TITCFRIBN 4

 This instructor's surname was Wang, and he looked to be nearing thirty years old. Despite his age, he was still just a low-ranking soldier within the unit, and his sleazy demeanor earned him the nickname "Old Wang from next door."

After complimenting Bai Qing, Instructor Wang took a few steps to the right and noticed someone who was quite tall. Without looking up, he could only see a slender neck and a well-defined jawline. The neck was long and pale, with muscles that curved elegantly beneath the skin. The jawline and neck were of the same tone, perfectly outlined like the male lead of a manga.

With just this brief glance, he was sure that this student's appearance would not disappoint.

Instructor Wang felt a stirring in his heart, convinced that this time, he had definitely been assigned the right squad.

He eagerly raised his head, only to be met with a face that was undeniably handsome but far from friendly.

An Cheng didn’t bother to hide his disdain, his gaze cold as he tilted his head slightly, giving Instructor Wang a sidelong glance.

Whatever flattering words had been on Instructor Wang’s lips froze in place. Unable to utter them, he instead adopted a more serious tone, saying, "You stay right here."

After Instructor Wang moved further away, Bai Qing lowered his voice. "Brother Cheng, do you not like him?"

An Cheng emphasized his words, "I despise him."

Bai Qing paused. He had heard others use that word before, but mostly as a joke in playful banter. This was the first time he’d heard someone like Brother Cheng use it in such a straightforward, serious manner.

Not surprising, given that it was Brother Cheng.

Once Instructor Wang finished arranging the formation, he began drilling the students.

Having endured more than ten rounds of military training, An Cheng was all too familiar with the routines.

The training began with learning the movements, followed by freeze-frame exercises where mistakes were corrected. After that came group drills, and finally, the full formation practice. Among all these, the freeze-frame exercises were the most exhausting, yet coaches loved them.

Instructor Wang was no exception. With a few sharp words, he barked out an order, "Freeze, hold that position."

An Cheng glanced at his mechanical watch. The morning training session lasted three and a half hours, and only half an hour had passed. Fortunately, this body had a decent constitution, so he could endure it.

An Cheng turned his head slightly to check on Bai Qing.

Yesterday, An Cheng had noticed that Bai Qing had a great physique—broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs. But today, in his military training uniform with the waist belt cinched tight, his figure was even more evident, making the cheap uniform look as if it were a tailored military suit.

Bai Qing wasn't particularly focused, and when he felt An Cheng's gaze, he tilted his head slightly, his mouth and eyes curving into a smile.

An Cheng was momentarily dazzled. When Bai Qing smiled, he resembled an innocent little white rabbit, pure and adorable, and the sunlight behind him seemed to shine even brighter.

In response, An Cheng's mouth curved upward by just a pixel.

Bai Qing noticed An Cheng's apparent displeasure and asked softly, "Brother Cheng, are you tired?"

An Cheng withdrew his gaze. "Not tired."

Instructor Wang made a round of the formation, inspecting the students while shouting, "You're all men, so I won't be delicate about this. If anyone's posture is off, I'll correct you directly. So, hold your positions properly!"

As he approached the second-to-last row, An Cheng watched as Instructor Wang squeezed a student's arm, pinched another's waist, and even slapped Chen He on the backside.

"Tighten your glutes! What kind of slouching posture is this?"

Chen He clenched his teeth in silent fury. Being a gay man, having his butt touched by this greasy and self-important instructor made him feel utterly disgusted, as if his eyes could spit fire.

But Instructor Wang, oblivious to this, slowly made his way over to An Cheng, scrutinizing him as if looking for an error to correct.

Having gone through military training so many times, An Cheng was confident that his posture was impeccably precise. Yet, Instructor Wang still reached out, intending to make some kind of adjustment.

An Cheng's eyes grew cold, his brow furrowed as he warned icily, "Touch me if you dare."

Instructor Wang froze on the spot. His initial anger dissipated as he looked up at An Cheng, who was taller than him by a head, and saw the fierce look on his face. A strange chill crept up his spine.

Swallowing his frustration, Instructor Wang thought to himself, Fine, I still have that pretty boy.

He hummed a little tune as he strolled over to Bai Qing, ready to slap him on the backside. But before he could act, An Cheng turned his head again, warning, "Touch him if you dare."

