuan Xuan were to make a move at her, he was afraid that she’d attract trouble. Not only so, compared to normal schools, military schools placed a lot more emphasis on rules such as no stirring up trouble.
Setting his face into a grave expression, he said Liu Ting: “Xuan Xuan’s someone who keeps to her word; she’s dislocated someone’s jaw before, and her skills are top-notch. Your jaw’s even more guaranteed than an ISO-certification to dislocate after a single move. But her skills in relocating the jaw back is still a little lacking, so it might be the slightest bit slanted after she puts your jaw back. Actually it doesn’t really matter if it’s slanted or not though right, it’s just that it’ll be a little hard to talk and your face might be a little contorted; it’s nothing, it won’t hinder you going about eating so you don’t need to worry about that.”