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When Huang Qi saw Sha Zhouyin again the next day, his hair was now cropped short and flat, the brim of his cap pulled low over his face, nearly hiding the scar on his forehead. From a distance, he gave her a reassuring smile. Huang Qi returned his knowing look, and her heavy heart felt a sudden lift.

Xiao Ying was stronger than she had imagined. Since tragedy struck his family, she had only seen him cry the day of his father's execution. In contrast, she herself was the one who would often break into tears. She had even made grand declarations about looking after Xiao Ying, protecting him like an elder sister should—how could a sister be more fragile than her younger brother? She refused to let him surpass her in strength.

After the incident in the bathhouse, the instructor deliberately kept students from the two schools apart. Meals and showers were taken in shifts, and the training grounds were far separated, all to prevent any further friction. So now, Huang Qi only encountered Sha Zhouyin in passing, exchanging distant glances along the way.

Once the drills were over, the military training activities became richer and more varied: climbing, crawling, marksmanship, midnight musters, field marches—one after another, pushing these pampered city children to their limits. After each shower, bruises could be seen blooming on classmates' arms and legs. Their faces had been tanned to the color of coal, but their gazes grew more resolute. The instructors even praised them, saying they were starting to look like real soldiers. Even their posture during formation seemed to straighten with newfound pride.

Of all the training exercises, the toughest was the field march. Each batch of students had a randomized set of challenges, and this time they drew the night march: rising at midnight to trek thirty kilometers over hills and valleys, and returning to camp before five in the morning to pass.

This autumn was unusually hot. Even in November, wearing just a T-shirt under their camo during the day left them sweating. The day before the march, the forecast warned of a sharp drop in temperature and rain, but the instructors, seeing the clear weather, decided to proceed as planned.

Most students thought of the field march as an adventurous hike through the woods. Trekking up mountains by flashlight at night sounded exciting—add some torches and it would be even better. Eager anticipation buzzed among them as they ate dinner and then lay in bed at eight, pretending to sleep. No one could really rest; their blankets were already packed, ready to sling onto their backs the moment the assembly whistle blew.

Clouds gathered in the night, leaving only a faint starlight. The mountains bore no resemblance to the city; without light pollution, the darkness beneath the trees and rocks was absolute. At each turn or dangerous stretch, teachers and instructors stood with signal lights; elsewhere, they relied on the footsteps ahead to guide them. Luckily, the hills here were gentle, mostly mounds on the plain, and the route was one the instructors had scouted many times. As long as you stuck with the group, there was no danger.

The twenty-odd girls in her class marched in pairs, Wu Ziqing leading at the front, while Huang Qi and Zhu Xinyi brought up the rear. Zhu Xinyi bounced along cheerfully, “I’ve never climbed a mountain at night before—this is so fun! But my blanket is so heavy I’m sweating already. Why do we have to carry blankets up the mountain?”

“It’s a march, of course you have to carry your gear and rations. What would you sleep with at the next camp? We’re even simulating camping out in the valley.”

Zhu Xinyi stuck out her tongue. “They’re really making it seem real. Do we sleep right on the ground? What if the blanket gets dirty, how will I use it? We’re supposed to sleep here for several days.”

At first, the ranks were alive with excited chatter, but after half an hour, only the sound of heavy breathing remained. Maintaining an average speed of six kilometers an hour meant fast walking, even jogging at times—no small feat on flat ground, let alone climbing hills. Depending on the terrain and instructors’ signals, they would sometimes have to sprint, sometimes pause and wait—the constant ups and downs were even more exhausting than a steady run.

Zhu Xinyi’s pack wasn’t strapped well, and soon her blanket kept slipping down. More than once, Huang Qi noticed her lagging behind, tempted to stop for a rest, but she gripped Zhu Xinyi’s hand, refusing to let her pause. “It’s pitch-black out here—don’t fall behind, or you’ll lose the group and won’t be able to catch up.”

Zhu Xinyi gasped, “I can’t, I really can’t go on—my pack’s straps are digging into my shoulders and I think my skin’s rubbed raw. I’ll just throw it away and buy a new one when we get back.”

“If you lose your pack, you won’t pass,” Huang Qi said after thinking for a moment. “Let me carry it for you—just one blanket, it’s not heavy.”

Zhu Xinyi glanced at the boys trailing behind them. “You’re a girl too, and so skinny—how can you carry it for me? That’s too much.”

The boys, lined up by height, were all on the smaller side, and by now were gasping for breath themselves, wishing they could ditch their own packs. None had the energy to play the hero for the girls; hearing Zhu Xinyi’s suggestion, they only kept quiet.

Huang Qi propped up Zhu Xinyi’s slipping pack. “It’s nothing, we country kids are strong. This is easy. If you get tired, I’ll carry it for a stretch, and you can take it back later.”

Zhu Xinyi, a pampered city girl with a bit of a princess complex, was known for her bluntness. She’d once insulted Huang Qi in an argument, calling her a “country bumpkin.” Now, embarrassed, she said, “Huang Qi, you’re really good to me. You’re so loyal. When Bai Luyao was in trouble, you were the only one brave enough to run in and help her, and now you’re carrying my blanket. I was so immature before… I’m sorry.”

Huang Qi replied, “It’s nothing. The path’s wide enough here—hand me your blanket, let’s fix the pack by the side of the road. If we hurry, we can catch up.”

They stepped aside, Zhu Xinyi unstrapped her pack, and Huang Qi started bundling the blankets together. She hadn’t finished tying the straps when suddenly the instructor’s whistle sounded. The group surged forward at a run. The boys from their class called out as they passed, “Are you from Class Eight? Keep up!” One tall boy, thinking the girls were falling behind, grabbed Zhu Xinyi’s arm and pulled her along.

