SCOM - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
"Hi!" Guan Xue greeted Ji Yuezhi enthusiastically, completely forgetting her currently swollen face.
Ji Yuezhi nodded slightly. "Could you let me pass?"
Guan Xue wasn't as tall as Zuo Luohuan, but Ji Yuezhi didn't want to brush past anyone else's knee again.
His counterpart immediately stood up, letting him pass.
"Thanks." Ji Yuezhi sat down by the window, allowing the lingering sorrow and exhaustion to slowly spread through him.
When you like someone, no matter your original advantages, facing them leaves you with nothing but an indescribable sense of inferiority.
Perhaps letting his exhaustion take over, Ji Yuezhi gradually closed his eyes against the window and fell asleep.
The aircraft soared over the mountain range, finally landing smoothly before the dense forest. The group rose to leave, but Ji Yuezhi remained asleep. Guan Xue beside him was busy messaging on her optical computer as she stood up, completely oblivious.
It was Zuo Luohuan, walking past from the back, who noticed Ji Yuezhi sleeping by the window.
"Ji Yuezhi." Zuo Luohuan stood in the aisle and called out. Seeing no response, she thought something might be wrong.
After two days and one night of running, Ji Yuezhi also had quite a few injuries. An Omega's constitution wasn't stronger than an Alpha's, especially since he had only differentiated less than a month ago. She heard Omegas at this stage were prone to fevers.
Zuo Luohuan looked at Ji Yuezhi leaning against the glass. His face wasn't flushed, rather somewhat pale. His long lashes were slightly closed, lips pressed into a straight line. Sunlight streamed through the window onto his face, lending him an extremely fragile air.
She frowned, leaned closer, and was about to reach out to touch his forehead when Ji Yuezhi suddenly woke up. His dazed, clear eyes quietly met Zuo Luohuan's, seemingly not yet fully awake.
Zuo Luohuan froze for a moment, then retracted her hand. "Time to get off."
"...Mm." Ji Yuezhi finally regained clarity, responding softly.
Zuo Luohuan had already straightened up, retreating into the aisle and heading down.
Ji Yuezhi scanned the now empty aircraft, then looked up at Zuo Luohuan's departing back, his heart skipping a few beats. Just moments ago, he was lamenting her seat change, yet now, he felt happy because of her small gesture of kindness.
The group disembarked to find the tents already dismantled; the instructors stood waiting for them.
"This training was barely passable," Kang Guang stated, then changed his tone. "But... do you plan to rely on Zuo Luohuan's pheromones to win every time? If there are too many opponents, and they pursue relentlessly, she can't sustain that kind of drain, can she?"
Over-releasing pheromones could cause irreversible brain damage.
Ding Wuming, supported by Yan Yan, stepped down, saying palely, "It was my..."
"Enough with the 'my' this and 'your' that." Kang Guang cut him off impatiently. "In the military academy drill, you're a team. One person's mistake is the entire team's mistake."
Ding Wuming lowered his head. "Yes."
"It's normal to have problems during your first team training, but remember, on a real battlefield, situations are volatile, anything can happen," Jia Hailan reminded them, then concluded, "That's all for today. Go back and rest. Training resumes tomorrow night."
Before leaving, He Yue added, "You can select a captain now. Nominate amongst yourselves."
The instructors boarded their aircraft and left, leaving the group staring at each other.
They had no ride back!
Without an aircraft, and no one arranging transport, the seven could only hitch a ride on the truck carrying the tents, bouncing along in the back.
"Let's pick a captain now. Who's it gonna be?" Guan Xue raised her hand.
"Not me, anyway." Qian Mao immediately distanced himself. "I'm just a technician."
"I choose Zuo Luohuan!" Jiang Hong declared, then looked expectantly at Zuo Luohuan for praise. This was him fulfilling his duty as a friend! Firmly standing by her side, not choosing her rival Ji Yuezhi.
Yan Yan hesitated. He had clashed with Ji Yuezhi since the first day, but these past few days had convinced him; Ji Yuezhi was truly capable. However, Zuo Luohuan was also very strong, and the leader of the other Disciplinary Committee. He was undecided for a moment.
"I choose Ji Yuezhi," Zuo Luohuan suddenly raised her hand, drawling slowly.
"I also choose Ji Yuezhi," Yan Yan immediately followed suit.
Ji Yuezhi, from the moment Zuo Luohuan raised her hand and spoke, had looked over but said nothing. She never liked leading people, being unwilling to be captain was normal; he knew from the start she wouldn't compete for it.
"Then... I'll choose Classmate Ji too," Qian Mao said with a grimace.
If Ji Yuezhi led them, they'd surely have to follow all sorts of rules. If Zuo Luohuan led, it would be different; she never bothered with minor details, as long as the overall direction was right. But since she chose Ji Yuezhi, he'd better follow along.
"I choose Classmate Ji," Guan Xue said cheerfully. "That's four votes. We'll have to call him Captain Ji from now on!"
In the end, Ding Wuming and Ji Yuezhi didn't even need to vote.
Hitching a ride back to school, Guan Xue dismounted, waved goodbye enthusiastically, "Everyone go back early, treat your wounds, rest up. Training continues tomorrow night."
These injuries, even the hole in Ding Wuming's leg, would heal in a few days with proper medication. Not everyone's wounds lingered like Zuo Luohuan's previous ones.
