After enjoying a period of being treated like a protected animal, Xia Qingtian ate well and walked with confidence, her eyes radiating an uncontainable self-assurance. However, the military training at school was proving to be quite grueling.
Fortunately, today was the last day of military training. After the training drills concluded in the afternoon, the Golden Week holiday in October would immediately follow, a full seven days of vacation.
Seemingly buoyed by the anticipation of the holiday, the students were performing quite well. Even those who were usually sharp-tongued and prone to slacking off were uncharacteristically focused.
Military training separated males and females. The girls from Finance Class 1 and Finance Class 2 of her year were merged into a single company. After about a month of interaction, Xia Qingtian had managed to recognize most of the girls from both classes, to the point where she would find them familiar if she encountered them outside of school.
Xia Qingtian’s face, on the other hand, was far more recognizable. Even before the military training ended, rumors were circulating that she was one of the candidates for the title of the year’s Finance Department beauty.
The reason she was only "one of" the candidates was that there were two other beautiful girls in the Finance Department, and coincidentally, both were in Xia Qingtian’s Finance Class 1.
When students from other classes discussed this matter, they expressed envy for Finance Class 1.
Who wouldn't want more attractive and pleasing-to-the-eye classmates? Beautiful people are never tiresome to look at.
Xia Qingtian, however, paid little mind to the chatter.
She knew she was good-looking, and being talked about wasn't a new experience for her.
There was never a shortage of wealthy and attractive women studying finance; many came from families with existing wealth, and how could pampered heiresses be subpar?
Now, Xia Qingtian cared more about her university life.
In her past life, on the day of the college entrance examination, she had been involved in a meticulously planned car accident. All her expectations and dreams for university life shattered and withered along with her broken leg.
Being able to have a second chance, Xia Qingtian felt that even the university's military training wasn't that detestable. It was just that the weather was uncooperative; standing under the scorching sun, even the air she exhaled felt hot.
Although reapplying sunscreen was troublesome, she thought of the peeling and soreness that would follow sunburn.
Whenever there was a break, Xia Qingtian would go to the restroom to touch up her sunscreen in front of the mirror.
"I see everyone else has gotten two shades darker from the sun, but you haven't darkened at all?" Leaning against the washbasin, Li Xiaoxiao from the same class tilted her head and looked at Xia Qingtian. The cap she wore during military training was reversed on her head, with a strand of stray hair stubbornly peeking out from under it, sticking out in front of her forehead.
"I reapply sunscreen during the day, do calming skincare at night, and eat a light diet," Xia Qingtian said, using her fingertips to blend the sunscreen along her jawline. "Nowadays, raising children might not prevent aging, but sunscreen definitely does."
Xia Qingtian wasn't boasting; her sun protection work was consistently excellent. Combined with her genetic advantages, her skin had always remained supple.
"Can you give me some too?" Li Xiaoxiao reached out and touched her noticeably tanned face, hesitating.
Xia Qingtian pulled Li Xiaoxiao's hand as she squeezed out some sunscreen, only to hear a somewhat jarring female voice.
"Are you here to study or to participate in a beauty pageant?" a girl emerged from a stall, her arms crossed over her chest. "I think you'd be more suited for a drama academy or some art school. Why are you crowding into the finance department?"
This girl was also in Xia Qingtian's class, named Jiang Yingying. Her voice wasn't loud, and she wasn't tall; when she spoke, it was in a sweet, somewhat childlike tone.
She usually had a cute, babyish look when she smiled, inspiring a desire to protect her in many people. She generally had good interpersonal relationships, and it was rumored that many in the class were already planning to nominate her as class president at the class meeting after the Golden Week holiday.
"If this is your affirmation of my beauty, then I'll accept it," Xia Qingtian glanced at Jiang Yingying before proceeding to teach Li Xiaoxiao how to apply sunscreen.
Jiang Yingying felt like she had punched cotton. She gave Xia Qingtian an annoyed glare, walked over to wash her hands next to Xia Qingtian, and then shook her hands vigorously.
"Hey! There's someone next to you!" Li Xiaoxiao had water splashed into her eyes and said indignantly.
"Sorry~" Jiang Yingying said, then snorted and turned to leave.
"Hey!" Li Xiaoxiao stepped forward, intending to argue with Jiang Yingying, but was stopped by Xia Qingtian. "Don't bother with her."
"She clearly did it on purpose!" Li Xiaoxiao frowned.
"I can see that," Xia Qingtian said, wiping the water from Li Xiaoxiao's face. "This sunscreen is waterproof."
"Wow, sunscreen is waterproof? That's amazing." Li Xiaoxiao was quickly distracted by Xia Qingtian and seemed to forget her anger towards Jiang Yingying.
While chatting casually with Li Xiaoxiao, Xia Qingtian thought to herself that Li Xiaoxiao hadn't changed at all from her past life.
They had been classmates in high school, and their relationship had been quite good. Li Xiaoxiao had a straightforward personality and got along well with most of her classmates.
However, Xia Qingtian hadn't expected that after the college entrance examination, the next news she would hear about Li Xiaoxiao would be her death.
At that time, Xia Qingtian hadn't yet emerged from the gloom of her broken leg and hadn't attended Li Xiaoxiao's funeral.
It was only after the university started this year that Xia Qingtian discovered Li Xiaoxiao had actually enrolled in Z University's Finance Department, and they had become classmates.
Unlike Mo Jianing, Li Xiaoxiao was straightforward; all her emotions were displayed on her face, and she was also forgetful, making her a very suitable friend.
However, how could someone like that commit suicide?
Looking at Li Xiaoxiao, who held her face with an innocent, childlike expression, Xia Qingtian's gaze shifted slightly.
The military training drills in the afternoon concluded unusually smoothly. However, Li Xiaoxiao had a hesitant look on her face throughout. It wasn't until the military training was officially declared over and everyone was dismissed that Li Xiaoxiao, amidst the cheers of liberation, quietly walked over to Xia Qingtian and whispered, "Qingtian, you said this sunscreen is waterproof, so can I wash it off at night? What if I can't wash it off?"
Looking at Li Xiaoxiao's troubled expression, Xia Qingtian took a deep breath.
It seemed she had a lot to tell Li Xiaoxiao.
The military training drills were over, and school ended earlier than usual. Xia Qingtian directly took Li Xiaoxiao to the commercial area near the school to help her buy some basic skincare products and makeup remover.
Xia Qingtian recommended relatively entry-level, affordable options. While waiting at the checkout counter, Xia Qingtian casually picked up an apple-flavored lip balm.
She had quite liked the apple scent lately.
After the store clerk reminded her it was buy-one-get-one, Xia Qingtian picked up another one of the same kind.
"Two lip balms, can you finish them?" Li Xiaoxiao asked. "How about I split one with you?"
"No need, I can give it to my sister," Xia Qingtian recalled Xia Qingyu. She didn't seem to remember Xia Qingyu ever using any lip balm.
She wondered if she would use it after she bought it.
"You have a sister? I really didn't know that," Li Xiaoxiao said, surprised.
In her past life, Xia Qingtian wished Xia Qingyu had never appeared and would never acknowledge Xia Qingyu as her sister.
Just then, a male voice sounded behind Xia Qingtian, with a hint of uncertainty, "Miss Xia?"
Xia Qingtian turned her head at the sound and saw the person behind her. She first paused slightly, then smiled and greeted, "Mobius."