Chapter 73: Lu Yunzhou Left Her Here

This military base sprawled across such a vast area that its end was nowhere in sight. Shen Zhaoxi turned her head, her cool, clear eyes gazing out the car window. In the blazing sunlight of the afternoon, she saw five deep blue buses parked along the roadside within the base. They were filled with students from Jing University, all here to participate in the training camp held at the end of August. Jingnan 015 Military Base had a partnership with Jing University, so every year, new students would come to the base for training.

As the freshmen from Jing University began to disembark, a dark green military vehicle drove in from outside the base. “Wow, that’s so cool!” “Did you see that? That must be a vehicle from this military base.” The chatter among the female students erupted as the military car passed by. Their eyes sparkled with envy and longing. “I wonder if we’ll ever have the chance to ride in a car like that,” one of them sighed.

At that moment, a girl in a fresh green floral dress glanced dismissively at the car. “What’s so special about it?” she said coolly. “Our campus beauty this year is Wanwan, and her father is the Deputy Minister of Military and Foreign Affairs. There’s nothing she can’t have. Isn’t that right, Wanwan?” She nudged the girl beside her, who was dressed in a light-colored dress.

That girl, tall and slender, possessed a striking beauty—a look of pure innocence and gentleness. Gu Wan offered a faint smile, her expression tinged with discomfort at being praised so openly. “Let’s head inside,” she suggested quietly. “We have to assemble again tonight.” “We’ll follow your lead!” Jiang Qiqi laughed, walking in with her.

It was well known that this military base operated under strict, closed management, with rigorous military-style training. The new arrivals from Jing University had no idea what awaited them. Fifteen days of boot camp under the scorching summer sun—the excitement and anticipation they felt now would soon give way to resistance and exhaustion, both in body and spirit.

The scenery along the road was monotonous, the trees planted in perfect rows. The car stopped in front of the training dormitory, and Lu Fifteen stepped out. “Miss Shen, the captain has instructed that you’ll be joining this group of Jing University freshmen for training.”

“Was that his arrangement?” Shen Zhaoxi stood before the training dormitory, her brows faintly furrowed, her face pale as she regarded the building. Her voice was soft, betraying no emotion, but she seemed uneasy, almost fearful.

Lu Fifteen hesitated before replying, “Yes. The captain also said he’s busy with other matters these days and won’t have time to look after you. He’ll come see you once he’s free.” In truth, Lu Fifteen was unsure of the arrangements. The captain had indeed instructed him to place Shen Zhaoxi with the freshmen, but Lu Yunzhou had not specifically told him to bring her here. She was actually supposed to have a private room elsewhere in the base, but Lu Fifteen hadn’t clarified and thus brought her to the dormitory.

“Well then, Miss Shen, I’ll leave you here. If you need anything, you can find me in Area A next door.” The base was divided into three zones: A, B, and C. The freshmen were training in Area C. Areas A and B were reserved for the special forces, undergoing intense and dangerous drills, and thus kept separate from the trainees.

After Lu Fifteen left, Xiao Xiao accompanied Shen Zhaoxi into the dormitory. They found a room with available beds and hauled in their luggage. Each dormitory held six beds—a reasonable arrangement for men, but for women, six to a room felt cramped.

Xiao Xiao frowned. “Commander, are we really going to live here?” It wasn’t that she was being difficult—she’d gone through this before. To return now felt strange, as if she no longer belonged in such a place.

Shen Zhaoxi glanced at the top bunk, assessing the room’s cleanliness. “We’ll stay. What else can we do?” Lu Yunzhou truly had her best interests at heart. Fearing she couldn’t handle the life of a military district, he had chosen the most suitable opportunity to place her among the Jing University freshmen. Perhaps, compared to the dangers of the special forces, this was safer and more appropriate for her.

She could easily guess Lu Yunzhou’s reasoning. He had made these plans after learning about her health—everything tailored for her, knowing she couldn’t endure harsh training.

He truly had gone to great lengths.

“But if Lu Yunzhou is from the 13th Military District, what is he doing here at Jingnan?” Xiao Xiao was puzzled. No matter how impressive this base was, it couldn’t compare to the 13th District or to the special operations districts in Country Y. Why was Lu Yunzhou here?

Shen Zhaoxi didn’t know. What she did know was that Lu Yunzhou had left her here. Was she supposed to start all over again, as if she were a new recruit fresh out of boot camp?

There were countless bases like this in Country Y. Even after surviving the grueling training, special forces recruits had to go through layers of selection and competition before being accepted into the main military districts. Getting into the First Military District was an even greater challenge.

Xiao Xiao suddenly felt as though she’d been demoted. Fortunately, the dormitory wasn’t too bad, aside from the inconvenience of sharing with so many people. Once they’d set down their luggage and tidied up, Shen Zhaoxi and Xiao Xiao each claimed a bunk.

In truth, Shen Zhaoxi was here because of a wager with her grandfather. If the old man insisted on fanning the flames and setting her up to fail, so be it. She would respond in kind. Since Lu Yunzhou knew about her injuries and had placed her here for her own good, she would play the role of a burden to the end. She would extinguish her grandfather’s hopes herself.

And along the way, she would tease Lu Yunzhou, making him so weary of her that he would propose breaking off the engagement. After all, how could a man like Lu Yunzhou ever fall for someone frail and sickly, someone destined to hold him back? With his icy temperament, he surely could not stand a woman making advances toward him.

As long as she could make him dislike her, the engagement would naturally dissolve.