In the dormitory, Qin Chaoyu was preparing for tomorrow’s military training. She had heard that Yuzhou University’s military training was very strict, and during the training, the instructors would inspect the dormitory’s cleanliness. Keeping the room spotless was the most basic requirement—nothing but bedding and pillows could be left on the beds, and the desks had to be dust-free. To avoid last-minute chaos, she was already tidying up her things.
Qian Fangyuan tossed aside the clothes she had been struggling to fold for half the day. After all her efforts, she had only managed to fold a few pieces, leaving her feeling disheartened. “Oh my god! Who wants to roast me alive under this scorching sun? Is there any way I can skip the military training?” Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she turned to Qin Chaoyu and Miao Zhaodi with a mischievous grin. “What if I just ask for sick leave?”
Miao Zhaodi, who had few belongings, had already finished organizing her things. She looked at Qian Fangyuan in confusion and asked blankly, “Yuan Yuan, but you’re not sick. How can you get a sick leave note?”
Qian Fangyuan gave her a look that said, “You just don’t get it,” and replied, “Who said you have to be sick to get sick leave? I just need to get the note, that’s all.”
Miao Zhaodi was visibly shocked.
Qin Chaoyu sighed helplessly at Qian Fangyuan, who only wanted to slack off. “Yuan Yuan, don’t you know? To get sick leave, you’d need something like a broken arm or leg, or a condition like heart disease that prevents strenuous exercise. And to get the note, you’d need a diagnosis from a top-tier hospital in our city.”
“Ah?” Qian Fangyuan wailed in despair. “That’s so complicated! I thought I could just ask for leave.”
Qin Chaoyu thought for a moment and suggested, “Since you don’t meet any of those conditions, maybe you could ask your parents for help.”
Qian Fangyuan snorted dismissively. “They’d be thrilled if I trained hard during military training to toughen up! They’d never help me with this.”
The thought made her angry. Weren’t they her real parents? Didn’t they know she was a delicate, easily overwhelmed girl? How could they bear to subject her to the torture of military training!
Qin Chaoyu shrugged. “Then there’s no way out.”
Qian Fangyuan stroked her skin and then cupped her face, lamenting dramatically, “Goodbye, fair complexion. After military training, I won’t be the Qian Fangyuan who charmed thousands of boys anymore.”
Having spent these past few days with her, Qin Chaoyu was well aware of Qian Fangyuan’s theatrics. So, she offered only a half-hearted expression of sympathy before returning to her tidying.
Only Miao Zhaodi remained as innocent as ever. Seeing Qian Fangyuan so upset, she hurriedly comforted her, “Yuan Yuan, don’t worry. Even if you get tanned, you’ll still be beautiful.”
She even nodded emphatically to emphasize her point.
Touched, Qian Fangyuan sniffled and took Miao Zhaodi’s hand. “Zhaodi, you’re the best. Unlike Chaoyu, who didn’t even comfort me.”
Worried that Qian Fangyuan might hold a grudge against Qin Chaoyu, Miao Zhaodi said earnestly, “Yuan Yuan, it’s okay. Chaoyu cares about you too. She’s just… well, not good with words. Yeah, that’s it.”
Pleased with her excuse, Miao Zhaodi sighed in relief.
Seeing how serious Miao Zhaodi was, Qian Fangyuan felt too guilty to keep up the act. “Okay, Zhaodi, I won’t be mad. Don’t worry. But seriously, you’re so adorable! How can someone as cute as you exist?”
She even cupped Miao Zhaodi’s face in her hands.
Miao Zhaodi, believing she had successfully averted a dormitory conflict, flashed her small white teeth and smiled.
Watching Qian Fangyuan fool Miao Zhaodi so easily, Qin Chaoyu sighed in resignation. She picked up two exquisite little porcelain bottles from her desk. The bottles were pure white with delicate blue patterns, elegant and fresh, full of vitality.
She handed one to Qian Fangyuan and the other to Miao Zhaodi.
“Qin Chaoyu, what’s this for?” Qian Fangyuan examined the bottle, delighted by its beauty. “Is this a welcome gift for our dorm? I love it! But I haven’t prepared anything in return.”
Qian Fangyuan felt a little embarrassed. She had accepted Chaoyu’s gift but hadn’t brought one herself.
Miao Zhaodi was also apologetic. She hadn’t prepared a gift either—or rather, she hadn’t known it was customary to bring welcome gifts for roommates when starting university. Accepting a gift without reciprocating was terribly impolite, and her parents would surely scold her if they found out.
Realizing their misunderstanding, Qin Chaoyu quickly explained, “You’ve got it all wrong. These bottles contain sunscreen. Since you’re afraid of getting tanned, here you go. Guaranteed to keep you fair during military training.”
Qian Fangyuan suddenly understood. “Oh, I see! But I’ve never seen sunscreen packaged like this before.”
“Of course you haven’t. I made it myself. I’ve been studying traditional Chinese medicine with my master since I was little—about thirteen years now. Once, I came across an ancient prescription in a medical book about whitening and sun protection. I tried it, and it worked really well.”
Qin Chaoyu wasn’t exaggerating. The ancient prescription did exist—she had found it in her sect’s medical texts. It was likely created by some beauty-conscious predecessor. Later, she refined the formula, and its sun protection was now absolutely flawless.
Hearing that Qin Chaoyu had studied TCM for thirteen years, Qian Fangyuan and Miao Zhaodi were filled with admiration.
Qian Fangyuan even clasped her hands in a respectful salute. “Master, my apologies for underestimating you! This humble disciple begs for your guidance in the future!”
Qin Chaoyu lifted her chin haughtily. “It’s not too late to recognize your mistake. But whether I accept you as a disciple depends on your future performance.”
Qian Fangyuan immediately pledged her loyalty.
As for the sunscreen Qin Chaoyu had given them, neither she nor Miao Zhaodi took it too seriously. Qian Fangyuan was skeptical, while Miao Zhaodi simply didn’t think she needed sunscreen. Still, she carefully stored it away, planning to try it out later.
After military training, Qian Fangyuan would look at the other girls, now deeply tanned, and silently rejoice at her decision.
~
The next day, military training began, and Yuzhou’s sun did not disappoint.
At 35 degrees Celsius, it was the kind of day that could bake you dry and leave you dizzy with heat.
The freshmen of Yuzhou University all prayed for rain, but the heavens refused to oblige. After all, if it rained just because they asked, wouldn’t that make the heavens lose face?
The thought of enduring another two weeks of this made the new students seriously consider throwing in the towel.
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