Chapter 106: Bestowing Gifts

  Just as everyone was worried, several students came over.

  "Captain Luo, Instructor Pang, the trainees from your team have had their hair cut." Zhao Fan walked over and gave a salute to Luo Min, saying this in a neither arrogant nor humble tone.

  "Let's get started then." Luo Min also returned a military salute and nodded in agreement.

  "Please have the students line up in three rows, two rows for boys and one row for girls," Zhao Fan said as he asked the people behind him to put down their stools and get ready.

  "Zhao Fan, Ouyang, for something as trivial as a haircut, why did you two come in person?" Pang Kai wasn't unaware that usually such things would be handled by just any two students from the student council, but today he didn't expect both of them to show up.

  "This isn't because I'm afraid of trouble, is it? Last year, there was a girl who refused to cut her hair and cried about not wanting to attend school anymore. The student union members who came with us at the time were inexperienced and almost let her quit, but fortunately, Zhao Fan rushed over and persuaded her. To be on the safe side, we two came together this year." Ouyang Shu Jie's tone was extremely sincere, and he didn't care that Zhao Fan's gaze from beside him was almost piercing a hole through him.

  Ou Yang Shu Jie became interested in the long-haired girl in white after listening to Gu Song's words, thinking that there would be many new students and he might run into her at school, but yesterday he didn't have a chance to see her. Today, just before getting a haircut, he thought that even if she had a bad haircut, it would still be unbearable to look at, so he must see her while her long hair is still intact, the so-called "little dragon girl" of reality.

  Zhao Jie shouldn't have come this time, but when Ouyang Shu Jie wanted to follow him, he immediately guessed his thoughts based on his understanding of him. The first thought that came up was to stop him. He didn't know what feelings he had for Ji Xin An in his heart, but he absolutely didn't want this young master to get close to that innocent girl.

  But Ou Yang Shu Jie's temper was such that once he wanted to do something, no one could stop him. In the end, he had no choice but to follow along as well.

  "Hey, nowadays students are getting harder and harder to manage. They can't even bear hardship, let alone the increasing number of things they have to deal with. Even something as trivial as this can cause trouble."

  "They're all only children, so they can't help but be a bit spoiled at home. However, the fact that they're willing to give up their comfortable lives and come to military school is already quite good."

  Pang Kai also nodded. "Just hope this time won't be too much of a loss."

  After a few people had been talking for a while on this side, the team on that side had just finished lining up, and the person at the head of the line sat down on the stool to start getting a haircut.

  Zhao Fan looked at Ji Xin'an in the team, others didn't think much of it, but thinking about her long hair being cut short was really a pity, and he didn't know what to cry about.

  Zhao Fan's eyes landed on Ji Xin'an among the several girls, and when he turned his head, he found that Ouyang Shu Jie was also staring at her. It wasn't strange that he could spot her right away. Even if no one told him which one she was, he would still be able to easily pick out Ji Xin'an from the group.

  She was indeed too prominent, even if everyone wore the same military uniform, she was the most beautiful one. Other people's uniforms were worn on their bodies, somewhat unlike their own clothes, because they didn't have that kind of military temperament at all. But her appearance, although weak and delicate, was inexplicably suitable for wearing a military uniform.

  "Zhao Fan, Gu Song's words weren't wrong, she really is the real-life version of Little Dragon Girl. Even in military uniform, she can't hide her extraordinary and elegant demeanor. I believe that even if she had short hair, it wouldn't make much difference." Ouyang Shu Jie said as he continued to stare at Ji Xin An, feeling grateful in his heart that he was lucky enough to have such a beautiful woman appear in the military academy, someone who would be considered a campus belle even in an ordinary university. It's not like it happens once every hundred years, but at least it's something that only comes around once every ten years.

  "People can see it now, and they've finally given up." Zhao Fan saw his expression, and the bad premonition in his heart grew stronger. He knew Ouyang Shu well.

  "I've made up my mind, Zhao Fan. I'm going to pursue her." Ouyang's eyes sparkled as he spoke, knowing that his heart had skipped a beat the moment he laid eyes on her.

  "No way, romance is forbidden in military school, do you want to ruin someone's life?" Zhao Fan didn't expect that he had actually guessed correctly, his heart suddenly felt like it had been punched, and he wanted to suppress his impulse.

