Two tigers, two tigers, run fast
The next day, the weather was unexpectedly good. The autumn air was crisp and the sun was no longer scorching, but rather had a golden warmth.
The morning in dormitory 602 was as refreshing as the weather.
At half past six, Lu Yu's biological clock woke him up on time. He stretched and sat up in bed, just in time to see the person in the bed next to him sitting up.
Their eyes met, "Good morning." Lu Yu spoke first, his voice hoarse from just waking up, but his smile was as refreshing as usual.
Shi Guang paused for a moment before a very light syllable came out of his throat: "...Good morning."
After getting out of bed, the two walked groggily towards the bathroom.
"You got up really early," Lu Yu said incoherently with his mouth full of foam, "I thought you would stay in bed."
In the mirror, Shi Guang's eyes met his for a moment. Without a word, he calmly continued what he was doing. That look was like the surface of a lake in the early morning, simply reflecting the image of a person talking foolishly.
Fat Jiang was the last to get up. Rubbing his eyes, he keenly noticed the change in the dormitory's atmosphere. He looked at the vase on Lu Yu's desk, then at the bed that Shi Guang had neatly made, and a puzzled expression crossed his face, as if to say, "Did I miss something?"
"Brother Lu..." He approached cautiously, "Have you and Shi Guang... reconciled?"
"We didn't even have a fight." Lu Yu replied in a good mood. He stretched and said, "Let's go have breakfast! It's my treat today!"
"Great! Brother Lu is so generous!" Fatty Jiang was the first to respond, instantly perking up. "I want the deluxe version of the pancake from the second floor of the cafeteria, the one with two eggs and two sausages!"
So, in the early morning of dormitory 602, the four of them went out together for the first time.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, Fat Jiang went straight to the pancake window, while Sun Rui was making precise calculations on the protein content of soy milk and milk.
Lu Yu prepared his own meal, and then naturally walked over to Shi Guang who was still looking around.
"What to eat?" he asked.
Shi Guang raised his head, his eyes swept over the fried dough sticks, buns, fried noodles... Finally, they fell on the small window that was steaming.
"……Porridge."
"Okay, wait." Lu Yu put his plate aside and called to the aunt at the window with familiarity, "Auntie, a bowl of preserved egg and lean meat porridge. Please give me more meat. Thank you!"
When the two of them found their seats with their plates, Sun Rui was already there. He looked at Lu Yu's identical meat buns and soy milk on his plate, then at Shi Guang's bowl of bland porridge. He spoke calmly, "Observations have shown that during the adaptation period, individuals tend to choose consistent, low-stimulation foods. This is often a manifestation of a desire for psychological stability and a sense of control."
Lu Yu almost spit out a mouthful of soy milk.
Fatty Jiang, who had just sat down with a deluxe pancake, winked at Lu Yu and silently mouthed two words: "I understand you."
Lu Yu didn't bother to pay attention to these two funny guys. He looked at Shi Guang across from him, sipping his porridge in small sips. The sunlight shone in through the huge glass windows of the cafeteria, falling on him, soft and gentle like a quiet painting.
On the way to the playground, Lu Yu walked side by side with Shi Guang for the first time.
There was a person's distance between them, not too far, not too close, but enough to form an independent small group. Military training had reached the middle stage, and everyone was relaxed before the release, gathering in groups of three or four to discuss holiday arrangements.
Lu Yu and time became the most eye-catching focus in this relaxed atmosphere.
Almost everyone who passed by them would cast a look of curiosity, ambiguity, or kindness at them, and the whispers drifted into their ears intermittently like the wind.
"Look, look, it's them!"
"They really are a good match, that height difference..."
"I watched that hug yesterday eight hundred times. It was so sweet!"
Lu Yu was already accustomed to these gazes. He just calmly took a step closer to Shi Guang, using his figure to block some of the most direct sight lines for him.
He could feel the tension in the man beside him, his body tense, his gait a bit stiffer than usual. He kept his head down, staring at the tips of his shoes, as if trying to shrink himself into a point that no one could see.
"Ignore them." Lu Yu suddenly spoke, his voice just low enough for Shi Guang to hear. "They are a bunch of inexperienced people making a fuss out of nothing."
There was a certain air of self-righteousness in his tone, which strangely enough, relaxed Shi Guang's frayed nerves a little. Shi Guang paused, then said, "Hmm," in a barely audible voice.
The training content for this day was very simple, mainly consisting of military boxing.
Compared to the boring drills, this project clearly piqued the boys' interest. Zhou Hai personally participated in the battle, executing each move with vigor and vigor. From the bow stance punch to the horse stance horizontal strike, each move was imbued with the unique ferocity and simplicity of a soldier.
During the break, Instructor Zhou Hai called Lu Yu and Shi Guang aside and asked them to distribute the souvenirs purchased by the school, each of them a bottle of Coke with the Jiangnan University logo printed on it.
Boxes of Coke were piled in the shade of the trees, and everyone else was resting in the distance.
