Chapter 135: Truly Enthusiastic

After Chu Luoxi began experiencing military life alongside Yan Han, she finally realized that Yan Han was not just a company commander, but the commander of a special operations unit.

It would be rare enough for a company commander to be so young, but the fact that he held the rank of colonel was truly staggering. Generally, a company commander is a captain; in times of peace, what kind of extraordinary military exploits would it take to reach such a rank? Of course, the special treatment afforded to a special unit was not entirely incomprehensible. Regardless, there was no denying that Yan Han was an exceptional man.

After sparring once more with the soldiers under Yan’s command, Chu Luoxi’s stamina was completely spent. Watching her opponent remain cool and collected, as if he hadn't even broken a sweat, she was once again reminded that this group of people was truly superhuman. However, for Chu Luoxi, this training was highly beneficial; her stamina, temperament, and martial arts—which had stagnated for a long time—were improving at a rapid pace.

She had practiced martial arts since childhood and brought those skills with her after her rebirth, but in front of this group, they were still insufficient. Under this pressure, she gained a great deal. In just a few days, she felt she had progressed faster than she had in decades of personal training. Compared to before her rebirth, she could now handle at least two or three opponents at once. Indeed, pressure created motivation. In the past, she had practiced alone, and the aesthetic appeal of her movements had far outweighed their practicality.

"Oh, no more, I can't do it anymore... I'm out of energy," Chu Luoxi said, her face flushed and drenched in sweat. With a magnanimous wave of her hand, she decided to call it quits. Her limbs were limp, her vision was swimming, and she was on the verge of collapsing. Although these men were only sparring with her during their breaks, the gap in ability was immense. She was grateful she wasn't a soldier; otherwise, she would have been crushed by their superiority.

"Haha, Little Xi, your progress is already very fast. If you were to enlist, you might actually make it into the women’s special forces!" said the short soldier who had just sparred with her. He chuckled, immediately drawing agreement from his comrades. This "short" soldier was only small compared to the hulking, rugged men around him; compared to an ordinary person, he was absolutely a powerhouse, with muscles that looked as hard as iron. They all knew why Chu Luoxi was there, so they usually tried their best to tell her stories about special forces life and interesting anecdotes about women in the military, which broadened her horizons significantly.

"Me?" Chu Luoxi waved her hands weakly. "Absolutely not!" She decided she would rather honestly stick to being an actress. She would never again complain about staying up late to film being exhausting or inhumane—compared to this bunch, that was nothing.

Suddenly, someone crept over, holding a pen and a notebook. "Little Xi, give me an autograph, would you? You won't be coming back tomorrow, and when the drama airs, our entire company will definitely watch it."

"Right, sign one for me too—no, make it two! My younger sister loves you..." Another man chimed in, looking visibly excited. Over the past few days, the soldiers had grown quite fond of Chu Luoxi. It had nothing to do with romance; they figured if she really won the lead role in *Blood Phoenix*, they would deserve some of the credit, so they were determined to get some souvenirs. Not to mention that Chu Luoxi was already gaining fame; if she became a big star in the future, these autographs would become precious collectibles.

"Ah?" Chu Luoxi looked at the sea of blank notebooks in front of her, and her world went dark. She was already exhausted to the point of collapse, and they were only asking for autographs now? Some of the guys even held stacks of books. Good heavens, they might as well just kill her.

"You... you must be doing this on purpose... why didn't you ask for autographs before we started sparring?" Chu Luoxi felt like crying. She miserably took a pen and began to sign with a hand that had gone limp, silently weeping inside.

"No way, no way! This is just giving you a chance to train!"
"That’s right, that’s right! It’s easiest to break through your limits when you’re exhausted."
"If you can endure this today, you’ll find that future autograph sessions will be a piece of cake..."

"..." Damn it. Chu Luoxi gripped the pen so tightly her knuckles turned white. She had almost forgotten that this group of people were also scoundrels. She really wondered if she could just collapse and play dead right now.

When Xiao Jingxuan arrived, he was met with this unexpected scene. Chu Luoxi was sitting on the ground with no regard for her image, surrounded by layers of large men. He couldn't help but smile, though his tone carried a hint of a cold breeze: "The soldiers in your company are certainly enthusiastic!"

Yan Han, who had accompanied Xiao, wiped away beads of sweat, his expression darkening slightly. "These little devils, they clearly need more drilling." Despite saying this, Yan Han had no intention of stopping or scolding them. They spent their lives dancing on the edge of a blade, and their daily training was grueling; the more they sweated, the more likely they were to survive. They had very little entertainment for stress relief, so Chu Luoxi’s appearance was actually a good thing for his men. He didn't want to suppress their enthusiasm; whether it was admiration or appreciation, having a little mental solace to relax their emotions occasionally was perfect.

"You guys are bothering her so much, at least pour her a glass of water!" Yan Han shouted. His voice was so resonant and full of vigor that he sounded nothing like the refined gentleman he was when in front of Chu Luoxi.

"Ah, Commander..."
"Greetings, Commander!"
Everyone chimed in. It was clear that in their daily life, Yan Han and his subordinates were very casual, truly like brothers.

"Wait, is that Superstar Xiao?"
"Am I seeing things?"
"Is it really him?"
The group stirred with excitement upon discovering who Yan Han had brought. Xiao Jingxuan smiled and nodded at everyone, greeting them in a loud, clear voice. His straightforward and heroic manner instantly won over many of them.

Seeing that everyone’s attention had been drawn away by the great Xiao, Chu Luoxi quietly breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her sore right hand, which no longer felt like it belonged to her. She remained calm as she watched Xiao Jingxuan effortlessly mingle with the soldiers. The great Xiao definitely possessed the skill to speak to anyone in their own language; he seemed to have a way of finding common ground with every type of person—a truly powerful ability.

After settling the soldiers, Xiao Jingxuan finally found a gap to sit down next to Chu Luoxi. He sat on the ground with his usual elegance, completely disregarding his expensive, designer clothes. Even in such a simple posture, he looked as if he were seated on a majestic dragon throne, exuding an imposing aura of dominance.

Looking at Xiao Jingxuan with admiration, Chu Luoxi felt that this was the Xiao she remembered—always so awe-inspiring to ordinary people, and even capable of "suppressing" a group of fierce, battle-hardened soldiers in an instant.