On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

As the group disbanded, everyone dragged their leaden legs, intending to collapse back to their dormitories just like they had at noon, when a familiar figure appeared at the edge of the playground.

"Students, you've worked hard!" Counselor Zhang Ye walked over with a smile, carrying a large plastic bag filled with individually wrapped chocolates and small bottles of energy drinks.

"Teacher Zhang!" The listless group immediately perked up.

"It seems Instructor Lei has really put everyone through the wringer," Teacher Zhang said gently, looking at the tired but determined faces. "How was your first day?"

"I feel completely drained..."

"Teacher, help..."

The cries of anguish rose and fell, tinged with the grievance of seeing "family."

Teacher Zhang smiled and distributed chocolates and drinks to the students nearby, encouraging them to pass them around: "Have some energy. The first day is the hardest; your body and mind are adjusting. Just hang in there."

He walked over to Chen Mo, Su Yuqing, and their small group, and deliberately gave them a few extra chocolates: "Chen Mo, Su Yuqing, you guys seem to be doing alright? Take good care of yourselves and your classmates."

"We will, thank you, Teacher Zhang." Chen Mo accepted the gift and nodded his thanks.

Su Yuqing thanked him softly, peeled off a piece of chocolate and took a small bite. The sweet taste did indeed invigorate her tired spirit a little.

Teacher Zhang looked at everyone, clapped his hands, and announced some good news with a smile: "Alright, everyone, cheer up! To help you get to know your instructors as quickly as possible and to help you relax after training, we're organizing a military training bonfire party tomorrow night in the open space on the east side of the playground! Don't be shy, just sing some songs, play some games, and get to know each other!"
You will discover a different side of Instructor Lei.

This news was like a shot in the arm, instantly dispelling the cloud of weariness that had hung over everyone.

Wow! A party!

"Finally, some entertainment!"

Lin Xiaoxiao immediately perked up and shook Zhou Yue's arm: "Yueyue! We can have lots of fun tomorrow night!"

Upon hearing this news, Zhao Ya's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously glanced at Shen Xinghe's profile; the atmosphere of the party... seemed to make her feel more approachable than during the day.

Chen Mo looked at Su Yuqing's eyes, which lit up instantly, and asked with a low laugh, "Looking forward to it?"

Su Yuqing nodded vigorously, a relaxed smile blooming on her face for the first time that day: "Yeah! I feel energetic again!"

Suddenly, Chen Mo felt a sense of temporal displacement, and the image of Su Yuqing from the past kept flashing before his eyes.

Su Yuqing used to prefer being alone and wasn't very good at interacting with people.

After his return, Su Yuqing gradually began to increase the frequency of her contact with others, and now she has come to yearn for this lively and joyous atmosphere.

Watching Su Yuqing's transformation from the beginning to the present, Chen Mo was filled with mixed feelings and deeply moved.

Everything is getting better and better.

He looked at Su Yuqing with a gentle smile, watching her genuine smile and her gradually brightening personality; everything was so beautiful.

Looking at the group that had become lively again, Teacher Zhang nodded with satisfaction: "Alright, everyone go back and rest, recover well! Get plenty of energy so you can have a great time tomorrow night! Dismissed!"

The excitement brought by Teacher Zhang's arrival was only a temporary illusion. As the group disbanded, everyone was still exhausted, but compared to the complete "paralysis" at noon, there seemed to be a touch of numb adaptation.

"I feel... I think I'm getting used to this intensity?" Wang Lan said incredulously, rubbing her shoulders.

Li Zhe pushed up his glasses, looking weak and listless: "I just feel like my pain receptors are numb..." Lin Xiaoxiao leaned against Zhou Yue's back: "I just want to know, how many more days will this last..."

Chen Mo walked over to Su Yuqing and naturally took her water bottle: "Are you alright?"

Su Yuqing naturally took his hand and softly hummed in agreement. Although she was tired, there was a hint of resilience in her eyes: "I can still keep going."

Zhao Ya watched Shen Xinghe's aloof figure walk alone towards the dormitory building, then looked at her companions supporting each other, and gently clenched her fist.

The first day of military training, amidst extreme exhaustion and nascent growth, has finally come to an end.

The first thing everyone does when they get home at night is to order takeout, wash up, eat dinner, and then quickly climb back into their own beds to get a good night's sleep.

The next morning, when the familiar assembly call pierced the sky once again, although everyone's bodies were still filled with protesting aches and pains, their reactions were much faster than the day before.

Although Wang Lan was still grumbling, her speed in getting dressed had noticeably improved.

Li Zhe's eyes held less confusion and more of a resolute acceptance of fate.

On the girls' side, Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Yue encouraged each other, and their movements became much more efficient.

Zhao Ya silently straightened her clothes, a hint of anticipation for the night hidden in her eyes.

Standing on the playground again, facing Instructor Lei's stern face, everyone's mindset was different.

The physical fatigue remained, but a thin layer of armor seemed to have been built up in my mind.

"Looks like you've recovered well overnight?" Instructor Lei's eyes flashed as he swept over the ranks. "I hope you can maintain this level of performance today! Today, we'll focus on practicing marching!"

More complex and physically demanding projects are coming up.

Leg raises, leg kicks, every step and movement... each individual movement is an ultimate test of core strength and balance.

The playground was filled with all sorts of swaying figures doing "one-legged stance" and the heavy sound of footsteps landing.

"Lift your legs up! Twenty-five centimeters off the ground!"

"Don't sway! Stay steady!"

"Swing your arms! How many times have I told you, swing your arms powerfully!"

Instructor Lei's shouts remained the same, but perhaps out of habit, or perhaps because Chen Mo's demonstration yesterday had set an unspoken benchmark, everyone practiced with greater dedication and showed stronger perseverance.

Chen Mo remained the "oddball," his movements so precise they resembled a teaching template. Even when other students were swaying, he could still spare a glance to encourage Su Yuqing beside him, or whisper a reminder to Wang Lan in the same row to "point your toes" without attracting the instructor's attention.

Instructor Lei naturally noticed Chen Mo's "effortlessness," but today he changed his approach—"taking care of him."

Instead of having Chen Mo demonstrate alone, he directly appointed him as their "little instructor," responsible for checking and correcting the movements of the students in their line.

Chen Mo accepted it readily. During training breaks, he would walk over to classmates whose movements were not up to standard, patiently gesturing the height with his hands, or gently patting their backs to remind them to straighten up.

His help was subtle yet effective; even Instructor Lei's critical gaze occasionally flashed with a barely perceptible hint of approval. (End of Chapter)