Chapter 80: Military Training Begins! (Please Add to Favorites)

Su Yunjin had no idea that the shameless Fu Lin she’d just met was the very same Fu Lin with whom she’d almost had a childhood engagement. She was even less aware that, after this brief encounter, she had already become the talk of Fu Lin’s circle. In less than half a day, everyone in Fu Lin’s dorm and class knew of her. The straightforward young men teased him, but there was envy in their laughter.

Still, some well-meaning souls offered words of caution. Yet Fu Lin, stubborn and unyielding, even argued back using the words of the commissar and class monitor, leaving the others both amused and helpless. Especially those comrades who had tasted the bitterness of love—they could only shake their heads. There were those who sent their blessings, and others who simply waited to see the spectacle unfold.

Meanwhile, at the Fu family home, Fu Lin did something unprecedented—he called his family. His only reason was to tell them he had run into Su Yunjin.

“Little Yunjin is actually leading her students in your military training?” The first thing that struck Fu Xingguo was shock. Ever since he’d learned that Su Yunjin had once saved his grandson’s life, he’d directly asked Fu Lin if he liked her. The answer had been a definite yes. But just as he was rejoicing, Fu Lin had added that Su Yunjin had already refused him, recounting the events at the fire station.

Though the old man had encouraged his grandson to persevere and not fear rejection, he knew well enough that, with Su Yunjin’s temperament, as soon as the program was over, she would return to the Seven Sects. At best, she’d visit their home on holidays—a handful of days out of three hundred sixty-five. Even if a day had forty-eight hours, it wouldn’t be enough to bring the two together.

So Fu Xingguo understood that this match was over. Still, his grandson was young, and even if he never found someone as wonderful as Su Yunjin, there would always be someone else in time. He had once allowed himself to hope—like the time he sent Su Yunjin a chime, a happenstance that had made him think perhaps fate was at work. He’d told Fu Lin to deliver it, hoping the two would meet and talk, but after his grandson was rejected, he’d been too embarrassed to face her, handing it off to the program staff instead.

Fu Xingguo had fumed for half the night over that. Even fate’s helping hand had been wasted—who could be blamed but his own foolish grandson? Yet unexpectedly, today, Su Yunjin had brought her students to the Imperial Capital Conservatory, and among the instructors was his own grandson. What a remarkable coincidence!

“That’s right, it’s almost unbelievable,” Fu Lin said, eyes shining. “I wasn’t supposed to come, but the senior who was assigned had a family emergency and handed the duty to me. I wanted to help, so I came—and there she was.”

Fu Xingguo grinned so widely his teeth showed. “Did you talk to her?”

“We did.” Fu Lin flashed a big, bashful smile. “I even called her my wife—hehehe.”

Fu Xingguo’s smile froze. Even in the privacy of his own home, he felt his face burning with embarrassment, as though he had brought shame upon himself to the farthest reaches of space.

Yet, as the descendant of patriotic merchants, Fu Xingguo had weathered many storms. He studied his grandson and, allowing himself a brief hope, wondered if perhaps Su Yunjin had changed her mind. Maintaining a facade of calm, he asked with a genial laugh, “So, does that mean you two are together now?”

“No, today was the first time we’d met. But I’ll have to call her that eventually, so I might as well get used to it now,” Fu Lin answered, his smile pure and earnest, with a deepening blush.

The sensation of mortification on Fu Xingguo’s face only grew stronger. Even though his family line had carried on for nine generations, at that moment, he almost wished Fu Lin wasn’t his grandson. He could already imagine the elders of the Seven Sects mocking him during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

With a cough, Fu Xingguo’s voice grew weary. “A-Lin, these matters of marriage should proceed slowly. You ought to have a sense of propriety.”

“Huh?” Fu Lin hadn’t quite caught on.

The next moment, Fu Xingguo had already hung up. When Fu Lin called back, the old man refused to answer. Little did Fu Lin know, in that understatedly luxurious study, this elder who had spent a lifetime navigating the world of commerce felt embarrassed for the first time since founding his family. For the first time, this scion of three generations of a proud, patriotic lineage felt he had failed in his duties.

How mortifying. How utterly mortifying! His grandson was truly intent on shaming him to the ends of the earth.

…

August 4th.

Military training for the C-Position Girl Group officially began.

The first day called for a sense of ceremony, so before six in the morning, Fu Lin had all the trainees up and ready for the flag-raising. At the sound of the assembly call, the girls groaned in chorus. Out of dozens, only a handful were used to such discipline—those from Su Yunjin’s group. Ever since she’d helped them shine on stage, they had stopped complaining, even when she made them recite the entire “Three Character Classic.”

Now, they accepted her orders willingly, even sweetly. While others yawned, they rose calmly; while others grumbled, they waited patiently for the roll call. Even during the morning run after the ceremony, they handled it with ease. This change wasn’t obvious day to day, but compared with others who panted and lagged after just a kilometer or two, their difference was striking.

The girls from Su Yunjin’s group now had a sparkle in their eyes. While others turned pale or lost all composure from exhaustion, they remained poised, using their rest time to chat about life or even practice dance moves. They felt things could hardly be better.

After morning exercise came breakfast, then formal military training. During these sessions, Fu Lin and the other instructors donned stern expressions, displaying utmost seriousness. There were five groups, each with its own instructor, and a military performance was scheduled, cameras rolling to capture the girls’ progress.

After a morning of training, the afternoons were devoted to Su Yunjin’s team, rehearsing the next dance routine. Seven days a week, whether for the girl group members or the mentors, there was hardly a moment’s rest.

Yet, as the days passed, everyone grew more familiar, and the rare breaks were filled with lively exchanges. As students of the arts, their interactions went far beyond the typical university military training, where singing was the main pastime. Here, they showcased a dazzling array of talents—dance, swordplay, magic tricks—vying to stand out. Their makeup-free faces shone with radiant, unrestrained smiles.