Pampered by My Billionaire Childhood Sweetheart-Chapter 40 Roll Call!

Just thinking about this, Gu Jingchen's handsome face was already dusty. Tonight, a cold shower in the bathroom and his right hand were unavoidable, wouldn't you agree?

"Xingyan, did you see that? He didn't correct Xixia with his belt. Isn't that to avoid suspicion? Then why did he use his hands? Clearly something's going on," Yu Tingting said as she squinted at Zhou Xingyan, her delicate eyebrows raised in a playful arc. After four years as roommates, their bond was naturally strong, and they had such seamless understanding that a single glance was enough to communicate.

"Mm." Zhou Xingyan barely nodded in agreement, showing absolute solidarity.

"According to the romance strategy guides, if you want to win over a young woman's heart, her family, friends, and besties are your first battleground. It's like surrounding the cities from the countryside—you can't ignore them." The man's hawk-like eyes had noticed the interaction between Yu Tingting and Zhou Xingyan long before. Gu Jingchen's lips curled up into a faint smile. For the two little besties around the woman he adored, even during military training, the man was deliberate about going easy on them. It was obvious he had a laissez-faire attitude.

At critical moments, he would even butter them up! So what's the big deal right now?

By the end of the morning, Shang Xixia counted that the man had corrected her shoulder posture and leg stance a total of nineteen times—more than all the other girls in the entire design department combined. Crazy, right?

This created a slightly odd sensation in the young woman's heart. Wasn't her usually cool and aloof Brother Jingchen acting a bit... flirty?

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Although his explanation was perfectly formal—he had stated in front of all the design department's military training units that she, as the lead soldier, set the example for everyone marching in formation and therefore had to meet the highest standards—the young woman still felt something was... off.

Thinking about this, the young woman couldn't help but shake her head in bewilderment. Then, she smiled faintly. Maybe she was overthinking it. Perhaps it was just because Brother Jingchen was most familiar with her here, so he was using her as a role model for the other girls.

By now, it was lunchtime, and Gu Jingchen returned to Gu Jingyu's resting area.

The man sat right on Jingyu's bed, a satisfied smirk faintly tugging at his lips—but it still wasn't enough, was it? If he were to follow his heart and not control himself, he'd go crazy with affection. Just thinking about the training uniform on his beloved young woman, it drove the man insane—how could even that damned blue outfit look so stunning on her?

Of course, the entire morning had thoroughly infuriated Li Chengjing and Qu Yanyan. No matter how good or bad they performed, the instructor didn't spare them a single glance! Honestly, they'd never worked so hard in their lives, standing dutifully for hours, trying their absolute best to showcase their best selves in front of Gu Jingchen.

But this man—he didn't even bother correcting anything with his belt! Not even once!

And Gu Jingchen's special attention to Shang Xixia? It made those two women so angry their teeth ached. Regardless of whether Gu Jingchen actually had feelings for Shang Xixia, just his actions alone were enough to make anyone insanely jealous!

Throughout the entire military lineup, no matter how much effort they put into striking seductive poses, it was futile. Gu Jingchen acted as if he didn't even see them, completely ignoring their existence without so much as a glance.

After a two-hour lunch break, all the students gathered again on the sports field.

It was already early summer, and by midday, the weather had turned extremely hot. Behind the sports field was a row of trees, casting patches of dappled shade. During training, if someone could stand there, they'd be shielded from the scorching sun. As they stood at attention, Qu Yanyan and Li Chengjing stared longingly at the shaded area beneath the trees.

After all, they'd spent an enormous amount of money on cosmetics and skincare just to maintain their complexion and avoid getting too dark. The thought of turning darker because of military training was unbearable!

They were doing it all for Gu Jingchen—being a shade lighter would surely make it easier to catch Boss Gu's eye, wouldn't it?

The sun grew harsher, its rays shining directly on Shang Xixia's fair, delicate face. Thin beads of sweat glistened on her skin, accentuating her fine pores. The young woman's posture remained upright and slightly stubborn as her clear, bright eyes remained focused straight ahead.

Gu Jingchen's handsome eyes softened with a faint curve as he gazed at her. Seeing the young woman like this filled his heart with overwhelming warmth. Even though he knew she was naturally fair-skinned and wouldn't tan easily, he still couldn't bear it.

"About face! March forward!" His deep, crisp voice echoed with precision and authority.

"Wow, finally we're moving into the shade! This man isn't just the biggest boss in Yang City—he's so thoughtful. I'm definitely going to make him fall for me!"

Li Chengjing and Qu Yanyan exchanged glances brimming with excitement. Their eyes sparkled with ambition as they marched forward.

"Halt! About face!" Gu Jingchen continued to give orders, his voice still sharp and devoid of emotion.

"Resume standing at attention—for thirty minutes."

"What? Boss, are you kidding me? Standing in this posture, only the first few rows are under the trees' shade! The rest of us are still getting roasted back here!"

Qu Yanyan glared at the first few rows, where Shang Xixia, Yu Tingting, and Zhou Xingyan stood, and began to grind her teeth in rage! Her eyes narrowed and seemed aflame, as if she wanted to burn the lot of them on the spot. Her fingers dug into her palms, almost to the point of drawing blood.

Li Chengjing could barely hold back either, but she didn't dare break rank outright. Instead, she sulked and shot venomous glances at the front.

"You two in the back, step forward!"

Gu Jingchen walked over to the rear of the formation, fixing his gaze on Qu Yanyan and Li Chengjing. His expression was impassive, his ink-black eyes as deep as an ancient well, with an air of unshakable professionalism.

Boss Gu noticed us, didn't he? Could it be that our perseverance under the glaring sun finally moved his heart? Qu Yanyan and Li Chengjing exchanged a look of elation and hurriedly stepped forward.

The students in the front rows turned their heads curiously, eager to see what was happening.

"Sigh. So it really is true—no handsome guy is immune to flirtatious behavior," one of the students muttered, shaking their head in disappointment. They had expected a man with more depth and character, but even he had succumbed to the same shallow instincts.