The two men silently opened the cartons and took out bottles of ice-cold Coke.
"Yesterday..." Lu Yu's voice was a little dry. "I'm sorry, I was too excited and didn't think too much about it. I caused you trouble."
This was the first time he had apologized to Shi Guang so formally for his behavior.
Time paused. He was still holding a bottle of iced Coke, and the condensation on the bottle wet his fingertips. He didn't answer immediately, but raised his head and looked at Lu Yu.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face. His eyes were serious, without blame or grievance, just a kind of emotionless inquiry.
"You don't have to apologize." After a long while, he finally spoke in a soft voice, "You... handled it very well."
"Really?" Lu Yu raised his eyebrows. "I think I'm pretty smart too."
Shi Guang looked at his cocky look that suddenly appeared on his face, and the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch upwards slightly, although the arc was so small that it was almost invisible.
He lowered his head and continued to take the Coke from the box, saying as he did so, "Besides...it's not a big deal."
"Huh?" Lu Yu didn't hear clearly.
"Nothing." Shi Guang shook his head and didn't repeat it.
Lu Yu didn't ask any more questions, but his heart felt as sweet as honey. He took the initiative to pick up two bottles of Coke, skillfully pried open the cap of one of them with his teeth, and handed it to Shi Guang.
"Here, meritorious official, drink first."
"I don't drink this." Shi Guang subconsciously refused. He didn't like carbonated drinks.
"Here," Lu Yu pressed the cold bottle into his hand without questioning, "use it as an ice compress. Your face was as red as a monkey's butt just now."
Shi Guang's face suddenly flushed with anger. He took the bottle of iced cola and placed it against his cheek. The cool touch gave him a shudder, and also calmed his flustered heart a little.
After distributing the Coke, Lu Yu was about to leave with the empty cardboard box, but suddenly remembered something and turned to Shi Guang and said, "By the way, thank you for the dogtail grass."
Shi Guang said "hmm".
"However," Lu Yu changed the subject with a mischievous smile on his face, "this vase is so big, but there's only one blade of grass. It looks a bit lonely. Next time... can you bring me a handful?"
Time: “…”
He didn't answer, but just walked past Lu Yu quickly with the cardboard box in his arms. Lu Yu looked at his back and couldn't help laughing softly.
That night, the training ground did not disperse immediately after dinner.
The instructors of each company seemed to feel that the amount of training during the day was not enough, so they suddenly decided to organize a massive singing competition.
Thousands of freshmen, organized into company groups, sat cross-legged on the plastic track, a vast, dark mass. As night fell, the stadium's floodlights illuminated the entire field like daylight. The air was thick with the scent of green grass and excess hormones.
"Come on! From the fifth company! First one!" the instructor on the opposite side shouted at the top of his voice.
Half of the men in the fifth company immediately stood up fiercely and roared the most classic military song at the top of their lungs: "Unity is strength! This strength is iron! This strength is steel..."
Although the singing was rough and even a little out of tune, the momentum instantly ignited the atmosphere of the entire venue.
"It's our turn! People from the Seventh Company! Show your might! Let them see who the real boss is!" Zhou Hai shouted towards his company.
"Brother Lu! It's up to you!" Fat Jiang was the first to jump up and pushed Lu Yu's back hard.
Lu Yu took the lead without hesitation. He stood up, strode to the front of the team, and shouted, "Brothers! Whether you do it or not, it's over!"
"Fuck!" All the boys in the company shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky.
"Okay! Listen to my command! Let's not sing the old one, let's sing something exciting!" Lu Yu cleared his throat and started, "On this turbulent battlefield..."
"I knock! 'Reverse War'!" Fat Jiang was instantly excited.
"Reverse Battle! Reverse Battle is coming! Ace must be wild..."
An explosive pop song instantly brought the atmosphere to a climax. Lu Yu's voice was high and penetrating, carrying the boldness and uninhibited spirit of a young man. Fat Jiang yelled until his neck was bruised, while Zhao Teng held up his phone to record the entire process, muttering, "It's on fire! Family! This is youth!"
Shi Guang sat in the middle of the team, enveloped by the heat. He looked at Lu Yu, who stood at the front, leading everyone like a luminous figure. He saw his powerful silhouette outlined by the searchlight, and his eyes flashed with a light that he himself had not yet noticed.
After the song was finished, the fifth company on the opposite side seemed to be enraged. Not willing to be outdone, they immediately responded with a song called "The Lone Brave" which was full of provocation.
"Yo!" The boys from the seventh company booed loudly.
"Brother Lu! Fight back! Let them know we're not to be trifled with!"
Lu Yu smiled. He stood up again, but waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"Brothers, we are cultured people. We can't be as tasteless as them." He cleared his throat and began in an extremely affectionate and gentle tone:
"Two tigers, two tigers, run fast..."
The whole audience was silent for two seconds.
Then, there was an earth-shattering laughter that could have blown the roof of the stadium off!
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