Strange Feelings (2)
“Sister, are you reciting scriptures? Your lips are moving and moving…”
Gu Siyi looked up, and Lu Jiaye squatted down, aligning his eyes with hers, looking at her curiously. As her gaze lifted further, she saw a bottle of mineral water.
And that bottle of water was in Xia Zhijun’s hand.
“…Can I have a sip of water?” Gu Siyi asked, licking her lips.
“This?” Xia Zhijun shook the bottle in his hand.
“Yeah.” Gu Siyi nodded, looking at him with eager eyes.
Xia Zhijun hesitated a bit and was about to speak when Gu Siyi beat him to it.
“Please, saving a life is more important than building a seven-story pagoda* I’m dying of thirst!”
[*救人一命胜造七级浮屠 jiù rén yī mìng shèng zào qī jí fú tú saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda (idiom)].
Xia Zhijun: “——”
She took the life-saving source, unscrewed the cap, raised her face, and poured it into her mouth.
Original translation only on WhimsicalReads.com, if reading elsewhere, know that it was plagiarised/taken without our consent. Please support us by reading on our site
She downed the remaining half bottle of water in one go.
As Xia Zhijun watched the girl’s cherry-like lips, a hint of… embarrassment appeared in his eyes.
While Xia Zhijun was immersed in the unspeakable emotion, Lu Jiaye noticed the problem and asked her, “Didn’t you take any water?”
“When I went to get it, there were none left,” Gu Siyi helplessly said. With her hydration restored, her voice sounded clearer, and not as dry and hoarse as before.
“Wait, Brother Lu will get you another bottle.” With that, Lu Jiaye got up and left.
“Hey, no need-” She had yet to finish her sentence, but the guy was already far away.
Xia Zhijun looked at Gu Siyi and said, “Next time you have this situation, come and get water from us.”
“Okay.” Gu Siyi, feeling much better after the replenishment, swept away her previous frustration. With a smile on her face, she tilted her head, winked playfully, and said, “Thanks for the life-saving half bottle of water. You’ve saved me twice; such a huge grace… have no words to thank.”
He cleared his throat and said calmly, “It’s nothing.”
By the time Lu Jiaye brought back the water, the break time was almost up, and everyone returned to their teams.
After being rehydrated, Gu Siyi was once again spirited, standing tall like a slender poplar tree in the team. Regardless of whether she was standing in attention, saluting, or marching, with an erect and neat posture teeming with vitality, she was the standard.
The instructor was very satisfied with her and praised her several times, even letting her demonstrate at the front of the squad. And when the instructors held a group meeting, he called Gu Siyi to step forward and lead the training.
Facing the squad, Gu Siyi said, “We are classmates in the same grade. Let’s get to know each other. Now, we will call out our names in the order of roll call.”
As a temporary junior instructor, although the girls were unwilling, they couldn’t defy orders. So, one after another, they began to report their names.
Gu Siyi’s gaze swept over their faces one by one, listening to their voices in rapt attention. Eventually, she locked onto a pair of girls in the third row— the fifth and sixth one, who had previously slammed her(in whispers).
Their names were Xu Jie and Shu Yu.
Once done with the roll call, Gu Siyi instructed everyone to march in formation.
The postures of those two were indeed unsightly, and Gu Siyi felt justified in finding fault.
Original translation only on WhimsicalReads.com, if reading elsewhere, know that it was plagiarised/taken without our consent. Please support us by reading on our site
“Xu Jie, Shu Yu, step forward,” Gu Siyi commanded.
Unwilling, the two girls stood rooted to the ground, refusing to move.
“If you don’t follow the command, I will report to the instructor when he returns,” Gu Siyi warned.
Thinking back to how the instructor was well-known for being strict, the girls were a little scared. So, although they grunted in disdain, they still reluctantly stepped forward.
Moreover, they reckoned standing was easier than training.
The weather in early September was still hot, and occasional gusts of wind carried along the stifling heat.
After singling out the two, Gu Siyi commanded them to stand at attention.
One of them glared and murmured, “You’re doing this on purpose! You are intentionally targeting us!”
Gu Siyi neither admitted nor denied. “If you don’t want to follow commands, report it to the instructor when he returns.” Then, ignoring them, she went to the front of the squad. “The sun is too strong; let’s move to a shaded area.”
A group of girls happily agreed, grateful to Gu Siyi for leading them to a cool place. They hadn’t dared to complain while the instructor was around earlier because he was really strict. Long Xing’s military training was famous for being rigorous, developing the spirit of hard work and endurance in students. They had all come mentally prepared, and could only silently endure. But unexpectedly, there came a sudden breeze of happiness thanks to Gu Siyi.
The temp instructor soon led everyone to a cooler place, saying, “Stay here and relax, just don’t mess up the formation.”
Then, she went back to Xu Jie and Shu Yu, “Now, I’ll teach you how to march properly.”
These two girls were almost about to explode. While the others were resting in the shade, they had to march in the sun.
When they were on the verge of losing control, Gu Siyi said with a stern face, “I don’t care who you hang out with. I dared to fight Xu Na; do you think I’m afraid of you? Now, the instructor has assigned me to train you, and I have the authority to give you commands. If you refuse to obey, I also have the right to punish you.”
The duo gritted their teeth, wanting to retaliate but hesitating.
Original translation only on WhimsicalReads.com, if reading elsewhere, know that it was plagiarised/taken without our consent. Please support us by reading on our site
In the end, Gu Siyi, a professional fault-finder and amateur instructor, repeatedly guided them in marching.
Not far away, the rest of the squad was watching this scene. The cold and hostile air from before had unwittingly thawed a little.
“I think Gu Siyi is quite considerate,” someone whispered.
“I almost passed out from the heat, but fortunately, Gu Siyi brought us here.”
“Gu Siyi has a lot of guts, letting off steam like that. Isn’t she afraid that the instructor will take her to task* later?”
[*punish/scold]
“To be honest, Gu Siyi is not someone easy to mess with; think twice before offending her.”
“She seems to be on good terms with Xia Zhijun? Just then, I saw her drinking his water.”
“If someone bullies her, Xia Zhijun will stand up for her, right?”
“Today when the homeroom teacher made Gu Siyi stand as punishment Xia Zhijun helped her out.”