Zhu Xinyi barely had time to cry out before she was half-dragged away in a stumbling run. The group thundered past, and as anxious as Huang Qi was, she couldn’t abandon Zhu Xinyi’s pack. Fumbling with the straps, she finally secured the blankets on her back. By then, the pace had slowed to a walk again.

Class Eight was the last class in the grade, and by now, she had no idea where they’d gone. By the weak glow of the instructor’s flashlight, Huang Qi saw she was surrounded by students in yellow camo from the Vocational School. She made her way over to a group of girls. They noticed her and asked, “Who are you? You’re not from our class, are you?”

“Hi, I got separated from my class. Can I walk with you until we reach the camp?”

Another girl said, “Look at her uniform—different color from us. She’s one of those star students from No. 1 High!” Her tone was mocking.

The first girl snorted, “From No. 1 High, huh? Didn’t you all say our school’s full of thugs and losers? Aren’t you afraid our boys will tear off your clothes and sully your purity?”

Just then, an instructor passing by overheard and barked, “Quiet! Stick together, don’t stir up internal conflicts!” Then, to Huang Qi, “You, stay with this group until the camp, then return to your own unit. Don’t fall behind again, understood?”

The girls fell silent, but as soon as the instructor left, they started gossiping again. “What’s so great about No. 1 High? Just because they get better grades, they think they can look down on us and call us all trash?”

“Well, you can’t blame them for being prejudiced—some of the kids in our vocational section really are like that. I’ve even had my money stolen in broad daylight. They ruin the school’s reputation for everyone—a single rat spoils the pot.”

“Society’s complicated everywhere. Every place has its share of bad apples. Does No. 1 High have no perverts or scum?”

“There are lots of weirdos with good grades! I had a classmate in middle school who got into No. 1 High, but his character was terrible—no one in the class liked him!”

…

Huang Qi walked silently behind them, listening but saying nothing. Just a few troublemakers could ruin a school’s reputation, but how could thousands of students all be delinquents? She certainly wouldn’t judge someone by their school. She also noticed the girls weren’t tired at all—because the boys were carrying all their packs. In this respect, the Vocational School boys were more chivalrous than the ones in her class.

The Vocational School students weren’t as obedient as those from No. 1 High. When the instructors were around, they kept in line, but as soon as they left, the students grouped together with their friends and started chatting. As Huang Qi blended into the crowd, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned in surprise, exclaiming, “Xiao Ying! It’s you!”

Sha Zhouyin pulled her to the edge of the group, walking with her at a steady pace. “I heard there was a No. 1 High girl who got separated and joined our group. I came to see if it was you, and it really is. I’m just in the class next door—these classes are all part of the high school division. The students are all good people, don’t worry.”

Remembering what she’d heard before from a Vocational School teacher, Huang Qi asked, “Xiao Ying, so you’re in high school? Sasa told me you applied for the technical program—what was it called… something with water and air?”

“It’s CNC, Computerized Numerical Control. When I got here, I found out I could switch majors. My entrance exam score was high enough, so I applied to transfer to the high school section.” He paused. “Only the high school section lets you take the college entrance exam.”

That one sentence swept away all of Huang Qi’s previous worries and sadness. She knew it—Xiao Ying would never let misfortune defeat him. He was tough and determined, always clear about what he wanted. Even in a place like the Vocational School, he was focused on studying for the college entrance exam. Perhaps, one day, they could even end up at the same university.

The more she thought about it, the brighter the future seemed. Huang Qi beamed, “Xiao Ying, which class are you in? I’ll write you letters! I went to your school last time but couldn’t find your class.”

“Class 3, Grade 10. There are only three high school classes here.”

Huang Qi began to daydream about going to university together, thinking of all the details related to the exam. “Xiao Ying, do you have free time on weekends? Come find me, or we can study together at the city library. We can help each other, share what we know, and improve together.”

What she really wanted to say was that the teaching quality at the Vocational School couldn’t compare to No. 1 High, and relying on self-study alone wouldn’t be enough to get into a good university. If she could share what her teachers taught every week with Xiao Ying, it would be like he was getting a No. 1 High education too.

Sha Zhouyin hesitated. “I might not have time on weekends.”

“Don’t you have classes on weekends? I went to your school on Saturday and it was empty.”

He didn’t answer, changing the subject. “Xiao Qi, why is your pack so big? Aren’t you tired? Let me carry it.”

“Oh, one of my classmates couldn’t keep up, so I took her blanket. It’s only five kilograms—nothing! I’m strong enough to carry two more if I had to!” To show she wasn’t struggling, she hefted the pack higher.

“No matter how strong you are, you’re still a girl. Can you really be stronger than the boys? Do you see any other girls carrying someone else’s pack?” Sha Zhouyin took her double bundle, unfastened the straps, and slung it over his own shoulder.

Huang Qi tried to take it back, but she couldn’t win and finally relented, “Then let’s take turns. Three blankets are a lot, you can’t carry them all.”

He tested the weight—three blankets were indeed unwieldy—so he took off his own pack and handed it to her. As Huang Qi shouldered his pack, she muttered, “Xiao Ying, when did you get so strong?” She glanced at him, “You’ve gotten taller too—taller than me.”

“I’ve always been taller than you.”

“Last New Year, you were still shorter!” She held up her hand, realizing she now only reached his eyes. “Wow, so much taller! And I’m half a year older than you!”

Sha Zhouyin turned his face away, pulling her hand down. “So what if you’re half a year older? Stop treating me like your little brother.”

He took her hand in his and didn’t let go.

“Who wants to be your little brother?”