Chapter 47: Be Serious

"Alright... Now, the Fat Corps will perform the military boxing for us."
The emcee on the stage maintained the dignity expected of his role, puffing out his cheeks to keep himself from laughing, but Chen Fan was different—he had already sneaked below and was snickering quietly.
Chen Fan had been waiting for this day for a long time. Holding his breath and clenching his fists, he followed the large group, shuffling into the arena. After adjusting the spacing, he turned, stood at attention, and relaxed slightly.
Instructor Han took two steps forward, saluted, and requested, "We're ready. Awaiting your instructions."
"Please begin your performance," Principal Wang sat upright in his chair, gesturing with a gracious motion. The leader standing nearby returned the salute and settled back into his seat.
Instructor Han turned around on the spot, walked sharply back to the front of the formation, and shouted, "What is our name?"
"Fat~ Corps~," everyone yelled at the top of their lungs; not a single one broke into laughter.
"What is our slogan?"
"Seven meals a day, no fat."
"Good, prepare for military boxing." The instructor finished his final shout, then jogged to the left flank of the formation, clearing the view directly ahead.
"Ha!"
Another standard horse stance to begin with—it was a move Chen Fan had mastered long ago. He threw his punches, following the instructor’s commands, executing each step precisely.
...
"Now, I will announce the results. First place goes to 'YSL Star Team,' second place to 'Bridge House Spicy Hotpot,' and third place to 'I Only Have Pasta.' Let’s congratulate these teams. Please send representatives up for a commemorative photo."
Chen Fan stood with his hands on his waist, swinging his arms back and forth. As their group was only performing, their result wouldn’t be ranked. Not allowed to leave after the performance, he stood like a wooden post on the lawn for two hours, with not a patch of shade—under the blazing sun, it was almost unbearable.
Once the leaders finished their remarks, the seven-day military training officially came to an end. Many people surged forward after the event, eager for a group photo, and Chen Fan was no exception. He snapped a few haphazard shots to take back.
"Take care, Instructor~"

Watching the departing coach bus, Chen Fan collected his tangled feelings, ready to carefully preserve his military uniform.
"Changhui, have you seen my tissues on the desk?" Chen Fan was cautious, worried Wei Youlong might ambush him on the road again, so he took a detour through the main gate to return to the dorm.
Xu Changhui turned around, a wad of tissues stuffed in his nostrils, still speckled with blood. "Sorry, I ran out of tissues and haven't had time to buy more. I borrowed a few sheets and forgot to return them—they’re here. Thanks!"
Xu Changhui handed the tissues back, his face apologetic and cheerful. Chen Fan sighed, took them, and asked, "There were plenty left yesterday. How did you use them up so quickly?"
Xu Changhui scratched his head. "The wind was strong last night, got a bit chilled, and the food hasn't been good lately—kept getting diarrhea."
Chen Fan had been so hot at night he wished he could sleep hugging a five-speed fan—could Xu the Driver have been lying in an ice cellar? Thinking it over, he realized something wasn’t quite right. Without expression, Chen Fan didn’t press further.
"Hello, Chen Fan, the Disciplinary Department will hold a staff meet-and-greet tomorrow night at 9:30. Location will be announced. Please reply to confirm receipt."
Chen Fan put down his phone and asked Xu Changhui, "Do you guys have a meet-and-greet tomorrow too?"
Xu Changhui nodded, "Yeah, seems like all the student associations are doing it these days."
Chen Fan frowned, opened his wardrobe, and searched for something suitable. Aside from the usual black top and white pants, or white top and black pants, there were no other colors.
"Is it alright to wear these?" Chen Fan held a black-and-white casual set up to himself, lowering his head to inspect it.
"Isn’t that what everyone wears? What else—pajamas? Uniforms?" Xu Changhui glanced at his own clothes.
Chen Fan stuffed the outfit back in the closet, clapped his hands, and said, "But I saw those seniors interviewing us in formal wear. Is that a rule for the student council, or is it voluntary?"
Xu Changhui shook his head, "No idea. Not many freshmen would have formal clothes anyway. But the school mall rents them out if you’re interested."
"What are you planning to wear?" Chen Fan asked.
Xu Changhui opened his suitcase, revealing a riot of colors—enough to form a rainbow. "Whatever. If there’s a strict requirement, I’ll buy something online."
Chen Fan yawned, climbed the ladder to his bunk, and said, "I’m exhausted. Need a good nap. Classes officially start tomorrow, right?"

Xu Changhui boasted, "I squeezed all my classes into the first four days, so I get three days off each week."
Chen Fan replied lazily, "My schedule is a mess, scattered all over, but none of the teachers are on the hit list, so it should be easy enough."
"Who cares. I don’t believe I’ll fail if I don’t skip and pay attention." Xu Changhui shrugged.
"True enough. I’m going to sleep—you take care too," Chen Fan stripped off his shirt and fell onto the bed, soon fast asleep.
In the restless shallows of sleep, familiar yet strange voices echoed in his ears, rising and falling with breaths, until everything settled into calm again.
When Chen Fan woke up, night had already fallen outside. He climbed down, reached for tissues, only to find the pile had shrunk again.
"Wei Youlong hasn’t blocked me—his feed is still visible to me."
Scrolling through the feed, Chen Fan unexpectedly found an update from Wei Youlong. He’d assumed the guy would’ve blocked all three roommates, but whether it was an oversight or intentional, he couldn’t say.
"Leave a thread for the future—makes things easier later. Dragon’s gone now, so don’t keep digging up the past, Brother Fan," Xu Changhui closed the browser and picked up his phone to browse.
"Fine, I won’t. I’m too lazy to delete him anyway. Honestly, watching him flaunt his life in the feed is one of the best ways to kill boredom." Chen Fan tapped open the full-size image, curious what luxury Wei Youlong had bought this time.
"Ugh, nothing’s going right lately. Don’t know when my leg got bruised. A bit of bad luck for a greater blessing, wishing for good fortune."
Chen Fan saw the huge bruise on his leg, then looked at his feet—a pair of limited edition AJ basketball shoes, taking up most of the picture.
"Shoes with a filter? If you’re so obsessed, why not conjure up a few more pairs right on the ground? Maybe next time try endorsing wheelchairs." Chen Fan muttered to himself, quickly losing interest.
When boredom strikes, mischief follows. Chen Fan took out the red thread of fate, untied Lai Guangyi’s end, and attached a card with his own name.
With the job done, Chen Fan curled his lips into a sly smile. "How does the saying go? Painful, yet full of joy."