When Lin Xian left the house, the sun had yet to rise. It seemed hidden behind layers of heavy clouds. Sitting on the bus, she gazed at the grey sky through the window, secretly relieved. The news had said a new typhoon was forming—Typhoon No. 1—and several others were on the way. That meant the coming days would likely be rainy and overcast. If a typhoon arrived early, maybe, just maybe, it would cut the military training short. She silently wished it wouldn’t be too hard to endure.

  But her wish barely lasted a moment. The scorching sun soon burst through the clouds with an aggressive brilliance, flooding the earth with blinding heat.

  After the opening ceremony, all the new students were divided into groups and marched off to the sports field. The two-week military training had officially begun.

  Lin Xian had barely stood in the blazing sun for twenty minutes before she felt like her whole body was being baked in an oven—scorching, sticky, and unbearable. She wore a cap, and her delicate, fair face was half hidden in shadow, half exposed to the merciless sunlight. Beads of sweat trickled down her cheeks. She stared blankly at the back of the head in front of her, letting her mind drift to help the time pass faster.

  She wondered if Zhou Qin, having not seen her for so many days, missed her terribly. She wondered if Lin Zhan had lost his appetite at home without her buzzing around, begging for attention. And she thought of her best friend Yan Yuhuan, now even further south at Dongming University in another province—was she also standing under this same fiery sky, suffering the same sizzling torment?

  But most of all, she thought of Xiao Wanqing.

  She wondered if Xiao Wanqing had gone out. If she had started work. What her workplace looked like. Would her office have the same style as her home—simple, but full of warmth? With a personality so gentle, how did she command the respect of her subordinates?

  During their squat-hold drill, where they had to maintain their posture for five solid minutes, Lin Xian came to a quiet realization—she had an unusual curiosity about Xiao Wanqing. It was as if something about her carried a kind of gravity, quietly pulling her in.

  When she stood up again, she found a reason to comfort herself.

  It’s just because Xiao Wanqing is too mysterious.

  During the short training breaks, the girls around her sat cross-legged on the field, chatting and laughing freely. By lunchtime, those staying on campus grouped up with their dormmates and headed out together. Lin Xian naturally ended up with the only other three day students in the class. The four of them quickly bonded, linking arms in a straight line, charging toward the cafeteria in a dramatic show of unity. Lin Xian, as their self-proclaimed leader, was the loudest and most playful of them all.

  The afternoon sun was still scorching, but because everyone had gotten to know each other a bit better, the breaks during training were filled with laughter and chatter, and time, well, it passed much more easily.

  By sunset, training ended for the day. Lin Xian rode the bus home with her new friends Chen Zhi and Tang Mo. As soon as she stepped into the house and opened the door, a mouthwatering aroma wafted through the air, instantly making her salivate from hunger.

  She closed the door, kicked off her shoes, and dashed toward the kitchen in little hops, calling out brightly, “Auntie Xiao, I’m back! What are you cooking? It smells amazing—”

  Xiao Wanqing, with her long hair tied back and apron on, turned her head at the sound. She still had a spatula in her hand. The moment she saw Lin Xian, she chuckled.

  Lin Xian froze mid-bounce. She blinked and looked down at herself. Nothing seemed out of place. “Auntie Xiao, why are you laughing?”

  Xiao Wanqing’s eyes curved with warmth and amusement. “Go wash your face—you’ll see.” Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Dinner’s not quite ready. You could take a shower first—you must feel all sticky and uncomfortable.”

  Still puzzled, Lin Xian obediently replied, “Okay,” and turned toward the bathroom.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  Moments later, as Xiao Wanqing expected, a shocked cry echoed from the bathroom: “Oh my God—!”

  Xiao Wanqing's eyes softened, and she couldn't help but smile again, trying to suppress her amusement.

  Lin Xian wondered if it was because she tanned so easily, but after just one day in the sun, she had noticeably darkened several shades. Worse still, because she had been wearing a hat, only half of her face was exposed, so her upper and lower face had completely formed two different tones. Without the hat, it looked particularly striking.

  She emerged from the shower twenty minutes later, just as Xiao Wanqing finished the last dish, washed the pan, and removed her apron.

  Lin Xian padded over in her slippers, making little “tap tap tap” sounds as she ran up to Xiao Wanqing and suddenly hugged her from behind. She rested her cheek against Xiao Wanqing’s back, her voice pitiful: “Auntie Xiao… what do I do? I look awful… No wonder everyone kept staring at me on the way home…”

  Xiao Wanqing stiffened slightly at the sudden contact. But only for a second. She soon relaxed, turned off the tap, and faced Lin Xian. In a gentle voice, she reassured her, “It’s okay. You’ll be back to normal once training ends. Just give it a little time.” She looked down at Lin Xian’s hopeful, deer-like eyes and couldn’t resist reaching out to lightly tap her nose. “Actually, you look kind of cute like this. Like a little tabby cat.”