  "It's just you, the student union president, who takes this rule to heart. How many students in their second year and above haven't secretly dated?" Ouyang said disdainfully, scoffing at this rule as a regulation that destroys human nature.

  "That won't do, others can, she can't. Does she look like the kind of girl who plays around?" Zhao Fan was really clear about his romantic history, from high school on, he changed girlfriends at a speed that could be described as Shenzhen-like, and Ji Xin'an obviously wasn't the type to take emotions lightly.

  "I know what you're worried about, but to be honest, I wasn't playing around with those girls either. I put in real emotions for each one of them, but I just didn't find the right one, or rather, I didn't find someone who truly touched my heart. But now that person is standing right in front of me, and I'm really moved this time, Zhao Fan, I'm being serious." Ouyang Shu Jie said seriously as he looked at Zhao Fan.

  "But look at her, she's the kind of girl who is like a blank sheet of paper. Even if you really fall for her, with all your emotional baggage, do you think you're worthy of her?" Zhao Fan looked at Ji Xin'an, who was turning to talk to someone beside him, and suddenly smiled, as if his eyes were smiling too.

  "Indeed, compared to him, I have a much more complicated history, but I believe that if I put in my true heart, she will definitely be able to feel it and won't mind my past." Ouyang Shu said confidently.

  Zhao Fan wanted to say something else, but was waved back by Ouyang Shu Jie, "You don't need to say anything more, my mind is made up. If you still consider me your best friend, then support me instead of pulling my leg."

  Zhao Fan sighed and didn't know what to say in his heart.

  Ji Xin'an was waiting in the team for the two people in front, suddenly feeling that someone was staring at her, raised her head and met the gaze of the two, one was Zhao Fan and the other she had never seen before. The two standing together were a very strange combination, Zhao Fan was stern and every move was like a soldier's.

  And another person was standing with a very casual posture, except for the military uniform, it can't be seen from anywhere that he is a soldier, even more like a new recruit than these new recruits, or rather more like a sloppy soldier.

  Ouyang Shuqi didn't seem embarrassed at being discovered, instead he smiled and waved in greeting. Ji Xin'an wasn't too fond of people who were overly familiar, so she just nodded slightly at Zhao Fan.

  "Look, she nodded at me." Ouyang Shu Jie saw Ji Xin An's polite nod and smiled so wide his mouth was about to split to his ears.

  Zhao Fan chose to ignore the person who was teasing the peacock.

  After Ji Xin'an finished greeting them, he didn't look at them again. Because Lu Ziyan, who was sitting on the stool in front of him, had been crying non-stop since the first cut, and her tears only fell more and more sorrowfully. In the end, everyone fell silent, and all that could be heard was her sobbing.

  Several girls fell silent when they heard her crying, even Luo Jia-yi, who was usually good at keeping a straight face, quietly looked at her.

  When the students behind her put away their scissors and helped her tidy up her hair, she suddenly ran over and threw herself into Ji Xin'an's arms and burst into tears.

  "It's okay, it doesn't matter, your hair will grow back anyway. Besides, you look great now, so spirited and refreshing, just like a true soldier." Ji Xin'an comforted her while patting her back.

  "Really? Don't I look ugly?" Lu Ziyuan raised her head, with tears still on her face that she hadn't had time to wipe away.

  "Of course it doesn't look bad, don't say that this barber is just a trainee soldier, but his skills are really not bad." Yan Tingting also stood beside her, smiling as she looked at her hair.

  Lu Ziyan suddenly burst into tears and laughed, "I thought I looked especially ugly and couldn't be seen by anyone."

  "How could that be? Ziyan's hairstyle is always the best." Ji Xin'an smiled as he looked at her, finally releasing his grip.

  While everyone was persuading Lu Ziyuan, Zhang Xiaoxue, who had not expressed any opinion on this matter, suddenly burst into loud wails as soon as she sat down on the bench in front, leaving everyone at a loss.

  "Xiao Xue, what's wrong?" Several people walked over.

  "Don't you think short hair looks bad? Don't worry, look at me, I've cut mine off, it's nothing." Lu Ziyuan had just finished crying and now she was comforting others.

  "My grandma loved to help me comb my hair, now every time I comb it up I think of her, just like seeing Grandma right behind me. I even thought about keeping it forever, seeing it would be like seeing Grandma, but now I have to cut it all off." Zhang Xiaoxue said with a sob.

