Chapter 28: The Performance

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On Friday morning, the horizon had only just begun to glow, and traces of the night still lingered in the sky.

At that moment, several hundred teenagers at the military training base were singing the national anthem at the tops of their voices, their right hands raised in a military salute toward the national flag.

Although they were all youths who had not yet enlisted, during military training they were soldiers, and as such, they were expected to salute the national flag.

When the anthem ended, the flag had just reached the top of the pole and was fluttering proudly in the wind.

After a speech beneath the flag and a lengthy address from Commander Fu, the flag-raising ceremony came to an end.

Lu You was already accustomed to days like this. It was the fifth day of military training, and also the day they would demonstrate what they had learned. Once training ended tomorrow morning, they would finally be able to go home and rest.

After the formation was dismissed, Lu You returned to the dormitory and, as he had done over the previous few days, took out a plastic bag and put in his lunchbox, thermos, and preserved olive vegetables. He went to Room 206, where he and Li Yu headed to the mess hall together for breakfast.

On the way, they happened to see Tang Wan, Xu Nian, and several other girls walking ahead of them, chatting casually.

Li Yu gazed at Xu Nian’s back, his heart itching with an emotion he could not quite explain. Using it as an excuse, he asked Lu You, “Aren’t you going to say hello?”

Lu You’s eyes remained fixed on Tang Wan’s ponytail. Hearing Li Yu’s question, he shook his head.

“No need. Girls should be left alone when they’re chatting. Slow down and let them get farther ahead first.”

“Why?” Li Yu could not understand the point.

Lu You patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, “If you don’t want a girl to get angry, the best thing you can do is make sure she doesn’t see you.”

“Huh?” Li Yu was even more confused.

“You’ll understand someday. They’ve gone far enough. Come on, let’s get breakfast.”

…

The morning’s training was much easier than it had been over the previous few days. After simulating their entrance a few times and practicing the baton techniques several times, the instructor allowed them to rest on their own.

Lu You sat beneath the shade of a tree, propping up his chin with one hand as he watched sunlight break into scattered spots across the ground through the gaps between the leaves. His thoughts drifted into his own world.

His world was complicated and disordered. One second, he might be pondering a mathematical theorem; the next, he would be imagining himself going home the following day to cuddle his kitten.

Meanwhile, after finishing their dagger drills, the girls were also permitted to rest.

Tang Wan removed her cap and tidied her hair. Her gaze unconsciously settled on a figure sitting beneath a great tree, staring blankly at the ground. At that moment, Lu You seemed separated from the outside world by an invisible distance, making him appear somewhat unreal.

Tang Wan quickly glanced around, then pretended that she, too, had merely come over to enjoy the shade. She walked over and sat down, leaving only a few dozen centimeters between them.

Lu You did not notice her arrival. Tang Wan’s eyes turned thoughtfully from side to side. She picked up a leaf beside her and tossed it toward him, but it fluttered back to her feet.

Tang Wan stared silently at the leaf that had returned to her side. She was still wondering how she could get Lu You to notice her when he came back to himself, discovered her presence, and looked over.

“Did you want to see me about something?”

“Can’t I just have come over to enjoy the shade?” Tang Wan felt that admitting the truth would be humiliating.

Lu You pointed toward the girls’ formation and teased her. “There seems to be a much bigger tree over there.”

Tang Wan lowered her head, looking rather embarrassed.

Lu You saw the tips of her ears beginning to turn red. Knowing she was easily embarrassed, he stopped teasing her. He looked away toward the front and asked, “Has your period passed?”

Tang Wan took a moment before lifting her head to answer. “More or less. I can exercise normally now.”

“How many days does it usually last?”

“For me, usually three to five days. I don’t know about other people.” Tang Wan answered honestly, but soon frowned. “Why are we talking about this?”

“You were curious, so you asked. There’s nothing wrong with knowing a little more.” Lu You shrugged.

“What use is this knowledge to a boy?”

“Can’t a boy have girls around him?”

The conversation was beginning to veer in a strange direction, so Tang Wan hurriedly changed the subject.

“I haven’t asked you yet. What were you thinking about when you were sitting here just now? You kept staring at the ground.”