  Lin Xian’s eyes curved into crescent moons, blooming with a shy but delighted smile.

  Xiao Wanqing ruffled her still-damp hair. “Alright now, you must be starving. Let’s eat.”

  Lin Xian nodded and eagerly volunteered, “I’ll get the rice for you!”

  Xiao Wanqing chuckled. “Okay.”

  During dinner, Lin Xian kept tilting her head, fidgeting with her neck. Xiao Wanqing noticed. “Is something wrong with your neck? Did you twist it?”

  “I don’t know,” Lin Xian pouted. “It just really hurts in one spot.”

  Xiao Wanqing’s brows furrowed slightly. She put down her chopsticks and walked over. Brushing aside Lin Xian’s hair, she examined the back of her neck. Her skin was red, swollen, and even looked slightly broken.

  Xiao Wanqing’s voice dropped a little, heavy with guilt. “It’s sunburn. I should’ve reminded you to put on sunscreen this morning.”

  Lin Xian immediately tried to comfort her. “No, no, it’s not your fault—I was just too lazy to put any on. It doesn’t hurt that bad. I’ll be fine in a couple days.”

  Xiao Wanqing bit her lip. “I’ll go get some ointment.”

  But Lin Xian was quicker. She reached out and grabbed Xiao Wanqing’s hand. “Let’s eat first. It’s not urgent. The soup’s getting cold.”

  Xiao Wanqing hesitated, but saw the sincere look in her eyes and gave in. “Alright.”

  Still, it was clear she couldn’t concentrate on dinner. In less than two minutes, she had wolfed down her food and got up to fetch the ointment.

  Lin Xian watched her retreating figure and let out a soft sigh. But her lips curled upward into a smile, one she couldn’t suppress.

  After dinner and medicine, Xiao Wanqing told her to watch some TV or read a bit, and go to bed early. This was only the first day—there were many more grueling ones ahead.

  Lin Xian studied the first chapters of all her subjects, finished some English listening and reading exercises, then suddenly remembered—she forgot to do her laundry again!

  She leapt from her chair and dashed to the bathroom—but it was too late. The laundry tub was already empty.

  Disheartened, she walked to the balcony. Sure enough, Xiao Wanqing had washed everything and hung them out to dry.

  Seeing Lin Xian’s guilty, scrunched-up face, Xiao Wanqing smiled. “I only washed your outerwear. I left your undergarments for you to do yourself.”

  Lin Xian looked down, embarrassed. “Auntie Xiao, you really didn’t have to. I’ll do it all myself next time.”

  Xiao Wanqing looked at her with gentle affection. Then she offered a compromise. “How about this? I’ll keep doing your laundry, and in return, you help me proofread some articles over the weekend. That’ll save me tons of time.”

  Her magazine had an English edition, and while proofreading wasn’t part of her job, it would only benefit Lin Xian to read those kinds of articles.

  “Deal!” Lin Xian answered without hesitation. Then she added with a sly smile, “But I still want to wash my own clothes.”

  Xiao Wanqing blinked in surprise, then laughed. Her gaze softened as she looked into Lin Xian’s lively eyes. She didn’t insist either way.

  That night, Xiao Wanqing stayed up working until nearly midnight. On her way to the kitchen to get some water, she passed by Lin Xian’s room and paused.

  The usual late-night tapping of the keyboard was absent. Her room, like the rest of the house, was quiet and peaceful. Xiao Wanqing looked at the closed door and slowly smiled, her expression full of warmth and contentment.

  The next morning, Lin Xian—having learned her lesson—woke up early and carefully applied sunscreen to her face. Then, sunscreen in hand, she walked into the kitchen.

  “Auntie Xiao,” she said, “can you help me put it on my neck?”

  Xiao Wanqing’s fingertips were cool and soft as she gently spread the lotion across Lin Xian’s fair skin. The touch sent a strange, ticklish feeling through Lin Xian’s heart.

  She suddenly remembered how elegant Xiao Wanqing’s hands were—slender and pale, like those of a hand model.

  Her body involuntarily gave a tiny shiver.

  Xiao Wanqing noticed. She smiled and asked, “Are my hands too cold?”

  Flustered, Lin Xian quickly shook her head. “No… no, it’s fine…”

  Thankfully, Xiao Wanqing didn’t press further. She simply rubbed her hands together to warm them up before resuming.

  This time, the temperature was just right—gently warm—and it seeped from her neck down her spine, and slowly, into her heart.