Chapter 86: I’m Pregnant

Chapter 86: I’m Pregnant

"I don’t think it’s necessary to send it back. Did the higher-ups tell you to keep your distance? These items aren’t valuable anyway. If you make a big deal out of it, it might come off as a breakup."

Tang Xiuxiu calmly advised from the side, "If you really want to thank them, just treat your fellow villager to a meal after the military training is over."

He Jing also said, "Tang Xiuxiu is right. There’s only one week left of training. Don’t mess up again."

Li Meiru looked up and asked, "Do you guys trust me?"

Xia Li replied, "Of course we trust you. You’re our good friend."

Li Meiru said proactively, "As long as you trust me, I’m good."

She then looked at Ye Xiaoxiao, who had remained silent.

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded back.

However, she wasn’t naive enough to trust anyone completely. Li Meiru’s behavior was somewhat suspicious.

She acted like she was hiding something but didn’t hold back.

Ye Xiaoxiao decided to keep her distance from her for the time being.

The roommates checked in with her briefly before dispersing. The 25-kilometer hike the next day was what they needed to worry about more.

Breakfast was at 4 a.m., and they would set off at 4:25 a.m., following a designated route around the mountain before returning to the military canteen.

It seemed like those who arrived late wouldn’t get dinner.

"This is just wishful thinking," Ye Xiaoxiao thought before going to sleep.

The next morning, looking at the still-dark sky, she almost didn’t get up.

"I feel awful..."

The others were clearly not fully awake either.

At 3:45 a.m., the wake-up call blew.

Luckily, the base had lights; otherwise, it would have been too scary in the dark.

After breakfast, they set off, the sky still dark. The military had provided each class with a few lanterns, so walking wasn’t a problem.

In addition to the lanterns, each person’s bag contained some dry rations, water, and basic first aid supplies.

They were all set.

Even so, hiking mountain trails in the dark was new to Ye Xiaoxiao.

"Enjoy it while it lasts. It will be even more tiring when the sun comes up," Tang Xiuxiu reminded her, seeing Ye Xiaoxiao looking drained.

Ye Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and said, "Let’s move."

At first, they used the lanterns, but as the sky lit up, they put the lanterns away.

The team's formation also changed from a square shape at the beginning to a long line like a train.

At regular intervals, signposts with soldiers standing under them could be seen. Except for when students needed help due to injuries or illnesses, those soldiers remained as silent as wooden stakes.

Ye Xiaoxiao and her roommates initially walked together, but as the distance between them gradually increased, they eventually drifted apart.

Both the counselor and the instructor mentioned that the military training scores would be recorded in the first semester's regular grades, which would be very helpful for students' awards and evaluations. Now, it’s not just about camaraderie but also competition.

Moreover, the military had everything planned out in advance, so there was basically no danger, and walking alone wasn’t intimidating.

Ye Xiaoxiao participated in the military training with the mindset of prioritizing experience over competition. She wasn’t as active as her roommates and slowly lagged behind.

Although Lu Hanchuan didn’t personally participate in this training, he monitored updates from the command center, closely watching the students' progress to ensure the gap between the front and back wasn’t too wide.

Thus, the students walking at the back suddenly realized they couldn’t slack off.

Anyone who saw a vehicle loaded with armed soldiers following them would run faster; the pressure was overwhelming.

Ye Xiaoxiao's position was somewhere in the middle, but she had her own issues.

Since she separated from her roommates, a classmate named Zhang Dong had been following her and chatting.

Ye Xiaoxiao ignored him, but he didn’t leave, quietly trailing behind.

This guy really had no drive.

Ye Xiaoxiao complained in her heart.

And why hadn’t the news of her having a boyfriend spread yet? Her roommates were too tight-lipped.

"Zhang Dong, I need to make something clear to you upfront."

Ye Xiaoxiao looked at Zhang Dong, who was sticking to her, with a serious expression.

"Ye, please tell me."

Zhang Dong looked serious.

"Actually, I’m already married."

Originally, Ye Xiaoxiao wanted to say she had a boyfriend, but she thought it might not be impactful enough for Zhang Dong, so she decided to be more direct.

Zhang Dong was indeed stunned, and after reacting, he sounded incredulous.

"Really? I don’t believe it!"

Ye Xiaoxiao put on the best performance of her life, "Really, I even have two children."

Zhang Dong looked thunderstruck.

"You... how old are you this year?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Twenty-three, I... had two kids within three years."

Zhang Dong: "But you look..."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Yes, I look young, but actually, I’m quite old."

Zhang Dong was so stunned he couldn’t take another step.

Ye Xiaoxiao took off running while the other person was still digesting the information.

She didn’t stop until she was sure the other person wasn’t chasing her.

"I’m beat," Ye Xiaoxiao said, bending over to catch her breath.

She figured she’d find a spot to rest and grab a bite.

She’d just sat down on a rock by the road when thunder cracked overhead.

She glanced up—the sky was clear, not a cloud in sight.

"Is this because I lied?" Ye Xiaoxiao muttered, standing up just as raindrops the size of peas started pelting down.

The military must’ve checked the weather—it wasn’t supposed to rain today.

But the weather’s fickle, and the rain came pouring down out of nowhere.

In ten minutes flat, the ground was drenched.

The students, caught without raincoats and nowhere to hide, were in a real bind.

Ye Xiaoxiao held her backpack over her head and ducked under a big tree by the road.

At least she didn’t get zapped by lightning.

But she was drenched to the bone.

The rain came and went in a flash.

Ye Xiaoxiao shrugged off her jacket and kept walking in her T-shirt.

While the students were struggling, the military was stumped too.

Everything was fine at first, but the rain upped the odds of the students getting hurt.

"Commander, should we keep going?" Lu Hanchuan said, "The rain’s stopped, so the march is back on."

Besides, even if they called it off now, they couldn’t round up every student.

After saying this, Lu Hanchuan added, "Tell logistics to keep an eye out for anyone who needs dry clothes or towels."

"Got it, sir."

Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t exactly dawdling.

She ran into Qiao Yunhu from the next class about halfway in.

Qiao Yunhu was usually in better shape than this.

When Ye Xiaoxiao got closer, she saw him sitting on the ground.

Oh no… he’d twisted his ankle.

This was her chance to play the hero.

Before Ye Xiaoxiao could decide whether to help, Qiao Yunhu spotted her.

"Hey, need a hand?"

Qiao Yunhu originally didn’t want to trouble a female classmate, but the classmate who said he would go find a soldier for help still hadn’t returned with any news. "I twisted my ankle. Can you head to the next checkpoint and get someone from the military to help me out?"