Chapter 058 Sea King – “The Hellish Training Begins in the Battlefield!” (04/20)
That afternoon, as Shi Jingge was heading to the study room, he sensed someone following him.
And not just one person.
He thought about it for a moment; he could probably guess who it was, so he didn’t pay it any mind and naturally made his way to the study room where he’d agreed to meet Qiu Yuanjiu.
This time, Qiu Yuanjiu wasn’t late.
After spending time together yesterday, Shi Jingge already knew exactly how to drag Qiu Yuanjiu into the world of endless problem sets, so he calmly pulled him into doing one.
It was a mix of suffering and joy. Qiu Yuanjiu constantly felt like giving up one second, only to feel reborn and full of fighting spirit the next. That was the most accurate description of his current state.
Less than fifteen minutes into the first round of tutoring, a knock came from the door.
Qiu Yuanjiu’s eyes lit up; just as he was about to open it, Shi Jingge smiled and gently pushed him back. “How could we let such a trivial matter disturb our junior while he’s doing his problems? Wouldn’t that make me, as his senior, look a bit useless?”
Qiu Yuanjiu: “……”
He always wanted to argue back, but it seemed he couldn’t come up with a rebuttal! QAQ
“It’s fine. Just focus on your problems, junior. It’s only two questions; with your talent, you’ll definitely finish them in ten minutes. I won’t let them bother you, so don’t worry.”
Shi Jingge smiled and nonchalantly went to open the door.
Qiu Yuanjiu looked down at his problems. Ten… Ten minutes, huh…?
What if he couldn’t solve them? Would his senior be disappointed? Would he start doubting his talent?
Qiu Yuanjiu’s expression immediately darkened.
As Shi Jingge opened the door, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, “Sorry to interrupt. I was looking for… Brother Shi?” Mu Qingyun’s voice suddenly lit up with delight. “I didn’t expect Brother Shi to be here, too. This is just great.”
Shi Jingge smiled. “What a coincidence.”
“Uh.” Mu Qingyun scratched his head sheepishly. “The main screen computer in the study room I was using is having issues. I can’t access the data. I contacted the staff, and they’ll be here soon, but I didn’t want to waste time, so I thought I’d borrow another study room to look up some information…” Mu Qingyun grabbed Shi Jingge’s sleeve. “Brother Shi, you’re not going to turn me down, are you?”
“Of course not.” Shi Jingge let him in. “I’m actually waiting for you to help me with my drink analysis.
Mu Qingyun: “……”
Drink analysis, drinks analysis—all you care about is your damn drink analysis! Are you really that clueless?
Shi Jingge waved toward the monitor in the study room. “Either way, we’re not using it. Make yourself at home.”
Mu Qingyun apologized to Shi Jingge again, but his gaze had already silently shifted to Qiu Yuanjiu.
Qiu Yuanjiu was always sensitive to other people’s gazes and stares. Feeling Mu Qingyun’s eyes on him, he frowned and looked over.
At that moment, Qiu Yuanjiu was struggling with a problem, and old memories were flashing through his mind again, so his expression was very grim.
When Mu Qingyun noticed Qiu Yuanjiu’s expression, his heart skipped a beat; he knew right away that Qiu Yuanjiu also had a thing for Shi Jingge! Otherwise, Qiu Yuanjiu wouldn’t be harboring such intense hostility toward him.
And that hostility towards Qiu Yuanjiu began to flare up uncontrollably!
Qiu Yuanjiu was even more baffled. Was this guy crazy? He’d been brimming with contempt from the moment he walked in. What did Qiu Yuanjiu ever do to deserve this?
Qiu Yuanjiu wasn’t one to take things lying down, so he immediately glared back even more fiercely.
Not a single word passed between them and yet the battle horn had already sounded.
Shi Jingge was just as baffled. Did these two have some past grudge?
Shi Jingge sat back down. “Did you finish, junior?”
Qiu Yuanjiu: “……”
Well, he had actually finished it. But whether it was correct or not, that was another story.
“Let me take a look.” Shi Jingge gave Qiu Yuanjiu a faint smile, his almond-shaped eyes curving into a gentle and captivating gaze.
