Chapter 25: Ling Huanzhen Takes Office

Ling Huanzhen lit a candle for Xia Chiyi in his heart... If Sheng Xingming was a demon, then Jiao Yingfeng was at least a devil.

Perhaps knowing that the head coach had changed, the otherwise tedious military training was full of anticipation for Xia Chiyi, who counted down the days on his fingers.

However, the intensity of the second day's training was much higher than the first. The instructors pulled out all the stops to torment this group of college students.

During the afternoon physical training, after a weighted long-distance run, the boys were required to do one minute of push-ups and the girls had to do sit-ups before they could rest.

Suddenly, wails echoed everywhere.

Aside from breathing, Fatty had no strength left. He leaned against Ye Chaoying and asked, "Can I ask... what a push-up is?"

"It's an exercise you can't get back up from. Stop leaning on me... I'm about to collapse too."

As it turned out, the boys hadn't even been doing push-ups for five seconds before the instructor blew the whistle. "Are you guys really that weak?"

If this had been a high school gym class, the boys would have been cracking jokes about the word "weak," but at this moment, there was complete silence.

It was a silent answer; they really were finished.

"How about this? To ensure quality, you all know the usual method, right? One person lies on the floor, the other supports them from above. If you don't want to have a face-to-face encounter with your buddy and ruin the friendship, then do it properly. Pair up yourselves. Whoever finishes first can end their training early and go back to rest."

Ending early was a huge temptation for everyone.

Looking at the scorching sun, this was likely the instructor's subtle way of letting them off the hook.

Ye Chaoying wanted to find Xia Chiyi without a second thought. Otherwise, should he choose Pang Shuai, who was right next to him? He couldn't even support himself!

No, more importantly, he didn't want to be crushed to death by Pang Shuai.

While the other students were still looking for partners, Zhou Zhexiao had already grabbed Xia Chiyi's wrist and started moving forward.

"Hey? Are you not bothered by the sun? Don't you want to rest for a while?"

The other boy’s stride was too long, almost knocking Xia Chiyi's cap off, forcing him to reach up and secure it.

"Ling Huanzhen is starting his first guidance session as coach at 2:30 PM. If we hurry, we can still catch the tail end of the practice."

"What? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi also became anxious.

They walked past Ye Chaoying without glancing to the side. Ye Chaoying's eyes widened as he heard Pang Shuai's gloating voice in his ear: "Accept your fate; I'm your only choice for a partner."

When the instructor saw Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao, he flashed a wide, toothy grin. "I didn't expect the first pair to be you two. Please, would our two department heartthrobs do a demonstration?"

The surrounding students crowded around, their eyes filled with obvious excitement. Xia Chiyi wondered if they were a pair of giant pandas.

In reality, he had already experienced this kind of partner push-up during high school military training; it wasn't anything special. Occasionally, they would even tease each other with cheeky remarks, which was indeed more interesting than doing them alone.

Xia Chiyi turned his head and met Fatty's eyes, which seemed to be flickering with a final burst of life, and suddenly realized... maybe it really was special.

"You lie down; I'll go first." Zhou Zhexiao rolled up the sleeves of his camouflage uniform with a blank expression, revealing his forearms.

Just seeing the lines of his forearms made the surrounding students start cheering and jeering.

"Why... why do you get to go first?"

For some reason, as Zhou Zhexiao drew closer, Xia Chiyi felt an inexplicable tension.

Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head. "Didn't you just say you wanted to rest for a while?"

"Ah... oh."

So, this was Zhou Zhexiao’s efficient way of letting him rest?

Ye Chaoying was the first to chime in. "Hey, Xia Chiyi! Zhou Zhexiao has already rolled up his sleeves, and you're still acting all coy and refusing to lie down?"

The other students burst into laughter.

Xia Chiyi pointed two fingers at his own eyes and then at Ye Chaoying: *Your mouth is so foul, don't think I won't poke your eyes out.*

He immediately lay down on the spot, striking a stiff, straight pose.

"Wow, even zombies aren't as stiff as you—" Ye Chaoying continued to laugh.

Xia Chiyi laughed back, "Just you wait, when we get back, I'm going to smear all your 380-dollar hair wax all over your face!"

Zhou Zhexiao was now facing Xia Chiyi, his legs planted on either side of his calves.

Because of the angle from below, Zhou Zhexiao's legs looked exaggeratedly long. The belt cinched around his waist held not just a physical body, but more hidden, surging impulses.

As he knelt down, accompanied by the strange noises from the other students, Xia Chiyi's heart leaped into his throat.

Zhou Zhexiao’s arms braced on either side of Xia Chiyi’s ears. He was so close that Xia Chiyi didn't dare to breathe. He knew that if he turned his head, he would be mocked by Ye Chaoying, so he could only force himself to look at the other boy with feigned indifference.

From this perspective, it was exactly like a scene where the male lead of an idol drama was about to force a kiss. The closer he looked, the more rugged and defined Zhou Zhexiao's facial features appeared, and those exquisitely contoured eyes seemed to say: *Look at me; there is no other scenery elsewhere.*

Zhou Zhexiao adjusted his posture for the push-ups, and at the sound of the instructor's whistle, the timer started.

The standard set by the instructor was ten push-ups per minute, and everyone began to count.

Originally, with Zhou Zhexiao's physical fitness, completing ten push-ups would only take thirty seconds—no, twenty would be enough.

Who knew this guy would lower himself at a snail's pace? Seeing that incredibly handsome face constantly drawing closer at a steady speed, Xia Chiyi’s originally calm breathing became tense, and he had to hold it in his throat, terrified that his breath would touch the other boy when they were close.

