“Commander?” Xiao Jing called out softly.
Shen Chengfeng removed his hand without any expression on his face. He looked at the sun, which had just risen in the sky and said, “We will continue to focus on strengthening your physique. Your greatest weakness now is your lack of physical strength.”
Xiao Jing nodded furiously and trailed closely behind Shen Chengfeng.
He stared out of the corner of his eye at the figure who had followed him to the canteen. When they were about three meters away from reaching the building, he stopped and said to her, “You don’t have to follow me.”
“I’m a little hungry too, Commander,” Xiao Jing replied wryly.
Shen Chengfeng did not say anything else. He merely stared unblinkingly at the pair of bright eyes before him. He turned around and opened the door to the canteen.
“Commander, the first time you came to Regiment 525 – Was it really because the higher-ups had made arrangements for you to do so?” Xiao Jing asked in hushed tones.
“It doesn’t do you any good to know too much, especially when you’re just a dispensable, minor character,” Shen Chengfeng replied as he stuffed Xiao Jing’s mouth with a steamed bun.
Xiao Jing chewed on the steamed bun grumpily as her eyes kept traveling towards the cold man before her. The man had a sullen expression on his face, even during meals as if he had no interest in anything.
“What do you want to say? Spit it out.” Shen Chengfeng put down the bowl in his hands. It had barely been a full minute, and he had already cleaned it out.
Xiao Jing mulled it over. Afraid that the more she said, the more mistakes she would make, she spoke up with some hesitation. “Commander, do you feel inferior because of your body? Is that why it has caused some psychological issues for you and led to you liking someone you shouldn’t like?”
Shen Chengfeng glared wordlessly at the person before him.
Since he hadn’t replied, Xiao Jing continued, “Don’t worry. I promise not to talk about rubbish.”
“Inferior? Liking someone that I shouldn’t like?” Shen Chengfeng repeated what Xiao Jing had just said.
Xiao Jing nodded. “Although I didn’t believe the nonsense that Xiao Ye was spewing, seeing is believing. Somehow, I feel that I should give you some advice. After all, a heroic figure like you shouldn’t have to die without any descendants.”
“Dying without descendants!”
Having noticed that the strangers around them were staring curiously, Xiao Jing quickly added, “Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. Let me rephrase my words. Uh…you ought to spend some time outside the camp. The world outside is beautiful.”
Shen Chengfeng leaned against his chair and eyed the little soldier before him, who seemed to be busy coming up with plans for him. Nodding, he asked, “Xiao Ye told you about it?”
“Ahem, ahem. That brother of mine may not make sense sometimes, but he is a righteous person. He did it for you, for me, and for peace and friendship between our families,” Xiao Jing said passionately.
“Looks like I ought to thank him personally then.”
“The expression on your face seems to indicate otherwise? You seem to want to give him a thrashing, instead.”
Shen Chengfeng stood up, and looked down at Xiao Jing, before putting on his military cap. “Come with me if you have finished eating.”
Xiao Jing quickly stuffed the rest of the steamed bun into her mouth and followed Shen Chengfeng out of the canteen. “What kind of training are we going to have, Sir?” she asked as she dusted off her palms.
“It has suddenly occurred to me that regular training doesn’t suit you,” said Shen Chengfeng, as he walked straight to the car park. Unlocking an SUV, he said, “Get in the car.”
Xiao Jing sat awkwardly in the car and put on the seat belt. “Where are we going, Commander?” she asked in puzzlement.
“A place that suits you,” Shen Chengfeng answered, as he floored the gas pedal.
The car sped off in an instant.
The SUV headed west all the way. As the sunlight scattered upon the car window, the air outside the car started heating up.
The only things in sight were the forest and rugged, mountainous terrain. There was no one else around.
Xiao Jing hopped out of the car and looked at the endless stretch of forest in front of her. Some faint sounds were coming from the woods, and with the sunlight blocked by the leaves of the trees, the whole place seemed to be dark and eerily quiet.
Shen Chengfeng opened the bag, counted the supplies inside, and threw the bag to Xiao Jing. “This backpack contains enough supplies for you to survive alone for two days and one night.”
Xiao Jing froze. Was he going to leave her here to fend for herself?
“I’ll come back for you tomorrow,” Shen Chengfeng said as he opened the car door. He got back onto the car as soon as he had finished speaking.
Grabbing onto the car door, Xiao Jing asked helplessly, “What do you mean by that, Commander?”
Leaning out of the car window with no expression on his face, Shen Chengfeng said solemnly, “Being able to survive in the wild is essential training for someone who is in the Special Forces. You lived a sheltered life at Regiment 525 for the past few years and developed a sense of dependency. This is the only way to unleash your potential.”
Xiao Jing watched as he coldly pushed her hand away, reversed the vehicle, and floored the gas pedal. The exhaust gas was the last thing she saw before she was abandoned and left to her own devices.
Deep inside the forest, Xiao Jing could make out the sounds of a nightingale singing. It was the first time she had ever been in such a place alone. She walked ahead with some trepidation.
“Coo, coo, coo.”
Xiao Jing put down her backpack and dug out the compass to help her get her bearings. She left a mark on one of the trees with her dagger to ensure that she would be able to return the same place tomorrow.
“Crack.” A tree branch broke under Xiao Jing’s weight. She patted her chest in a bid to calm her furiously beating heart and pouted unhappily. Why did it feel as if that devil incarnate had brought and left her here on purpose?
What kind of hero leaves a delicate girl like her to suffer alone?
Chewing on a piece of bread, Xiao Jing felt something scratching her at the back of her neck. Thinking it wasn’t much, she casually reached out to brush it off. Her pupils constricted when her hand came into contact with something cold and clammy.
Xiao Jing did not dare to make any significant movements. Instead, her fingertips brushed against it gently, before tightly gripping it, and tossing it into the air.
The green snake hissed as it landed on the ground. As soon as it looked up, a sharp dagger was ruthlessly plunged into its body.
Xiao Jing was sure that it was not a poisonous snake, so she forged ahead, after wiping the blood on her dagger with a clean towel, and taking a sip of water.
She had to find a safe place before nightfall.
Outside the forest, the SUV had returned.
Shen Chengfeng opened the car door and took a look at his wristwatch. It had already been three hours, so based on Xiao Jing’s abilities, she should have reached the center of the forest.
The forest on the edge of City Y was about 300 miles across. There were lots of exotic treasures, but also danger. Notwithstanding the numerous snakes, bugs, and rodents that were around, there was also the fearsome south island giant crocodile!