Chapter 1 — The Bias Box

After deciding that he would bring meals for me and my younger sister every day following training, my boyfriend suddenly scrutinized me:

“Actually, you have been looking like a pig lately.”

He gave a slight pinch to my lower abdomen:

“It’s no wonder your sister’s body is so fragile; it turns out all the nutrition has been diverted to you.”

Seeing me standing there in a stunned silence, he gently patted my head:

“So, from now on, I will be fair and impartial when bringing the meals. Just you wait.”

It wasn't until he brought several "blind box" meal containers before my sister and me that I understood.

“Whatever you draw, that is what you shall eat. You are not to have more, and your sister shall not have less.”

Yet, for fourteen consecutive days, I drew nothing but steamed vegetarian buns, while my sister received seafood fried rice every single time. It wasn't until I passed by the infirmary that day that I overheard Shen Yanchi speaking reluctantly on the phone to my parents:

“Please, do not worry. I have already marked the boxes beforehand.”

“I have ensured that the delicious portions will always be drawn by Qiao Qiao.”

It turned out that it wasn't my luck that was abysmal; it was that they had a tacit understanding to favor her.

1

I did not return to the formation but went straight to the dormitory. Pushing the door open, I found Shen Qiaoqiao sitting at my desk. Seeing me enter, she intentionally pushed her meal container forward.

“Sister, did you draw a steamed bun again today?”

She blinked her eyes innocently.

“Brother Yanchi said the seafood fried rice from this shop is very hard to come by; one has to wait in line for half an hour.”

I walked over to my locker and took out my phone.

“As long as you are happy eating it.”

Shen Qiaoqiao pouted, appearing very dissatisfied with my composure.

“Actually, Brother Yanchi only wants what is best for you.”

“He said you have been gaining weight lately, and eating steamed buns is perfect for helping you slim down.”

I pressed the record button on my phone. The red recording timer began to pulse on the screen.

“Is that so?” I looked at her.

“Of course,” Shen Qiaoqiao smiled sweetly. “Brother Yanchi also said that once the military training concludes, he will give the lead position in the performance to me.”

I placed my phone facedown on the desk. That lead position was something Shen Yanchi had promised me personally half a month ago. He had told me that my figure was graceful, and that wearing the training uniform in the front row would surely make me stand out. Now, he hadn't even bothered to discuss it with me before handing that spot directly to Shen Qiaoqiao. The dormitory door was pushed open from the outside. Shen Yanchi walked in, wearing his camouflage military uniform. In his hands, he held two specialized cooling patches for the military training. These were rewards given by the instructor to exceptional students; there were only a few for the entire battalion. His eyes swept across the room, landing on the plastic bag of steamed buns that remained untouched.

“Wanwan, why haven’t you eaten lunch?”

Shen Yanchi frowned.

“I’m not hungry,” I replied calmly.

He walked up to me, his voice tinged with reproach.

“If you don’t eat, where will you find the energy to train this afternoon? Your stomach is already weak to begin with.”

As he spoke, he reached out to take the bag of buns.

“The filling in these buns contains medicinal herbs good for your stomach. I deliberately went out of my way to visit two different streets just to buy these.”

Looking at his expression of self-righteousness, I found it so laughable that I couldn't even put it into words.

“I don’t want to eat them.”

I grabbed the plastic bag, turned, and threw it into the trash can by the door. Shen Yanchi’s expression darkened instantly.

“Shen Zhiwan, what are you throwing a tantrum for?”

Shen Qiaoqiao immediately set down the lunch box in her hand and went over to pull on Shen Yanchi’s arm.

“She must be jealous because I get to eat seafood fried rice every day.”

“How about I trade my fried rice with her tomorrow? It’s fine if I eat the steamed buns; at worst, my blood sugar will drop and I’ll just faint.”

Shen Yanchi immediately grabbed Shen Qiaoqiao’s wrist.

“Your body is fragile; what kind of steamed buns are you talking about?”

I watched his protective gesture toward Shen Qiaoqiao. I picked up the training cap from the desk and put it on.

“You two can keep talking; I’m going to training.”

As I reached the door, Shen Yanchi called out to me.

“Wait.”

He held the two cooling patches out to Shen Qiaoqiao.

“Qiaoqiao is afraid of the heat; these two patches are for her to use.”

I looked at the cooling patches decorated with smiley faces. Just last night, he had sent me a message saying those were the spoils of war he had specifically secured for me. Now, right in front of my face, he gave them to Shen Qiaoqiao.

“That’s unnecessary.”

I pushed the door open and left without looking back. The wind in the hallway was sweltering, yet it made me feel a chill to the bone. I took out my phone and opened the chat window with my academic advisor.

“Ma’am, I would like to withdraw from the duet performance during the military training.”

2

Shen Yanchi grabbed my wrist at the top of the stairs.

“Shen Zhiwan, what exactly are you making a scene about?”

His grip was strong, squeezing hard enough to make my wrist bones ache. I lowered my head to look at his tightening fingers.

“Let go.”

Not only did Shen Yanchi not let go, but he squeezed even harder.

“You have to make this clear to me.”

“Are you running off just because of two cooling patches and not eating lunch?”

“I already told you, Qiaoqiao is afraid of the heat; she is very prone to heatstroke.”

“You’ve been healthy since you were a child; what’s the harm in giving them to her?”

I lifted my head and looked him straight in the eyes.

“That’s right, I am healthy; I am good at enduring.”

