Finally, just before the military training began, I managed to finish making all the accompaniments. And then, it was time for the military training!
The male and female squads were separated during the training, even during mealtime and the evening sing-along sessions. Once the military training ended, everyone hurried back to their dorms to rest. For the past couple of days, Wu Hao didn't get a chance to talk to Yang Mi.
Desires are beautiful, but reality can be cruel. No matter how many methods Wu Hao thought of to approach Yang Mi or how many ways he tried to win her over, the reality was that he hadn't spoken a single word to her yet. But there was still a silver lining. At least when Yang Mi noticed Wu Hao gazing at her, she would smile in response. We really should thank Yuan Shanshan, one of Yang Mi's roommates, for that.
"Why is it that out of all the people watching Yang Mi, she only smiles back at me? It must mean she has a crush on me. You guys don't stand a chance!" Every time a classmate teased Wu Hao for secretly stealing glances at Yang Mi during the military training, he would respond like this—half showing off and half self-satisfaction.
The news of Wu Hao's crush on Yang Mi spread throughout the 2005 class on the first day of military training. Since all the male students from the 2005 class lived together during the training, naturally, everyone came to know about it. Once the boys knew, it was impossible to keep it a secret from the girls, and Yuan Shanshan was the one who informed Wu Hao. So, within the 2005 class, Wu Hao had become somewhat famous. Although there were definitely many others who liked Yang Mi, Wu Hao was the only one who publicly confessed his feelings for her.
If Yang Mi's smile represented happiness, then the military training represented pain. In his previous life, Wu Hao was a homebody who never exercised. In this life, he was busy with his art exams and college entrance exams, leaving him with no time to work out. But there was no escape from the military training; after all, Yang Mi was also participating. Thankfully, Wu Hao's body was still young and capable of enduring the training.
In reality, the main purpose of the military training was to help college students who had neglected physical exercise since high school to restore their bodies. After all, prolonged inactivity easily leads to suboptimal health conditions. That's why the intensity of military training in college is much higher than that of middle and high school, and of course, the fact that the students' bodies from middle and high school couldn't handle such intensity also plays a role.
Wu Hao could accept everything else, but what he feared most was the military stance. Standing there, exposed to the scorching sun, feeling the heat, and experiencing exhaustion while wearing liberation shoes, his feet were extremely sore and unbearable. The first day was manageable with just 20 minutes, but on the second day, it increased to 40 minutes.
In the male dormitory, Wu Hao lay on his bed feeling utterly dejected, thinking about having to maintain the military stance for an entire hour the next day. Suddenly, he felt like life had lost all meaning. He couldn't even muster the mood to chat; he simply listened to others talking quietly.
From somewhere, Wu Hao vaguely heard the words "sanitary pads." He wondered which guy had such peculiar tastes to discuss sanitary pads related to girls during their conversation.
Hmm? Sanitary pads? Wu Hao suddenly sat up, realizing that he had forgotten about this legendary military training artifact. This thing was seriously useful, especially the extra thick ones. Soft, sweat-absorbent, when placed in your shoes, it was genuinely comfortable.
Wu Hao couldn't sit still at this point. He rummaged through his wallet, without saying a word to his classmates, and with his exhausted body, he headed straight to the convenience store. He didn't even bother asking his classmates to come along. Wu Hao remembered that this method only became known years later when he went hiking with his colleagues, and one of them told him about it. The effect was truly impressive. But now, if he were to tell his classmates that he was going to buy sanitary pads, even if he explained their purpose, hardly anyone would tag along. It would be too embarrassing. But that didn't matter. Once he bought a few extra packs, he could let his classmates try them out, and they would know how amazing they were.
As for why he wanted to help his classmates buy them, if he only bought for himself and his classmates found out, if he didn't tell them the purpose, they would think he was a weirdo. But if he did tell them the purpose, they would say he wasn't loyal enough for not sharing such a good thing. Besides, sanitary pads didn't cost much. Buying a couple of packs, with one piece each for his classmates, would be enough. Once they realized how useful they were, they would naturally buy their own. As for students from other classes, that was none of Wu Hao's concern.
He arrived at the convenience store and headed straight to the sanitary pad section. He saw a row of large packs with the words "extra thick" written on them. He took a closer look and found they came in a pack of thirty. Perfect! Without hesitation, he grabbed a pack. The sooner he made his purchase, the better. What if he ran into a girl buying something at the store? That would be a huge embarrassment. If it reached Yang Mi's ears, he would be in big trouble.
It seemed like his fears were destined to come true. Just as he walked away from the shelf, he saw Yang Mi entering the store. And to make matters worse, Yang Mi spotted him too.