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“I was thinking about who I am, where I came from, and where I’m going.”

Tang Wan felt that she was about to run out of things to say. “Then… did you figure it out?”

“Yes. My name is Lu You. I came from home, and I’m going to university.”

“That’s all?” Tang Wan looked at Lu You’s profile.

“That is my answer. It contains my understanding of myself, my summary of the past, and my plans for the future.” There was a faint air of vagueness in Lu You’s voice.

“Then… my answer is that my name is Tang Wan, I came from my mother’s womb, and I’m going to Qingbei.”

Lu You found it amusing. “You stole my words.”

“When scholars borrow from one another, it isn’t called stealing. It’s called reasonable adaptation.” Tang Wan spoke with a proud expression.

Lu You did not argue with her. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

Seeing several girls in the distance practicing their movements, he asked, “How are you doing with the dagger drill?”

Tang Wan took out her toy dagger and waved it casually through the air. Then, with great seriousness, she nodded.

“I think I’m ready to graduate. My sword is specially for stabbing scumbags.”

As she spoke, she placed the dagger against his neck, like a hostage-taker in a television drama.

Lu You pressed a finger against the rubber blade and gently pushed her hand away.

“First, this is a dagger, not a sword. Second, I’m not a scumbag.”

Tang Wan withdrew her hand and smiled like a peach blossom—delicate, yet intoxicating.

“Who knows if you are or not~”

With that, she stood up, patted her trousers, and looked at Lu You.

“I’m leaving. You can continue staring into space.”

Then Tang Wan walked back toward the girls’ formation with light, buoyant steps.

Lu You watched her retreating figure with a gentle gaze and exhaled softly.

“Just her appearance alone is enough to make someone fall for her. How am I supposed to withstand what comes later?”

…

At two in the afternoon, Lu You stood beside his bed, put on his military cap, and smoothed the hair showing beneath the brim, making sure his appearance was in order.

“Class monitor, it’s time to go!”

“Coming.”

Lu You picked up a small stool and his “baton” before leaving the dormitory.

The sun still hung high in the cloudless sky. The only improvement over the previous few days was that a few white clouds occasionally drifted past, sparing those on the ground from being scorched by sunlight every moment.

The training ground before the flag-raising platform was packed with students. As class monitor, Lu You once again took a seat at the front of the formation.

The atmosphere was somewhat restless. The students were in high spirits, laughing and talking as they playfully jostled one another.

Li Yu, the acting monitor of Class Two, wore a solemn expression as he asked Lu You seriously, “Are you nervous?”

Lu You glanced at him and struggled to keep the corners of his mouth from rising.

“I’m fine. I’ll be standing in the middle of the formation anyway. No one will notice me.”

“You’re sitting at the front, with so many leaders watching. You’re not nervous?”

“What’s there to be nervous about? We haven’t done anything wrong. If they want to watch, let them.” Lu You’s tone was remarkably relaxed.

Sadness filled Li Yu’s eyes.

“We’re both shut-ins. How come you have such a thick skin?”

“Correction: this is called remaining calm in the face of adversity.”

Seeing Lu You’s composed expression, Li Yu had nothing more to say. He could only adjust his own emotions in silence.

Commander Fu stepped onto the flag-raising platform and tapped the microphone with his hand. A shrill noise blared from the speakers, and the entire field immediately fell silent.

“Good afternoon, students. I am your commander, Fu…”

What followed was a lengthy summary of the military training: who had done what good deed, which company had performed exceptionally well, and how their bearing at the beginning compared with their bearing now.

Lu You had already begun to space out. He was imagining himself going home the next day to cuddle his cat, and even thinking about what kind of cake he would make for his birthday the following weekend.

By the time he came to his senses, the person on the flag-raising platform had been replaced by a girl in a blue military uniform. She was reciting with great feeling:

“Now approaching us is the formation of Company Five. They march with synchronized steps, their gazes resolute and their postures upright. Throughout the days of military training, they have braved the blazing sun, observed discipline strictly, and overcome one obstacle after another. Their motto is: share hardship and joy, surpass oneself, and never stop advancing.”

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A well-ordered formation marched toward the flag-raising platform. Then they switched to goose-stepping, the sound of their feet striking the ground unified and forceful. Every arm swing was crisp and precise, without the slightest mistake.

