Chapter 193: Love Trap (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ye Xiaotian turned to face her and said, “In that case, don’t speak to her.”
“Is it really up to me? The decision lies with you. There’s this faint scent I’ve been smelling ever since you got on the car. What is it?” asked Mo Li, taking a deep sniff of the air.
“It’s the smell of jasmine flowers.”
Mo Li turned her head to the side and looked out of the window, feeling uncomfortable because of the faint floral scent.
——
On the second day of the boot camp, all the members were dressed in a uniform attire. They started off with some simple basic training, leaving the toughest part of the boot camp for last.
After all twelve members had gotten into their respective positions, trainers Chen Xu and Jin Shan then proceeded to speak while standing in front of them.
“Once you’re in the boot camp, there are only two ways out: one is to forfeit voluntarily, should you be unable to carry on with the rest of the training; and the other is to push through and make it until the end. However, do note that the fees will not be refunded. I know, none of you here are hard up for cash, and I’m also aware that each of you are here for a different reason. But since you’ve already decided to be part of the boot camp, then you ought to exercise discipline and adhere to the strict rules and regime here. Please make it a point to kick all your bad habits and foul temper.”
Chen Xu had an austere expression on his face, paired with chiseled good looks that gave him an overall vibe of a charismatic and mature man. “Bear in mind that this is not your home. You’ll be able to make a change and unleash the best version of yourself at the end of the boot camp only if you listen to the trainers. However, if you choose not to abide by our instructions, you’ll only have yourself to blame, should you be unable to achieve your dream results. Everybody hear me?”
“Yes!” the members chorused in unison.
“Excellent. From now onwards, we’ll proceed to the first stage of the bootcamp training. Coach Jin will now brief you on the important things to look out for during the training process, as well as the rules to follow during sparring sessions. Everyone, please bear in mind that proper training will only begin officially in a few days’ time. The first stage is just a warm-up,” said Chen Xu, before walking towards the side to allow Jin Shan to take over.
Staring at the crowd of twelve with a warm and friendly smile on his face, Jin Shan appeared to be much more relaxed and personable compared to Chen Xu.
“This is a confined boot camp, which also means that we’ll be seeing each other every day for the next four months or so. Thus, I hope everyone will be kind and understanding towards each other. I’ll now be briefing you about the important things to watch out for during the bootcamp. Firstly…”
The twelve members listened attentively to Jin Shan, all except Jin Nana, who was not paying any attention at all. Instead, she was focusing all her attention on Chen Xu, who was standing at the side.
Chen Xu began to feel uneasy, perhaps having noticed that she was staring at him intensely. However, he continued to feign ignorance and looked towards the front with a stern expression on his face.
“Jin Nana, please pay attention to what I’m saying, lest you break any rules or hurt your fellow members,” Jin Shan chided while glowering at her.
Suddenly realizing that all eyes were on her, Jin Nana let out an awkward smile and said, “Yes, Coach.”
Standing upright with her back as straight as a ruler, An Xiaoning listened to Jin Shan’s instructions attentively. Just as he was about to finish his speech, she turned her head to the side unintentionally, only to see a figure standing by the window. It was none other than Jin Qingyan.
How long has he been standing there like a block? What was he standing there for?An Xiaoning wondered to herself.
She then turned her head back to face the front.
Jin Qingyan began to stride in as soon as Jin Shan had finished speaking. Standing in a relaxed manner with both hands together, he said, “I was observing all of you from outside while Coach Jin was was making his speech. Regarding your attitude, hmm… I’ve noticed that there are three of you who didn’t pay attention at all.” He then walked towards Lin Mingxi and said, “You’re the first.”
Afterwards he continued to walk towards Jin Nana and chided, “Next, it’s you. Your eyes were practically glued onto Coach Chen the whole time.”
Blushing red with embarrassment, Jin Nana stomped her feet on the ground and retorted, “I didn’t, Commander!”
“You should know it yourself,” said Jin Qingyan.
“Hmph!”
Lastly, Jin Qingyan stood before An Xiaoning while the rest of the crowd kept their eyes peeled onto the both of them.
“And lastly, there’s you. You were outright indecisive.”
An Xiaoning was at a loss for words for she felt maligned.
Is he just picking on me and looking for trouble? she thought in her head.
An Xiaoning decided to give in and answered softly, “Yes. I’ll pay more attention to the trainers next time.”
Surprised at how compliant she was, he raised his brows proudly and said, “Good that you remember. Don’t behave like this again.”
Even the blind could tell that he had an ulterior motive.
Although they were all well aware of that fact, none of them was brave enough to say it out loud.
After they were dismissed, An Xiaoning and Mei Yangyang proceeded to leave right away while Jin Qingyan hurriedly chased after them.
“An Xiaoning.”
An Xiaoning pretended not to hear him and continued in her tracks. All of a sudden, Jin Qingyan stepped forward to grab An Xiaoning forcefully by her arm, greatly angering Mei Yangyang.
“Commander, is there anything else you’d like to instruct me?” An Xiaoning asked with a sarcastic smile on her face. She stared at him coldly, intentionally trying to keep a distance from him.
“Please go back first, I’d like to have a word with her,” said Jin Qingyan, gesturing for Mei Yangyang to leave.
Mei Yangyang then turned around to leave immediately, after which Jin Qingyan dragged An Xiaoning to the rooftop.
“I really wonder, what is it that you have to tell me, such that you had to bring me all the way here, Commander?”
“A secret, of course.” With both hands behind his back, he raised his chin slightly and continued, “Why? Are you that reluctant to see me?”
“Yes.”
“Well, too bad. You’ll still have to see me around no matter what.” Jin Qingyan cleared his throat before saying, “I’ve made a decision, so I thought you needed to know about it.”
“Please speak,” An Xiaoning said calmly, remaining composed.
“I’ll be courting you from today onwards.”
An Xiaoning did not have much of a reaction to his words, which reminded her of Mei Yangyang and Long Tianze. What a pity, however, that their circumstances were starkly different from that of Mei Yangyang and Long Tianze.
“Are you just trying to make yourself feel less guilty?”
“You know I’m not.” After an entire night of thinking, Jin Qingyan had decided that the only way he could get back together with her was to take the initiative to woo her all over again, for he had known that she would definitely make it a point to minimize contact with him since she was so insistent on getting a divorce.
How he wished he could continue being high and mighty, pretending not to be bothered at all.
However, acting that way would not help him at all in salvaging their relationship.
After some thorough thought, Jin Qingyan decided that the only way to convince her to get back together was for him to take the initiative.
“I don’t wish to play such silly games with you, Commander. Please stop acting like this, don’t let us become a laughing stock,” An Xiaoning said coldly, keeping her eyes fixed on him.
“Drop the act, I know you still love me, deep down in your heart.”
“It’s time you took some medicine for your narcissism,” An Xiaoning retorted before walking away.
Jin Qingyan remained still and watched as her figure disappeared slowly, a smirk hanging from his lips. He had already thought of a plan in his head, though he still did not think it was enough. Perhaps, it was time to master the skill of wooing girls.
As soon as he returned to the office from the boot camp, he proceeded to give Fan Shixin a call, instructing him to collect a tip for courtship from each of his subordinates. He also emphasized that each tip had to be different from the others.