Mu Qingyun pursed his lips, a sudden pang of unease welling up inside him. Brother Shi had never smiled at him like that before!
Qiu Yuanjiu steeled himself and handed his problem sets over to Shi Jingge. Sure enough, they were wrong.
Shi Jingge had already braced himself for this, so he remained completely calm and even found another way to compliment Qiu Yuanjiu.
Qiu Yuanjiu had been on the verge of an emotional meltdown, but after Shi Jingge’s praise, he suddenly felt like he might actually be capable after all.
Actually, over the years, it wasn’t as if no one had never complimented him—people had done so to curry favor or build relationships—but those compliments had felt so insincere. Some would pay him lip service while making no effort to hide the contempt in their eyes; they’d treated him like a fool.
But Shi Jingge was different. Qiu Yuanjiu feel that every word he spoke and every expression and gesture he made came from the heart.
It made him feel as though he really was as good as Shi Jingge said he was.
But Qiu Yuanjiu knew that, in reality, he wasn’t a very good person.
He never had been.
Yet, in Shi Jingge’s presence, he found himself wanting to become someone who wasn’t so bad.
His senior really was a gentle person. It was just that…
At that moment, Shi Jingge’s voice rang softly in Qiu Yuanjiu’s ear, “Junior, you’re spacing out.”
It wasn’t a question—it was a statement.
Qiu Yuanjiu suddenly felt a chill.
Shi Jingge sighed, and his aura suddenly grew heavier. “Was my explanation too boring?” He lowered his gaze slightly, looking a bit downcast.
Qiu Yuanjiu hesitantly shook his head.
“So, junior, you don’t want to listen to my explanation?”
Of course not. Qiu Yuanjiu shook his head quickly.
“Then what is it?” Shi Jingge looked at Qiu Yuanjiu with a puzzled expression; in those beautiful, almond-shaped eyes, there was an unmistakable heartache.
In an instant, a wave of guilt welled up from the depths of Qiu Yuanjiu’s heart, rushing at lightning speed to the top of his head, leaving him at a loss that weighed heavily on his conscience.
“I’m—I’m sorry.”
For the first time, Qiu Yuanjiu bowed his head in apology. In that moment, amid a mix of shame and other emotions, he suddenly felt that apologizing wasn’t so hard after all.
“I forgive you, junior.” Shi Jingge sighed deeply. Just as Qiu Yuanjiu was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Shi Jingge say slowly, “But I’m still a little hurt. What should I do?”
Qiu Yuanjiu: !!!
Before Qiu Yuanjiu could respond, Shi Jingge continued, “Work a little harder, junior. Don’t waste your talent. Do more practice problems, watch more study videos, and hone your talent into real ability as soon as possible, okay? That would make me very happy.”
As he spoke, Shi Jingge smiled at Qiu Yuanjiu, his eyes crinkling with a hint of anticipation.
In an instant, a surge of passion welled up in his throat, and Qiu Yuanjiu said without hesitation, “I—I—I—I’ll do three extra pages today! I’ll hand them in to you tomorrow! And I’ll also add two extra hours of self-study! And another hour of physical training too! I—I definitely won’t let you down, senior!” After shouting that, Qiu Yuanjiu was still in a frenzy of excitement, but less than thirty seconds later, he calmed down.
What… What did he just say? Was it too late to back out now? Was it?
This was going to kill him—it really will!
Shi Jingge’s actions made it clear to him: it was too late.
Shi Jingge clapped for Qiu Yuanjiu. “Good attitude, junior! You’re awesome!”
Qiu Yuanjiu: “……”
With his senior praising him like that, how could he possibly back out now?
He’d just… give it his all… What if, just what if?
Since Qiu Yuanjiu was making such a big scene, Mu Qingyun naturally heard it.
Damn it.
Mu Qingyun grounded his teeth. To grab Shi Jingge’s attention, he’d actually go so far as to say something that reckless. Qiu Yuanjiu was a tough opponent.
He wasn’t going to be easy to deal with.
A deep sense of crisis welled up inside Mu Qingyun.
Coincidentally, Shi Jingge had just found a few more similar problems for him to work on, and Mu Qingyun saw this as his chance.
