Chapter Seven: All for the Sake of the Heroine

This won't do! This won't do!

These were Wu Xiang’s mental cries after five days of military training. However, these cries had nothing to do with the training itself and everything to do with his classmate, Huang Yi.

Why, you ask? The reason was quite simple: Wu Xiang, upon seeing the girl in his heart—the graceful dancer, Huang Yi—was astounded by her appetite. She could eat, and not just in the usual way, but with astonishing capacity!

It wasn’t just that she could down three steamed buns in one sitting, nor that she would vigorously scoop up the dishes on the table. Huang Yi had even stealthily stuffed buns into the pocket of her clothes. Wu Xiang had witnessed it clearly just moments ago!

Originally, Wu Xiang hadn’t wanted to keep staring at a female classmate, but he couldn’t help himself. Such a beautiful girl, yet such a voracious eater, had already become a unique sight in the army canteen.

Wu Xiang knew well that the food in the mess hall was not particularly delicious—a sentiment agreed upon by nearly everyone. But poor taste didn’t mean it wasn’t nourishing. The large-pot meals might not be expertly prepared, but the nutrition was comprehensive, the calories sufficient, meeting the demands of intense physical training. Still, for a girl to eat like this—it was ruinous.

At last, Wu Xiang understood the drastic difference in Hai Qing’s image before and after. He had to put a stop to it. After a night of contemplation, Wu Xiang came up with a plan.

First, he finished his meal as quickly as possible, then waited for Huang Yi…

Right then! Huang Yi went to wash her lunchbox, and Wu Xiang hurried over.

"Sister, please don’t leave yet. I just need to say a few words."

Huang Yi saw the tall bamboo pole coming over, trying to squeeze beside her, and instinctively wanted to evade him. But Wu Xiang shamelessly persisted.

There were quite a few people around, and Huang Yi was not someone to be easily bullied. She frowned fiercely, "What do you want?"

Wu Xiang noticed her accent was rather strong, quite different from the feminine voices he was accustomed to in the northeast—a refreshing change. But he was here for serious business. He smiled and said, "Sister, I just saw you hiding buns."

"You—?" Huang Yi was about to panic, but Wu Xiang’s next words quickly soothed her.

"Don’t worry, I’m not here to report you. I get your situation—I’m hungry at night, too. But we can’t keep eating like this. If you do, your body will develop horizontally," Wu Xiang said earnestly.

"Mind your own business!" Huang Yi was not grateful, though her face was tinged with red.

To be honest, Huang Yi felt thoroughly embarrassed. She didn’t care much about her figure at the moment, but being caught hiding buns by this tall bamboo pole left her feeling unable to face her classmates. She had already judged that this bamboo pole was no good.

Wu Xiang was unaware that he already had a nickname in her mind—quite fitting, really. But the lunchbox washing station wasn’t the place for a lengthy conversation, with so many people around. So Wu Xiang quickly whispered, "Huang Yi, after dinner tonight, I’ll wait for you in the small grove behind the hill. I brought something for you. Just call out for me when you get there. Oh, and my name is Wu Xiang."

With that, Wu Xiang left, leaving Huang Yi with a puzzled expression.

"What could be so mysterious? The grove behind the hill? This…" Huang Yi pondered, and for some reason, the more she thought, the more her cheeks flushed.

What were those things?

Actually, nothing special—not roses, not a love letter, just some food: fresh milk, whole wheat bread, and a few cucumbers. But these items were hard to come by in the camp, except perhaps the cucumbers.

At that moment, Wu Xiang had no wicked intentions. He simply wanted Huang Yi to maintain her figure, so the cucumbers were genuinely for eating.

Wu Xiang’s motives were pure. He just wanted his future leading lady to be more beautiful. Besides, his film project was still in its infancy, and recruiting his classmates would save money. And with such a beauty, how could he bear to let her turn into a carnivorous dinosaur?

It wasn’t easy to get these items. Wu Xiang had haggled with the shopkeeper for ages—the man was shameless, raising the prices at will. Charging a whole yuan for a single cucumber! This was 1997; did he think Wu Xiang had never bought vegetables before?

After dinner, Wu Xiang slipped out with his goods. They were hard to conceal—take the fresh milk, for instance. It was bottled and pasteurized, specially ordered for Wu Xiang to strengthen his body, kept cold in the shop’s refrigerator, hence the high price.

"Xiangzi, where are you heading?" he encountered an acquaintance, Lin Jidong.

"I’m just going for a walk, getting some fresh air. Why aren’t you playing basketball with the others?" Wu Xiang couldn’t tell the truth.

"I was just about to. Why don’t you play? With your height, you should be on the court…"

Wu Xiang couldn’t play ball. He boasted, "My skills would be too much for them, haha…"

"You’re just blowing smoke!"

Wu Xiang managed to slip away. Lin Jidong couldn’t stand his bragging, but thanks to Wu Xiang’s lanky frame and loose clothes, no one noticed the items hidden on him.

Finally, Wu Xiang arrived at the grove, found a relatively secluded spot, and sat down, waiting for the arrival of his beloved.

He never expected that Teacher Hai could have been so beautiful in her youth—well, she wasn’t unattractive a decade later, just not so slim. If things worked out and Huang Yi kept her figure, surely she’d thank him endlessly. When it was time to shoot "The First Time," it would be perfect—a low-budget film, web-based publicity, and a leading lady who didn’t require much investment. What a deal! Wu Xiang was delighted, imagining a bright future unfolding before him.

But would Huang Yi actually come?

"Huang Yi, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing… nothing at all…"

"Don’t sneak buns tonight, or I’ll think there’s a little mouse around, haha…"

"If a mouse shows up, I’ll help you get rid of it!" Someone was embarrassed.

"Haha…"

Huang Yi laughed and joked with her classmates, but her mind was still preoccupied. That conversation in the canteen—it was as if, for the first time in her life, a boy had invited her out!

"I’m not going!" Huang Yi resolved firmly. Not for anything. That tall bamboo pole, with those sharp eyes always watching her, she’d have to be foolish to go to some grove. But somehow, his words didn’t seem to have that implication; Huang Yi could sense there was nothing sinister.

"Not going!" Huang Yi was determined.

… "Who should play the male lead? I definitely can’t do it myself, the image is way off, haha…" Wu Xiang in the grove continued to imagine a wonderful future, and as he thought, exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep.

He didn’t know how much time had passed…

"Wu Xiang?!"

"Hmm? Who—?"

When Wu Xiang opened his eyes again, he was greeted by the blinding beam of a flashlight and the furious face of the instructor…