“So, you gave the lead position to her too, didn’t you?”

Shen Yanchi froze, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes. But he quickly regained his composure.

“Who told you that?”

“Qiaoqiao said she wanted to challenge herself, and I felt this was a good opportunity for her to grow.”

“Besides, those movements are too dangerous; I was afraid you would get hurt.”

He released my wrist, his voice turning soft.

“Wanwan, with me protecting her, nothing will happen to her.”

“Can’t you just stay below the stage and watch us perform nicely?”

Looking at his self-assured face, I felt the cramping in my stomach intensify.

“Fine.”

I nodded, my voice devoid of any ripples.

“I withdraw.”

Shen Yanchi didn't seem to expect me to agree so decisively. He took a room-temperature bottle of water from his bag and stuffed it into my hand.

“It’s not good for a girl to drink cold things; take this bottle of water.”

“I’ll treat you to the barbecue you like best tonight to make up for this.”

I looked at the two-yuan bottle of water in my hand.

“No need, I have things to do tonight.”

I placed the water on the windowsill nearby and turned to walk down the stairs. Shen Yanchi called my name from behind, but I did not turn back. On the sports field, the battalions were assembling. I didn't return to my original formation but walked straight to the selection area for the special operations team next to the stands. The special operations team was the most grueling and exhausting unit in the entire military training. Every day involved crawling through mud and conducting high-intensity marches with heavy loads. But if one persisted to the end, they would earn a spot directly into the provincial special training camp. I walked up to the lead instructor and performed a standard salute.

“Reporting, Instructor, Shen Zhiwan, Class Two, Battalion Three, requesting to join the special operations team.”

The lead instructor was a dark-skinned special police officer. He looked me up and down.

“The special operations team does not accept rich young ladies. If you can’t handle the hardship, go back.”

“I can handle the hardship,” I stared straight at him.

The lead instructor pointed to the trench filled with muddy water nearby.

“Get in there and do fifty push-ups first.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I jumped into the muddy water, lay face down, and began. Gasps of surprise erupted from the other students nearby. I lifted my head and saw Shen Yanchi and Shen Qiaoqiao standing not far away. Shen Qiaoqiao had the two smiley-face cooling patches stuck to her neck. She was leaning into Shen Yanchi’s chest, pointing at me in the mud with a look of pure astonishment. Shen Yanchi’s brows were furrowed tight. He strode toward us, standing at the edge of the trench, looking down at me from above.

“Are you so intent on picking a fight with me that you don’t even care about your life anymore?”

I ignored him and continued my push-ups.

“Thirty-five, thirty-six…”

Shen Yanchi suddenly crouched down, reaching out to pull me up.

“Get up here!”

“Do you have any idea how grueling the special operations team is? Your body fundamentally cannot handle it!”

I dodged his hand.

“The instructor hasn’t ordered me to stop, so I cannot get up.”

Shen Yanchi’s hand hung frozen in mid-air. He gritted his teeth and lowered his voice.

“I’ll give the lead position back to you, is that what you want? Stop making a fool of yourself here.”

I finished the fiftieth push-up and stood up from the mud pit. Drenched in dirty water, I looked at his clean, crisp camouflage uniform.

“Shen Yanchi, I don’t want that lead position anymore.”

3

“What exactly are you throwing a fit about?”

Shen Yanchi’s voice rose a few notches, causing the surrounding students to turn and stare. He looked at me, covered from head to toe in mud, his eyes full of confusion and frustration.

“I already returned the lead position to you, and I agreed to take you to barbecue tonight. What else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?”

I wiped the mud from my face and said calmly:

“I’ve already said it; I’m joining the special operations team, and it has nothing to do with anyone else.”

Shen Yanchi was about to say something else when Shen Qiaoqiao suddenly stumbled.

“Brother Yanchi, I feel so dizzy…”

She leaned weakly against his arm. Shen Yanchi hurriedly caught her, feeling her forehead with concern.

“What’s wrong? Are you suffering from heatstroke?”

Shen Qiaoqiao shook her head weakly.

“It’s just that seeing Sister working so hard in the mud makes me feel terrible.”

“She must be angry at me for coming here to suffer like this.”

“I’ll give the lead position back to you, Sister. I don’t want anything.”

The students around us began to whisper.

“So it was all about fighting for the lead spot; that’s so manipulative.”

Hearing the murmurs, Shen Yanchi’s expression grew increasingly grim. He turned his head suddenly, his eyes sharp as he glared at me.

“Shen Zhiwan, do you really have to force Qiaoqiao to stand in the sun with you?”

“You know what her health is like; do you not care about her life just for the sake of a superficial position?”

I looked at him coldly.

“If she has heatstroke, take her to the infirmary. Don’t stand here and block others.”

Shen Yanchi was incensed by my attitude. He picked Shen Qiaoqiao up in his arms.

“Don’t come looking for me until you’ve learned how to be reasonable.”

He carried her off, striding away from the stadium. The surrounding whispers grew louder. I stood in the muddy water, watching their retreating figures, as my stomach suffered another agonizing cramp. I suppressed the pain, turned my head to look at the lead instructor.

“Reporting, Instructor, I have completed the fifty push-ups.”

The lead instructor looked at me with a profound gaze.

“Join the ranks.”

For the next three days, I was completely submerged in the hellish training of the special operations team. Every day consisted of high-intensity physical conditioning and tactical drills. Shen Yanchi never came to look for me again.