"Your shoulder wound reopened earlier. Go to the infirmary soon," Ji Yuezhi walked up beside Zuo Luohuan. "Our team doesn't have much training time."
"Got it." Zuo Luohuan lowered her head, fastening the buttons on her military jacket, which now had several tears. Hearing him, she looked up and chuckled. "Captain Ji's words, I'll keep them in mind."
She always spoke without boundaries, deliberately provoking him, yet Ji Yuezhi felt a secret joy.
He watched Zuo Luohuan still buttoning her jacket, pursed his lips, and said, "It's Sunday today, the Disciplinary Committee doesn't check attire."
"Is that so? I always forget." Zuo Luohuan tilted her head to look at him. "Having you around always makes me nervous."
"What are you still talking about?" Jiang Hong came over, calling Zuo Luohuan. "Let's go, back to rest."
"You go first. Captain Ji told me to go to the infirmary for my injury. Got to listen to the captain." Zuo Luohuan leisurely walked towards the school interior, abandoning Jiang Hong who planned to return with her.
Jiang Hong turned to look at Ji Yuezhi beside him, forcing a stiff smile. "Haha, then, I'll head back to rest first." With that, he practically fled.
He always felt that because Ji Yuezhi and Zuo Luohuan were rivals, Ji Yuezhi viewed him, the rival's good friend, with extreme displeasure. Jiang Hong suspected Ji Yuezhi's gaze towards him was always laced with icy barbs. Although people said Ji Yuezhi was generally cold, towards him, it seemed more than just coldness; there was dissatisfaction.
...
The next day, the group dragged their 'battered bodies' to the training room for another day of pheromone confrontation. However, everyone fared much better this time. Ji Yuezhi also didn't wear Zuo Luohuan's jacket.
As for Guan Xue, she had actually observed Ji Yuezhi's jacket closely for several days, finally concluding she must have seen the mark wrong that day.
"Quick announcement, the students from the three military academies will arrive at our school on the fifth of next month." After everyone emerged from the pheromone rooms, Bai Feng said, "People from the three academies might wander around. Anyway, if you run into them, just show them around. The instructors have already been notified. If they want to join classes for observation or experience, just take them along."
This was a customary part of the military academy drill. If the competition location was confirmed, other academies would arrive ten days early to experience the host academy in that district, and incidentally, dampen the host school students' spirits.
After training ended, everyone gradually left. Zuo Luohuan fell behind Ji Yuezhi, smelling the unfamiliar Alpha pheromones on him, feeling an inexplicable sensation.
Perhaps this Alpha's pheromones were too unpleasant. Zuo Luohuan couldn't help recalling the scent of her pheromones mixed with his that day – moist and hazy, like the fresh, faintly sweet fragrance of a forest after rain. Besides the scent, she also remembered Ji Yuezhi's moist, beautiful eyes then, her throat tightening involuntarily.
Ji Yuezhi back then... was too different from usual.
"Smells awful!" Qian Mao stuffed wads of paper into his nostrils. "Good thing this training isn't every day."
Hearing this snapped Zuo Luohuan back to reality. Right, today's Alpha pheromones were too unpleasant, causing her mind to wander to messy things.
"People from the three academies coming for observation and learning." Jiang Hong snorted. "I bet they're here to cause trouble. Luohuan, you take them around later, let's see what waves they can stir up."
"Not interested." Zuo Luohuan refused. As long as they didn't provoke her, she wouldn't actively interact with them.
Ji Yuezhi, ahead, turned back and looked at Zuo Luohuan. "This exchange isn't just about them probing the First Military Academy's capabilities; we can also use this opportunity to understand them beforehand, perhaps discover some weaknesses."
Zuo Luohuan thought for a moment, then conceded, "...You're right. We can exchange ideas."
So he was wrong? Jiang Hong felt insulted.
"Let's go." Zuo Luohuan stepped past Ji Yuezhi, saying to Jiang Hong beside her, "The smell on us is unpleasant, let's wash up early."
"Is it? Actually smells pretty good." Jiang Hong pulled at his clothes, sniffing the Omega pheromones. "Sweet, with a hint of strawberry."
"Only you like it," Zuo Luohuan tossed back.
Watching them walk away, Ji Yuezhi, who clearly heard Zuo Luohuan's words, felt the corners of his lips lift slightly. She didn't like other Omega pheromones.
Most Alphas liked sweet-smelling Omegas. His current differentiated pheromones weren't bad either. Plus, he was diligently training his body's flexibility, becoming a qualified soft, fragrant Omega was just around the corner.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the fifth. The First Military Academy specifically had the seven participants for the military drill go welcome the students from the three other academies.
The three academies seemed to have coordinated. Three vehicles arrived side-by-side at the First Military Academy gate. Seeing the seven waiting to welcome them, they stayed put.
Guan Xue went up to inquire; each one claimed physical discomfort, needing to rest after the long journey.
Guan Xue went back and forth between the three vehicles, finally coming down with a dark face. This was clearly intentional.
"What the hell, causing trouble right from the start?" Jiang Hong said indignantly. "Asking for a beating!"
"These vehicles aren't of good quality," Ji Yuezhi suddenly stated. "They might catch fire."
Qian Mao: "Huh?"
Hearing this, Zuo Luohuan chuckled. "Our captain says the cars will catch fire, so they will catch fire."
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