Wu Hao immediately hid the large pack of sanitary pads behind his back, whether or not Yang Mi had seen it. Finally, he had the chance to talk to her alone, and he had to clarify the situation. He couldn't let this misunderstanding escalate.
Pretending as if nothing had happened, Wu Hao approached her and said, "Senior Yang Mi, what a coincidence! You're here to buy something too."
Calling her "senior" felt more intimate, as directly using her name would be too distant. And calling her "Mi Mi" was definitely out of the question. So, calling her "senior" was the right choice. Although they were in the same year, Yang Mi was older than Wu Hao, so calling her "senior" wasn't inappropriate.
Hearing Wu Hao calling her "senior," Yang Mi was probably quite pleased. After all, girls tend to enjoy playing the role of an older sister, especially when it comes to handsome guys with baby faces.
With a beaming smile, Yang Mi replied, "Wu Hao, I've heard so much about you! My roommates always mention you. What have you done to earn their support? They always speak so highly of you."
Seeing Yang Mi's warm response, Wu Hao was also delighted. "Hehe, nothing much. We got to know each other during the art exam. I didn't even know they were your roommates. They were moved by my sincere feelings for you."
"Hehe," although Yang Mi thought Wu Hao was not bad, she didn't intend to accept his pursuit. She smiled and changed the subject, "So, what did you buy? You're hiding something behind your back, afraid that I'll see it."
Wu Hao's face froze for a moment, but he felt he could still salvage the situation. Trying to play it off, he said, "Oh, it's nothing. Senior Yang Mi, what do you want to drink? Let me treat you to a beverage."
Yang Mi, sensing something intriguing, became even more curious. "What are you hiding? Show me."
Yang Mi didn't hold back at all, saying this as she approached Wu Hao to grab his right hand that was hiding behind his back.
Wu Hao was taken aback, not expecting Yang Mi to be so direct. He caught a whiff of the fragrance of her shampoo in her hair, and his mind started to wander. He gave up resisting and allowed Yang Mi to pull his hand out, revealing the large pack of sanitary pads to her.
Upon seeing what Wu Hao was holding, Yang Mi immediately let go and instinctively took a step back, her face filled with disgust.
Before Yang Mi could say anything, Wu Hao quickly explained, "Senior, please don't misunderstand. I bought these to use as shoe inserts during the military training. They're soft and absorbent, making it less painful for our feet."
Luckily, Yang Mi didn't turn around and leave immediately. She gave him some time to explain, and Wu Hao felt relieved.
Even though Yang Mi still looked somewhat skeptical, Wu Hao took out a pad from the pack and handed it to her sincerely, saying, "Senior Yang Mi, I'm not lying. This is a military training artifact. Try using it as a shoe insert. It really works wonders."
Yang Mi hesitated for a moment but eventually chose to trust Wu Hao. She took the pad, unwrapped it, and thought to herself that her neckline was a bit loose, and bending down could risk exposing herself. So, she lifted her right leg, preparing to take off her shoe. Maybe it was because of the military training during the day, her left leg didn't support her properly, and she ended up falling towards Wu Hao. Before either of them could react, Yang Mi fell into Wu Hao's arms, and instinctively, Wu Hao held her tight.
With a beauty in his embrace, Wu Hao felt excited. Who would have thought that buying sanitary pads would come with such unexpected perks? Wu Hao felt incredibly fortunate. Thankfully, he knew that they weren't familiar enough yet to have this kind of physical contact. Although it was an accident, he had to behave like a gentleman.
In less than a second since Yang Mi fell into his arms, before Yang Mi could react, Wu Hao released his grip, gently supporting her fragrant shoulders, and helped her regain her balance. He took a step back, creating some distance between them, and looked at Yang Mi with concern. "Are you okay? Did you twist your foot?"
Even though Yang Mi was outgoing and mature, it was still her first time having such intimate contact with a guy. She blushed for a moment, and her fondness for Wu Hao grew even stronger. He didn't take advantage of the situation by holding onto her and even showed concern for her well-being. Yang Mi thought that Wu Hao was quite a good guy.
As Yang Mi lowered her head, feeling embarrassed by the situation, she tried to avoid Wu Hao's intense gaze. She scolded herself internally, "Yang Mi, why are you suddenly so weak? You were only hugged for a moment. What's there to be so evasive about? Weren't you always able to ignore this kind of attention?"
Seeing Yang Mi feeling bashful, Wu Hao mustered his courage and held her small hand tightly. Leading her to a nearby chair, he helped her sit down. Then he squatted in front of her, looking at her beautiful legs.
Yang Mi seemed to have guessed what Wu Hao had in mind and shifted her left leg uneasily, trying to hide it. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to hide.