It felt as though even that would be an offense.

The closer they got, the clearer his own reflection became in Zhou Zhexiao's amber eyes.

*Can't this guy look somewhere else? Why keep staring at me? It's so awkward!*

The more calm and detached the other’s expression was, the more chaotic Xia Chiyi felt, his back aching from the tension.

Moreover, Zhou Zhexiao was wearing a cap, the brim tilted slightly to one side, perfectly misaligned with Xia Chiyi’s own brim, completely blocking the instructor's view when they were at their closest.

It was like a semi-enclosed small space where Xia Chiyi’s vision and senses were trapped.

Zhou Zhexiao’s body gradually drew parallel to his. He supported himself steadily without the slightest sway, making Xia Chiyi feel none of Zhou Zhexiao's weight. Yet, through that layer of camouflage, his body heat seemed to transmit like an illusion, and Xia Chiyi could almost feel the restrained, powerful tension in Zhou Zhexiao's muscles.

He had thought Zhou Zhexiao was just controlling the distance during the first two push-ups, which was why he was slow, but the third one... seemed even slower.

The instructor laughed. "This student, let me remind you, holding yourself like that and going slow actually consumes more energy, you know?"

This was the fourth time he had drawn close. Zhou Zhexiao's eyelashes were almost brushing against his own eyeballs. Xia Chiyi realized belatedly why the other was moving so slowly: it was because he had said he wanted to rest.

He almost raised his knee to nudge him, but the moment he moved, he received a warning glance from Zhou Zhexiao.

"I'm rested, you don't... don't need to keep lying here."

Xia Chiyi’s voice wasn't loud, but the students nearby heard it.

"Why do I feel like I've just been force-fed dog food?"

*Hey, buddy, you're not a dog, what kind of dog food are you eating?*

"So he was moving that 'slow' just to let Xia Chiyi lie there a bit longer?"

*My ears aren't deaf yet; can you not drag out that word 'moving' so long?*

"Are you sure you're not tired anymore?" Zhou Zhexiao's steady voice rang out.

*Is this guy a physical monster? He did five push-ups without even catching his breath?*

"Not tired. Didn't we say we were going to watch the training together?"

"Okay."

For the remaining five, suddenly, like a rocket launching, Zhou Zhexiao finished them without any hesitation.

Standard, straight, a perfect template. Crucially, he had such a great physique; it was as if he were deliberately holding back his strength, not wanting to touch someone fragile. The surroundings were silent, and Fatty gave a weak, breathless commentary: "How is it that it feels both ascetic, restrained, and yet so erotic?"

"Because he has broad shoulders, long legs, and abs. If it were you... it would be a hot air balloon crash, a literal aviation disaster," Ye Chaoying mercilessly roasted his roommate.

When Zhou Zhexiao pushed himself up with one arm from the side and his presence vanished, replaced by the scent of grass flooding Xia Chiyi's nostrils, he suddenly missed the feeling of being on edge.

It was as if he were looking forward to every time Zhou Zhexiao drew close.

The surrounding students applauded.

The instructor looked at Xia Chiyi and smiled. "Your partner is a standard template. You all saw it clearly, right? Sagging waists don't count, uneven backs don't count, and failing to push all the way up doesn't count."

Xia Chiyi nodded. "Don't worry, Instructor, I will keep it up to standard."

Zhou Zhexiao had already lain down, his hands at his sides, that obedient look returning.

Someone nearby said, "I'm so envious, I want to lie on him~"

Even though it was clearly a mischievous joke, Xia Chiyi almost tripped.

"Hurry up!"

"You don't understand, a man can't be fast!"

"Xia Chiyi, are you weak?"

Xia Chiyi suddenly regretted not having a more imposing presence; these guys were bullies who wouldn't dare tease Zhou Zhexiao, but they all came to poke fun at him?

He quickly adjusted his position and braced himself over Zhou Zhexiao.

Because of the height difference, when Xia Chiyi lowered himself, his eyes were only level with the other’s chin. Avoiding eye contact, Xia Chiyi suddenly felt lucky.

When Xia Chiyi did the first one, he realized that looking at Zhou Zhexiao’s lips was also something that could scramble his heartbeat.

Even though this person was his roommate and future teammate, and most importantly, another guy, those naturally closed lip lines seemed to have a strange magnetic pull on his gaze, making Xia Chiyi wonder if he lacked the arm strength, as if he were about to sink into the seam of the other's lips.

What was even worse was... seen from this angle, Zhou Zhexiao's eyelashes... they looked so soft, making one inexplicably want to nudge them with the tip of their nose.

The problem was that he was being so cautious, yet Zhou Zhexiao looked completely unruffled.

*Unfair, I'm a little annoyed.*

When he did the fourth push-up, Xia Chiyi suddenly looked at his own nose tip and went cross-eyed.

Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze clearly paused for a moment.

It was like a kindergartner receiving applause and encouragement, which filled Xia Chiyi with a desire to perform.

On the fifth push-up, he twisted his nose and mouth, rolling his eyes to the heavens.

Zhou Zhexiao evaluated: "So ugly."

*Making faces is supposed to be ugly!*

Xia Chiyi persisted, instantly puffing out his cheeks, squinting his eyes into slits. He had intended to "fart" when he was closest to Zhou Zhexiao, but he didn't expect the other to give him a look of kingly disdain, meaning: *If you dare to "puff," you're dead.*

Xia Chiyi timidly pushed himself up, mentally sketching out creative ideas, his features flying everywhere as he transformed into the world-famous painting, "The Scream."