Cleansing

It felt as if countless ants were crawling across his heart, an itch he longed to scratch but couldn’t reach. Such a sensation was truly maddening! Hearing his own voice, Kevin wished he could just disappear into a hole. He felt utterly humiliated, his entire body flushed from head to toe with a deep crimson.

Shangguan Han saw him like this and found him unbearably adorable, tempted to tease him further. But Kevin was nearly burning up inside. Shangguan Han was carefully washing his body, yet Kevin’s mind began to wander uncontrollably. Most troubling of all—he was feeling it again. If Shangguan Han noticed, there would be no explaining it.

Summoning all his strength, Kevin grasped Shangguan Han’s hand and stammered, “Uh, I think I’ll just do it myself.”

But Shangguan Han’s gaze was clearly not on Kevin’s face. Following his line of sight downward, Kevin’s heart sank—he had been caught. Mortified, he dove under the covers, wrapping himself tightly from head to toe.

No matter what Shangguan Han said, Kevin refused to let go. Shangguan Han tugged at the blanket, helplessly coaxing, “Kevin, come out quickly! You’ll suffocate yourself in there!” But the more he urged, the tighter Kevin held on.

He would not budge an inch. He had already lost enough face and had no desire to embarrass himself further. He was on the verge of tears. Yet his strength seemed fully restored, as if he had been completely rejuvenated.

Indeed, human potential knows no bounds—there is nothing one cannot do once they set their mind to it. The two of them remained locked in stalemate on the bed for quite some time until Shangguan Han could bear it no longer.

Finally, he released the blanket and said coldly, “If you don’t let go of the covers soon, I’ll tear them apart.”

Hearing the threat, Kevin shivered with fear. Could he really mean it? Swallowing nervously, he reluctantly poked his head out from beneath the covers. Shangguan Han breathed a sigh of relief seeing him obediently emerge. If this went on much longer, the boy might truly suffocate, and that would be on his conscience.

Kevin looked up at Han, a pitiful expression on his face. “I’m fine now. No need to apply medicine.”

Shangguan Han responded with a frosty silence, merely holding the towel and staring at him intently, causing Kevin to shiver from the chill. Pouting, he muttered, “Alright, then! Just hurry up with the washing—I want to sleep!”

Shangguan Han peeled back the covers and examined Kevin’s body, then glanced at the boy’s expression. Suppressing a smile that threatened to burst forth, he continued with the washing, teasing, “Can you really fall asleep like this?”

Kevin was startled by the sudden movement. What was he up to? Furious, he tried to swat Shangguan Han’s hand away, but the other boy mischievously shifted his grip, draining Kevin’s strength so completely that he could only submit obediently.

Lying on the bed, Kevin was filled with unwillingness, vowing silently that one day he would get his revenge. Absolutely. Damn it!

Watching Kevin’s expression, Shangguan Han’s mind brimmed with countless wicked thoughts, bubbling up like frothy waves. Smiling slyly, he closed the door and went off to tease Kevin further.

Darkness gradually fell outside, while the first-year students endured grueling training. Covered in dirt and grime, reeking from head to toe, they persevered.

Among them, Shangguan Xiao and the others stood on the sandy ground practicing military posture, each holding a rifle replica that, despite being a model, weighed just as heavily as a real one.