Instructor Wang hesitated, feeling an inexplicable unease. Without saying anything, he hurriedly ended the freeze-frame exercise and let everyone rest.

During the break, while everyone was relaxing, Instructor Wang sat on a small stool reserved for coaches, his gaze fixed on An Cheng.

What's up with this kid? Does he have some kind of powerful background? How dare he talk to me like that?

Meanwhile, An Cheng sat on the ground, resting his wrist on his bent knee, breathing a little heavily.

Bai Qing also sat down, bending over slightly as he said softly, "I don't like being touched by others either. Thanks, Brother Cheng."

He wasn’t able to say those words himself.

Realizing there might be some ambiguity in his statement, Bai Qing quickly added, "Mainly, I don’t like people touching my backside. Other things are fine."

An Cheng silently recalled the plot. The original protagonist had been an innocent kid like Bai Qing, and now knowing that Bai Qing didn’t like being touched on his backside, he couldn’t help but sigh, cursing the wretched storyline.

"It's nothing," An Cheng replied. "No one will ever touch you again."

Bai Qing was momentarily taken aback by his words. He laughed softly and then stood up. "Brother Cheng, while we still have time, I'm going to the bathroom."

Unlike some guys, Bai Qing didn’t expect An Cheng to accompany him to the restroom. After speaking, he left on his own.

Recalling the plot, An Cheng knew that at this point in time, Bai Qing should still be safe.

Reassured, An Cheng unscrewed his water bottle and took a drink.

Five minutes later, Instructor Wang clapped his hands and called out, "Alright, time to resume training!"

An Cheng straightened up, his height giving him an advantage as he scanned the crowd. He didn’t see Bai Qing anywhere, and even looking into the distance, he couldn’t spot him returning. His brows furrowed.

Instructor Wang also noticed the missing student. "Where’s the rest of them?"

Someone raised their hand and answered, "Instructor! There were too many people in the restroom, so those who went later might still be waiting in line."

An Cheng noticed that Chen He was still in the formation, but Wang Qimeng was not, likely still in line. His anxiety eased a bit.

After a while, Wang Qimeng returned. As he passed by An Cheng, who stood near the front, An Cheng grabbed his arm.

"Where's Bai Qing?" he asked.

Wang Qimeng replied, "Brother Bai went later, so he’s further back in line. But he should be almost done."

An Cheng forced himself to be patient and waited a bit longer, but what he got instead was an alarm blaring in his head.

The little cat in his mind popped up. "The protagonist is in danger!"

At the same time, An Cheng started feeling inexplicably sleepy. This sudden onset of a passive plot device made his heart sink.

Without hesitation, he sprinted towards the restroom.

Instructor Wang saw the figure leaving the formation and, recognizing the rebellious troublemaker, shouted, "Where do you think you're going?"

An Cheng ignored him.

In the crowd, Chen He watched An Cheng's retreating figure and suddenly smiled.

When An Cheng reached the men's restroom, someone was standing at the entrance. The person looked embarrassed and said, "Sorry, all the stalls are taken by my friends. They've all got upset stomachs, so it'll take a while. You might want to try the restroom across the way..."

An Cheng, with thoughts of reincarnation and a billion-dollar fortune floating on either side of his mind, along with the cat’s urgent shouts, felt an overwhelming headache and anxiety.

He instantly saw through the lie, his patience snapping as he sneered coldly and delivered a powerful kick to the man's stomach, sending him flying against the wall.

Rushing into the restroom, he saw four people in a corner, surrounding and relentlessly beating someone.

The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed in the room, dull and heavy, while the person being attacked could only let out muffled cries of pain.

On the floor, Bai Qing’s phone lay shattered, its screen completely cracked.

An Cheng's expression darkened, his face grim with fury. He grabbed the mop from the sink, water dripping off it, splattering onto the floor.

In a few quick strides, he closed the distance between him and the four attackers. Before they even realized what was happening, An Cheng swung the mop with force. The water-soaked mop head slammed into one of them, sending water spraying in a beautiful arc across the wall.

The sudden impact startled the group, and they turned in shock, only to find themselves face-to-face with an enraged An Cheng, wielding the mop like a weapon.

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