Chi Feiran looked at the item in his hand, speechless, while Xia Wen winked and said, “This is really useful!”
Their roommates gathered around to check it out, like they were admiring a rare spectacle. One of them, who seemed knowledgeable, immediately said, “Oh, I know how to use this!”
“Hehehe, I know too!”
“Haha, me too!”
“Damn, why do you all sound so sleazy? It’s just for padding inside your shoes! But I was too embarrassed to buy it myself…”
“Actually, I stole a pack from my sister…”
“Well, in that case, I won’t hide mine anymore…”
Chi Feiran had never experienced this kind of military training before, nor had he ever been in a boys’ dorm where everyone gathered to share “good stuff,” which turned out to be women’s sanitary pads…
It was a fresh experience for him. He was almost too embarrassed to say that he had actually brought insoles with him.
Friendship among boys can sometimes form in an instant. After sharing their special insoles, they all became brothers!
Chi Feiran awkwardly stuffed the sanitary pads into his bag and, while doing so, also pushed his insoles further down. Then he took out some items he had brought to share with everyone.
Chen Mengyang had prepared a small set of mosquito repellent and sun protection items for him, one for each person, which were very practical.
The guys all took out their snacks as return gifts, and the dorm atmosphere became incredibly harmonious. Finally, Xia Wen revealed his true desire: “So, I have a wish…”
Chi Feiran instantly knew what he wanted to do. He also kind of wanted to…
Xia Wen asked, “Xiangfei! Dingding! Can I touch your heads?”
Xiang Fei and Ding Jie cursed at him together: “You’re Xiangfei! You’re Dingding!”
Another roommate, Bashan, eagerly asked Xia Wen, “Xia Wen, call me and see?”
Xia Wen teased him, “Shanshan~~”
Bashan, who once had the fantasy of being called “daddy,” said, “…”
Chi Feiran quickly thought about his own name and then breathed a sigh of relief, feeling quite safe.
Teasing went both ways. Once everyone had nicknames, Xia Wen couldn’t escape either. His nickname was created by the other guys, excluding Chi Feiran, who claimed his Chinese wasn’t good enough to come up with something clever.
After some thinking, they decided on “No More” for Xia Wen.
Chi Feiran didn’t understand: “Why that?”
Xiang Fei explained, “Because ‘no more Xia Wen’ sounds like ‘no more next chapter’!”
Chi Feiran: “…”
Well, as long as they’re happy.
While the boys were bantering and making their beds, the instructor came by to hand out uniforms. They each received an unattractive camouflage outfit and were told to gather in half an hour.
After the instructor left, Xiang Fei started complaining, “Damn, there’s only one set. We’ll have to rush back and wash it after training, or we’ll be wearing stinky clothes tomorrow!”
Chi Feiran thought this was a very reasonable reminder and nodded in agreement.
They didn’t have much time to get ready, so they quickly changed into their uniforms and prepared for assembly.
Ding Jie, who cared a lot about appearances, couldn’t help but comment after changing, “Aren’t camo uniforms usually green? Why are ours this poop-brown color?”
These young men, all aspiring to be stars, were quite picky about their looks. They all had complaints about the dull camo uniforms.
When Ding Jie voiced his thoughts, everyone started complaining. Chi Feiran managed to say, “Just think of it as tea-colored…”
But the guys didn’t listen, and even Xia Wen thought the uniforms were poop-brown.
Fortunately, the training ground was just ahead. Despite their opinions about the uniforms, they could only grumble silently, not wanting the instructor to hear.
Boys and girls trained separately. From their spot, they could only see the girls from a distance. Chi Feiran overheard some guys behind him quietly discussing which girl looked the palest, her skin almost reflective in the sunlight.
Xia Wen, standing next to him, whispered, “Speaking of pale, you’re the palest, Feiran. Standing here, you’re like a reflector. You’re making me see spots.”
Chi Feiran didn’t know how to respond to this strange compliment, so he awkwardly replied, “…Thank you.”
Xia Wen found Chi Feiran a bit hard to talk to. While he wasn’t difficult to get along with, he just didn’t talk much, unlike Xia Wen, who felt he could chat about anything. He realized this friendship would require more effort from his side.
Xia Wen even started thinking he might have to become a bridge between Chi Feiran and the other students.
But then Xia Wen got a rude awakening. Chi Feiran might not talk much, but he certainly let his skills do the talking!
When they stood at attention under the scorching sun for half an hour, everyone felt like they were about to collapse, but Chi Feiran stood there as if meditating, barely sweating. That alone was impressive. When it came to marching, his steps were graceful and stylish, which naturally drew attention.