“Brother Shi.” Mu Qingyun waved at Shi Jingge, his gaze lingering somewhat suspiciously on Qiu Yuanjiu for a moment. “Can you come here for a second?”
Unsure why, Shi Jingge still went over.
Mu Qingyun puffed out his chest proudly. Qiu Yuanjiu still had to address Shi Jingge as “Senior,” but he could call him “Brother Shi” directly. Anyone could tell who was closer and who wasn’t, right?
“Brother Shi, I’m still struggling to come up with ideas for this thesis,” Mu Qingyun said with a hint of frustration. “Do you have any recommended resources on Three-Star Flowers? Am I approaching this the wrong way? I just can’t seem to find what I’m after.”
“Let me take a look.” Shi Jingge motioned for Mu Qingyun to make room for him, then began searching for keywords on his main screen lightbrain.
“The Three-Star Flower has always been a bit of a niche subject, so using ‘Three-Star Flower’ alone as a search term won’t yield much; you’ll miss a lot of material. Try searching for ‘low-tier spirit flowers’ first, then use ‘Three-Star Flower’ to narrow down the search. That’ll work much better.”
As Shi Jingge spoke, he helped Mu Qingyun search for materials. Sure enough, a wealth of results popped up. Mu Qingyun thanked him repeatedly, his gaze sweeping over Qiu Yuanjiu for a few seconds before settling back on Shi Jingge with a hint of smugness.
Qiu Yuanjiu: ?
This guy must be out of his mind, right?
Qiu Yuanjiu wasn’t exactly known for his patience to begin with, and after being singled out by Mu Qingyun twice in a row, his anger flared up rapidly.
Especially since Mu Qingyun’s intentions were crystal clear: he was here for Shi Jingge. Since Mu Qingyun had already annoyed him, was there any way he was going to let Mu Qingyun off easy?
Without hesitation, Qiu Yuanjiu looked up and called out, “Senior, I have some new insights on this problem. Would you like to hear them?”
“Sure,” Shi Jingge replied readily, yielding the seat back to Mu Qingyun, flashing him a smile before heading over to Qiu Yuanjiu.
Mu Qingyun gritted his teeth, growing even more convinced that Qiu Yuanjiu was no ordinary foe.
It made sense. In the past five years, no one in the Alchemy Department at Kalandi College had failed three major courses in a row. And at a critical juncture like this, how could Qiu Yuanjiu possibly lack the necessary mettle?
…Someone so calculating and ruthless absolutely must not be allowed anywhere near Brother Shi!
Who knew when he might end up harming Brother Shi?
The open and covert struggles had thus begun.
But Qiu Yuanjiu’s grades spoke for themselves; with make-up exams looming, he held a natural advantage.
Every time Mu Qingyun made a move—the moment he uttered “Brother Shi”—Qiu Yuanjiu would inevitably respond, his voice so loud it echoed through the study room, ensuring Shi Jingge didn’t spare Mu Qingyun a single glance!
Mu Qingyun was so furious his teeth ached. He had initially vowed to stay calm, but was Qiu Yuanjiu the kind of person to let someone off that easily?
Qiu Yuanjiu certainly wasn’t!
So, while Shi Jingge was bent over passing him the materials, Qiu Yuanjiu shot Mu Qingyun a look that was both arrogant and smug, laced with contempt and a hint of mocking superiority.
Mu Qingyun: !!!
How could Mu Qingyun possibly put up with this?
The feud between Mu Qingyun and Qiu Yuanjiu was now set in stone.
Fortunately, however, the tutoring session was finally drawing to a close, and what laid ahead was the physical training journey.
Shi Jingge had assigned Qiu Yuanjiu’s homework in advance. At first, he sent the questions one by one, but when he saw Qiu Yuanjiu remain calm and composed, he simply started sending them in batches. In doing so, he accidentally sent too many.
“Oh, I sent a few extra, but it’s no big deal. With your skill and resilience, these extra questions are no challenge at all for you.” Shi Jingge patted Qiu Yuanjiu on the shoulder. “Once you’re done, just send the answers directly to my optical brain.”
