Chapter 18: Unraveling the Knot of the Heart

Zhou Hongye and Bao Li could swear they had never witnessed such a scene in their lives. Chen Diwen was clearly not lightly kicked by Chen Cao; clutching his stomach, he was supported to the side by Xiao Li, while Chen Cao sat on the bed, looking bewildered for a moment. After thinking it over, he realized something was amiss; he lay back down and solemnly declared, “Sorry, that was just a physical reflex. Let's start over—this time for sure, it won’t happen again…”

“Whoa…” Zhou Hongye and Bao Li exchanged glances, their jaws practically dropping to the floor.

Chen Diwen’s face was covered in exasperation, but having been kicked awake by Chen Cao, he realized he had been too rash. Pushing Xiao Li aside, he said coldly, “Chen Cao, let's just pretend today never happened. There will be plenty of chances for us to settle things in the future!”

With that, Chen Diwen patted Xiao Li on the shoulder and strode out without another word.

Xiao Li cast a deep look at Chen Cao lying on the bed, then turned and followed after Chen Diwen.

Wait a minute, are you just going to leave like this? Pretend nothing happened? I’m going to report this to the school admin… Under the giant’s piercing gaze, Zhou Hongye swallowed hard and forced himself to choke back the words.

Once the three had gone, Bao Li produced half a candle from his pocket and lit it. Immediately, the previously pitch-dark room warmed with the gentle glow.

“Chen Cao, you’re clearly a tiger, so why pretend to be a cat? Is this your way of showing how unique you are?” Bao Li folded his arms, addressing Chen Cao on the bed.

“That’s right, Brother Chen, I’ve always wanted to ask—your skills are no weaker than Chen Diwen’s. Since you’re here, why not stay in 0611?” As he spoke, Zhou Hongye took out a roasted chicken with golden skin from inside his jacket.

Until now, the lack of food hadn’t bothered him, but as soon as the roast chicken was placed before him, the aroma was irresistible. Though he had been contemplating death, Chen Cao was, after all, only eighteen—a teenager. He swallowed hard, realizing he hadn’t eaten in four days. His stomach rumbled, and his eyes widened.

Before Chen Cao could answer, Zhou Hongye, waving the chicken, burst out, “Chen Diwen is such a jerk! No matter how shameless Brother Chen might be, it’s not like he wanted to kill him! That’s just taking advantage of weakness—absolutely rotten!”

“Indeed, this time he really went too far. Chen Cao, what do you think?” Bao Li frowned in the dim light, watching Chen Cao, who was busy staring at the chicken in Zhou Hongye’s hand, his eyes following its every motion. Bao Li couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “Is this really the guy whose disgrace brought trouble to all the first-year students? At the very least, with his comrades still concerned about him, he should show a bit of shame—maybe blush a little?”

“Zhou Hongye, stop playing with the chicken and give it to him. The guy is starving!” Bao Li wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“Oh…” Zhou Hongye handed the roast chicken to Chen Cao.

After a frantic, messy feast, Chen Cao finally lay back on the bed, belching contentedly: “Oh, Mother, that was delicious!”

“Did you even hear the question we were discussing?” Bao Li, ever aspiring to be a martial arts master, was beginning to lose his patience.

“I heard, I heard. Relax, it’s nothing. As long as I don’t want to die, nobody’s taking my life!” Chen Cao patted his stomach and propped up his pillow.

Bao Li looked at Chen Cao’s unconcerned expression and suddenly grew serious. “Chen Cao, tell me, when the instructor deliberately singled you out a few days ago, didn’t you feel even a little upset?”

At this, Zhou Hongye also fell silent. He knew Chen Cao’s story. This supposedly irreverent youth was, in fact, unfathomably strong. He was truly curious about what was going on in Chen Cao’s heart—did he really have no sense of honor at all?

Chen Cao closed his eyes, breathed out slowly, and finally spoke: “Actually, I think they planned this from the start. The day they called my name, I had a feeling, though I wasn’t certain. But seeing you all punished because of me, I was deeply moved. When Zhou Anshi broke my leg, I finally understood: 0611 isn’t such an easy place to stay. It was my own immaturity, not their fault.”

Bao Li and Zhou Hongye had expected Chen Cao to complain a little, but were taken aback by his words, leaving them momentarily speechless.