  "What's the big deal? We're here to be soldiers, not to never go home. When we get back, can't we still see her then?" Lu Ziyuan spoke quickly, and before others could stop him, he had already said it out loud.

  Zhang Xiaoxue heard this and cried even more sorrowfully, the others including Lu Ziyan who had just woken up also understood that her grandmother must be gone.

  Several girls didn't know what to do, they could only hold her and let her cry, maybe it would be better after venting.

  On the other side, Captain Luo and the barbering students also stopped urging her after hearing this, and looked at her sympathetically.

  After crying for a while, Zhang Xiaoxue finally calmed down and stopped talking, still with tears in her eyes, she returned to her seat and continued the haircut.

  As the hair fell to the ground, everyone's heart tightened. This was a filial girl's memorial to a deceased elderly person, but now it has been abandoned due to compromise with life.

  After the twins in front of her finished cutting their hair while crying, it was finally Ji Xin'an's turn. She clenched the nail clipper tightly in her palm, took a deep breath, and walked over.

  Feeling Zou Ze's worried gaze in front of her, she felt a bit more at ease and smiled at him, indicating that she was fine.

  But with what had just happened, everyone couldn't help but add a few more points of worry as they watched her sit there.

  "Don't be afraid, the barber is also a student of our school, but he has had several years of experience at home and will definitely give you a good haircut." Ouyang Shujie's turn came to Ji Xin'an, and his careless attitude was also put away. He really didn't want to see her cry.

  Ji Xin An lowered her head, looking at the ground, and didn't even bother to acknowledge him. At this moment, even a professional hairstylist's work wouldn't look good to Ji Xin An, let alone an amateurish one.

  Ouyang Shujie was ignored, but he didn't get angry either, and retreated to one side to watch her.

  As the scissors snapped, a large lock of hair fell from in front of her eyes, and Ji Xin'an gently picked it up in her hand. For our ideals, sometimes we have to give up many things, like this long hair that every girl loves, which may never be had again from now on.

  Ji Xin'an just sat there quietly, expressionless. Zou Ze saw the comforting smile on her face, but his heart still trembled with every snip of the scissors. He knew how much Ji Xin'an loved her long hair, taking better care of it than anyone else. Today, for the sake of that so-called dream, she cut it off without any hesitation.

  Zou Ze didn't understand what was in this military camp that attracted her, worth her efforts for several years.

  "Alright, are you okay?" Seeing Ji Xian'an finished, she couldn't care less about lining up anymore.

  "What's the big deal, it's just a haircut, out with the old and in with the new." Ji Xin'an smiled lightly, having been somewhat reluctant just now, but now feeling relieved instead.

  "That's good, I was really afraid you'd cry like them." Zou Ze also let out a sigh of relief.

  "Am I so fragile?" Ji Xin'an rolled her eyes.

  "That's right, our family An'an is the strongest." Zou Ze also didn't get angry.

  "When did I become a part of your family?" Ji Xin'an looked at him jokingly, not paying attention to the occasion. He glanced around and fortunately everyone was mourning their own hair loss, no one noticed them.

  "They say that a teacher for one day is like a father for life, and before your master left, he promised you to me, so you can't be irresponsible." Zou Ze said with an air of righteousness.

  "Alright, alright, if you don't go queue up now, there will be no one left but yourself." Ji Xin'an lost to him in a war of words for the first time, but this had nothing to do with eloquence.

  "Hey, An'an, give me that as a keepsake." Zou Ze called out to her as she turned to leave.

  "What's that?" Ji Xin'an looked at him, saw him staring at his own hand, and found that he was still holding his long hair. Without thinking much, he said, "If you want it, take it."

  Zou Ze listened and then happily accepted it.

  Ouyang Shujie, who had been paying attention to this side, suddenly felt very uncomfortable when she saw the scene. Didn't she know what her hair represented? How could she give it away so easily?

  "See, I think you should give up on that idea." Zhao Jie recognized the boy as one of the ones who came with Ji Xin'an. Although he found the scene a bit distasteful, in his heart he thought that her childhood sweetheart was definitely better than this playboy.

  Ouyang Shujie felt a lingering sense of discontent after hearing his words, but couldn't say anything at the moment. She waited until she finished getting her hair done, turned around and left, but her heart was filled with the sweet smile she had given to that boy earlier and the satisfaction of giving him her hair, her heart swelling with jealousy.