My Heart Breaks For The Gentle Second Male Lead Chapter 5: Military Training
The second day was the start of military training, and the training uniforms were distributed the day before.
Yan Yunli, with his tall stature and long legs, couldn’t be overshadowed by the shapeless and oversized military uniform. When he put on the roughly sized uniform, it almost seemed like it was tailored for him.
Before even stepping out of the dormitory, Fang Jue knew that Yan Yunli didn’t need to perform or attract attention through any special acts. His four years of choosing a partner were already firmly secured.
After everyone had put on their uniforms and was ready to head out, Fang Jue stopped them and said, “Wait a moment.”
Yan Yunli turned his head, a questioning look in his eyes.
Fang Jue took out a bottle of sunscreen from the drawer and said, “My family prepared this for me. The effect might not be very noticeable, but it’s better than nothing. Do you guys want to use it?”
Although it was already autumn, the sun was still scorching, and these days had been devoid of overcast skies, making it seem like it was specifically opposing the university students during military training.
“Then give us some!” Li Mingyu leaned in. “I want to be a refined military training guy too.”
After both of them had used the sunscreen, they returned it to Fang Jue. He held the bottle, shaking it, and then turned to Yan Yunli, asking, “Do you want some?”
Yan Yunli glanced at it and didn’t refuse, saying, “Sure.”
“Then hold out your hand,” Fang Jue squeezed out a coin-sized amount for him, then applied some to his own face.
After finishing, Fang Jue casually asked Yan Yunli, “Is it evenly spread?”
“There’s a bit here,” Yan Yunli indicated a spot on the side of his face.
“Like this?” Fang Jue smeared it haphazardly, but when Yan Yunli shook his head, Fang Jue smiled and said, “Help me out, then.”
Without saying a word, Yan Yunli lifted his hand and spread the sunscreen over that white line on Fang Jue’s face.
“Thanks,” Fang Jue raised his eyes and smiled at him, his eyes shining brightly.
It was only at this moment that Yan Yunli noticed the two faint dimples at the corners of his mouth.
When the four of them walked out of the dormitory, they clearly felt many gazes directed their way. While Li Mingyu enjoyed the attention of the crowd, he also realized that most of those looks weren’t directed at him; they were basking in the reflected glory of his two roommates.
But he could deceive himself. It was both painful and delightful!
Fang Jue and his roommates were not from the same major. Fang Jue studied finance, Yan Yunli studied physics, and the other two roommates were majoring in mechanical engineering.
Normally, room assignments were based on majors, but Fang Jue was an exception and ended up in this mixed room with them.
The training areas during military training were also divided by colleges and majors, so Fang Jue wasn’t in the same group as them. When they arrived at the training ground, they separated.
The instructors had not yet arrived, and everyone was either standing or sitting in groups, chatting with each other. After locating their respective squads, Fang Jue looked around and realized he didn’t recognize anyone. Involuntarily, his mind began to wander.
Just as he started examining the grass beneath his feet, someone nearby hesitated and asked him, “Are you in our class?”
Fang Jue glanced around before confirming that someone was addressing him.
By this time, the young man next to him had introduced himself as Shen Liu and started steering the conversation toward Fang Jue, saying, “I helped the instructor, and I saw photos of our class earlier. When I saw you just now, you looked very familiar. I didn’t make a mistake, did I?”
Fang Jue hadn’t expected to meet a classmate by chance who recognized him. After expressing his surprise, he nodded and said, “Yes, we’re in the same class.”
As soon as Fang Jue acknowledged, Shen Liu began talking nonstop, “I knew I wouldn’t mistake someone with my eyesight. My roommates were assigned to other squads, so I’m all alone. I never expected to run into a forum sensation!”
Fang Jue’s expression froze for a moment. “Forum sensation”? Could it be that he had truly become a topic of discussion in front of the entire school? He tried to maintain his composure and asked innocently, “What forum sensation?”
Shen Liu seemed surprised. “You don’t know?”
“I don’t know,” Fang Jue continued to play along. “I’m not much of a forum-goer.”
This wasn’t entirely a lie. Over the past two days, Fang Jue had been browsing the forum mainly to follow updates about Yan Yunli. He had only glanced at his own post, which featured himself as the protagonist, before exiting.
So, he had no idea what had transpired on the forum during these two days when he wasn’t checking it. Fang Jue was starting to feel anxious but did his best to maintain a facade of ignorance.
Fang Jue: Starts panicking.jpg; Pretends to remain calm.jpg
“Indeed, you don’t seem like someone who follows gossip,” Shen Liu nodded, accepting Fang Jue’s explanation. “No worries, I keep an eye on it every day. I know everything, even if a tree in the school loses a single leaf. Let me fill you in.”
“Sure, go ahead,” Fang Jue sat down and followed his lead.
Shen Liu spoke animatedly about the gossip, “You see, we university students love beautiful things. So, on your first day here, discussions started on the forum about whether you had a girlfriend.”
He then quickly corrected himself, “Oh, and of course, there were discussions about whether you had a boyfriend too. Several threads were opened, but some got deleted by administrators due to spamming. Only a few with the highest activity are still there.”
Fang Jue asked, “Why were they discussing me? I didn’t think there was anything noteworthy about me. I
assumed the initial curiosity would fade away after the first day.”
Shen Liu exclaimed several times, “Fang Xiong, are you pretending to be naive? You’re famous for being handsome, that’s why!”
Fang Jue’s expression froze for a moment. Did he become an object of attention just because of his looks in front of the whole school? He tried to keep his cool and casually asked, “Famous for being handsome?”
Shen Liu nodded, “Of course! You don’t know? Well, I guess you’re not much of a gossip follower. But let me fill you in.”
