Chapter Sixty-Four: Reflections on the Future (Part Two)

When Luo Yixia emerged from her shower, she saw Song Chengyi watching a movie. Recognizing the familiar scene, she hurried over, excitement clear in her voice. “So, is it good?”

“It’s all right,” Song Chengyi replied earnestly.

“You guys really don’t know how to appreciate things—it’s obviously so good!” Luo Yixia pouted.

Song Chengyi switched off the movie. “You ate a lot tonight. Come take a walk with me.”

He tugged at the collar of her shirt at the nape of her neck. “No way! I want to rewatch this movie again and again.”

Ignoring her protests, Song Chengyi simply led her outside. The cool night breeze felt pleasant against their faces. Luo Yixia clasped her hands behind her back as they walked, silent side by side.

The streets were busy with pedestrians—travelers from different countries and couples strolling arm in arm. She couldn’t quite figure out what she and Song Chengyi were now. Not lovers, not friends—something else.

“Song Chengyi,” Luo Yixia suddenly called to the person beside her.

“What is it?” He looked straight ahead, not turning, his tone detached.

“Are you going to be a doctor in the future?”

He laughed softly. “Why else would I study medicine? Am I supposed to become an actor instead?”

Luo Yixia replied, her mood low, “It’s not impossible—you’re so good-looking. The new idols these days can’t even compare to you.”

“Is that so?” He sounded rather pleased.

Luo Yixia bit her lip, wanting to say, In my heart, you’re the very best. But fear of awkwardness kept her silent.

Song Chengyi knew she was troubled—he’d noticed her distracted mood after dinner—but since she never spoke, he never asked.

He glanced at her waist-length hair. Years of medical study had made him notice early on that Luo Yixia was clearly suffering from malnutrition.

“When school starts, you’ll need to cut your hair for military training.”

The words were calm, but they struck Luo Yixia like a slap.

“I’ll tie it up,” she whispered. Cutting her hair was out of the question; she’d cared for it for years.

“Military training is exhausting. You won’t have time to manage it,” Song Chengyi frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her response.

“I’ll take care of it myself.” Her voice was barely audible. If it were anything else, Luo Yixia might not have refused Song Chengyi, but her long hair—did he know how many years she’d spent growing it?

“Suit yourself,” he said, seeing her reluctance. He couldn’t understand why she was still malnourished despite eating so much, or why she was so thin. Where did all the food go?

Luo Yixia hung her head in silence.

“Military training will be in the nearby mountains—a month of field exercises,” Song Chengyi reminded her again. Judging by her memory, she’d probably forget, and he doubted she could handle the training.

“I know,” she replied.

“Don’t wander off; it’s easy to get lost. If anything happens, come find me, understand?” He looked at her seriously.

“I’m not a child. How could I possibly get lost?” It was obvious Song Chengyi treated her like a child.

“That’s best.”

Once they returned, it wouldn’t be long before military training began. Just thinking about it made her back ache. If she met those devil instructors again, it wouldn’t matter if she was a girl—they’d work her to exhaustion.

This time, training would be outdoors, likely even more tiring. Yet, for some reason, the thought of seeing Song Chengyi in military training made her feel a bit excited.

With that in mind, perhaps the training wouldn’t be so hard to endure after all.