Qiu Yuanjiu nodded numbly while he silently stared at the questions transmitted to his optical brain.
Fifty-six questions.
Qiu Yuanjiu felt like passing out on the spot.
But he couldn’t.
That crazy person was still here—he absolutely couldn’t let that guy make a fool of him!
Be strong! Hang in there! You can do this! he thought.
So what if there were fifty-six questions?
It was only fifty-six! He…really couldn’t finish them all…!
Qiu Yuanjiu stood up, but as he took a step, he nearly collapsed to his knees.
Shi Jingge quickly caught him, shook his head, and said with concern, “Your fitness really is a bit lacking, junior.”
Mu Qingyun smiled at just the right moment and seemingly offered a kind remark. “Well, he’s young—I suppose it’s understandable. After all”—he paused—“you’re the first student in the pharmaceutical department in nearly a decade to fail the fitness test.”
Qiu Yuanjiu exploded on the spot. “What are you talking about? I was sick before the test and that really messed me up! Do you even understand? If you don’t, just shut up! I’m talking to my senior. Why are you butting in?”
Shi Jingge interjected disapprovingly, “Junior.”
Mu Qingyun froze for a moment, then stepped in to smooth things over. “You have a point, junior. I know I was harsh, and I spoke out of turn. It’s only natural that you’re upset. I’d like to apologize.”
Qiu Yuanjiu: !!!
Damn that two-faced bitch, fuck!
Qiu Yuanjiu was livid, especially since Mu Qingyun wasn’t someone to be trifled with; his apology was smooth on the surface, but the smugness and contempt in his eyes were completely unmasked, practically pouring a bucket of gasoline on Qiu Yuanjiu’s raging fire.
Qiu Yuanjiu shouted, “Today I’ll show you just how fit I am! That training room over there? Don’t even mention two hours. I can easily handle two and a half! You’re a senior who passed the fitness test. How many hours are you going to do?”
Shi Jingge opened his mouth to stop them, but it was already too late.
Mu Qingyun sneered. “If my junior can do two and a half hours, I can’t fall behind, can I? I’ll do an hour more than you. It won’t be a problem at all.”
Qiu Yuanjiu was so furious he lost his mind. “I’ll do three hours!”
“Then I’ll do four!” Mu Qingyun said without hesitation.
“I’ll do five!”
“I’ll do six!”
“Stop!” Shi Jingge finally interrupted them. “Stop arguing. Nothing good comes from rushing, and besides, how much time do we have anyway? Are you planning to spend the whole night there? Don’t you have classes tomorrow?” Here’s what we’ll do: Junior Qiu, three hours will do. Prove yourself to Xiao Mu.”
Shi Jingge patted Qiu Yuanjiu on the shoulder encouragingly. Qiu Yuanjiu stared intently at him, grinding his teeth in frustration.
Shi Jingge asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong? He actually has the nerve to ask what’s wrong? Qiu Yuanjiu thought. He calls that bastard Xiao Mu, yet he still calls me ‘Junior Qiu’!
That title alone made the hierarchy crystal clear. Just look at that bastard’s smug expression!!
Qiu Yuanjiu didn’t really care about these titles at all, but the moment Mu Qingyun shot him that smug look, he had no choice but to care!
“Senior, you can call me Xiao Qiu,” Qiu Yuanjiu reminded him through gritted teeth.
“Oh,” Shi Jingge said, as if a light bulb had gone off. “Then you can call me Brother Shi.”
“Brother Shi,” Qiu Yuanjiu called out loudly, glancing smugly at Mu Qingyun.
This time, it was Mu Qingyun’s turn to look less than pleased.
Damn Qiu Yuanjiu!
The moment their eyes met, sparks flew, and the hostility was palpable.
Shi Jingge remained completely calm; pressure fueled motivation, and competition drove breakthroughs.
You know what this was? It was the start of a legendary training regimen in the midst of this battlefield.
Before long, these two would go from loathing each other to becoming brother-in-arms, crying on each other’s shoulders.
Shi Jingge turned to Mu Qingyun. “As for you, Xiao Mu, just do as you said. Compared to your junior…”
Before he could finish, Qiu Yuanjiu shot a murderous glare at him. Shi Jingge calmly corrected himself, “Just one hour more than Xiao Qiu.”
