I’ll Still Love You Even If You’re a Man Vol 1 Chapter 4

It is the fourth day of military training, and the sun is still scorching. The whole field is very quiet, as everyone is wearing their camouflauge uniform, standing under the burning sun. They are not allowed to move, they can only stand upright for 2 whole hours. Although it is supposedly to train your persistence, both of Mai Ding’s legs were aching badly and he wanted to bend or sit down, but the strict look on the instructor’s face only allowed him to remain in position. Beads of perspiration flowed down bit by bit as he started to feel dizzy. 

An hour has pa.s.sed, just like that, Mai Ding’s eyes started seeing double visions. It was as if he was experiencing heat stroke and is about to faint. He slanted his head to look at An Zi Yan as he staggered to walk towards him, with only one thought in his mind: If I were to faint, I would want to faint in front of An Zi Yan, so that he can bring me to the infirmary. For the sake of friends.h.i.+p, for the sake of bis.e.xuals, fighting!


But eventually, Mai Ding didn’t manage to endure that far, for he couldn’t stand already, even if he had just one more step to go. A very plump guy caught the skinny and frail Mai Ding before shouting, “Instructor, someone has fainted!” The plump guy’s bad breath was all splattered over Mai Ding’s face, which made him even more fickle. He stretched his hand towards An Zi Yan, asking for help, but An Zi Yan only stood at the side and looked at Mai Ding coldly.

“Send him to the infirmary quickly!”

“Yes.”

The plump guy carried Mai Ding, and because of the smell of sweat emitting from his body, that attacked Mai Ding’s nose once again, Mai Ding eventually fainted fully without any reaction or struggle. By the time Mai Ding woke up, he was on the bed in the infirmary. He looked at the time, and he realized that it is already in the afternoon, as he can’t believe he slept for so long.

Li Ming brought some food, walked over and threw it on the bed while saying, “You must be enjoying now, since you got to sleep for so long.”

Mai Ding gobbled down the food as he asked Li Ming with his mouth filled with it saying, “How did you manage to come here?”

“I was just resting and I remembered that you haven’t eaten yet, so I brought you some stuff over. Oh, and the instructor asked me to tell you that you can rest till afternoon, but you have to be there for evening practice.”


When it was night time, Mai Ding was already feeling better. He waited till the night was darker, before sneaking behind An Zi Yan.

“Hey, cla.s.smate, it’s me Mai Ding. I am behind you.”

An Zi Yan rolled his eyes.

“Why didn’t you save me earlier? To think that I still gave you a bottle of sunblock.” Mai Ding moved closer to An Zi Yan and whispered to him:

“I thought that we are friends already? Is this how you treat your own friends?”

An Zi Yan then raised his hand saying, “Instructor, this a.s.shole should not be standing behind me.”

The instructor looked at Mai Ding and shouted at the loudest volume with ease, “Why are you standing there again? Stand back at your original position! You don’t have the slightest idea of what teamwork is, isn't it? Short people should stand at the short people area.”

The instructor’s words made those standing on the right felt hurt. Mai Ding then went back to his original position as he looked at An Zi Yan. Bis.e.xuals’ hearts indeed are cold and black~

—— 

The day before the parade, Mai Ding was showering and he took out his camouflauge pants along with the underwear. After he finished showering, he was shocked to find out that the underwear was nowhere to be found. He tried finding like mad before rus.h.i.+ng out to whine to Li Ming, “Li Ming, you a.s.shole, did you steal my underwear?”

“Why would I steal your underwear? You think you've got some golden b.u.t.t?”

“Then how did it go missing?”

“How am I to know? Did it drop into the toilet?”


"It can’t be, right?”

This matter was affecting Mai Ding till the next day. The pa.s.sionate atmosphere of the parade quickly made him forget about this matter. It is a lie to say that he is not pa.s.sionate about it, as Mai Ding is very up and ready today. He was well prepared, as he already tied his shoelaces and stood in the contingent. The instructor started talking, “This parade is a showcase of the fruits of your labor for this week. I hope everyone will take it seriously and bring out the best in yourself. Do you guys have confidence?”

“We do.”

The parade started with going around the field first before going to the main stage. Just when they were walking officially, the main stage was filled with people, as the leaders of the school came. The instructor was also standing on top. When it was Mai Ding and the team’s turn, they started marching and Mai Ding kicked his legs high.

“My Comrades”

“Leader.”

Meanwhile, an unknown flying object flew out from Mai Ding’s pants and landed on the ground. Mai Ding was shocked as he saw the design, and it looked like the missing underwear from yesterday. Oh c.r.a.p, could it be that the underwear dropped into the pants when he was showering yesterday, and he didn’t notice it? There was snickering from the back and when the group walked over, the underwear was just on the floor in full sight. Mai Ding’s face flushed as he left the group and rushed to the main stage before giving that awkward laughter and picked up the underwear. He then stuff it into his pocket before rus.h.i.+ng back into the group. The whole group broke into laughter as the people beside Mai Ding were laughing till they cried. Mai Ding looked at An Zi Yan's reaction, but he didn’t give any. Instead, An Zi Yan turned his face to the other side. This a.s.shole!

Mai Ding’s serious parade ceremony is no longer that serious and official.

He became the joke of the day.

The parade finally ended. Everyone had good relations with the instructor, but Mai Ding’s efforts was all spent on how to be friends with An Zi Yan, and hence, he has no time to nurture his relations.h.i.+p with the instructor.

Everyone was sending the instructor off at that time, and Mai Ding was glad that the military training was finally over. He looked at the side and saw that An Zi Yan was about to go back to his room, so he followed saying, “Cla.s.smate, wait for me.”

Mai Ding quickly ran up and walked with An Zi Yan. An Zi Yan has tanned a lot over a short span of one week, but that made him even more manly.

“Will you miss the instructor?”, Mai Ding asked.

“No.”

“Then, will you miss the friends.h.i.+p we nurtured during the military training?”

“Definitely not.”

Mai Ding kept quiet as the both of them just continued walking in silence. After a long while, An Zi Yan opened his mouth saying, “You must be feeling chilly down there now, right?” His tone is obviously filled with mockery.

Mai Ding was stunned for a short while, before he finally reacted by pus.h.i.+ng An Zi Yan, “What are you talking about! The one that just dropped out was the one from yesterday, which I didn’t see. It's not the one I'm wearing today.” Mai Ding thought, could it be that everyone misunderstood as well? He is regretting now for being so careless.

By just chatting like that, both of them already reach the dorm’s door.

An Zi Yan immediately add on a sentence, “Pfft. Big Big Wolf*". He was talking about the design on Mai Ding’s underwear, as it was printed with the cunning face of the Big Big Wolf.


After he finished what he was saying, he immediately closed the door. Mai Ding was shouting with his flushed face saying, “My mother was the one who bought that for me! It was not me who is choosing my underwear. Why are you dwelling on it?” He still thought An Zi Yan didn’t really see it, but he didn’t expect him to see it so clearly.

Mai Ding heard laughter coming from An Zi Yan’s room...
----

(* - From a Chinese cartoon called "喜羊羊与灰太狼" aka "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf")


----
To be continued...