Although it was not as awe-inspiring as a military parade, it displayed the vibrant energy of high school students and the youthful spirit they all possessed.

Lu You watched with keen interest. In his previous life, while teaching students at a university, he had heard about military training, but he had never witnessed it in person.

One company after another passed before his eyes. Not every formation performed flawlessly. Company Five had started out at an exceptionally high level, but in the formations that followed, one or two people generally failed to keep up with the rhythm. One company commander even ended up moving his arms and legs on the same side at once, barely knowing how to walk, making the scene rather amusing for a while.

Before long, the formation of Company Thirty marched toward the flag-raising platform, and Instructor Liu came over to the members of the performance group.

“Take your things. Leave the stools here and come form up.”

Everyone gathered in the open space behind the field, assembling according to the formation they had practiced.

Instructor Liu surveyed their bearing and, satisfied, nodded.

“Not bad. You all look very spirited. When you go onstage, the boys will perform first, followed by the girls. I don’t need you to be perfect. As long as you perform every movement correctly and get through the routine smoothly, that will be enough. While performing one movement, you must already be thinking about the next. You can’t wait until everyone else has done it before reacting, and you mustn’t rush the rhythm. Come on, show everyone the results of your training these past few days! Do you hear me?”

“We hear you!”

Their response rang out with force, drawing the attention of most of the people in the square.

“Good. Fall in behind Company Thirty-Two.”

…

The boys from the performance group took the field. At Instructor Liu’s command, the formation quickly spread out, leaving a distance of two arm lengths between each person in every direction so that everyone would have enough room to perform.

“Breakdown movements. Prepare for baton drill!”

Following the command, Lu You assumed the starting position. His mind gradually emptied as the first movement appeared in his thoughts.

“First movement: advancing thrust with a padding step!”

As soon as the words fell, he moved without the slightest hesitation. His right foot followed through as his left stepped forward. At the same time, he raised his left forearm before his forehead, gripped the baton in his right hand, drew power from his waist, and thrust forcefully forward.

“Second movement: horizontal kick and chopping strike!”

…

The two baton routines—first in segmented movements and then in one continuous sequence—were completed in no time.

“Close ranks toward the center!”

Lu You walked two steps forward. Since he was already standing in the middle, he did not need to go far. He had no idea how well he had performed, but he had done everything he could. The audience could judge the result. His own task was complete.

“Double time, march!”

Everyone jogged off the field and returned to their seats.

At that moment, Lu You and several others stood out a little. Since the girls from the performance group were still preparing to go onstage, the boys had to sit alone at the front of the formation, with dozens of empty seats behind them.

Lu You was fine and acted as though nothing had happened. Li Yu, however, was deeply uncomfortable, sitting as if on pins and needles. He could only straighten his back and put on a solemn expression. At that moment, he missed the girls from his own class terribly.

Before long, the girls took the field as well. Just like the boys, they quickly spread out and performed the dagger drill twice to the rhythm of the commands.

Unlike the boys’ routine, the girls’ dagger drill was less imposing but more spirited. Red ribbons had been tied to the ends of all the daggers, making them even more eye-catching as they swept through the air.

Lu You sat at the front, while Tang Wan happened to be toward the back of the formation. When the girls spread out to perform the dagger drill, the two of them were relatively close, allowing him to see her entire routine.

She maintained a serious expression throughout, her gaze sharp and focused. Thinking of the occasional moments when she blushed shyly, Lu You could not help wanting to laugh. But he knew this was not the right occasion, and he was also afraid she might notice him laughing and settle the score with him later. So he covered his mouth with one hand and pretended to look solemn.

When the girls finished, even more enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. A few people even whistled and shouted encouragement.

Lu You also smiled as he applauded. The girls’ heroic, spirited appearance was truly pleasing to the eye.

Soon, the girls left the field and returned to their seats. The tension in Li Yu’s body instantly relaxed. Lu You turned his head slightly and glanced at Tang Wan, who was speaking softly among the other girls. A sense of calm settled in his heart.

At last, the blue-uniformed girl’s announcement—“The military training performance has ended successfully”—brought these days of training to a perfect close.

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