“Please do,” Fang Jue said, feigning ignorance.
Shen Liu continued with excitement, “You see, as university students, we all appreciate beauty. So, on your first day here, people started discussing whether you had a girlfriend or a boyfriend.”
Fang Jue: Starts panicking.jpg; Pretends to remain calm.jpg
Shen Liu continued, “Of course, people also discussed your roommate, Yan Yunli—”
Fang Jue nodded, finally realizing why.
Fang Jue: Oh, I see.jpg
It seemed that in the future, he would have to get used to being frequently noticed, especially if he spent more time with Yan Yunli. He couldn’t abandon his good roommate just because of this attention.
The people around Shen Liu had already been thoroughly entertained, and now he wanted to share more gossip with Fang Jue. Unfortunately, at that moment, the instructor arrived, calling out slogans and interrupting Shen Liu’s next move.
Finally, Fang Jue managed to escape from the conversation, giving him a moment to catch his breath.
After forming up in their squads, the usual military postures and marching began.
Time felt exceptionally long at this moment, especially since it was the first day of training, and many students were already complaining. Fang Jue, however, was in relatively good shape due to his regular exercise routine.
After the training session ended, Fang Jue took out his phone and saw messages from Li Mingyu and Xie Yan in the dormitory group chat. They were going to collect a package and were worried about the long queue, so they left early.
Fang Jue walked alone to the entrance of the training ground and saw Yan Yunli standing there quietly. He stood out conspicuously amidst the moving crowd of students who were eager to leave after the training.
“Waiting for me here?” Fang Jue jogged a few steps to reach him, knowing well why.
“Yes, waiting for you to have lunch together,” Yan Yunli replied.
“Great, let’s go then!” Fang Jue smiled.
“Aren’t we waiting for them?” Yan Yunli looked toward the training ground.
Fang Jue handed his phone to Yan Yunli and said, “They sent a message earlier saying they’re leaving first. Didn’t you see it?”
Yan Yunli nodded. “Yes, I didn’t bring my phone.”
Fang Jue admired his self-discipline. “That’s true; you don’t have much time to use your phone during military training.”
Carrying a phone during military training was inconvenient, and the instructors encouraged students not to bring them to prevent accidents or loss.
Military training lasted for almost two weeks, and after getting used to it, Fang Jue could now calmly listen to Shen Liu’s endless gossip about him and various other topics while skillfully using phrases like “and then?” and “oh, I see” to express agreement.
During meals with Yan Yunli, Fang Jue felt the approving gazes of others around them. He believed he had already met all the necessary conditions to be a good buddy to Yan Yunli.
In these past few days, Fang Jue had been concerned that Yan Yunli might be overwhelmed by requests for his contact information due to his inability to refuse people. However, during one meal, Yan Yunli had casually mentioned that someone had indeed asked for his WeChat, but he had simply said he didn’t have his phone with him, and the person had walked away.
Hearing Yan Yunli’s account, Fang Jue couldn’t help but feel that the situation wasn’t that simple.
He speculated that the actual situation was something like this:
Someone had asked Yan Yunli for his WeChat, but because of his cold demeanor, they misinterpreted his “no phone” response as a heartless refusal.
To some extent, it was a clumsy way to avoid troublesome situations, but it had worked, sparing Yan Yunli from unnecessary hassle.
As they approached the end of military training, everyone had become familiar with the instructors, and they were taught some basic self-defense techniques in case of danger. The instructor thought it would be a good idea to demonstrate these techniques so the students could observe typical reactions.
The instructor looked around the group, his eyes finally stopping on Fang Jue. “I need a partner to demonstrate the techniques, so everyone can see the typical reactions. You, come here.”
The people around them spontaneously clapped, and Fang Jue, even if he wanted to refuse, had no choice.
Not wanting to cause the instructor to lose face, Fang Jue stood up and hesitantly said to the instructor, “Could you let me know when you’re about to start? I need to prepare; otherwise, I’m afraid I might react too quickly.”
The instructor didn’t take it seriously, chuckling as he replied, “What can you, with your small frame, do to me? You’ll see if you can escape based on your genuine reaction.”
First was a demonstration of techniques when someone suddenly grabbed them from behind. Before the demonstration, Fang Jue turned around to face the other way, listening attentively to the instructor’s instructions. He was ready for the moment the instructor said he could begin.
The instructor was explaining, “When someone grabs you from behind, you can’t see them—”
Fang Jue reassured himself in his mind that as long as he was prepared, he could suppress his instinctual reaction and avoid embarrassing himself. He waited for the instructor’s voice to rise, indicating the sudden attack. Then, with a burst of strength, the instructor suddenly lunged at Fang Jue.
Just as the instructor’s hand grabbed Fang Jue’s shoulder, Fang Jue was about to react. However, in the next second, he found himself being thrown over the instructor’s shoulder, helplessly tumbling through the air. He could only instinctively adjust his posture to cushion his landing.
Fang Jue had realized his mistake too late, and he could only watch as he inadvertently threw the instructor over his shoulder. Fortunately, there was still grass on the ground.
“Are you okay, Instructor?” Fang Jue hurriedly crouched down to help him, his face filled with concern and guilt.
Shen Liu was in the front row, witnessing the entire incident. He was stunned and could only utter, “What the heck?”
Fang Jue was at a loss. He was now sure that he had become famous throughout the school, and it was likely that he would be used as an example of what not to do. He could already imagine himself being showcased every year as a negative role model.
A post would soon appear on the forum:
【Breaking News! Freshman Assaults Instructor during Military Training! Is this a case of twisted humanity or moral degradation?】
Shiotamari
This looks really good! Thanks for picking this up, I will be eagerly waiting for your updates 😊.