Shi Jingge’s trusting gaze drifted his way, and Mu Qingyun was instantly swept up by it.
“I’m older than my junior, and I’ve passed the fitness test. Don’t even mention an extra hour; even two extra hours would be fair.”
Mu Qingyun smiled elegantly. “It’s about surpassing oneself and pushing past one’s limits. If my junior can do it, why can’t I?”
Qiu Yuanjiu took a deep breath and suddenly smiled. “You said it yourself.”
Only then did Mu Qingyun realize what he’d just said, but how could he back down in front of his rival? How could he show weakness?
So Mu Qingyun nodded decisively. “I stand by my words.”
“Then you’ll do five hours,” Qiu Yuanjiu said with a forced smile. “I’ll do three, and you’ll do five. Let’s push ourselves to the limit together, Senior.”
Qiu Yuanjiu emphasized the last three syllables with particular force.
Mu Qingyun: “……”
Five, five, five, five… five hours?
Holy crap, did he really just say that himself? He must have been out of his mind just now!
Mu Qingyun instinctively looked at Shi Jingge, seeking help.
But in that instant, he met Shi Jingge’s gaze filled with excitement and pride.
“Pushing your limits, challenging your boundaries—you two are truly amazing!” Shi Jingge clapped vigorously. “I was actually going to try to talk you out of it—this is way too reckless—but you’ve successfully convinced me! I believe that with the talent you both possess, this is nowhere near your limit! Go for it! I’ll cheer you on!”
Mu Qingyun: “……”
Qiu Yuanjiu: “……”
How could they even think of saying they regretted it now…?
Once they’d put out those declarations, they’d have to see it through, even if it meant crying and begging on their knees!
How could they bear to let that look in their senior’s eyes fade away?
Mu Qingyun and Qiu Yuanjiu were filled with anguish, then both turned hostile stares toward each other.
It was all that brain-dead idiot’s fault!
The group set off in a grand march toward the fitness training room.
However, just as Shi Jingge was using his smartbrain to unlock the training room, someone suddenly called out to him, “Ah-Shi!”
Shi Jingge turned his head and locked eyes with a tall, dark-skinned teenager whose grin was almost feral, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.
He strode forward and gave Shi Jingge a big hug. “I’m so glad to run into you!”
This was the friend who had gone to the amusement park with the original host last weekend. For now, he was just a friend.
Shi Jingge smiled at him. “I’m glad to see you, too.”
Qiao Qimo glanced at Mu Qingyun and Qiu Yuanjiu. “Who are they?”
“This is Qiu Yuanjiu, my junior,” Shi Jingge introduced. “And this is Mu Qingyun, a friend I met in the student council.”
“Hello, everyone,” he said, flashing a row of white teeth. “I’m Qiao Qimo, Ah-Shi’s friend. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
Mu Qingyun and Qiu Yuanjiu paused for a moment before introducing themselves as well. At first glance, the scene seemed warm and friendly.
But in reality Mu Qingyun felt that Qiao Qimo was even more annoying compared to Qiu Yuanjiu, while Qiu Yuanjiu thought that Mu Qingyun was actually quite cute compared to Qiao Qimo.
Qiao Qimo found both of them incredibly annoying.
Shi Jingge patted Qiao Qimo on the shoulder and exclaimed in delight, “Brother Qiao, your physical fitness is amazing! I remember you came in first place in our pharmaceutical department’s physical fitness test last semester! First place in the entire grade!”
Qiao Qimo scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
Shi Jingge’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Why don’t you show us, Brother Qiao, what real physical training is all about? Spending seven hours in the training room isn’t too much to ask, right?”
Author’s Note:
Right now, the three of them can’t stand the sight of each other;
Later on, they’ll all stick together against the outside world.
Why?
First, the grueling boot camp—they’re all in this together.
Second, Wen Xusheng is the one they hate the most!
Wen Xusheng: ?
Wen Xusheng: I think this group’s training is too easy. I’ll ramp it up a bit for them 🙂
Edit: Choux_choux
Proofread: Krone