However, the real highlight came during their combat training. Chi Feiran’s moves were sharper and more fluid than everyone else’s, making him stand out.
The instructor noticed and asked, “Have you trained before?”
Chi Feiran, unsure what the instructor meant, replied, “I’ve trained in other things, but not this.”
Hearing that Chi Feiran had some training, the instructor became curious. It was rare to find a young student with any martial arts background.
Whether it was because they had finished their training session or because the instructor wanted to test him, the instructor announced a twenty-minute break for everyone.
At the instructor’s request, Chi Feiran sparred with him, exchanging a few moves. The instructor had solid skills, while Chi Feiran was more versatile and agile, easily dodging most of the attacks.
The watching students were dumbfounded. They had come for military training, but Chi Feiran seemed to be there to spar with the instructor!
Other instructors, seeing the commotion, allowed their groups to rest and came over to watch. A student holding his own against a professional was rare and worth watching.
One of the livelier instructors teased, “Hey, Lao Zhang! You’re not doing so well!”
Instructor Zhang turned and yelled back, “You come and try!”
And so he did. This new instructor had a style similar to Chi Feiran’s, both quick and agile. Their match was even more exciting than the previous one, with every move sharp and precise, and those nearby could almost hear the wind from their movements.
Everyone watching was in awe, feeling like they were watching a movie scene. Except this was real fighting!
The training had just begun, with more than a week left. When it came to shooting practice, even the guys who weren’t that impressed with Chi Feiran initially were in awe.
The instructor even considered recruiting him: “You shouldn’t be a celebrity! You should serve the country!”
Chi Feiran replied, “I’m a foreign national, so it’s not convenient.”
The instructor was disappointed: “Oh, that’s a pity…”
Chi Feiran became famous throughout the entire film academy overnight. While other students were exhausted from the drills, he still had the energy to spar with the instructor and climb walls. His stamina seemed endless, and his shooting skills were remarkable! People started wondering if he was even human.
People naturally admire strength, and the boys training with Chi Feiran all became his fans. Bashan admired him so much that he even offered to do his laundry: “Brother Chi! Let me be your little brother!”
The others didn’t want to be left out, eagerly expressing their willingness to follow Chi Feiran and even offering to wash his underwear and socks.
Xia Wen protested, “If anyone’s going to be his little brother, it’s going to be me first!”
Xiang Fei shoved Xia Wen aside and enthusiastically offered his head to Chi Feiran: “Brother Chi! You can touch it!”
Chi Feiran, looking at his sweaty head, didn’t really feel like touching it but couldn’t refuse his enthusiasm. He gave it a pat, finding it surprisingly prickly.
Ding Jie wasn’t to be outdone: “Brother Chi! Touch mine too!”
Chi Feiran: “…”
Well, he couldn’t treat them differently…
Bashan watched with envy, regretting that he hadn’t shaved his head as extremely. Chi Feiran’s hands weren’t just any hands; they were the hands of the strongest at the A City Film Academy!
Chi Feiran expressed his gratitude for their admiration but declined their offers to wash his socks and underwear, insisting they were all classmates and couldn’t do that.
Despite everything, Chi Feiran inadvertently got along very well with all the male students. Since they couldn’t use their phones during training, they would gather around with their phones afterward to take pictures with Chi Feiran, treating him like a celebrity.
Xia Wen happily asked Chi Feiran, “Brother Chi, can I post this on Weibo?”
Chi Feiran nodded, “Sure.”
It was just a group photo of classmates, so he didn’t mind. The others, seeing Xia Wen ask for permission, also asked Chi Feiran, who agreed each time.
Chi Feiran didn’t expect this simple act to cause any issues.
Xia Wen was initially happy while scrolling through Weibo but then his face turned sour, and he muttered a curse.
Chi Feiran, sitting nearby, glanced over. Xia Wen hesitated before showing him his phone screen.
Chi Feiran took a look and frowned.
“Don’t hang out with Chi Feiran, Wenwen! He loves to create drama!”
“Can’t stand him. Always looking for attention. Wenwen, stay away from him!”
Though there were some positive comments, the negative ones stood out and were quite numerous.
Chi Feiran sighed, “It seems your fans don’t like me very much.”
Xia Wen felt particularly frustrated. The tension had started because of his fans. He had hoped that posting the group photo would change their attitude, but it hadn’t.
Seeing Xia Wen’s dejection, Chi Feiran smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not affected by it.”
Xia Wen carefully observed his expression and, after confirming that Chi Feiran genuinely didn’t mind, felt a bit relieved. However, this issue still weighed on him, unsure how to resolve it. Confronting his fans directly wasn’t an option, making the situation even more troublesome!
