Rebirth of a Mercenary: The Ace Mercenary Forced to Be the Beloved of the Group

The west square of the train station, a temporary assembly point for new recruits.

Squad leader Zhao Lei rolled up the roster in his hand into a tube, tapped his thigh absentmindedly, and glanced at the new recruits gathered in twos and threes on the square.

He raised the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and glanced down at his watch.

Fifteen minutes left.

Someone walked towards the registration desk.

He was a teenager.

When the boy walked up to the registration desk, Zhao Lei finally saw his face clearly, and almost dropped the roster in his hand.

That face was so exquisite. The curve of her brow bone, the line of her nose, the angle of her jaw—every detail looked as if it had been drawn stroke by stroke with the finest pen. Her skin was so white it was almost translucent, gleaming with a porcelain-like cool light under the September sun.

Is this guy here to join the army or to shoot a magazine cover?

Zhao Lei was stunned for two seconds before he came to his senses. He cleared his throat and tried his best to make his expression look like that of a serious military officer.

"Name."

"white night."

Bai Ye's voice was clear and bright, with a youthful quality that was neither arrogant nor humble.

Zhao Lei found the name on the roster and ticked it. He pointed in the direction of the meeting point. Bai Ye nodded, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked over.

Zhao Lei looked away and shook his head.

She's really good-looking, but with that delicate skin, she'll probably suffer a lot in basic training.

People gradually arrived.

Zhao Lei checked the roster one by one to make sure nothing was missing, and then blew the whistle.

"Everyone, get on the bus in groups, and hurry up!"

Bai Ye picked up his bag and trailed at the back of the line. He wasn't in a hurry.

Then he paused slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure darting in from the edge of the crowd, heading towards his bag.

The thief's fingers just touched the zipper of the side pocket.

The next second, a slender, fair hand gripped his wrist.

Before the thief could react, he felt an irresistible force on his wrist. Then, the world spun around him—his body was swung up in the air, tracing a clean arc before his back slammed heavily to the ground.

boom.

A muffled thud was heard, raising a small cloud of dust.

A standard over-the-shoulder throw.

Clean, crisp, and the force applied was as smooth as a textbook example.

The thief lay on his back on the concrete ground, with a foot pressing down on his chest.

He winced in pain, struggling to get up, but the foot pressing on his chest, though not with much force, held him firmly in place, as if nailed to the ground. He looked up in disbelief and met a pair of amber eyes.

"Stealing things at the recruit assembly point, that's pretty creative."

The boy's voice came from above, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on today's weather.

The surrounding noise abruptly stopped.

All the new recruits stopped in their tracks and turned around in unison.

When Zhao Lei squeezed through the crowd and ran over, the scene he saw stunned him—Bai Ye, whom he had just assumed would suffer a lot in basic training, was standing with one foot on the thief's chest.

Zhao Lei looked at the thief on the ground, then at Bai Ye, then back at the thief. He opened his mouth, and the thought in his mind that "this child's delicate skin probably can't withstand it" shattered completely.

That guy's got some skills.

The patrolling police officers at the edge of the square quickly arrived and handcuffed the thief. While taking his statement, the police officers glanced at Bai Ye a few more times, probably because they felt that his appearance didn't match the ferocity of the over-the-shoulder throw he had just delivered.

"Have you trained before?"

Bai Ye thought for a moment and said, "I've practiced a little."

The police officer nodded and didn't ask any more questions. These days, many new recruits have some martial arts training, so it's not unusual.

-

Across the street from the square.

Xuanxiao leaned against the passenger door of the military jeep, one hand resting on the edge of the open window, the other still in the position of putting water into his mouth.

He had noticed that person long ago.

Xuan Xiao's first reaction was—did this person go to the wrong place? The art exam site next door is in the South Square.

Then he saw that scene.

The fair-skinned beauty grabbed a grown man's wrist with one hand, swung him up, slammed him to the ground, and then stomped on him. The whole movement was fluid and seamless, without a single unnecessary movement; the way she exerted her force was as clean as if she had practiced it a thousand times.

That's not the level of someone who's "practiced a little".

Xuan Xiao himself came from a military family and grew up on the training ground, having gone through no fewer than ten different combat instructors. He could tell at a glance how many hours of basic training were involved in a single move. That over-the-shoulder throw just now—the power point was in the waist, the fulcrum was stable, the angle of leverage was precise, and the final step on the chest landed precisely in the most vulnerable spot between the ribs and collarbone.

Xuanxiao slowly put the water bottle down, screwed on the cap, and kept his gaze fixed on the direction of the bus.

interesting.

-

The bus traveled smoothly on the highway.

Bai Ye leaned against the window, tilting her head to watch the scenery flash by outside.

The September sky was high and far, with thin wisps of cloud clinging to the pale blue canvas. Sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a pale golden glow on his eyelashes.

He was a little sleepy, but he didn't go to sleep.

He sensed that someone had sat down in the seat next to him.

Bai Ye turned his head and met a pair of emerald green eyes.

The gray-haired boy rested one hand on the back of the seat in front of him, leaning to the side as if sizing him up. He had deep-set features, high brow bones, a straight nose, and a slightly upturned mouth with a natural, unrestrained smile.

She is the kind of person who knows she is good-looking but never tries to hide it.

"Xuanxiao".

He stretched out his hand.

Bai Ye glanced down at the hand, but did not shake it.

"white night."

"I know," Xuan Xiao withdrew his hand, not feeling embarrassed at all, but instead his smile deepened. "I saw what you did in the square just now. Pretty cool."

Bai Ye didn't reply, and turned her gaze back to the window.

Xuan Xiao didn't mind. He straightened up, adjusted the seat back a little, and put his arms behind his head. He didn't close his eyes; out of the corner of his eye, he saw the reflection of Bai Ye on the car window.

That profile looked as if it were edged with gold in the backlight.

It's fucking beautiful.

Xuan Xiao closed his eyes, but the smile on his lips didn't fade.

This recruit training camp doesn't seem too boring.

After an unknown amount of time, Xuanxiao felt a slight weight on his shoulder.

He opened his eyes.

Bai Ye fell asleep.

Bai Ye tilted her head and rested it on his shoulder.

Xuanxiao froze for a moment.

He looked down at the black head resting on his shoulder, a flicker of unease crossing his emerald eyes. He tried to push it away, raising his hand only to lower it again, finally settling into a slightly stiff position, sitting motionless.

The bus continued on its way, leaving the city, fields, and September sunshine behind.

The boy's breathing was long and steady, and his sleeping face was as peaceful as the moon reflected in a deep pool.

Xuanxiao stared at the roof of the car and muttered something in a voice only he could hear.

"...It's so heavy."