ASSHKHME Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Awkwardness

The business school’s military training location was in the southwest corner of the sports ground, while the architecture school was in the northeast corner.

In addition, the Yadi little electric motorcycle had a speed limit, and even with the throttle twisted all the way down, it only went a pathetic 21 km/h. Chen Zhuo and Li Ang were almost late, so they didn’t have time to settle the score with Xie Yu right away.

Before their eyes was a sea of camouflage uniforms, making it difficult to distinguish men from women at first glance.

Chen Zhuo swept his hair back, put on his hat, and followed the team to stand at the far right of the last row as the assembly whistle blew.

He was tall, so he was the “right” for the dress right.

It was said that the instructors leading the freshmen this year were all active-duty college student officers, practically the same age as them.

Standing there straight as pine trees, their bright eyes were filled with eagerness and the excitement of wanting to drill these little cubs to death.

Chen Zhuo squinted his eyes, stung by the sunlight, and sighed inwardly. These fourteen days were probably going to be tough.

Sure enough, after the instructor’s forceful speech, it was a constant repetition of “at ease,” “attention,” “right face,” “left face,” and then enduring the heat under the scorching sun, standing at military attention with hands glued to the seams of their pants.

Chen Zhuo hadn’t slept well last night, barely getting three hours of sleep.

He had also been tricked by Xie Yu in the morning, only eating the two soup dumplings that his “good son” Li Ang had dutifully given him. This little bit of energy couldn’t support his 1.83-meter frame at all.

He was sleepy, hungry, and hot.

The blazing sun poured down, and the military uniform didn’t absorb sweat, sticking to his body uncomfortably.

Chen Zhuo was unbearably irritable and tried to distract himself by meditating, but Xie Yu’s cheap face and the morning’s coriander and scallion gift package kept popping up in his mind.

Even more annoying! He wanted to punch someone!

The male classmate next to him whined like a mosquito, complaining, “I’m so jealous of the girls. They can make up a reason about having period cramps and go rest in the shade. Why don’t guys have a ‘big uncle’?”

Chen Zhuo sneered and said sarcastically without restraint, “You wouldn’t be happy if you were actually bleeding.”

After standing motionless under the hot sun for twenty minutes, everyone was simmering with anger.

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy would explode at the slightest provocation. He immediately got angry and pushed Chen Zhuo’s shoulder.

“What’s up, buddy? Trying to pick a fight?”

He didn’t use much force, but unexpectedly, Chen Zhuo, being so big, fell right over. After falling to the ground, he hugged his knees and lay flat.

His hat rolled to the side, his little curly hair popped out, and his hair strands trembled.

His handsome face was flushed red from the sun, wrinkled up, and he “hissed” in feigned pain.

The instructor blew a whistle and shouted, “What are you doing! Rebelling?”

“No?” The brother who pushed him was dumbfounded.

He looked at the pained Chen Zhuo, then at the instructor walking towards them, and was shocked, “I didn’t even use any force! You’re trying to scam me, bro!”

The unlucky male student anxiously explained, “Sir! Ah, no, Instructor! I really just pushed him lightly! Very lightly!”

The instructor glared at him and looked at Chen Zhuo lying on the ground, “Are you okay? Can you get up?”

Chen Zhuo’s eyebrows were furrowed, as if he couldn’t bear the pain, “I think I sprained my ankle.”

The sound of footsteps came to his ears, and soon, the glaring sunlight disappeared, and Chen Zhuo was surrounded by shade.

In his field of vision were a pair of long legs. Chen Zhuo looked up in confusion and saw Xie Yu’s punchable face.

Against the light, he was smiling, and the deep eyes under his sharp brow bones were filled with obvious amusement.

Xie Yu had a jacket draped over his shoulder, his black, choppy hair was wild and unrestrained, and the camouflage uniform couldn’t suppress the air of a hoodlum about him. He looked like a ruffian soldier.

Looking down at Chen Zhuo as if watching a show, he said, not afraid of making things worse, “Oh, Little Zhuo, what’s wrong?”

What does it feel like to have your embarrassing state seen by your nemesis?

You want to die!

Chen Zhuo’s face, already red from the sun, turned even redder. He wished he could dig a hole on the spot and bury himself.

From an angle where others couldn’t see, he glared fiercely at Xie Yu, using his eyes to tell him to get lost.

Xie Yu saw it, but Xie Yu didn’t get lost.

The instructor’s gaze fell on Xie Yu. He noticed the scabbed-over scratches on his neck and the purplish tooth marks on the back of his hand. He didn’t have a good impression of this loafer and said sternly, “What class are you in? Get back to your own company!”

Xie Yu stared at Chen Zhuo’s red ears, flushed with embarrassment and annoyance, and his playful nature rose.

He suddenly squatted down and put his hands under Chen Zhuo’s armpits. While Chen Zhuo was completely bewildered, he pulled him up from the ground, naturally putting his arm around his waist to support him.

The movement was too fast, so Chen Zhuo didn’t have time to react at all. His body weight was on Xie Yu, leaning on him, “Huh?”

Xie Yu said seriously, “Reporting to the instructor, I’m his roommate. You can continue training, I have to take him to the infirmary to get checked out. What if it’s too late and he has to get his leg amputated?”

Chen Zhuo glared at him, but when the instructor’s gaze swept over, he automatically raised his left foot.

The instructor saw through Chen Zhuo’s act at a glance, but after all, he was just a student. If something really happened, he wouldn’t be able to explain it, so he waved his hand, “Come back quickly if you’re okay! Don’t delay training!”

Chen Zhuo walked with a limp, and Xie Yu, relying on Chen Zhuo not daring to move recklessly, pinched his waist and said jokingly, “Did you eat all the breakfast your brother bought you?”

It would have been better if he hadn’t mentioned it. As soon as he did, Chen Zhuo’s anger soared.

The arm that was resting on Xie Yu’s shoulder suddenly hooked around his neck.

Xie Yu was a little taller than him and was forced to lower his head.

The two were too close, really too close, so close that Chen Zhuo’s warm breath was on Xie Yu’s face, carrying the sweet citrus scent.

In his view, the corners of Chen Zhuo’s mouth were curving upwards, his bright eyes staring straight at him, his lips opening and closing: “Little Yu bought it, how could I bear to eat it? Of course, I’ll save it for you to use as offerings during the Qingming Festival next year.”

Xie Yu twitched his lips, “You really are asking for it.”

Chen Zhuo retorted impolitely, “Hehe, the feeling’s mutual.”

Having moved away from the instructor’s sniper range, Chen Zhuo pushed Xie Yu away in disgust, straightening his rumpled clothes.

Without saying a word, he walked straight to the electric motorcycle parking area, his steps steady and firm, not showing any sign of having sprained his ankle.

Xie Yu had just carried his classmate, who had fainted from low blood sugar, to the infirmary. He had originally wanted to go back to continue training, but he didn’t expect to encounter Chen Zhuo pretending to be lame. Now, he was too lazy to go back to the sports ground and headed towards the cafeteria along the shade of the trees.

“Peep peep–” The sound of an electric motorcycle came from behind.

He saw Chen Zhuo riding his little 21 km/h electric motorcycle past Xie Yu’s arm at high speed, flipping him off flamboyantly.

Xie Yu laughed in anger.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, stinging his eyes.

Xie Yu watched Chen Zhuo’s departing figure, thinking that this guy’s waist was quite slender.