Chapter 48: Chapter 38: One More Shot

“You know medicine, too?”

Jian Congsheng, who was next to him, asked in surprise.

“I know a thing or two!”

Zhao Rui was telling the truth. He didn’t have much of a talent for medicine, but since he’d studied under a master of the Qihuang Skill, he had naturally picked up a few things.

Over the years, he’d learned the basics of using his Inner Strength to heal injuries, treat illnesses, and perform emergency first aid.

“We’re counting on you, student!”

Counselor Liu Jie was a recent university graduate herself. With her delicate features and slender figure, she had the classic look of a demure Southern beauty.

Faced so suddenly with a fainting student, she was momentarily flustered.

The moment she heard a student knew medicine, she felt like she’d been thrown a lifeline.

“Right. I’ll do my best. You should contact the team medic first.”

“I’ll call them right now!”

Liu Jie quickly pulled out her phone and dialed the number.

Seeing her contacting the school medic, Zhao Rui crouched down. He gently lifted the girl’s pale wrist and placed his fingers on her pulse. His sharp brows furrowed for a moment before he supported her back with one hand and rapidly tapped a series of points on her body with the other.

He followed this with a palm strike to her upper back.

This startled the counselor, who was still on the phone. She was about to ask what he was doing, but the drill instructor caught her eye and mouthed silently, “Martial Arts Student!”

The counselor froze for a second, then held still.

Only a few breaths after Zhao Rui’s palm strike, the girl’s eyelashes fluttered, and she groggily opened her eyes.

“She’s awake! She’s awake!”

The students gathered around them cried out in surprise.

“Thank you so much, student.”

The counselor sighed in relief. It wasn’t just that he had woken the girl up; a huge weight had been lifted from her own shoulders.

She had just become a counselor. If something had happened to a student on her watch, she would have been disciplined.

“Don’t mention it, Ma’am. She has a weak constitution and probably can’t handle a long trek like this. She needs to rest quietly,”

Zhao Rui said with a smile.

“Right, thank you. Which Martial Dao class are you in?”

The counselor tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she asked.

“Uh, I’m in your class!”

Zhao Rui scratched his head, looking a bit awkward.

“Ah!”

The counselor’s dainty, cherry-pink lips parted, her pretty eyes wide with astonishment. She had assumed Zhao Rui was a Martial Arts Student just passing by.

“But aren’t you a Mar—”

Before she could finish her sentence, someone nearby shouted, “The medics are here!”

The crowd quickly parted to let two medics jog through. They rushed to crouch down and give the girl a basic examination.

After the examination, their conclusion was more or less the same as Zhao Rui’s: she was simply suffering from physical weakness.

After the check-up, the medics prescribed two bottles of Nutrient Liquid, gave a few words of advice, and left.

Once the medics were gone, both the counselor and the drill instructor breathed a sigh of relief.

“What are you all standing around for? Get moving!”

The instructor aimed a couple of light-hearted kicks at the backsides of the gawking male students, getting the formation moving again.

Zhao Rui was about to rejoin the ranks when Counselor Liu Jie stopped him. “Wait a moment,” she said. “We still need your help here.”

Zhao Rui stopped in his tracks and walked back to her.

Liu Jie said, “The instructor said you’re a Martial Arts Student, and, well…”

As she spoke, she cast an embarrassed glance at the still-unsteady girl beside her.

Zhao Rui understood immediately. He smiled and said, “Sure, I’ll carry her on my back.”

Liu Jie’s face lit up. “Thank you, that’s a big help! I don’t want anyone to fall behind.”

“It’s nothing.”

Zhao Rui smiled, then walked over to the girl and crouched down slightly.

The girl’s face turned scarlet. After a brief hesitation, she climbed onto Zhao Rui’s back, her hands gently circling his shoulders.

“Just so you know, I’m not trying to take advantage of you,”

Zhao Rui said frankly, not getting up just yet.

The counselor, listening from the side, couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll vouch for you.”

“That works!”

Zhao Rui reached back to grip the girl’s full thighs, then stood up effortlessly. He broke into a quick walk to catch up with the moving column.

“Mm…”

The girl felt a pair of warm palms on her legs, their heat pressing steadily against her through the thin fabric of her training uniform. Her face couldn’t help but grow even redder.

When Liu Jie saw Zhao Rui carry the girl as if she weighed nothing, she felt completely at ease. She quickened her pace to follow, and the column resumed its march toward the destination.

“What level Martial Artist are you?”

Walking alongside him, Liu Jie couldn’t help but ask about Zhao Rui, her curiosity piqued.

“Level 5.”

“What? Why didn’t you apply to a Martial Arts Academy?”

“My grades weren’t good enough.”

“Oh, that’s such a shame. I’ve only just taken over this group, so I’m not familiar with everyone yet. Which dorm are you in?”

Liu Jie didn’t press the issue, since it touched on his privacy. Instead, she shifted to small talk.

She didn’t get to ask much, though. Before long, she was so tired from running that she was too out of breath to speak.

But as their counselor, she had to lead by example and keep going. She couldn’t be the one to give up before any of her students did.

“Uh, Ma’am, I actually know a way that could make it easier for you to run.”

Zhao Rui couldn’t help but speak up when he saw her clutching her side as she ran, her breathing ragged.

“What is it?”

Liu Jie immediately perked up. Even the girl on Zhao Rui’s back pricked up her ears, eager to hear the answer.

“Well… I could hold your hand and pull you along as we run.”

“…”

Liu Jie froze, then shot Zhao Rui a mock-reproachful glare. “What kind of solution is that! How dare you tease your counselor.”

Zhao Rui couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s a legitimate method. You can ask the instructor if you don’t believe me.”

Liu Jie glanced at the long line of students and flatly rejected Zhao Rui’s suggestion. Even if it worked, she wouldn’t do it. ’A counselor holding hands with a student? What would that look like?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep