Qingchuan University—that was the name printed on her acceptance letter. Qingchuan wasn’t bad; many would give anything to get in. Compared to Jiangnan University, it only lacked historical prestige. But for a top student whose grades had always guaranteed Jiangnan? This was a crushing blow.
It was bitterly ironic: the pride of Yangming High for three years, now "settled" at Qingchuan. Even more ironic? The one who cared wasn’t her family—but the homeroom teacher who’d only taught them senior year. The man in his thirties gently soothed her while carefully asking why… and whether she’d consider retaking the exam. He even offered full tuition and a stipend.
Xia Qian Ge refused without hesitation. She’d left herself no retreat. The moment she placed her report card before her mother and received only a cold “I see,” her heart died. Only a sliver of life remained—tethered entirely to him.
A person with no home needs something to cling to. Alone, she carried her luggage to distant Qingchuan—a terminally ill patient stepping toward a cliffside abyss, chasing a single herb that might save her.
A drowning soul grasps at straws. She only wanted to live. Human instinct. So don’t blame her for stopping at nothing.
...
Military training began under the scorching sun on day one. Everyone rose early, fueled by freshman excitement. The playground buzzed with chaotic energy.
A tall, straight-backed drill instructor stood aside in matching camouflage fatigues, face unreadable, radiating icy indifference.
But it was a girls’ squad. Whispers rippled through the ranks.
“He’s so handsome!”
“Military guys always are.”
“A buzz cut really shows off the face, right?”
Flushed and giggling, the girls chattered until the instructor’s brow furrowed. “You—step out. Organize this squad. You’re squad leader now. Name?”
“Reporting, Drill Instructor. Xia Qian Ge.”
Not too tall, not too short—she’d stood just behind center. Singled out, her delicate brows twitched beneath her bangs. She stepped forward.
She scanned the sloppy line, cleared her throat, and called out: “Shortest to tallest! Arm’s length apart! Calisthenics formation!”
But her voice was naturally soft. In the vast field, it barely carried—zero authority.
“Didn’t eat breakfast? Speak up!” His tone stayed glacial.
“Yes, sir!”
She repeated the commands. The squad shuffled like headless chickens.
“Laughing? Think you can do better? Step up!” His low growl silenced them. He scanned the ranks. “Only this girl stands properly. Face clean. This is training—not a blind date. No makeup this afternoon. Understood?”
“UNDERSTOOD!”
...
After a morning of drill under the blazing sun, their once-handsome instructor had become a merciless demon.
Xia Qian Ge sat under a tree’s shade, knees hugged. Her fair skin flushed hot; her throat dry and raw from shouting. She endured. Something far more vital drove her. Like a wolf lurking in tall grass, her gaze burned fierce—hidden beneath slightly long bangs. Unseen. Otherwise, fewer flies would buzz around her.
“Qian Ge, why sit alone?” Xu Dan sat beside her, eyes worried at the feverish flush on her face. “Ask the instructor to relieve you. Shouting up front is exhausting.”
“My health’s a bit weak… but I’m fine.” Xia Qian Ge smiled gently—a softness that seemed woven into her bones. “Where is everyone?”
“They’re watching the performance! A guy’s singing—so handsome, voice amazing!”
“Oh… there’s a performance?”
She glanced at the lively crowd on the central lawn. In her memory, *he* never liked crowds. He wouldn’t be there.
“I’ll skip it. Too crowded. People might bother me again.”
The words sounded like boasting, yet fit her perfectly. Xu Dan waved a tiny fist, grinning. “Annoying guys? I’ll give them a piece of my mind! Come on—everyone’s waiting!”
“Well… okay.”
Xu Dan was her first dorm friend—kind, if hot-tempered. Xia Qian Ge couldn’t refuse. She forced a faint smile.
Arm in arm, Xu Dan led her through the crowd. Sideways glances came… then vanished under one calm look from Xia Qian Ge’s indifferent eyes.
“Qian Ge! You’re here? Feeling okay?”
Their other two roommates had saved seats and checked on her. She’d borne the morning’s heaviest load. Dorm life was warm; Xia Qian Ge’s ever-gentle smile and soft voice made her hard not to like.
“I’m fine. I’ll buy throat candy later.”
“You missed it! That guitarist was *so* cute!”
“What a pity.”
Xia Qian Ge smiled softly. Her roommates’ eyes sparkled. Girls swooned over handsome guys too.
“No boyfriend, Qian Ge?” Xu Dan leaned in, eyes wide with gossip hunger.
“No. I told you—I’m alone.”
“No one you like?”
Xia Qian Ge paused. “I don’t know.”
“Right! I doubt any guy could resist you.”
“Hehe…”
She lowered her gaze. A smile so faint it left no trace.
*Perhaps there is… something truly beyond her reach.*
Seated on the sun-scorched lawn, she searched and searched—no sign of him. Performers came and went. She had no heart to glance. No patience for pretense.
A starving wolf dies without prey.
How long since she’d seen him? The craving surged—violent, overwhelming.
She was parched. The sun had burned every drop from her. Ice-cold water barely eased her throat. It could not quench the thirst in her soul.
A hallucination flickered. She whispered his name. Saw his gentle, jade-like features. Longed to rest her head on his shoulder—her sharp canines sinking into his slender neck.
His blood…
…was the only thing that could quench her thirst.
