The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

"All of them! — Push-ups, thirty, get set!"

The instructor's whistle was like a blade, scraping against my earlobe.

The words had barely left his mouth when a chorus of wails erupted around him.

Shen Ci took a deep breath and slowly bent his elbows to lower himself.

In her previous life, women were expected to value their reputation and always maintain a "slow and gentle gait." Shen Ci never imagined that one day she would be crawling on the ground exercising with a large group of strange men.

But this kind of "improper" behavior in the old world truly reflects the charm of this era:

There's no need to emphasize "gender equality" here anymore, because equality has become as ubiquitous as air; everyone who breathes it is gender-neutral.

The September sun was scorching, hanging brightly overhead, baking the huge playground like a steamer, and even the air was filled with the scorching smell of the plastic track after being exposed to the sun.

Jiang Duo, Xie Shuheng, and Yin Kuo had just finished playing basketball and turned out from the tree-lined path next to them.

"This awful weather, I should have stayed in the dorm with Su Cheng and played games..." Yin Kuo fanned himself with his hand, his gaze drifting aimlessly across the edge of the playground, then suddenly stopped, "Hey, isn't that—"

Yin Kuo, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the group on the side. He then walked over to Jiang Duo, a mischievous smile in his voice: "Brother Duo, look, isn't that your antique girlfriend?"

Yin Kuo was deeply impressed by Shen Ci's polite and serious demeanor during their last visit to the hot springs, and he even gave Shen Ci the nickname "Little Antique".

Jiang Duo paused slightly and followed his gaze.

At the edge of the playground, Shen Ci's class was doing push-ups.

She was wearing a loose camouflage uniform, with the top button fastened meticulously, and the collar neatly pressed against her neck.

Most of the girls around me were cunning and lazy, only doing two or three out of ten actions, with their knees touching the ground, buttocks sticking out, and arms not bending properly, showing all sorts of tricks.

Only her.

Under the scorching sun, she meticulously followed the instructor's instructions, bending her elbows and lowering herself until her body was taut in a straight line, her nose almost touching the ground, before slowly pushing herself back up.

Much slower and more arduous than those around him, yet absolutely standard, as if measured with a ruler.

Her hair was already soaked with sweat, clinging to her cheeks, and beads of sweat slid down her chin.

Jiang Duo looked at her and suddenly felt a little irritated.

"Tsk," Yin Kuo remarked from the side, "I must say, Brother Duo, your little antique looks quiet and gentle, but she's quite hardworking. Look at those girls over there, they're almost lying on the ground, but she's doing just that, not a single one of them has cut corners."

Xie Shuheng had been watching and nodded: "She is quite stubborn."

Jiang Duo remained silent.

His fingers tightened slightly, his gaze falling on that slender yet straight figure, watching her slowly bend her elbow once more, sweat trickling down her neck and into her collar, leaving a dark stain on the back of her camouflage uniform.

In my memory, she wasn't like this.

At that time, he had just agreed to be her boyfriend.

One day he went to an auction, and when she found out, she insisted on going with him.

Even though the parking lot was only a few steps from the venue, she had to use a sun umbrella, and she would start complaining of being tired after walking just a few steps.

Such a delicate person, if they were to participate in military training, should have pretended to be sick and asked for leave on the first day, or cried and made him come up with a solution.

But now, she works silently under the scorching sun, more diligently than anyone else.

The change was so drastic that it intensified the unease in his heart.

"I'm leaving." He suddenly spoke, his voice somewhat cold and hard, and turned to leave.

"Hey? Aren't you going to watch for a bit longer?" Yin Kuo caught up and suggested, "It's almost noon, how about we call Little Antique and have lunch together later?"

Jiang Duo stopped and turned to look at him, his eyes as cold as ice.

Yin Kuo immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, okay, I'll shut up, I'll shut up."

As the three walked further and further away, Jiang Duo turned back and glanced at them casually.

The training over there had stopped, and the freshmen sat on the ground to rest.

A tall boy was holding a bottle of water and was handing it to Shen Ci.

As he walked further and further away, he couldn't see whether Shen Ci had accepted the bottle of water.

Jiang Duo withdrew his gaze, his Adam's apple bobbing as he suppressed the inexplicable irritation in his heart.

……

"Time's up! Five-minute break!"

Shen Ci slumped to the spot, her military training uniform completely soaked on the back, looking as if she had just been pulled out of the water.

Fortunately, she persevered.

After a morning of scorching sun, the ground was as hot as a red-hot iron plate, and you could feel the burning heat even through your camouflage pants.

She didn't care about anything else; she just wanted to relax her tense muscles for a moment and catch her breath before going to get the water cup she had prepared.

"Would you like some water, classmate?"

A male voice sounded overhead, carrying a hint of nervousness that was deliberately suppressed.

Shen Ci looked up and saw a tall, thin boy squatting in front of her, holding a bottle of fruit drink. The bottle was still covered with glistening water droplets, and wisps of cool air emanated from it, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding heat.

I don't know what method he used, but he managed to keep the drinks so cool on this scorching hot playground.

She was slightly taken aback, and before she could speak, she noticed several ambiguous gazes cast at her from the side.

They were several girls from the dormitory.

Li Yueran was nudging Chu Xuanxuan with her elbow, the two of them exchanging glances. Yu Nuo looked over, a teasing smile on his lips.

"Thank you for your kindness," Shen Ci withdrew her gaze, gently shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse from thirst, but still clear, "I'll prepare my own water."

The boy's face turned even redder, whether from the sun or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

But he didn't immediately pull his hand back. Instead, he added somewhat eagerly, "Take it. I bought it this morning. I was worried it wouldn't stay cold, so I prepared an insulated bag and ice packs to keep it warm."

In fact, ever since he saw Shen Ci on the first day of military training, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Not only him, but many boys in the department were also eager to try their luck, after all, she was just too beautiful and always stood out in the crowd.

Everyone knows perfectly well that if you don't make the first move on a girl like that, you'll never have a chance in the future.

Shen Ci slightly raised her eyes, her gaze calmly falling on the bottle of water, then on the boy's flushed face.

His gaze was neither cold nor warm, nor did it carry the slightest contempt, yet it exuded an insurmountable sense of detachment.

"I cannot accept a reward without merit," she said softly, her tone calm. "I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept the water."

The boy stood frozen in place, holding the bottle, caught in a dilemma.

He originally thought that since she had prepared it so carefully and presented it in front of everyone, she should accept it out of courtesy.

Who would have thought that this stunningly beautiful girl, though seemingly gentle, actually had no flaws whatsoever.

"I..." He wanted to say something more.

Shen Ci, however, had already stood up, supporting himself on his knees, dusted off his trousers, and walked towards where he had left his water glass.

Her steps were still a little unsteady, but her back was straight. The hem of her camouflage uniform swayed slightly in the heat, and the buttons were still fastened tightly.

The boy had no choice but to awkwardly withdraw his hand, clutching the bottle of cool water, and retreat to his original position under the gaze of everyone.

Chu Xuanxuan leaned closer, her dimples deepening, and whispered, "Xiao Ci, you're too heartless! That boy seemed quite sincere!"

Shen Ci unscrewed her water glass, tilted her head back, and took a small sip, slightly relieving the dryness in her throat. She lowered her eyes, her voice soft yet clear:

Whether it's sincerity or not, what does it matter to me?

Since she has no such intention, she should not give anyone even the slightest false hope.

The sun was still blazing, and Shen Ci sat back down on the ground, closed her eyes to rest, shutting out the whispers around her.