Chen Cao propped up his pillow again. “To be honest, I was a bit overconfident. Though I’m not from a military family like you, I’ve endured plenty of tough training from my uncles since childhood. I thought I was prepared for anything. But the moment Instructor Zhou Anshi made his move, I knew I’d lost—and lost badly. I saw real killing intent in his eyes—the aura of a true soldier. For the first time in my life, I was afraid. More afraid than when I faced a leopard. Both in awe and in fear.”

In front of these two, whom he hadn’t known long but already considered brothers, Chen Cao let his tears fall for the second time in his life.

Bao Li sat down on the edge of the bed, gently patting Chen Cao’s shoulder. “Chen Cao, from the first day I met you, I knew you were no ordinary person. You’re different from the others. Your hands are covered in calluses—though you try to hide it, it’s obvious you’ve trained hard. Now I understand: you just weren’t ready to face your classmates’ scorn. Your pride makes you rebellious, unwilling to submit. Isn’t that so?”

“Yeah, Brother Chen, I’ve sometimes treated you coldly myself. Sorry about that. If it weren’t for you, a leopard would’ve eaten me long ago,” Zhou Hongye sighed, blaming himself for not understanding Chen Cao sooner and instead isolating him like everyone else.

Chen Cao stared, surprised that Bao Li, so young, could say such things. As for Zhou Hongye, Chen Cao suddenly laughed. “Honestly, I just couldn’t let go. But don’t treat me like your savior. The school would never let sons of military families like you die so easily—they were protecting you along the way!”

He squeezed Bao Li’s shoulder tightly. “You know, after what you just said, all my troubles of the past few days have lifted. It’s true: training the mind comes before training the body! Also, when I was knocked unconscious, I found what I’d been searching for—a burning sense of self-respect. I regretted it, but I couldn't summon the courage. Now, I’ve found the feeling in my heart and understand more about the meaning of brotherhood in the army. Hearing you call out for me, I was still unsure, but now I know. I have the courage to live. What I was missing all along was courage. I’ve decided to stay.”

Bao Li wrinkled his nose and shoved Chen Cao away, exhaling forcefully. “You haven’t bathed in days, man! You really stink!”

Chen Cao chuckled, then suddenly remembered something. “Someone in black came by today—do you know who it was?”

“A man in black? What is this, a movie? Been reading too many martial arts novels? You’re the only one in this hut,” Zhou Hongye said, stepping back after hearing Bao Li mention Chen Cao’s smell.

“I’m serious. He wore black, and I think he had a prosthetic limb!” Chen Cao insisted.

“Really? If you put it like that…” Bao Li pondered, then slapped his thigh. “Could it be Duan Tianya?”

“Who’s Duan Tianya?” Chen Cao asked, perplexed.

“Duan Tianya—oh, come on!” Zhou Hongye’s eyes widened.

He looked at Chen Cao as though seeing an alien. “You really know nothing about military history, do you? You’ve never heard of a legend like Duan Tianya?”

Chen Cao’s eyelid twitched. “Little Fox, your brother’s leg is broken, but I just ate, and the other leg works fine. Who are you calling ignorant?”

Zhou Hongye immediately jumped back, grinning. “Just making a comment, don’t take it so seriously!”

“Tell me about him. I want to know. Today, when he heard I wanted to die, he didn’t try to stop me. Why is that?”

Chen Cao’s question hung in the air.

Bao Li glanced at the sky and said, “Why would he stop you? Anyway, don’t overthink. Focus on recovering. I asked Feng Wuyang—Instructor Zhou didn’t go too hard on you. A few days’ rest and you’ll be fine. If we don’t get back soon, we’ll be in trouble!”

“Oh, right, we’ve been out too long. If we get caught, we’re done for. Brother Chen, take care of yourself!” With that, Zhou Hongye rushed to the door.

Bao Li followed, then turned back. “You’re not going to try to kill yourself again, are you?”

“Why do you nag like an old man? I won’t. Relax!” Chen Cao waved him off.

“Good. Just remember what I said!” Bao Li added, “Train your mind, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, got it!” Chen Cao replied with a carefree wave.

“I’ll bring you some books tomorrow!” Bao Li called as he ran out.

The sky was beginning to lighten. Lying on the bed, Chen Cao stared at the yellowed ceiling. It seemed he really did need to forge himself anew. Who exactly was this Duan Tianya? Next time, he’d have to ask. And perhaps it was time for a bath—he really did smell. If only he had a housekeeper—how wonderful that would be!