Chapter 248 - 246: A Beautiful Thought

Chapter 248: Chapter 246: A Beautiful Thought

September 20th. The weather was clear.

The three-week-long military training was finally over.

Unlike at other universities, the twenty-two-day training required freshmen to do more than just the standard military combatives and formation drills. They also had to study military theory, complete a three-kilometer orienteering course, endure a twenty-kilometer nighttime forced march, and participate in the much-anticipated live-fire shooting range.

In addition, there were various drills for fire prevention, counter-terrorism, and riot control, as well as lessons on biochemical defense, such as how to use a gas mask.

Jiang Xia couldn’t help but marvel. ’Tsinghua truly lives up to its name as one of the country’s top universities. This kind of high-intensity military training must be designed to forge the very best students.’

After finishing the military training review at the East University Playground that morning, Jiang Xia returned to his dorm room. The thought of no more military training to come made him feel, surprisingly, a little unsettled.

But that thought was fleeting. The prospect of not having to endure more than ten hours of military training every day was simply fantastic.

He took a long, comfortable shower and changed into clean, fresh clothes. Looking in the mirror, he found he’d gotten a shade darker. His originally fair skin had turned a healthier, sun-tanned bronze. He stood tall and straight, exuding a firm, rugged air.

All in all, Jiang Xia was very satisfied with the effects of the military training.

"Nanny Su, starting tomorrow, I’m going to go work out with you."

Su Qing, drying his buzz cut with a towel, looked Jiang Xia up and down and couldn’t help but smile. "Well, well. Finally decided to see the light?"

"I worked hard to build this habit. Can’t just let it go to waste now that training’s over, right?"

"That makes sense. Alright, I’ll wake you at 5:30 tomorrow morning."

Jiang Xia nodded. After getting used to the intensity of military training, waking up early was nothing.

"Nanny Su, I have to head out for a bit."

"Where are you going?"

"Now that military training’s over, it’s time to get our studio set up, right? It should be ready in the next few days. When it is, I’ll take you to check out our company," Jiang Xia said with a smile.

"Alright, go on then."

Su Qing held a great deal of admiration for Jiang Xia. He was proactive and had rock-solid professional skills. Even at a place like Tsinghua, which was brimming with talent, he was undoubtedly one of the best.

A few minutes later, Lin Yanwan called him. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I’ll be right down."

"I’m waiting for you right downstairs."

As he walked out of the dormitory building, he saw Lin Yanwan sitting on a bench by the main entrance, dressed in a long, light-green skirt. The bicycle they had bought earlier was parked in front of her. Next to her stood a guy in glasses, trying to chat her up.

He felt a pang of resignation. ’Sometimes, having a wife this outstanding is a real hassle. You always run into this kind of thing, and there’s no stopping it.’

Just then, Lin Yanwan glanced toward the dormitory entrance. Seeing Jiang Xia walk out, a smile subconsciously bloomed on her face. The guy in glasses felt a surge of joy, thinking the underclassman had agreed to his request.

"Sorry, senior. I can’t give you my number. Besides, I have a boyfriend."

The guy was a bit embarrassed but didn’t press the issue. He just felt a pang of regret. ’How could such a beautiful underclassman already have a boyfriend? Those bastards sure move fast.’

"Babe, sorry to keep you waiting."

A gentle voice came from behind him. He turned to see a handsome, short-haired guy walking over. Judging by his appearance, he must be a freshman who had just finished military training.

Jiang Xia took a good, long look at her outfit. For the past few weeks, she had been wearing the military uniform that hid her beauty every day. Now, dressed in a light-green long skirt and little white shoes, she was a breathtaking sight.

’Ah, that’s my beloved wife, alright,’ he thought. ’So beautiful!’

"You’ve gotten so much darker now, but the tan looks good on you too," Lin Yanwan said, raising a hand to poke his cheek, unable to hold back a laugh.

Jiang Xia sighed helplessly. "How could I not get dark, baking under that huge sun all day? My skin will probably lighten up again by winter."

"But I got darker too," Lin Yanwan said.

Even with sunscreen every day, it was no match for the relentless sun.

"You didn’t get dark. You look beautiful."

Jiang Xia chuckled. "Let’s go."

"Okay."

He steadied the bicycle and got on. Lin Yanwan nodded, and holding a file folder, she reached out, wrapped her arms around his waist, and gently settled onto the back seat.

The pair slowly rode away. Neither of them had spared the other guy a second glance from start to finish, which left him feeling deeply wounded.

This feeling of being completely ignored was somehow worse than being rejected.

"What was he saying to you just now?"

"He wanted my number, but I didn’t give it to him."

Lin Yanwan said with a laugh, closing her eyes and pressing her cheek gently against Jiang Xia’s back, savoring the tender moment.

"Next time you run into someone like that, just tell them you’re already married," he grumbled. It really bugged him that other guys were always trying to hit on his wife.

"And what if they ask who my husband is...?"

"Me, of course!" Jiang Xia said without a trace of hesitation. "Strictly speaking, we aren’t even divorced yet."

Lin Yanwan laughed softly. ’Come to think of it, he’s right. Never mind that they hadn’t signed the divorce papers; even if they had, it wouldn’t have been official until they received the certificate from the Civil Affairs Bureau.’

’But that was all in their past life,’ she thought. ’It has nothing to do with now.’

"You silly oaf, what do you think would happen if a rescue team dug up our bodies?"

"It would probably make front-page news everywhere that day. Everyone at the scene would be moved to tears, and it might even end up as a reading comprehension passage on that year’s college entrance exam," Jiang Xia said seriously after a moment’s thought.

"Why?"

"Think about it. A husband shields his wife with his own body during an earthquake, and they both end up dying. What could be more moving than that?"

"And what if, after all the hype and publicity, they found the divorce papers nearby?" Lin Yanwan asked with a smile.

"Er... wouldn’t that make it even more meaningful? Even though their relationship had fallen apart, when danger struck, the husband’s love for his wife remained. It would show that love is selfless, grand, and asks for nothing in return."

"I think it would go like this."

"Hmm?"

Lin Yanwan said with a sly grin, "That man is so vicious. When the earthquake hit, he’d rather drag his wife down to die with him than let her go."

SCREECH! With a sudden, harsh stop of the brakes, Lin Yanwan cried out, "Whoa!" and slammed into Jiang Xia’s back.

Jiang Xia was speechless. He thought about her scenario, and it was entirely possible. Unscrupulous media outlets were more than capable of pulling such a disgusting stunt for clicks.

First, they’d heap praise on the deeply moving love story, then they’d flip the script for a sensational twist, dragging his name through the mud. Add in the hordes of keyboard warriors promoting gender antagonism, and the buzz and clicks would come rolling in.

The comment section would be a predictable flood of "This is terrifying, another day where I’m scared of marriage," and "I’m speechless, fam. This dude is so toxic."

"Babe, you’ve shattered my beautiful, romantic notion!" Jiang Xia wailed dramatically.

"But aren’t I your beautiful, romantic notion?"

Lin Yanwan hugged his waist tightly.